Taliban and opposition forces battled on Saturday to control the Panjshir Valley north of Kabul, the last Afghan province holding out against the Islamist group, with both sides claiming to have the upper hand without producing conclusive evidence.
The Taliban, which took power in the rest of the country three weeks ago, were never able to control the valley when they last ruled Afghanistan, from 1996 to 2001.
Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi said the districts of Khinj and Unabah had been taken, giving Taliban forces control of four of the province's seven districts. "The Mujahideen (Taliban fighters) are advancing toward the center (of the province)," he said on Twitter.
But the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, grouping forces loyal to local leader Ahmad Massoud, said it surrounded "thousands of terrorists" in Khawak pass and the Taliban had abandoned vehicles and equipment in the Dashte Rewak area.
Front spokesman Fahim Dashti added "heavy clashes" were going on.
In a Facebook post, Massoud insisted Panjshir "continues to stand strongly." Praising "our honourable sisters," he said demonstrations by women in the western city of Herat calling for their rights showed Afghans had not given up demands for justice and "they fear no threats."
Earlier a Taliban source said the Taliban's advance was slowed by landmines placed on the road to the provincial capital, Bazarak.
It was not immediately possible to get independent confirmation of events in Panjshir, which is walled off by mountains except for a narrow entrance.
Celebratory gunfire resounded in Kabul on Friday as reports spread of the Taliban's takeover of Panjshir, and news agencies said at least 17 people were killed and 41 hurt in the firing.
Pakistan's spy chief Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed flew into Kabul on Saturday. It was not clear what his agenda was, but a senior official in Pakistan said earlier in the week that Hameed, who heads the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, could help the Taliban reorganize the Afghan military.
Washington has accused Pakistan and the ISI of backing the Taliban in the group's two-decade fight against the U.S.-backed government in Kabul, although Islamabad has denied the charges.
In Kabul, Taliban fighters broke up a demonstration by about a dozen women urging the group to respect women's rights to education and jobs, according private broadcaster Tolo news.
Footage showed women confronted by armed militants covering their mouths and coughing, and one demonstrator said the fighters had used tear gas and tasers against the participants, who had been carrying banners and a bouquet of flowers.
"They also hit women on the head with a gun magazine, and the women became bloody," said a demonstrator who gave her name as Soraya.
The Taliban imposed violent punishments and barred women and older girls from school and work when they were previously in power, but have sought to present a more moderate face this time.
The Taliban source also said the announcement of a new government would be pushed back to the next week.
Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, reported by some Taliban sources to be in line to lead the new government, said in remarks on Qatar's Al Jazeera channel that the new administration "will include all factions of the Afghan people."
"We are doing our utmost efforts to improve their living conditions. The government will provide security, because it is necessary for economic development," he said.
Meanwhile, some signs of normality returned to Kabul.
Qatar's ambassador to Afghanistan said a technical team was able to reopen Kabul airport to receive aid, according to Al Jazeera, which also cited its correspondent as saying domestic flights had restarted.
The airport has been closed since the United States on Aug. 30 completed the evacuations of more than 120,000 U.S. citizens, other foreigners and Afghans deemed at risk from the Taliban, and withdrew the last of its troops.
The Taliban's main spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, also said one of the main foreign exchange dealers in Kabul had reopened.
Afghanistan's economy has been thrown into disarray by the Taliban's takeover. Many banks are closed and cash is scarce.
The United Nations said it will convene an international aid conference on Sept. 13 to help avert what UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called a "looming humanitarian catastrophe."
Western powers say they are prepared to engage with the Taliban and send humanitarian aid, but that formal recognition of the government and broader economic assistance will depend on action - not just promises - to safeguard human rights.
Paul Bernardo, one of Canada’s most notorious killers, is seeking parole at the medium security La Macaza Institution in Quebec. He was transferred there from an Ontario maximum-security prison last year, to significant public outcry.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of his cabinet are expected to face fresh questions today about Donald Trump vowing to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all products from Canada and Mexico on his first day in office, if border issues aren’t addressed.
An Ontario woman thought she got a good deal when she bought a van for $2,700, but later learned the odometer had been rolled back nearly 100,000 kilometres.
Canada Post says it's missed out on delivering an estimated 10 million parcels as a strike by more than 55,000 workers across the country continues ahead of Black Friday.
A Burlington, Ont. woman who allegedly sold fake tickets to Taylor Swift’s concerts in Toronto and scammed fans out of tens of thousands of dollars is facing charges, police say.
The Bank of Canada on Tuesday said inflation, which has been the center of attention and unhappiness for years amid rising prices, should fade into the background again as the annual rate settled back at 2 per cent.
Notorious killer Paul Bernardo is appearing before the Parole Board of Canada today for a hearing.
The Edmonton Police Service now says it is investigating 24 suspicious fires in south Edmonton.
