Travel Safety & Infrastructure: Panjshir residents say CASA-1000 road works are making the main route dangerous for travelers, with rocks tumbling onto the road and hours-long closures; they’re urging protective nets after earlier promises went unfulfilled. Border & Mobility Risks: Afghan chess players Khaiber Farazi, Habibullah Amini and Habibullah Guldoost were arrested after returning from the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, with chess banned in Afghanistan; they’ve been under house arrest and are seeking support from FIDE and international partners. Legal/Travel Accountability: The ICC unsealed arrest warrants for two Taliban ministers over alleged gender-based persecution, while the Taliban rejected the court’s authority. Tourism & Economy Backdrop: The World Bank expects the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan region to contract by 2.1% in 2026, with tourism and logistics hit by the Iran-linked energy shock. Cross-Border Crime Linked to Travel Routes: In the UK, Afghan-origin defendants were jailed for raping a teen in Bristol and fleeing in a refrigerated lorry to France, highlighting how mobility routes can be exploited.