A Taliban official in Kabul told the Associated Press on Tuesday that the group's representatives had been invited to attend an upcoming UN climate summit as observers for the second time. The summit is scheduled to begin next week in Antalya, Türkiye.
UNICEF confirmed to Afghanistan International that funding shortages have forced it to reduce staff worldwide, including in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, several Afghan women said the agency's Kabul office had not renewed their employment contracts.
Anti-Taliban resistance groups claim to have carried out 82 attacks against Taliban positions and members across Afghanistan in October. According to figures released by the groups, the number of attacks more than doubled compared with September.
The Taliban's Deputy Prime Minister's Office for Economic Affairs announced a meeting to coordinate economic cooperation with Russia. It said participants reviewed progress on bilateral economic agreements and investment opportunities across various sectors.
Cansu Badur, a Turkish woman reportedly abused by her Afghan husband and prevented from leaving Afghanistan, has returned to Türkiye with help from the Turkish embassy in Kabul. After nearly seven months of seeking assistance, she has reunited with her family.
Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan, said Taliban restrictions have severely limited or destroyed young Afghans' hopes of pursuing higher education, finding employment, achieving financial independence, starting families and contributing to society.
The Taliban's Ministry of Higher Education has banned university students across Afghanistan from using smartphones during classes.
France's interior minister told parliament that Paris has begun technical talks with the Taliban over returning some Afghan migrants without legal residency.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced on Monday that Tehran is planning another four-party meeting on Afghanistan in the coming months. Esmail Baghaei said regional developments had not diminished Iran's focus on Afghanistan and its role in regional security.
Qaiser Afridi, UNHCR spokesman in Islamabad, told Afghanistan International on Monday, 2 November, that the US had not contacted the agency about deporting Afghans via Pakistan.
The Taliban's Foreign Ministry responded to reports that some Afghan asylum seekers could be deported from the United States to Pakistan, urging Washington to act responsibly and carefully in determining their fate.
UNESCO said 86% of journalist murder cases worldwide remain unresolved, with perpetrators escaping prosecution and punishment. The figures were released to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.
Pakistan's military spokesperson, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, described the Taliban government, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and the Baloch Liberation Army as Indian proxies, warning that Kabul would pay a heavy price for supporting terrorism.
Rabab Fatima, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, said journalists play an essential role in promoting dialogue, peace and good governance.
Pakistan announced that its forces targeted several Taliban military outposts near the country’s border areas in response to a Taliban gunfire.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has accused former Prime Minister Imran Khan of facilitating the return and resettlement of militants from Afghanistan in Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, during his time in office.
Residents of Waygal district in Nuristan protested on Saturday against alleged mistreatment by local Taliban forces. Sources told Afghanistan International the protest followed the beating of a young man for wearing headphones, but Taliban forces violently suppressed it.
The Taliban governor of Badakhshan, Rahmatullah Najib, accused opposition groups of spreading "lies" and propaganda about capturing territory. He said the groups claim to fight for freedom and democracy but insisted that no one in Afghanistan wants democracy.
The secretariat of the European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Afghanistan told former Afghan MP Baktash Siawash it would support efforts to advance recognition of gender apartheid. It said work on a new convention on crimes against humanity was ongoing.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that continued clashes between Taliban and Pakistani forces are putting civilians, including aid workers, at risk and disrupting humanitarian operations in border areas.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the group has repeatedly sought to resolve tensions with Pakistan through dialogue, but without success. He accused Islamabad of sticking to its previous policies and being unwilling to negotiate a peaceful settlement.
The UK has updated its sanctions records for five Taliban officials, revising identification details, passport numbers and personal information. The changes are administrative and do not impose new sanctions or alter the officials' existing sanctions status.