Mullah Yaqoob, the Taliban's Defence Minister, expressed appreciation on the reopening of Azerbaijan's embassy in Afghanistan during a meeting with Ilham Mammadov, Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Kabul.
The Taliban's Defence Ministry stated that during this meeting, Yaqoob underscored the importance of economic cooperation with Azerbaijan to bolster relations.
According to a statement released by the Taliban on Wednesday, the reopening of Azerbaijan's embassy in Kabul was considered a "positive step”.
Azerbaijan, like other countries, does not officially recognise the Taliban.
However, the Taliban's Defence Ministry has stated that the Azerbaijani ambassador has assured them of Azerbaijan's readiness to cooperate with the Taliban and the people of Afghanistan.
Taliban officials had previously expressed support for Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) stated that religious minorities in Afghanistan face threats from terrorist groups such as ISIS, as well as harassment and persecution from the Taliban.
The commission's report specifically mentions that Shias, Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians are individuals whose religious freedom has been violated.
In its annual report, the USCIRF states that religious freedom in Afghanistan has deteriorated under the Taliban rule.
The commission has stated that the Taliban continues to enforce its strict interpretation of Sharia law.
Referring to the ban on girls' education in Afghanistan, the commission said that the Taliban has implemented dozens of edicts based on its religious interpretation, restricting the clothing, employment, and education of Afghans.
The report states that under the Taliban rule, Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians face severe restrictions, including limitations on their attire and appearance, and are prohibited from publicly holding their religious ceremonies.
The commission reported a similar situation for Shias in Afghanistan, stating that they continue to face harassment, violence, and interference in their right to worship.
The USCIRF states that in February 2023, a Taliban governor in Badakhshan issued a letter prohibiting marriages between Shia and Sunni Muslims.
It has also been reported that the Taliban banned the teaching of Jafari jurisprudence books and forced private universities to remove all religious books that do not conform to Hanafi jurisprudence.
Restrictions on holding Shia mourning ceremonies during Muharram and Nowruz celebrations by the Taliban are among other topics addressed in the USCIRF report.
The commission has urged the US government to designate Afghanistan as a "country of particular concern" for systematic violations of religious freedom.
The USCIRF also called on the United States government to include religious freedom and belief in its discussions with the Taliban government and condemn the on going atrocities committed by the group and ISIS.
Furthermore, the USCIRF called for sanctions on Taliban officials involved in violating religious freedoms.
Several sources at Kabul International Airport have reported that the Taliban are prohibiting Afghan travellers from carrying laptops while leaving Afghanistan.
According to these sources, Taliban personnel at all inspection points are instructing travellers not to bring computers and hard drives.
One source informed Afghanistan International that if someone receives permission from Taliban officials at the airport, their computer will undergo thorough examination by the airport's technical department.
This directive reportedly have been issued by the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior Affairs, as per the source.
Another source told Afghanistan International that travellers returning to Afghanistan are allowed to bring their computers, but Afghan travellers are not permitted to carry computers with them.
The source noted that very few travellers at the Kabul International Airport have permits to carry computers.
Foreigners, however, are allowed to bring their computers, but they must register them at the airport upon entry, according to the same source.
A source from the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Afghanistan International that the ministry permits employees of foreign institutions and some guests to transfer computers.
This ministry employee added that foreign employees of foreign institutions mostly obtain permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or are granted permission through their job cards.
Abdul Jabbar Khoshhal, who travelled from Kabul to the United States two weeks ago on a special immigrant visa, told Afghanistan International that the Taliban at the Kabul airport instructed him to leave his computer with his family.
He expressed surprise at the lack of explanation from the Taliban regarding the computer ban, noting that they only provided two options: leave the computer with family or have it broken in front of him, emphasising that taking it out was not allowed.
This marks the first instance of such a prohibition on carrying computers at the Kabul International Airport under the Taliban rule. The Taliban has not officially commented on this matter.
The Afghanistan Green Trend (AGT) has claimed that the Taliban has deployed approximately 19,000 of its forces from Kandahar, Helmand, Zabul, and Farah provinces to "suppress the people" in Panjshir province.
The organisation said that there are 150 Taliban personnel deployed per kilometre throughout Panjshir.
Under the leadership of Amrullah Saleh, former Afghan Vice-President, the AGT has continued its investigative reports by further examining the logistical support of Taliban brigades in Panjshir province.
The organisation claims that Taliban's official documents refer to these formations as "extraordinary brigades”.
In its latest report, the AGT revealed that in Panjshir province, 12,800 Taliban members belong to the Taliban’s Ministry of Defence, while over 6,000 others are from the Ministry of Interior, Intelligence Directorate, and other unofficial Taliban groups.
According to this report, the Taliban has established their bases and administrative centres in schools, forcibly occupied houses, mosques, the compound of Ahmad Shah Massoud's tomb, Panjshir University, Panjshir Technical Institute, and their newly established outposts among villages.
In its latest findings, the AGT highlights the Taliban's treatment of local people in Panjshir, citing "terrible crimes such as torture, murder, extortion, insult, and humiliation of the people" occurring across the province.
Previously, the AGT had released a series of reports detailing the structure and key members of the Taliban intelligence, defence, and interior ministries.
The Taliban’s Supreme Court announced on Thursday that two individuals have been publicly flogged on charges of theft in Paktika province.
The court said that one of them received 39 lashes, while the other received 35 lashes.
The punishment was carried out by the provincial court of Paktika on Thursday, following an approval by the Taliban’s Supreme Court.
The identities of these individuals were not disclosed.
In a recent case, the Taliban’s Court announced on Tuesday, the punishment of three individuals in Khost province for fraud and engaging in extramarital relations in public.
Previously, a spokesperson for the Taliban’s Supreme Court stated that over the past month, the group has subjected more than 40 individuals to physical punishments for various charges across different cities in Afghanistan.
The World Bank has announced an USD 84 million aid package for Afghanistan. The World Bank stated that this aid package has been allocated by the International Development Association for Afghanistan Community Resilience and Livelihoods Project.
On Tuesday, the World Bank wrote in a statement that the executive board of the bank approved support for livelihoods and services in urban and rural areas of Afghanistan.
The institution has stated that the Afghanistan Community Resilience and Livelihoods Project began in 2022 with a grant of USD 265 million from the Afghanistan Resilience Trust Fund, focusing on providing livelihood support and services in rural and urban areas, providing social grants for women and the most vulnerable, and strengthen community institutions for inclusive service delivery.
According to the World Bank statement, with the allocation of this new aid package, the project's activities will expand to more rural and urban areas, providing more services specially for women.
The bank stated that this aid package will also be used to provide employment for returning migrants to Afghanistan.
Melinda Good, World Bank Country Director for Afghanistan said, “In the past 18 months, the project has laid the foundation for an effective service delivery platform and operational model at scale for delivering jobs, providing essential services and assets, and, importantly, reaching women”.
She stated that with the allocation of new assistance, this project will continue to provide services in 26 provinces and 6200 villages, including eight major cities.
According to the World Bank's announcement, this project has created short-term employment for more than 776,000 Afghan families so far, benefiting around 5.4 million individuals.
The organisation stated that 92,200 vulnerable families in Afghanistan, including families headed by women, have received cash or in-kind assistance from this project, and nearly 7.4 million Afghans have accessed social services such as roads, health centres, and drinking water during this period.
The World Bank stated that in the past two years, more than 2.1 million people have received training in health and nutrition, the effects of climate change and disaster risk management.