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Judge again orders US to unfreeze foreign aid, stops short of contempt
A federal judge on Thursday ordered Trump administration officials to comply with his earlier order that they lift a freeze of nearly all foreign aid, though he stopped short of holding them in contempt of court.
The order from U.S. District Judge Amir Ali in Washington came after the administration said in court filings earlier this week that it was keeping thousands of U.S. Agency for International Development and State Department contracts and grants canceled or suspended despite a temporary restraining order that payments be restored, Reuters reported.
The administration argued that it was complying with the order, which they said left them room to cancel or suspend contracts while they reviewed them one by one.
Ali wrote on Thursday he “was not inviting defendants to continue the suspension while they reviewed contracts and legal authorities to come up with a new, post-hoc rationalization for the en masse suspension.”
Two non-profit groups, which are among numerous plaintiffs suing over the aid freeze, on Wednesday asked Ali to hold the administration officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio in contempt for “brazen defiance” of his earlier order.
Ali said that contempt was “not warranted on the current record” because the administration in its court filings had recognized the need for “prompt compliance.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
President Donald Trump, a Republican, ordered a 90-day pause on all foreign aid on his first day in office.
The order was followed by aggressive moves to dismantle USAID, the main U.S. foreign aid agency, including by placing much of its staff on leave and halting most of its funding and operations, throwing global humanitarian relief efforts into chaos and jeopardizing the delivery of critical food and medical aid.
Two people have been killed amid protests against a poppy eradication campaign in northeastern Badakhshan province, local officials said.
Authorities said counter-narcotics forces were deployed on Friday to Atan Jalo area of Argo district to destroy poppy fields. Clashes erupted after a number of farmers and residents reportedly attempted to block the operation.
Officials said a child was killed during Friday’s unrest, while another person died on Saturday as protests and tensions continued in the area.
According to local authorities, demonstrators also temporarily blocked the Kishm–Faizabad highway, disrupting traffic for several hours before it was reopened following coordinated efforts by security officials, religious scholars, and community elders.
Officials blamed “drug traffickers and criminal groups” for inciting the unrest and said security forces have since regained control of the area.
A high-ranking Uzbek delegation comprising government officials and private sector representatives from the Republic of Karakalpakstan arrived in Kabul on Saturday to discuss the expansion of trade and economic cooperation with Afghanistan.
The delegation is headed by Amanbay Orinbayev, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Karakalpakstan.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the delegation is expected to hold talks with Nooruddin Azizi, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, focusing on strengthening bilateral trade and economic relations.
The ministry said the visiting delegation will also participate in trade connectivity meetings and business-to-business sessions aimed at enhancing commercial cooperation between the two sides.
As part of the visit, the Uzbek delegation is also scheduled to travel to Balkh province, where members will attend additional trade meetings and inaugurate an exhibition showcasing Uzbekistan’s domestic products.
Hamid Karzai, former president of Afghanistan, has expressed concern over recent developments along the Durand Line, saying Pakistan has increased military and economic pressure on villages and residents living near the line.
In a statement, Karzai said the apparent purpose of these pressures is to push residents of Durand Line areas to seek help from Pakistani institutions for resolving security and other local issues.
He added that, amid this situation, some tribal elders from both sides of the Durand Line recently signed documents described as “peace agreements,” which were later officially welcomed by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to Karzai, these developments amount to an effort by Pakistan to legitimize the Durand Line and represent an action against Afghanistan’s national sovereignty.
The former Afghan president also urged the relevant Afghan authorities to provide the public with a clear explanation regarding the recent agreements and developments along the Durand Line.
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