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Former Australian hostage in Afghanistan Timothy Weeks dies in Kabul
Timothy Weeks, a 54-year-old English language teacher from Australia, who spent three and a half years in captivity in Afghanistan, died in Kabul on Wednesday.
Weeks, who converted to Islam and went by the name of Jibra’il Omar, was living in Kabul at the time of his death.
The Australian academic had been a lecturer at the American University in Kabul in 2016 when taken hostage by the Islamic Emirate along with an American colleague Kevin King.
He was held hostage for three years before being released in a prisoner swap in 2019.
The prisoner-swap deal saw the two men released in exchange for three Islamic Emirate prisoners, including Anas Haqqani.
According to a statement issued by the Islamic Emirate, Omar passed away in Kabul on Wednesday. He had been battling cancer for “a long time”, the statement read.
“He was captured by the Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate in the past years, then he was released from prison during the exchange of prisoners, then he converted to the holy religion of Islam with his self-satisfaction and changed his name from Timothy Weeks to (Jabriel Omar),” the statement read.
“Jabriel Omar worked as an English teacher in Kabul. He was very fond of Afghanistan and the Islamic Emirate, and based on that he considered it best to live in Kabul,” the IEA said.
Abdul Mateen Qani, the spokesman for the Islamic Emirate’s ministry of interior, said on X that the “MoI of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan expresses its deep sorrow over his death and expresses its condolences to his friends and relatives.”
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Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan boost trade and digital finance ties
Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives.
Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, Abdul Salam Hanafi, has met with a high-level Kyrgyz delegation led by Minister of Economy and Commerce Bakhyt Sydykov to discuss expanding bilateral trade and strengthening cooperation in digital financial services.
During the meeting, Hanafi reaffirmed Afghanistan’s readiness to deepen ties with Kyrgyzstan, stressing the importance of developing electronic administration systems and modern banking channels to facilitate trade and financial transactions between the two countries.
Minister Sydykov, in turn, pledged the continuation of Kyrgyzstan’s humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and highlighted his country’s interest in working together on e-governance initiatives. He also pointed to potential cooperation in areas such as the printing of securities and the development of electronic payment systems.
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India reaffirms healthcare support to Afghanistan, hands over medicines and vaccines
Indian officials said the support underscores New Delhi’s commitment to helping improve healthcare services and access to life-saving treatment in Afghanistan.
India has reaffirmed its commitment to continued humanitarian assistance and healthcare cooperation with Afghanistan, with a focus on the long-term supply of essential medicines.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India, Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda held a productive meeting with Afghanistan’s Minister of Public Health, Noor Jalal Jalali. The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in the health sector and addressing the medical needs of the Afghan people.
During the meeting, a symbolic handover of cancer medicines and vaccines was carried out, reflecting India’s ongoing support for Afghanistan’s healthcare system. The ministry also announced that a larger consignment of medicines, vaccines, and a 128-slice CT scanner is being dispatched to Afghanistan as part of India’s humanitarian assistance efforts.
Indian officials said the support underscores New Delhi’s commitment to helping improve healthcare services and access to life-saving treatment in Afghanistan.
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Afghan forces target hideout of suspects linked to cross-border attacks on Chinese nationals
Afghan forces target hideout of suspects linked to cross-border attacks on Chinese nationals
Security sources said that special forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) have targeted a hideout in Badakhshan province linked to suspects involved in attacks against Chinese nationals in neighboring Tajikistan.
According to the sources, the operation was carried out on Tuesday night in Faizabad city, where several individuals suspected of orchestrating cross-border attacks from Badakhshan’s frontier regions were believed to be present. As a result of the operation, one wanted suspect was arrested alive along with weapons and other military equipment.
The sources added that preliminary investigations and initial confessions by the detainee indicate the planning of the attacks was carried out from outside Afghanistan.
This comes as Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on November 27 that three Chinese citizens were killed in an attack in Khatlon province.
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