AGP Executive Report

Afghan Women in Business: Despite Taliban restrictions, Kabul entrepreneur Marwa has built a jewelry and design business employing about 20 people, turning gemstone craft into a rare source of work for women. Afghanistan Premier League: England batter Ollie Pope has withdrawn from the league’s inaugural draft after backlash over English players’ participation; Will Smeed and David Willey have also pulled out. Cricket: Afghanistan face a steep final-day chase against Bangladesh after reaching 132-3 while pursuing 479, with Rahmat Shah and Sediqullah Atal leading the resistance.

Cricket: Afghanistan were bowled out for 240 in the Abu Dhabi Test, giving Bangladesh a 106-run first-innings lead; Hasan Mahmud took a historic hat-trick. Afghan Film: A film about activist Zarqa Yaftali won a Silver Dolphin at Cannes, while Babak, a drama featuring an Afghan asylum seeker and a Ukrainian boy, was presented at Busan’s Asian Project Market. Sport: Afghan para-taekwondo athlete Zakia Khudadadi won silver in Paris, and an Afghan football club lifted the All Pakistan CM Balochistan Gold Cup.

Test Cricket: Afghanistan’s one-off Test against Bangladesh turned sharply against them in Abu Dhabi: Hasan Mahmud took a hat-trick as Afghanistan were bowled out for 240, leaving Bangladesh in command. Afghan Sport: Para-taekwondo athlete Zakia Khudadadi won silver in Paris, while an Afghan club claimed the All Pakistan CM Balochistan Gold Cup. Film: A film about Afghan activist Zarqa Yaftali won a Silver Dolphin at Cannes. Visual Arts: 160 girls took part in a painting competition in Kabul. International Arts: A campaign has begun to establish an Afghanistan pavilion at the 2028 Venice Biennale.

Para-Taekwondo: Afghan athlete Zakia Khudadadi won silver in the K44 -47kg final in Paris, adding to her gold at May’s European Championships and a recent World Grand Prix bronze. Afghan Cricket: Rahmat Shah’s unbeaten 84 helped Afghanistan resist Bangladesh in their one-off Test. Cinema: A film about activist Zarqa Yaftali won a silver award at Cannes, while Afghan filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat spoke about cinema’s power to reconnect people. Arts & Heritage: Organizers launched a campaign to establish an Afghanistan pavilion at the 2028 Venice Biennale, and 160 girls took part in a Kabul painting competition. In Herat, the Taliban banned the sale and flying of kites, restricting a popular pastime.

Cricket: Afghanistan reached 131-2 against Bangladesh at tea on day two of their Abu Dhabi Test, with Abdul Malik unbeaten on 60 as the pair cut into Bangladesh’s 215-run lead. Afghan Cinema: Afghan asylum seeker drama Babak was selected for Busan’s Asian Project Market; filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat also spoke with Cate Blanchett about cinema’s power to reconnect people. Arts and Culture: A painting competition in Kabul drew 160 girls, while an effort is underway to establish an Afghanistan pavilion at the 2028 Venice Biennale. In Herat, the Taliban’s ban on selling and flying kites puts a popular cultural pastime under further restriction.

Cricket: Afghanistan’s one-off Test against Bangladesh is underway in Abu Dhabi. Bangladesh resumed Day 2 at 317 for 8 after Afghanistan’s bowlers fought back late on the opening day. Film: A film about Afghan activist Zarqa Yaftali has won a Silver Dolphin at Cannes, while Afghan asylum seeker Babak is at the centre of a new drama presented at Busan’s Asian Project Market. Fashion: Designer Gabriela Hearst showcased Afghan designs at her Paris fashion show. Culture: The Taliban has banned selling and flying kites in Herat province, restricting a popular pastime.

Visual Arts: 160 girls took part in a painting competition in Kabul, offering a rare public platform for young artists. Venice Biennale: A campaign has begun to establish an Afghanistan pavilion at the 2028 exhibition, aiming to bring Afghan artists to the international stage. Film: A film about activist Zarqa Yaftali won a Silver Dolphin award at Cannes. Fashion: Designer Gabriela Hearst showcased Afghan-inspired designs at Paris Fashion Week, drawing attention to the country’s cultural heritage.

