World

AT Monitoring Desk KABUL: At least 22 people have been killed and more than 1,000 injured in a powerful earthquake in eastern Turkey, BBC News reported. The magnitude-6.8 quake, centred on the town of Sivrice in Elazig province, caused buildings to collapse and sent residents rushing into the street. Forty-two …

AT News KABUL: Although there is seemingly a fledgling agreement between the Taliban and the United States for a reduction in violence, the Taliban group believes that Americans’ new ‘gratuitous’ demands are a ‘waste of time’ and could compound negotiations ahead of a long-awaited peace deal. The Taliban in its …

AT News KABUL: Against the backdrop of the Parliament’s passing of the national budget bill for the next year, the World Bank is warning Afghanistan will face tough times in 2020 in terms of economic resilience amid existential threats including the exponential political uncertainty and the dwindling foreign aid. Political …

AT Monitoring Desk KABUL: China has appointed Liu Jian as the new special envoy for Afghanistan, Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Geng Shuang said on Wednesday. “Special Envoy Liu is a senior diplomat who has served as China’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Malaysia, Pakistan and other countries”, he said during his regular …

AT News KABUL: The International Federation of Journalist (IFJ) and Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) in a joint statement on Wednesday have condemned the sentence of a Pakistani Journalist Nasrullah Chaudhry by the Anti-Terrorism Court of Pakistan for allegedly possessing banned literature and spreading religious hatred. “Chaudhry, a journalist …

AT News KABUL: Afghan Chief Exectuvie Abdullah Abdullah on Tuesday met with Iranian ambassador to Afghanistan, Bahador Aminian, where discussions surround the Afghan peace talks and regional issues.  During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views over bilateral ties, regional developments and efforts to achieve peace. They also lay emphasize …

AT Monitoring Desk KABUL: Afghanistan purchased 14,000 tons for $7.5 million from Kazakhstan from January to November 2019, says a media report. AKI Press reported the central Asian country earned $21.6 million from petroleum exports during the 11-month period. Kazakhstan exported 42,700 tonnes of gasoline — up from 15,400 tonnes …

AT Monitoring Desk KABUL: India’s Panaji Police has arrested a person for allegedly stabbing an Afghan student at the Goa University. Matiulla Aria, the victim, is recuperating at a hospital in the state capital, while the police are still in search of the other three accused persons. “Satish Nilakanthe, a …

AT News KABUL: A skirmish has broken out along the border crossing in Kunar between Afghan and Pakistani troops on January 20, in which two Afghan forces have been wounded. Pleading anonymity, a security source said Afghan and Pakistani forces engaged in a gun battle along the border crossing with …

AT News KABUL: Eleventh round of Taliban-US negotiations have been propounded by a plethora of speculations about whether an imminent deal between the warring sides will honour a cessation of fighting or its reduction – as there are mixed sets of opinions about both scenarios. An Associated Press report has …