An elderly British couple, Peter and Barbie Reynolds, along with another foreign national and a local Afghan, were arrested by Afghanistan’s de facto authorities more than three weeks ago. The group was taken from the central Bamiyan province to the capital, Kabul, where they remain detained.
The Reynolds couple runs Rebuild, an organization based in Afghanistan that provides education and training programs to businesses, government agencies, and educational institutions. According to The Sunday Times, which first reported their arrest, one of Rebuild’s key projects focused on supporting mothers and children. This work is particularly sensitive in light of the Taliban’s strict restrictions on women’s education and participation in public life.
One of the couple’s children, Sarah Entwistle, shared that her parents had always sought to show respect toward the Taliban. Speaking to Times Radio, she said, “We wanted to give them a chance to explain why they were detained. But after more than three weeks of silence, we can no longer wait.” She has called on the British Consulate to intervene, seek answers, and pressure the Taliban for their release.
The Associated Press reported that the Reynolds’ family has appealed directly to the Taliban authorities for their parents’ freedom. The couple’s four adult children emphasized that Peter and Barbie had lived in Afghanistan for 18 years and chose to remain in the country even after the Taliban regained power in 2021.
Abdul Mateen Qanit, a spokesperson for the interior ministry, confirmed the arrest of four individuals: two British citizens, a Chinese-American citizen and their Afghan translator. However, no further details regarding the charges or the circumstances of their detention have been provided.
Afghan farmers are shifting away from opium cultivation as the interim government ramps up efforts to eliminate the drug trade, offering alternative crops and local support.
Afghanistan’s Taliban-led interim government has dismissed a recent United Nations report on the country’s security, human rights, and economic situation, calling it inaccurate and misleading.
Poland’s Special Representative for Afghanistan met with the Taliban’s acting foreign minister in Kabul to discuss political ties, Afghan refugees in Europe, and future economic cooperation, signaling a cautious but growing engagement between the two nations.
Two influential Turkic states — Uzbekistan and Türkiye — are intensifying their diplomatic engagement with Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government, signaling a shift in regional dynamics focused on pragmatic cooperation over political isolation.
At the Astana International Forum, senior officials from Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan held talks to strengthen bilateral cooperation, with a focus on trade, economic collaboration, and regional stability.
The United Kingdom has withdrawn its support for a major renewable energy project that aimed to supply power from Morocco to Britain through underwater cables, citing concerns over security and delivery risks.
Greek firefighters are battling a large wildfire south of Athens as the country faces its first major heat wave of the summer, with temperatures nearing 40°C and strong winds fuelling the flames.
At least 29 students were killed and more than 250 injured in a stampede at Barthelemy Boganda High School in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, authorities confirmed Thursday.
China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun has urged member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to push back collectively against what he called “hegemonic behaviour”, as defence ministers met for their annual summit in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao.
European Union leaders renewed economic sanctions on Russia for another six months on Thursday and reviewed the latest U.S. trade proposals during a summit in Brussels.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
Wizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv, Israel, and its European services to Amman, Jordan, effective immediately until 15 September due to escalating situation in the Middle East. Also, the air carrier temporarily suspended its flights between Astana, Kazakhstan, and Abu Dhabi.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
A fire that broke out Thursday evening at the “Azerbaijanfilm” studio in Baku has been brought under control, following an explosion reported in an old pyrotechnics area of the complex.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel’s recent victory in its conflict with Iran opens a path to expanded peace deals, including the possible addition of Saudi Arabia and Syria to the Abraham Accords.
A key unit at Iran’s South Pars gas field, damaged during Israel’s first strike on the country’s energy infrastructure, has resumed operations just 10 days after the attack.
Uzbekistan’s economy is set to expand by 6.5 percent by the end of 2025, driven by rising household income and sustained investment, according to the Eurasian Development Bank.
Kazakhstan will create six new nature conservation institutions to preserve biodiversity, aiming to increase protected territories to 12.5% of the national area.
The United Kingdom has withdrawn its support for a major renewable energy project that aimed to supply power from Morocco to Britain through underwater cables, citing concerns over security and delivery risks.
Greek firefighters are battling a large wildfire south of Athens as the country faces its first major heat wave of the summer, with temperatures nearing 40°C and strong winds fuelling the flames.
At least 29 students were killed and more than 250 injured in a stampede at Barthelemy Boganda High School in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, authorities confirmed Thursday.
China’s Defence Minister Dong Jun has urged member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to push back collectively against what he called “hegemonic behaviour”, as defence ministers met for their annual summit in the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao.
European Union leaders renewed economic sanctions on Russia for another six months on Thursday and reviewed the latest U.S. trade proposals during a summit in Brussels.
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