According to foreign media, preliminary negotiations between the US and Russia to prepare for a meeting between the presidents of the two countries have been halted.

CNN reports that Trump announced earlier in the week that “high-ranking advisors” from Washington and Moscow would gather in Budapest, Hungary, to prepare for a potential meeting; a session that was supposed to take place following his recent phone call with Putin. Trump had said that the American delegation, led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and accompanied by “several other officials who will be named later,” would depart for the preliminary talks. However, a White House official told CNN on Tuesday that the anticipated meeting between Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was “currently suspended.” No official reason has been given for this delay, but an informed source said that the two sides still hold differing views on how to end the war in Ukraine.

Anna Kelly, Deputy White House Press Secretary, said in a statement: “President Trump has always been striving to find a peaceful and diplomatic solution to end this meaningless war and stop the bloodshed. He has courageously spoken with all sides and will use all his power to bring about peace.” According to the US State Department statement, Rubio and Lavrov spoke on Monday in a phone call about the “next steps” to follow up on the contact between Trump and Putin last week. In the call, Rubio had emphasized the “importance of future meetings as an opportunity for cooperation between Moscow and Washington towards achieving a sustainable solution to the Russia-Ukraine war, in line with President Trump’s vision.” The Kremlin also described the conversation as “constructive” and announced that the focus of the call was “reviewing specific steps to implement the understandings reached between the two presidents.” However, an informed source told CNN that after the phone call, US officials concluded that “Russia’s position has not yet moved far from its maximalist view.”

This comes as the last meeting between Trump and Putin was held more than two months ago in Alaska and lasted about three hours, but ended without any agreement being reached.

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The Afogh-e Sabz (Green Horizon) team won the championship cup by claiming the title in the Panjshir Province Football League competitions.

This team secured the first position through its brilliance in the competitions. The Etihad-e Bazarak (Bazarak Union) team earned the runner-up title, and the Istiqlal-e Pashghor (Pashghor Independence) team won the Fair Play Award (Jam-e Akhlaq).

The closing ceremony of these competitions was attended by the head of the Panjshir Olympic, Physical Education, and Sports Directorate, a number of local Taliban officials, and hundreds of spectators.

Mawlawi Obaidulhaq Zahir, Head of the Panjshir Olympic, Physical Education, and Sports Directorate, said in his speech that victory and defeat are less important, but the main goal is to encourage youth to engage in sports and strive in their fields of interest.

Likewise, Noor Ahmad Ahmadi, President of the Panjshir Football Federation, said that these competitions were held over the past month with the participation of ten teams from across Panjshir, organized by the Football Federation in cooperation with the province’s Olympic, Physical Education, and Sports Directorate in Bazarak, the center of the province, and finally, the Afogh-e Sabz team achieved the championship.

He added that the final match was held between the Afogh-e Sabz and Etihad-e Bazarak teams, and the Afogh-e Sabz team achieved victory with a score of 2 to 1 and claimed the championship cup.

Mr. Ahmadi also stated that Ramin from the Etihad-e Bazarak team was recognized as the Best Goal Scorer, Yaqoob from the Afogh-e Sabz team as the Best Player, and Rahmatullah Akrami from the Istiqlal team as the Best Goalkeeper of the competitions.

He stated that the goal of holding this league was to identify top football talents and promote sports at the provincial level.

At the end of the competitions, the championship cup was awarded to the winning team, and medals, prizes, and appreciation certificates were presented to the top players by the Sports Olympic Directorate and the Panjshir Football Federation Presidency.

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The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that the sharp decrease in rainfall across various parts of Afghanistan is a worrying sign of the return of widespread drought.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated in its latest report on Afghanistan that rainfall levels across Afghanistan this year have been less than normal and the current situation in many areas of the country is concerning.

OCHA’s new report, published on Tuesday, October 21 (October 21, based on the Persian date Mizan 29), states that the northern, northeastern, central, and western regions of Afghanistan are at serious risk of drought, and the current conditions bear a strong resemblance to the 2018 drought.

In 2018, about 300,000 people were displaced from their homes due to the drought, and nearly 3.6 million people faced emergency levels of food insecurity.

In this report, OCHA, while referring to the deadly earthquakes in eastern Afghanistan, the return of millions of migrants from neighboring countries, the intensification of drought, and funding shortages, warned about the formation of multiple crises in Afghanistan.

The agency stated that about half of Afghanistan’s population requires humanitarian assistance to survive. OCHA emphasized that women and girls in Afghanistan are deprived of education, work, and participation in public life, and in such circumstances, humanitarian aid is their only “lifeline.”

According to OCHA, Afghan returnees are entering a country that is not only grappling with poverty and a lack of basic services, but also suffering from drought and a livelihood crisis.

This comes as the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) had previously warned that drought in Afghanistan has had severe impacts on agricultural products and the livelihoods of rural inhabitants.

