Amu: A new report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has found that 677 Afghan journalists were forced into exile between 2021 and 2025, nearly half of the 1,468 journalists worldwide whom the organization assisted after they fled threats, imprisonment or the risk of death. Scattered across 28 countries, Afghan journalists now represent what RSF describes as one of the largest exoduses of independent media professionals in recent history. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: Sources said he previously served as commander of a company in the 3rd Battalion of the 4th Brigade, 201st Selab Corps under the former regime. He had recently disappeared, and his body was found on Friday. The killing comes amid continued reports by international organisations, including the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and Amnesty International, documenting reprisals, arbitrary arrests, torture and killings of former government officials and security personnel under Taliban rule. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: Local sources say the Taliban has strengthened its military presence in Panjshir by setting up new security checkpoints and tightening night-time movement restrictions. In recent weeks, two videos have been published showing activities by Taliban opponents in Panjshir. On 25 May, the Afghanistan Green Trend, a group affiliated with former Vice President Amrullah Saleh said it had targeted a vehicle carrying Taliban forces in Panjshir’s Abdullah Khel valley. Reports by international human rights organisations show that residents of Panjshir have repeatedly faced arbitrary arrests, torture, ill-treatment, movement restrictions and collective punishments in recent years. Click here to read more (external link).
Amu: Taliban are seeking to replace Juma Khan Fateh, one of their powerful commanders in the northeastern province of Badakhshan, following a deepening dispute between him and the Taliban leadership, local sources told Amu on Thursday. Fateh is also the Taliban’s deputy governor in Zabul province in the south of the country. Ahead of this position, he was Taliban’s district governor in Nusai district of Badakhshan. In late 2024, he was appointed by Taliban leader to lead the commission that handled the campaign against poppy cultivation in the province. Although he has been shifted to another duty in Zabul, but he has kept his influence in Badakhshan, sources said. Click here to read more (external link).
Amu: Belgium has received visa applications from five members of a Taliban delegation invited to Brussels for talks on migration and deportations, a spokesperson for the Belgian foreign ministry said on Wednesday, as quoted by Reuters. The spokesperson said the applications are undergoing security screening and that it remains unclear when Belgium will be able to issue the visas. He could not confirm when the meeting would take place. The European Commission last month invited Taliban officials to Brussels to discuss the return and readmission of Afghan nationals who do not have the right to remain in the European Union, despite warnings from human rights organizations that such engagement could legitimize the Taliban and endanger Afghans. Click here to read more (external link).
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8am: Several retirees are complaining about the Taliban’s failure to pay their pension benefits. They say nearly five years have passed without them receiving their pensions, and that they are living in difficult economic conditions. These retirees regard their pensions as a legal right earned through years of service and are demanding payment. Meanwhile, several economic experts warn that each retiree is, on average, the breadwinner for a large family of seven to ten members, and that the continuation of this situation could deepen poverty and trigger a humanitarian catastrophe among the society’s vulnerable groups. Gul Ahmad (pseudonym), one of the retirees who served in government for about 30 years, says that since the Taliban takeover, he has not received his pension and is enduring dire economic conditions. Click here to read more (external link).
Amu: India defeated Afghanistan by 170 runs in the second one-day international on Wednesday, securing the three-match series after posting a commanding total of 402. Chasing 403 for victory, Afghanistan were bowled out for 232 despite a fighting 79 from Rahmat Shah, who recorded his 33rd half-century in ODI cricket. The third and final ODI is scheduled to be played on Saturday in Chennai, where Afghanistan will seek to avoid a series sweep. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: The Taliban’s security chief for the Herat police command, Najibullah Ali, has announced that the group will continue detaining women in the province over alleged violations of its dress code. Ali also confirmed that the Taliban have so far detained more than 19 women for failing to comply with the group’s interpretation of hijab, although unofficial figures from local sources suggest the number of detainees is significantly higher. Click here to read more (external link).