Latest News
Germany grants 2,400 visas to Afghan employees, relatives
German authorities said Monday they have granted 2,400 visas so far to Afghans who worked for the country’s military.
Germany’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Rainer Breul said visas were also granted to their families but that not all of them want to move to Germany immediately, AP reported.
Germany withdrew its last troops from Afghanistan last week after a deployment that lasted nearly 20 years and focused on the north of the country. It had the second-biggest foreign contingent in Afghanistan after the United States.
Breul said procedures have been complicated by the military withdrawal and the closure of Germany’s consulate-general in Mazar-e-Sharif, but said Berlin is trying to work with partners such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Before the military left, 446 local employees and their relatives — a total of 2,250 people — were given travel documents, Defense Ministry spokesman David Helmbold said. At that point, “a relatively small number” of applications remained open, he added.
“Not all of those who received these travel documents wanted to leave straight away,” Helmbold told reporters in Berlin. “There were a number of local (employees) who said, ‘we’d actually like to stay as long as possible in Afghanistan, but we’d like to have the possibility to leave if the security situation escalates.”
Eleven people have been killed in a shooting at a shrine in Afghanistan’s northern Baghlan province, local sources said on Friday.
The incident took place at 9 pm on Thursday at the shrine of Sayed Padsha Jan in Shahr-e-Kuhna of Nahrin district.
A local resident said the dead were residents of Nahrin district and wanted to spend the night at the shrine.
Asadullah Mustafa Hashemi, the provincial information and culture director, confirmed the incident but did not provide details on how it happened or the number of casualties.
Provincial police spokesman said they had not received any information about the incident yet.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Serdar Muhammetdurdiyev on Thursday met with Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan announced.
During the meeting, the sides discussed priority vectors of strategic interstate cooperation built on a long-term, mutually beneficial basis, as well as exchanged views on the implementation of previously reached agreements.
It was noted that personal contacts between the leaders of the two countries play a key role in intensifying the interstate dialogue, which give a strong impulse to further development and expansion of Turkmen-Chinese ties.
It was emphasized that Turkmenistan considers multilateral international platforms for maintaining stability in Afghanistan as an important factor in promoting sustainable improvement of socio-economic state of the neighboring country. The sides exchanged views on the preparations to the 5th meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan's Neighboring States to be held in Turkmenistan.
The interlocutors reaffirmed that Turkmenistan and China will continue to provide all-round support for the economic restoration of Afghanistan.
The U.S. House Of Representatives has passed a legislation on evacuation of Afghans who assisted Americans during the 20-year war in Afghanistan.
“The passage of the CARE Authorization Act of 2024 further underscores the commitment made by the U.S. government to safeguard those who served shoulder-to-shoulder with our personnel during the twenty-year mission in Afghanistan,” Congresswoman Dina Titus said in a statement.
“The State Department has made it clear: There is no deadline for the crucial job of protecting Afghan allies. By authorizing the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts at the State Department, we can more effectively relocate and resettle those who have qualified to immigrate to the U.S. as a result of their service to this country.”
In 2022 the State Department established a specialized office called the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) to streamline and coordinate the ongoing relocation and resettlement process for eligible Afghans from Afghanistan and Pakistan to the United States.
The CARE Authorization Act of 2024 will formally authorize the CARE office at the State Department for three years and grant important authorities to advance its mission. These include an extension of authorities to enter into personal services contracts as well as measures to streamline the transfer of funds to and from other agencies involved in the Afghan relocation mission.
North Korea’s Kim accuses US of stoking tension, warns of nuclear war
Eleven people shot dead at shrine in Baghlan
Chinese, Turkmen officials meet to discuss Afghanistan
U.S. House approves bill on evacuation of Afghan allies
Gunmen attack Pakistan passenger vehicles, killing at least 38 people
China to offer Afghanistan tariff-free trade
Private sectors of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan sign contracts worth $100 million
Pakistan bans entry to parks, zoos as air pollution worsens
Gurbaz ton guides Afghanistan to seal ODI series over Bangladesh
Trump, Putin speak as Biden plans to lobby Trump to stick with Ukraine
Tahawol: Expanding ties & cooperation with Iran discussed
Saar: Calls for improving Afghanistan’s relations discussed
Tahawol: Calls for expanding cooperation between Afghanistan-Iran discussed
Saar: Afghanistan’s self-sufficiency challenges reviewed
Tahawol: Concerns over tension between Russia-Ukraine reviewed
-
Sport5 days agoFIFA unveils Innovative Club World Cup Trophy ahead of new tournament in 2025
-
Latest News5 days agoTrump team compiling list of military officers responsible for US withdrawal from Afghanistan
-
Latest News5 days agoCanada sent 19 failed asylum seekers back to Afghanistan last year
-
Sport4 days agoAbu Dhabi’s thrilling T10 tournament just days away
-
World4 days agoBiden allows Ukraine to use US arms to strike inside Russia
-
Sport4 days agoAfghanistan beat UAE by 169 runs in U19 tri-series
-
Business5 days agoMullah Baradar inaugurates a blanket factory in Kabul
-
Latest News3 days agoTajikistan trumps Afghanistan 3-1 in football friendly