The Taliban has completed five years since returning to power in Afghanistan, with the period marked by improved security and stability but major failures on women’s education, human rights, inclusive governance and international recognition. The group regained control of Kabul in 2021 after the withdrawal of United States and NATO forces. The report says travel has become comparatively safer in areas that were previously dangerous for civilians, while threats from armed groups including IS-Khorasan have been significantly weakened.

Despite difficult economic conditions and reduced international assistance, the Taliban administration has sought to keep the economy functioning through stronger tax and customs collection, remittances, natural-resource extraction and increased trade with neighboring countries. Infrastructure efforts involving the Qosh Tepa canal, the TAPI gas pipeline and power-transmission projects are also advancing. However, a lack of transparency in public finances and allegations of corruption remain major challenges.

Girls remain barred from formal modern education after sixth grade, raising concerns over future shortages of female doctors, teachers and other professionals. Power has become concentrated in a limited group led by Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, while broad recognition remains elusive. The report says public dissatisfaction and growing alienation could become longer-term challenges.

Habib-ur-Rahman Mansur, mayor of Faizabad, the capital of Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province, was killed in a bomb attack. Hospital and municipal sources confirmed his death to AFP on Thursday. A hospital nurse said a bomb struck the vehicle carrying the mayor, leaving him seriously injured before he later died.

A Faizabad municipal employee said Mansur was killed when a bomb planted near their workplace exploded. The nurse provided the account on condition of anonymity because of security concerns. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack on the mayor.

Three weeks earlier, another government official in Badakhshan, Information and Culture Department head Zabihullah Amiri, was shot dead while travelling to Faizabad. Islamic State Khorasan claimed responsibility for that attack. Mining activity has increased in the remote province since the Taliban returned to power, but its security situation has not been fully brought under control. Recent attacks on government officials have renewed concerns over security in Badakhshan.

Afghanistan's intelligence agency has detained two Afghan male employees of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA said Tuesday. The General Directorate of Intelligence detained the staff members in western Herat province on Sunday, August 9, according to UNAMA. The UN said it had been unable to contact or visit the two employees for two days.

The office of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the detainees' special status and privileges to be respected. Spokesperson Farhan Haq said the UN had not been informed of any allegations against them and had not been granted permission to see them. The Afghan government did not immediately comment to AFP.

The detentions occurred days before the fifth anniversary of the Taliban's return to power after taking Kabul on August 15, 2021. UNAMA this week recommended that authorities clarify security agencies' use of force, arrests and detentions, while increasing accountability. Several UN agencies operate across Afghanistan in areas including health and humanitarian assistance.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Bangladeshi diplomat Rabab Fatima as the new head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and as his Special Representative. The announcement was made in a statement from the UN spokesperson’s office on Wednesday. Fatima will succeed Roza Otunbayeva of Kyrgyzstan, who was thanked by the Secretary-General for her dedicated service. He also expressed appreciation to Canada’s Georgette Gagnon, who had been serving as acting head.

According to the statement, Rabab Fatima currently serves as UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States. She has over 30 years of experience in national and international service, including work in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, policy formulation, advocacy, and program implementation.

Before her current role, Fatima was Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York from 2019 to 2022. During that time, she chaired the executive boards of UNICEF and UN Women, became the first woman to chair the Peacebuilding Commission in 2022, and served as a vice-president of the 77th UN General Assembly.

A strong earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale struck Afghanistan on Saturday evening, shaking parts of northern India and Pakistan as well. According to India’s National Center for Seismology, the quake occurred at 7:04 p.m. local time, with its epicenter located about 215 kilometers below the surface. No immediate reports of casualties or major damage were received from Afghanistan, though the tremors caused panic in several northern Indian regions, prompting residents to move outdoors for safety.

Experts noted that Afghanistan lies in a high-risk seismic zone, particularly in the Hindu Kush region, which is known for frequent earthquakes. The Red Cross has identified the country’s position at the junction of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates as a key reason for recurring seismic activity. Additionally, major fault lines running through provinces such as Herat make the region prone to moderate to strong earthquakes.

Authorities are monitoring the situation, though no official damage assessments or emergency declarations had been reported at the time of publication.

