Afghanistan

KABUL, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Afghans took streets in national capital of Kabul Sunday to protest against freeze of the country's assets by the United States, calling the release of Afghans assets.

The Afghan economy, since the Taliban's takeover in last August, has suffered from the freeze of over 9 billion U.S. dollars in assets belonging to the Afghan central bank by the United States as well as a halt in funds by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

A total of 16 trucks carrying 360 tonnes of food and shelter arrived in the Afghan capital Kabul yesterday travelling over the border from Pakistan.

The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported that the aid was delivered by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), adding that the shipment included "11,000 bags of flour, 5,500 food baskets, 3,593 blankets and 3,072 winter bags, meant for various Afghan governorates."

KABUL, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Police have nabbed around 100 people on involvement in criminal activities over the past one week in Afghan capital Kabul, the spokesman for Kabul police Mubin Khan said Tuesday.

All the arrested men, according to the official, had been involved in criminal activities ranging from armed robbery to theft.

The Taliban administration is committed to ensuring law and order in the country, Mubin Khan said.

KABUL, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- A total of 200 newly trained soldiers have been deployed in the Afghan capital to beef up security in Kabul and the surrounding areas, Defense Ministry of the Taliban's caretaker government said Saturday.

The troops who recently graduated from military training were "deployed in army's 313 Markazi Corps," the ministry said in a statement.

"Afghanistan will soon have a disciplined and strong army," it added.

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- Uzbekistan has provided 3,700 tons of humanitarian aid to war-torn Afghanistan to help needy people in the chilly winter.

Transported by 63 rail wagons to Afghanistan's northern city Mazar-I-Sharif and received by Afghan officials, the batch includes foodstuffs, fuel and winter clothes that will be distributed among destitute Afghans as the country is facing economic crisis.

KABUL, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has sent an amount of life-saving equipment to a key hospital in Kandahar city, capital of southern Afghan province of Kandahar, the organization said Thursday.

"Mirwais Regional Hospital in war-affected Kandahar Province has received 13 types of life-saving equipment to treat patients of mass casualty events in the region," the organization wrote on Twitter.

KABUL, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) has received a batch of assistance donated by the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC).

A handover ceremony was held Tuesday at ARCS complex in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, attended by Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Wang Yu and ARCS Secretary General Mawlawi Matiul Haq Khalis.

"As Afghanistan's friendly neighbor and sincere friend, China attaches great importance to the difficulties that Afghan people currently face," Wang said at the ceremony.

JALALABAD, Dec 21 (NNN-ANA) – Five people were killed, after intelligence personnel of Afghanistan’s caretaker government, busted an armed kidnapping group in Jalalabad city, capital of eastern Nangarhar province today, the local government confirmed.

“The Special Forces of General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) launched an operation against a hideout of a kidnapping gang in Qasaba locality, Police District 1 of Jalalabad city, this morning. As a result, three members of the gang were killed,” the government said, in a statement.

KABUL, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Senior Taliban officials appealed on Saturday for international help to combat a deepening economic crisis that has fuelled fears of another refugee exodus from Afghanistan.

The comments, at a special meeting to mark the U.N.'s international migrants day, underlined the new Islamist Taliban government's push to engage with the world community, four months after they seized power in Kabul.

TIRIN KOT, Afghanistan, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- Two children have been confirmed dead and eight others injured as a blast ripped through a wedding party in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, a local official said Thursday.

The blast took place at the wedding party in Khalach village of Gizab district in the country's Uruzgan province, according to the official who declined to be named.

No group or individual has claimed responsibility.

Police have yet to make any comment.