US, Taliban report ‘progress’ on Afghan peace talks

Women and girls have been largely excluded from public life in Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power in August last year. Many women have not been allowed to return to their jobs. The Taliban banned women from all universities last week.

The former US president fought for years to keep his tax affairs secret, even suing the committee that tried to make them public.

We bring you reactions in the US press after Congressman Kevin McCarthy once again fails to secure the role of House speaker. Also, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak unveils his five-point plan to "get the UK back on track".

Aid groups are warning of a dire situation in Afghanistan following the Taliban's banning of female NGO workers. Many major international aid groups have suspended their operations, including the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). We spoke to the NRC's Afghanistan director, Neil Turner, who said that organisations like his need female employees in order to access the women they serve.

The Taliban claimed to have killed members of the so-called "Islamic State" (IS), who were tied to an attack on a Chinese hotel in Kabul last month. Afghanistan is facing a significant security crisis under Taliban rule.

There has been global outrage over the Taliban's announcement to ban women from universities. In our first edition for 2023, we meet the Afghan women who are bravely protesting against the decree.

Following the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, the Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-i-Taliban, or TTP) have retaken their positions in areas along the border. With the return of Taliban fighters, the picturesque Swat Valley has once again descended into violence and fear.

The UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed led a delegation to Afghanistan this week and met Taliban rulers to convey a clear message — restore women's rights.

Afghanistan is seeing its coldest winter in 15 years, with temperatures as low as -33 degrees Celsius. The country is also dealing with a major hunger crisis.

The Taliban have banned women from universities in Afghanistan, sparking international condemnation and despair among young people in the country. The higher education minister announced the regression on Tuesday, saying it would take immediate effect.

A suicide bomber killed dozens of police officers at a mosque in northwestern Pakistan. It is the country's worst terrorist attack in years as a wave of Taliban-fueled militancy targets the state.

Ismail Mashalm, the man who tore up his academic records on television to protest the ban on the education of women and girls, was detained for "provocative actions."