Everything you need to know about Recent Socio- Political and Economical developments in Afghanistan : news, reviews, in-depth analysis, opinion and more
Afghanistan has suffered decades of brutal civil wars that devastated its political, social and economic of this country. With the foreign aid and funds various development initiatives have been taken in Afghanistan. These political developments helped Afghanistan to become a democracy and people?s participation further improved its unstable condition. Developed countries invested huge amount of foreign aid in construction of industries and infrastructure that provided new look to Afghan economy. Various development initiatives are also being taken in the field of health, education, and many welfare programs have also been initiated with the help of foreign funds in order to enhance the human development index of Afghan?s citizens. These developmental initiatives have helped Afghanistan in stabilising the deep-rooted social, political and economical turmoil. The abundance of natural resources like precious stones, metals, petroleum and natural gas have attracted foreign investors to tap the hidden potential of this long troubled land.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has greeted the fellow citizens and Election Commission of India on National Voters Day. PM has also congratulated all officials and all those, who will be awarded today, for their campaigns towards voter education and awareness.
Paris, May 3 (IANS) French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist challenger Francois Hollande went through a fierce verbal battle in a prime-time televised debate that lasted for almost three hours Wednesday night.
Washington, May 3 (ANI): The presence of Al Qaeda and Taliban safe havens in Pakistan still remains an unresolved issue and the biggest risks to the process of turning security gains into a sustainable Afghanistan, according to a new Pentagon report.
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Herat (Afghanistan), May 3 (Xinhua-ANI): Afghan forces have killed 20 Taliban militants in Farah province in western Afghanistan over the past three days, police said Thursday.
Kabul, May 3 (ANI): US Ambassador Ryan Crocker has indicated that the pact between the U.S. and Afghanistan could leave the door open for continued drone strikes against insurgent targets in Pakistan after 2014, commenting on the deal signed in Kabul overnight by U.S. President Barack Obama and Afghan leader Hamid Karzai.There is nothing in this agreement that precludes the right of self-defence for either party and if there are attacks from the territory of any state aimed at us we have the inherent right of self-defence and will employ it," The Express Tribune quoted him, as saying.
Quetta, May 3 (ANI): Thousands of people rallied in Quetta on Wednesday to pay tribute to Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden on his first death anniversary, witnesses said.
Islamabad, May 3 (IANS) Any further attempt on Pakistan's part to preserve its "so-called strategic assets" would further isolate the country and might even invite UN sanctions, warned a Pakistani daily Thursday.
Islamabad, May 3 (IANS) Pakistan has condemned the April 28 burning of copies of the Quran by US pastor Terry Jones in Florida.
Herat (Afghanistan), May 2 (Xinhua-ANI): A dozen armed Taliban militants gave up fighting and joined the government-backed peace process in Herat province 640 km west of capital Kabul on Wednesday, spokesman for the provincial government said.
Kabul, May 2 (Xinhua-ANI): Two soldiers with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) lost their lives as an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off in the eastern part of militancy-plagued Afghanistan on Wednesday, a statement released by the alliance here said.
Kabul, May 2 (ANI): Secrecy around U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Afghanistan was broken after continual chatter on Twitter about his visit.
New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) In a crucial step, India is likely to invite Pakistan for a regional conference of investors on Afghanistan here next month that is aimed at creating regional support for economic stability of the violence-torn country.
New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) Indians working at American military bases in Afghanistan are being looked after by the US authorities, Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vyalar Ravi told the Lok Sabha Wednesday.
Washington, May 2 (IANS) Indian American security expert Vikram J. Singh has been appointed to the key post of deputy assistant secretary of defence for South and Southeast Asia at the Pentagon.
Mugello (Italy), May 2 (IANS) Fernando Alonso brought joy to the Ferrari fans gathered at the Mugello Circuit here by setting the fastest time on a rain-affected opening day of the Formula One mid-season testing. Force India's reserve driver Jules Bianchi was eighth fastest.
Washington, May 2 (IANS) Terrorist safe havens in Pakistan pose a tough challenge, a Pentagon report said as an American official admitted that a strategic partnership agreement with Afghanistan may be "hard" to work due to Pakistan's discomfort with a Kabul government too closely aligned with India.
