Archive for the ‘Afghanistan’ Category

15 wounded after prison riot in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan Inmates at a prison in northern Afghanistan held at least five people hostage Sunday after a riot wounded five police officers and 10 inmates, an Afghan security official said.

The officers came under attack while they conducted a search for cellphones, knives and other contraband inside the prison, said Gen. Faqir Mohammad Jawzjani, the police chief of northern Jawzjan province.

He said that four police officers and a prosecutor had been taken hostage by the prisoners. Members of the local government were trying to negotiate an end to the crisis, he said.

The prison complex, located in Shebirghan, the provincial capital, holds some 800 inmates in separate male and female lockups. Its prisoners are from both Jawzjan and neighboring Sari Pul province.

Meanwhile in eastern Nangarhar province, heavy rain caused the roof to collapse on a home in Dare Noor district, killing at least 10 members of a single family, said Ahmad Zia Abdulzai, the provincial governor's spokesman. Most houses in remote regions of Afghanistan are made of mud bricks, which weaken during heavy rain and snow every winter.

Most of the country's 34 provinces have been affected by severe weather in recent weeks, with almost 200 people killed in a massive avalanche in northeastern Panjshir province alone.

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15 wounded after prison riot in Afghanistan

Afghanistan show enterprise in World Cup market

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AGGRESSIVE: Bowlers like Hamid Hassan have proven Afghanistan are more than just easy-beats at the Cricket World Cup.

He's got a bit to bargain with, Andy Moles.

The Afghanistan coach has shopped his team around quite vigorously during the World Cup.

Moles knows the group have talent and what they need now is cricket.

Anyone who saw Sunday's six-wicket loss to New Zealand in Napier would have to agree with Moles.

Afghanistan were never in danger of winning the match but they acquitted themselves well.

So much so that if you took names and reputations out of the equation, you would have to say Afghanistan definitely are not the worst team the Black Caps have met during this tournament.

Scotland and - dare you say it - England are the two sides that can squabble over that dubious distinction.

Moles knows New Zealand and their ilk do not want to play Afghanistan between World Cups.

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Afghanistan show enterprise in World Cup market

Afghanistan to Win World Cup, Predicts New Zealand Robot

File photo of Afghanistan cricketers with the World Cup trophy when it toured their country.

Canterbury: A robot here has predicted that Afghanistan will win the cricket World Cup 2015.

Afghanistan are 1000-1 in betting odds to win the tournament and are very much the minnows among the cricketing nations. They are clubbed with Australia, Bangladesh, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Sri Lanka in Pool A. (India Hammer Afghanistan In Warm-Up | Highlights)

The prediction was made by University of Canterbury's robot, named Ikram, after viewing the 14 competing countries' flags.

After narrowing the field down to India, the West Indies, Scotland, New Zealand and Afghanistan, the robot decided that Afghanistan would be champions. (Kohli a Big Match Player, Will be Ready for World Cup: Raina)

Eduardo Sandoval, a University of Canterbury HITLab PhD student, has developed the robot's prediction software.

"Of course, this is very unlikely, but with cricket the outcome can always be unexpected," Sandoval was quoted as saying by nzherald.co.nz on Tuesday.

The robot was named after the Mexican-Syrian philosopher Ikram Antaki.

Sandoval said that inspired by Paul the Octopus who made predictions for the 2010 football World Cup, he decided to test Ikram's powers of prediction.

New Zealand are co-hosting the quadrennial tournament with Australia.

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Afghanistan to Win World Cup, Predicts New Zealand Robot

World Cup 2015: Afghanistan Eyes Bangladesh Upset to Script Fairytale

Afghanistan all set to trouble the big names

Canberra: Afghanistan offer the World Cup a fairytale story if they can upset Bangladesh and launch their debut tournament with a victory at Canberra's Manuka Oval on Wednesday.

The Afghans want to give their war-weary homeland something to cheer and they hold hopes of upsetting Test-playing national Bangladesh after shocking them in the Asia Cup in Dhaka last year.

"For Afghanistan to play the 50-over World Cup is our dream," captain Mohammad Nabi said. (Bangladesh Under Pressure, Claims Afghan Captain)

Nabi said that too often the news involving Afghanistan related to conflict.

"If there is positive news like the cricket players of Afghanistan in the World Cup, it totally changes the minds back home and also in the world as well," he said.

"The meaning for the country to play in the 50-over World Cup is a big opportunity for cricket and also for the nation.

"This is a game that can bring Afghanistan together and be a very good tool for peace and stability." (Robot Predicts Afghanistan Will Win World Cup)

Apart from fellow Associate nation Scotland, Bangladesh is Afghanistan's big opportunity for a win as they also have hosts Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and England to contend with in Pool A.

"The biggest challenge is going to be how the batsmen handle the quicker bowlers. Playing in Australia is going to be quite brutal for some of these guys who aren't used to those conditions," their English coach Andy Moles said.

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World Cup 2015: Afghanistan Eyes Bangladesh Upset to Script Fairytale

Football brings hope to Afghanistan – Video


Football brings hope to Afghanistan
Sayed Aghazada, Secretary General of the Afghanistan Football Federation, exclusively spoke to us about the meaning of football, the national team, the domes...

By: FIFATV

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Football brings hope to Afghanistan - Video