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Two women killed in knife attack at Lisbon Ismaili center

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Two women were killed and one person wounded in a knife attack believed to have been carried out by an Afghan refugee at the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon on Tuesday, officials said.

Portuguese police shot the alleged attacker after he refused to lay down a large knife and began to approach them. Officials said he was arrested and taken to hospital, Reuters reported.

Ismailis are a minority within Shia Islam whose members have been attacked by extremist groups in countries such as Pakistan.

“It seems to have been an isolated act but the circumstances and motivations are being investigated,” home affairs minister Jose Luis Carneiro told reporters.

Prime Minister Antonio Costa said it looked like an isolated act, and it was premature to say any more.

Carneiro said the alleged attacker was a “relatively young man” with three young children. His wife died in a refugee camp in Greece.

The man, who was relocated to Portugal under a European cooperation scheme and had international protection status, lived a “fairly quiet life” and received help at the Ismaili Centre.

The two victims were Portuguese nationals who worked at the center, SIC television network cited Nazim Ahmed, leader of the Ismaili community in Portugal, as saying. He also said the attacker was an Afghan refugee, Reuters reported.

Police did not immediately confirm the nationalities but Carneiro said the man often visited the center to study Portuguese, collect food donations and for child care. The women worked at the center’s refugee support programme, the minister said.

Shortly after the attack, a number of people looking distressed could be seen standing outside the center amid a heavy armed police presence and were later taken inside. Police officers wearing white crime scene investigation suits also entered the building.

The Ismaili community in Portugal is one of the largest in continental Europe, numbering thousands, including many who fled Mozambique during its civil war, Reuters reported.

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Continued aid to Afghanistan vital for regional security: Kazakh president

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Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has emphasized the continuation of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, stating that the ongoing provision of such aid plays an important role in ensuring regional security.

Speaking at the international conference “Peace and Trust” in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, Tokayev described addressing complex humanitarian challenges and the reconstruction of Afghanistan as a necessity.

“To ensure regional security, we consider it essential to continue providing assistance to Afghanistan, including by strengthening international efforts to address complex humanitarian issues and the reconstruction of this country. Kazakhstan remains committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan through humanitarian aid, educational projects, trade development, and food security initiatives,” he said.

Meanwhile, experts believe that sustainable improvement of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan requires broad cooperation from the international community and support for the country’s economic development.

“Investment can be defined as one of the fundamental drivers of the economic cycle, and whenever Afghan traders do not take their money out of the country and instead invest domestically, it naturally leads to greater growth and dynamism in Afghanistan’s economy,” said Abdul Zahoor Modabber, an economic analyst.

As the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues, reports by international relief organizations indicate that millions of citizens of the country are in urgent need of food, health, and livelihood assistance.
The reduction in funding for aid organizations, the impacts of climate change, and the return of migrants have increased concerns about a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country.

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Islamic Emirate declines to attend Tehran meeting on Afghanistan

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The Islamic Emirate has announced that it will not participate in the upcoming meeting of special envoys of regional countries on Afghanistan, scheduled to be held in Tehran, despite having received an invitation.

In a statement, Zia Ahmad Takal, Head of Information and Public Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the Islamic Emirate has maintained continuous and active engagement with all regional countries through various organizations, regional formats, and bilateral mechanisms, achieving notable progress in promoting mutual understanding and regional cooperation.

The statement added that Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes regional cooperation should be advanced by strengthening existing mechanisms and formats within the region.

Tehran is set to host the meeting next week, with special envoys from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Russia expected to attend.

 
 
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Sirajuddin Haqqani: A government that intimidates its people is not a true government

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Khalifa Sirajuddin Haqqani, Minister of Interior of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said during a visit to Khost province on Friday that any government which rules through fear cannot be considered a true government.

“A government is one that is loved by its people, one that serves them with respect and compassion, and from whose behavior people learn ethics and sincerity,” he said.

Haqqani also stressed that Afghans who opposed the Islamic Emirate in the past should be tolerated and treated in a way that helps eliminate hostility and animosity, paving the way for national cohesion.

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