Kabul, May 2 (ANI): Religious squads in parts of remote north-east Afghanistan still exercise strict control over the population, even though the Taliban regulations were abandoned in Kabul in 2001.
Kabul, May 2 (IANS) Taliban militants carried out an audacious attack in Kabul only hours after US President Barack Obama visited the city, leaving 11 people including all five attackers dead.
New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) Telecom service provider Bharti Airtel Wednesday reported a 28 percent decline in consolidated net income at Rs.1,006 crore for the quarter ended March 31, owing to higher costs on account of 3G licence fee amortisation, forex fluctuation losses and tax provisions.
Washington, May 2 (ANI): Thousands of tons of American military equipment intended for the Afghan army and police forces is stranded in Pakistan, as Islamabad refuses to reopen ground supply routes for NATO convoys despite increasing pressure from Washington, according to a new Pentagon report.
At least eight people were killed and 17 injured in a massive suicide bomb attack in the capital.
Kabul, May 2 (IANS) Eight people were killed and 17 injured in an audacious Taliban attack in the Afghan capital Wednesday, hours after US President Barack Obama's Kabul visit that came exactly a year after Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was gunned down in Pakistan.
New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) Clarifying that there were no Indian casualties, India Wednesday said it was closely monitoring the situation in Kabul after eight people were killed and 17 injured in suicide bombings and a gunbattle in the Afghan capital.
Sydney, May 2 (IANS) Obese women are more likely to be discriminated against when applying for jobs and also receive lower starting salaries than their slim colleagues, an Australian study says.
Washington, May 2 (IANS) The United States has put India, China, Pakistan and ten other countries on a priority watch list for allegedly providing insufficient protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights or limited market access.
Kabul, May 2 (ANI): US President Barack Obama, on a surprise visit to Afghanistan, has claimed that America's goal to defeat Al-Qaeda and deny the terror group a chance to rebuild was now 'within reach'.
Washington, May 2 (IANS) As President Barack Obama signed a strategic partnership agreement with Afghanistan, a senior official admitted it may be "hard" to work due to Pakistan's discomfort with a Kabul government too closely aligned with India.
Kabul, May 2 (IANS) Eight people were killed and 17 injured in suicide bombings and a gunbattle in the Afghan capital Wednesday, hours after US President Barack Obama's Kabul visit that came exactly a year after Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was gunned down in Pakistan.
Washington, May 2 (IANS) US-led coalition forces have weakened the Taliban in Afghanistan, but terrorist safe havens in Pakistan and endemic corruption still pose tough challenges, a new Pentagon report says.
Skopje, May 2 (IANS) As many as 20 people suspected of murdering five men last month near a lake close to the capital city of Skopje have been arrested, Macedonian interior ministry has said.
Kabul, May 2 (IANS) The US President Barack Obama signed a cooperation agreement with Afghanistan as he paid an unannounced visit to the war-torn country Tuesday on the first anniversary of the killing of Al Qaeda's ex-chief Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.
Kabul, May 2 (IANS) US President Barack Obama arrived in Kabul late Tuesday on an unannounced visit to meet his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai, reported local media citing Afghan officials.
New Delhi, May 1 (ANI): Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul on Tuesday said that a political approach was needed to counter the Taliban, and added that the Hamid Karzai-led government would be willing to talk with only those groups who recognise and respect the democratic set up and the sanctity of human rights.
Mumbai, May 1 (IANS) There has been a whopping eight-fold increase in the number of applicants for the prestigious Staff Selection Commission examinations, from one million to nearly nine million in the past four years, a top official said here Tuesday.
New Delhi, May 1 (IANS) A fortnight after multiple terror strikes, Afghanistan Tuesday sought India's assistance in equipping its security forces to counter the Taliban in the run-up to the 2014 withdrawal of international forces from the violence-torn country.
New Delhi, May 1 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S.M Krishna on Tuesday said India would ensure that Afghanistan does not become "a target for extremist forces"
New Delhi, May 1 (IANS) A fortnight after multiple terror strikes, Afghanistan Tuesday sought India's assistance in equipping its security forces, indicating increased security cooperation between the two countries in the run-up to the withdrawal of international forces from the violence-torn country.
