Female students turned away from Afghan universities after Taliban ban

Female university students in Afghanistan were turned away from campuses on Wednesday after the Taliban-run administration said women would be suspended from higher education.

The decision to bar women was announced on Tuesday evening in a letter to universities from the higher education ministry, drawing condemnation from foreign governments and the United Nations.

"We went to university, the Taliban were at the gate and told us, 'You are not allowed to enter the university until further notice' ... everyone was crying," said Shaista, a business studies student at a private university in Kabul.