Bangladesh Election 2026: A Turning Point After Years of Political Suppression 
Taiwan Says Moving 40% of Semiconductor Production to the U.S. Is Impossible 
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Secures Historic Election Win, Shaking Markets and Regional Politics 
Trump Says “Very Good Talks” Underway on Russia-Ukraine War as Peace Efforts Continue 
Ghislaine Maxwell to Invoke Fifth Amendment at House Oversight Committee Deposition 
Trump’s Inflation Claims Clash With Voters’ Cost-of-Living Reality 
Anutin’s Bhumjaithai Party Wins Thai Election, Signals Shift Toward Political Stability 
China Overturns Death Sentence of Canadian Robert Schellenberg, Signaling Thaw in Canada-China Relations 
Nicaragua Ends Visa-Free Entry for Cubans, Disrupting Key Migration Route to the U.S. 
Japan Election 2026: Sanae Takaichi Poised for Landslide Win Despite Record Snowfall 
U.S. Lawmakers to Review Unredacted Jeffrey Epstein DOJ Files Starting Monday 
Trump Backs Nexstar–Tegna Merger Amid Shifting U.S. Media Landscape 
China Warns US Arms Sales to Taiwan Could Disrupt Trump’s Planned Visit 
New York Legalizes Medical Aid in Dying for Terminally Ill Patients 
Bosnian Serb Presidential Rerun Confirms Victory for Dodik Ally Amid Allegations of Irregularities 
Trump Slams Super Bowl Halftime Show Featuring Bad Bunny 
US Pushes Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Before Summer Amid Escalating Attacks 
Tens of thousands of Afghans and other nationals fled Afghanistan in fear of the Taliban during the military evacuations in August 2021. Among those that fled were the country’s female judges, who feared that the insurgent group would retaliate against them.
According to a report by The Guardian, 15 female Afghan judges and their families, fled the country out of fear of criminal retribution as well as retaliation from the Taliban during the evacuation efforts in August 2021. They have since been resettled in Australia. This comes as when the insurgent group regained control of the country, thousands of prisoners and convicted criminals that were released may have been looking to get even with her and other members of the judicial system.
One female judge, Farah Altaf Atahee, recalled to the outlet that she received a phone call one morning while she was at work in Kabul. Atahee was told that the insurgent group had regained control of Afghanistan and that she should go into hiding. Atahee fled Afghanistan with her husband and their children during the military evacuations.
Despite her and her family’s resettlement in Australia, Atahee shared that she is still worried about her family, knowing that the Taliban will want to retaliate against them.
Another female judiciary official, Mahtab Fazl, recalled escaping Herat City with her husband and their two sons. However, she still worries about the family members she had to leave behind.
“Because of my job as a judge, every day they are facing risks, they’re in danger,” said Fazl. “We need to get them out of Afghanistan.”
Afghanistan also faces possible threats in the form of rivaling extremist groups such as ISIS-K. However, the head of the Taliban’s intelligence services said the militant group does not operate in Afghanistan anymore. This comes as a United Nations report that found ISIS-K still operating within the country.
“There is no ISIS, not just in Nangarhar province, but all of Afghanistan,” Dr. Bashirmal told Nikkei Asia. Dr. Bashirmal added that the group known as Daesh in Afghanistan also does not pose a threat to the country’s national security.
