57 civilian de-miners kidnapped in AfghanistanJanuary 21, 2014 - 14:34 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A senior Afghan official said unknown kidnappers have seized 57 civilian de-miners on their way to work in western Afghanistan. The governor of Herat province, Faizullah Wahidi, said the de-miners – all Afghan – were abducted in the Pashtun Zargun district as they drove to an area that needed to be cleared of mines, according to the Associated Press. Wahidi did not know who kidnapped the workers or why. He says 63 were originally taken, but six were later released. After 30 years of near continuous conflict, Afghanistan is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. Although the Taliban plant mines and roadside bombs, they generally do not hamper the work of civilian de-miners who work to clear farmlands and other common land of old explosives. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |