Afghanistan International: The Taliban say they have begun paying pensions to retired workers for the first time since returning to power in 2021. Retirees have repeatedly staged protests in recent years over the Taliban’s failure to pay pensions, which were suspended after the group seized power. Under the former Afghan government, more than 160,000 retired workers received regular pensions. Click here to read more (external link).
Rashid Khan to lead Afghanistan squad in Asia Cup

Rashid Khan
Ariana: Afghanistan have unveiled a 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE, with star spinner Rashid Khan set to lead the side once again. The team blends seasoned campaigners with emerging talents, aiming to make an impact in the tournament that begins on September 9 with a clash against Hong Kong and China. Click here to read more (external link).
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Arrests of Afghan refugees increase in Pakistan: UNHCR

Ariana: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced that the arrest of Afghan refugees in Pakistan increased during August this year. The agency added that from the beginning of April until August 21, a total of 53,200 Afghan migrants were arrested and imprisoned in Pakistan. Click here to read more (external link).
Swiss Say Kabul Delegation Helped Verify Afghan Offenders for Deportation
Khaama: Swiss officials confirmed four Taliban diplomats visited Geneva to identify Afghan convicts, calling the move “sensitive but necessary” to issue valid Kabul-approved travel documents. Swiss state television has reported that four Taliban diplomats recently traveled to Geneva on a discreet mission to identify Afghan nationals convicted of crimes in Switzerland. Officials described the visit as “sensitive but necessary.” Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban Opposition Meeting In Islamabad Delayed Over Visa Issues
Afghanistan International:.One participant said the meeting is now expected to take place in the last week of September. The two-day event, organised by Pakistan’s South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI), is set to bring together representatives of Afghan political groups, civil society, women’s rights activists and media, alongside Pakistani academics and policymakers. Organisers say the goal is to define common principles for stability, rule of law and a representative government in Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – August 23, 2025
Sources: Taliban detain several women in northern Kabul

Taliban militants (file photo)
Amu: Taliban morality enforcers detained several women late Thursday near the Parwan Hotel in Kabul’s 11th district, local sources said. The women were taken to a Taliban security facility, where families were told to pay 20,000 afghanis (about $280) and informed that the women would spend one night in jail, according to the sources. Click here to read more (external link).
Life under Taliban rule
Iran’s Water Crisis Worsened By Taliban Dam

Dam in Afghanistan (file photo)
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Iran’s deepening water crisis is primarily driven by prolonged drought, chronic mismanagement, and the impacts of climate change. The crisis is so bad that officials say Tehran is becoming uninhabitable and Israel is hoping it will get people to revolt against the Islamic republic. Making an already bad situation worse is the Taliban’s launch of a hydroelectric power station at the Pashdan Dam. Located on the Hari River in northwestern Afghanistan, the dam threatens to cut off the main water supply to Mashhad — Iran’s second-largest city with roughly 3.5 million residents. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghan Refugee Acceptance in UK Falls to 44%, Amnesty

Khaama: Amnesty International UK says asylum approvals for Afghans fell from 98% to 44%. The group warns new immigration laws are unfair, harmful, and undermine refugee protections. Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty’s Refugee and Migrant Rights Director, described the new policies as “flawed and unfair.” He cautioned that the approach leaves thousands of asylum seekers without protection and risks creating a growing backlog of unresolved cases alongside higher public costs. Click here to read more (external link).
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Tolo News in Dari – August 22, 2205
