Latest News
Muttaqi meets his Turkmen counterpart
The acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi met with the Deputy Minister of the Council of Ministers of Turkmenistan and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov on Monday for talks on bilateral issues.
In this meeting chaired by the two foreign ministers, they discussed relations between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, raising the level of Afghanistan’s diplomatic presence in Ashgabat, and the practical start of the TAPI project in Afghanistan.
Comprehensive discussions were held regarding the increase of Turkmenistan’s imported electricity to Herat province, the rehabilitation of existing roads, the development of Afghanistan’s railways and Turkmenistan’s investment.
Muttaqi thanked his Turkmen counterpart for the invitation to visit the country and said that the increase in travel between officials of the two countries shows close and friendly relations.
Muttaqi requested that in order to increase bilateral trade, facilities should be provided for the issuance of Turkmen visas to Afghan businessmen and transport personnel.
He also thanked the Turkmen side for providing training to the railway personnel of Afghanistan and expressed the hope that Turkmenistan scholarships for Afghan students would increase.
In addition, Muttaqi provided information about Afghanistan’s preparations for the actual start of the TAPI project in Afghanistan and expressed the hope that in the near future both countries would be able to start practical work on the project.
Muttaqi also presented information on the progress of work at Noorul Jihad substation in Herat, and the need for more electricity in Herat province.
“One of the main pillars of the foreign policy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is economy-oriented, which focuses on regional economic connectivity, and the construction of highways and railways in Afghanistan is one of the priorities of the Emirate,” said Muttaqi.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs encouraged Turkmenistan to invest in the extension of the railway line between Turghandi-Herat city and Andakhoi-Shabarghan to Mazar-e-Sharif.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, in turn shed light on all relevant issues from his side.
Meredov said that increasing the country’s trade with Afghanistan is a strategic priority and both teams will work to facilitate the movement of Afghan businessmen and transport personnel to Turkmenistan.
Meredov showed his readiness to give scholarships to Afghan students in the fields of electricity, railways, transportation and gas.
He said that his country has done a lot of work on the TAPI project and teams from both countries will work to start practical work on TAPI in the territory of Afghanistan in the near future.
He said that TAPI is a big project and has strategic importance for Turkmenistan.
Meredov also said that their teams are working in Herat to increase the capacity of Noorul Jihad substation so that electricity can be increased in areas surrounding Herat city.
He said that the railway line to Afghanistan is of strategic importance to the country and the plan to increase the capacity of the railway station in Turghandi has been finalized, and hopefully work will soon start on this project.
The development of the lapis lazuli route was also discussed and it was agreed that a meeting of representatives of the five countries of the proposed route will be held in Ashgabat in the near future.
The two sides agreed to continue to work together on relevant fields at a high level so that practical steps can be taken in the interests of both countries.
The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan announced on Friday that the country has allocated $19.5 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
In a statement, the Japanese Embassy said it hopes the aid will help bring positive change to the lives of vulnerable Afghans.
According to the statement, the assistance will cover the basic humanitarian needs of vulnerable communities in Afghanistan.
The embassy added that the aid will be delivered through United Nations agencies, international organizations, and Japanese non-governmental organizations operating in Afghanistan.
Japan’s total assistance to Afghanistan since August 2021 has reached more than $549 million.
Security forces at the Islam Qala border in Herat province prevented hundreds of young Afghans from illegally entering Iran.
Officials from the 207 Al-Farooq Army Corps said that around 530 people attempted over the past two days to illegally enter Iranian territory through areas of Kohsan district in Herat, but border forces detained them and transferred them back to their original areas.
Meanwhile, officials in the local administration of Herat said that due to severe cold along the illegal migration route to Iran, three Afghan migrants have lost their lives in the Kohsan district of the province, and a shepherd has also died there for the same reason.
Mohammad Yousuf Saeedi, spokesperson for the Herat governor’s office, said that some statistics and images shared on social media regarding the incident are not reliable.
According to him, further investigations are underway to determine whether any individuals have died on the other side of the border.
President Donald Trump suspended the green card lottery program on Thursday that allowed the suspect in the Brown University and MIT shootings to come to the United States.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on the social platform X that, at Trump’s direction, she is ordering the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to pause the program, the Associated Press reported.
“This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country,” she said of the suspect, Portuguese national Claudio Neves Valente.
Neves Valente, 48, is suspected in the shootings at Brown University that killed two students and wounded nine others, and the killing of an MIT professor. He was found dead Thursday evening from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said.
Neves Valente had studied at Brown on a student visa beginning in 2000, according to an affidavit from a Providence police detective. In 2017, he was issued a diversity immigrant visa and months later obtained legal permanent residence status, according to the affidavit. It was not immediately clear where he was between taking a leave of absence from the school in 2001 and getting the visa in 2017.
The diversity visa program makes up to 50,000 green cards available each year by lottery to people from countries that are little represented in the U.S., many of them in Africa. The lottery was created by Congress, and the move is almost certain to invite legal challenges.
Nearly 20 million people applied for the 2025 visa lottery, with more than 131,000 selected when including spouses with the winners. After winning, they must undergo vetting to win admission to the United States. Portuguese citizens won only 38 slots.
Lottery winners are invited to apply for a green card. They are interviewed at consulates and subject to the same requirements and vetting as other green-card applicants.
Trump has long opposed the diversity visa lottery. Noem’s announcement is the latest example of using tragedy to advance immigration policy goals. After an Afghan man was identified as the gunman in a fatal attack on National Guard members in November, Trump’s administration imposed sweeping rules against immigration from Afghanistan and other counties.
While pursuing mass deportation, Trump has sought to limit or eliminate avenues to legal immigration. He has not been deterred if they are enshrined in law, like the diversity visa lottery, or the Constitution, as with a right to citizenship for anyone born on U.S. soil. The Supreme Court recently agreed to hear his challenge to birthright citizenship.
Tawsia: India’s enthusiasm for investing in Afghanistan discussed
Japan allocates nearly $20 million in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan
Afghan border forces prevent illegal entry of hundreds into Iran
US pauses green card lottery program after Brown University shooting
India issues over 200 medical visas to Afghans in last four months
Afghanistan U19 cricket team defeats India A U19
Afghanistan economy under pressure as Pakistan shocks reshape trade flows
Gaza death toll tops 70,000, health ministry says
India set to establish pharmaceutical factories in Afghanistan: MoIC
Afghanistan offers tax breaks, free land to attract Indian investors
Tawsia: India’s enthusiasm for investing in Afghanistan discussed
Tahawol: Global concerns over migration escalation discussed
Saar: Calls for Afghanistan’s balanced, economy-oriented foreign policy discussed
Tahawol: Discussion on regional countries’ meetings on Afghanistan
Saar: Regional efforts to address Afghanistan-Pakistan issues discussed
-
Latest News5 days agoGermany speeds up admission of Afghans from Pakistan
-
Sport5 days agoIPL 2026 Auction set for Abu Dhabi with $28.6 million purse at stake
-
Latest News5 days agoAfghanistan to establish independent oil and gas authority
-
Latest News5 days agoUS intelligence chief warns of ‘direct threat’ from suspected terrorists inside the country
-
Latest News3 days agoIEA supreme leader stresses enforcement of Sharia law and sincere public service
-
International Sports4 days agoILT20: Desert Vipers qualify for playoffs with five-wicket win over Dubai Capitals
-
World5 days agoFather and son behind Bondi Jewish festival shooting that killed 15, Australian police say
-
International Sports4 days agoATN secures broadcast rights for four major AFC sporting events