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The UN Spokesperson welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Kabul and Islamabad and called for the resolution of tensions through diplomacy; the next round of negotiations will be held on October 25 in Turkey.

The Spokesperson for the United Nations expressed hope that the recent ceasefire agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan will continue and that tensions will be resolved through diplomatic channels.

Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said at a press briefing in New York: “We hope that the ceasefire remains in place and that all disputes and concerns between the two countries are resolved through diplomatic and peaceful means.”

These remarks follow the recent agreement between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the Government of Pakistan; an agreement that was reached in Doha following several days of tension and border clashes, with the mediation of Qatar and Turkey. The two sides agreed on a “complete and meaningful” ceasefire, which is stated to be aimed at reducing tensions and preventing further conflicts in border areas.

Sources close to the negotiation process have said that the next round of talks is scheduled to be held on October 25 in Turkey. It is expected that in this meeting, the parties will take practical steps to solidify the ceasefire, resolve misunderstandings, and create mechanisms for joint security and border cooperation.

This comes as relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have always been volatile over the past years, influenced by security, political, and migration factors. Increased border attacks, the movement of armed groups, and the expulsion of Afghan migrants from Pakistan are among the most significant challenges that have affected bilateral relations.

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Sources in several telecommunication companies in Kabul say that based on verbal instructions from Taliban officials, the provision of fiber optic services is being restricted in some areas of the capital.

Some telecommunication companies in Kabul have confirmed that, based on the Taliban’s instructions, they have been assigned to halt fiber optic services in a number of areas of the capital during nighttime hours.

Meanwhile, a number of users have also complained about the disruption of fiber optic internet at night, saying that they practically have no access to the internet during the evening.

Kabul residents, considering the 48-hour internet outage in the country, say that they do not want to live in complete digital darkness.

Furthermore, telecommunication companies say that they are facing numerous restrictions from the Taliban. People say that instead of imposing restrictions, the Taliban should strive to improve and expand the internet.

This comes as many believe that while the world is in the age of e-governance, the disruption of the internet subjects Afghanistan to major challenges and serious backwardness.

Not only the cutting off or restricting of the internet, but people believe that by imposing extensive restrictions on media and virtual space, the Taliban have tried to gain complete control over the flow of information in the country.

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Taliban officials in Panjshir province have reported the sale of more than eight thousand carats of the province’s emeralds for a value of $481,000.

The media office of Panjshir province, by publishing a press release, has written that in the latest auction held by the local administration, 8,628 carats of emeralds from the province’s mines were sold for a total value of more than 481,000 US dollars.

According to the press release, a Russian businessman also participated in this auction and succeeded in purchasing 318 carats of emeralds for a value of $20,000.

According to the press release from this institution, with the efforts of the Taliban governor in Panjshir, nearly 100 residents of this province have turned to the trade of precious stones, especially emeralds, in recent months.

Likewise, local officials say the development of the precious stones trade can help increase the income of local people and contribute to the economic growth of Panjshir province.

This comes as Panjshir province is considered one of Afghanistan’s rich provinces in terms of emerald mines, and the emeralds from this region are considered among the finest precious stones in the world in terms of clarity and color.

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The Taliban Ministry of Defense announced moments ago, by issuing a statement, that it has launched retaliatory attacks against Pakistani military bases along the eastern and southern borders of Afghanistan.

Separately, the Khalid Bin Walid Corps in the east of the country says that in order to take revenge for Pakistan’s air attack on Kabul, they have launched attacks on Pakistani forces’ security posts near the hypothetical Durand Line in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces.

However, the press release from this Taliban entity stated that the operation involved targeting centers that were being used “for launching drones into Afghan territory and violating the country’s airspace.”

Simultaneously, sources in the Aryub Zazi district of Paktia province have also reported clashes between the Taliban and Pakistani forces.

These clashes have intensified even though earlier, some media outlets had reported that Pakistani aircraft attacked specific targets in the Afghan capital, but the military success was limited.

Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, border disputes, the activity of armed groups, and security problems have constantly affected the relations between the two countries.

Pakistan also accuses its eastern neighbor, India, of financially and logistically supporting terrorist elements, especially the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). However, New Delhi has rejected its neighbor’s claim and demands that Pakistan end its support for state terrorism.

Last Wednesday’s attack on Pakistani forces in the country’s northwest claimed the lives of 11 soldiers, including two army officials. The number of casualties from this attack is said to have reached 17 people.

Last week, the terrorist group Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the suicide attack on the headquarters of the Frontier Corps forces in Quetta, in which 29 people were killed and injured.

Although Pakistani officials have not yet officially reacted to these claims, some local media outlets in Pakistan have reported an increased level of military readiness in border areas with Afghanistan.

Taliban officials have emphasized that this operation will “continue until the complete cessation of border aggressions.”

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Following the restrictions on girls’ education by the Taliban government, residents of Badakhshan have taken an unprecedented step and built a girls’ school.

Sources from Badakhshan province say that the residents of Shughnan district launched a girls’ education center, which includes five classrooms, through a collective and voluntary public effort.

