Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi called for expanded security, political and economic cooperation with Moscow during a meeting with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu.
UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo says she met Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid during a visit to Kandahar, discussing Afghan women’s rights, counter-narcotics efforts and the Doha Process.
Russia’s foreign ministry said Moscow Format participants agreed there was no alternative to expanding cooperation with the Taliban administration and integrating Afghanistan into the global economy.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of Hezb-e Islami Afghanistan, has criticised the Taliban administration and called for power to be transferred to the people, saying Afghanistan’s future should be determined by its citizens.
A Taliban minister who last week said the group was ready for talks with its opponents has reversed his position, saying the time for negotiations has passed and opposition groups are “not worth negotiating with”.
A Taliban military delegation met a North Korean official during Russian military exercises, with South Korean media reporting talks on military training and the exchange of experience.
The UN Human Rights Council on Monday urged the Taliban to repeal all policies and measures violating the fundamental rights and freedoms of women and girls, saying systematic discrimination in Afghanistan should shock the conscience of humanity.
The International Criminal Court said it had issued arrest warrants in September 2025 for Taliban ministers Habibullah Agha and Neda Mohammad Nadim. The warrants had remained sealed until Monday.
Richard Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on Afghanistan, confirmed to Afghanistan International that his mandate has been extended for another year by consensus at the UN Human Rights Council.
Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s special presidential envoy for Afghanistan, said the eighth Moscow Format meeting ended without a joint statement because of disagreements between the Taliban and Pakistan.
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi accused Pakistan of using force and maximum pressure against the group, saying disputes between Kabul and Islamabad should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, not military action.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that the deployment of NATO military infrastructure in Afghanistan or neighbouring countries was unacceptable, speaking at the opening of the eighth Moscow Format meeting.
A new research report published on Genocide Watch’s website warns that conditions for Afghanistan’s Hazara community have deteriorated sharply under Taliban rule.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry says Moscow is closely monitoring security along the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border and continues to provide military equipment to strengthen it. Senior diplomat Alexander Sternik stressed continued arms and technical support for Dushanbe.
Hassan Mortazavi, deputy head of Iran’s embassy in Kabul, says Iran and the Taliban face common opportunities and threats in the current regional and global environment. He stressed that these commonalities require cooperation between the two sides.
Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, will lead his country’s delegation to the eighth Moscow Format consultations on Afghanistan, scheduled to take place in Moscow on Monday, 5 October.
UN Women has warned that women and girls account for 60% of people at risk of food insecurity in Afghanistan. The agency says escalating tensions in the Middle East could threaten the food security of 11.7 million women and girls across 28 countries by the end of 2026.
Noor Jalal Jalali, the Taliban’s Minister of Public Health, has met Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko to discuss long-term healthcare cooperation, including strengthening Afghanistan’s health system and importing medicines and medical equipment.
A Pakistani research centre has reported an unprecedented 83% surge in deaths linked to militant violence in the third quarter of 2026, with at least 1,415 people killed nationwide.
The Afghanistan United Front has released a video and reported an operation against the Taliban in the Sarband area of Arghandab district, Kandahar. The group said its forces killed a Taliban police officer. Taliban officials have not commented.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar has called on the Taliban to demonstrate through concrete action that it has taken measures against Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch insurgents.
Following attacks by opposition forces in Kamdesh district of Nuristan, the Taliban police command in the province has requested additional troops.