Latest Central Asia News
Deadly quake a new blow to Afghans reeling from poverty
GAYAN, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan’s deadly earthquake this week struck one of the poorest corners of a country that has been hollowed out by increasing poverty. Even as more aid arrived Saturday, many residents have no idea how they will rebuild the thousands of homes destroyed in villages...
Aftershock in Afghanistan as quake toll rises to 1,150 dead
GAYAN, Afghanistan (AP) — An aftershock took more lives Friday and threatened to pile even more misery on an area of eastern Afghanistan reeling from a powerful earthquake that state media said killed 1,150 people this week. Among the dead from Wednesday's magnitude 6 quake are...
US: Afghan national freed from Guantanamo Bay after 15 years
ISLAMABAD (AP) — An Afghan prisoner held in U.S. custody for nearly 15 years has been released from the Guantanamo Bay detention center after a federal court ruled that he was unlawfully detained, the U.S. Department of Defense said Friday. Asadullah Haroon Gul's release was first...
UN body to hold urgent debate on Afghan women, girls' rights
GENEVA (AP) — The U.N.'s top human rights body is to hold an urgent debate next week to discuss the erosion of rights of women and girls in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover nearly a year ago. Human Rights Council spokesman Rolando Gomez said Friday that the Geneva-based...
Ukraine boycotts judo Olympic qualifier as Russians compete
ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (AP) — Ukraine has begun a boycott of international judo events because the Russian team was allowed to compete as Olympic qualification began on Friday. Judo is one of the few Olympic sports in which Russians can still compete, though they must do so without...
Afghanistan earthquake victims face struggles getting aid
Getting donations to Afghanistan earthquake victims will be far more difficult compared with other disasters due to sanctions against the country’s Taliban government and its troubled relationship with Western nations, experts say. International groups that maintained operations in...
India flies tons of essentials to quake-rocked Afghanistan
NEW DELHI (AP) — India sent family tents, blankets and other relief supplies for a team to distribute in eastern Afghan villages where a deadly earthquake collapsed thousands of timber and stone homes to rubble. State media reported that close to 3,000 homes were destroyed or badly...
India sends team to help with deadly Afghanistan earthquake
NEW DELHI (AP) — India said it sent a technical team to Kabul to coordinate the delivery of humanitarian assistance after a powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan that state media reported killed 1,000 people. India's External Affairs Ministry said the team has been deployed to...
Afghans bury dead, dig for survivors of devastating quake
GAYAN, Afghanistan (AP) — Villagers rushed to bury the dead Thursday and dug by hand through the rubble of their homes in search of survivors of a powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan that state media reported killed 1,000 people. Residents appeared to be largely on their own to deal with...
UN officials: Afghan quake adds to emergencies in country
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The devastating earthquake this week in Afghanistan is one more emergency facing the country, which is also confronting its worst drought in 30 years and massive poverty. Afghanistan also has the highest number of people in the world facing the risk of famine and there are...
