Taliban

South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai held talks focused on the rights of Afghan women, who have faced sweeping restrictions on education and public life under Taliban rule. The meeting signals growing international pressure on the issue, with Malala remaining one of the most prominent advocates for girls' schooling in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has carried out strikes inside Afghanistan, with reports framing the action alongside Türkiye as a coordinated show of strength. The strikes signal rising tensions between Islamabad and Kabul over cross-border security concerns, and commentary suggests Pakistan and Türkiye are sending a strong joint message to the Afghan Taliban leadership. The development is drawing widespread attention across South Asia and the wider Muslim world.

Taliban authorities have arrested three people in Khost province, Afghanistan, over the alleged use of Starlink satellite internet terminals, according to the Kabul Tribune. The detentions highlight the Taliban's restrictions on internet access and their efforts to control unlicensed satellite communications, which bypass the country's state-controlled telecommunications infrastructure.

Da Afghanistan Bank and the Afghanistan Credit Guarantee Foundation have signed a cooperation agreement. The deal is expected to support lending and financial sector development, though details of what the agreement covers have not been spelled out. Afghanistan's banking sector has faced isolation and restrictions since the Taliban takeover in 2021, making any new institutional cooperation notable.