BBC: An Afghan female activist has been forcibly taken from her home, the latest in a string of alleged arrests by the Taliban. A source told the BBC that authorities had arrested Mursal Ayar at her home in the capital Kabul on Wednesday. Ms Ayar is the sixth woman to have been taken by the Taliban in the past weeks, the BBC understands. The Taliban has denied detaining the women. A spokesman said they were looking into Ms Ayar’s case.
UN News: “We are gravely concerned for their well-being and safety”, Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the High Commissioner for Human Rights, told journalists at a regular press briefing in Geneva. Despite the de facto authorities’ announcement on Saturday of an investigation into the disappearance two weeks ago of these individuals, “there is still no confirmed information on their whereabouts”, she added.
BBC World Service: Sheila Dost holds back tears as she tells me about the day she brought her two young children to demonstrate against Taliban restrictions on girls’ education. “I asked my children to put on burial shrouds and told them we may get killed today but we have to accept that because if it means it’ll bring some kind of change, then it’ll be worth it.” Before the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August, the mother of three was a teacher at a secondary school.
UNITED NATIONS (UNITED STATES) - The Taliban must uphold the fundamental human rights of women and children, the United Nations chief said Wednesday, urging the international community to release frozen Afghan aid to prevent families from selling their babies to buy food.