http://www.mail.com/locations/2602-central-asia.html Mail.com - the best personalized free web-based Email en en http://sec-s.uicdn.com/mail.com/2.28/img/mailcom_logo_rss.png http://www.mail.com/locations/2602-central-asia.html http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/2101930-hosseini-discusses-novel-nyc-reading.html NEW YORK (AP) — Khaled Hosseini, whose novels have sold more than 38 million copies worldwide, knows what a lucky man he is. "What separates me from someone in the streets of Kabul is such a thin line," says the Afghan-American author of "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns." ''What I have is, in many ways, an undeserved gift." Wed, 22 May 2013 06:54:05 GMT http://www.mail.com/entertainment/lifestyle/2101930-hosseini-discusses-novel-nyc-reading.html 2013-05-22T06:54:05Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2100336-kyrgyzstan-bent-evicting-us-air-base-2014.html BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AP) — Kyrgyzstan's president has reaffirmed that next year the Central Asian nation will evict the U.S. air base that supports military operations in nearby Afghanistan. President Almazbek Atambayev has repeatedly pledged to shut the Manas Transit Center next year, dismissing U.S. assumptions the base would remain in exchange for high... Tue, 21 May 2013 16:18:19 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2100336-kyrgyzstan-bent-evicting-us-air-base-2014.html 2013-05-21T16:18:19Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2099466-afghanistan-deadly-24-hours-leave-14-police-dead.html KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A coordinated Taliban assault on checkpoints in southern Afghanistan killed four police before a counterattack drove the insurgents back, Afghan officials said Tuesday. Also, at least 10 other police died in two attacks in the country's west. The deadly 24 hours came during a crucial season of fighting that is testing the abiliti... Tue, 21 May 2013 15:07:39 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2099466-afghanistan-deadly-24-hours-leave-14-police-dead.html 2013-05-21T15:07:39Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2099758-group-afghan-women-jailed-moral-crimes.html KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The number of Afghan women and girls jailed for "moral crimes" has risen dramatically in the past 18 months, raising concerns that gains in women's rights might be reversed with the withdrawal of most international troops next year, a rights group said Tuesday. New York-based Human Rights Watch said 600 females are now detained u... Tue, 21 May 2013 13:57:20 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2099758-group-afghan-women-jailed-moral-crimes.html 2013-05-21T13:57:20Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2097310-suicide-bomber-kills-14-afghan-province-council.html KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A suicide bomber dressed in a police uniform killed 14 people including a prominent provincial council chief outside the council headquarters in northern Afghanistan on Monday, authorities said. The Taliban insurgency quickly claimed responsibility. Seeking to weaken the Afghan government, Taliban insurgents have been carrying ou... Mon, 20 May 2013 15:10:09 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2097310-suicide-bomber-kills-14-afghan-province-council.html 2013-05-20T15:10:09Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2097840-us-pakistan-curbing-explosive-fertilizers.html ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan has taken a number of steps to prevent fertilizers made within its borders for agriculture from being used as explosives in roadside bombs that target American troops in Afghanistan, said a top U.S. military officer Monday. Brig. Gen. Robert P. Walters Jr., deputy director of the U.S. military's Joint IED Defeat Organization, spo... Mon, 20 May 2013 14:58:29 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2097840-us-pakistan-curbing-explosive-fertilizers.html 2013-05-20T14:58:29Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2095896-chinese-premier-visits-india-to-boost-ties.html NEW DELHI (AP) — Just weeks after a tense border standoff, China's new premier visited India on Sunday on his first foreign trip as the neighboring giants look to speed up efforts to settle a decades-old boundary dispute and boost economic ties. Premier Li Keqiang met with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the two leaders emphasized that efforts sh... Sun, 19 May 2013 17:49:16 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2095896-chinese-premier-visits-india-to-boost-ties.html 2013-05-19T17:49:16Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2095976-karzai-seeks-indian-military-aid-amid-pakistan-row.html KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan President Hamid Karzai will seek increased military aid from India during a three-day visit starting Monday and will discuss recent cross-border clashes with Pakistan, India's archrival, an aide said. The comments follow a weekend report by the Times of India that said Afghanistan's ambassador to India had said the country... Sun, 19 May 2013 14:39:01 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2095976-karzai-seeks-indian-military-aid-amid-pakistan-row.html 2013-05-19T14:39:01Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2094832-afghan-lawmakers-block-law-womens-rights.html KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Conservative religious lawmakers in Afghanistan blocked legislation on Saturday aimed at strengthening provisions for women's freedoms, arguing that parts of it violate Islamic principles and encourage disobedience. The fierce opposition highlights how tenuous women's rights remain a dozen years after the ouster of the hard-line ... Sat, 18 May 2013 15:25:10 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2094832-afghan-lawmakers-block-law-womens-rights.html 2013-05-18T15:25:10Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2094718-afghan-police-chief-shot-dead.html KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Motorcycle-riding gunmen assassinated a police chief in front of his house after he led an anti-Taliban campaign in western Afghanistan, an official said Saturday. Police Chief Abdul Ghani was leaving his driveway in his car outside his home in Farah province when the two raced up and opened fire. Provincial spokesman Abdul Rahma... Sat, 18 May 2013 07:50:12 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2094718-afghan-police-chief-shot-dead.html 2013-05-18T07:50:12Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2094030-navy-pilot-earns-degree-combat-zone.html SAN DIEGO (AP) — Finals week was dangerous for Thomas Saenz. The Navy lieutenant needed armed guards and an armored car to get to an exam site, in Kabul, Afghanistan. A deadly bomb attack also caused him to his miss classes — transmitted live via the Internet — but he persevered and earned a master's degree in engineering from the University of Southern C... Fri, 17 May 2013 23:53:50 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2094030-navy-pilot-earns-degree-combat-zone.html 2013-05-17T23:53:50Z http://www.mail.com/news/us/2092554-idaho-man-charged-uzbekistan-terrorism-plot.html BOISE, Idaho (AP) — He was a Russian-speaking truck driver who came to Idaho nearly four years ago to join hundreds of other Uzbekistan refugees for whom the state has become a sanctuary from violence in their home country. But federal officials say in an indictment that Fazliddin Kurbanov also was teaching people to build bombs that would target public t... Fri, 17 May 2013 22:14:33 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/us/2092554-idaho-man-charged-uzbekistan-terrorism-plot.html 2013-05-17T22:14:33Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2093438-bombs-kill-9-inside-elite-afghan-housing-complex.html KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Two bombs hidden in a motorcycle and a car exploded inside an elite gated community linked to the family of Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Friday evening, killing at least nine people and wounding more than 70 near the southern city of Kandahar, an official said. The blasts happened inside Aino Mina, a housing complex on the no... Fri, 17 May 2013 21:37:57 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2093438-bombs-kill-9-inside-elite-afghan-housing-complex.html 2013-05-17T21:37:57Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2093722-hagel-names-general-to-lead-us-troops-skorea.html WASHINGTON (AP) — An Army general who served as a top official on U.S. joint military staffs in Afghanistan and at the Pentagon is the choice to command U.S. troops in South Korea. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced the promotion of Lt. Gen. Curtis "Mike" Scaparrotti at a Pentagon news conference Friday. The moves comes at a tense time on the Korean ... Fri, 17 May 2013 18:43:37 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2093722-hagel-names-general-to-lead-us-troops-skorea.html 2013-05-17T18:43:37Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2089310-afghanistan-bomb-kills-15-including-6-americans.html KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A suicide car bombing tore through a U.S. convoy in Kabul on Thursday, killing at least 15 people including six Americans in a blast so powerful it rattled the other side of the Afghan capital. U.S. soldiers rushed to help, some wearing only T-shirts or shorts under their body armor. A Muslim militant group claimed responsibility... Thu, 16 May 2013 20:26:07 