Thousands of Afghan women are turning to entrepreneurship as one of the few remaining paths to independence under Taliban rule. Despite restrictions on education, employment, and public participation, the government has allowed women to run businesses under specific conditions to mitigate economic collapse and international isolation. According to the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, more than 10,000 women now hold business licenses, a tenfold increase in five years, while another 120,000 operate small ventures without licenses.

Many women who once aspired to be lawyers, engineers, or teachers have shifted to carpet weaving, cosmetics production, or vocational training. UNDP data show that only 7 percent of Afghan women were employed as of 2024. Entrepreneurs like Nasira Azizi in Mazar-i-Sharif, Rokiya Rezayi in Herat, and beekeeper Ghoncha Karimi have built small enterprises despite social and administrative barriers.

Officials claim to support women’s vocational training, but critics argue that government initiatives remain limited. For many Afghan women, business ownership has become a last refuge for dignity, income, and survival amid ongoing restrictions.

Government employees across Afghanistan have stopped using smartphones following a new directive issued by the country’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada. The order, which took effect on June 17, 2026, strictly prohibits smartphone use by all civil and military officials. The decision was announced through a letter bearing the Supreme Court’s emblem that circulated on social media last week.

According to the letter, provincial department heads were instructed to inform all senior and junior staff about the ban. It also stated that only the supreme leader has the authority to grant exemptions to this restriction. The Supreme Court did not respond to requests for comment regarding the order.

Two Afghan government spokespersons were contacted by Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper for clarification but did not provide any response. The order marks a significant step in tightening communication controls within Afghanistan’s public sector.

At least two people, including a child, were killed when Taliban security forces opened fire on a rare protest in Herat province, western Afghanistan. The demonstration erupted after authorities began mass arrests of women and girls accused of wearing 'improper hijab.' Witnesses said around 70 people gathered in Jibrael district on Tuesday, chanting slogans for education, employment, and freedom, and against arbitrary detentions.

Local sources reported that three others were injured and at least 13 people were beaten and detained. The United Nations confirmed that one of the dead was a child. A video obtained by The Guardian showed armed Taliban fighters firing at protesters as a woman’s voice shouted 'Azadi' amid gunfire. Human Rights Watch’s Fereshta Abbasi said families were protesting what they saw as violations of privacy following the arrests.

Amnesty International’s Samira Hamidi noted that male participation in the protest reflected growing public anger over five years of systematic repression of women and girls. A Taliban spokesperson in Herat denied that any women had been detained over hijab issues, calling such reports baseless.

Afghanistan has claimed that 13 people, including 11 children, were killed and 14 others injured in airstrikes carried out by Pakistan’s military. Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the strikes targeted Kunar, Khost, and Paktia provinces late on Tuesday night, describing the incident as a humanitarian crime and an act of aggression. The attack was reported as the deadliest in recent weeks.

No immediate comment was issued by Pakistan’s military or government. However, security officials told Reuters that the strikes targeted militant hideouts and other locations. A local official in Khost province told AFP that nine people were killed and ten injured in a strike on a house in Spera district, while three civilians died in a separate attack in Barmal district of neighboring Paktika province.

Islamabad has accused militants of launching attacks into Pakistan from Afghan territory, a claim the Taliban government denies, insisting that militancy in Pakistan is an internal issue.

A truck carrying Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan overturned in eastern Afghanistan’s Laghman province, killing 22 people and injuring 36 others. Provincial governor’s spokesperson Abdul Malik Niazi said the accident occurred on the main highway connecting Kabul and Nangarhar provinces. Most of the victims were women and children, including ten children and five women. The injured were taken to hospitals in Nangarhar.

Provincial public health director Aminullah Sharif stated that the crash happened when the driver fell asleep, causing the truck to plunge into a ditch. The victims were among many Afghans returning home after Pakistan began a crackdown on undocumented migrants in 2023. Around the same time, Iran also started deporting Afghan migrants, leading to the return of hundreds of thousands of Afghans from both countries.

Authorities have not released further details about the condition of the injured or the ongoing investigation into the accident.