Cricket & Culture: Rashid Khan welcomed Irfan and Yusuf Pathan to a traditional Afghan feast at his Dubai home. Afghanistan also faces Bangladesh in a one-off Test in Abu Dhabi, with Rahmat Shah making his Test captaincy debut. Film: A film about Afghan activist Zarqa Yaftali has won a Silver Dolphin at Cannes. Art & Fashion: 160 girls took part in a Kabul painting competition, while a campaign is underway to establish an Afghanistan pavilion at the 2028 Venice Biennale. Gabriela Hearst also showcased Afghan designs in Paris. Heritage: An Afghan Jewish wedding headdress from around 1870 highlights the country’s rich cultural exchange.

Film: A documentary on Afghan women’s-rights activist Zarqa Yaftali won a Silver Dolphin at the 2026 Cannes Media and Television Awards, highlighting her work for girls’ education under Taliban restrictions. Danish director Camille Bildsøe’s If Luck Will Come, following two Afghan children at a circus, won an award at Reykjavík International Film Festival; Bildsøe says the film aims to draw attention to shrinking freedoms in Afghanistan. Press Freedom: Afghan female journalists say restrictions on officials’ smartphone use are making it harder to gather information, while a female poet has reportedly been detained over critical poems. Visual Arts: A campaign is underway to establish an Afghanistan pavilion at the 2028 Venice Biennale. Earlier this week, designer Gabriela Hearst brought Afghan designs to a Paris fashion show, giving the country’s creative heritage an international spotlight.

Afghan Cinema: Shahrbanoo Sadat’s Super Afghan Gym is among five films by displaced filmmakers opening at the BFI London Film Festival; Sadat and Cate Blanchett discussed cinema’s power to reconnect audiences. Afghanistan on the Art Map: A campaign is underway to establish an Afghan pavilion at the 2028 Venice Biennale. Young Artists: 160 girls took part in a painting competition in Kabul. Fashion: Gabriela Hearst featured Afghan designs at her Paris show. Creative Freedom: The Taliban detained a female poet in Takhar over critical poems, while Afghan cab drivers are finding ways to defy the music ban.

Kabul Art: About 160 girls took part in a painting competition, using portraits and other works to express themselves amid restrictions on girls’ education. Organizers said the event was designed to support young women and help their voices be heard. Venice Biennale: An artist-led campaign for an Afghanistan Pavilion at the 2028 Biennale launches Oct. 9. Organizers hope to include artists living abroad and, where possible, those inside Afghanistan, whose work faces growing restrictions. Film: Shahrbanoo Sadat’s Super Afghan Gym is among five displacement-focused short films making their UK debut at the BFI London Film Festival. The collection also features work by filmmakers with lived experience of displacement. Fashion: Designer Gabriela Hearst spotlighted Afghan designs at her Paris show. Cricket: Afghan players drew major contracts in the ILT20 auction: Fazalhaq Farooqi signed for a record $380,000, while Rahmanullah Gurbaz secured $310,000. Across the league, 25 Afghan players were selected.

Afghanistan 25 Years After the U.S. Invasion: As the war’s anniversary marks 20 years since the October 7, 2001 start and the August 2021 Taliban return to Kabul, coverage revisits what changed for Afghans—schools, media access, and women’s participation—alongside the collapse of aid-dependent institutions and the long shadow left for victims. Fashion & Culture: Paris Fashion Week spotlighted Afghan textile traditions through Gabriela Hearst’s spring 2027 collection, with St. Vincent providing a live soundtrack inspired by Afghan women’s craft. Sports & Entertainment: Lionel Messi closed his Argentina career with a farewell match against Benin, scoring and assisting in a 3–0 win—an emotional send-off that dominated sports headlines. Regional Security & Politics: Pakistan denied Reuters claims of deploying 30,000–40,000 troops to Saudi Arabia, while Iran’s top security official hit back at U.S. economic-war threats over the Strait of Hormuz. Afghan-Related Human Stories: Reports also highlight ongoing hardship and education pressure under Taliban rule, including tributes to Afghan teachers amid a deepening education crisis.

