Overview

• After criticism over an all-male press event on Friday, a second briefing on Sunday included women journalists, with Amir Khan Muttaqi calling the earlier exclusion a short-notice, technical lapse.
• Taliban delegates raised the Islamic Emirate flag inside the embassy and replaced a podium bearing the former republic’s emblem, as Muttaqi declared the venue under their control while the main flagpole still flew the old tricolour.
• Afghan embassy staffers who resisted the flag move said they faced intimidation and feared reprisals, including reports that relatives in Afghanistan were being tracked.
• India’s Ministry of External Affairs said it did not manage the press list, while journalist bodies and opposition leaders condemned the initial exclusion and urged a clearer line on gender equality in engagements.
• Taliban officials courted Indian investment, citing sectors such as mining and rare earths, and parts of Muttaqi’s itinerary were curtailed following renewed Pakistan–Afghanistan border violence.