News (Consolidated) - UNSOM

KABUL - An exceptional harvest and large-scale mining activities in 2012 helped Afghanistan achieve almost 12 per cent growth in its gross domestic product (GDP), an increase from a growth rate of just above seven per cent the year before, according to a recent World Bank (WB) study, which also…

KABU L - A just-opened exhibit is providing residents of Kabul with a glimpse into a time when Afghanistan belonged to a large empire made up of a wide range religions and nationalities. Opened on Sunday in the city’s Babur Gardens, the exhibit, ‘The Mughals: Arts, Culture and Empire,’ presents…

HELMAND - Around 4,500 students, including 2,000 women and girls, graduated from vocational training courses in nine districts of Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province yesterday. The head of the training programme, Mohammad Ashraf, told a graduation ceremony that the training included a wide range…

NANGARHAR - In the wake of calls by local journalists in Afghanistan's Nanagarhar province to boycott the Office of the Governor for “refusing to cooperate” with them, a spokesperson for the Governor said his office was “committed” to supporting journalists and work with the media. “We are committed…

KABUL - Afghan women entrepreneurs had the opportunity to learn firsthand from their South Asian counterparts on methods of economic empowerment through a range of business ventures linked to activities such as farming and handcraft, many of which are a source of income for Afghan women. Members of…

NANGARHAR - To mark the international Day of Families, a number of local radio stations in eastern Jalalabad City broadcast special programmes to raise awareness on the importance of families. An "all-women" radio channel, Nargis FM, organized a 50-minute phone-in programme, in which over 15 people…

DAI KUNDI - In a series of United Nations-facilitated round-table discussions held across Afghanistan over the past week to mark the International Day of Families (15 May), officials, local elders and rights activists highlighted the negative consequences that decades of war and political…

KABUL - Afghan civil society groups have called upon the Wolesi Jirga (the Lower House of Parliament) to protect the rights of women and children in Afghanistan by supporting the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) law. Addressing a press conference in Kabul held on Thursday, leaders of…

KUNDUZ - Dozens of journalists in northeastern Kunduz province have voiced their concern over lack of cooperation from officials in the coverage of upcoming presidential and provincial council elections. Reporters from Kunduz, Takhar, Baghlan and Badakhshan provinces gathered in Kunduz City, the…

BAMYAN - Sportsmen from Bamyan province participated in Kong Fu competitions, organized recently in the Afghan capital, Kabul, to select players for the national team. The Bamyani players won two medals - one each of Gold and Bronze. The players returned to Bamyan on Saturday who were given a warm…

NANGARHAR - Journalists in Afghanistan's eastern provinces have expressed concerns over their safety and financial sustainability during the so-called transformation decade starting 2015. Afghan Journalists' Safety Committee (AJSC) organized a discussion in Jalalabad, under the name of "Open…

KABUL - The Director-General of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, used her visit to Afghanistan to raise awareness about the education of girls and to highlight the importance of the country’s cultural heritage as a vital economic asset. The…