Latest News
UNESCO dedicates 2023 Int’l Day of Education to Afghan girls and women
The United Nations cultural agency UNESCO said on Thursday it has decided to dedicate the 2023 International Day of Education (January 24) to Afghan girls and women.
On the occasion of an event to be organized at the UN headquarters in New York, UNESCO will renew its call to immediately restore their fundamental right to education, the agency said.
“No country in the world should bar women and girls from receiving an education. Education is a universal human right that must be respected,” UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said in a statement.
“The international community has the responsibility to ensure that the rights of Afghan girls and women are restored without delay. The war against women must stop,” she added.
Last month, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) suspended university education for women. This followed an earlier directive barring girls from attending secondary school.
According to UNESCO, 2.5 million (80%) of school-aged Afghan girls and young women are out of school, 1.2 million of whom were denied access to secondary schools and universities following the decision of IEA authorities.
The agency said that the decisions by the IEA authorities in Afghanistan threaten to wipe out the development gains made by the country over the past 20 years. From 2001 to 2021, Afghanistan saw a tenfold increase in enrolment at all education levels from around 1 million students to around 10 million, with the support of the international community, including UNESCO.
During this period, the number of girls in primary school increased from almost zero to 2.5 million. Women’s participation in Afghan higher education also increased almost 20 times, from 5,000 students to over 100,000. Literacy rates for women almost doubled, from 17% of women being able to read and write in 2001 to nearly 30% for all age groups combined, UNESCO said.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday in Tehran during an official visit.
According to Iranian media reports, the two diplomats discussed bilateral relations, recent regional developments, and issues of mutual interest.
Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), has inspected the construction work of the second lane of the Kabul–Jalalabad highway, Arg said on Thursday.
According to Arg’s statement , the Prime Minister visited the project site earlier in the day and expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Ministry of Public Works, project officials, and private contracting companies involved in the construction process. He also issued directives for the timely and high-quality completion of the project.
Akhund said the completion of the highway would significantly improve transportation facilities, transit operations, passenger movement, and contribute to economic growth in the surrounding regions.
Officials report that construction work on the second section of the project, covering 32 kilometers from the Kabul side, is currently about 20 percent complete.
Meanwhile, work on the first 22-kilometer section from the Nangarhar side is also ongoing. Surveying and design work for the third section is being carried out by a private company, with construction expected to begin after completion of the preparatory phase.
The Kabul–Jalalabad second-lane highway is regarded as one of Afghanistan’s key transport and economic infrastructure projects and is being developed in three phases.
Senior officials from the foreign ministries of Afghanistan and Russia held consultations in Kabul, focusing on expanding bilateral cooperation and strengthening regional engagement involving Afghanistan.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the meeting was held between A.V. Pavlovsky, Director of the Second Asia Department of Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Abdul Hai Qanit, Director of the Third Political Department at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The two sides discussed cooperation in the political, economic, cultural, and humanitarian fields, as well as ways to strengthen regional interaction with Afghanistan’s participation.
The consultations underscore ongoing diplomatic engagement between Moscow and Kabul as the two countries continue to explore closer cooperation on regional and bilateral issues.
Tahawol: Ukraine conflict amid global developments discussed
IEA FM Muttaqi meets Iranian counterpart Araghchi in Tehran
IEA PM reviews progress of Kabul–Jalalabad second highway project
Saar: Calls for not forgetting Kabul on global stage discussed
Afghan, Russian officials discuss expanding bilateral cooperation in Kabul
Norway’s Viking-inspired World Cup team photo goes viral
TAPI project advances in Afghanistan as 84kms of pipeline laid
Afghanistan’s trade with Central Asia records sharp growth
Gaikwad set to replace injured Kohli for Afghanistan ODI Series
Iran banks hit by major cyber attack
Tahawol: Ukraine conflict amid global developments discussed
Saar: Calls for not forgetting Kabul on global stage discussed
Tahawol: Afghanistan’s retaliatory attacks against Pakistan discussed
Saar: Uzbekistan-Qatar support for Afghanistan’s development disucssed
Tahawol: Reactions to Pakistan’s attacks on Afghanistan discussed
-
Business5 days agoAfghanistan eyes direct Basmati rice imports from India amid tensions with Pakistan
-
Latest News5 days agoAfghan minister says ‘outsiders’ should not claim to support Afghanistan’s independence
-
Sport5 days agoAfghanistan, Uzbekistan set for friendly cricket clash in Khost
-
Sport3 days agoAfghanistan U-15 team qualifies for FIFA U-15 World Cup
-
International Sports5 days agoFIFA World Cup group stage wraps up; moves into high-stakes knock out round
-
International Sports4 days agoCanada makes World Cup history with late goal to eliminate South Africa
-
Latest News4 days agoKhalilzad condemns Pakistani airstrikes, questions Islamabad’s intentions
-
Regional5 days agoIran, US continue escalating attacks, recriminations over peace deal