The Council on Foreign Relations has warned in its latest report that terrorism and extremism under Taliban rule continue to pose a serious threat to the security of neighbouring countries and regional stability.
The Taliban on Friday, July 10, again detained several women on Herat for allegedly failing to comply with the group’s dress code. Sources said two Taliban morality police patrol vehicles took several women to an undisclosed location.
British author Karen Bartlett has won the 2026 Orwell Prize for Politics for Escape From Kabul, which tells the true story of the rescue of nearly 200 Afghan women judges and their families after the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Sources told Afghanistan International that a Taliban delegation transferred dissident commander Juma Khan Fateh to Faizabad on Friday as part of efforts to resolve tensions in Badakhshan.
Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Friday launched a new phase of deportations targeting undocumented Afghan migrants. About 20,000 Afghans are expected to be expelled from Peshawar alone under the latest operation.
The nomination of Bangladeshi diplomat Rabab Fatima as the UN secretary-general’s new special representative for Afghanistan has received cautious support from Afghan diplomats, who described it as a positive step and a clear message to the Taliban.
The National Resistance Front (NRF) claimed its forces killed two Taliban members and wounded three others in an overnight attack on a Taliban brigade in the Siab area of Ragh district, Badakhshan. It said the casualties were non-local Taliban forces.
Local sources told Afghanistan International on Thursday that Taliban army chief Fasihuddin Fitrat travelled to Nusay district in Badakhshan for talks with dissident commander Juma Khan Fateh. The two reportedly met, though no details were disclosed.
After recent deadly militant attacks in Balochistan, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Asim Munir visited the province on Thursday. Sharif claimed militants were using Afghan territory to carry out attacks in Pakistan.
A US State Department spokesperson told Afghanistan International that the Taliban continues its “hostage-taking policy” and called for the release of all Americans wrongfully detained in Afghanistan.
Informed sources told Afghanistan International on Thursday that Taliban and Pakistani border forces once again clashed along the Durand Line, this time in Pakistan’s Zakha Khel Bazaar border area.
The bodies of 21 abducted police officers, who had been shot dead, were found on Thursday in the Mangi Dam area of Ziarat district, Pakistan's Balochistan province. The bodies were transferred to a government hospital in Quetta.
Germany plans to deport Afghans with no criminal record to Afghanistan for the first time in several years. The German newspaper Taz reported that at least five Afghan nationals who have committed no crimes are awaiting deportation.
The Kazakh government and Ghazanfar Bank have agreed to simplify banking transactions to boost trade between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan. The deal aims to expand banking cooperation, establish direct payment channels and facilitate financial transfers.
A diplomatic source told Afghanistan International that Bangladeshi diplomat Rabab Fatima has been appointed the UN secretary-general’s new special representative for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). She succeeds Roza Otunbayeva.
Pakistan’s military spokesman says 42 security personnel and 54 militants were killed in four days of clashes in Balochistan, accusing the Afghan Taliban of sheltering and funding armed groups.
Taliban Agriculture Minister Attaullah Omari met India’s Minister of State for External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, in New Delhi on Wednesday for talks on bilateral relations and development cooperation.
One year ago, on 8 July 2025, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and Taliban Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani.
Two senior UN officials visiting Afghanistan have urged Western countries to maintain constructive engagement with the country to help prevent renewed instability. They said continued engagement and support could contribute to Afghanistan’s security and stability.
The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan has urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to recognise and support Afghanistan’s women’s cricket team. He warned that the players remain in exile and their funding is due to end in August.
A new survey suggests around 75 per cent of respondents are dissatisfied with the Taliban. Some participants identifying themselves as lower-ranking Taliban members also criticised corruption, nepotism and appointments within the group.
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met senior UN officials in Kabul on Tuesday, saying emergency aid alone is insufficient and calling on the international community to support Afghanistan’s long-term development.