Aisha Wahab, an Afghan-American politician, has become the first woman of Afghan descent and the first Afghan American elected to the United States Congress after winning the special election in California’s 14th congressional district.

A number of Afghan citizens living in Toronto, Canada, held a protest gathering on the fifth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power, calling for an end to restrictions on women and girls, a halt to the normalisation of the Taliban, and guarantees for the fundamental rights of the Afghan people.

A number of Afghan organisations, protest movements and citizens gathered in Paris, France, on Sunday (16 August) to mark five years since the fall of the previous government and the Taliban’s return to power.

The Women’s Movement Network has condemned the forced deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan and criticised the silence and inaction of the international community, saying that women, journalists, civil society activists and other people at risk are paying the price for political tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban.