Afghanistan

Shapour Hassanzoy says his daughters have been “Kidnapped” in Kabul and that Taliban police have taken no action, warning he will protest over what he called security forces’ inaction.

International Committee of the Red Cross says tens of thousands faced food shortages after Taliban-Pakistan tensions in February and a two-month road closure cut off access to supplies.

Sources told Afghanistan International that informal talks between representatives close to the Taliban and Pakistan in Istanbul have concluded, with both sides reaching a general agreement on issues related to militant groups.

Pakistan’s army said it killed 13 militants over the past two days as they tried to cross from Afghanistan into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, amid rising tensions along the border.

Richard Lindsay, UK Special Envoy to Afghanistan, raised serious concerns with Taliban officials over restrictions on women and girls, warning Afghanistan cannot achieve stability while half its population is excluded from education, work and public life.

United Nations said the Afghanistan Coordination Group met this week in Istanbul, with partners reaffirming continued support for the Afghan people.

The Taliban leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada has told Taliban officials that obeying his orders is “like obeying God and the Prophet”, warning that disobedience will be treated as a religious offence.

Reporters Without Borders has released its 2026 World Press Freedom Index, ranking Taliban-controlled Afghanistan 175th out of 180 countries, unchanged from last year but down 53 places over five years.

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says recent devastating floods in Afghanistan have sharply increased aid needs, affecting at least 73,300 people, with hundreds killed and injured.

Informed sources told Afghanistan International on Wednesday that informal talks are under way in Istanbul between figures close to the Taliban and the Pakistani government to explore ways to resolve tensions.

A Taliban security commission meeting chaired by Defence Minister Mullah Yaqoob reviewed the country’s defence and security situation, according to Taliban-affiliated media.

The Taliban’s ministry of communications and information technology says it has shut down two Starlink receivers in Bamiyan, saying they were operating without licences. The ministry said these devices were seized in coordination with security agencies.

Security sources in Pakistan told Dawn on Wednesday that its forces destroyed several Afghan Taliban posts and vehicles in Chaman, in response to what they described as cross-border aggression.

The Taliban’s justice ministry says a land recovery commission has identified more than 415 acres of land in Kabul’s District 16 as state property, with a court ordering the plots be handed over for restitution.

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General said at least seven people were killed and 79 others, mostly children, injured in Pakistani strikes in Kunar, warning continued fighting is putting vulnerable communities at greater risk.

European Commission spokesperson, Markus Lammert said the European Commission does not confirm plans to host Taliban officials in Brussels or invite them, adding that only technical contacts continue over returns.

Sources say a recent Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on Pakistan was issued after approval by Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul, with the summoning of its ambassador largely symbolic.

The UK Ministry of Defence has told Afghan refugees with acceptance letters to find their own way out of Afghanistan, with about 9,000 still awaiting relocation, Luke Pollard said.