FOR the first time since the Taliban took over the control of Afghanistan, girl students returned to schools in the provinces of Kunduz, Balkh and Sar-e-Pul, said a media report. The head of Balkh’s provincial department of education, Jalil Sayed Khili, said that all girl schools have opened, TOLO News reported. “We have segregated the girl students from the boys,” he was quoted as saying. Girls in Balkh were happy to be allowed to return to school. Sultan Razia, a female student in Balkh’s capital Mazar-e-Sharif where there are over 4,600 students and 162 teachers, said: “Initially, there were a few students but the number is getting larger and the lessons are good.” Another student at the school, Tabasom, said: “Education is our right, we want to improve our country and no one can or should take the right of education from us.” According to the statistics of the Balkh educational department, over 600 schools are active in the province with around 50,000 students.

 

Taliban ask US to unfreeze Afghan financial assets: THE Taliban have urged the United States to unfreeze Afghanistan’s central bank reserves, during the first in-person meeting in Qatar after the takeover of Kabul in August. The two sides on Saturday held their first meeting in Doha to turn a “new page on their relationship”. This is the first in-person meeting between the two sides since the US drawdown from Afghanistan in mid-August. Taliban Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said that they want to engage with the international community and will not be in favour of one country and against the other one. NYC man convicted of trying to join Taliban: A NEW YORK City man has been convicted on charges alleging that he tried to help the Taliban fight American forces.