Officials in eastern Afghanistan say an explosion has killed 10 girls, ranging in age from 9 to 13 years. Two girls were wounded in the blast. Authorities say the girls were collecting firewood Monday morning in Nangarhar province when the device exploded. Officials believe the blast came from an old landmine, many of which are […]
Blast Kills 10 Afghan Girls
Posted December 17th, 2012 at 1:00 am (UTC-5)
Officials in eastern Afghanistan say a bomb blast has killed ten girls, ranging in age from between 9 and 13 years old. Authorities say the girls were collecting firewood Monday in Nangarhar province when the bomb exploded. Officials have not yet determined whether the blast came from a newly planted bomb or from an unexploded […]
Pakistan Battles Militants Following Airport Attack
Posted December 16th, 2012 at 6:00 am (UTC-5)
Security forces in northwestern Pakistan have killed a group of militants in Peshawar, a day after a Taliban raid on the city’s airport. Authorities say security forces stormed a building Sunday near the airport where five militants had taken refuge after the attack on the airport Saturday. Officials say three militants were killed in a […]
4 Dead in Airport Attack in NW Pakistan
Posted December 15th, 2012 at 7:20 pm (UTC-5)
At least four people have been killed and dozens more wounded in northwest Pakistan, in a suicide attack on an international airport in Peshawar province. A VOA reporter in Islamabad said the airport was hit Saturday by rockets as well as explosives from the suicide bomber. The provincial minister said the militants, including the bomber, […]
4 Dead in Airport Attack in NW Pakistan
Posted December 15th, 2012 at 6:35 pm (UTC-5)
At least four people have been killed and dozens more wounded in northwest Pakistan, in a suicide attack on an international airport in Peshawar province. A VOA reporter in Islamabad said the airport was hit by rockets as well as explosives from the bomber. The provincial minister said the militants, including a suicide bomber, were […]
US Defense Secretary Holds Talks in Kandahar
Posted December 13th, 2012 at 2:45 am (UTC-5)
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has arrived in Kandahar, Afghanistan, where he will meet with military leaders and troops, as the U.S. mulls the scope of its presence in the country after the international combat mission ends in 2014. Panetta is holding talks, on Thursday, with Major General Robert Abrams, the head of the Regional […]
Pakistani Military, Taliban, Blamed for Abuses in Northwest Region
Posted December 13th, 2012 at 12:50 am (UTC-5)
An international rights group is blaming Pakistan’s armed forces and the Taliban for human rights abuses, including arbitrary detentions, torture and unlawful killings, in the northwestern tribal region. In a report released Thursday, Amnesty International said millions of Pakistanis are affected by a “legal wilderness” in the region near the Afghan border. The rights group […]
Study Finds Most Pakistani Lawmakers Fail to Pay Taxes
Posted December 12th, 2012 at 12:50 pm (UTC-5)
A Pakistani investigative journalism group says less than a third of the country’s lawmakers filed income taxes in 2011, bringing into focus longstanding complaints about high-level tax evasion ahead of elections set for next year. The Center for Investigative Reporting in Pakistan said most of the country’s 446 lawmakers and about two-thirds of the government’s […]
US Defense Secretary in Afghanistan to Discuss Troop Drawdown
Posted December 12th, 2012 at 6:25 am (UTC-5)
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has arrived in Afghanistan on an unannounced visit that will include talks with President Hamid Karzai. Panetta, who arrived in Kabul on Wednesday, will consult with Mr. Karzai and top military commanders about U.S. troop levels in the country after the general combat mission ends in 2014. Earlier Wednesday, while […]
Indian Sitarist Ravi Shankar Dies
Posted December 12th, 2012 at 4:10 am (UTC-5)
Indian composer and sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar has died in a California hospital. He was 92. A statement released by his family, late Tuesday, said Shankar had been in “fragile health” for several years. The statement says he underwent surgery last week and never recovered. Shankar was one of India’s best known performers. Prime Minister […]
