Taliban replace women's government ministry

The Taliban inside the new ministry said they had not been informed about where or if a new womens ministry was being planned.Also on Saturday, staff from the World Banks USD 100 million Womens Economic Empowerment and Rural Development Program were escorted off the grounds.

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers have replaced the women's ministry with an all-male "vice and virtue ministry'' tasked with enforcing the group's rigid interpretation of Islam. The move Saturday was the latest to harken back to the group's harsh 1990s rule that imposed deep restrictions on women. The Taliban inside the new ministry said they had not been informed about where or if a new women's ministry was being planned.

Also on Saturday, staff from the World Bank's USD 100 million Women's Economic Empowerment and Rural Development Program were escorted off the grounds. A programme member, Sharif Akhtar, who was escorted out with his staff, was at a loss to explain how or if the program could continue.