Afghanistan

Uzbek and Norwegian officials have held two days of talks in Oslo on Afghanistan and regional security, discussing engagement, trade, energy, transit and regional connectivity.

The United Nations says six new polio cases have been recorded in Kandahar, Nangarhar and Kabul, bringing Afghanistan’s total for 2026 to 42 ahead of World Polio Day.

France says it has begun technical talks with the Taliban to facilitate the direct return of some Afghan nationals, including people without legal residency and those considered dangerous.

US Democrat Sam Liccardo says he will use a parliamentary procedure to force a House vote on a bill aimed at preventing the deportation of more than 8,000 Afghans who lost temporary protected status.

The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) says its forces attacked a Taliban post in Parwan on Tuesday evening, claiming three Taliban members were killed and two others wounded.

Russian and Uzbek forces have begun a joint military exercise, Cooperation-2026, at the Termez training ground near Afghanistan’s border, focusing on detecting and destroying armed groups.

A newly circulated video appears to show Taliban fighters entering a restricted area along China’s border in Wakhan, where Chinese border guards warn them in English to leave immediately.

The Taliban’s envoy in Riyadh has held talks with Saudi officials responsible for residency and migration issues, including discussions on Afghan prisoners and efforts to address their problems.

The Taliban’s morality police in Khost have closed 12 recording studios, saying they performed religious chants and songs and were shut to ensure compliance with Sharia principles.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon has called for stronger joint action against terrorism and drug trafficking during a meeting with delegation heads from Shanghai Cooperation Organisation member states.

Sources in Kabul say Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has restricted cabinet meetings chaired by Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund, requiring his approval before they can be held.

A senior National Resistance Front official claims the Taliban has set up about 700 security posts and deployed nearly 30,000 forces in Panjshir, which he says the group views as its biggest strategic threat.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Tehran and Moscow share views on easing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan and countering terrorist threats.

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has criticised US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth for downplaying NATO allies’ role in Afghanistan, urging him to repeat his remarks to families of 44 Poles who died there.

Iran’s Mobarakeh Steel Company has reached a broad agreement with the Taliban on cooperation in Afghanistan’s mining sector, according to Iran’s specialist industry and mining outlet Irasin.

Sources say the Taliban has opened a second drone operations centre near the governor’s office in Badakhshan amid rising insecurity and repeated attacks on Taliban facilities in the province.

Afghan traders and investors have called for greater Indonesian investment in mining, agriculture, electricity, energy and industry during meetings with Indonesian business and government representatives.

Uzbek officials and UNICEF representatives have discussed supplying medicines to Afghanistan as shortages and rising prices persist after trade routes with Pakistan were closed and Pakistani drug imports were banned.