Latest news with #Kabul
Arab News
26 minutes ago
- Politics
- Arab News
MWL chief meets Afghan premier in Kabul
KABUL: Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, secretary-general of the Muslim World League and chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars, was received by Afghan prime minister, Hassan Akhund, at the Jal Khana Palace in the presidential headquarters in Kabul. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed various topics of common interest, 'with emphasis on the importance of the role of Muslim scholars in addressing major issues through effective dialogue,' the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday. Al-Issa is on an official visit during which he will meet senior government leaders and scholars.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Fears frail and elderly British couple arrested by the Taliban without charge could die in custody, anguished family say
The children of an unwell elderly British couple imprisoned by the Taliban without charge said they fear their parents will die in custody if they are not released soon. UN human rights experts also remain deeply concerned by the plight of Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who have spent months in 'degrading' high security Afghan prisons, largely away from each other, unaware of what they have done wrong. No charges have been issued - nor any explanation given - for why the pair were arrested on February 1, along with their local interpreter and a visiting Chinese-American friend, Faye Hall. They were detained after flying in a small plane from Kabul to an airstrip near their home in the central province of Bamiyan, known for its giant Buddha statues, which were blown up by the previous Taliban regime. The couple, who have been married for 55 years, have a history of health issues but remain held by the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) in Kabul, and are said to be sleeping on mattresses on the floor. Mr Reynolds, 80, has had heart conditions and is said to be in urgent need of medical care, while his wife, 76, is anaemic and has frequently collapsed since being detained. They have lived in Afghanistan for the last 18 years after founding a research and training business. The Reynolds' four grown-up children, who live in the UK and the US, have now renewed calls for their release. The quartet said: 'This is another urgent plea to the Taliban to release our parents before it is too late, and they die in their custody. 'They have dedicated their lives to the people of Afghanistan for the last 18 years.' Five UN experts, who specialise in reporting on torture, treatment and punishments, including in Afghanistan, added: 'We see no reason why this older couple should be detained at all, and have requested an immediate review of the grounds of their detention. 'It is inhumane to keep them locked up in such degrading conditions and more worrying when their health is so fragile.' In their last message to their children, Mrs Reynolds said that her husband urgently needed to be transported to a hospital in Dubai or the UK where he could receive the medical care he so desperately needs. The Reynolds' children said they had written privately to the Taliban leadership twice and made public appeals for the release of their parents. Their daughter Sarah Entwistle said the siblings had held off from making a public appeal during the last two months in the hope it would encourage the Taliban to release their parents, but that there had been no progress. She said they had privately pleaded with the Taliban 'to uphold their beliefs of compassion, mercy, fairness and human dignity,' adding: 'We do so again now publicly.' The couple moved to Afghanistan after falling in love with the country when they travelled there as students at Bath University. Mr Reynolds has also pleaded with his family not to pay any ransom and demanded the Taliban apologise for detaining them. 'No money should be paid in hush money or hostage money, it doesn't solve anything if millions of dollars are paid,' he said in calls from prison which were shared with The Sunday Times. 'This government needs to face up to the fact it has made a mistake, it has done wrong.' After taking power, the Taliban introduced a ban on women working and education for girls older than 12. The couple, who married in Afghanistan in 1970, were held at the Pul-e-Charkhi prison in the capital, Kabul, until eight weeks ago. They were then transferred to the GDI and promised they would be released within two to three days - but to no avail. Friend Ms Hall was released from Taliban jail at the end of March after the Trump administration lifted huge bounties from the heads of senior Taliban figures. However, the local interpreter and the Reynolds remain in custody. While in Pul-e-Charkhi prison, the couple were said to have had access to phones and called their children every day from the prison yard. The children said their parents had better conditions at the GDI but still had no bed or furniture and slept on a mattress on the floor. A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are supporting the family of two British nationals who are detained in Afghanistan.'
