International News
Three Afghan Women Mourn Closure Of Beauty Salon
The Taliban has ordered that all hair and beauty salons in Afghanistan close their doors in the upcoming weeks.
An estimated 60,000 jobs will be lost as a result of their closure.
Since the Taliban retook power two years ago, salons had been allowed to continue operating, but this month, they changed their mind.
Afghan women are already not allowed in schools, gyms, or parks, so this ruling further limits their access to these areas.
Zarmina, 23, was getting her hair dyed a dark brown color when she learned of the impending shutdown.
“The owner got a big shock and started to cry. She is the breadwinner for her family,” the mother of two said.
“I couldn’t even look at the mirror when my eyebrow was being done. Everyone was in tears. There was silence.”
Beauty salons gave women a safe space to share their joys and sorrows
Zarmina lives in Kandahar in southern Afghanistan, the Taliban’s conservative citadel where the supreme leader resides.
She says it’s common here for men to ban their daughters from wearing make-up or going for a beauty treatment.
“Most women walk around in a burqa or hijab here. We have accepted it as part of our culture.”
Zarmina was married at 16. She says a chat at the beautician was enough to give her a rare sense of freedom.
“I wasn’t allowed to leave my house on my own, but I managed to persuade my husband, and was allowed to visit the beauty salon two or three times a year.”
She used to go to the salon with a woman from her neighbourhood, developing a deep friendship with one of its workers.
“In the past, women used to talk about ways to influence their husbands. Some were open about their insecurities.”
But the economic crisis had gradually intruded into their lives after the Taliban retook power in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US forces from the country.
Women’s freedoms have steadily shrunk since then.
“Now women only talk about unemployment, discrimination and poverty,” Zarmina says.
Madina covers her head with a scarf when she leaves home. Only her husband and female members of her family can see her coloured hair.
The 22-year-old lives in Kabul, and keenly follows the latest beauty trends online.
“Every woman I know loves to improve her style. I love the latest fashion and wearing make-up.”
Many Afghan women choose elaborate make-up for their wedding day
She says going to the beauty salon has kept her marriage fresh.
“My husband really loves to see my hair in different colours and cut in different styles.
“He always takes me to the beauty salon and waits patiently at the door,” she says proudly.
“He compliments my looks when I walk out, which makes me feel good.”
Her ambition was to become a lawyer but the Taliban stopped women going to university. She’s been unable to find work since as women are also banned from many other roles.
Madina used to accompany her mum to the salon as a child and vividly recalls how women would openly share their life stories with each other.
“Women employees in the salon no longer wear skirts or jeans, they’re all in hijabs.”
And fear is everywhere.
“No-one knows who is a Taliban supporter and no-one wants to say anything about politics.”
In the past, grooms were allowed to watch their bride get ready. Madina even remembers some men taking photos inside the salon. This is all now banned.
The Taliban says beauty salons are forbidden by Islam
But Madina says she at least has joyful memories of her “big day” to cherish.
“I went to the beauty salon and got full bridal make-up before my wedding last year,” she says.
“When I looked at myself in the mirror, I was so beautiful. It transformed me. I couldn’t describe my happiness.”
For 27-year-old Somaya from the north-western city of Mazar-i-Sharif, a beauty salon is a necessity.
Three years ago she suffered burns to her face, losing her eyebrows and eyelashes after a heater in her room exploded.
“I couldn’t bear to look at my face. I looked ugly,” she says, her voice full of emotion.
“I thought everyone was looking at me and laughing at me because my eyebrows were gone. I didn’t go out for a couple of months. I cried a lot during that time.”
Medical treatment healed her wounds, while the beauty salon helped her recover her sense of self.
“I went to the beauty salon and had micro-blading [a semi-permanent form of cosmetic tattooing]. It made me look much better,” she says.
“When I looked at my eyebrows, I started to cry. They are tears of joy. The beauty salon gave me my life back.”
Somaya has a master’s degree in psychology and works as a mental health counsellor. She has seen the number of women seeking her services swell since the Taliban imposed sweeping restrictions. She is not alone in using the beauty parlour for “therapy”.
“For us, salons are more than places to do your make-up. It helped us hide our sorrows. It gave us energy and hope.”
Zarmina concurs. That June day, after making what would be her final trip to the salon, she kept gazing back as she made her way home.
She knew exactly what she was losing—her meager attempt at independence.
“I paid for myself at the salon and it gave me strength and power. I have money but I can’t spend it on myself in the beauty salon. This makes me feel poor.”