Afghanistan’s Taliban government has received a pledge from Russia to supply advanced air defense systems and other military assistance, according to a source cited by the BBC. The agreement was reportedly signed in Moscow, with Russian National Security Adviser Sergei Shoigu and Taliban Defense Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid present. The deal includes air defense equipment, ground military hardware, and training for Taliban forces, though it remains unclear whether offensive systems such as drones are part of the package.

The source indicated that discussions between Moscow and the Taliban had taken place earlier, and the agreement formalizes their defense cooperation. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have maintained cordial relations with Russia, which kept its embassy open in Kabul and signed an economic deal in 2022 to supply oil, gas, and wheat. Mujahid emphasized the importance of expanding ties with Russia during his Moscow visit.

The agreement follows recent tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan that exposed Kabul’s air defense weaknesses. This marks the first formal military and technical cooperation deal signed by the Taliban defense minister with a regional power.

At least 24 people have died across Afghanistan following heavy rains and flash floods over the past 48 hours, local and disaster officials confirmed on Friday. The worst-hit area was Baghlan province in the north, where 15 people were killed. Two deaths were reported in Badakhshan in the northeast, and one in Wardak in central Afghanistan.

Farooq Akhpowak, spokesperson for the Baghlan governor, said the floods caused 15 deaths and left many others injured. A local official in Badakhshan reported that two people were missing and more than a hundred houses were destroyed. The flooding followed intense rainfall that began on Wednesday, affecting multiple provinces.

Officials said the heavy downpour triggered landslides and widespread damage to homes and crops, compounding the humanitarian challenges in several regions.

In southern Afghanistan’s Kandahar region, hundreds of people are turning to self-proclaimed spiritual healer Neda Mohammad Qadri, who claims to cure cancer and thalassemia by blessing water. Qadri, a former cook with no medical or religious training, attracts large crowds daily as patients seek hope amid a collapsing healthcare system. Many, including families of terminally ill patients, report paying him money and livestock despite no medical improvement.

According to the World Health Organization, Afghanistan records over 24,000 new cancer cases and 17,000 deaths annually, though experts believe the real figures are higher due to a lack of hospitals, doctors, and diagnostic facilities. After the Taliban took power in 2021, international aid sharply declined, leaving hospitals like Kandahar’s Mirwais facility short of essential equipment. Border closures with Pakistan have further restricted access to advanced treatment and imported medicines.

Medical experts warn that unregulated spiritual practices and misuse of antibiotics pose serious health risks. They stress that such rituals may offer emotional comfort but cannot replace professional medical care, leaving many Afghans trapped between faith and failing healthcare.

At least 11 people were killed in a gun attack at a picnic spot in Afghanistan’s Herat province on Friday. The assault took place in Enjil district near Deh Mehri village, where unidentified armed men on motorcycles opened fire on visitors. Provincial officials initially reported four deaths, but later confirmed that seven more of the injured victims had died. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

According to a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, the shooting occurred at a popular leisure area that is usually crowded on Fridays. A doctor in Herat told the BBC that the victims had gone to a local shrine for a picnic. Herat’s provincial head of information and culture, Ahmadullah Muttaki, said the incident happened around 3 p.m. local time.

The report noted that Shia Muslims, a minority group in Afghanistan, have previously been targeted in similar attacks, though the motive behind this incident remains unclear.

Afghanistan is celebrating Eid al-Fitr on Thursday, March 19, 2026, following the sighting of the Shawwal moon. The Taliban administration announced the decision late Wednesday night, according to Khaama Press. The country’s Supreme Court confirmed that the moon was sighted in Helmand, Farah, and Ghor provinces, and the government’s moon-sighting committee approved the testimonies. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid declared Thursday as the first day of Eid and extended greetings to the nation.

The announcement has created a difference in Eid dates compared to many other Muslim-majority countries. Saudi Arabia said Eid would be observed on Friday as the moon was not sighted on Wednesday, a decision also followed by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait. Turkey, Australia, Yemen, Lebanon, Palestine, and Iraq have also set Friday for Eid based on astronomical calculations.

The variation in Eid dates arises from differing moon-sighting methods. Some countries rely on physical sightings, while others use astronomical calculations. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Afghanistan has increasingly emphasized its own moon-sighting process rather than aligning with Saudi Arabia.