US Envoy for Afghanistan, NRC Secy General Discuss Humanitarian Support For Afghans

The ‘Bread and Red Flowers’ documentary will be screened at the special screening section of this film festival.

Bread and Red Flowers depicts the story of Afghan women's perseverance and suffering under the rule of the Taliban. The documentary tells the lives of three women.

After the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, Afghan women have been excluded from social life, which has once again brought the issue of Afghan women to become a hot political and artistic topic in the world.

This is not the first time that Sahra Mani has depicted the lives of Afghan women through her work. In 2018, she produced another movie called "A Thousand Girls Like Me".

The film narrated the story of the sexual assault of a girl which happens within a family. Khatera, the main character of this film, is repeatedly sexually assaulted and impregnated by her father. However, she rises up against her father and takes him to court.

However, some anti-Taliban Afghan politicians had joined the meeting virtually.

Those who did not participate in the Vienna meeting have not yet explained the reason behind their absence. Only Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS), wrote on Twitter on Monday that he could not attend the meeting "due to pre-arranged engagements".

In his Twitter note, Nabil expressed his "gratitude" for holding this meeting and wished success to the participants.

According to Iranian media, the protesters also urged Iran to prevent the completion of the construction of Bakhshabad Dam on the Farah River.

According to Tasnim news agency, the residents of five cities of Sistan region including Zabul, Zahak, Hamon, Hirmand, and Nimroz, which are part of Sistan and Baluchistan province, participated in the demonstration on Sunday afternoon.

According to the news agency, the protestors criticised the performance of the foreign ministry and water commission of Iran regarding the pursuit of the water rights of Iran from Helmand River.

This is the fourth protest rally on the issue of water rights that has been held in the past few months. The Iranian officials have repeatedly emphasised that the Taliban are committed to providing the share of Iran from Helmand water rights.

Rangin Dadfar Spanta, the former Afghan National Security Advisor, told Afghanistan International that participants will discuss the coordination of efforts to establish a system based on the will of the people during the meeting.

According to ground reporters, National Resistance Front (NRF) leader, Ahmad Massoud; former National Security Advisor Rangin Dadfar Spanta; Professor Nazif Shahrani; Media owner Sanjar Sohail; and other opposition figures entered the meeting venue.

The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan had previously announced that this meeting will focus on building trust between the opposing factions of the Taliban and will continue for three days.

Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS) announced, "Given the current situation in Afghanistan, it is of utmost importance to prioritise the alignment of perspectives in addressing the Afghan issue and to acknowledge every endeavour that facilitates consensus and constructive dialogue.” However, Nabil said that he has not been able to participate in the meeting.

Fathullah Mansour, the elder son of Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, has been in-charge of airports in the southwestern zone since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.

The new appointment of a family member of the former Taliban leader comes at a time when a recent decree attributed to Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada ordered that family members of the Taliban officials can’t be employed in the group’s government offices.

The decree of the Taliban leader stressed, "Ministries and independent directorates have been directed to refrain from hiring individuals for their duties, based on kinship ties and personal relationships."

This is even though the Taliban had dismissed most of the professional employees of the government offices and replaced them with their own members since taking power in August 2021.

Many of the people appointed by the Taliban in government positions have not pursued higher education.