live Tehran was 'ready to strike Ukraine' after attack on Iranian cargo ship, official says
Tehran had made plans to strike sites in Ukraine after Kyiv attacked an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea, a senior Iranian military adviser has s...
More than 800 Afghan families returned from Pakistan and Iran over two days as Afghan authorities continued receiving thousands of people arriving through deportations and voluntary returns from neighbouring countries.
The Secretariat of the High Commission for Addressing Returnees’ Issues said 807 families, comprising 4,209 people, entered Afghanistan on 2 and 3 August through the Torkham, Spin Boldak and Islam Qala border crossings.
Describing the assistance provided, the commission said, “Afghan returnees who were forcibly repatriated through various entry points received essential services in the areas of registration, transportation, financial assistance, healthcare, and public awareness.”
The latest arrivals form part of a much larger movement that has accelerated since Pakistan and Iran stepped up efforts to repatriate undocumented Afghans. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), about 6.04 million Afghans returned from the two neighbouring countries between mid-September 2023 and 30 May 2026.
The commission said most families did not remain at the border reception centres. Instead, they were transported to provinces including Nangarhar, Kunar, Laghman and Kabul. During the two-day period, authorities relocated 562 families, comprising 3,165 people.
The reports do not specify whether the families ultimately returned to their original towns and villages. However, authorities said they are continuing a permanent settlement programme alongside the relocations.
On 3 August, the Permanent Settlement and Land Allocation Committee allocated residential land plots to 1,163 families in Nangarhar, Faryab, Bamyan, Nimroz and Paktika.
The committee said, “The cumulative number of residential land plots distributed to date has reached 65,155, and the process is ongoing.”
According to the official reports, authorities distributed AFN 5.686 million (about USD 86,200) in direct financial assistance and AFN 2.578 million (about USD 39,100) to cover transport costs on 2 and 3 August. The reports do not provide a cumulative figure for spending since the repatriation programme began.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran has a "last chance" to sign what he described as "a good document", claiming talks are continuing at Tehran's request with backing from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar.
Tehran had made plans to strike sites in Ukraine after Kyiv attacked an Iranian cargo ship in the Caspian Sea, a senior Iranian military adviser has said. Iran refrained from taking action after Kyiv said the strike was a mistake, Mohsen Rezaei told the state IRIB TV channel.
Indonesian rescue teams are searching for 28 people still unaccounted for, three days after a passenger ferry caught fire off the coast of Madura island.
Two firefighting helicopters collided while battling a major wildfire in Greece on Sunday, killing two crew members as emergency services continued efforts to contain fires fuelled by extreme heat and dry conditions across Europe.
Nauru, the world’s third smallest country, has changed its name to Naoero, the Pacific island nation’s President said. The new name corresponds to the spelling and pronunciation in the national language.
Türkiye has urged Russia and Ukraine to protect civilian shipping in the Black Sea after a drone struck a Turkish-owned cargo ship, reportedly injuring three crew members. Ankara said attacks on commercial vessels risk further destabilising maritime security.
Central Asian countries are adapting their energy strategies as Russia’s fuel sector comes under mounting pressure from Ukrainian drone attacks on oil infrastructure and continuing export restrictions.
Switzerland aims to deepen its economic partnership with Azerbaijan, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said during his first official visit to the country. The trip marks the first stop on his wider tour of Central Asia.
Georgia has unveiled a new funding model for public universities, highlighting the different ways higher education is financed across the South Caucasus. While Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia all provide state support, their funding systems differ significantly.
Member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) are expected to discuss suspending Armenia's voting rights at a summit in Moscow in November, according to a senior Russian official.
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