Afghanistan's Taliban government released a British couple after holding them without charge since February, after a diplomatic intervention by Qatar officials.

A new push to cut nationwide access to the digital world is taking Afghanistan back to the isolationist extremes of decades past

The emerging policy threatens to disrupt government services that had moved online in recent years and to stall humanitarian operations in Afghanistan. Taliban Supreme Leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada has ordered a phased shutdown of internet services across Afghanistan,

No information was provided on how many people are being held in each country, who they are or why they were imprisoned.

A Trump administration envoy met Taliban leaders in Kabul on Saturday to discuss improving relations and possible "investment opportunities" in Afghanistan, the group said. Newsweek has reached out to the State Department and White House for comment via email on Saturday.

The reported visit follows one in March 2025 which led to the release of a US citizen held for more than two years.