Afghanistan
Afghanistan Ghani Abdullah standoff threatens Taliban peace deal
Just a short walk from the compound of President Ashraf Ghani, the incumbent whose reelection was announced last month, gunmen in armored vehicles guard the smaller palace of his archrival Abdullah Abdullah, who insists he was cheated out of victory and is forming a parallel government. Across the street, gunmen guard the office of Abdurrashid …
Qasem Soleimani killing was a ‘wake-up call’ to Tehran: Prince Turki
The U.S. airstrike that killed Iran’s top commander showed Tehran that it can’t get away with its provocations, but won’t stop the country from continuing with its agenda, a former chief of Saudi intelligence told CNBC. “The taking out of (Qasem) Soleimani definitely has been an important step to check at least some of the …
Donald Trump to Afghanistan: Inside the President’s sneak Thanksgiving trip
The 16-hour trip — plus the three more Trump spent on the ground at Bagram Air Field north of Kabul — were shrouded in secrecy under the protocol that a war zone visit by the US commander in chief demands. At 2 p.m. on Thursday, reporters traveling with the President were authorized to report on …
A US Army veteran who dabbled in technology in Afghanistan dives into computer science through Northeastern Align program
In the mountainous outskirts of Kandahar province, in southeastern Afghanistan, U.S. Army 1st Lt. Theresa Todd led logistical operations to supply water, ammunition, and other combat equipment to an infantry battalion attached the 10th Mountain Division. It was 2011, her first deployment, and Tod helped supply U.S. forces trying to push the Taliban out of …
Brazil police arrest man said to be one of world’s most prolific human traffickers
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian federal police said they have arrested Saifullah Al-Mamun, born in Bangladesh and considered by authorities one of the world’s most prolific human traffickers. In an operation conducted on Thursday after collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Brazilian police arrested members of a group allegedly implicated in a large …
Afghanistan presidential election: All the latest updates | News
Voting is under way in Afghanistan’s presidential election, the fourth since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. Incumbent President Ashraf Ghani is seen as the frontrunner in the 14-man race, with Abdullah Abdullah, the country’s chief executive, considered his main rival. Security forces are on high alert due to threats from the Taliban to attack polling stations. Here …
Afghanistan presidential election: Polls open amid tight security | News
Polls have opened in Afghanistan’s presidential elections amid fears of violence following threats by the Taliban to disrupt the election process. Security has been tightened across the country, with tens of thousands of troops and police deployed to guard polling stations and prevent attacks. Early on Saturday, an explosion occurred near a polling station in the …
‘Deficit of trust’: At UN, leaders of a warming world gather
The planet is getting hotter, and tackling that climate peril will grab the spotlight as world leaders gather for their annual meeting at the United Nations this week facing an undeniable backdrop: rising tensions from the Persian Gulf to Afghanistan and increasing nationalism, inequality and intolerance. Growing fear of military action, especially in response to …
‘Voting means you’re crazy’: violence and fraud overshadow Afghanistan poll | World news
Afghanistan must choose a new president this week, but every election over the last decade has been riddled with fraud and marred by violence, and fears are growing that the poll on may be the worst yet. It comes as the war is raging with unprecedented intensity. Last week alone, dozens were killed when the …