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Small Australian firm wrongly named as IEA cannabis partner

A small Australian medical consulting firm got caught up in an unexpected publicity storm on Thursday after being wrongly named as agreeing with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to bankroll a $450 million hashish processing plant.
Reuters reported that representatives of Australia-based Cpharm had met with counter-narcotic officials at the Ministry of Interior to discuss producing medicines and creams at the factory, offering a legal use of cannabis.
The report, originally published by an Afghan media outlet, was picked up by a host of global outlets including the Times of London, which ran its own story naming the Australian company, Reuters reported.
Verified Twitter accounts linked to the BBC and Middle Eastern news outlet Al Arabybia repeated the claim about the Australians.
But Cpharm Australia, a family business with 17 staff from the regional centre of Maitland, has never spoken to the IEA and has no dealings overseas or involving cannabis, it told Reuters.
“We’re just trying to work out what we’re going to do to stop it,” Cpharm Australia’s chief financial officer, Tony Gabites, said by phone from the company’s headquarters, located 166 km from Sydney.
“We’ve had probably 40 or 50 calls today. It’s just out of control and it’s just all lies, media guys … not doing any due diligence on what they want to publish,” he said.
Gabites suspected the reports stemmed from a tweet from a IEA-linked account which named a company called Cpharm, referring to another organisation elsewhere in the world with a similar name.
Cpharm Australia provides medical advice about pharmaceutical products and is not a manufacturer so would not take on a manufacturing contract in any case. It also would not be able to raise $450 million, Gabites added.
The company may take legal recourse if it lost business due to wrongly reported IEA dealings – a potential violation of sanctions – but did not expect to be impacted long-term.
“Most of the companies we deal with would look at that article and laugh,” Gabites said.
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Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan condemns Israeli strikes on Iran

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) on Friday strongly condemned the recent Israeli attacks on the territory of Iran, that killed senior military commanders and nuclear scientists.
In an official statement, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, described the actions as a blatant violation of fundamental principles of international law, particularly the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations.
“These attacks come at a time when the oppressed people of Palestine, especially in the Gaza Strip, continue to suffer under relentless and catastrophic assaults,” the statement said. “The occupying regime continues its aggression with complete disregard for humanitarian and international norms.”
The Islamic Emirate expressed deep concern over the escalating regional tensions, warning that continued provocative actions by Israel could further destabilize the already fragile situation in the Middle East.
The statement urged all relevant international actors to act responsibly and, in line with their mandates to maintain regional peace and security, to address the situation urgently and prevent the spread of further instability.
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Many of the world’s most successful nations are democracies: Khalilzad

Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, in response to the Islamic Emirate Supreme Leader’s Eid remarks, emphasized the global success of democratic systems and urged reflection on their relevance.
Khalilzad said on X on Friday that during the recent Eid sermon, IEA’s Supreme Leader was very critical of democracy.
“I do not want to defend the lawlessness, corruption, and many other failures of the previous Afghan government. And, of course, the Afghan people have the right to have their own form of government,” Khalilzad wrote. “However, it is important to observe that many of the most successful, richest, and most powerful countries in the world are democracies.”
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43 killed, 158 injured in traffic accidents during Arafah and Eid holidays in Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s General Directorate of Traffic Police has reported that 117 traffic accidents occurred across the country over a five-day period from Friday to Tuesday, coinciding with the Day of Arafah and Eid al-Adha holidays.
According to an official statement, these incidents resulted in 43 fatalities and 158 injuries. The deceased include 31 men, 2 women, and 10 children, while the injured consist of 123 men, 11 women, and 24 children.
Traffic authorities cited driver negligence as the primary causes of the accidents. The department urged the public to exercise greater caution and adhere to traffic laws, especially during holidays and national events.
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