Human rights
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Afghanistan
Ex-CIA Officer: US Millions in Aid Failed to Change Taliban Behavior
DID Press: Former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer Sarah Adams has criticized Washington’s Afghanistan policy, saying that millions of dollars in assistance have failed to moderate the Taliban, following reports of the killing of five members of a family in…
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Afghanistan
Taliban Calls for Release of Last Afghan Prisoner Held in Guantánamo
DID Press: Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has renewed calls for the United States to release Muhammad Rahim, described as the last Afghan detainee held at the Guantánamo Bay detention facility. Mujahid said the issue has been consistently raised in all…
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Afghanistan
Taliban Leader Orders Clerics to Explain His Decrees to the Public
DID Press: Hibatullah Akhundzada has called on religious scholars in Afghanistan to actively explain and promote Taliban-issued decrees and laws among the public, while emphasizing greater religious unity and ideological coordination within the group. During a meeting with members of…
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Afghanistan
Reports of Pressure on Shiite Clerics Grow as Taliban Detentions Alleged
DID Press: Hujjat-ul-Islam Hossain-Dad Sharifi, a prominent Shiite cleric and senior instructor at a seminary in Kabul, has alleged that Taliban authorities have recently detained dozens of Shiite religious figures over the practice of conducting “temporary marriage contracts.” Sharifi claimed…
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Afghanistan
Kabul Cleric Case Tests Taliban’s Promises on Accountability and Religious Rights
DID Press: An incident in Kabul’s 18th police district involving alleged disrespectful treatment of Shiite cleric Hujjat-ul-Islam Hossain-Dad Sharifi by officers of the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has reignited debate over religious rights…
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Government
Former Canadian Diplomats Urge Ottawa to Sanction Israel
DID Press: Nearly 200 former Canadian diplomats have called on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government to impose “broad and decisive” sanctions on Israel over the worsening situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and Lebanon. According to media reports, 190 retired…
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Afghanistan
UN: Religious Restrictions on Shiites and Minorities in Afghanistan Intensify
DID Press: United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says that restrictions on religious freedom, women’s rights, and civil liberties in Afghanistan have increased during the first quarter of 2026, with Shiite communities facing renewed pressure in several provinces. According…
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Cinema
Gaza War Casts Heavy Shadow Over Berlin Film Festival; Political Dispute Erupts at Berlinale
DID Press: Ongoing war in Gaza has cast a shadow over this year’s Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), sparking not only screenings of films addressing the Israel–Palestine conflict but also a wave of political reactions and controversy on the sidelines…
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Human Rights
UN Forms 40-Member AI Panel
DID Press: UN announced the formation of a 40-member scientific panel on artificial intelligence. The body’s mandate is to assess the implications of emerging technologies and to propose recommendations on governance and regulatory frameworks for AI. The United States Mission…
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Afghanistan
Uzbekistan, Qatar Consult on Stability in Afghanistan
DID Press: Ismatullah Irgashev, Uzbekistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, met with Hassan bin Hamza Hashem, Qatar’s Ambassador to Tashkent, to discuss developments in Afghanistan and the role of bilateral cooperation in promoting regional stability and development. During the meeting, the…
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