Nation

AT-KABUL: Nine Afghan employees of a Czech aid organization, People In Need, were killed when suspected Taliban fighters attacked their guesthouse in northern Balkh province, said provincial officials today. No group has claimed responsibility for the killings in the relatively tranquil Balkh province, but provincial officials blamed militants for the …

AT-KABUL: The Women Political Rights Advocacy Group (WPRAG) has urged the National Unity Government (NUG) on Monday to appoint nine women as provincial governors. Members of the WPRAG and scores of rights activists in a press conference said that women should be given sufficient representation in the Supreme Court and …

AT Monitoring Desk-KABUL: Pakistan’s external affairs ministry’s spokesman, Qazi Khalilullah, on Monday said Islamabad is committed to implement all pledges made with Afghan leaders. According to Pakistan’s Jang newspaper, the spokesman said that Pakistan is aware of Afghan president’s letter addressed to Pakistani leadership through media. He added that Pakistan …

AT-KABUL: Following criticisms about signing of an intelligence sharing deal between Kabul and Islamabad, the Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah on Monday said the National Unity Government (NUG) will not sign any agreement which is against the national interests of Afghanistan. He told the session of Council of Ministers (CoM) that …

Abdul Zuhoor Qayomi-KABUL: The Ministry of Finance (MoF) on Monday said that domestic revenues had increased by seven percent as compared to the last year. Minister of Finance Muhammad Eklil Hakemi, who was summoned by the Wolesi Jirga, said the domestic revenues increased five percent beyond the target fixed in …

AT-KABUL: The Ministry of Information and Culture (MoIC) termed unemployment, drug addiction and insecurity as great challenges before youth. The Deputy Minister for Youth Affairs in the MoIC, Temor Shah Ishaqzai, while talking to a gathering of youth in Kabul, said that unemployment usually compel youth to join militant groups. …

By Safiullah Amani-KABUL: Nai Supporting open Media in Afghanistan, a watchdog, on Monday expressed concerns over the authorities cold-shoulder response to the media-persons when approached for information of public interest. Chief of the Nai said that despite approval of the Access to Information Law, the officials were using delaying tactics …

AT-KABUL: Two students and a teacher were killed when a rocket hit a school in the central Logar province on Sunday, said an official. The Ministry of Education in a statement said that the rocket hit Topak primary school in Baraki Barak district of the province. The rocket attack killed …

AT Monitoring Desk-KABUL: The Senate on Sunday approved a strategic cooperation agreement between Kabul and Ankara. The agreement was endorsed by Wolesi Jirga—the Lower House of the parliament—in May and later was sent to Meshrano Jirga, the Upper House. The strategic pact was signed between Afghan and Turkish presidents in …

Abdul Zuhoor Qayomi-KABUL: Minister of Justice, Abdul Basir Anwar, on Sunday said that those who grabbed the state-owned lands in the past 13 years would be brought to the books. Addressing a press conference, the minister vowed that usurped properties would be retaken from the grabbers while enforcing the court …