Residents of Pamir in northeastern Badakhshan province have called on authorities to establish a standard high school with boarding facilities to improve access to education for children in the remote region.

Local residents said that while several development and infrastructure projects have been implemented in Pamir in recent years, the lack of a well-equipped boarding school remains one of their main concerns.

They said long distances between villages, difficult mountainous roads and rising water levels in local lakes have made it difficult for many children to attend school regularly.

Residents of Wakhan’s Pamir-e-Kochak area said some communities are located several hours away from existing schools, with students often required to travel long distances by horse due to challenging terrain.

A 12-year-old child from the region said he dreams of attending school but cannot continue his education because of the distance and transportation challenges.

Community elders said Pamir-e-Kochak currently has eight local councils, while the three existing middle schools face shortages of facilities and teachers, making it difficult to provide quality education for students at different levels.

Mullah Abdul Haq, the district governor of the newly established Pamir district, said establishing a boarding school for high school students is one of the key demands of local residents.

He added that the issue has been shared several times with the Badakhshan Education Directorate. He said he hoped that the request would be addressed in the coming year.

Residents say a boarding school would help hundreds of children from remote areas continue their education and gain better learning opportunities.

India has reaffirmed that the Kabul-Delhi air corridor remains fully operational, ensuring the uninterrupted movement of commercial goods between Afghanistan and India despite ongoing regional trade and transit challenges.

Speaking at a press briefing, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the air corridor continues to facilitate trade between the two countries and remains an important link for Afghan exports and imports.

Jaiswal’s remarks followed the recent visit to India by Afghanistan’s Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Ataullah Omari, who held talks aimed at strengthening agricultural cooperation and expanding bilateral trade.

According to the Indian foreign ministry, Omari met with India’s Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Food Processing Industries and senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs. The discussions focused on boosting agricultural collaboration, enhancing food processing initiatives and exploring opportunities to increase trade between the two countries.

The Kabul–Delhi air corridor has played a significant role in maintaining commercial ties since its launch in 2017, allowing Afghan exporters to ship high-value products such as fresh and dried fruits, nuts, saffron and medicinal herbs directly to Indian markets while reducing reliance on overland transit routes.

India has increasingly sought to preserve its economic relationship with Afghanistan by supporting alternative trade and connectivity channels. In addition to humanitarian assistance, New Delhi has continued to engage with Afghan authorities on issues related to trade, agriculture and development, despite broader regional logistical challenges.

The latest discussions underscore both countries’ interest in expanding economic cooperation and ensuring that trade continues uninterrupted, with agriculture remaining a key pillar of the bilateral relationship.

Spain produced a commanding display to defeat France 2-0 on Tuesday, securing a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 final with a disciplined performance that underlined their status as one of the tournament’s standout teams.

The reigning European champions struck once in each half and frustrated France’s star-studded attack throughout the contest at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Mikel Oyarzabal gave Spain the lead in the 22nd minute, calmly converting a penalty after teenage winger Lamine Yamal was brought down in the penalty area. The breakthrough rewarded Spain’s early dominance and set the tone for the remainder of the match.

France, who entered the semi-final as one of the tournament favourites after scoring 16 goals in six matches, struggled to create clear-cut opportunities against Spain’s organised defence. Captain Kylian Mbappé, the competition’s leading scorer heading into the match, was closely marked and denied the space that had fuelled France’s impressive run to the last four.

Spain doubled their advantage early in the second half when right-back Pedro Porro finished off a flowing team move after combining with Dani Olmo, leaving France with a mountain to climb.

Despite increasing the pressure in the closing stages and making several attacking substitutions, France were unable to find a way through Spain’s resolute defence, which has conceded just one goal throughout the tournament.

The victory extends Spain’s remarkable unbeaten run and sends La Roja into their first World Cup final since lifting the trophy in South Africa in 2010. It also continues Spain’s recent dominance over France, having defeated Les Bleus in both the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-final and the 2025 UEFA Nations League.

France, champions in 2018 and runners-up in 2022, will now turn their attention to Saturday’s third-place play-off.

Spain will face either England or Argentina in Sunday’s FIFA World Cup 2026 final at New York New Jersey Stadium, where they will bid to win a second world title.