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UN Report Reveals Afghanistan War Victims Denied Justice and Reparation

UN Report Reveals Afghanistan War Victims Denied Justice and Reparation

A new report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) indicates that most civilian victims of the 2001-2021 war in Afghanistan have been left without justice, reparation, or even acknowledgment of their suffering. The conflict, which began with the U.S. military intervention after the September 11, 2001, attacks, resulted in over 40,000 civilians killed and 77,000 wounded by various parties, including Taliban insurgents, the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, and forces of the former Afghan Republic and the U.S.-led international coalition. UNAMA's research, conducted in 2024 and 2025, involved interviews with 195 victims and their relatives, highlighting the profound physical, psychological, social, and economic consequences they endure. The report notes that domestic and international efforts to hold perpetrators accountable have been limited, with an action plan for 'Peace, Reconciliation and Justice' launched in 2006 never fully implemented. The 2020 U.S.-Taliban peace deal also ...

Taliban Imposes Further Restrictions on Women in Kandahar, Limiting Movement and Access to Services

Taliban Imposes Further Restrictions on Women in Kandahar, Limiting Movement and Access to Services

In Kandahar, Afghanistan, the Taliban has intensified restrictions on women's daily lives, aiming to confine them to their homes. Women are now prohibited from washing clothes and household items in outdoor water sources like streams and rivers, a long-standing cultural practice. They are also banned from walking outdoors for exercise or leisure. Shopkeepers on Rangrezan Street, a traditional hub for women's fashion, report a 70% decline in business due to these restrictions, as women are forbidden from purchasing goods without a male guardian. Taliban officials from the Directorate for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice regularly patrol the street, arresting and jailing shopkeepers who sell directly to unaccompanied women. Furthermore, women's access to hospitals is severely limited, requiring a male guardian for entry, even in urgent medical situations. An elderly woman recounted being denied entry to Mirwais Regional Hospital with her pregnant daughter-in-law because they lacked a male esc...

Taliban Imposes Further Restrictions on Women in Kandahar, Banning Outdoor Activities and Unaccompanied Hospital Visits

Taliban Imposes Further Restrictions on Women in Kandahar, Banning Outdoor Activities and Unaccompanied Hospital Visits

In Kandahar province, the Taliban has escalated restrictions on women's daily lives, aiming to confine them to their homes. New directives prohibit women from washing clothes in streams and rivers, walking outdoors for exercise or leisure, and accessing hospitals without a male guardian. Additionally, shops are forbidden from selling goods directly to women, and men are barred from making such sales. The Taliban's Council of Scholars reportedly issued these orders, with violators facing punishment. These measures are part of a broader pattern of restrictions that include bans on black-colored veils, begging by women in cities, and playing music or singing at celebrations. Women in Kandahar report that these restrictions have disrupted household routines, forcing them to wash clothes with limited water at home and preventing access to essential services like healthcare. One woman recounted being denied entry to a hospital with her pregnant daughter-in-law because they lacked a male guardian, forcing her son...

Kino Lorber Acquires North American Rights to IDFA-Winning Documentary 'A Fox Under a Pink Moon'

Kino Lorber Acquires North American Rights to IDFA-Winning Documentary 'A Fox Under a Pink Moon'

Kino Lorber Acquires North American Rights to IDFA-Winning Documentary 'A Fox Under a Pink Moon'

Pritt Donates 100,000 Euro to UNICEF's Global 'Let Us Learn' Program

Pritt Donates 100,000 Euro to UNICEF's Global 'Let Us Learn' Program

Pritt, a leading consumer adhesives brand from Henkel, has donated 100,000 Euro to UNICEF's global 'Let us Learn' program. This contribution is part of Pritt's annual 'We Craft for Children' initiative. UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, operates in over 190 countries and territories with the mission to save children's lives, defend their rights, and help them achieve their full potential from early childhood through adolescence. The 'Let us Learn' program specifically targets disadvantaged children in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Liberia, Madagascar, and Nepal. It aims to provide access to quality education for these children, including the poorest girls and boys. UNICEF collaborates with governments and partner organizations to enhance learning programs, offer teacher training, and establish safe learning environments. This initiative helps children develop fundamental skills in reading, writing, and mathematics, thereby opening up new opportunities for their future. Mark Dorn, Executive Vice Presid...