The Vatican has disclosed that Pope Francis died of a stroke, which caused a coma and irreversible heart failure, according to his official death certificate released on Monday.
The 88-year-old pontiff passed away on Monday morning, nearly a month after being discharged from hospital following treatment for double pneumonia.
In the statement released by the Holy See Press Office, the cause of death was identified as “a stroke, followed by coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.”
READ MORE: JUST IN: Vatican Mourns As Pope Francis Passes Away At 88
The certification was issued by Dr. Andrea Arcangeli, Director of the Directorate of Health and Hygiene of the Vatican City State.
The medical report also detailed the Pope’s history of health challenges, including “acute respiratory failure caused by multimicrobial bilateral pneumonia, multiple bronchiectases, high blood pressure, and Type II diabetes.”
His death was confirmed through electrocardiographic thanatography.
“I hereby declare,” wrote Dr. Arcangeli, “that the causes of death, to the best of my knowledge and judgment, are as stated above.”
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, became the 266th leader of the Roman Catholic Church in 2013 and was widely recognized for his efforts to modernize Church doctrine and promote global social justice.
Pope Francis, the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church, has died at the age of 88, the Vatican announced on Monday.
His passing came just a day after he made an emotional appearance before thousands of faithful gathered at Saint Peter’s Square for Easter Sunday celebrations.
“It is with deep sorrow that I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said in an official statement shared via the Vatican’s Telegram channel.
READ ALSO: Pope Francis To Return To Vatican After Month-Long Treatment
“This morning at 7:35 am (0535 GMT) the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church.”
The pontiff’s final public appearance, marked by visible frailty, came as a surprise to many, as he had only recently been discharged from the hospital following a prolonged battle with pneumonia. Francis had endured two life-threatening health scares earlier this year and spent 38 days hospitalized before being released on March 23.
Despite his condition, the pope greeted crowds on Easter Sunday with a heartfelt “Happy Easter” and delivered his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing, using the occasion to call for global peace, freedom of thought, and tolerance.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, was the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit to assume the papacy.
His decade-long leadership was marked by a focus on compassion, humility, social justice, and outreach to marginalized communities.
Gabonese citizens lined up at polling stations on Saturday to cast their votes in a landmark presidential election, the first since the military ousted the Bongo dynasty in a coup last August.
Eight candidates are vying for the top job, but all signs point to junta leader General Brice Oligui Nguema — the man behind the August 30, 2023, coup — emerging as the frontrunner.
Oligui, who toppled Ali Bongo and ended 55 years of family rule widely criticized for corruption and economic mismanagement, has dominated opinion polls in the run-up to the vote.
In the capital, Libreville, snaking queues formed outside polling stations as voters turned out early.
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Among them was 30-year-old Aurele Ossantanga Mouila, who cast his ballot for the first time after finishing a night shift at a casino.
“I did not have confidence in the earlier regime,” Mouila told reporters, echoing the sentiments of many young voters hoping for change in the oil-rich central African nation.
Oligui, who served as transitional president while civilians drafted a new constitution, swapped his military uniform for campaign attire as he seeks a seven-year mandate.
He faces seven challengers, including his main rival, former Prime Minister Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze, a longtime insider under Ali Bongo who now brands himself as the face of a “complete rupture” from the past.
Despite Oligui’s promises of reform, critics question his commitment to breaking with the old system, noting his deep ties to the Bongo era.
His campaign slogan, “C’BON” — a clever wordplay blending his initials with the French phrase for “It’s good” — has been plastered across Libreville, while rival candidates struggle for visibility.
As roughly 920,000 registered voters cast their ballots, the election is taking place against a backdrop of pressing national issues.
High unemployment, failing infrastructure, regular power outages, and soaring government debt — projected to reach 80 percent of GDP this year — have fueled public frustration.
Analysts, like political observer Neyer Kenga, say the vote represents a critical test for Gabon’s return to civilian rule and constitutional order.
“Today all Gabonese are firmly in favour of a democratic game that is played within the rules,” Kenga noted, adding that the outcome remains uncertain in a nation scarred by post-election violence in 2009 and 2016, as well as last year’s coup.
The interior ministry has pledged a “transparent ballot” and results are expected by Monday. Meanwhile, Oligui remains confident of victory.
“The builder is here, the special candidate, the one you called,” he declared at his final rally, as music and dancing filled the streets of Libreville.
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