Taliban militants (file photo)
AFP: The text contains 35 articles. The most criticised dictates that a woman’s voice should not be raised outside the home and that they should not sing or read poetry aloud. Unrelated men and women are forbidden from looking at each other, and women are commanded to cover themselves entirely in front of non-Muslim women. Men are ordered to grow beards longer than a fist, wear loose-fitting clothes and not reveal their bodies between the navel and the knee. Sodomy is banned “even with one’s own wife”. The media has been banned from mocking or humiliating Islam, transport companies told to alter schedules to fit prayer times and Muslims told they should not befriend or help non-Muslims. Some traditional games have also been banned, as well as taking or viewing photos of living things on computers or smartphones. Disobedience of parents has also been outlawed. Click here to read more (external link).
Khaama: Officials from the Central Bank of Afghanistan have announced that over the past year, the currency’s value has increased by 17.25% against the U.S. dollar. However, the World Bank had previously warned that starting in 2024, the value of the Afghan currency is expected to decline against all major currencies. The ongoing instability of Afghanistan’s economy is a growing concern. While international support and aid organizations, including the UN, provide critical assistance, the economic foundation remains shaky and unsustainable. The dependency on external aid highlights the fragile nature of Afghanistan’s economy, which is struggling with a severe humanitarian crisis and rising unemployment. 
Afghanistan International: The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) claimed responsibility for an attack on Taliban forces in Taloqan, the capital of Takhar province, stating they killed three Taliban members and injured another. The NRF’s statement detailed that the attack occurred at 4pm on Wednesday, targeting Taliban fighters near Old Taloqan, in the Kabul Gate area. 
8am: Some Afghan citizens who have sought official document processing at the Taliban-run courts in Kabul and various provinces have expressed dissatisfaction with the judges’ biased behavior. They report that Taliban judges treat applicants differently when issuing marriage certificates, marriage documentation, single status certificates, and inheritance documents. These citizens claim that judges appointed by the Taliban harass non-Pashtun applicants due to ethnic and regional differences. They urge the Taliban to abandon ethnic, regional, and linguistic biases and provide equal services to all applicants. Political analysts, however, believe such discriminatory practices will persist until the country’s judicial institutions are purged of unqualified and illiterate individuals. During their three years of rule, the Taliban have repeatedly been accused of ethnic, linguistic, and religious biases. Reports indicate that Tajik, Uzbek, and Hazara employees in government offices face the constant fear of dismissal and must tolerate the excuses of Taliban officials.