Afghanistan International: The United Nations Security Council says the Taliban have dismissed thousands of their Tajik and Uzbek fighters, particularly in provinces with large Tajik and Uzbek populations. It follows a 20 percent reduction in the group’s security forces. Click here to read more (external link).
Amu: The data showed that 4,591 Afghans were deported from Pakistan and 1,691 from Iran in one day. Most deportations from Pakistan took place through the Torkham border crossing, with others returning via Spin Boldak and Bahramcha, the commission said. Those expelled from Iran entered Afghanistan through the Islam Qala crossing in Herat province and the Silk Road crossing in Nimroz, according to the statement. Click here to read more (external link).
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Khaama: This destruction follows a pattern: in recent years the Taliban has dismantled multiple cinema buildings across Afghanistan. In the Khairkhana district of Kabul, the historically significant Khairkhana Cinema was previously razed, with authorities announcing plans to build a mosque and a market on that site. Other cinemas in provinces such as Herat and Kandahar have similarly been closed or demolished under Taliban decrees. Click here to read more (external link).
NDTV: Pakistan’s mounting water crisis is likely to worsen, as the Taliban government in Afghanistan has decided to move ahead with its plans to divert water from the Kunar River towards the Nangarhar region in the country — a move that could sharply reduce downstream flows into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The development, which threatens to open a fresh front in already strained Afghanistan-Pakistan ties, comes after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty. Click here to read more (external link).
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Freedom Fighters of the Afghanistan Freedom Front carried out a targeted operation at approximately 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, against a Taliban Highways Battalion base located close to the police headquarters in Faryab province.
As a result of this attack, two… pic.twitter.com/HwFSd4N1WO
— Afghanistan Freedom Front (@FREEDOMFRONTAFG) December 17, 2025
Khaama: Germany has deported its first convicted Afghan migrant to Kabul following a recent agreement between Berlin and Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities, German media reported on Wednesday, December 17. According to the daily Bild, the individual was flown from the southern German state of Bavaria to Kabul early on Wednesday and handed over to Taliban officials upon arrival. Click here to read more (external link).
Amu: Afghanistan’s under-19 cricket team beat Nepal by six wickets on Wednesday to finish their campaign at the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2025 with a victory. The win came after a difficult tournament for Afghanistan U19, who lost their opening match to Bangladesh by three wickets on Dec. 13 and were narrowly beaten by Sri Lanka by two wickets on Dec. 15, with Sri Lanka chasing down a target of 236 in the final over. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban militants (file photo)
8am: For years, the Taliban repeatedly denied torturing or humiliating prisoners in their detention facilities. An audio document obtained by the Hasht-e Subh Daily challenges those claims. In the recording, a local Taliban official openly confirms that Taliban intelligence tortures detainees and carries out arbitrary arrests. The document reveals that many people are detained and abused without any formal charges, often because of internal plots and rivalries within the group. At the same time, local officials voice anger over the arrest of several foreign fighters and say they feel deeply disillusioned with the current regime. They also criticize Taliban clerics who serve as judges and muftis, saying that while they fought on the battlefield, salaries and privileges now go to clerics who arrived from Pakistan. The report shows that many local Taliban feel alienated by ethnic discrimination and by financial and intelligence abuses inside the system. Click here to read more (external link).