London, May 1 (IANS) Osama bin Laden was depressed because his Al Qaeda had been pounded by US forces and had developed a reputation in the Islamic world for killing Muslims. He, therefore, thought of "re-branding" the terror outfit.
New Delhi, May 1 (ANI): Foreign Ministers of India and Afghanistan met here on Tuesday and reviewed progress in bilateral ties.
Kabul, May 1 (Xinhua-ANI): Afghan police, backed by army and NATO-led coalition forces, have eliminated 19 Taliban militants during cleanup operations across the country within the past 24 hours, the Afghan Interior Ministry said on Tuesday morning. "Afghan National Police (ANP), Afghan National Army, NDS or Afghan intelligence agency and Coalition Forces launched 11 joint cleanup operations in Kabul, Baghlan, Faryab, Kandahar, Helmand, Wardak, Logar, Khost, and Farah provinces over the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement.
London, May 1 (IANS) Four Pakistani-Britons have been charged with taking inspiration from Al Qaeda magazine Inspire, and plotting to use a toy car to attack a base of the Territorial Army in Britain's Luton town. The plot was, however, foiled.
Washington, May 1 (ANI): India's image has transformed drastically in the last decade from an aid recipient nation to a global power, experts say.
New Delhi, May 1 (IANS) A year after Osama bin Laden was hunted down and killed at his safehouse in Pakistan's military town of Abbottabad by elite American forces, an event that made splashing headlines the world over, strategic analysts across the spectrum are agreed that little has changed and the Al Qaeda may be weakened but is still dangerous.
Kabul, May 1 (IANS) A total of 16 Taliban militants have surrendered before the Afghanistan government and joined its peace process, a government official said.
New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) Building upon their landmark strategic pact, India and Afghanistan will Tuesday hold the maiden meeting of their newly-minted partnership council and explore ways of bolstering intelligence sharing system in the wake of recent serial terror strikes in the violence-afflicted country.
London, Apr 30 (ANI): Cheryl Cole has revealed that her fractured relationship with Simon Cowell was saved after she blew up a life-size dummy of him.
Islamabad, Apr 30 (ANI): A fresh drone strike by America in Pakistan's North Waziristan Agency, which killed three suspected militants and injured two, clearly indicates that the Central Investigation Agency would press ahead with its drone strikes in that country, despite the Parliament's demand to end the attacks.
Islamabad, Apr 30(ANI): Jamaat-ud- Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed has blamed both the United States and India for the recent sectarian unrest in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B).
Kabul, Apr 30 (Xinhua-ANI): Fourteen Taliban militants have been killed and 16 others detained during military operations conducted by Afghan forces and NATO-led coalition troops within the past 24 hours.
Washington/Islamabad, April 30 (IANS) Al Qaeda's top leaders, including its new chief Ayman al-Zawahri, continue to "burrow" in Pakistan's tribal areas, said a top US official as a Pakistani journalist warned that a dead Osama bin Laden is as dangerous as a living one.
London, Apr 30 (ANI): Leaders of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban closely planned attacks against NATO troops in Afghanistan, the Afghan Government and targets in Pakistan, a document found in Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad compound has revealed.
Islamabad, April 30 (IANS) A dead Osama bin Laden is as dangerous as a living one, senior Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir has written a year after the killing of the Al Qaeda chief.
Islamabad, April 29 (IANS) At least three people were killed and 20 others injured Sunday in a car bombing in Pakistan's northwest tribal area, a media report said.
Washington, Apr 29 (ANI): A senior American political columnist, John Avlon, has said President Barack Obama's decision to give the green signal to a Navy Seal raid that killed Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has fundamentally altered the US political landscape.
Agartala, Apr 29(ANI): The decline of militancy in the northeast has meant that the socio- economic growth of the rural areas has gained momentum, with several government schemes being implemented in the region.esidents of Dinemara Village weave clothes and sell them in markets. Earlier, they faced a militancy threat. However all such fears have subsided now. The self-employed villagers are happy as they can send their children to schools and look after their families.
Washington, Apr 29(ANI): Relations between Pakistan and the United States are yet to mend after one year after the killing of former Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden.
