Taliban Five-Year Reckoning: Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid says Afghanistan is “undoubtedly” better off after the US withdrawal, even as serious challenges remain. Higher Education Under Pressure: A Kabul university professor describes a new Taliban policy letting officials stop faculty on campus and publicly quiz them on religious knowledge, deepening fear and humiliation. War Scars, Still Visible: A new English edition book revisits two decades of US-led occupation through Afghan deputy minister Muhajer Farahi’s account of bombardment, civilian harm, and lasting social damage. Food Security Crisis: REACH projects 4.7 million Afghans facing emergency-level food insecurity in 2026, with 17.4 million in acute food insecurity and 21.9 million needing humanitarian help. Child Sexual Abuse Allegations: A young man’s account of repeated bacha bazi abuse highlights how gangs exploit boys despite Taliban bans. Local Life & Disability: A Sheberghan couple say they receive no government support despite renewed disability cards, forcing them into begging after war injuries. Culture & Memory: A book and feature on Kabul’s Inter-Continental hotel revisit how lifestyle, music, and modernity once shaped Afghan public life.