Taliban Extend Ban On Images Of Living Beings To 24 Afghan Provinces

·

Afghanistan International: The Taliban have expanded a ban on publishing and broadcasting images of living beings to 24 provinces across Afghanistan, further tightening restrictions on media and freedom of expression, the Afghanistan Journalists Center said. In a statement issued on Thursday, January 8, the Afghanistan Journalists Center said the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has enforced the ban in Uruzgan province, ordering media outlets to stop publishing images and converting the provincial state television channel into a radio station. Click here to read more (external link).

Afghanistan names squad for ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2026

·

Amu: The squad features a group of young players selected after domestic age-group competitions and training camps, the board said in a statement. Mahboob Khan and Uzairullah Khan are included among the wicketkeeping options, while the squad also features Faisal Khan, Osman Khan, Khalid Ahmadzai, Azizullah Miakhil, Abdul Aziz Khan, Nazifullah Amiri, Khatir Stanikzai, Nasrat Nooristani, Wahidullah Zadran, Salam Khan, Zaitullah Shaheen, Rohullah Arab and Hafeez Zadran. Click here to read more (external link).

Fear of deportation turns deadly for Afghan refugees in Pakistan

·

Ariana: Fear of arrest and forced deportation is pushing Afghan refugees in Pakistan into life-threatening situations, with women, children and the sick paying the heaviest price, humanitarian groups warn. Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières – MSF) has shared harrowing accounts of Afghan families too afraid to leave their homes, even for urgent medical care, due to Pakistan’s ongoing deportation drive. Click here to read more (external link).

More

Taliban Nepotism and Ethnic Favoritism: Widespread Unemployment Under the Shadow of Discrimination and Corruption

·

Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada

8am: Many citizens speak openly about the growing spread of unemployment and the Taliban’s failure to address it. They say the lack of job opportunities has made daily life harder than at any other time they can remember. According to them, anyone with a broker or personal ties to Taliban members can quickly secure a job of their choosing. They believe a broken hiring system, the absence of transparency, and the concentration of jobs in the hands of one group have crushed the hopes of countless young people who once dreamed of a better future. Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban Supreme Leader, said in a speech marking Eid al-Fitr that poverty is part of divine destiny and that poor people should not complain about their situation. Click here to read more (external link).

Former Uprising Forces Commander Killed In Jowzjan

·

Afghanistan International: A local commander affiliated with the National Islamic Movement Party of Afghanistan was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in northern Afghanistan after being deported from Iran, the party’s spokesperson said. Ehsan Niro told Afghanistan International that the Taliban were responsible for the killing of a commander known as Yousuf in Khwaja Du Koh district of Jowzjan province. Click here to read more (external link).

The Taliban’s ‘Successful’ 2025 Was Anything But

·

The Diplomat: Last week, as the Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid triumphantly declared 2025 “a year of diplomatic success,” the claim was received with predictable laud from the movement’s echo chambers. But to anyone observing Afghanistan with even minimal distance from the Taliban’s propaganda, the opposite is true. Far from consolidating power or gaining legitimacy, the Taliban spent 2025 losing allies, credibility, and deepening their pariah status on the world stage. Click here to read more (external link).

Afghan Activists Urge End To Language Discrimination Against Persian Speakers

·

Afghanistan International: In an open letter addressed to the special rapporteurs of the UN Human Rights Council, the activists said the Taliban administration has pursued policies that deliberately marginalise and suppress the use of Persian, one of Afghanistan’s two official languages. The letter raised concerns about what it described as linguistic and structural discrimination, accusing the Taliban of imposing Pashto across education, administration and other public spheres. The activists said these policies have deprived Persian speakers of equal participation, fair access to public services and social standing. Click here to read more (external link).

Taliban confirm four killed in Takhar gold mine clashes

·

Amu: Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesman for the Taliban-run interior ministry, said three local residents and one employee of a mining company were killed in fighting in Chah Ab district. Five others were wounded, he said. Qani said the Taliban deputy governor for Takhar had travelled to the area to investigate the incident. Mining operations at the site have been suspended while inquiries continue, he added. Click here to read more (external link).

More