If life imitates art, a vandal may be haunted by The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come for smashing a tombstone that marked the fictional grave of Ebenezer Scrooge in the English countryside.
A Burlington, Ont. woman who allegedly sold fake tickets to Taylor Swift’s concerts in Toronto and scammed fans out of tens of thousands of dollars is facing charges, police say.
Notorious killer Paul Bernardo is appearing before the Parole Board of Canada today for a hearing.
Nova Scotians will cast their votes Tuesday in a snap provincial election.
Edmonton's theatre community is in mourning after an actor died during a performance of "A Christmas Carol" at the Citadel Theatre on Sunday.
Toronto police say they have charged a mother with second-degree murder following the death of her infant, who was found with critical injuries in midtown Toronto last week.
Manitoba municipalities want action from the province to deal with what one rural mayor describes as an alarming number of needles turning up in rural communities.
Supporters seeking the release of imprisoned Pakistani former Prime Minister Imran Khan broke through a ring of shipping containers blocking off the capital on Tuesday, and battled security forces despite a government threat to respond with gunfire. Six people have died in the violence.
Egyptian naval forces rescued five people Tuesday and recovered four bodies, a day after a tourist yacht carrying 44 passengers sank in the Red Sea coastal town of Marsa Alam, officials said, after facing rough weather.
Mexico's president Claudia Sheinbaum said she has a plan to reduce the popularity of “narco corridos,” a musical genre often linked to drug cartel violence.
A long stretch of Donald Trump's border wall, a large concrete barrier atop an earthen levee, serves as a daily reminder of the president-elect's promises on security and immigration.
The United Arab Emirates said Monday police arrested three Uzbek nationals for the killing of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi, an attack that's raised concerns for the burgeoning Israeli community in the country.
Israeli warplanes struck central Beirut and the city's southern suburbs on Tuesday, raising palls of smoke over the Lebanese capital ahead of a planned vote by Israel's leadership on whether to accept a U.S.-brokered ceasefire aimed at ending more than a year of fighting with Hezbollah.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of his cabinet are expected to face fresh questions today about Donald Trump vowing to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all products from Canada and Mexico on his first day in office, if border issues aren’t addressed.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller says further reforms to Canada's immigration and asylum systems will be proposed in the coming weeks.
The federal government is hoping a temporary break on GST will address a 'vibecession' that has gripped Canadians, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday.
Bird flu virus has been found in a batch of raw milk sold in California, and consumers should not drink it, the state Department of Public Health warned Sunday.
According to the province’s Public Health Ministry, Quebec has the highest rate in the country of people under the age of 25 diagnosed with ADHD.
Canadians might have noticed menopause is increasingly a topic of conversation outside of health circles, gaining profile in entertainment and popular culture
Google is fighting to beat back another attack by the U.S. Department of Justice alleging monopolistic conduct over its advertising technology.
Bluesky, the rapidly growing social media platform, is violating EU regulations by failing to disclose important details, a European Commission spokesperson told reporters during a daily briefing on Monday.
An advocate for major social media platforms told an Australian Senate committee Monday that laws to ban children younger than 16 from the sites should be delayed until next year at least instead of being rushed through the Parliament this week.
Jeremy Allen White, Timothée Chalamet and Glen Powell. Celebrity lookalike contests may be going viral now but they’re actually a time-honoured form of entertainment.
Drake alleged in a court filing Monday that Universal Music Group falsely pumped up the popularity on Spotify and other streaming services of Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us,' a song that viciously attacked Drake amid a bitter feud between the two hip-hop superstars.
Disney will release the new “Lilo & Stitch” live-action movie in summer 2025.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Monday pledged big tariffs on the United States' three largest trading partners - Canada, Mexico and China - detailing how he will implement campaign promises that could trigger trade wars.
Some Canadian products could face huge tariffs on the first day of Donald Trump's administration in January. Here’s a quick look at what the U.S. imports from Canada.
The Bank of Canada on Tuesday said inflation, which has been the center of attention and unhappiness for years amid rising prices, should fade into the background again as the annual rate settled back at 2 per cent.
John Tinniswood, an Englishman born the same year the Titanic sank and who survived two world wars and two global pandemics, has died aged 112, Guinness World Records said on Tuesday, months after it recognized him as the world's oldest man.
The newest of these not-for-the-faint-of-heart structures is called Tianti (“Sky Ladder” in Chinese). It clocks in at 168 metres and stretches between two cliffs at a height of 5,000 feet, according to Chinese state media.
In an announcement Monday, Dictionary.com said one word experienced a 'meteoric rise in usage' in 2024.
NBA legend Charles Barkley has criticized the Los Angeles Lakers over their handling of Bronny James this season.
The Utah Hockey Club got the full Toronto experience Sunday night ahead of their first-ever matchup against the Maple Leafs—bumper-to-bumper traffic that forced the team to walk to the game.
