Fears grow for Afghan-American journalist Ali Latifi after detention by Taliban

Afghan-American journalist Ali Latifi has been unreachable since he was detained by Taliban authorities in Kabul on Thursday.

Fears are growing for his safety.

Relatives say Latifi was picked up by police on Thursday evening after having dinner at the home of Hashmat Ghani, a prominent tribal leader and brother of former president Ashraf Ghani.

A taxi transporting Latifi back to his apartment in Afghanistan’s capital was stopped by police in the PD6 area of Kabul at about 9:30pm, according to Hashmat Ghani.

Taliban's public executions and corporal punishments must cease, UN official says

Latifi, who has reported for The National and several other international news outlets, is a well-known journalist in Afghanistan, where he has lived for most of the past decade.

Calls and messages to Latifi’s phone on Friday morning went unreturned.

Friends and relatives said they had been unable to reach him since his detention.

It is believed his phone has been confiscated by the authorities.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

SAUDI RESULTS

Team Team Pederson (-40), Team Kyriacou (-39), Team De Roey (-39), Team Mehmet (-37), Team Pace (-36), Team Dimmock (-33)

Individual E. Pederson (-14), S. Kyriacou (-12), A van Dam (-12), L. Galmes (-12), C. Hull (-9), E. Givens (-8),

G. Hall (-8), Ursula Wikstrom (-7), Johanna Gustavsson (-7)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction

Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.

Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.

Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.

Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.

Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.

What are the guidelines?

Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.

Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.

Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.

Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.

Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.

Source: American Paediatric Association

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Unresolved crisis

Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.

Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.

The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.