-This is a developing story. Stay tuned for more updates.
The Taliban today vowed to protect women's rights in Afghanistan and forgive those who fought them.
This, as the Taliban aim to endear world powers and fearful Afghans to them.
This afternoon, the Taliban reportedly destroyed statue of a Shiite militia leader who had fought against the Taliban during Afghanistan's civil war in the 1990s.
Now, here's today's top story.
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The Taliban today launched a charm offensive aimed at endearing world powers and fearful Afghans to them.
Making his first-ever public appearance at a news conference since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, Taliban's longtime spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, promised that the Taliban would honour women's rights within the norms of Islamic law without further elaboration, as opposed to what they did in the 1990s.
The Taliban had earlier encouraged women to return to work and had allowed girls to return to school.
Knowing America is not happy with their support for terrorists who orchestrated the 9/11 attacks, the Taliban reassured world powers that the Taliban would not allow terrorist organisations to utilise Afghanistan to attack other countries. That was part of the 2020 peace deal hammered out by the Taliban and the Trump administration that paved the way for the American troop withdrawal.
In a move aimed at mending their ways and making for a country where everyone has equal rights, the Taliban made every minute of the day count and cut out the middleman as they handed out Islamic headscarves at the door.
While some believe the Taliban's move bespeaks their willingness to uphold women's rights, for older generations, scenes of the Taliban holding public executions, banning television and music, and confining women to their homes, remain etched in perpetuity, and the Taliban takeover bodes disaster for them.
Some are still fleeing Afghanistan for the sake of their safety.
And today, Kabul residents and the Taliban gave contradictory statements about the latest in Afghanistan. Kabul residents said groups of armed men have been going door-to-door, seeking out those who worked with the ousted government and security forces. While it remains unclear whether the gunmen were Taliban fighters or criminals camouflaging themselves as militants, the Taliban claimed their military only entered Kabul to enable the restoration of law and order due to the deliquescence of the country's security forces.
And a group of women wearing Islamic headscarves were seen demonstrating in Kabul and holding placards demanding the Taliban not "eliminate women" from public life. But they held back as they feared for their safety.
Meantime, in the United States, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan is working to evacuate Afghans who worked with the U.S. safely and let them take the weight off their feet after journeying to the U.S. "Our plan is to safely evacuate the people who worked with the United States, who are eligible for Special Immigrant Visas, which is a generous programme set up on a bipartisan basis by our Congress." Said Sullivan.
In the end, chances are the Taliban's decision to mend their ways and go about protecting women's rights in war-torn Afghanistan is a quid pro quo for the American troop withdrawal. And by the same token, the Taliban also hope their decision will go a long way to averting international isolation, similar to what happened in the 1990s.
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