It is reported that the cost of constructing this educational center was more than 300,000 Afghanis, and no support was provided by the Taliban government for its construction.

This comes as, with the collapse of the previous government and the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, school doors have been closed to female students from grade six onwards, and the Taliban have announced that women and girls can work and study within the framework of Islamic Sharia.

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Russia’s Special Representative for Afghanistan announced that at the Seventh Moscow Format meeting, all regional countries agreed on developing relations with Afghanistan and supporting its people.

The Seventh Consultative Meeting of the Moscow Format on Afghanistan was held in Moscow on October 7 and was attended by representatives from more than 10 countries, including Afghanistan, India, Iran, and Pakistan. The joint final statement of the meeting emphasized support for Afghanistan as an independent, united, and peaceful country.

Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, stated in a press conference after the meeting that: “The Moscow Format meeting showed that all regional countries are determined to expand their relations with Afghanistan in various fields. All our partners in this format agree that we must help the suffering people of Afghanistan overcome the consequences of 20 years of foreign occupation and support the country’s development process.”

In response to a question about the possible reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, he added: “If the U.S. is negotiating with the officials of the Taliban administration in Afghanistan to resume its embassy activities, this is a positive development. We welcome not only the reopening of the U.S. Embassy but also the action of other countries willing to normalize relations with Afghanistan and provide economic aid and other forms of cooperation.”

The Moscow Format meeting was held with the aim of coordinating regional countries to support Afghanistan in various economic, political, and social sectors, and participants emphasized the continuation of cooperation toward the country’s stability and development.

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The “People’s Tribunal for Afghan Women,” held over three days (October 8 to 10 – The Persian dates 16 to 18 Mizan roughly correspond to Oct 8-10), in the Spanish capital, Madrid, became a global platform for documenting the systematic and institutionalized repression against the women and girls of Afghanistan by the Taliban group. This gathering, attended by international judges, human rights activists, lawyers, and civil experts, declared its goal to be breaking the “silence and inaction of the international community” regarding the dire situation of women’s rights in Afghanistan.

Days of Trial: Narratives of Imprisonment and Deprivation

The main objective of this Tribunal was to gather victim testimonies, review expert evidence, and evaluate the Taliban’s gender-based persecution system within the framework of international law. Over 22 female witnesses, including activists, protesters, and victims of Taliban violence, testified both in person and online.

Day One: Exposing Systematic Repression

The Threefold Bans: The first day focused on documenting the Taliban’s extensive restrictions in the fields of education, work, and social participation of women and girls.

Key Testimonies: Witnesses such as Parwana Ibrahimkhel Najrabi presented their experiences in Taliban prisons, detailing torture and arbitrary arrests. The testimonies showed how the Taliban, using various pretexts, put pressure on protesting women and their families, and even threatened them with stoning.

Day Two: Violence and Disability in Focus

Shocking Experiences: On the second day, witnesses like Hoda Khamosh, a member of the women’s protest group, detailed the Taliban’s violent handling of women’s demonstrations, including the use of tear gas and pepper spray. Khamosh also recounted how the Taliban called her a “prostitute” and attempted to re-arrest her.

Apartheid Against the Disabled: The Tribunal’s prosecutor warned on this day that the Taliban have not only dismantled the rights of ordinary women but also the system of support for people with disabilities. A girl with a disability also testified that after the Taliban’s return, she was confined to her home and suffered from severe depression.

Day Three: Summation and Hope for the Future

The final day was dedicated to summarizing the testimonies and presenting specialized statements by lawyers and human rights experts.

Shaharzad Akbar, a women’s rights activist, emphasized at the session that “the choice before the world is clear: normalizing the misogynistic and repressive view of the Taliban, or standing by the view of Afghan women for a democratic future.”

She and other organizers expressed hope that the results of the session would turn into a “historical and moral document” for advocacy and influence global public opinion.

Outcomes and Next Steps of the People’s Tribunal

People’s Tribunals, unlike formal courts, do not have the power to issue binding rulings, but they play a vital role in documentation, public awareness, and applying moral-political pressure on the international community.

Documenting the Crime: The Tribunal accurately demonstrated that the Taliban’s actions are “neither tradition nor a cultural decision,” but a “multi-layered pattern of repression, coercion, and social exclusion.”

Final Decision: The judges of the People’s Tribunal, after final review of the evidence, are expected to announce their final decision in December of this year (in less than two months).

Referral to Formal Courts: The organizers emphasized that the evidence and documentation gathered are planned to be submitted to formal international and national courts after the final review, to lay the groundwork for accountability and the prosecution of Taliban leaders.

Despite the optimism of some participants regarding the long-term effectiveness of this action, concerns also remain about the Taliban’s lack of welcome for this Tribunal and the continuation of human rights violations inside Afghanistan. While the Tribunal brought the voices of victimized women to the world, it revived hopes for making “gender apartheid” an international crime.

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