Two weeks after the Vancouver Whitecaps’ playoff run ended in the first round, the team has fired head coach Vanni Sartini.
An Ontario woman thought she got a good deal when she bought a van for $2,700, but later learned the odometer had been rolled back nearly 100,000 kilometres.
Nearly 46,000 electric vehicles from Kia, Hyundai and Genesis are being recalled in Canada over a potential power loss issue that can increase the risk of a crash.
Northvolt AB has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States, but said the move will not jeopardize the manufacturer's planned electric vehicle battery plant in Quebec — though hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars invested in the parent company could be lost.
Andrea Arnold is used to having to slow down to let deer cross the road in her Northern B.C. community. But this weekend she saw something that made her pull over and snap a photo.
Every single item misplaced on a bus or ferry in the Halifax Regional Municipality ends up in a small office at the Halifax Transit Bridge Terminal in Dartmouth, N.S.
A new public opinion survey has found that 40 per cent of Torontonians don’t feel safe, while half reported that the quality of life in the city has worsened over the last year.
Edmonton's theatre community is in mourning after an actor died during a performance of "A Christmas Carol" at the Citadel Theatre on Sunday.
A beaver found with an arrow shot through its torso is now recovering at Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge in Pefferlaw, Ont. after a massive rescue effort.
The family of a soldier who fought during the Second World War has been reunited with letters written to him 80 years ago.
The holidays may be a time for family, joy and togetherness, but they can also be hard on the wallet.
Humans weren’t the only ones who struggled through the bomb cyclone that formed off the B.C. coast this week, bringing intense winds and choppy seas.
After driving near the water that winter day, Brian Lavery thought he saw a dog splashing in the waves – then realized it was way too cold for that.
The B.C. government and business leaders across the province are urging President-elect Donald Trump to reconsider his promised 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian exports.
The tree at the B.C. legislature is already up and decorated, but you would be hard pressed to spot an MLA in the hallways, and they won't gather in the chamber for more than two months, until February's Throne Speech.
A social media poster has shared an up-close encounter with a coyote on a leafy residential street in a Vancouver neighbourhood.
A Burlington, Ont. woman who allegedly sold fake tickets to Taylor Swift’s concerts in Toronto and scammed fans out of tens of thousands of dollars is facing charges, police say.
Notorious killer Paul Bernardo is appearing before the Parole Board of Canada today for a hearing.
An Ontario woman thought she got a good deal when she bought a van for $2,700, but later learned the odometer had been rolled back nearly 100,000 kilometres.
With the United States being Alberta’s top trade partner, sweeping 25 per cent tariffs proposed by President-Elect Donald Trump could have a major effect on the province’s economy.
Animal shelters in Calgary are facing a crisis as the number of people surrendering pets continues to rise.
It's been more than 40 years since coal was king in the scenic Crowsnest Pass of southwestern Alberta, but a referendum vote Monday could sway a contentious debate on bringing it back.
The City of Ottawa's Transit Commission has approved the 2025 draft transit budget and has voted in favour of a smaller, but still significant, fare hike for seniors.
School buses are running in Ottawa on Tuesday after freezing rain was reported in the capital overnight.
The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) says it has seen "positive" results to a new strategy to reduce crime and increase foot patrols and officer presence in high-priority areas in the downtown core.
Premier François Legault says President-elect Donald Trump's threat of a 25 per cent tariff on all imports would pose a 'huge risk' to the Quebec and Canadian economies.
A 'mixed bag' of precipitation is in store for the Greater Montreal area, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Montreal police says it will be conducting searches on the banks of the Riviere des Mille-Iles in Laval in connection with a murder that took place in 2022.
Edmonton's theatre community is in mourning after an actor died during a performance of "A Christmas Carol" at the Citadel Theatre on Sunday.
A home in the Prince Rupert neighbourhood was badly damaged in a fire early Tuesday morning.
Edmonton's had three consecutive days with daytime highs of -10 C or colder.
Nova Scotians will cast their votes Tuesday in a snap provincial election.
Carol Sheaves of Moncton, N.B., says it's not fair that retirees like her won't get the government's newly proposed rebate cheques. Sheaves was among the seniors who expressed their frustrations to CTVNews.ca about not being eligible for the $250 government benefit.
Ken and Peggy MacDonald have been out searching every day - all 141 days - since their son, Justin MacDonald, disappeared back in the summer.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew offered condolences Monday to the families affected by two fatal police shootings in the province and spoke to the challenge faced by officers on the front lines.
Tuesday morning commuters are being warned to expect delays after a crash knocked down a traffic signal pole at a Winnipeg intersection.
Canada Post says it's missed out on delivering an estimated 10 million parcels as a strike by more than 55,000 workers across the country continues ahead of Black Friday.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says if President-elect Donald Trump imposes a 25 per cent tariff on all products from Canada and Mexico it would have a disastrous effect on food security and energy across North America.
