Taliban causing ‘irreversible damage’ to whole education system in Afghanistan

Human Rights Watch warns bar on women means unqualified men now teach boys, fewer subjects are taught and beatings are routineThe Taliban is causing “irreversible damage” to Afghanistan’s education system through the reintroduction of corporal punishme…

Human Rights Watch warns bar on women means unqualified men now teach boys, fewer subjects are taught and beatings are routine

The Taliban is causing “irreversible damage” to Afghanistan’s education system through the reintroduction of corporal punishment, curriculum changes and the use of unqualified teachers to replace women, most of whom have been barred from schools, Human Rights Watch has warned.

After taking power in 2021, the Taliban banned girls from secondary schools. A new report from Human Rights Watch (HRW), published on Wednesday, warns that boys’ education has also suffered under the Taliban, although this has gone largely unreported.

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‘I remember the silence between the falling shells’: the terror of living under siege as a child – podcast

I was 10 years old in 1992 when Kabul was bombarded by warring forces, and life became a cycle of hunger, fear and horror. Then as now, children bear the brunt of war Continue reading…

I was 10 years old in 1992 when Kabul was bombarded by warring forces, and life became a cycle of hunger, fear and horror. Then as now, children bear the brunt of war

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‘I remember the silence between the falling shells’: the terror of living under siege as a child – podcast

I was 10 years old in 1992 when Kabul was bombarded by warring forces, and life became a cycle of hunger, fear and horror. Then as now, children bear the brunt of war Continue reading…

I was 10 years old in 1992 when Kabul was bombarded by warring forces, and life became a cycle of hunger, fear and horror. Then as now, children bear the brunt of war

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Heavily pregnant Afghan women eligible to come to UK stuck in Pakistan

People who worked for or were affiliated with the British Council may lose babies as government delays relocation to UKPregnant Afghan women who are eligible for resettlement in the UK have been told their babies may not survive unless they are urgentl…

People who worked for or were affiliated with the British Council may lose babies as government delays relocation to UK

Pregnant Afghan women who are eligible for resettlement in the UK have been told their babies may not survive unless they are urgently evacuated.

The women, who worked for or are affiliated with the British Council, should be entitled to relocation through the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme (ACRS). Despite Foreign Office and Home Office instructions to move to Pakistan and await relocation, they are stuck in hotels with limited access to medical care nearly two years after the scheme launched.

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America’s undying empire: why the decline of US power has been greatly exaggerated

For more than a decade, people have been saying that the era of US dominance is coming to an end. But in reality there are still no other global players to rival itIn recent years, the idea that the United States is an empire in decline has gained cons…

For more than a decade, people have been saying that the era of US dominance is coming to an end. But in reality there are still no other global players to rival it

In recent years, the idea that the United States is an empire in decline has gained considerable support, some of it from quarters that until very recently would have denied it was ever an empire at all. The New York Times, for instance, has run columns that describe a “remarkably benign” American empire that is “in retreat”, or even at risk of decline and fall.

Yet the shadow American power still casts over the rest of the world is unmistakable. The US has military superiority over all other countries, control of the world’s oceans via critical sea lanes, garrisons on every continent, a network of alliances that covers much of the industrial world, the ability to render individuals to secret prisons in countries from Cuba to Thailand, preponderant influence over the global financial system, about 30% of the world’s wealth and a continental economy not dependent on international trade.

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Afghan former interpreter with British army resettles in UK after legal battle

Ahmad* was approved for relocation to UK before Home Office refusal meant he missed evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021An Afghan former interpreter with the British army has resettled in the UK with his family after a lengthy legal battle with the gove…

Ahmad* was approved for relocation to UK before Home Office refusal meant he missed evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021

An Afghan former interpreter with the British army has resettled in the UK with his family after a lengthy legal battle with the government, more than two years after being initially approved for relocation.

Prior to the Taliban takeover, Ahmad* worked as an interpreter in Helmand province. In late 2020 he was approved for relocation to the UK before later facing a Home Office refusal, and missing the opportunity to evacuate as Britain and international allies withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021.

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Maxwell hits astonishing unbeaten 201 to rescue Australia against Afghanistan

Australia, 293-7, beat Afghanistan, 291-5, by three wicketsVictorian blasts spectacular double ton from just 128 ballsGlenn Maxwell produced one of the most astonishing one-day innings of all time to rescue Australia from what appeared to be a certain …

Glenn Maxwell produced one of the most astonishing one-day innings of all time to rescue Australia from what appeared to be a certain defeat against Afghanistan and steer them home to victory by three wickets in Mumbai.

When Mitchell Starc was dismissed to reduce Australia to 91 for seven their cause seemed hopeless chasing the very competitive target of 292 set by Afghanistan.

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Eighteen Afghanistan men’s footballers to boycott World Cup qualifier

Players allege substandard treatment and corruptionLetter sent to Fifa and Asian federation outlining complaintsMost of the Afghanistan men’s team are boycotting their World Cup qualifier against Qatar next week in protest against what they describe as…

  • Players allege substandard treatment and corruption
  • Letter sent to Fifa and Asian federation outlining complaints

Most of the Afghanistan men’s team are boycotting their World Cup qualifier against Qatar next week in protest against what they describe as substandard treatment by the country’s football federation.

A letter, which has been seen by the Guardian, signed by three overseas-based players who were captains of the squad that defeated Mongolia in the first round of qualifying last month was sent to Fifa and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) this week outlining their complaints. They include allegations of serious corruption by the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF).

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Eighteen Afghanistan men’s footballers to boycott World Cup qualifier

Players allege substandard treatment and corruptionLetter sent to Fifa and Asian federation outlining complaintsMost of the Afghanistan men’s team are boycotting their World Cup qualifier against Qatar next week in protest against what they describe as…

  • Players allege substandard treatment and corruption
  • Letter sent to Fifa and Asian federation outlining complaints

Most of the Afghanistan men’s team are boycotting their World Cup qualifier against Qatar next week in protest against what they describe as substandard treatment by the country’s football federation.

A letter, which has been seen by the Guardian, signed by three overseas-based players who were captains of the squad that defeated Mongolia in the first round of qualifying last month was sent to Fifa and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) this week outlining their complaints. They include allegations of serious corruption by the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF).

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The Guardian view on Pakistan’s expulsion of Afghans: don’t send them back to the Taliban | Editorial

The deportation campaign by Islamabad is cruel. Other countries have let down these refugees tooHuman Rights Watch reports that refugees are now facing detentions, beatings and extortion by police. Others have been evicted by landlords or fired from jo…

The deportation campaign by Islamabad is cruel. Other countries have let down these refugees too

Human Rights Watch reports that refugees are now facing detentions, beatings and extortion by police. Others have been evicted by landlords or fired from jobs. The result is that Afghans believe they have no choice but to return to a country where they face a serious risk of harm. Iran, too, has repeated its threat to expel hundreds of thousands of undocumented Afghans. The UN high commissioner for refugees has repeatedly called for a bar on the forced return of Afghan nationals. It warns that minorities, journalists and women are at particular risk. “Due precautions,” says Pakistan’s foreign ministry, will be taken to ensure that those under greatest threat are not forced to return. But few have confidence given the abuses already taking place.

With a caretaker government in Islamabad, there is little political accountability for a decision thought to be driven largely by the country’s real rulers, the military. Afghans have become a scapegoat for Pakistan’s unquestionable economic woes. But the deterioration in bilateral relations is thought to be the primary cause of these expulsions. Islamabad wants to pressure the Taliban to act on surging cross-border terror attacks, and has also alleged that Afghan nationals in Pakistan have been involved in some of these attacks.

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