8am: Several street vendors in the Kote Sangi area of Kabul have expressed grievances over the Taliban municipality’s decision to prohibit their activities along roadsides. These vendors state that they are grappling with economic challenges, and this measure by the Taliban is making their lives increasingly difficult. According to them, the Taliban not only fail to provide job opportunities but also impose additional restrictions. The vendors report that the Taliban have instructed them to operate only after 4 p.m. along the roadsides. They are urging the Taliban municipality in Kabul to allocate suitable spaces for their work to enable them to meet their families’ basic needs. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: Maulawi Abdul Qahir, a prominent cleric in Balkh, delivered a fiery sermon on Friday, 16 May, at the Rawza Sharif Mosque, where he condemned the Taliban for promoting tribalism and ethnic discrimination. He warned that such practices would lead to the downfall of any Islamic system. According to local sources, Taliban forces attempted to arrest Maulawi Qahir following the sermon but were met with resistance from worshippers, who chanted “Death to the Taliban” inside the mosque. 
HRW: Family members of Afghans unlawfully killed by foreign military forces during the 20-year war in Afghanistan have been waiting a long time for justice. Last week revealed two quite different approaches by countries that should provide it. Australia, which has gone the furthest in investigating alleged war crimes by its forces in Afghanistan, has established a website for family members to file complaints. The United Kingdom, meanwhile, which also has an obligation to provide justice for war crimes, has made much slower progress. 
ANI: An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 hit Afghanistan on Monday morning, said National Center of Seismology. This is the fourth consecutive earthquake to hit the country in the last four days. 
Afghanistan International: The Taliban-controlled Ministry of Finance announced on Monday, 19 May, that the World Bank office in Kabul has reopened and started repaying its outstanding debts owed to Afghan logistics and construction companies. According to the ministry’s official statement, the World Bank owes approximately USD 50 million to several Afghan firms. The bank has begun making direct payments today, starting with USD 10.8 million. The remaining balance of USD 39.11 million is scheduled to be paid in three subsequent instalments, coordinated through the Taliban Ministry of Finance. 
8am: Since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, millions have fled the country due to fear of retribution, systematic discrimination, widespread repression, poverty, and unemployment. This mass migration has triggered a profound crisis of individual and collective identity among the displaced. Those remaining in Afghanistan, struggling under the brutal oppression of the Taliban, hoped that the diaspora would become a unified voice for justice, enlightenment, and resistance against the group. However, contrary to expectations, the behavior of the diaspora on social media reveals that virtual spaces have become battlegrounds for intense ethnic, linguistic, gender, and political conflicts among migrants. This, intentionally or not, benefits the Taliban and bolsters their continued rule. 