Congressman Tim Burchett has urged President-elect Donald Trump to halt financial aid to Afghanistan.

Burchett said in a letter that the US government should not fund its enemies abroad.

"I want to express my serious concern about sending foreign aid to the Taliban (Islamic Emirate) and my willingness to work with the Trump administration to prevent the transfer of US taxpayer dollars. The United States should not provide financial assistance to its enemies abroad,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economy has expressed hope that international aid should not be stopped and that efforts are ongoing to strengthen Afghanistan's infrastructure and move the country towards self-sufficiency.

Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy, said: "We hope that international aid to the people of Afghanistan will not be halted. However, at the same time, our focus is on national capacities. We want to strengthen Afghanistan's infrastructure so that the country gradually moves towards self-sufficiency."

Experts, however, do not view international aid as a fundamental solution for Afghanistan's economy but stated that given the country's humanitarian and economic situation, the continuation of such aid remains essential.

Abdul Zuhoor Madaber, an economic expert, said: "Humanitarian aid is not a fundamental solution to the country's economy, but given the economic crisis we are facing, it can be impactful."

The US has provided over $2 billion in aid-to-aid organizations in Afghanistan over the past three years.

The US State Department has stated that this aid is solely for relief and charitable programs, intended to support ordinary Afghan people struggling with poverty, hunger, and food shortages.

Michael McCall, the chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee said over the weekend that the US is witnessing a resurgence of Daesh in the Afghanistan region.

In a discussion with America’s ABC television, McCall said one thing he was “worried about, is with the fall of Afghanistan and the debacle, ... we are seeing a resurgence of ISIS and ISIS-K (Daesh) in the Khorasan region between Afghanistan and Pakistan that concerns me greatly.”

McCall added that eight people with ties to Daesh recently entered the United States.

“We know that eight ISIS individuals have entered the United States. ... So you really have two types of threats.

“One is operational; the other one is inspired attacks, radicalized over the internet. They're both equally lethal, and they need to be focused on to stop it," he said.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has however repeatedly said that Daesh has been eliminated in Afghanistan.

Ariana Television and Radio Network (ATN) kicks off 2025 with another thrilling sporting event; this time the exciting Season 3 of the DP World International League T20 (ILT20).

Once again, ATN has secured the legal rights to broadcast matches live on Ariana Television.

The tournament, which will run from this Saturday, 11 January, to 9 February, is only in its 3rd season but has solidified its position in the global cricketing events as it has already been established as the second-most watched league in the world.

Last year, Season 2, recorded a whopping 220 million viewers tuning in to watch the thrilling event.

Season 3 is however set to be bigger and better with a wider broadcast penetration both in traditional and non-traditional cricket markets around the world.

The DP World ILT20 Season 3 will be launched with a grand opening ceremony which will be held at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday.

The event will begin at 6:30pm local time and will be broadcast live on Ariana Television.

The first match of the season will see defending champions MI Emirates taking on hosts Dubai Capitals in a rematch of last year’s grand finale.

The six DP World ILT20 franchises have retained some of the biggest names in T20 cricket for Season 3.

Andre Russell and Sunil Narine will continue to represent the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, while Alex Hales and Sherfane Rutherford remain with the Desert Vipers.

The Dubai Capitals have retained David Warner and Rovman Powell, with Chris Jordan and Shimron Hetmyer staying on for the Gulf Giants.

MI Emirates will feature Nicholas Pooran and Akeal Hossein once again, and the Sharjah Warriorz have brought back Adil Rashid, a Wildcard pick in Season 2, alongside Johnson Charles.

England’s Jason Roy returns to the league, now with the Sharjah Warriorz, after making two appearances for the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders last season.

Sharjah has further bolstered their squad with the addition of New Zealand’s Tim Southee, who will lead the team in his first season with the league.

Former West Indies captain Jason Holder is set to join the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders after playing for the Dubai Capitals in the previous season.

Season 3 will also welcome several exciting fresh additions. Fakhar Zaman and Lockie Ferguson will feature for the Desert Vipers, Shai Hope joins the Dubai Capitals, and Roston Chase joins the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.

Matthew Wade and Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran will add strength to the Sharjah Warriorz and Gulf Giants, respectively, while Romario Shepherd is set to debut for MI Emirates.

For more news and updates, be sure to follow Ariana Television’s social media platforms.

Schedule below