
Natiq Malikzada: Although the Taliban now controls almost the entire territory of Afghanistan, its government faces serious legitimacy issues. On the other hand, the National Resistance Front (NRF) is, though militarily overwhelmed by the Taliban, a more legitimate entity to lead the modern Afghan nation. Click here to read more (external link).

Ariana: Reports emerged on Thursday that sources told Pakistan’s Dawn News that in order to ensure that lethal weapons left behind by the Americans do not fall into the hands of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants and other terrorist groups, Pakistan is buying back a huge cache of these weapons. It is estimated that US forces left behind nearly 200,000 deadly weapons. 
8am: A 19-year-old young boy was shot for listening to music by the Taliban, sources in Badakhshan said. According to the sources, the Taliban first checked his cell phone, and when they found out that he was listening to music they beat and shot him.
New York Post: The cool 1960s-style lines of the Ariana Cinema’s marquee stand out over a traffic-clogged roundabout in downtown Kabul. For decades, the historic cinema has entertained Afghans and borne witness to Afghanistan’s wars, hopes and cultural shifts. Now the marquee is stripped of the posters of Bollywood movies and American action flicks that used to adorn it. The gates are closed. 