The Taliban's Ministry of Refugees has announced that 307 Afghans were released from Pakistani prisons this week. The ministry said they returned to Afghanistan via the Torkham and Spin Boldak crossings.
Following the Russian President's visit to China, Moscow and Beijing expressed concern in a joint statement over the major threat of terrorism emanating from Afghan soil.
Sources have told Afghanistan International that the Taliban have dispatched convoys of forces and military vehicles to Badakhshan province. The convoys are said to be heading towards Faizabad. The move follows heightened tensions over gold mining in the province.
A spokesperson for the Taliban's police in Kabul has confirmed that General Shaoor Gul Pashtun, a former deputy minister of defence of Afghanistan, has been detained on charges of murdering two women.
Naseer Ahmad Faiq, Representative of Afghanistan to UN, says that representation at the UN is the legitimate right of those governments that have come to power through lawful means and based on the people's will.
Sources have told Afghanistan International that Safiullah Rasouli, a 25-year-old man, has died under torture in a Taliban prison after 21 days in detention in Herat.
India's National Investigation Agency has announced that its special court in Bengaluru has sentenced a man to seven years' rigorous imprisonment in a case involving radicalisation and recruitment for the Taliban and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.
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.
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.