8am: Decreasing internet quality, low speeds, and frequent outages in Afghanistan have created serious problems for a number of users, particularly journalists and others whose daily work depends on the internet. They say that despite paying high costs for internet packages and Wi-Fi services, the quality of these services has declined and, in many cases, no longer meets their needs. Users complain about packages running out early, rising costs, and the lack of effective accountability from telecommunications companies, saying that internet instability has disrupted their work, education, and communication. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan Wrestling Premier League Season 1 officially underway in Kabul
Ariana: The inaugural season of the Afghanistan Wrestling Premier League (AWPL) officially got underway in Kabul on Monday night, marking a major milestone for the country’s wrestling community and drawing enthusiastic support from fans. The competition features 10 teams comprising 100 of the country’s top wrestlers, who will compete throughout the tournament in what organizers hope will become a flagship sporting event for Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – July 19, 2026
Families await news of 14 missing Afghan migrants after desert tragedy
Amu: Five Afghan migrants have been found dead in southwestern Afghanistan after attempting to cross illegally into Iran, while 14 others who were traveling with them remain missing, according to local Taliban officials and relatives of the migrants. The group of 19 disappeared while crossing the Dasht-e Margo desert in Nimroz province, a remote and inhospitable area that has become an increasingly common route for human smugglers seeking to evade border security. Click here to read more (external link).
More Afghan Migrant / Refugee News
Sun, Simurgh & Lapis Mountains Shape Sepahiyan-e Mihan Emblem
Afghanistan International: The logo includes symbolic elements such as the Simurgh, the sun, the Hindu Kush mountains, lapis lazuli, a sword and a star. Social media users have described these images as references to the country’s historical and mythological identity. Click here to read more (external link).
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- Group is led by Qayum Malang, a former special forces commander with 13 years of military experience
- Anti-Taliban commander: tears of girls, the displacement and destitution of the people, and their hunger drove him to take up armed struggle against the Taliban
- Taliban Deploys Army Chief To Lead Operation Against New Armed Group
Tolo News in Dari – July 18, 2026
ISIS-K Wants Afghanistan As Base For Regional Expansion, Says Russian FM
Lavrov
Afghanistan International: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned that Islamic State Khorasan is the main threat to Central Asia, saying it seeks to use Afghanistan as a base for expansion and the creation of a caliphate. Click here to read more (external link).
UN official says Al Qaeda remains present in Afghanistan
Amu: Alexander Zuev, acting under-secretary-general of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, has said that Al Qaeda continues to maintain a presence in Afghanistan despite a decline in its operational activity. Click here to read more (external link).
District in Badakhshan briefly falls to anti-Taliban group: Sources
Amu: An anti-Taliban group briefly seized control of Yaftal-e-Paeen district in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province early Friday before withdrawing several hours later, local sources told Amu TV. According to the sources, the fighters identified themselves as a newly formed group calling itself “Sepahian-e Mihan” (Soldiers of the Homeland) and raised the group’s flag over the district administration building during the takeover. The sources said the fighters later withdrew from the district. Click here to read more (external link).
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Tolo News in Dari – July 17, 2026