Iran Warns of Retaliation as Trump Threatens New Strikes, Oil Risks Intensify 
South Korea Reviews Border Drone Incident After Troops Mistake U.S. Aircraft for Potential Threat 
Spain Deploys Troops as Ceuta Faces Major Migrant Surge From Morocco 
US Signals More Joint Yen Intervention With Japan if Currency Volatility Continues 
Ukraine’s drone strikes are having an impact on Russia — but Russian leaders remain committed to war 
Trump Says U.S. ICC Campaign Aims to Protect Netanyahu, Not Himself 
North Korea Warns U.S. Forces Japan Expansion Raises Korea Conflict Risk 
Trump Announces Hamas Disarmament Deal Under Gaza Peace Plan 
Trump-Backed Russia Sanctions Bill Faces House Hurdles Over Tariff Powers 
Trump Weighs Iran Strikes as U.S. Embassies Issue Emergency Security Alerts 
HRW Accuses Russia’s Africa Corps of Deadly Airstrike on Mali Civilians 
Trump Says Iran Talks to Begin as Strait of Hormuz Deal Nears, Oil Prices Fall 
DOJ Rescinds Anti-Weaponization Fund Ahead of Todd Blanche Senate Confirmation Vote 
Taiwan Says U.S. Military Cooperation Is Stronger Than Many Realize 
US Embassies Urge Americans to Leave Middle East as Iran Tensions Escalate 
Suez Canal Shipping Faces New Risk After Drone Strike on Gas Tankers in Egypt 
Peru Court Frees Former President Ollanta Humala After Conviction Overturned 
The United Nations said that some of its female Afghan workers have been detained and faced harassment and additional restrictions on their activities by the Taliban authorities. This comes as the Taliban expanded its restrictions on women aid workers to Afghan women working for the international body.
In a report published on Tuesday, the UN said that some of its female Afghan workers had been detained and harassed by the insurgent group since its leadership expanded the restrictions on women aid workers to women working for the UN. The UN added that the Taliban has sought to crack down on dissent, especially those who speak out on issues related to women’s rights.
“This is the most recent in a series of discriminatory – and unlawful – measures implemented by the de facto authorities with the goal of severely restricting women and girls’ participation in most areas of public and daily life in Afghanistan,” said the UN in the report.
The report cited the Taliban’s arrest of four women back in March for participating in a protest in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, demanding access to education and work. The report also cited the arrest of Matiullah Wesa, the head of Pen Path, the organization that advocated for the reopening of schools for girls since the Taliban shut down the schools shortly after retaking control of the country in 2021.
Other instances cited were the arrest of a women’s rights activist and her brother in the northern Takhar province. A number of civil society activists have been released and reportedly were not charged after spending an extended period of arbitrary detention by the Taliban’s intelligence service, according to the report.
Friday last week, the UN said its Afghan staff would continue to work remotely following the Taliban’s enforcement of the ban on women aid workers. The UN has around 3,300 Afghan employees, 400 of which are female, while 600 of its international workers are not affected by the ban. Deputy UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said there was no change in the UN’s “posture on the ground.”
Haq added that the UN was “working to come to decisions on appropriate working modalities.”
Photo by Steve Evans/Wikimedia Commons(CC BY 2.0)