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2089310-afghanistan-bomb-kills-15-including-6-americans.html 2013-05-16T20:26:07Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2091218-afghans-tell-us-soldiers-killing-rampage.html KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — Sitting on a dirty straw mat on the parched ground of southern Afghanistan, Masooma sank deeper inside a giant black shawl. Hidden from view, her words burst forth as she told her side of what happened to her family sometime before dawn on March 11, 2012. According to Masooma, an American soldier wearing a helmet equipped with... Thu, 16 May 2013 18:42:13 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2091218-afghans-tell-us-soldiers-killing-rampage.html 2013-05-16T18:42:13Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2086528-twin-bombs-strike-afghan-checkpoint-killing-1.html KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Two bombs exploded at a checkpoint outside a provincial governor's compound in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing at least one police officer, an official said. The explosions struck in the early morning in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province. The first bomb wounded a policeman, and the second was remotely detonat... Wed, 15 May 2013 20:25:01 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2086528-twin-bombs-strike-afghan-checkpoint-killing-1.html 2013-05-15T20:25:01Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2086956-battles-pakistan-tribal-area-displace-thousands.html PARACHINAR, Pakistan (AP) — A new offensive by the Pakistani military against militants in a northwestern tribal area has displaced thousands of people in the past week, an official said Wednesday. For years, Pakistan has been battling militant groups such as the Taliban in the tribal regions bordering Afghanistan. Civilians are often caught in the middle... Wed, 15 May 2013 12:55:56 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2086956-battles-pakistan-tribal-area-displace-thousands.html 2013-05-15T12:55:56Z http://www.mail.com/business/finance/2083928-dod-poised-to-trim-furlough-days-add-exemptions.html WASHINGTON (AP) — After weeks of debate and number-crunching, the Defense Department announced plans Tuesday to furlough about 680,000 of its civilian employees for 11 days through the end of this fiscal year, allowing only limited exceptions for the military to avoid or reduce the unpaid days off. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, in a memo to the departmen... Tue, 14 May 2013 21:44:39 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/finance/2083928-dod-poised-to-trim-furlough-days-add-exemptions.html 2013-05-14T21:44:39Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2083540-nato-3-us-troops-killed-afghanistan.html KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — A roadside bomb struck a U.S. convoy in southern Afghanistan Tuesday, killing three American troops, while a motorcycle bomb in a crowded village market killed at least three Afghan civilians, officials said. NATO spokesman Col. Thomas Collins said the blast hit the American convoy in the Zhari district of Kandahar province, t... Tue, 14 May 2013 16:00:59 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2083540-nato-3-us-troops-killed-afghanistan.html 2013-05-14T16:00:59Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2084084-kerry-expects-syrians-to-attend-transition-talks.html STOCKHOLM (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry issued a stern warning Tuesday to Syria's government, saying that new help will be given to opposition forces should President Bashar Assad's regime decide to back out of upcoming negotiations aimed at ending Syria's two-year war. Kerry said he has every expectation that both sides in the conflict, which... Tue, 14 May 2013 15:20:57 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2084084-kerry-expects-syrians-to-attend-transition-talks.html 2013-05-14T15:20:57Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2084508-uk-outlines-troop-plans-afghanistan.html LONDON (AP) — Some British troops will be serving longer tours of duty as the U.K. prepares to end its combat role in Afghanistan, Britain's defense secretary said Tuesday. Philip Hammond told lawmakers that Britain's combat role will still close by the end of 2014, but that a brigade deploying in Afghanistan in October will serve eight-month tours. A sub... Tue, 14 May 2013 15:00:33 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2084508-uk-outlines-troop-plans-afghanistan.html 2013-05-14T15:00:33Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2083840-iran-expresses-regret-killing-afghans.html TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran has expressed regret for the shooting deaths of Afghan migrants entering the country illegally over the weekend. On Saturday, Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rasoul issued a complaint after 10 migrants were shot and killed by Iranian border guards. Iran initially denied that anyone was shot. Poor Afghans often try to sneak into Ira... Tue, 14 May 2013 09:26:01 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2083840-iran-expresses-regret-killing-afghans.html 2013-05-14T09:26:01Z http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2083330-3-man-space-crew-returns-safely-to-earth.html MOSCOW (AP) — A Soyuz space capsule with a three-man crew returning from a five-month mission to the International Space Station landed safely Tuesday on the steppes of Kazakhstan. