KABUL: A $369 million contract has been awarded to a leading American company to manufacture 2,293 medium tactical vehicles (MTVs) for the Afghan National Security Force’s (ANSF). Under the contract, production would begin immediately, with deliveries beginning next year and concluding in 2019, the Navistar Defense announced on Thursday. Kevin …
Read More »Dutch aid worker freed in Afghanistan
A Dutch aid worker who was abducted by unknown gunmen in Kabul has been freed after being held for almost three months. Details of the release are unclear. The Dutch Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that aid worker Anja de Beer, who was abducted on June 22, had been freed. …
Read More »Pakistan to extend refugee registration cards: UNHCR
The Pakistan government has agreed to extend the proof of registration (PoR) cards for Afghan refugees till the end of 2017, the UN refugee agency has said. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative Indrika Ratwatte said this at a meeting with Balochistan Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai on Wednesday. …
Read More »Hundreds rally in Khost against new e-ID cards
Hundreds of residents on Thursday protested in southeastern Khost province, demanding the words “Afghan” and “Islam” be mentioned in the electronic national identity cards. A test drive for the electronic ID cards distribution was expected to begin on August 19, but it was postponed indefinitely by the Presidential Palace amid …
Read More »NATO earmarks $200m for Afghan power infrastructure
KABUL: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Thursday announced allocating $200 million for the extension of electricity from the capital of northern Balkh province to neighboring Baghlan. Maj. Gen. Todd Semonite, Deputy Chief of Staff-Security Assistance, Commanding General of the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, made the announcement during a ceremony …
Read More »US, China say have shared stakes in Afghanistan’s success
The United States and China have shared stakes in the success of Afghanistan, top diplomats said, reiterating their commitment to promoting an Afghan-led reconciliation process. “In this vital mission, the good news is that you don’t stand alone. The US and China share a stake in your success, a pledge …
Read More »Dramatic rescues as tsunami-like flood hits Japan city
Kinugawa river breaks through flood berm in Joso, leaving houses submerged and residents stranded. Military helicopters have plucked residents from the top floors of their homes after raging floodwaters poured in and inundated a wide swath of a city north of Tokyo. As heavy rain pummeled Japan for a second …
Read More »Massoud Day takeaways: We don’t have any decision making institution so far, says Sayyaf
“Karzai condemned the young brain-drain and called on youths to use their energies for rebuilding their own homeland” Pakistan wants a weaker and puppet govt in Kabul, says Abdullah AT-KABUL: The 14th death anniversary of Shaheed Ahmad Shah Masoud marked here on Wednesday. The ex-President Hamid Karzai while addressing the …
Read More »Agriculture as a mainstay of economy
Like other South Asian countries, Afghanistan has been mired in the extreme vicious circle of poverty and widening urban-rural disparities. Over 60 percent people live below the poverty line. Half of them barely manage to eke out a living. A large number of people have started taking the road to …
Read More »Afghanistan will never give up its irredentism on Durand Line: Karzai
“Pakistan presses Afghanistan to recognize the Durand Line as an officially recognized boundary, but Kabul wants it retaken via a peaceful struggle,” former president Abdul Zuhoor Qayomi-KABUL: Ex- president Hamid Karzai said Tuesday that Pakistan has been hell-bent on forcing Kabul to recognize the Durand Line as the officially accepted …
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