Khaama: Former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ronald Neumann says he can envision the United States reopening its embassy in Kabul under Taliban rule, but only if the Taliban make concrete policy changes; particularly on women’s rights, as part of a gradual, reciprocal engagement process. Neumann, who served as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan from 2005 to 2007, made the remarks in an interview with i24NEWS, arguing that while Washington has profound disagreements with the Taliban, there are practical reasons for maintaining limited engagement with the group. Click here to read more (external link).
8am: Several Badakhshan residents have expressed concern over the growing mining activities of Chinese companies in the province. They say Chinese companies are preventing residents from approaching extraction sites by setting up large camps and centers for their staff and equipment. These residents say that when extracting minerals, Chinese companies do not pay sufficient attention to the environmental consequences of their activities and have taken on extensive powers in mineral extraction. They also speak of suspicious activities by some Chinese companies and suspect that these companies are not limiting themselves to gold extraction, and that at night they may also be extracting or processing certain rare minerals. Meanwhile, several economic experts say China’s presence in Afghanistan’s mining sector is a two-sided issue; on one hand it could create important economic, investment and employment opportunities, and on the other hand it could increase the risk of economic dependency and geopolitical consequences. 
The Guardian (UK): The Taliban did not just ban women from schools, impose the burqa and outlaw smartphones. The Taliban built a system that enslaves nearly half the country’s population, or according to outdated statistics: 21,701,532 women and girls. 
Afghanistan International: The Taliban on Saturday published a new law governing the “Shurta”, the term it uses for police, banning “all demonstrations throughout Afghanistan”. The group had previously changed the name of the police to “Shurta”, an Arabic term meaning police. 