Afghanistan

In February 2025, the number of first-time asylum seekers in the EU decreased by 23% compared to last year. Most applicants are from Venezuela, Spain received the most.

Over the past weekend, more than 520 foreigners tried to illegally cross the Polish border from Belarus. Most of the violators are citizens of Afghanistan, Pakistan and African countries.

Due to Trump's sanctions against ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, the tribunal is unable to perform basic tasks. Khan has lost access to email and his accounts are frozen.

The Taliban's Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has officially declared playing chess haram (a sin). The Afghanistan Chess Federation has also been officially liquidated.

The leaders of the SPD and CDU/CSU signed a coalition agreement, paving the way for the formation of a new German government. The document records plans for border control, taxes and military service.

Georgia dropped 11 positions in the press freedom ranking due to the hostile environment for the media and attacks on journalists. Ukraine took 62nd place, and Russia – 171st, dropping by 9 lines.

According to the ranking of the organization "Reporters Without Borders", global press freedom has deteriorated. Ukraine is ranked 62nd, between South Korea and Brazil.

Donald Trump has criticised the Democrats' impeachment initiative, calling their actions absurd. He accused them of not wanting to let the country recover.

In 2024, Berlin recorded 77 attacks on asylum seekers and 8 cases of damage to housing. 34 people were hospitalized, and authorities are investigating the incidents.

US President Donald Trump may sign an order to reduce the activities of the State Department. It provides for the liquidation of the Bureau of African Affairs, the closure of non-essential embassies, and the dismissal of some diplomats and civil servants.

Iran has filed a lawsuit against Ukraine and other countries at the International Court of Justice over the UIA catastrophe. Tehran disputes the ICAO decision and states that the plane was shot down accidentally.

In Russia, the ban on the activities of the "Taliban" was lifted. Such a decision was made by the court based on a lawsuit by the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation. But the Afghan movement remains on the list of terrorist organizations in the country.

The UN reports increased Taliban control over civilian life in Afghanistan. The law on Islamic morality restricts freedoms, especially for women, and affects the economy.

Iran is developing new drone systems and building bases to protect against the US and its allies. The country is actively developing UAV capabilities, becoming a major exporter, including to Russia.

Germany has temporarily suspended the reception of refugees under the UN program due to negotiations on a new coalition. In 2024-2025, the country pledged to accept 13,100 refugees.

The UN World Food Program has warned of mass deaths due to US cuts in humanitarian aid to 14 countries. The cuts could lead to tragic consequences.

The Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation is asking the Supreme Court to suspend the ban on the "Taliban" movement. The issue will be considered on April 17, and the initiators were the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.

The Prime Minister of Denmark responded to the US Vice President's accusations of insufficient protection of Greenland. The Danish Foreign Minister criticized the US for its tone.

The Czech government is raising the issue in the EU regarding support for broadcasters Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The Czech Foreign Minister emphasizes that the closure of broadcasters would be a loss for democracy.

The Trump administration is considering expanding the list of countries whose citizens will be banned from entering the United States. The list includes countries from both the red and orange zones.

The Trump administration has released a list of 50 achievements of the president in the first 50 days of his second term. Among them are the fight against illegal immigration, bringing manufacturing back to the USA, and "peace negotiations" between Ukraine and Russia.

The Trump administration plans to introduce new entry restrictions to the USA that may affect citizens of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The ban could complicate entry for thousands of Afghans who received special visas for cooperating with the USA.

A suicide bomber detonated a car near barracks in the city of Bannu, after which an assault by militants took place. As a result of the attack, 9 civilians were killed, including three children, and six attackers were eliminated.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern about the political course of a number of countries and the escalation of violence in the world. Particular attention was paid to the wars in Ukraine and other countries, and women's rights in Afghanistan and Iran.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov will visit Tehran on February 25 at the invitation of his Iranian counterpart Araqchi. The two sides will discuss trade, energy and international issues following the signing of a new strategic agreement.

The President of Ukraine warned against a rash end to the war, comparing the possible consequences to the situation in Afghanistan in 2021.

The Ukrainian president said that the US is trying to please Putin with its statements to achieve quick success. Zelenskyy warned against repeating the mistakes of Afghanistan and opposed territorial concessions.

Google has cooperated with authoritarian governments by removing objectionable content at their request. From 2020 to 2024, more than 60% of takedown requests came from Russia, and China managed to get 200+ corruption videos removed.

The Hungarian prime minister said that the war in Ukraine could become an “Afghanistan” for the EU. According to him, the difficulty is how to convince Russia to end the war.

As a result of a car ramming into a crowd in Munich, 28 people were injured, some in serious condition. The driver was a 24-year-old asylum seeker from Afghanistan who was detained at the scene.