This photo of the Kabul-based Radio Begum dates back to November 28th, 2021, and shows teachers and students attending a class on-air..
The Taliban suspended the operation of Afghanistan’s only nationwide women’s radio station after raiding its premises on Tuesday, deepening the exclusion of women from public life and society since the group took power in 2021.
Kabul-based Radio Begum – a station run by women with content aimed at women’s education – said officers from the Taliban’s information and culture ministry restrained the station’s staff as it searched its premises in the nation’s capital.
Officers “seized computers, hard drives, files and phones from Begum staff, including Begum female journalists, and took into custody two male employees of the organization who do not hold any senior management position,” the station said in a statement on Tuesday.
The ministry later confirmed the station’s suspension, citing several alleged violations of “broadcasting policy and improper use of the station’s license,” including “the unauthorized provision of content and programming to a foreign-based television channel.”
It did not identify the foreign TV channel in question, but said it will determine the station’s future “in due course.”
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an independent rights group, condemned the suspension and demanded its immediate reversal.
Before Tuesday’s ban, Radio Begum broadcast six hours of lessons a day, along with health, psychology and spiritual programs to women across most of Afghanistan. The station said it provides education to Afghan girls and support to Afghan women, without being “involved in any political activity whatsoever.”
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Spain has refused to endorse a proposed NATO target requiring member states to spend 5% of their GDP on defense, risking friction ahead of next week’s alliance summit in The Hague.
Russia and Kazakhstan have signed a formal agreement to move forward with the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, marking a key step in their energy cooperation.
A nationwide transport strike on Friday disrupted travel across Italy, with major delays and cancellations reported in rail, air, and public transit services.
Diplomatic representatives accredited in Azerbaijan have arrived in the East Zangezur and Karabakh regions for a multiday visit showcasing post-conflict reconstruction and cultural development.
Russia and Kazakhstan have signed a formal agreement to move forward with the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, marking a key step in their energy cooperation.
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.
Russia intends to withdraw from its long-standing agreement on military-technical cooperation with Germany, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced, citing that relevant internal procedures are currently underway.
A nationwide transport strike on Friday disrupted travel across Italy, with major delays and cancellations reported in rail, air, and public transit services.
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