Mumbai, April 29 (IANS) Afflicted by misgovernance and corruption, India's global clout has waned over the past year but could swing back if the economy regains its growth trajectory, says a geopolitical power index (GPI) report by an independent Mumbai-based think tank.
Islamabad, April 29 (IANS) US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron P. Munter has blamed the Pakistani media for "misreporting the issue of Hafiz Saeed" and said the US government did not announce any bounty "specifically" for the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief.
Bangalore (Karnataka), April 29 (ANI): The Talibanisation of certain elements in Pakistan is a serious concern for Indian security as far as threats posed by its neighbours is concerned, said Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne.
Lahore, Apr 29(ANI): U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter has said that only Afghan leadership can resolve the Afghanistan issue and added that Pakistan and the United States can only give Kabul a helping hand.
Islamabad, Apr 29(ANI): The Afghan Taliban has rejected the trilateral forum agreement in Islamabad that had agreed to give a safe passage to moderate elements of the Taliban, who are willing to talk to the Afghan government.
Kabul, April 29 (IANS) A soldier with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) died Saturday in Afghanistan, a statement said.
Kabul, April 28 (IANS) At least two Taliban militants and two policemen were killed when the rebels Saturday attacked the office of the governor of Kandahar province in Afghanistan, Xinhua reported.
New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) Afghanistan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rassoul will arrive here Monday on a three-day visit to India during which the two sides will discuss the future of their bilateral relations.
Islamabad, Apr 28 (ANI): The latest talks on ending a diplomatic deadlock between the United States and Pakistan ended in failure on Friday over Pakistan's demands for an unconditional apology from the United States for the deadly airstrike by NATO craft in its territory.
Brunei, Apr 28 (Xinhua-ANI): Europen Union (EU) foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is travelling to Myanmar on Saturday and open an EU office in Yangon, a further move after the bloc suspended most sanctions on the country earlier this month. However, its members seems still divided on whether to fully and permanently lift the sanctions.
Kabul, Apr 28 (Xinhua-ANI): Two local Haqqani leaders were detained Saturday in eastern Afghan province of Khost, the NATO- led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) forces said.
Islamabad, Apr 28 (ANI): Ex Al-Qaeda chief, Osama bin Laden resorted to viagra and hair dye in his desperation to cling on to his youth to keep up with his three wives.
Islamabad, Apr 28(ANI): Pakistan, US and Afghanistan have agreed to provide a 'safe passage' to Taliban militants willing to join the reconciliation talks and set up a working group to settle modalities for their unhindered movement.
Washington, Apr 28 (ANI): The United States said it continues to work with Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and believes he remains the leader of Pakistan's democratic government.
Washington, Apr 28 (ANI): Taking their cue from the humble leaf, researchers have used microscopic folds on the surface of photovoltaic material to considerably increase the power output of flexible, low-cost solar cells.
Kabul, April 28 (IANS) A NATO soldier was killed Friday in a Taliban attack in southern Afghanistan.
Srinagar, April 27 (IANS) Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, chairman of the moderate Hurriyat group, Friday said his group would oppose and expose religious institutions being supported by the government to create sectarian strife among the Muslims in Kashmir.
Islamabad, April 27 (IANS) Terming the US drone strikes inside Pakistani territory as "useless" and "counter-productive", Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari Friday told a visiting US diplomat that building mutual trust between the two countries was the key to success in counter-terrorism operations.
New Delhi, April 27 (IANS) In the backdrop of recent terror attacks in Afghanistan, United National Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Friday described the situation there as a source of "a strong sense of alarm and concern" and called for the international security force there to strengthen the Afghan forces to take charge in 2014 when they withdraw.
Islamabad, April 27 (IANS) Top Pakistani, Afghan and US officials Friday agreed to form a group at the UN to coordinate activities in New York and accelerate the process of reconciliation in war-torn Afghanistan.
Beijing, April 27 (IANS) A 60-year-old former political advisor in a Chinese province was Friday sentenced to death for taking around $2 million in bribes and sanctioning projects in return. This was the second death sentence for taking bribes in the country announced in a week.
New Delhi, Apr 27(ANI): Four Indian state-owned entities are on a short list to bid for copper and gold projects in Afghanistan.
