KABUL: Afghanistan began registering voters across the war-torn country this weekend, as it seeks to ensure long-delayed legislative elections in October are seen as credible and fraud-free.
Over the next two months authorities hope to register as many as 14 million adults at more than 7,000 polling centers — an ambitious goal in a country where militants control or contest much of the territory.
“The main challenge is insecurity, particularly in rural areas,” Abdul Badie Sayad, chairman of the Independent Election Commission, told AFP recently.
In addition to the Taliban and Daesh group terrorizing swathes of the population, “local powers, illegal militias and strongmen will try to interfere” in the parliamentary and district council elections, Sayad predicted.
A shortage of female staff at polling centers, particularly in conservative rural areas, could also impede participation by women in the polls, which are seen as a test run for next year’s presidential elections.
“Women won’t be given permission from their families to reach the registration centers where they may be asked to remove their burqa to show their faces,” Sayad said.
In Kabul on Saturday police officers stood guard at a school being used as a polling center, but only a handful of men showed up to register.
One of them was Mohammad Hussein, a 54-year-old shopkeeper, who said he wanted to vote for a candidate “able to bring about change in this country.”
“I voted in 2010 but I made a mistake — the MP didn’t bring any change. This time I need to vote for someone who works without taking bribes,” Hussein told AFP.
The October 20 polls were originally set to be held in 2015 following presidential elections the previous year, but were repeatedly pushed back due to security fears and logistical issues within the fragile unity government.
If held, candidates will contest the 249 seats in the National Assembly for five-year terms. The country will also hold regional elections in tandem in hundreds of districts across Afghanistan — some of which are outside of Kabul’s control.
Over the coming weeks the IEC hopes to register 13-14 million people at polling centers where they will be required to cast their vote, which officials hope will reduce the risk of ballot-box stuffing.
A television advertising campaign has been launched to persuade ordinary Afghans that their vote will count — something that will be a challenge after a disputed presidential election in 2014.
“We are trying very hard to increase the confidence of the public to increase the legitimacy of the elections,” Sayad said.
Afghans register to vote in long-delayed elections amid violence
Afghans register to vote in long-delayed elections amid violence
Lufthansa adds more flights to Asia, Africa as Middle East war reshapes air travel
- Airlines across Europe have been redirecting capacity after suspending services in the Middle East
- Lufthansa said the move also helps meet demand on long-haul routes that Middle Eastern carriers cannot currently serve
LONDON: Lufthansa said on Friday it was shifting capacity from 10 canceled Middle Eastern destinations to routes such as Singapore and Bangkok as it contends with disruption from the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Airlines across Europe, including budget carrier Wizz Air , have been redirecting capacity after suspending services in the Middle East.
Lufthansa said the move also helps meet demand on long-haul routes that Middle Eastern carriers cannot currently serve.
Airline stocks have slumped this week as US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran — and retaliatory strikes by Iran across the Middle East — have disrupted long-haul flights and sent oil prices soaring.
“The war in the Middle East proves once again how exposed air traffic is and how vulnerable it remains,” Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said in a statement. He added the outlook was uncertain, particularly for jet fuel costs.
The schedule changes came as the German group reported better-than-expected 2025 results, saying stricter financial management and fleet renewal had helped contain costs and lift profits. Its shares rose as much as 4 percent, before reversing to trade down 1.2 percent at 1246 GMT.
The company said demand on routes to and from Asia and Africa had risen strongly since the conflict began on Saturday, and it would stick with its focus on expanding long-haul services. Spohr said new flights to Asia would launch in days.
Lufthansa did say how many services it had canceled because of the conflict.
While carriers face costs for rescheduling and rerouting, the biggest impact for those outside the Middle East is expected from surging fuel prices. Brent crude futures have jumped more than 20 percent this week.
Spohr said Lufthansa was well hedged in the short term. The group hedges fuel up to 24 months ahead and was 85 percent hedged as of December 31, according to its annual report.
RESILIENCE
European carriers, including Lufthansa, benefited from slightly lower fuel bills in 2025. Lufthansa’s fuel bill fell 7 percent, helping support earnings as passenger demand stayed firm.
“Last year we were able to significantly increase the Group’s operating profit and achieved the highest revenue in our history. Our results demonstrate the resilience and stability of the Group,” Spohr said.
Lufthansa reported an adjusted operating profit of 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion), compared with 1.9 billion euros forecast in a company-compiled analyst poll and up from 1.6 billion euros in 2024. The group also posted an operating margin of 4.9 percent, up from 4.4 percent a year earlier.
Lufthansa aims to lift operating margins to 8 percent-10 percent between 2028 and 2030 from 4.4 percent in 2024, but strikes by workers, including the most recent on February 12, have made it harder to boost profitability.
Bernstein analyst Alex Irving said ongoing weakness in the passenger airline segment persisted, but that strong performances in Cargo and Lufthansa Technik helped lift profits.
The carrier said the outlook for 2026 was unclear due to geopolitical uncertainty. It projected capacity growth of 4 percent, alongside increased revenue and profit margin.
