Afghanistan announces parliament elections date scheduled for 7 July 2018

The Afghanistan Independent Elections Commission (IEC) announced the date for the long waited parliamentary elections. IEC chief Najibullah Ahmadzai said the parliamentary elections date has been set for the July 7th of 2018. He made the announcement during a press conference in Kabul this evening,...

Afghanistan confirmed as full members by the International cricket council

The Afghanistan national cricket team has been confirmed as the full members by the International cricket council. " Afghanistan Cricket Board and Cricket Ireland have been confirmed as Full Members of the International Cricket Council after a unanimous vote at the ICC Full Council meeting at The Oval...

Afghanistan and US hold talks regarding the framework of new bilateral cooperation

The top Afghan and US officials have held talks regarding the framework of the new bilateral cooperation between Kabul and Washington. The Office of the National Security Council (ONSC) in a statement said Afghanistan's national security adviser and his US counterpart General Herbert McMaster discussed...

UNAMA Chief Calls For Urgent Reforms To Avert Future Crises

Briefing the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Tadamichi Yamamoto said the recent "security and political crisis was sparked by a terrorist bombing in Kabul's centre on 31 May." He said this was followed by demonstrations...

Moscow cancels meeting with top US diplomat due to new sanctions

Russia has canceled a high-level meeting between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and US Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon in response to Washington's new sanctions against Moscow. Ryabkov, in a statement posted on the site of Russia's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday,...

US, Qatar, Israel rejoice at appointment of new Saudi heir

US President Donald Trump has called Saudi Arabia’s new crown prince to congratulate him. According to a White House statement released Wednesday, the president and Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman spoke on the phone “to advance our shared goals of security, stability, and prosperity...

�Unprecedented� 81 million need food aid: Study

Prolonged conflicts and droughts have left an unprecedented 81 million people needing food aid in 2017, a specialist US-based agency said on Wednesday, revising up its earlier estimates. People in 45 countries are unable to feed themselves, said the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET),...

Palace Coup in Saudi Arabia as King Sacks Crown Prince Nayef, Appoints Son, Bin Salman

Saudi Arabian King Salman has sacked Muhammad bin Nayef as crown prince, replacing him with Mohammad bin Salman in an anticipated palace coup. According to a royal decree published by state news agency SPA King Salman called for a public pledging of allegiance in Mecca on Wednesday to the new crown...

Rights Groups Slam Govt Over Crackdown Against Protesters

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) and the Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization (AHRDO) on Wednesday slammed the Afghan government for the way it dealt with Uprising for Change movement protesters in Kabul, saying the crackdown against them was illegal and uncivilized. The...

Ghani Appoints Civil Service Reforms Commissioners

President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday introduced new members of the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission where he warned that "no one should interfere in the commission". Ghani introduced the eight new members at an event on Wednesday in Kabul. According to him, the commission...

UN Report States Security Situation �Intensely Volatile�

According to a UN report, released on Wednesday, on security in Afghanistan, the situation remains "intensely volatile". The three-monthly report on Afghanistan, provided a summary of key political and security developments and regional and international events relating to Afghanistan. The report stated...

Pakistan Opens Illegal Trade Crossing Into Afghanistan: MoCI

The Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MoCI) on Wednesday said Pakistan has been trying to open illegal transit routes with Afghanistan in an attempt to boost its declining trade with the country. According to MoCI, the opening of a new crossing by Pakistan along the Durand Line into Koram Agency...

Ex-senior Afghan officials jailed, fined on embezzlement of over AFN 1 billion

Four former senior officials of the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing of Afghanistan were jailed and fined over the embezzlement of more than one billion Afghanis while they were serving in the ministry. The ex-officials, apart from one missing, were tried by the Appellate court of the special...

Lavrov slams Washington�s latest round of anti-Russia sanctions

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has slammed the US’s "Russophobe obsession" after Washington intensifies its anti-Moscow trade sanctions over its alleged complicity in the Ukraine crisis. Lavrov denounced Washington’s policies during a joint presser held with French Foreign...

US questions Saudi concerns over Qatar�s alleged support for terrorism

The United States questions the Saudi and Emirati governments’ true motive in regard to war on terrorism, saying it is “mystified” by their failure to present details about the diplomatic crisis involving Qatar. "The more the time goes by, the more doubt is raised about the actions...

