Energy Infrastructure: Taliban officials say the Herat section of the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline is now 52% complete, with 80 km of pipe laid and 72.3 km transported from Turkmenistan, aiming to finish the 130 km segment by end-2026. Food & Trade: Kazakhstan reported grain and flour exports of 12.2 million tonnes (Sept 2025–Mar 2026), up 13%, with Afghanistan a key destination as shipments to Kabul rose 58% to 2 million tonnes. Humanitarian & Labor: As the World Day Against Child Labor approaches, millions of Afghan children are leaving school for brick kilns, construction sites and workshops to survive grinding poverty. Regional Security & Supply Chains: With the Afghanistan–Pakistan border closed, an Afghan cancer patient and other families face worsening access to treatment and basic goods, while cross-border trade and logistics keep taking a hit. Global Economic Pressure: The World Bank cut its 2026 growth forecast to 2.5% due to the Middle East war, warning of deeper slowdown if energy disruptions intensify—an outlook that can quickly spill into food and fertilizer costs for Afghanistan and neighbors. Defense Industry Watch: A new forecast puts the military drones market on track to reach $29.57 billion by 2030, reflecting rising demand for UAVs in surveillance, logistics and precision operations.