Afghan Arts & Culture: Afghan chess players Khaiber Farazi (also a TV comedian), Habibullah Amini and Habibullah Guldoost are reportedly under Taliban house arrest after competing in the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, with chess banned in Afghanistan—FIDE, the European Parliament and Spain are said to be working on support. Education & Rights: UNAMA paid tribute to Afghan teachers amid a deepening education crisis, as female educators continue to face low pay and Taliban restrictions. Arts, Media & Fashion: Afghan designs are spotlighted internationally as Uruguayan designer Gabriela Hearst shows Afghan-inspired work at a Paris fashion event. Film & Screen: The documentary HEROIC (about sculptor Sabin Howard’s creation of the National WWI Memorial) earns an official selection and world premiere date at the Newport Beach Film Festival. Local Justice & Safety: Reports describe two Islamic Emirate personnel detained for beating children in Spin Boldak, raising fresh alarms about child protection. Sports & Entertainment: India’s T20I squad news includes Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s recall and Varun Chakaravarthy’s return, while Sanju Samson’s poor run sparks fan calls for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

Fashion & Craft: Gabriela Hearst brought Afghanistan to Paris Fashion Week with a Spring/Summer collection inspired by Afghan textiles, working with Turquoise Mountain and highlighting Afghan women artisans through ikat patchwork, shisha mirror embroidery, and pomegranate motifs. Education & Rights: In Badakhshan, Afghan female teachers say they keep teaching despite Taliban restrictions and pay so low it can’t cover transport—because quitting would mean surrendering public life. Arts & Media: Afghanistan’s presence also surfaced in international culture coverage, from fashion research into Afghan craft histories to broader regional media attention. Sports (Afghanistan-linked): Bangladesh’s Ebadot shared a heat-adaptation routine ahead of a UAE Test—useful for cricket fans tracking conditions in the region. Regional Diplomacy: Afghanistan is set to be part of major Moscow-format talks on security and cooperation, with multiple regional states attending.

Afghan Fashion on the Global Runway: Gabriela Hearst brought Afghanistan-inspired design to Paris Fashion Week, working with Turquoise Mountain to spotlight Afghan women artisans and textiles, from ikat patchwork to “shisha” mirror embroidery. Afghan Arts & Culture Spotlight: A Florence film festival roundup highlights Middle East Now’s focus on migration and displacement, including an Afghan refugee portrait in Mehrdad Oskouei’s mobile-phone footage and surreal animation. Education Under Pressure: UNAMA marked World Teachers’ Day by praising Afghan teachers’ resilience amid Taliban restrictions, with girls still barred from secondary school for years. Human Rights Watch: A Genocide Watch report says Hazaras face ongoing violence, displacement, and discrimination under Taliban rule, calling for accountability and protection. On-the-Ground Tragedy: KabulNow reports a woman in Ghor’s Taywara district was tortured and killed in front of her four children, with Taliban authorities yet to comment. Regional Arts-Adjacent News: A new Wakhan road to China and a Central Asia–South Asia railway corridor were reported, linking transport routes that could shape future cultural exchange.

Cricket Governance: The ICC has shelved plans for a World Club Championship and other new multilateral events until at least 2031, after pushback from England, Australia and India—while Afghanistan’s possible entry into an expanded World Test Championship (12 teams) is still on the table. Afghanistan–China Ties: A fresh report highlights how China-Afghanistan cooperation is deepening through zero-tariff access and growing trade in pine nuts, saffron and dried fruits, alongside infrastructure and energy projects. Regional Connectivity: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and the UAE signed an MoU to study a new railway corridor through Afghanistan and Pakistan, aiming to link Central Asia to the Arabian Sea via Pakistan’s seaports. Arts & Freedom to Sing: Diaspora Arts Connection marks 10 years of Let Her Sing® with concerts and a film program spotlighting women, music, and censorship—pointing to ongoing restrictions on female singers in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Fashion for a Cause: A UK bargain fashion show fundraiser supports refugees including Afghans, with proceeds backing settlement help and community support.