Archive

The Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees has reported that over 144000 Afghan migrants have returned to the country from Pakistan, Iran, and Türkiye since the beginning of April.

The Taliban administration has imposed a ban on the publication and broadcast of images of living beings in local media across Panjshir province, in line with the group’s interpretation of Islamic law.

Trade between Iran and Afghanistan has grown significantly since the Taliban’s return to power, according to Mahmoud Siadat, head of the Iran-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed the second case of polio in Afghanistan in 2025, with the latest infection reported in the southern province of Helmand. The organisation did not release additional details about the case.

A Taliban delegation led by Abdul Haq Akhund, Deputy Interior Minister for Counter-Narcotics has travelled to Qatar to engage in discussions on counter-narcotics efforts and to explore avenues for expanded cooperation with Qatari officials.

A group of Shia political activists and clerics has urged the Taliban to seriously address the long-standing concerns of the Shia community in Afghanistan.

Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has indefinitely postponed a planned Loya Jirga, Afghanistan’s traditional grand assembly, due to internal disagreements among the group’s top leadership, sources have told Afghanistan International.

Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban’s political representative in Qatar, has welcomed discussions around granting the group Afghanistan’s seat at the United Nations, describing Taliban representation at the UN as both a “necessity” and a “right.”

As tensions intensify between India and Pakistan, the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declared its neutrality, stating that Afghanistan maintains “positive” relations and shared interests with both neighbouring countries.

Sources in Kabul have told Afghanistan International that a recent directive from Taliban supreme leader to downsize security forces and government staff has caused significant discontent within the group’s own ranks, particularly among members of the security institutions.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice has announced that it held more than 1,000 meetings with media representatives and journalists over the past year.

The human rights organisation Hengaw has reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran executed at least 122 prisoners during April 2025, including six Afghan nationals. This marks a 59 percent increase compared to April of the previous year, when 77 executions were recorded.

The Taliban’s Supreme Court has announced that an individual convicted of theft was publicly flogged in Sar-e Pol province. The court stated that the person was sentenced to one year in prison and received 39 lashes.

Amnesty International has condemned the Taliban’s ongoing crackdown on freedom of expression and the media in Afghanistan, accusing the group of detaining and torturing journalists while imposing harsh restrictions on media outlets.

The Taliban’s High Commission for Addressing Migrants’ Issues has announced that a total of 3613 Afghan migrants were deported from Pakistan and Iran on Friday, 2 May.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has announced that media professionals in Afghanistan are enduring threats, detention, torture, and mistreatment due to severe restrictions imposed by the Taliban.

Turkmenistan has expressed its willingness to export medicines and medical equipment to Afghanistan, aiming to strengthen bilateral cooperation in healthcare.

Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, has called on the Taliban to immediately release all imprisoned journalists and media workers.

Hibatullah Akhundzada, the reclusive leader of the Taliban, made a rare trip from Kandahar to the Afghan capital on Friday, 12 April, to address a one-day conference attended by senior officials of the group.

Russia’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, has announced that Moscow is prepared to assist the Taliban in combatting the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), which he described as a “common enemy” of both countries.

Afghanistan has been ranked 175th out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, placing it marginally ahead of Iran but still among the world’s most repressive environments for journalists, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).