Taliban militants (file photo)
Afghanistan International: Taliban intelligence officers have subjected detainees to physical, sexual and psychological torture, sometimes for “entertainment,” according to a new report by the Afghan human rights Rawadari. Rawadari’s findings indicate that torture was used not only as a tool for extracting forced confessions but also to suppress dissent, punish former government employees and intimidate critics of the Taliban. The group reported that detainees were subjected to beatings, electric shocks, sexual harassment, prolonged solitary confinement, food deprivation, and denial of medical care. Some were held in secret or private detention facilities with no access to legal counsel or judicial review. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News: Afghanistan’s national futsal team has been placed in the same group as Myanmar and the Maldives for the qualifying stage of the 2026 AFC Futsal Asian Cup. The draw ceremony took place today (Thursday) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, involving 31 participating teams. Afghanistan was drawn into Group H alongside Myanmar and the Maldives. The qualifiers will begin in September this year, with Myanmar hosting the Group H matches. 
Amu: Rohullah Mosawi made history on Wednesday by winning Afghanistan’s first-ever gold medal at the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) Asian Championship. Competing as the country’s only representative, Mosawi defeated his Thai opponent in the final bout of the 60-kilogram division. 
Khaama: Pakistan will begin the third phase of forced deportations of Afghan refugees next week, raising serious humanitarian concerns across the country. The Pakistani government will initiate the third phase of forced deportations of Afghan refugees in five days. The Ministry of Interior has set a June 30 deadline for all refugees registered with UNHCR and PoR card holders to leave voluntarily. Amnesty International recently urged Pakistan to halt the deportations, warning that 1.4 million Afghan refugees with UN-issued registration cards risk forced removal after June. The rights group called on Pakistan to respect refugees’ rights and extend PoR card validity. 
aeon: My name is Marjan. In 1996, when the Taliban first took over Afghanistan, I was 12 years old. We lived in Kabul. My father was perpetually unemployed and I could never understand why. While he didn’t do anything to provide for his family, he smoked hashish, which my mother had to pay for. My mother was a cleaner in a government office. Our family’s financial situation was precarious and her salary could barely feed us; my three brothers and I never had good clothes to wear and our shoes were always torn. (Having new shoes was one of my dreams that never came true.) When the Taliban entered Kabul, they banned women from working and girls from studying. I, who once dreamed of becoming a doctor, was confined to the house. I was in the sixth grade. 
Ariana: The United Nations has confirmed that a small number of Iranians, including dual Iranian-Afghan nationals, have crossed into Afghanistan following the outbreak of conflict between Iran and Israel. According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), around 30 families with dual citizenship have entered Afghanistan, and a limited number of Iranian asylum seekers were registered on Sunday, June 22.