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Kabul’s air pollution a serious ‘threat to life’, say doctors

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Doctors warned Sunday that the air pollution level in Kabul is dangerously high and that it was threatening the lives of many people.

One doctor Mohammad Hashim Wahaj, who spoke to Ariana News, said: “Air pollution is a serious and dangerous problem in Kabul.”

Doctors and resident’s called on government to take measures to stop people from burning fuels such as plastic and rubber and get them to rather use gas or electricity.

“People burn coal and other materials that produce smoke. That should be stopped,” said Mohammad Rasoul, a Kabul resident.

“People should use gas and electricity if they can afford it and avoid burning plastic and coal,” said Sohrab, another Kabul resident.

Kabul Municipality meanwhile said efforts are being made to reduce the air pollution level and that they have closed down a number of bathhouses, that burn fuel to heat the water.

Naimatullah Barakzai, the municipality’s head of public awareness and publications department, said that among the central heating systems used in the city are two that run on gas.

According to him there are at least 1,100 other types but these run on coal and wood.

Barakzai said while the municipality would like more people to use gas furnaces and heaters, most of them are not able to afford it.

He said if the people had the money they would rather use “modern equipment”.

Kabul’s air pollution levels increase dramatical each winter as people make fires to keep warm. But, poverty-stricken residents often resort to burning toxic materials such as plastic, car tyres and coal to heat their homes.

In addition to this, the city lies in a valley surrounded by towering Hindu Kush mountain peaks, which reduces the mixing of air, particularly in winter when temperature inversions regularly form and with little rain to remove the pollution from the atmosphere, this accumulates during winter.

Afghanistan documented nearly 5,000 deaths attributed to air pollution in 2020 – deaths due to respiratory and heart diseases that were considered to be caused by air pollution, a health official said in January.

Kabul meanwhile was also considered the world’s worst polluted city last year and is on track to remain among the most polluted cities in 2021.

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Sirajuddin Haqqani visits Panjshir, meets tribal elders and influential figures

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Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani visited Panjshir province on Thursday and met with tribal elders and influential figures from various districts at the provincial governor’s office.

The Ministry of Interior said the participants raised their concerns, demands and suggestions with Haqqani during the meeting.

According to the ministry, Haqqani listened to their concerns and instructed relevant officials to take necessary steps to address the issues raised.

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Iran executes Afghan man over charges related to January protests

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Iran ‌executed an Afghan man on ​Thursday ​over charges related to ⁠January’s ​nationwide protests, ​local media reported.

The Hengaw Organization for Human Rights identified ​the person ​as Qaem Hosseini, ‌a 20-year-old Afghan national.

Iran’s state media said he ​took ​part ⁠in events that ​led to ​the ⁠killing of security ⁠force ​members ​during the protests.

He was accused of taking part in events on January 8, 2026, at Alikhani Square in Isfahan, during which four Iranian security forces were killed.

Hosseini is the fifth defendant in the case to be executed. Four other defendants, including his cousin Gol Mohammad Mohammadi, had previously been executed.

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US in talks over resettlement of Afghan refugees in Qatar to third countries

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More than 1,000 Afghans who were evacuated to a U.S. military facility in Qatar following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in 2021 remain in limbo, with no clear path to the United States, NPR reports.

The Afghans have been staying at Camp As Sayliyah after being airlifted out of Afghanistan during the final days of the U.S. war. Some have been there for more than a year while waiting for a decision on their future.

The U.S. State Department told NPR that negotiations are continuing over where the Afghans could be resettled.

“A third country is a positive resolution that provides safety for these remaining people to start a new life outside Afghanistan while upholding the safety and security of the American people,” the U.S. State Department said in an email to NPR.

The situation at the camp has become more difficult amid the war in the Gulf. Sean Jamshidi, a former U.S. Marine, told NPR that missiles were launched during the conflict and debris fell near the camp, including fragments that entered the building where his family members were staying.

U.S. veterans and lawmakers have also called on Washington to protect Afghans who supported American forces. Republican Congressman Don Bacon, a retired brigadier general, said the United States has a “moral obligation” to people who served alongside its troops and that promises made to them should be kept.

There have also been reports that some of the Afghans could be sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Islamic Emirate has said that Afghanistan is the shared homeland of all Afghans, stressing that returnees can come back with “full confidence and peace of mind.”

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