Afghanistan International: Issa Bozorgzadeh, the spokesman for the Islamic Republic’s water industry, said that Afghanistan’s “unilateral” exploitation of the Harirud River is a violation of Iran’s customary rights. Bozorgzadeh said that the construction of the Pashdan Dam will affect the supply of drinking water to several million people. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: Rahmatullah Jaber, the Taliban’s education chief in Herat, announced in a letter that girls’ education above the sixth grade in private education centres is prohibited. The Taliban official said that girls’ education above the sixth grade is prohibited by Mullah Hibatullah’s decree until “further notice”. Click here to read more (external link).
Amu: A group of women and girls staged a protest outside the Taliban governor’s office in the western province of Herat on Thursday, decrying the recent ban on female participation in medical education. Chanting slogans like “education is justice and learning,” the demonstrators described the directive as oppressive and a blow to their basic rights.
Amu: Now, the owners say they have lost everything. “We invested everything we had into these businesses, but the Taliban has taken it all away,” one cafe owner said. “If the closures are permanent, I will have no money left to secure my future.” The closure of the cafes follows a broader crackdown on women’s
Amu: The Taliban have started shutting down women-only cafes in Herat Province in western Afghanistan, further eroding the few remaining spaces where women can gather freely under their restrictive rule. In the past week, at least three such cafes have been forced to close, with the Taliban’s morality police warning the owners of two others
Amu: Women running women-only cafes in Herat say the Taliban have threatened to close their establishments, dealing another blow to their efforts to maintain financial independence and create safe spaces for women. The cafes, primarily operated by students and female entrepreneurs, serve as a vital source of income and a rare refuge in a city
8am: The Taliban, despite widespread complaints from citizens about distributing humanitarian aid to their relatives and interfering in the aid process, persist in unfairly allocating and misusing assistance across Afghanistan. Residents of Herat Province claim that aid from organizations and relief agencies is distributed not based on need but rather to individuals close to the
Afghanistan International: The Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat has instructed journalists in the province to refrain from photographing the group’s officials during both official and unofficial meetings. This latest directive follows similar restrictions previously enforced in other provinces across Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: Local sources from Herat told Afghanistan International that the Taliban arrested two influential Shia clerics in the town of Jibril and transferred them to an unknown location. According to sources, Mohammad Akbari and Hossein Azimi had previously protested against the Taliban’s restrictions on Ashura ceremonies. In July of this year, during the Ashura
8am: Local sources told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that, over the past year, the Taliban have been involved in the aid delivery process, even confiscating some of the assistance meant for earthquake victims from certain organizations. These sources also reported that aid distribution has been unfair, with some organizations either demanding money from the victims