Former British envoy in Afghanistan Nicholas Kay says Russia’s decision to recognise the Taliban could encourage some neighbouring countries to follow suit, though it is unlikely to alter the stance of Western governments.

Afghan migrants in Iran who were deported without recovering their rental deposits can seek assistance through their embassy, according to a senior Iranian official.

Four Taliban ministries have convened a meeting to review books deemed ideologically “deviant,” in a move reflecting the group’s ongoing crackdown on literature it considers contrary to its interpretation of Islam.

Taliban authorities have arrested six individuals in Baghlan province on charges of consuming alcohol, according to a statement by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.

The National Resistance Front (NRF) has claimed that China is operating at Afghanistan’s former US military base in Bagram, accusing the Taliban of facilitating foreign interference in Afghanistan.

Khairullah Khairkhwa, Taliban’s Minister of Information and Culture, has claimed that the group has fulfilled all conditions necessary for international recognition and urged other countries to follow Russia’s lead in recognising Taliban.

Abdul Haq Akhund, Deputy Minister for Counter-Narcotics at the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior, has called on the United Nations to assist with alternative poppy cultivation and the treatment of drug addiction in Afghanistan.

Germany’s Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, has signalled a willingness to reach an agreement with the Taliban to enable the deportation of Afghan nationals convicted of crimes in Germany.