Times of Oman
14 hours ago
- Health
- Times of Oman
Afghanistan launches nationwide polio vaccination campaign to immunise 7.3 million children
Kabul: The Ministry of Public Health has launched a nationwide polio vaccination campaign targeting 7.3 million children across 19 provinces of Afghanistan. The four-day campaign, which commenced on Monday, will cover 187 districts, according to Sharafat Zaman Amarakhail, spokesperson for the ministry. "A sub-national polio vaccination campaign has begun in 19 provinces of the country, covering 187 districts, and will continue for four days. Around 7.3 million children under the age of five will be vaccinated during this campaign," said Amarakhail in a statement to Tolo News. Vaccination teams have spread throughout the streets, alleyways, and neighbourhoods of Kabul and other provinces, working to immunise children against the debilitating disease. Noor Hussain, one of the vaccinators, shared his experience of the day's efforts: "I started my work at 7 a.m. The public's cooperation in bringing their children for vaccination was truly commendable." As the vaccination campaign continues, residents in Kabul have called for the expansion of such initiatives to combat polio effectively. Ramazan, a Kabul resident, emphasised the importance of spreading awareness, urging the government to educate people about the life-saving benefits of the vaccine. "We urge the government to educate people about the benefits of the vaccine and to continue this process," he told Tolo News. Doctors have underscored the critical role of public awareness and continued investment in eradicating polio. Dr. Mojtaba Sufi, a local health expert, reiterated: "The only effective way to prevent polio is through vaccination, and these vaccines are provided by the international community." The World Health Organization (WHO) reported over twenty positive cases of polio in Afghanistan last year. However, the Ministry of Public Health has contested the accuracy of these figures, calling them "inaccurate." The campaign is part of Afghanistan's ongoing efforts to fight polio and protect the health of its youngest citizens.
Washington Post
14 hours ago
- Business
- Washington Post
The Taliban banned beauty salons, leaving women to labor in the shadows
KABUL — For 22-year-old Simin, new clients come with the fear of arrest. She instructs them to park several blocks from her house and to avoid the soldiers who patrol the area. Then, she said, the newcomers make their way to an unmarked door, announcing their arrival in hushed tones. Inside, Simin runs a hair and beauty salon for women. It was a booming business until two years ago, when Taliban authorities issued a blanket ban on salons — accusing proprietors of 'vices' that were 'prohibited in Islam.'
CTV News
a day ago
- Politics
- CTV News
UN ‘concerned' as Afghan women arrested over Taliban dress code
A Taliban fighter stands guard in a market ahead of Eid al-Adha, or "Feast of the Sacrifice", in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) The United Nations expressed its 'concern' on Monday over a series of arrests of Afghan women in the capital Kabul who were accused of breaching the Taliban government's strict dress code, with officials denying such detentions. Since their return to power in 2021, the Taliban authorities have imposed a severe interpretation of Islamic law and require all women to be covered from head to toe. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it was 'concerned by the arrest of numerous women & girls in Kabul between 16-19 July due to their alleged non-compliance with the de facto authorities' hijab instructions'. 'These incidents serve to further isolate women and girls, contribute to a climate of fear, and erode public trust,' the agency wrote on X, adding that they had contacted the authorities about the matter. A witness told AFP last week that while driving in central Kabul, he saw a unit of the Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (PVPV) 'telling two women to go with them in the car'. The women were wearing flowing abaya robes and wearing make-up. They resisted getting into the vehicle but were forced to do so by a PVPV official who was holding a gun, the witness said on condition of anonymity. The Taliban authorities denied the arrests and said they have 'only campaigned for (the) hijab' dress code. 'But there's nothing like arresting someone or taking anyone to jail,' PVPV spokesman Saiful Islam Khyber told AFP. Over the past four years, women have been progressively isolated by the Taliban authorities, which have banned them from universities, public parks, gyms and beauty salons, in what the UN has denounced as 'gender apartheid'. The Taliban government says that their interpretation of Islamic law 'guarantees' everyone's rights and that allegations of discrimination are 'unfounded'. On Monday, UNAMA called on the Taliban authorities 'to rescind policies and practices that restrict women and girls' human rights and fundamental freedoms'.