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, American Thomas Marshburn and Russian Roman Romanenko landed as planned southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan at 8:31 a.m. local time Tuesday ... Tue, 14 May 2013 08:32:37 GMT http://www.mail.com/business/economy/2083330-3-man-space-crew-returns-safely-to-earth.html 2013-05-14T08:32:37Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2083528-bomber-targets-us-special-forces-afghanistan.html KABUL (AP) — NATO says a suicide bomber has targeted U.S. special forces north of the Afghan capital but there were no casualties among the troops. Maj. Bryan Woods, a spokesman for the international alliance, says the bomber and insurgents armed with small caliber weapons attacked a Special Operation Forces convoy as it was returning to base in the north... Tue, 14 May 2013 05:36:55 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2083528-bomber-targets-us-special-forces-afghanistan.html 2013-05-14T05:36:55Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2081464-pakistans-sharif-sends-mixed-message-to-us.html RAIWIND, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan's presumptive prime minister said Monday that he wants good relations with the United States but criticized American drone strikes on militants as a violation of the country's sovereignty — perhaps hinting the government's grudging compliance may change. A devout Muslim and a populist, Nawaz Sharif is expected to supplant... Tue, 14 May 2013 05:30:57 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2081464-pakistans-sharif-sends-mixed-message-to-us.html 2013-05-14T05:30:57Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2081072-nato-3-troops-killed-afghanistan-attack.html KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A truck bombing Monday killed three coalition service members in southern Afghanistan, NATO said in a statement. A local official said the attack targeted a base operated by troops from Georgia. Omer Zawak, spokesman for the governor of the southern Helmand province, said the truck bomb exploded at the entrance to the Georgian ou... Mon, 13 May 2013 19:07:21 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2081072-nato-3-troops-killed-afghanistan-attack.html 2013-05-13T19:07:21Z http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2081128-pakistans-premier-islamist-comeback-kid.html ISLAMABAD (AP) — The man set to become Pakistan's next prime minister after historic elections over the weekend could be called the Islamist comeback kid. Nawaz Sharif has held the job twice before, but the last time didn't end so well. The 63-year-old was toppled in a coup by the country's army chief in 1999 and sent into exile in Saudi Arabia. He spent ... Mon, 13 May 2013 07:06:23 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/politics/2081128-pakistans-premier-islamist-comeback-kid.html 2013-05-13T07:06:23Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2079858-pakistans-sharif-resounding-election-victory.html LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif looked poised to return to office with a resounding election victory — a mandate that could make it easier to tackle the country's daunting problems, including growing power outages, weak economic growth and shaky government finances. Questions remain, however, about Sharif's stance on a... Mon, 13 May 2013 03:53:48 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2079858-pakistans-sharif-resounding-election-victory.html 2013-05-13T03:53:48Z http://www.mail.com/news/world/2079924-afghanistan-iranian-guards-killed-10-migrants.html KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Iranian border guards killed 10 Afghan migrants and wounded another eight when hundreds tried to illegally cross into Iran in search of work, Afghanistan's Interior Ministry said Sunday. Iran denied that. Details of the incident Friday in Afghanistan's northwestern Farah province have been sketchy and often contradictory. An Inte... Sun, 12 May 2013 16:25:27 GMT http://www.mail.com/news/world/2079924-afghanistan-iranian-guards-killed-10-migrants.html 2013-05-12T16:25:27Z