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U.S. watchdog office that monitored spending in Afghanistan to close on January 31
A U.S. government oversight agency that for nearly two decades tracked waste, fraud and abuse in American spending on Afghanistan is scheduled to shut down on January 31, 2026.
The office, known as the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), was created by the U.S. Congress in 2008 to independently review how billions of dollars in military, development and humanitarian aid were used in Afghanistan. It conducted audits, inspections and investigations to detect misuse of funds and recommend changes to improve accountability.
Over its lifetime, SIGAR documented thousands of instances of waste, fraud and abuse in U.S.-led reconstruction programs and reported on projects that failed to meet goals or were never completed. In its final reports, the office estimated that tens of billions of dollars intended for Afghanistan reconstruction were lost or mismanaged, and it highlighted systemic problems in planning, oversight and execution of U.S. efforts.
The closure of SIGAR comes as part of U.S. defense policy changes that set a deadline for the agency’s work to end this month.
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Minister of Education: Kalashnikovs and ‘yellow barrels’ not enough for modern defense
Habibullah Agha, Minister of Education of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), says that in the current era it is not possible to defend a country using only Kalashnikov rifles and so-called “yellow barrels,” which the Islamic Emirate widely used in bombings in its fight against foreign occupation.
He made the remarks on Sunday during a ceremony held in Bamyan province.
According to him, such weapons or systems would only be effective if an enemy were physically present inside national territory. “If the enemy is in the sea or in another location and launches rockets from there, or uses aircraft to bomb us, we will have to develop and produce our own defensive equipment,” he said.
The minister further stated that Iran has developed a defense system that, in his view, even the United States has been unable to overcome.
He also criticized divisions among Muslims, claiming that disagreements have escalated to the point where some are cooperating with the United States in actions against Iran.
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Haqqani, Chinese ambassador discuss bilateral ties and regional stability
The Minister of Interior Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, met with the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Afghanistan, Zhao Xing, to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues.
During the meeting, both sides explored ways to further strengthen and expand cooperation between Kabul and Beijing. The discussions also highlighted China’s role in contributing to solutions for regional challenges, Afghan Interior Ministry said.
It was emphasized that Afghanistan’s is committed to promoting stability and peace across the region, while prioritizing the resolution of key issues and the well-being of its people.
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Afghan, Saudi foreign ministers discuss bilateral ties and regional issues in phone call
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, held a phone conversation with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, focusing on strengthening bilateral relations, addressing the concerns of Afghan nationals in Saudi Arabia, and discussing key regional developments.
During the call, Muttaqi described the expansion of ties between Kabul and Riyadh as important and expressed appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s efforts to support regional stability, according to a statement released the by Afghan Foreign Ministry.
He also thanked Saudi authorities for facilitating services for Afghans residing in the kingdom, particularly in areas related to consular support and information-sharing. He emphasized the need to further strengthen human resources and capacity within diplomatic missions.
The Saudi foreign minister, in turn, underscored the importance of enhancing diplomatic relations between the two countries and welcomed efforts aimed at improving the capacity of Afghan diplomatic representations.
Both sides highlighted the importance of regional stability for all countries and stressed that challenges should be addressed through dialogue and diplomatic engagement.
The conversation concluded with an agreement to continue mutual engagement and to arrange in-person meetings at a suitable time.
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