Islamic Scholars Oppose Taliban Minister's Stance on Girls' Education, Says Cleric

According to these sources, the individuals infected with Mpox are two children, one from Paktia and the other from the Farza district of Kabul, and they are currently being treated at the Child Health Hospital.

Taliban officials have not yet commented on the reported cases of Mpox in Afghanistan.

This marks the first time that two cases of Mpox has been reported in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan International has also received images of the two children, showing them in hospital beds with small pox-like lesions visible on various parts of their bodies.

Mpox is a deadly disease that has been spreading in the Republic of Congo since last year. The government of Congo reported that 27,000 people have been infected, and 1,100 have lost their lives due to the disease.

Doctors describe Mpox as a viral disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans and also from human to human through sexual contact or close physical proximity. High fever, muscle aches, and large pox-like skin lesions are known symptoms of this disease.

Officials from the World Health Organisation have stated that Mpox is not similar to COVID-19.

The court stated that the accused received 30 to 39 lashes and were sentenced to prison terms ranging from eight months to two years.

On Tuesday, August 27, the Taliban’s Supreme Court said in a press release that the Babaji court of the group in Helmand province publicly flogged the accused in the presence of local judicial officials, scholars, and the public.

The court did not provide details about the identities of the accused.

Earlier, on Monday, the Taliban’s Supreme Court announced that 12 people were publicly flogged in Zabul province on various charges.

Momeni emphasised that "undocumented migrants" must leave Iran by the end of the Iranian year 1403 (March 2025).

According to a report by the Entekhab newspaper, when asked about the statement from Iran's Border Guard Commander that undocumented migrants should leave the country by the end of the current solar year, Momeni responded, "This matter is in progress, and we are pursuing it."

Earlier, on August 13, Iran's Border Guard Commander, Ahmad Ali Goudarzi, reiterated during a press conference that the policy of expelling undocumented migrants would be implemented by the end of the current year. He also called on Iranian border residents to assist in safeguarding the borders, stating, "This action is a demand of our people, and it must be achieved to ensure the security of the country."

Recently, Ahmad Reza Radan, Commander of the Islamic Republic's Law Enforcement Forces, also stressed on this issue, stating that undocumented foreign nationals must leave Iran by the end of 1403 and return to their countries.

On August 12, the Taliban's Ministry of Refugees announced that over 1.799 million people have returned to Afghanistan from Iran, Pakistan, and other countries over the past year.

According to the organisation’s report, the execution of the Afghan national was carried out on Saturday morning, August 24.

On Monday, August 26, the human rights organisation stated that the 30-year-old Afghan, originally from Mahmood Raqi in Kapisa province, was arrested about three years ago on charges of premeditated murder and was sentenced to qisas (retribution in kind).

Till now, Iranian domestic media and official sources, including the judiciary and prison authorities, have not confirmed the execution of this prisoner.

The Iran Human Rights group stated, "The lack of classification for premeditated murder in Iran means that any type of murder, regardless of severity or the defendant's motive, can result in a death sentence."

On Sunday, the organisation also issued a statement reporting that two Afghan citizens had been transferred to solitary confinement in Tabriz Central Prison in preparation for their executions.

Recently, Iran Human Rights released a report indicating that in the first seven months of this year, at least 300 people, including 20 Afghan citizens, have been executed in the prisons of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The decree further requires that spokespersons from the group's ministries and departments obtain approval before "publishing content”.

The decree, which was made public by the Taliban-controlled state news agency Bakhtar on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, outlines that spokespersons are "obliged to communicate the activities and achievements of the Islamic Emirate and other pertinent information to the media in accordance with established policy”.

This directive from the Taliban leadership significantly curtails access to information and increases governmental oversight. It suggests tighter control over the flow of information, further limiting the public's right to access accurate and timely data.

The decree also stipulates that if the Taliban's position on any issue remains unclear, spokespersons must refrain from making any comments. Instead, they are instructed to only release statements that have been officially issued by the group's "high authority”.

Moreover, the decree specifies that the responsibilities of spokespersons for ministries and other government departments are restricted to their respective domains. These spokespersons are required to secure permission from their respective ministries or departments before releasing any public statements or content.