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UN chief Guterres appointed for second term

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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was appointed for a second-five year-term on Friday by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly.

“I will give it my all to ensure the blossoming of trust between and among nations large and small, to build bridges, and to engage relentlessly in confidence building,” Guterres told the General Assembly after taking the oath of office.

The 15-member Security Council earlier this month recommended the General Assembly re-appoint Guterres. His second term starts on beginning on Jan. 1, 2022.

Guterres succeeded Ban Ki-moon in January 2017, just weeks before Donald Trump became U.S. president. Much of Guterres‘ first term was focused on placating Trump, who questioned the value of the United Nations and multilateralism.

The United States is the largest U.N. financial contributor, responsible for 22% of the regular budget and around a quarter of the peacekeeping budget. President Joe Biden, who took office in January, has started restoring funding cuts made by Trump to U.N. agencies and re-engaged with the world body.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the United Nations faced historic challenges, but she hoped that with Guterres at the helm “the next five years will see more peace, more security, and more prosperity than the last.”

“It will require hard work, political will, and accountability from all U.N. member states,” she said in a statement, adding every member states should have “an impassioned commitment” to human rights.

Guterres, 72, was prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002 and head of the U.N. refugee agency from 2005 to 2015. As secretary-general, he has been a cheerleader for climate action, COVID-19 vaccines for all and digital cooperation.

When he took the reins as U.N. chief, the world body was struggling to end wars and deal with humanitarian crises in Syria and Yemen. Those conflicts are still unresolved, and Guterres is also now faced with emergencies in Myanmar and the Tigray region of Ethiopia.

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Foreign ministry confirms UAE agreement to free 54 Afghan citizens

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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday that as a result of repeated efforts by the ministry and the Afghan Embassy in Abu Dhabi, an agreement has been reached with the United Arab Emirates for the release of 54 Afghan citizens from its prisons.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Islamic Emirate has expressed gratitude to the President of the UAE for releasing Afghan prisoners during the month of Ramadan and considers this step a sign of strengthening bilateral friendly relations between Kabul and Abu Dhabi.

The list of these 54 individuals is also attached to the Ministry’s statement.

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Dried fruit market in Herat booms ahead of Eid-al-Fitr

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As Eid al-Fitr approaches, the dried fruit market in Herat province has thrived, with people busy purchasing Eid sweets. Families are striving to buy sweets according to their economic capabilities in preparation for this holiday.

However, this year, people’s economic situation has worsened, and they are unable to make purchases as they did in previous years.

Nevertheless, the customs and traditions of Eid compel most families to prepare for the holiday.

“Thank God, there is a lot of crowds. Sales are high. People are in the market until 1:00 AM, buying. This year, by the grace of God, prices are low, and everyone can afford to buy,” said Ayatullah Habibi, a shopkeeper in Herat.

Although dried fruit prices are cheaper this year compared to last year, many people still cannot afford to buy them.

“We are almost hopeless about our lives; there is no business, and the situation is bad,” said Ghulam Sarwar, a worker in Herat.

Meanwhile, the Herat municipality has announced the creation of a price control commission in recent days.

Herat municipality stated that dried fruit and food markets are being monitored daily by the commission members.

Meanwhile, the Union of Dried Fruit Sellers in Herat also emphasized that prices are better compared to last year.

“There is ongoing supervision in the market to ensure good quality goods and fair pricing. Any shopkeeper who sells poor-quality goods will have their shop closed,” said Abdul Ghani Qadri, the head of the Dried Fruit Sellers Union in Herat.

While many people are eagerly awaiting Eid al-Fitr, there are still many families whose primary concern is feeding their children.

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US may ask for military equipment left behind in Afghanistan: Trump

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The United States may ask for military equipment left behind in Afghanistan, although it is getting old, President Donald Trump said on Thursday.

Speaking at an event on Women’s History Month, Trump said that the Biden administration gave much of the US military equipment to Afghanistan, worth billions of dollars.

“Maybe we will have to ask for that back, although it is getting a little old now. We are building new stuff,” he said.

Trump had earlier said that if Afghanistan wants aid from America, the Islamic Emirate must return US military equipment left behind during the 2021 troop withdrawal.

However, the Islamic Emirate has said that the equipment it has seized is war spoils and will not be returned.

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