The Taliban have said they seek no “revenge” on opponents and that everyone will be “forgiven”, during the first press conference held by the hardline Islamist group since taking power in Kabul on Sunday. Earlier Germany announced it had halted development aid to Afghanistan over the Taliban takeover. A United Nations spokesperson said it would judge the Taliban by their acts on the ground. “Ultimately, the Afghan political leadership failed to stand up to the Taliban and to achieve the peaceful solution that Afghans desperately wanted,” he said. Many women have expressed dread that the two-decade western experiment to expand their rights and remake Afghanistan will not survive the resurgent Taliban.

Source: The Guardian August 17, 2021 16:16 UTC