Kabul, April 27 (IANS) An Afghan soldier opened fire at NATO forces in Afghanistan's Kandahar province, killing a US serviceman and an Afghan interpreter, a media report said Friday.
Washington, Apr 27 (ANI): The United States has voiced hope that Pakistan would resolve the political crisis surrounding Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, which has heated up just as both nations look to repair an uneasy partnership.
Kabul, April 27 (ANI): The Taliban has closed down about 50 schools in southeastern Afghanistan, while the Afghan Government has banned the use of motorcycles in the southern districts of Ghazni Province.
Washington, Apr 27(ANI): A military court has refused to reject a charge that former US army private first class, Bradley Manning aided Al-Qaeda by leaking thousands of files to the whistle-blower website, WikiLeaks.
Kandahar (Afghanistan), April 26 (Xinhua-ANI): Eight Taliban militants were killed during an operation in southern Afghan province of Kandahar, provincial police chief said on Thursday.
Washington, Apr 26(ANI): The US "wants to hear the Pakistani Government's presentation of where it thinks the bilateral relationship needs to go," before it conveys its reaction to the parliamentary review, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland has said.
Moscow, April 26 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The terms and goals of the projected US presence in Afghanistan beyond 2014 need to be clarified, the Russian foreign ministry said Thursday.
New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) Heavy showers lashed Delhi Thursday, continuing the spell of good weather and making April this year an unusually pleasant month, according to the Met office. Friday could also see some thunderstorms.
Kabul, April 26 (IANS) Two groups of Taliban - comprising 33 and 10 rebels - Thursday gave up arms and joined the peace process in Afghanistan, officials said.
New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) India said Thursday it has almost finalised the transit fee with Afghanistan and Pakistan for import of gas from Turkmenistan through a pipeline that will pass through these two countries.
New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) Delhiites Thursday again experienced a soft, cool breeze and light drizzle as the Met Office said April this year has been an unusually pleasant month. Friday could also see some thunderstorms.
Jakarta, April 26 (Xinhua-ANI): An Indonesian senior official said on Thursday that Indonesia will suspend imports of U.S. beef from Thursday because of a confirmed U.S. case of mad cow disease, a local media reported here.
London, April 26 (ANI): Scientists who looked at hundreds of studies of mobile phone exposure have found no conclusive links to cancer risk, brain function or infertility.
Islamabad, April 25 (IANS) The Pakistan Air Force Wednesday forced a Russian-made cargo plane belonging to a foreign military to land at the Karachi airport after it violated Pakistani airspace, media reports said.
Islamabad, Apr 25 (ANI): An editorial in a Pakistan daily has said the country should support the reconciliation process between the militants and the governments in Kabul and Washington, instead of following the so-called policy of strategic depth, which has only brought about severe political, social and economic damage to the country.
Islamabad, April 25 (IANS) The Pakistan Air Force Wednesday forced a Russia-made cargo plane belonging to a foreign military to land at the Karachi airport after it violated Pakistani airspace, a media report said.
Islamabad, April 25 (IANS) Top Pakistani, Afghan and US diplomats will meet in Islamabad April 26-27 to review the peace process in Afghanistan, the Pakistani foreign ministry said Wednesday.
London, Apr 25 (ANI): The UK should not 'rush for the exits' in Afghanistan, a commander of a British army brigade in the war-torn nation has warned.
Washington, Apr 25 (ANI): A key US General has said American commanders have come to accept that Pakistani leaders are willing to take only limited steps toward halting the flow of drugs and bomb-making materials to Afghanistan.
Islamabad, Apr 25 (ANI): The U.S. Embassy has said that the country is ready to discuss parliamentary recommendations with Pakistan, and is just waiting for a schedule for formal talks.
Washington, April 25(ANI): An ingredient of oregano, the common pizza and pasta seasoning herb, could potentially be used to treat prostate cancer, researchers including one of an Indian have found.
Islamabad, Apr 25 (ANI): Top diplomats from Pakistan, Afghanistan and the U.S. will meet in Islamabad on April 27 to discuss "obstacles" to the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan, announced Omar Daudzai, the country's ambassador in Pakistan.
