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US State Department rejects claims it funds the IEA
The United States remains the largest donor to Afghanistan and has provided nearly $18 billion dollars to Afghanistan in the last three years.
Matthew Miller, the spokesperson of the US State Department, has once again emphasized that the US does not provide direct financial aid to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).
In response to a question that US financial aid to Afghanistan may have gone to the wrong people, Miller said at a press conference on Monday night in Washington that “when it comes to US funding of the Taliban [Islamic Emirate], no, we flatly do not fund the Taliban [Islamic Emirate]. Made that clear on a number of occasions.”
Recently the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Reconstruction of Afghanistan (SIGAR) said the State Department did not assess aid to agencies in Afghanistan in accordance with US policies.
However, the US State Department agreed with the report’s findings and said that it will work to scrutinize the country’s aid to Afghanistan.
But the Islamic Emirate rejects any misuse of aid from the international community, including the United States.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Economy has also rejected claims of misuse of humanitarian aid and says that aid is provided to deserving and needy people in a transparent manner and with complete trust.
The United States remains the largest donor to Afghanistan and has provided nearly $18 billion dollars to Afghanistan in the last three years.
In an earlier report, SIGAR stated that during the last three years, US aid implementation partners in Afghanistan had paid at least $10.9 million in taxes and money for water and electricity to the current Afghan government.
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The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan has announced scholarship opportunities for Afghan students under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program for the 2027 academic year.
According to the embassy, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan is offering scholarships for graduate-level study at Japanese universities under the research student category, including both regular and non-regular students.
Interested and eligible applicants can download the application guidelines and forms from the official Study in Japan website and are advised to carefully review all requirements before applying.
Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria and have prepared all required documents must submit their applications by 25 May 2026. The embassy said late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted.
The first screening process will include a written examination in Kabul on 18 June 2026, followed by interviews scheduled for July 2026 (date to be confirmed).
The Embassy of Japan noted that the Aga Khan Foundation Afghanistan will assist in collecting applications and facilitating written examinations, but will not be involved in the selection process.
It further emphasized that the selection will be conducted independently by the embassy and the Japanese government, based on academic merit, quality of application documents, and performance in written and interview examinations, without consideration of religious, linguistic, or ethnic background.
The scholarship program is fully funded and free of charge. The embassy warned applicants to remain cautious against scams, stressing that no financial contributions are required at any stage of the application process.
Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, has launched the distribution of more than 1,000 residential land plots for returning migrants in Logar province.
During a visit to Logar, Hanafi inaugurated a new township and said the initiative aims to support Afghan returnees by providing them with housing opportunities and improving settlement conditions.
He called for speeding up the process of distributing residential plots designated for migrants, stressing the importance of timely implementation.
“We inaugurated this township today, which includes more than 1,000 plots. These plots will be distributed to migrants. In addition, other townships will also be constructed soon,” he said.
Hanafi also noted that over the past three years, more than five million Afghan migrants have returned from neighboring countries, adding that efforts are underway to provide them with essential services and support their reintegration.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani, has urged the Afghan authorities to take concrete action against militant threats that Islamabad says originate from Afghan soil.
Speaking at an event at the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul marking the first anniversary of Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos against India, Nizamani reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to maintaining “brotherly ties” with Afghanistan.
The ambassador also highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts in reducing tensions between Iran and the United States, saying Islamabad’s initiatives reflected its commitment to regional and global peace.
During the ceremony, Nizamani reaffirmed Pakistan’s determination to defend itself against any aggression.
“Pakistan’s desire for peace must never be mistaken for weakness,” the ambassador said, calling for heightened vigilance against regional threats.
Pakistani officials have consistently claimed that militants use Afghan soil to attack Pakistan. The Islamic Emirate, however, has denied this claim and said that Afghanistan is not responsible for Pakistan’s security failures.
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