Source: Al Jazeera
Deep beneath the ground in one of the world’s poorest countries sits at least $1 trillion of untapped mineral resources, according to a report published by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum [PDF]. The South Asian country of 38 million people is estimated to hold more than 2.2 billion tonnes of iron ore, 1.3 billion tonnes of marble and 1.4 million tonnes of rare earth minerals.
Source: France 24 – The Observers
Photos of Amrullah Saleh, the former vice-president of Afghanistan, sitting in what looks to be a bank have been circulating online since September 20. While Saleh says he’s in hiding in the Panjshir Valley, pro-Taliban accounts and even some Afghan media claim these photos show him at a bank in the United Arab Emirates, after fleeing with “money stolen from Afghans”. But it turns out these photos aren’t recent.
Source: Live Science
With the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the country’s archaeological remains face a grim future even if the extremist Islamic group decides not to loot or intentionally destroy them.
Continue reading The Taliban may be hunting for Afghanistan’s most famous treasureSource: Live Science
Despite being one of the poorest nations in the world, Afghanistan may be sitting on one of the richest troves of minerals in the world, valued at nearly $1 trillion, according to U.S. scientists.
Continue reading $1 trillion trove of rare minerals revealed under AfghanistanSource: BBC
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has launched an investigation into a data breach involving the email addresses of dozens of Afghan interpreters who worked for British forces.
More than 250 people seeking relocation to the UK – many of whom are in hiding – were mistakenly copied into an email from the Ministry of Defence.
Their email addresses could be seen by all recipients, showing people’s names and some associated profile pictures.
The MoD has apologised in a statement.
Source: The Intercept
Few lawmakers are as outspoken about the end of the war in Afghanistan as Michael Waltz, a Republican from Florida’s 6th Congressional District.
In recent weeks, Waltz has called on President Joe Biden to “reverse course,” relaunch military operations in the region, and “crush the Taliban offensive by committing American air power” supported by “special forces.” The Florida congressman has warned darkly of an “Al-Qaeda 3.0” and stated that no negotiations should take place with the Taliban “until the situation is stabilized militarily.”
Source: Reuters
UNITED NATIONS – Afghan rapper and activist, Sonita Alizadeh, fled her homeland with her family when it was last ruled by the Taliban more than two decades ago – when women could not work, had to cover their faces and girls were banned from school.
She urged world leaders on Tuesday to stand up for the rights of women and girls now the Taliban had returned to power.
Source: Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Who should represent Afghanistan at the United Nations this month? It’s a complex question with plenty of political implications.
The Taliban, the country’s new rulers for a matter of weeks, are challenging the credentials of their country’s former U.N. ambassador and want to speak at the General Assembly’s high-level meeting of world leaders this week, the international body says.
Source: Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The ruling emir of Qatar, whose nation has played a pivotal role in Afghanistan in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal, urged world leaders gathered at the United Nations on Tuesday against turning their backs on the country’s Taliban rulers.
Speaking from the podium of the U.N. General Assembly, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani stressed “the necessity of continuing dialogue with Taliban because boycott only leads to polarization and reactions, whereas dialogue could bring in positive results.”
Source: Reuters
Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers said on Tuesday there was no evidence of Islamic State or al Qaeda militants being in the country, days after Islamic State claimed responsibility for bomb attacks in the eastern city of Jalalabad.
Since toppling the Western-backed government in Kabul last month, the Taliban have faced pressure from the international community to renounce ties with al Qaeda, the group behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.