The Collective Security Treaty Organisation has announced that a joint meeting with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Commonwealth of Independent States will be held on Central Asian security and the situation in Afghanistan.
Abdul Matin Rahimzai, Badakhshan's new director of mines, has warned that no one is any longer permitted to extract minerals from the province without authorisation. He also threatened local armed groups with severe punishment if they intervene in mining.
Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan's Prime Minister, said during a visit to Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, that Operation "Ghazab-Lil-Haq" against the Afghan Taliban is continuing with full resolve to protect Pakistani citizens and target militant sanctuaries.
Afghanistan Green Trend says it attacked a Taliban military recruitment centre in Firozkoh, the capital of Ghor Province, on Monday, May 18, using explosives planted inside the facility.
Local sources in Kandahar say the Taliban have again imposed restrictions on YouTubers and video content creators, summoning several creators and banning them from producing and publishing videos.
India has announced that, under the Citizenship Amendment Act, applicants for citizenship from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh must declare the details of any valid or expired passports they hold.
BBC World, in a report on poverty and unemployment in Ghor province, has written that Afghan families, out of desperation, are resorting to harrowing choices, such as selling their own children, to cover basic living costs.
UK Special Envoy Richard Lindsay says he held a “valuable” meeting in Doha with Suhail Shaheen, stressing the importance of Afghan women and girls participating fully in society.
Pakistan's Defence Minister on Monday once again referred to the Afghan Taliban as India's proxy force, saying that if the group is unable to confront Pakistan's enemies, it should at the very least refrain from supporting them.
Amnesty International said global executions in 2025 reached their highest level in 44 years, with the Taliban carrying out six executions in Afghanistan.
Local sources in Badakhshan tell Afghanistan International that the Taliban have detained several individuals, including relatives of a number of the group's ethnic Tajik commanders, amid an ongoing dispute over gold.
Abbas Aliabadi, Iran's Minister of Energy, has said that cooperation with the Taliban administration in the electricity and water sectors will be expanded. According to the Iranian Embassy in Kabul, he called it an opportunity to strengthen ties.
The President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov has announced that, if elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, his country will pay particular attention to the situation in Afghanistan.
Russian deputy prime minister, Alexey Overchuk, says trade between Russia and Afghanistan increased by around 2.6 times during the first two months of 2026, reaching about $500 million.
Abdul Latif Mansoor, Taliban minister for rural rehabilitation and development, says the Taliban respects all sects, amid growing reports of pressure on Shia citizens and the detention and mistreatment of Shia clerics.
Nooruddin Azizi, Taliban’s commerce minister, called for stronger economic ties with Russia during talks with Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, warning that some groups were trying to undermine bilateral relations.
Shia cleric Hussein Dad Sharifi says Taliban morality police beat him in Kabul for registering a “temporary marriage”. He said dozens of shia clerics have recently been detained and warned against conducting such marriages.
Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the Taliban chief justice, warned during a visit to northern Afghanistan that “a system built on oppression cannot survive”, urging Taliban officials to avoid abusing prisoners and detainees.
Mohammad Mohaqiq, leader of the People’s Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan, said the Taliban have stripped the Jaafari jurisprudence of official recognition and imposed widespread pressure on the religious practices of Shia Muslims.
Taliban governors, intelligence chiefs and police commanders from Afghanistan’s north-western region held a meeting in Sar-e Pol province to discuss security and coordination among Taliban institutions.
Yue Xiaoyong, Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan, held separate meetings with a Qatari deputy foreign minister and the Taliban ambassador in Doha to discuss Afghanistan and rising tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan.