Page 24 - Afghanistan

US military equipment left in Afghanistan now in militant hands: Pak PM

Pakistan's caretaker prime minister claimed on Monday that US military equipment left behind during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan has fallen into militant hands and ultimately made its way to the Pakistani Taliban. The equipment which includes a wide variety of items, from night vision goggles to firearms is now emerging as a new challenge for Islamabad as it has enhanced the fighting capabilities of the Pakistani Taliban, Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said. The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, have over the past months intensified attacks on Pakistan's security forces. They are a separate militant group but an ally of the Afghan Taliban. The Taliban overran Afghanistan in mid-August 2021 as US and NATO troops were in the last weeks of their chaotic pullout from the country after 20 years of war. In the face of the Taliban sweep, the US-backed and trained Afghan military crumbled. There is no definite information on how much US equipme

840,000 Afghans who applied for US resettlement programme still waiting

More than 8,40,000 Afghans who applied for a resettlement programme aimed at people who helped the US war effort in Afghanistan are still there waiting, according to a report that lays out the challenges with a programme intended to help America's allies in the two-decade long conflict. The report released Thursday by the State Department's inspector general outlines steps the department took to improve processing of special immigrant visas for Afghans. But two years after the US pullout from Afghanistan and the return of the Taliban to power, challenges remain. The visa programme was started in 2009 to help Afghans who worked side-by-side with Americans and faced significant risks for doing so. A similar programme exists for Iraqis. Both programmes have been plagued by criticism that cases move much too slowly, leaving applicants in dangerous limbo. And since the US left Afghanistan the number of people applying for the visas has skyrocketed. According to the report, there were a .

'Help us play again': Afghanistan's female cricketers plead with ICC

Just over two years ago, Firooza Amiri was an 18-year-old batter for the Afghanistan women's cricket team, ready to take on the world if given the chance. But just like that, her world and that of millions of others in her country changed forever. Forced to flee with her family when the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan on Aug. 15, 2021, Amiri and her family first traveled to Pakistan and then were evacuated to Australia, She still lives in Australia, along with most of her 25 teammates. Now, looking for their place in international competition, they are pleading with the International Cricket Council and the Afghanistan cricket authorities to give them a place to play, despite the Taliban's ban on women in sport and education. Yeah, unfortunately two weeks ago was the two-year anniversary of the Taliban and our BLACK DAY, Amiri said in a message to The Associated Press, accentuating two words in capital letters. Amiri and her family were from the oasis city of Herat, then the .

Will continue to support allies, proud to have welcomed 115,000 Afghans: US

Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, marking the conclusion of two years since the end of the war in Afghanistan, has said that the US will "continue to push to help resettle our Afghan allies".

Taliban say they have signed mining contracts worth $6.5 bn in Afghanistan

Afghanistan's ruling Taliban government said it signed seven mining contracts Thursday amounting to USD 6.5 billion in investment, in the biggest such round of deals since seizing power two years ago. The seven contracts are with locally based companies, many of whom have foreign partners in countries including China, Iran, and Turkiye. They include the extraction and processing of iron ore, lead, zinc and gold in four provinces: Herat, Ghor, Logar and Takhar. A statement on the contracts from Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund gave few details, but said they would create thousands of jobs and significantly improve the economic situation of the country. Any figures given for the deals could be misleading unless they lead to fully realized mining operations on the ground, which could take years, said Javed Noorani, an expert in Afghanistan's mining sector. The Taliban know Afghanistan has minerals and this is cash, but it's not easy cash, Noorani t

WHO appeals for budget of $125 mn for funding of Afghanistan's hospitals

The organisation also noticed a decrease in the size of its local health teams, which went from 513 to 453 people

Over 200 fmr officials, security forces killed since Taliban takeover: UN

More than 200 extrajudicial killings of former Afghan government officials and security forces have taken place since the Taliban took over the country two years ago, according to a UN report released on Tuesday. The groups most targeted by the Taliban have been former army, police and intelligence forces, according to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. UNAMA documented at least 800 human rights violations against former Afghan government officials and security forces between August 15, 2021, when the Taliban seized power, and the end of June 2023. The Taliban swept across Afghanistan as US and NATO troops were in the final weeks of their withdrawal from the country after two decades of war. The US-trained and backed Afghan forces crumbled in the face of the Taliban advance and former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. Individuals were detained by the de facto (Taliban) security forces, often briefly, before being killed. Some were taken to detention

India supplied 47,500 MT of wheat to Afghanistan since Taliban's takeover

Besides sending wheat, India has also been consistently providing medical and food assistance using land routes bordering Pakistan and the Chabahar Port in Iran

Hamid Karzai urges Taliban to reopen schools, universities for girls

Karzai urged all to educate their children, including girls. He called on the Taliban to open schools for girls and promote nationwide education for true independence

Will return soon: Afghan envoy to India after 'missing' reports

He further stated that the embassy continues to function its routine work normally and has diligently addressed various matters

Over 15 million people suffer from food insecurity in Afghanistan: Report

It further stated that 2.7 million people in Afghanistan are facing famine, reported TOLO News

Taliban believe their rule open-ended, ban on female education to continue

The Taliban view their rule of Afghanistan as open-ended, drawing legitimacy from Islamic law and facing no significant threat, their chief spokesman said in an interview marking the second anniversary of the Taliban takeover of the country. He also indicated a ban on female education will remain in place. Zabihullah Mujahid brushed aside any questions from The Associated Press about restrictions on girls and women, saying the status quo will remain. The ban on girls attending school beyond sixth grade was the first of what became a flurry of restrictions that now keep Afghan women from classrooms, most jobs and much of public life. The Taliban seized power on August 15, 2021, as US and NATO forces withdrew from the country after two decades of war. To mark the anniversary, Tuesday was declared a public holiday. Women, largely barred from public life, didn't take part in the festivities. In the southern city of Kandahar, the spiritual birthplace of the Taliban, military personnel

Water Wars: Conflict Between Iran and Afghanistan

Afghanistan and Iran are locked in a water dispute over the Helmand River, a critical source of drinking water, irrigation and fishing for both countries.

30% booksellers in Afghanistan shut shop due to lack of good market: Report

Abdul Wodod Mukhtarzada, member of commission, said that the booksellers have also complained about high taxes which are difficult to pay as their business has witnessed a decline

Afghanistan sees 70% fall in manufacturing activities due to power shortage

The decline in manufacturing activities occurred due to severe power shortages, which led to the loss of thousands of jobs for the local people

Amid Afghanistan-Iran water dispute, Taliban prepares suicide bombers

After two decades fighting the US, Taliban leaders now find themselves sparring with neighbors as the realities of global warming hit home

Amid humanitarian crisis, UN to cut aid to 21 million in Afghanistan

The 3.2 billion US dollar plea to aid almost half of the Afghan population has received less than 25 per cent of its funding more than halfway through the year

UN official criticizes ban on women's education in Afghanistan by Taliban

Garnier in a press conference said the UN and the international community's pressure on Taliban is "critical" owing to the country's restrictions on girls' education

10 injured after 5.5-magnitude earthquake strikes east China's Shandong

A 5.5-magnitude earthquake jolted Pingyuan County of Dezhou City in Shandong Province at 2A shallow earthquake resulted in injuries to at least 10 people and the collapse of numerous buildings, CGTN reported citing a report by the US Geological Survey (USGS). The quake was centred 26 kilometres south of Dezhou city in Shandong province, at a depth of 10 kilometres. Earlier, on Saturday, an earthquake of magnitude 5.8 jolted Afghanistan, the National Center for Seismology reported.The earthquake struck at 21:31:48 IST, at a depth of 181 kms.According to NCS, the epicentre of the quake was at Latitude: 36.38 and Longitude: 70.77."Earthquake of Magnitude:5.8, Occurred on 05-08-2023, 21:31:48 IST, Lat: 36.38 & Long: 70.77, Depth: 181 Km, Location: Hindu Kush Region, Afghanistan," the NCS tweeted.There were no reports of casualties or material damage in the quake.

Taliban-run Afghanistan calls for removal of sanctions in meeting with US

Taliban-appointed acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Muttaqi on Saturday left Kabul for Qatar to meet with US special envoy for Afghanistan