Clarissa Ward
CNN’s Clarissa Ward reports from Ghazni, Afghanistan, on the reality of the Taliban’s new regime of justice in Afghanistan. Click here to view (external link).
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
October 11, 2021
The United States and Britain have warned their citizens to stay away from hotels in Kabul, specifically citing the Serena Hotel, a popular venue for foreign guests in the Afghan capital.
“U.S. citizens who are at or near the Serena Hotel should leave immediately,” the U.S. State Department said early on October 11, citing “security threats” in the area.
The U.K. Foreign Office wrote: “In light of the increased risks you are advised not to stay in hotels, particularly in Kabul (such as the Serena Hotel).”
Security at the hotel on October 11 was on alert. Pedestrians were not allowed to linger near the hotel’s walls, while Taliban security forces were patrolling the area, AIP reported.
The heavily fortified Serena was one of the main hotels used by foreign visitors prior to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan following the withdrawal of Western troops in August.
An affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) terror group has claimed responsibility for several deadly attacks in the country since the Taliban takeover.
No other details were immediately available.
Based on reporting by AFP and AIP
Many media outlets across Afghanistan have shut down in the wake of the Taliban takeover, with some journalists leaving the profession or the country out of fear of reprisals. Gul Ahmad Almas is one former freelance journalist whose life has been upended by the new regime. With no income from reporting, he is dependent on hand-to-mouth work collecting brush to sell as fuel.
The Guardian (UK): The United States has agreed to provide humanitarian aid to a desperately poor Afghanistan on the brink of an economic disaster, but refused to give political recognition to the country’s new rulers, the Taliban said on Sunday. Click here to read more (external link).
Drought (file photo)
The Week: Amid all its political upheaval, Afghanistan is also facing its “worst drought in 35-36 years,” Richard Trenchard, the country director for the Food and Agriculture Organization in Afghanistan, told The Wall Street Journal. Farmers, naturally, are struggling and most lack the technology and money needed to implement more climate-resistance agricultural methods. Click here to read more (external link).
Hindustan Times: Afghanistan risk isolation since the country’s Taliban takeover in August, with Cricket Australia threatening not to host them for a one-off test in Hobart next month if the new government in Kabul did not allow women to play the sport. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has said it is committed to women’s cricket but was awaiting instructions from the government on its future. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News: “The main reason for the halt in 3Sport operations was the restrictions being imposed on all media and specifically 3Sport,” said Shafiqullah Saleem Poya, head of the organization, to TOLOnews on Sunday. “The media has been struggling with other problems in the social, economic and political areas also.” Click here to read more (external link).
8am: The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that it has provided Afghanistan with at least 186 metric tons of medical supplies in the last two months. The aid will be delivered to 2.5 million citizens of Afghanistan, the WHO reported. Click here to read more (external link).
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