Sirajuddin Haqqani
8am: Recently, The New York Times referred to Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting Interior Minister of the Taliban and the leader of the Haqqani Network, as the only “dissenting voice from within” the group. This is not the first time some media outlets and reputable international organizations have made such claims. Click here to read more (external link).
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Ariana: Afghanistan U17 national football team defeated Bangladesh 3-2 in their final match of the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2025 Qualifiers on Sunday to end their campaign undefeated. Afghanistan have qualified for the 2025 AFC U7 Asian Cup that will be held in Saudi Arabia in April next year. Click here to read more (external link).
Other Afghan Sports News
8am: The Taliban have repeatedly denied the presence of ISIS in Afghanistan, labeling it as propaganda from their enemies. However, findings from the Hasht-e Subh Daily indicate that, in the past 40 days, ISIS has killed 18 individuals in attacks in Ghor province, including four Taliban members. The report reveals that over the past month, 18 people have died in attacks attributed to ISIS in Ghor, among whom four Taliban members were also killed. This occurs despite the Taliban’s ongoing denials of ISIS’s presence in Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: A group of retirees blocked the street leading to the Ministry of Finance in Kabul on Saturday, October 26, in protest against the Taliban’s non-payment of their salaries since the last three years. Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada has dissolved the pension system in Afghanistan and slashed the salaries of retirees. Click here to read more (external link).
FP: The collapse of the Afghan state amid the United States’ withdrawal in 2021 gifted the new Taliban government with more than $7 billion worth of U.S. military equipment. Afghanistan’s new overlords suddenly found themselves with fleets of Humvees, mountains of machine guns, and forests of radars and satellite dishes. The vast hardware hoard also included dozens of aircraft: a motley mix of Hind and Blackhawk helicopters, cargo planes, and close air support props. Click here to read more (external link).
Ariana: Afghanistan A defeated India A by 20 runs on Friday to advance to the final of ACC T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024. The result means Afghanistan A have reached the final of the ACC T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup for the first time and will play Sri Lanka A, two-time champions, in the final. Click here to read more (external link).
Nazary
Afghanistan International: Ali Maisam Nazary, head of foreign relations of the National Resistance Front (NRF), said that with the US elections round the corner, some Western media outlets have resorted to “whitewashing” the Taliban. Following the publication of The New York Times report on Sirajuddin Haqqani, Nazary accused some Western media of “normalising” the Taliban. Click here to read more (external link).
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Ariana: The Chargé d’Affaires of the British Embassy in Afghanistan Robert Dickson said in a meeting with Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, political deputy prime minister, that the UK government does not permit the activities of opposition groups in Afghanistan, Arg said in a statement on Friday. Click here to read more (external link).