Taliban Defence Minister Says Lifting US Sanctions Is Top Priority
Taliban Defence Minister Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid said the group’s main priority in its dealings with Washington is the lifting of US sanctions.
Afghanistan
Taliban Leader Reportedly Angered By Baradar’s ‘Unauthorized’ Meet With US Envoy
Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada is reportedly angry with Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar for meeting a US delegation without his approval and without the presence of his trusted aides, sources told Afghanistan International.
Taliban Leader Sought Clerics’ Ruling To Ban Smartphones Before Internet Shutdown
Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada attempted to block the use of smartphones in Afghanistan before ordering the shutdown of wireless internet, sources told Afghanistan International.
Taliban, Iranian Officials Hold Talks On Boosting Trade To $10 Billion
The Taliban’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce said it has held talks with an Iranian delegation aimed at boosting annual trade between the two sides to $10 billion.
Taliban Says It Has Rounded Up More Than 1,500 Mentally Ill People
The Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice said this week it has rounded up more than 1,500 people with mental health conditions across Afghanistan and handed them over to the Red Crescent.
Taliban Leader’s Internet Shutdown Order Deemed Final
Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada’s decision to cut fibre optic internet across Afghanistan is final, sources in Kandahar told Afghanistan International.
Afghanistan Banking System Hit By Taliban Internet Shutdown
Afghanistan’s banking system has suffered major disruptions after the Taliban cut Wi-Fi services in several provinces, including Balkh, sources told Afghanistan International.
Taliban Internet Shutdown Blocks Thousands Of Afghan Students From Online Classes
Thousands of Afghan schoolchildren and university students have been unable to attend online classes after the Taliban cut internet services in several provinces, sources said Tuesday.
Taliban Cuts Wi-Fi Access In Five Afghan Provinces
The Taliban has cut off wireless internet access in five provinces, reliable sources told Afghanistan International on Tuesday.
Taliban Defence Minister Visits Qatar In Place Of Sanctioned Foreign Minister
Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid, the Taliban’s defence minister, travelled to Doha to convey condolences to the Qatari government, replacing Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who remains under a UN travel ban.
Hundreds Protest In Northern Balkh Province As Taliban Move To Raze Shops
Hundreds of residents of Mazar-i-Sharif city staged protests on Tuesday against the Taliban’s plan to demolish long-standing shops in the city’s auction market.
Taliban Cleric In Khost Issues Fatwa Declaring Jihad Against Pakistan
Mohammad Naseem Haqqani, head of the Taliban-appointed Sheikh Zayed University in Khost, has declared that waging jihad against Pakistan is an individual obligation.
Taliban Leader Enforces Fibre-Optic Internet Ban In Balkh, Officials Confirm
The Taliban has banned fibre-optic internet in Balkh province on orders from its supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, a spokesman confirmed Tuesday.
Taliban Leader Orders Nationwide Restrictions On High-Speed Internet In Afghanistan
The Taliban has cut Wi-Fi services in Mazar-i-Sharif and suspended fibre-optic connections nationwide, in what sources say may be part of a broader effort to restrict high-speed internet access across Afghanistan.
TV Services Suspended In Balkh As Taliban Expands Image Broadcasting Ban To 21 Provinces
The Taliban have banned the broadcasting of images and video interviews with local officials in Balkh province, forcing state television to suspend programming and switch to radio, the Afghanistan Journalists Centre said.
Taliban Adviser Arrested After Calling For Women Nurses In Quake-Hit Kunar
A senior adviser to the Taliban’s Ministry of Energy and Water has been arrested after publicly urging the deployment of female nurses to earthquake-hit Kunar, sources told Afghanistan International on Monday.
Senior Iranian Delegation Arrives In Kabul For Trade Talks
A senior Iranian delegation arrived in Kabul on Monday for talks with Taliban officials on expanding trade, easing transit and boosting joint investment, the Taliban’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce said.
Taliban Leader Directs Nationwide Roundup Of Mentally Ill Patients In Afghanistan
Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has ordered the collection of mentally ill patients across all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, the group announced.
NRF Claims It Killed Three Taliban Fighters In Herat
The National Resistance Front (NRF) said its forces killed three Taliban fighters in an operation in Herat province on Saturday night.
Trump Presses Taliban Through US Envoy For Release Of Americans
A US envoy has delivered a message from President Donald Trump to Taliban leaders in Kabul, stressing that he is serious about securing the release of American prisoners held in Afghanistan, Taliban sources told Afghanistan International.
Afghan Jihadi Leader Calls On Iran To Probe Mashhad Assassination
Former jihadi leader Ismail Khan has called on Iranian authorities to identify and prosecute those responsible for the killing of Maroof Ghulami, head of the Council of Jihadi Commanders in western Afghanistan and a close associate of Khan.
Pakistani Envoy To Warn Kabul Over Taliban’s Alleged Support For TTP
Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan will travel to Kabul next week to deliver a warning over the Taliban’s alleged support for Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), according to Pakistani media reports.