Europe’s increasingly pragmatic engagement with Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers highlights a clash between diplomatic non-recognition and political necessity. European governments are quietly broadening talks with the Taliban on migrant deportations, diplomatic representation and economic assistance.

FFrance 24 English2026-10-19 06:33

Afghanistan’s women’s national football team once symbolized female emancipation at home. After the Taliban returned to power, the team was dismantled and its players forced into exile. Najma Arefi and her teammates continue seeking the right to compete internationally for Afghanistan. In England, Arefi is preparing to study and hopes to become a human rights lawyer.

DDW News2026-09-26 10:30

The focus is Afghanistan, which recently marked five years since the Taliban returned to power. Since then, the exclusion of women and girls has become normalised, as the government systematically dismantles the rights of more than half the population.

FFrance 24 English2026-09-25 10:22

An Afghan returnee said it would be better to die in a war than from hunger after leaving Iran amid its economic crisis and war with the United States and Israel. Women who have returned face strict rules barring them from education and work.

RReuters2026-09-17 08:57

French filmmaker and journalist Mélanie Nunes tells FRANCE 24 about her investigative report, “Afghanistan: The Unsung Female Carers”. The short documentary follows women seeking healthcare and female providers trying to deliver it. Nunes says participants took part because “nobody cares” about what they think in their own country.

FFrance 24 English2026-09-10 13:29

Funding cuts have forced nearly 600 clinics across Afghanistan to close, leaving millions without basic healthcare. Remote communities have suffered the most, and many people are now struggling to reach essential medical services.

AAl Jazeera English2026-09-08 17:00

Afghan pop star Aryana Sayeed is launching a women-only European tour. She says she is using her platform to unite Afghan women and speak out for their rights.

Eeuronews2026-09-04 13:50

Five years into Taliban rule, Afghan women continue resisting severe restrictions, including bans on education. Several women tell NBC News how they are finding new ways to get around the laws.

NNBC News2026-08-31 23:30

Five years after the Taliban retook Afghanistan, women remain barred from education but are turning to entrepreneurship. More than 10,000 women-led businesses are now licensed.

NNBC News2026-08-27 10:53

The BBC has gained rare access to the Taliban’s leadership and examined how it has governed Afghanistan five years after overthrowing the US-backed government. During that period, women have been shut out of most workplaces, barred from universities and restricted from travelling alone or visiting parks and leisure centres.

BBBC News2026-08-24 13:30

The Taliban marked five years in power in Afghanistan by projecting an image of control. But Reuters’ Pakistan and Afghanistan bureau chief warned that the apparent gains have come at a “huge cost” for women and girls.

RReuters2026-08-17 06:55

Five years after the Taliban returned to power, Afghanistan remains internationally isolated, although diplomatic engagement with Kabul continues. Russia is the only country to have formally recognized the Taliban government. Ashley Jackson of the Centre on Armed Groups says Western governments should spend less effort trying to change the Taliban and focus more on supporting Afghans living under its rule.

DDW News2026-08-16 09:00

Taliban leaders are marking five years since they retook Kabul in August 2021 after the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces. Afghanistan now faces tensions and border clashes with Pakistan, economic hardship and a worsening humanitarian crisis. Aid groups say legal protections have weakened and women have been denied education, while the Taliban insists Afghans should decide the country’s affairs.

AAl Jazeera English2026-08-15 20:13

Five years after returning to power, the Taliban still firmly control Afghanistan, governing the country, collecting taxes, building infrastructure and engaging with regional states. Most major governments have not formally recognized them as Afghanistan’s legitimate rulers. DW’s Inside Asian Conflicts examines the movement’s transition from insurgency to government.

DDW News2026-08-15 14:34

Five years after the Taliban retook Afghanistan as Western forces withdrew, the group’s extreme, ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam has reshaped life for millions. The return brought relative peace after two decades of war, but women have been pushed out of public life: girls cannot attend school from age 12 or university, women are barred from public parks and cannot travel abroad without a male companion.

BBBC News2026-08-15 14:04

The Taliban held a parade in Kabul to mark five years in power, as aid groups warned that crises were worsening and women continued to face severe restrictions.

RReuters2026-08-15 13:50

Thousands of young Afghan women trained as doctors cannot pursue their careers because of restrictions on women’s education. Some have taken other jobs, while others remain at home awaiting opportunities.

AAl Jazeera English2026-08-15 12:00

After five years of Taliban rule, women have faced severe discrimination despite the group’s claim that it would protect their rights.

GGuardian News2026-08-15 11:20

Five years after the Taliban seized power, thousands of Afghans who fled to France are rebuilding their lives while confronting language, housing and employment problems. For refugee doctor Fardina Samadi and other women, France provides freedoms denied under Taliban rule, yet restoring a career and integrating into French society remain difficult.

FFrance 24 English2026-08-15 09:13

Five years after the Taliban returned to power, Afghan women face sweeping curbs on education, work, movement and public life. The UN calls Afghanistan the world’s worst country for women’s rights and urges donors to maintain programmes supporting Afghan women, warning that reduced aid could force many organisations to shut down.

FFrance 24 English2026-08-15 08:49

Five years into Taliban rule, Afghan women have been especially affected by government restrictions. They are barred from public places such as parks and most jobs, while girls cannot continue their education beyond age 12. FRANCE 24’s Peter O’Brien spoke with independent researcher Melissa Cornet in Kabul.

FFrance 24 English2026-08-15 08:42

Five years after the Taliban returned to power, Afghan women and girls still face severe limits on education, work and public life. Maryam, unable to attend school openly, studies online and secretly teaches English to other girls. Human Rights Watch researcher Fereshta Abbasi discusses the risks and long-term consequences of denying education to millions of Afghan girls.

DDW News2026-08-14 19:31

Thousands of Afghan refugees in Europe face an uncertain future as tougher asylum laws and EU talks with the Taliban fuel fears that they could be sent back, despite promises of protection made after the Kabul evacuation.

AAl Jazeera English2026-08-14 09:54

UNESCO says more than two million Afghan girls have been unable to continue education beyond primary school since the Taliban returned to power five years ago. The agency estimates that 2.4 million girls are currently excluded from secondary and higher education. The Taliban has also limited girls’ access to education to those below age 12 and barred women from most public-sector jobs. UNESCO expert Hoda Jaberian warned that the longer these restrictions continue, the greater their impact on Afghanistan’s future may be.

VVOA Chinese2026-08-12 00:51