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Australian FM meets with Ghani and Abdullah in Kabul
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne has paid an unannounced visit to Kabul where she met with President Ashraf Ghani and High Council for National Reconciliation Chairman Abdullah Abdullah.
In a statement issued by Australia’s foreign office, Payne said she discussed the challenges of COVID-19, the foreign troop withdrawal, support for a stable and secure Afghanistan, and the shared hopes for ongoing peace talks.
“I was also pleased to meet with the Minister for Women’s Affairs, Hasina Safi, who joined our meeting, and to discuss how Australia and Afghanistan have worked together to support and improve the rights of women and girls – a development we want to see maintained,” she said.
Payne also stated that in her meeting with Abdullah, they discussed the gains made by the people of Afghanistan over the past 20 years, the development and humanitarian assistance provided by Australia and her country’s enduring shared commitment to a sustainable peace that is genuinely inclusive and involves all of Afghan society.
“During these meetings, we discussed the sacrifices made by the Afghan people, as well as those international military forces killed or wounded, including those Australians who made the ultimate sacrifice and the many who still bear the impacts of their service in Afghanistan both physical and mental.
“We discussed the recent Inspector-General report, Australia’s robust response, and the establishment of the Office of the Special Investigator,” she said.
Payne also stated she had met with the Commander of US Forces in Afghanistan, General Scott Miller, to discuss the withdrawal plans.
“I was also proud to spend time with Australian Embassy staff and Defence Force personnel to acknowledge their significant contributions to the Australia-Afghanistan relationship,” she said.
In conclusion, Payne stated: “With the departure of the Australian Defence Force, the Australia-Afghanistan relationship is beginning a new chapter of our diplomatic relationship, established in 1969.
“We will continue our close friendship, and support our shared aspiration of peace, stability and prosperity. We will continue our development assistance program to work to preserve the significant gains made by the Afghan people, in particular advancing the rights of women and girls.”
Football fans across Afghanistan can watch Tottenham Hotspur take on Charlton Athletic live on Ariana Television Network (ATN) tonight, Wednesday, August 26, with coverage beginning at 23:15 Kabul time.
The two London clubs meet in the second round of the EFL Cup, with Tottenham looking to progress while Charlton will aim to produce an upset against their Premier League opponents.
Tottenham enter the match as favourites on paper, with their greater top-flight experience expected to make them the stronger side. However, cup football can produce surprises, and Charlton will be looking to take advantage of any opportunity at their disposal.
The match provides Tottenham with another chance to build momentum early in the season, while Charlton will see the tie as an opportunity to test themselves against one of England’s biggest clubs.
The EFL Cup remains an important route to silverware for clubs across the English football pyramid, with teams aiming to advance through each round toward the final at Wembley.
Afghanistan fans can watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Charlton Athletic live tonight on Ariana Television, from 23:15 Kabul time.
The United Nations has warned that around one million children in Afghanistan are suffering from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition and could die without urgent treatment.
UNICEF said on Tuesday that about 3.7 million children across Afghanistan are suffering from wasting, a condition caused by acute malnutrition.
Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, said around one million of these children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, which is considered the most dangerous form of acute hunger.
“If there is no treatment and we are not able to act fast, that one million number are at risk of dying,” Oyewale said during a media briefing in Geneva, speaking from Kabul.
He said the nutrition crisis is worsening across the country, with more than 500,000 children requiring hospital care so far this year for moderate and severe wasting.
According to UNICEF, nearly 40 percent of children admitted to hospitals with severe wasting and medical complications are babies younger than six months. Children under the age of two account for more than 80 percent of severe acute malnutrition cases.
Oyewale said malnutrition is playing a major role in the increasing number of deaths among very young children in Afghanistan.
The situation has also placed growing pressure on hospitals. In July last year, around 6,000 severe malnutrition cases were recorded, while the number rose by about one-third to more than 8,000 cases by July this year.
“In parts of southern Afghanistan, some hospitals are now seeing three or four severely malnourished children for every available bed,” Oyewale said.
Kabul Municipality says the districts of Bagrami and Chahar Asyab will be incorporated into Kabul city as part of a broader plan to expand and develop the capital.
Nematullah Barakzai, a Kabul Municipality official, told the BBC that Kabul has experienced significant growth in recent years, both through the expansion of the city’s boundaries and the construction of high-rise buildings.
“Kabul is not only growing vertically, but it has also seen considerable horizontal expansion, which can be observed on Google Maps,” Barakzai said. “Kabul currently has 22 municipal districts, and Bagrami and Chahar Asyab are also expected to be incorporated into the city.”
The municipality has not yet announced a specific timeline for implementing the plan.
Bagrami is located about 15 kilometers from central Kabul, while Chahar Asyab lies south of the capital and serves as one of the main routes connecting Kabul with Afghanistan’s southern provinces.
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