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US and Taliban discuss pause in airstrikes to spur peace talks

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American and Taliban negotiators are discussing a pause in U.S. airstrikes and drone flights in Afghanistan in order to revive stalled peace talks, Stars and Stripes reported Wednesday.

According to Stripes, a temporary bombing halt is one of several ideas Biden administration officials are discussing if Taliban militants agree to sharply reduce attacks and assassinations ahead of high-level peace talks planned for early next month in Istanbul.

But the idea remains a concept on paper only, dependent on steps by the Taliban to reduce violence first, several U.S. officials told Stripes.

A halt to U.S. air operations worries the Afghan government and its military, which still relies on U.S. airstrikes and aerial surveillance video from drones to help hold back the Taliban.

The move has also caused alarm among some in the Pentagon who are skeptical that concessions to the Taliban will make the militants more likely to make peace with the Afghan government, Stripes reported.

This comes ahead of the May 1 troop withdrawal deadline in accordance with the US-Taliban deal signed in February last year by former President Donald Trump’s administration.

However, the deal has been under review for the past few weeks but no decision has yet been made.

In an interview with NBC earlier this month, President Joe Biden signaled that a withdrawal by May 1 would be “tough” for U.S. troops.

He added, though, that if the deadline for the U.S. exit was extended, it would not be by “a lot longer.”

Stripes report that among the options being considered, one approach is for a 48-hour halt in U.S. military air operations after the Taliban reduces attacks, a sequencing meant to demonstrate to the group’s leadership that the U.S. is open to military concessions if Taliban fighters reduce their attacks, according to officials involved in the deliberations.

If that initial reduction in violence holds, the bombing pause could be extended.

Stripes also reported that better security across Afghanistan, in turn, is seen by U.S. officials as a prerequisite to getting Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to pursue serious talks with the Taliban on a lasting cease-fire and on forming a transitional government.

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High-level Uzbek delegation arrives in Kabul to boost bilateral trade

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A high-level government–private sector delegation from Uzbekistan, led by Shukhrat Abdullazakov, Governor of Namangan province, arrived in Kabul to enhance trade between the two countries and promote investment in Afghanistan.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Industry, the delegation, which includes deputy governors and more than 30 of Uzbekistan’s top businesspeople and investors, will meet with officials of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and participate in conferences and trade meetings.

The delegation will also travel to Balkh, meet with local officials, and hold business meetings with members of the private sector.

Additionally, the delegation will inaugurate an exhibition of Uzbek products and goods in Mazar-i-Sharif.

This visit follows the trip of Erkinjon Turdimov, Governor of Uzbekistan’s Syrdarya Province, and his accompanying delegation, and is based on meetings between Nuruddin Azizi, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Islamic Emirate, and senior Uzbek officials.

Other governors from Uzbekistan are also expected to visit Afghanistan to further expand bilateral trade and economic relations.

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Herat Chamber of Commerce donates 15 million AFN to the people of Iran

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The Herat Chamber of Commerce and Investment announced on Saturday that national traders, jointly through the chamber, have provided approximately 15 million AFN in aid to the people of Iran.

The chamber stated that this aid package was delivered to the Iranian Consulate in Herat. It added that the assistance was intended to express solidarity with families affected by the war.

Mohammad Younes Qazizadeh, head of the Herat Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said: “Today we have presented 15 million AFN to the dear people of Iran through the Herat provincial authorities and the Iranian Consulate, and this aid will continue.”

Meanwhile, officials at the Iranian Consulate in Herat emphasized that Afghanistan and Iran always stand together and fully understand each other’s difficulties.

The Herat Chamber of Commerce and Investment also highlighted that the people of Iran have consistently supported the people of Afghanistan during various crises, and their cooperation in different sectors has reached families affected in the country.

Officials of the Herat Chamber of Commerce and Investment stressed that the process of private-sector humanitarian aid to the affected people of Iran will continue.

Following attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran, many people in the country have been affected and harmed.

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Severe floods in Badghis leave five dead

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Local officials in Badghis have reported that heavy rainfall from midnight until Saturday morning claimed the lives of five people in the province.

According to officials, three people died in Qadis district, while two others, including a three-year-old child, lost their lives in Dara-e-Bum district.

The Badghis Department for Disaster Management stated that the floods not only caused fatalities but also inflicted significant financial losses on local residents and destroyed agricultural land.

However, complete information on the extent of damage and casualties is not yet available. Staff from various government departments have been dispatched to affected areas to conduct preliminary surveys.

Meanwhile, heavy rains and floods in western Afghanistan temporarily blocked the Herat–Kandahar Highway.

According to Mohammad Israil Sayar, head of the Disaster Management Department in Farah province, recent rainfall has caused the Farah River to swell significantly. He added that the situation has now returned to normal, and traffic along the highway has resumed.

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