Millions set to hold rallies across globe on International Quds Day

Millions of people are set to attend the International Quds Day rallies in various parts of the world to show their solidarity with the oppressed Palestinian people and condemn Israeli atrocities. Millions of people across Iran and other countries will stage massive rallies on the last Friday of the...

NASA discovers 10 more Earth-size planets

NASA revealed Monday 10 new rocky, Earth-sized planets that could potentially have liquid water and support life. The Kepler mission team released a survey of 219 potential exoplanets -- planets outside of our solar system -- that had been detected by the space observatory launched in 2009 to scan...

China Plans Military Base in Pakistan, US Influence Declining

China is set to build a military base in Pakistan as US influence over its once strong ally continues to decline. According to a recent report by The Pentagon, "China most likely will seek to establish additional military bases in countries with which it has a longstanding friendly relationship and...

Iran�s Leader Urges Iraqi Vigilance over US Plots

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has warned against placing trust in the United States, saying Washington is against Iraq’s independence and unity. “Vigilance is required against the Americans and they should not be trusted at all because the US and...

Hamas Stresses Palestinian Right to Return as World Marks Refugee Day

The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas stressed Tuesday that the Palestinian right of return is a basic human right guaranteed by all international laws and resolutions. In its statement issued on the World Refugee Day, the Hamas Office of Refugee Affairs said that the Palestinian refugees’...

Yemen Crisis News Blackout Amid Arab Diplomatic Row

The crisis in relations of Qatar and the Saudi-led Arab bloc has been making headlines on the regional and international media during the past two weeks. The political crisis sparked following comments made by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani as well as other officials of the small Persian...

More Refugees Likely To Return From Iran, Pakistan: UNHRC

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Tuesday said that more Afghan refugees are expected to be repatriated this year from Iran and Pakistan and called on the international community to take steps to help ease the process. Since the start of the current year, tens of thousands...

Two Protesters Dead, Over 20 Wounded In Clash With Police

At least two protesters were killed and more than 20 wounded during clashes between protesters and security forces in downtown Kabul early Tuesday morning. The clash started at about midnight and lasted until 4am Tuesday morning. Protesters said the clash was sparked when security forces tried to dismantle...

Pakistan Still Home To 2 Million Afghan Refugees: UNHCR+Video

Pakistan has taken in Afghan refugees since the 1970s and until today, there is an estimated two million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan. However, last year, Pakistan tightened its refugee policy and since then the UNHCR estimates close to 400,000 Afghans have been repatriated, the Associated Press...

COST, MoPW And MoRRD Sign �Transparency� Agreement

The Construction Sector Transparency Initiative-Afghanistan (COST) on Tuesday signed an agreement with the Ministries of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MoRRD) and Public Works (MoPW) which will see the trio share all information regarding their building projects with the public. This is in an...

Death of protester during clash with Kabul police to be investigated: Abdullah

The Chief Executive of the government of national unity of Afghanistan confirmed the death of a protester during last night's clash with the security forces. Speaking during a gathering in Kabul today, Abdullah said the issue will be thoroughly investigated as he emphasized that the security personnel...

Modi thanks Ghani for Afghanistan-India air corridor initiative

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani for the initiative to launch the Afghanistan-India air corridor. Modi expressed optimisms regarding the inauguration of the air corridor as he welcomed the arrival of the first flight to New Delhi from Kabul. In...

Kabul protesters claim nearly 30 killed, wounded in latest violence

The protesters in Kabul claim that nearly thirty people were killed or wounded during the latest violence between the protesters and security forces. The members of the movement ‘Resurrection for Change' involved in the sit-ins against the government, claimed that two of the protesters were...

Russia blasts US shooting down of Syrian jet as violation of intl. law

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has strongly condemned the United States for shooting down a Syrian Air Force fighter jet in Syria's militant-held northern province of Raqqah as a “massive violation of international law and de facto military aggression.” “This...

Iran summons Swiss envoy over 'meddlesome' US remarks

Iran has summoned the Swiss charge d'affaires to Tehran to protest at the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's recent "meddlesome" remarks against the Islamic Republic, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman says. In a meeting on Monday, the director general for the Americas at Iran's Foreign...