Bennett says Taliban talks in Brussels would ‘insult’ Afghans
Amu: Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, said that holding talks with Taliban representatives in Brussels on migrant returns would be “an insult to Afghans, especially women.” Bennett made the remarks while endorsing a statement by Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, who criticized a new European Union regulation designed to accelerate the deportation of migrants and asylum seekers. Click here to read more (external link).
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Taliban Detain Shia Mourners During Muharram Observances In Kabul
Afghanistan International: According to the sources, the arrests were carried out on the orders of Abdul Hakim Sharei, the Taliban’s justice minister. They said those detained are being held in a private detention facility operated by the minister within the Ministry of Justice compound. Click here to read more (external link).
Abdul Ahad Momand, Afghanistan’s First Astronaut, Dies in Germany at 67
Khaama: Abdul Ahad Momand, the first Afghan to travel to space, has died in Germany at the age of 67 after a prolonged battle with cancer, family members said on Sunday. A relative told media that Momand had been suffering from illness for some time and was diagnosed with cancer. Funeral arrangements and memorial ceremonies will be announced later by his family. He is survived by two daughters and a son. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – June 22, 2026
Taliban Ban Women From Recreation: Closed Parks Deepen Isolation and Fear Among Families
8am: As summer begins, several women are voicing complaints about being barred from recreational areas under Taliban rule. They say the restrictions imposed by the group have closed off nearly all leisure spaces to women, depriving families of anywhere to relax and spend their free time. Meanwhile, several women’s rights activists say the Taliban have driven women into isolation through sweeping restrictions, and that the group’s policies, which they describe as misogynistic in nature, are aimed at the gradual erasure of women from social and public life. Click here to read more (external link).
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The Women Running Businesses Under Taliban Rules
NYT: With secondary education and most jobs out of reach, thousands of Afghan women have turned to entrepreneurship as the only path to make money and maintain a social life. Click here to read more (external link).
Germany may increase deportation flights to Afghanistan: Report
Amu: Germany could significantly expand deportation flights for Afghan nationals convicted of crimes, according to a report by German media outlet, Bild am Sonntag. The report said German authorities are considering increasing charter deportation flights to Afghanistan to as many as three per month following technical-level discussions between representatives of Germany’s Interior Ministry and Taliban. Human rights groups have criticized the deportations, arguing that they require practical cooperation with Taliban and risk legitimizing the Taliban internationally. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – June 21, 2026
Taliban expand smartphone ban to Panjshir
Amu: The order prohibits civilian and military employees from using smartphones in public offices across the province. The ban also comes amid a wider Taliban effort to tighten control over information. Over the past year, authorities have imposed restrictions on visual media in several provinces and expanded enforcement of regulations issued by the Taliban Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. Click here to read more (external link).