Afghanistan
Report of American citizens beaten up by Taliban embarrasses Biden administration
Caught off guard in faraway Kabul, Joe Biden is also facing fire in Washington with several Senators calling for a detailed investigation into the botched withdrawal and evacuation plan. Joe Biden had warned Taliban that any attack on the US forces or disruption of their operations at the Kabul airport will be met with a swift and forceful response.
Azhar Masood's brother Rauf Azhar calls on Mullah Baradar to pledge allegiance
The JeM commander came to congratulate to the leaders of a fellow Sunni terrorist group for conquering Kabul and pledge allegiance. According to a report by the Hindustan Times, JeM's operational commander Mufti Abdul Rauf Azhar also met the chief of the Taliban's military wing and founder of the Taliban, Mullah Omar's son Mullah Mohammad Yakub.
Armed uprising against Taliban clears them out of 3 districts
Ever since the Taliban toppled all but Panjsher province on August 15, the fighters were engaged in their first armed conflict which erupted between them and the people's uprising. Former acting minister of defense, Bismillah Muhammadi who is now living in Panjsher province wrote on his Twitter handle that the people's uprising has recaptured pol-e-Hesar, Bano, and Deh Salah districts of Baghlan province.
Afghans running out of money as banks, ATMs shut for 7th day
Banks and cash machines in Afghanistan stay closed for the seventh day in a row. There's no cash inside the machines, no operational banks and no Western Union offices, which is where people from overseas would normally transfer money to. With these closed, it's now near impossible to send money into the country, BBC reported. People say they are running out of funds and anxiety is growing across the capital and other cities.
Taliban denies kidnapping reports near Kabul airport
"The report about kidnapping is a rumor. The Taliban members are helping all foreign nationals to get access to the airport. We are determined to provide safe passage to all foreigners to get to the airport," Ahmadullah Waseq, a Taliban spokesperson, told local media Eitlalatroz. He said Taliban forces were escorting about 150 Indian citizens to safely enter the airport, reports Xinhua news agency.
Taliban 'set woman on fire for bad cooking', shipping sex slaves in coffins
Najla Ayoubi, who lives in the US after "fleeing for my life" from the Taliban, said she has heard horrific examples of violence against women since the militants took control of her homeland on August 15, reports metro.co.uk. She said one woman was "put on fire because she was accused of bad cooking for Taliban fighters" in the north of the country. Other young women are being forced into marriage and sexually abused.
150 Indians allegedly abducted from Kabul airport but later released: Reports
The reports also said that these Indians were taken to the nearby area of Alokozai compound, a garage designated for US forces, as there was a huge rush at the airport and the Taliban allegedly inspected their documents and released them. The abductors later ushered them to the right place at the airport from where their evacuation flight would take off for India after getting the slot, the report added.
FB allows users in Afghanistan to instantly lock their accounts
When their profile is locked, people who aren't their friends can't download or share their profile photo or see posts on their timeline, said Facebook's head of security policy Nathaniel Gleicher. "On Instagram, we're rolling out pop-up alerts in Afghanistan with specific steps on how to protect your account," he said in a series of tweets late on Friday. "We also temporarily removed the ability to view and search the 'Friends' list for Facebook accounts in Afghanistan to help protect people from being targeted," he added.
'Taliban wants ties with all countries, including US', says Taliban Political Chief
"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wants diplomatic and trade ties with all countries, particularly with the United States of America," Baradar said in a tweet. Baradar denied media reports that the Taliban has not intended to have diplomatic and trade ties with Washington, reports Xinhua news agency. "We never talk about cut of trade ties with any countries. Rumor about this news has been a propaganda. It is not true," he said.
No co-education in universities, first Fatwa by Taliban
In a three-hour meeting between university lecturers, owners of private institutions, and the Taliban officials, the latter said that there is no alternative and justification for continuing co-education and must be ended. Afghanistan has a mixed system of both co-education and separate classes with schools functioning separate classes while co-education is applied both in government and private universities and institutes around the country.
Advertisement