ESPN: When India take on Sri Lanka at the Women’s World Cup 2025 opener, the spotlight will not just be on the players on the field but also on some of those off it. A group of Afghanistan’s women’s cricketers, currently living in exile in Australia, will be in attendance at the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) Stadium in Guwahati in one of the first attempts to integrate them into the global game. The players do not represent Afghanistan as they are not recognised by the ACB but are playing in league structures in Australia. They will have no formal role at the game, where they will be received as spectators. Click here to read more (external link).
Kabul Internet Shutdown Leaves Afghanistan Isolated
Khaama: Afghan citizens criticized the nationwide internet blackout, warning it deepens isolation, disrupts communications, limits access to information, and pushes Afghanistan further from global progress and development. Afghan citizens have voiced sharp criticism over the nationwide shutdown of fiber optic internet, warning that the blackout threatens communication and further isolates the country. Access to fiber optic internet and mobile networks has been cut in Kabul, while the number of provinces facing internet shutdowns has reached seventeen. The Taliban have not provided any explanation for the disruption across the country. Click here to read more (external link).
More
Afghan Consulate Staff In Bonn Resign Over Germany’s Move To Accept Taliban Envoys
Afghanistan International: The acting head and staff of Afghanistan’s consulate in Bonn have resigned in protest at Germany’s decision to accredit Taliban diplomats and hand the mission to the group. In a statement, the consulate team said their decision was driven by Berlin’s move to send two Taliban representatives to the mission. Hamid Nangialay Kabiri, the acting head of the consulate, said in a video message that all staff had stepped down, citing opposition to what he called the transfer of Afghan citizens’ documents to an “illegitimate group.” Click here to read more (external link).
Amu News in Dari – September 29, 2025
Koofi: Only an inclusive government can guarantee peace in Afghanistan
Koofi
Amu: Fawzia Koofi, a former MP and participant of Islamabad meeting, said on Monday that the situation in Afghanistan is “unbearable, especially for women,” and warned that only an inclusive government based on the people’s will and constitutional order can secure peace and lasting regional stability. Koofi spoke at the opening of a two-day conference in Islamabad titled Toward Unity and Trust, co-organized by Women for Afghanistan and the South Asia Strategic Stability Institute. Click here to read more (external link).
More
Afghan Political Groups To Hold Talks In Islamabad On Monday
Afghanistan International: The gathering, set for 29–30 September, is organised by the “Women for Afghanistan” initiative and the South Asian Strategic Stability Institute. It will feature sessions exclusively for Afghan leaders as well as joint discussions with Pakistani counterparts. Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US envoy for Afghanistan, criticised Pakistan for hosting the event, calling the move “irresponsible and regrettable.” Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban higher education minister imposes new restrictions on universities
Nadeem
Amu: The Taliban’s higher education minister, Neda Mohammad Nadeem, has issued sweeping new restrictions on universities, including a ban on smartphones, an order to remove images of living beings from classrooms and a requirement that staff wear turbans, according to internal documents obtained by Amu. The directives, signed by Nadeem, were outlined in a 10-page order containing 50 rules. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
Tolo News in Dari – September 28, 2025
Pakistan to Close 16 Afghan Refugee Camps Across Three Provinces
Khaama: Pakistani media have reported that the government has decided to close 16 Afghan refugee camps located in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. The decision reflects Islamabad’s continued policy shift on Afghan refugees. Around 13,000 families, amounting to more than 90,000 Afghan refugees, currently live in these camps. Reports indicate that no raids, arrests or coercive measures have been used so far to push residents out. Click here to read more (external link).
Other Afghan Refugee / Migrant News
Afghanistan Bans Plastic Bag Imports to Protect the Environment
Tolo News: Officials from the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) say that in order to curb the widespread use of plastic bags, the import of these bags from other countries into Afghanistan has been banned. They added that domestic companies are still allowed to produce plastic, but on the condition that their annual production is reduced. Click here to read more (external link).