How much money did Olivia Rodrigo's Daisy Chain Fields raise?

How much money did Olivia Rodrigo's Daisy Chain Fields raise?

The brand new festival was a big success in year one.

Taliban Spokesman Avoids Timeline for Reopening Girls' Secondary Schools

Taliban Spokesman Avoids Timeline for Reopening Girls' Secondary Schools

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid recently sidestepped questions regarding a timeline for reopening girls' schools beyond the sixth grade. During the fourth session of the government's 'program in the mirror of the media,' Mujahid stated that it was 'not the time to discuss' the issue. The Taliban has maintained a ban on girls attending secondary schools above the sixth grade and has also prohibited women and girls from attending universities. These restrictions have effectively excluded millions of Afghan girls and women from formal education. Mujahid acknowledged the exclusion of girls from education beyond the sixth grade as 'a disruption' but did not offer any specific timeline for when these schools might reopen. This stance comes amidst ongoing international condemnation of the Taliban's education policies.

Kandahar Remains Taliban's Spiritual and Political Center Under Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada's Rule

Kandahar Remains Taliban's Spiritual and Political Center Under Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada's Rule

Kandahar, a city in southern Afghanistan, continues to serve as the spiritual and political heart of the Taliban, where their supreme leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, and his advisors govern. The city is characterized by its intense theocratic atmosphere and widespread poverty. Despite Kabul being the official capital, Kandahar is where the Taliban's leadership is largely hidden from public view, holding significant meetings and making key decisions. The region operates on Afghanistan Time (AFT), which is UTC+4:30 and does not observe Daylight Saving Time. Recent reports indicate that fiber-optic internet access has been restricted in private homes in Kandahar, a measure the Taliban attributes to ensuring internet usage adheres to Sharia guidelines, citing difficulties in controlling content over fiber-optic Wi-Fi compared to mobile internet.

U.S. Academics' Negotiation Training Program Shows Long-Term Economic Benefits for Young Women in Zambia

U.S. Academics' Negotiation Training Program Shows Long-Term Economic Benefits for Young Women in Zambia

A team of female U.S. academics, including Professor Corinne Low from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, has been conducting a research project in Zambia for over a decade. This project involves teaching negotiation skills to groups of 12- and 13-year-old girls. The curriculum, delivered over three weeks by local young women, focuses on understanding others' perspectives and collaborative problem-solving rather than adversarial negotiation. Follow-up analysis indicates that girls who participated in these negotiation classes have experienced sustained economic benefits more than ten years later. These benefits include staying in school longer, being more likely to graduate from college, and a reduced likelihood of marrying significantly older men, when compared to a control group that received general empowerment classes without negotiation training.

Trump administration deports relative of Afghans who helped US military to Central African Republic

Trump administration deports relative of Afghans who helped US military to Central African Republic

The United States has deported dozens of people to the Central African Republic, including an Afghan whose brothers collaborated with the U.S. military

Olivia Rodrigo's festival is uniting women and girls behind nonprofits promoting their well-being

Olivia Rodrigo's festival is uniting women and girls behind nonprofits promoting their well-being

Olivia Rodrigo is fundraising for women's well-being with a benefit show geared toward her young audience

Olivia Rodrigo Raises $20 Million With Daisy Chain Fields Festival Thanks to Matching Commitment From Melinda French Gates

Olivia Rodrigo Raises $20 Million With Daisy Chain Fields Festival Thanks to Matching Commitment From Melinda French Gates

Olivia Rodrigo raised a significant sum of $10 million with her inaugural Daisy Chain Fields Festival — and then doubled it to $20 million, thanks to a matching commitment from philanthropist Melinda French Gates. Rodrigo introduced her own headlining set at the festival on Saturday in Irvine, California by thanking the crowd for attending and revealing […]