Taliban authorities announce prisoner swap with US

Taliban official calls for reopening of girls’ schools

A senior Taliban official has encouraged the leadership to reconsider restrictions on girls' education, highlighting differing perspectives within the administration. He emphasized that access to education aligns with Islamic principles and called for schools to reopen.

Merkel testifies on Afghanistan withdrawal

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel testified before a parliamentary committee investigating Germany’s role in the chaotic 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.

Afghan Taliban officials will attend COP29 in Baku

Azerbaijan has invited officials from the National Environmental Protection Agency to the United Nations climate change summit starting 11 November. This is the first time the former insurgents have attended the event, since they took power August in 2021.