Tolo News: The Australian federal government has allocated 43.8 million Australian dollars in this year’s budget to investigate cases related to alleged war crimes committed by the country’s defense forces in Afghanistan. According to reports, the investigations are linked to incidents involving Australian forces in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016. The Daily Mail reported that investigators are examining allegations of “serious misconduct” and violations of the laws of war, and if sufficient evidence is found, the cases will be referred to judicial authorities for prosecution. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban to Sell Confiscated Housing Estates Back to Residents
Afghanistan International: The Taliban has published a new law allowing it to seize land deemed “state-owned”, including existing residential areas, and resell it to residents and property owners. After returning to power, the Taliban established a commission to prevent land grabbing and recover allegedly seized land. However, reports indicate the group has confiscated and registered thousands of acres of private land in various regions under the label of “state-owned” property. Click here to read more (external link).
Bost Region wins National T20 Cup after record chase in Kunduz
Amu: Bost Region won the 2026 National T20 Cup on Wednesday after defeating Mis-e-Ainak Region by five wickets in the tournament final in Kunduz. The National T20 Cup, organized by the Afghanistan Cricket Board and sponsored by SuperCola, brought together regional teams from across the country and was held in Kunduz. The tournament is considered one of Afghanistan’s main domestic cricket competitions and serves as a platform for emerging players seeking selection to national and franchise-level teams. Click here to read more (external link).
Arrests & Killings Of Former Afghan Forces Continue, Says UN
Afghanistan International: United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said arrests and killings of former Afghan security personnel continued in early 2026, documenting 23 arbitrary detentions, nine torture cases and five killings. UNAMA said former government officials and members of the former Afghan National Defence and Security Forces were being forcibly deported to Afghanistan and faced rights abuses upon their return. Click here to read more (external link).
UN reports 372 civilian deaths in Taliban-Pakistan clashes
Amu: At least 372 civilians were killed and 397 wounded in Taliban-Pakistan clashes during the first three months of 2026, according to a new report by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. The report said most of the civilian casualties occurred after Pakistan launched what it called “Operation Ghazab al-Haq” on Feb. 26, following a series of militant attacks inside Pakistan that Islamabad blamed on armed groups operating from Afghanistan’s territory. The UN documented 95 separate incidents of cross-border violence between Jan. 1 and March 31, attributing 94 of them to Pakistani security forces and one to Taliban. Airstrikes accounted for nearly two-thirds of the civilian casualties, while the remaining deaths and injuries were caused mainly by cross-border artillery and mortar fire. According to the report, the casualties included 72 women, 554 men, 48 girls and 95 boys. The provinces with the highest numbers of casualties were Kabul, Kunar and Paktika. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
ACB opens bidding for return of Afghanistan Premier League
Amu: The Afghanistan Cricket Board announced on Tuesday that it had opened the franchise acquisition process for the return of the Afghanistan Premier League, the country’s flagship Twenty20 competition, which is scheduled to resume later this year in the United Arab Emirates. The cricket board said it would formally issue requests for proposals for franchise ownership on May 15, with submissions due by June 30. The tournament, known as the APL T20, is expected to feature five franchise teams representing Kabul, Kandahar, Balkh, Paktia and Nangarhar. Click here to read more (external link).
Iran moved aircraft to Afghanistan to escape U.S. airstrikes: CBS Claims
Khaama: CBS News, citing U.S. officials, reported that Iran transferred some civilian aircraft to Afghanistan during recent tensions with the United States in an apparent effort to protect aviation assets. Two U.S. officials told the network it remained unclear whether military aircraft were also moved to Afghanistan. However, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied the report, telling CBS News that Iran had no need to move aircraft to Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – May 12, 2026
“Forbidden for People, Permissible for Taliban”: Nimroz Baloch Decry Discrimination
8am: Baloch residents of Nimroz province are raising complaints about what they describe as discriminatory and double-standard treatment by the Taliban. They say that years of drought had pushed most people in Nimroz to rely on informal fuel imports for their livelihoods, while others worked in passenger transport or guided laborers crossing smuggling routes into Iran in search of work. These sources of income, they say, have now been stripped from them and handed over to Taliban members drawn from a single ethnic group. The Baloch accuse the Taliban of ethnocentrism and of converting fuel imports and human smuggling into a mafia-style operation, declaring such activities forbidden for ordinary people while treating them as permissible for themselves and their close associates. These concerns over the Taliban’s double-standard treatment in Nimroz come as residents of several other provinces, including Badakhshan, raise similar grievances. Click here to read more (external link).
Frequent and Unjustified Power Cuts in Kabul; Residents Bear the Burden of Taliban Irresponsibility
8am: Several Kabul residents say that in recent days, electricity workers under Taliban control have been cutting power to their homes for no clear reason. They add that despite paying their bills on time, the problem recurs every few months. According to these residents, household power is being disconnected without prior notice, and in some cases, reconnection takes days. They stress that to restore service, they are forced to spend hours visiting offices run by the Taliban. Speaking with the Hasht-e Subh Daily, the residents say that the sudden outages have created serious problems in their daily lives. They add that the repeated cuts have damaged household appliances and imposed extra costs on families. According to them, the conduct of Taliban electricity workers has been irresponsible, and the process for handling subscriber complaints is marked by disorder. They insist that families should be notified through an official notice or warning before their power is cut, and that subscribers who pay their bills on time should be treated fairly. Click here to read more (external link).