LAST 24 HOURS
AFGHAN EMBASSY IN INDIA DRAMA CONTINUES – The situation at the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi has yet to be resolved and an internal power struggle has continued between legacy diplomats from the old regime and an envoy that has claimed he represents the Taliban. Ambassador Farid Mamundzay was appointed to the position by former President Ashraf Ghani and continued serving Afghan citizens in India after the Taliban came to power. Qadir Shah, formerly a mid-level diplomat on Mamundzay’s staff but who was said to be writing the Taliban and requesting to be appointed in Mamundzay’s stead has given the Indian Ministry of External Affairs his letters of accreditation from the Taliban. For its part, the Indian government has said the internal issues of the embassy need to be solved by the embassy and that they would consider the matter an internal one.
IRAN CLAIMS IT IS MAKING HEADWAY IN NEGOTIATIONS OVER WATER RIGHTS WITH THE TALIBAN – While details on what was achieved in the recent round of talks between the two countries have not been shared, Iran’s Foreign Minister said in a statement to reporters that progress was made and the negotiations were proceeding fairly. The talks are being followed closely after a flare-up at the border resulted in several deaths. On a regional level, other countries like Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are monitoring the talks as Afghanistan gets closer to completing the Qosh Tepa canal project that is expected to divert a significant portion of water from the Amu Darya River which forms the border between Afghanistan and the two Northern neighbors. Both countries have stated concerns that the completion of the Qosh Tepa will be a point of contention in the future.
EUROPEAN UNION AND CENTRAL ASIA SUMMIT ON AFGHANISTAN CONCLUDES – The summit was the second meeting between the two bodies and a similar result was issued from the meeting whereby all parties again voiced concerns about the potential for exported terrorism from Afghanistan, the ban on women working in humanitarian sectors, the ban on females in education, and the lack of inclusive representation in the government.
SENIOR TALIBAN COMMANDER VISITS BORDER AREA IN NIMROZ – The 215th Corps Commander, Alhaji Mullah Sharafuddin Taqi, was in Nimroz on Wednesday and Thursday to visit Taliban security forces that have been deployed along the border after the clashes with Iranian troops took place. Taqi visited two of the border checkpoints and held sessions with local commanders and civil leaders to discuss concerns about future potential conflicts. No incidents were reported during his visit.
NEXT 24 HOURS
POSSIBLE SECOND SECURITY OPERATION IN NANGARHAR PLANNED – A source in Kabul said that information gleaned from four cellphones recovered from the site of a raid that resulted in the death of an ISIS-K leader and his associate has convinced Taliban intelligence officials that two additional ISIS-K safe houses are located in the Province and that at least one of them was occupied by members of the terrorist group. The source could not provide locations of the possible impending actions but said that GDI agents were staging near the previous raid site in preparation for more raids. At-risk Afghans in the Province should be prepared to see clash(s) in the near future.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
The regime released three European citizens who had been imprisoned for various offenses.
An Israeli agent working on collecting intelligence on Iranian weapons programs drowned off the coast of Italy on Sunday. 2 Italian intelligence operatives and a Russian woman who were reputedly involved in the mission also drowned.
A large dissident group in Iran has claimed the agent used to poison schoolgirls was a nerve agent. The group says clothing from the victims was tested for chemical and biological agents.
PAKISTAN
A court has passed a death sentence for a Christian youth who was convicted of committing blasphemy. The youth was arrested several years ago for sharing blasphemous material on social media.
Official inflation rates in Pakistan topped 38% which was the highest in all of Asia on Friday.
Recent high-level defectors of the PTI party have announced plans to form a new version of the party that would share some of the goals of the current party but would renounce all violent protest actions.
SPOTLIGHT IMMIGRATION
US lawmakers aim to extend and expand visa program for Afghan interpreters
By J.P. Lawrence - Stars and Stripes
Bipartisan legislation introduced Thursday in the Senate seeks to increase the number of visas available for Afghan interpreters and others who worked with American forces during the 20 years of war before the Taliban retook power in 2021.
AFGHAN NEWS
IEA special forces kill key Daesh commander in eastern Afghanistan
By Ariana News
The Islamic Emirate’s special forces in an operation on Wednesday killed a top Daesh commander along with his accomplice in…
Congo Fever Kills a Physician in Northern Afghanistan
By Nizamuddin Rezahi - Khaama Press
The provincial officials in northern Afghanistan have said that healthcare employees got infected with CCHF, also known as “Congo Fever” while coming in contact with…
1402 Fiscal Year Budget Approved by Interim Govt
By Bibi Amina Hakimi - TOLO News
Two months past the due date for the fiscal budget, Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said that the budget for…
REGIONAL NEWS
Afghanistan-Iran Complete First Trial Run of Khaf-Herat Railway
By Sophia Nina Burna-Asefi - The Diplomat
Despite their current estrangement from the West, Iran and Afghanistan have test run a roundabout rail link that…
EU-Central Asia Leaders Meeting Held
By Banafsha Binesh - TOLO News
The Heads of State of Central Asia and the President of the European Council met in Kyrgyzstan and participants discussed the situation in…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
The Azadi Briefing: Taliban Attempts To Ease Its International Isolation
By Mustafa Sarwar - RFE
The Taliban's reclusive leader held a secret meeting with the Qatari prime minister in Afghanistan last month…
UN to Hold Meeting on Afghanistan Later This Month
By Fatema Adeeb - TOLO News
Lana Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations, said that the UN is planning a meeting on the…
THE DAILY WTF
Kabul children forced to work in brick kilns due to economic challenges
By ANI
Economic challenges have forced children in Kabul to work in brick factories, Tolo News…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 87.18 AFN (as of 3 JUN 2023)