China has strongly condemned the deadly explosion at a Chinese-Afghan restaurant in central Kabul on Monday, which killed at least seven people, including one Chinese national.

On Tuesday, ISIS-K (Daesh) claimed responsibility for the attack and said a suicide bomber had detonated explosives.

The blast occurred on Monday evening at Chinese Noodle, a joint Chinese-Afghan restaurant in the Shahr-e-Naw area of the capital. Kabul police said the explosion took place near the restaurant’s kitchen, killing one Chinese citizen and six Afghans, and injuring several others.

Speaking at a regular press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China expressed its “deep condolences over the lives lost and heartfelt sympathies to the injured.”

He confirmed that one Chinese national was killed and five other Chinese nationals were wounded in the attack.

Guo said China has made urgent representations to the Afghan authorities and requested they make every possible effort to treat the injured, ensure the safety of Chinese nationals, projects and institutions, thoroughly investigate the incident, and bring the perpetrators to justice as soon as possible.

Officials from the Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan have visited the injured in hospital, he added.

The explosion also drew strong condemnation from Afghan political figures.

Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai denounced the attack as a criminal and anti-human act, saying it contradicts Islamic values and Afghan traditions. He expressed condolences to the families of the victims and stressed that such violence undermines peace and stability in the country.

Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, former head of the High Council of National Reconciliation, also condemned the blast. In a post on X, he described the attack as an inhuman act against Islam, humanity and the will of the Afghan people, and extended his sympathies to the families of those killed.

China meanwhile reiterated that it firmly opposes terrorism in all its forms and supports Afghanistan and regional countries in jointly combating terrorist and violent activities.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry however, once again advised Chinese nationals to avoid travelling to Afghanistan in the near future. It also urged Chinese citizens and companies already in the country to take extra security precautions and leave high-risk areas as soon as possible.

Afghan authorities said investigations into the attack are ongoing.

FIFA has confirmed the full list of hosts and group compositions for the expanded FIFA Series 2026 bringing together 48 national teams from all six confederations in one of the most inclusive international initiatives in global football.

Under the expanded format announced in November 2025, the FIFA Series 2026 will feature 12 groups of four teams each, to be played during the international match windows in March and April. The participating teams represent almost a quarter of FIFA’s 211 Member Associations, underscoring the growing scale and global reach of the competition.

Eleven FIFA Member Associations will host the events, with Rwanda staging two groups, bringing the total number of groups to 12.

The series includes nine men’s groups and three women’s groups, with competitions taking place across Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, North America and South America.

The men’s groups will be hosted by Australia, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Rwanda and Uzbekistan, while the women’s groups will be staged in Brazil, Côte d’Ivoire and Thailand.

FIFA said the line-up highlights the truly global nature of the FIFA Series and its commitment to supporting both men’s and women’s national teams.

All matches in the FIFA Series 2026 will be broadcast globally, improving access for fans worldwide and increasing exposure for participating national teams, particularly those from emerging football nations.

The competition brings together teams with a wide range of competitive profiles.

On the men’s side, participants range from established teams such as Australia, currently ranked 26th in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, to developing nations like the US Virgin Islands, ranked 207th. In the women’s competition, teams include Brazil, ranked seventh globally, as well as Turks and Caicos Islands, ranked 194th.

Five men’s teams involved in the FIFA Series 2026 — Australia, Cabo Verde, Curaçao, New Zealand and Uzbekistan — have already qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, adding competitive relevance to the development-focused tournament.

Beyond on-field competition, FIFA said the series also supports off-field development, giving host and participating associations valuable experience in event delivery, referee development, competition organisation and operational planning under conditions similar to major international tournaments.

FIFA added that the FIFA Series 2026 aligns with its Strategic Objectives for the Global Game 2023–2027, offering cross-confederation competition without adding pressure to the international match calendar, while promoting technical growth, organisational development and global exchange. Match schedules for all events will be announced at a later date.

MEN’S GROUPS

Australia (AFC)

Australia (host)
Cameroon
China PR
Curaçao

Azerbaijan (UEFA)

Azerbaijan (host)
Oman
Sierra Leone
St Lucia

Indonesia (AFC)

Bulgaria
Indonesia (host)
Solomon Islands
St Kitts and Nevis

Kazakhstan (UEFA)

Comoros
Kazakhstan (host)
Kuwait
Namibia

New Zealand (OFC)

Cabo Verde
Chile
Finland
New Zealand (host)

Puerto Rico (Concacaf)

American Samoa
Guam
Puerto Rico (host)
US Virgin Islands

Rwanda(CAF) – Group A

Estonia
Grenada
Kenya
Rwanda (host)

Rwanda (CAF) – Group B

Aruba
Liechtenstein
Macau
Tanzania

Uzbekistan (AFC)

Gabon
Trinidad and Tobago
Uzbekistan (host)
Venezuela

Match schedules for all FIFA Series 2026 events will be announced in due course.

Ariana Afghan Airlines has taken a new step toward strengthening Afghanistan’s air cargo capacity with the arrival of a chartered Boeing 737-300 cargo aircraft at Kabul International Airport.

According to the airline, the aircraft has been allocated for the transportation of commercial goods, with a particular focus on the Kabul–Delhi route, a key corridor for Afghan exports.

The cargo plane is capable of carrying approximately 16.5 metric tons per flight and is operating under a six-month contract with a United Arab Emirates-based company.

Bakht-ul-Rahman Sharafat, head of Ariana Afghan Airlines, said the initiative forms part of the national carrier’s broader efforts to support Afghan traders and expand air transport services.

He noted that Ariana is continuing to develop its cargo network to strengthen the national economy, boost exports, and enhance Afghanistan’s overall air transport capacity.

Officials said the addition of the cargo aircraft is expected to play an important role in expanding trade ties between Afghanistan and India, speeding up export processes, and easing long-standing transportation challenges faced by local traders.

Ariana Afghan Airlines said the activation of the dedicated cargo service will allow exporters to send goods to international markets in a timely, secure, organized, fast, and cost-effective manner.

The airline reiterated its commitment to providing reliable, competitive, and high-quality air cargo services, emphasizing its aim to help position Afghanistan as an emerging regional hub for trade and transit.