Latest Updates

KABUL: Taliban on Tuesday confirmed the group was attending a peace forum in Norway but played down reports of holding talks with representatives of the Afghan government. The Oslo Forum 2015– kicking off today– is co-hosted by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. The …

Abdul Zuhoor Qayomi-KABUL: The Wolesi Jirga said that the government will announce schedule of the parliamentary elections soon. Secretary of the Wolesi Jirga, Abdul Rauf Enami, told reports that President Ashraf Ghani during a meeting with lawmakers has recently pledged to announce schedule of the upcoming parliamentary polls within five …

AT-KABUL: Nai Supporting Open Media in Afghanistan, a media watchdog, said that delay in approval of the media job regulation has put the local journalists in trouble as they were facing different types of job restrictions and were deprived of privileges. In a press conference here on Monday, Chief of …

By Farhad Naibkhel-KABUL: Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MoLSA) on Monday expressed concerns over staggering unemployment rate, and promised to establish a committee to address the problem. Briefing reporters on the 100-day action plan, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs said that joblessness is a serious challenge. “Therefore, the …

AT-KABUL: The Afghan government reiterated its commitment to improve human rights situation in Afghanistan and launch judicial reforms. The Afghan government and the European Union (EU) held their first human rights dialogue in Kabul on Monday. The dialogue was opened by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Salahuddin Rabbani. Afghan delegation …

Poliovirus is a very serious threat to Afghanistan’s development as the country is miles away from getting the “polio free” status. Conflict that engulfs most parts of the country, anti-polio drives are constantly hampered by insecurity. Although, the health ministry in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) has launched …

Abdul Zuhoor Qayomi-KABUL: In a bid to deter smokers, the Wolesi Jirga raised the import duty on cigarettes by 100 percent. The lawmakers on Monday voted to amend tobacco control law and increase cigarette duty from 50 percent to 100 percent. Only 12 of the 125 lawmakers present in the …

KABUL:  A six member Afghan delegation will hold face-to-face meeting with Taliban in Oslo, the capital of Norway, a source privy to the development revealed on Monday. A government official wishing not to be named told Pajhwok Afghan News that deputy foreign minister for political affairs Hikmat Khalil Karzai led …

By Akhtar M. Nikzad-KABUL: Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday observed “the World Blood Donor Day” to raise public awareness on the need for safe blood and blood products. The theme of the 2015 World Blood Donor Day was “Thank for saving my …

AT-KABUL: The Ministry of Interior (MoI) seeks international cooperation in war against terrorism in Afghanistan. The Minister of Interior, Noor-ul-Haq Ulumi, in a meeting with some members of blind people’s association said that uprooting the menace of terrorism requires cooperation from regional and world countries. “The war against terrorism is …