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UN refugee chief in Kabul to say Afghans are not forgotten
The head of the UN refugee agency came to Kabul on Tuesday to tell Afghans they have not been forgotten — despite the devastation of Russia’s war on Ukraine and the unfolding humanitarian crisis unseen in Europe since World War II.
For Afghans, the message from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi was very much needed as they seek stability even as Afghanistan plunges deeper into poverty, seven months since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) takeover in mid-August.
It was only last year that the world watched as young Afghan men clung to departing American aircraft, some falling to their death as a stream of refugees left the country. Now, a stunned international community watches as the refugee exodus from Ukraine topped 3 million on Tuesday.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Grandi said some have wondered at the timing of his trip. But even as the world’s attention has shifted, the crisis in Afghanistan is deep, he said in Kabul.
A report Tuesday from the UN organization coordinating humanitarian aid said that a staggering 96% of Afghanistan’s 38 million people do not have enough food.
In Kabul, Grandi met IEA leaders Tuesday and was to travel to southern Kandahar and eastern Nangarhar provinces before departing on Thursday. He acknowledged having seen progress since his last visit in September.
He said IEA leaders are establishing structures and developing strategies on how to tackle burning issues as they shift from war to governing and running day-to-day matters of state.
“I can see that they have gained more experience,” Grandi said, adding that this time, he had “a stronger impression of professional strategies in certain areas.”
His conversations were frank, Grandi said — he heard the IEA speak of support for girls education. That promise will be tested later this month, when Afghanistan’s new rulers have pledged to reopen schools for girls of all ages.
The IEA have also spoken to him about the rights of minorities and having women in the workforce. He welcomed the commitment and while women are still restricted in the jobs they do, they have returned to work in two sectors — health and education. And at Kabul’s international airport, women work in passport control and customs.
Grandi, however, also urged the international community to reach out to Afghanistan’s new rulers.
“I do hope that the international community does take note of both actual progress and good intentions, because they also have to make steps in the direction of the IEA, otherwise these intentions will not materialize,” he said.
Still Grandi said there is much to be done by the IEA and by the international community to keep Afghanistan peaceful and move the country from the state of a humanitarian disaster to a developing economy.
“There is progress but whether that progress is already felt in the country, I think it’s too early to say,” said Grandi.
But he warned that with the scope of the persisting humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, “so much suffering, so much hunger, so much despair … it will take time.” – AP
Latvia has launched a criminal investigation into potential human trafficking after the release of documents related to late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that included references to Latvian model agencies and models, police in the Baltic nation said on Thursday.
The investigation, which also involves Latvia’s prosecutors and its Organised Crime Bureau, will centre on “the possible recruitment of Latvian nationals for sexual exploitation in the United States”, police said in a statement, Reuters reported.
It has asked potential victims to come forward.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics called for the investigation after the public broadcaster reported the Epstein documents included passport data and travel details for several Latvian women.
Eriks Neisans, head of the Natalie modelling agency mentioned in the documents, denied any knowledge of wrongdoing to the public broadcaster.
The U.S. Justice Department’s recent release of millions of internal documents related to Epstein has revealed the late financier and sex offender’s ties to many prominent people in politics, finance, academia and business – both before and after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to prostitution charges.
Latvia’s neighbour Lithuania has launched its own investigation into human trafficking earlier this week.
Afghan citizens were among the top three nationalities applying for asylum in Russia in 2025, according to new statistics reviewed by TASS. The figures show that 281 Afghan nationals submitted asylum requests during the year, placing Afghanistan in the third-highest position.
The data shows that Syrians ranked second with 3,196 applications. The highest number of requests came from Ukrainian citizens, who filed 3,332 applications in 2025—slightly lower than in previous years but still the largest group overall.
Uzbekistan (176 applicants) and Germany (129) also appeared among the top five nationalities seeking asylum in Russia last year. Overall, 8,220 foreigners applied for temporary asylum in 2025, an increase of 1,341 compared to 2024.
Temporary asylum in Russia grants legal residence, permission to work without a permit, access to medical care under compulsory insurance, travel documents, education opportunities, and financial assistance. It is also considered the first step toward securing a temporary residence permit and eventually Russian citizenship.
Bilal Karimi, the Ambassador of the Islamic Emirate in Beijing, met on Thursday with Liu Jinsong, head of the Asian Department of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Yue Xiaoyong, China’s Special Representative for Afghanistan. The officials discussed political, economic, and commercial relations between the two countries, the activation of the Wakhan corridor, consular affairs, and other related issues.
According to a statement from the Embassy of Afghanistan in China, Karimi praised China’s positive stance toward Afghanistan and considered cooperation between the two countries necessary.
The statement added that Liu and Yue, while respecting Afghanistan’s independence, territorial integrity, and sovereignty, also emphasized the continuation of cooperation.
Latvia launches human trafficking investigation after Epstein file release
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Afghans among top asylum seekers in Russia in 2025, report shows
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Turkey withdraws from Afghanistan-Pakistan mediation amid rising tensions
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ATN secures broadcast rights to Carabao Cup semis across Afghanistan
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