LAST 24 HOURS
FEMALE STUDENTS AT SCHOOL IN FARAH REPORT 40 CASES OF POISONING – On Tuesday students at a religious school reportedly took ill after drinking potentially contaminated water. Local sources said that some had been transferred to a local hospital for treatment and the school may have been closed by authorities. The two schools in Sar-e-Pol Province where earlier cases of poisonings had been reported are also reputedly closed while an investigation takes place.
AT LEAST 24 DEAD AFTER VAN PLUNGES INTO RAVINE IN SAR-E-POL PROVINCE – The van apparently swerved off a road while carrying approximately 24 people (12 women and 8 children were among the passengers). Police have stated the accident happened as a result of the driver neglecting to pay attention to road conditions.
TALIBAN ASKS PAKISTAN TO HALT ARRESTS OF REFUGEES – Approximately 250 Afghans have been detained in Pakistan over the last seventy-two hours. The Taliban embassy in Islamabad has confirmed the arrests are continuing but said they are mainly focused in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. A delegation has met with the Police and other embassies in Islamabad are planning to send diplomatic notes to the Foreign Ministry that will protest the actions being
FOREIGN NGOS SAID TO BE BANNED FROM PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL SERVICES – An unconfirmed report from an Afghan news site has reported that the United Nations was informed that NGOs will no longer be allowed to provide/support education programs. This information has yet to be confirmed by an official source.
NEXT 24 HOURS
SECURITY SWEEPS ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE IN ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI – Even though diplomatic efforts were made to halt the police roundups of Afghans. At-risk Afghans are encouraged to stay off the streets and avoid going out if at all possible while these operations persist.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
China held counterterrorism talks with Iran and Pakistan for the first time in a long while. Skeptics say the discussions were not focused on counterterrorism but focused more on strategic communications in the event hostilities break out in the region.
The Iranian President is planning a trip to Latin America next week and intends to visit Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba over a 6-8 day trip.
The US Department of the Treasury levied sanctions on several members of the IRGC yesterday.
PAKISTAN
The World Bank dropped Pakistan’s growth projections by .04 percent as the economic recovery across sectors has been hampered by inflation and issues with power supplies.
The courts have granted former PM Khan bail on his corruption case (Toshkana) until 21 June.
Several of the high-profile PTI party defectors have apparently chosen to join Jahangir Tareen’s party.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
The Taliban Are Who We Thought They Were
By Natalie Gonnella-Platts & Jessica Ludwig - The Bulwark
When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in the mid-1990s, they established one of the most brutal and oppressive regimes in the world and harbored international terrorists. Since regaining control of the country in 2021, they have reverted to their old behavior, once again using violence against Afghans to maintain their grip on power. As a result, Afghanistan has become a “significant coordination site” for threats to the United States, Europe, and Asia, according to a leaked Pentagon assessment.
AFGHAN NEWS
ISIS Claims Responsibility for Killing Badakhshan’s Deputy Governor
By Nizamuddin Rezahi - Khaama Press
On Tuesday, ISIS wrote on Telegram, saying its fighters succeeded to detonate a bomb targeting Taliban deputy governor Mawlavi Nisar Ahmad Ahamdi, which also left six…
UNAMA, World Bank Officials Meet Afghan Authorities, Discuss Economic Challenges
By Nizamuddin Rezahi - Khaama Press
Representatives of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the World Bank stressed on seeking solution to the…
Islamic Development Bank pledges $8.1 million to help Afghanistan
By Ariana News
The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has signed cooperation agreements worth $8.1 million with six international humanitarian agencies to…
REGIONAL NEWS
Are Iran And The Taliban Colluding In The Drug Trafficking Business?
By Hamad Mohamed Gazouillement - WoldCrunch
After about a week-long exchange of fire between Taliban forces and Iranian border guards (at or near Sasuli in eastern Iran) and in spite of Iranian authorities…
Has China trapped Afghanistan in its sinister debt trap diplomacy?
By ANI
After leaving a number of smaller countries ‘high and dry’, China, the current villain in global politics, has now set its sights…
Pakistan: Afghan Detainees Will Remain in Jail Before Being Deported
By Nizamuddin Rezahi - Khaama Press
Pakistani police has said that all detained Afghan nationals without valid residence permit will remain in prison until grounds for deportation is…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Senate bill to strengthen visa program for Afghans who worked with U.S. military
By Alisha Reznick - Fronteras
A new bill in the U.S. Senate would strengthen a visa program for some Afghans who worked alongside U.S. troops in…
Afghan woman who aided US military await asylum
By Fox News
Mahnaz Akbari, who escaped Afghanistan, joined 'America's Newsroom' to discuss her escape and experience waiting for asylum after…
THE DAILY WTF
Russian Activist, “Memorial” Co-Chair Oleg Orlov Will Face Trial For Opposing Invasion of Ukraine
By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press
Oleg Orlov, Human rights activist and the co-chair of the Memorial Human Rights Defense Center, will face criminal charges and…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 86.42 AFN (as of 8 JUN 2023)