The Canadian Western Agribition (CWA) officially kicked off Monday with the ceremonial burning of the brand.
Canada Post says it's missed out on delivering an estimated 10 million parcels as a strike by more than 55,000 workers across the country continues ahead of Black Friday.
A single mother and her disabled, terminally ill son are facing an overwhelming transportation crisis after their accessible van was vandalized beyond repair.
A Guelph teenager has learned to be more careful about what she posts online after one of her Snapchat stories caught the attention of INTERPOL.
Paul Bernardo, one of Canada’s most notorious killers, is seeking parole at the medium security La Macaza Institution in Quebec. He was transferred there from an Ontario maximum-security prison last year, to significant public outcry.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says if President-elect Donald Trump imposes a 25 per cent tariff on all products from Canada and Mexico it would have a disastrous effect on food security and energy across North America.
With the second major snowfall of the year happening less than a week after the first, it’s all hands-on deck as residents and businesses tackle heaps of the white stuff.
The Bank of Canada on Tuesday said inflation, which has been the center of attention and unhappiness for years amid rising prices, should fade into the background again as the annual rate settled back at 2 per cent.
One person has been killed in a four-vehicle collision on Highway 17 east of Bruce Mines.
An Ontario woman thought she got a good deal when she bought a van for $2,700, but later learned the odometer had been rolled back nearly 100,000 kilometres.
Carol Sheaves of Moncton, N.B., says it's not fair that retirees like her won't get the government's newly proposed rebate cheques. Sheaves was among the seniors who expressed their frustrations to CTVNews.ca about not being eligible for the $250 government benefit.
A stretch of road south of Ingersoll is expected to be closed for several hours following a crash. OPP are on scene of the two-vehicle crash on Plank Line, which is closed between McBeth Road and Salford Road.
A good reminder for Londoners to lock their cars, a woman is facing charges after being spotted trying to open car doors in the east end of the city over the weekend.
London police said that no-one was injured when the back entrance of a downtown cannabis shop was sprayed with gunfire early on Monday morning.
James Schwalm sat in the prisoner’s box Monday morning weeping as friends and family members told the court about the devastation he caused when he murdered his wife, Ashley Milnes, two years ago inside their Collingwood, Ont. home.
A Thornhill resident accused of driving at a high rate of speed along Highway 11 in Muskoka while impaired faces charges.
Fire crews battled flames and thick smoke shooting from a seasonal home in Tiny Township on Monday.
Around 11:54 p.m. on Nov. 17, OPP responded to a home on Lakeshore Drive in Leamington where it was reported two men that the homeowner didn't know, entered the home wearing gas masks and carrying a suspected noxious substance.
Windsor police were on the scene of what was being called an, "active investigation" on Monday afternoon. "Expect a sustained police presence in the area," read a post on social media.
Some Canadian products could face huge tariffs on the first day of Donald Trump's administration in January. Here’s a quick look at what the U.S. imports from Canada.
The B.C. government and business leaders across the province are urging President-elect Donald Trump to reconsider his promised 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian exports.
The tree at the B.C. legislature is already up and decorated, but you would be hard pressed to spot an MLA in the hallways, and they won't gather in the chamber for more than two months, until February's Throne Speech.
On Monday, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, YWCA Metro Vancouver rolled out an ad campaign aimed at educating people about how prevalent sexual violence is in their communities.
Police are appealing for information on a targeted shooting that resulted in the hospitalization of a man in Kamloops.
British Columbia's independent police watchdog has cleared officers of wrongdoing in a crash where three people were killed south of Kamloops in July of last year.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
Alberta Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi says a decision not to mail out voter registration cards due to the Canada Post strike could hurt turnout in a provincial byelection that's been called for a week before Christmas.
Lethbridge businesses are starting to feel the pressure after 11 days of the Canada Post workers’ strike. The strike comes right as the Christmas shopping season is kicking into high gear.
The City of Lethbridge activated its snow routes Monday for the first time this season.
One person has been killed in a four-vehicle collision on Highway 17 east of Bruce Mines.
Two commercial motor vehicle drivers were killed Monday morning in a three-vehicle crash on Highway 17 near Kenora.
A 24-year-old in Sault Ste. Marie has been charged with attacking a rideshare driver and a police officer.
A Newfoundland energy company's embrace of data centres is raising doubts about eastern Canadian hopes of harnessing the region's howling winds to supply Germany with power from green hydrogen.
An international group led by a Canadian is in Rome this week to push the Catholic Church to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on abuse by clergy.
A company hoping to build a multi-billion-dollar wind-to-hydrogen project in western Newfoundland is eyeing other options as Canada's plans to supply Europe with green energy have not yet materialized.
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