Khalilzad
Khaama: Shawn VanDiver, president of the refugee advocacy group AfghanEvac, has sharply criticized former U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad for endorsing an Eid message by Taliban Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund. While Khalilzad remains a vocal commentator on Afghan affairs, his perceived closeness to the Taliban continues to raise alarms among Afghan diaspora communities and human rights organizations. His public endorsements are viewed by many as whitewashing an oppressive regime. Click here to read more (external link).
The Guardian (UK): When the rules were announced, it was unclear how a relatively small number of “morality police” employed by the Taliban would enforce and implement these rules. Yet, in the months since the rules were announced, it has been fathers, brothers and husbands who have become, in effect, unpaid foot soldiers imposing the Taliban’s oppressive regime on Afghanistan’s women and girls. They are driven not just by fear of what will happen to women if apprehended by Taliban enforcers. Under the Taliban’s new rules, if a woman is deemed to be found in breach of its morality rules, it is her male relative, not her, who could be punished and face fines or even prison. 
Khaama: Mohammad Narimani, Director General of the International Relations Office of Iran’s Anti-Narcotics Headquarters, has stated that drug trafficking from Afghanistan warehouses to Iran and other countries continues unabated. According to Narimani, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Russia remain on the frontline in combating narcotics trafficking originating from Afghanistan. Afghanistan continues to be the world’s largest producer of illicit drugs, with a noted rise in methamphetamine production, according to Narimani. 
Ariana: In the opening fixture of the day, Jawanan Maihan secured a narrow 1-0 win over Etihad FC in a tightly contested match at the Afghanistan Football Federation’s futsal gymnasium in Kabul. Later, Sadaqat FC turned heads with a commanding 4-1 victory over Arya Forj, showcasing their attacking prowess and positioning themselves as early contenders in the league. 
Ariana: Kabul could become the first modern city to completely run out of water by 2030, according to a report by Mercy Corps. Over the past decade, water levels in the city’s aquifers have dropped by up to 30 meters due to rapid urbanization and climate change. Nearly half of Kabul’s boreholes—the primary source of drinking water—have already dried up, and water extraction exceeds the natural recharge rate by 44 million cubic meters annually. 
Amu: Several women employed by United Nations agencies in Afghanistan say Taliban have escalated threats against their families in a bid to force them to quit their jobs, raising alarm over the safety of humanitarian workers and the future of international aid operations in the country.