Ex-Mines Minister Criticizes Court Ruling, Pleads Not Guilty
Tolo News: The former minister of mines, Wahidullah Shahrani, who was sentenced to 13 months in jail and fined $1.5 million on charges of misuse of authority by a special court, calls the ruling “against the law” and says that no defense attorney has interrogated him during this process. He called the decision unjust. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghan Calligrapher Keeps Ancient Art Alive With His Brush
Abdul Hakim Karimizada is one of just a few artists in the city of Herat who are trained in traditional Islamic calligraphy. He recently displayed his work in an exhibition dedicated to themes of peace, love, and unity. Afghanistan hopes to register its form of calligraphy with UNESCO, but there are fears that the centuries-old tradition might be dying out.
Afghan Swimmer Prepares for 2021 Tokyo Olympics
Tolo News: Fahim Anwari, a member of Afghanistan’s national swimming team, is preparing for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and hopes to represent the country successfully. Anwari, who has trained for six years, said he was selected from among 30 of the best swimmers in the country to represent Afghanistan in the international event. Click here to read more (external link).
Other Afghan Sports News
COVID-19: 203 New Cases Reported in Afghanistan
Tolo News: The Ministry of Public Health on Sunday reported 203 new positive cases of COVID-19 out of 1,502 samples tested in the last 24 hours. The Health Ministry stated that the cumulative total of known COVID-19 cases is 52,909, the total number of reported deaths is 2,230, and the total number of recoveries is 42,405. Click here to read more (external link).
Militant Groups Behind Illegal Drug Trade in Afghanistan: MoI
Taliban fighters (file photo)
Tolo News: Militant groups such as Taliban, al Qaeda and Daesh “are the main backers of drug trafficking” in Afghanistan, the counter-narcotics department of the Ministry of Interior said on Saturday. The ministry said the provinces such as Helmand, Nimroz, Farah and Badakhshan where the Taliban has more influence, poppy cultivation and drug processing “have been on the rise” compared to other places. Click here to read more (external link).
1TV Afghanistan Dari News – January 2, 2021
Afghan republic’s negotiator backs interim government as way forward
Mansoor
1TV: A negotiator of Afghan republic team has said that forming an interim government is inevitable in making peace with the Taliban. “If we want the opposite side to reconcile, the experience of giving Mr. Hekmatyar a home in Darulaman may not work,” Mansoor said speaking at an event in Kabul. Mansoor backed the idea of forming an interim government as way forward, but he also emphasized on preserving the framework of the establishment and human values. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
The ‘Thin Rumors’ of China Bounties in Afghanistan
Michael Hughes: The first question to ask about recent unconfirmed allegations of China paying non-state actors to target American troops in Afghanistan is the following: If they amount to mere rumors, as U.S. officials have admitted, why are they being declassified and made public? Chinese officials have argued that the allegations were revealed in order to smear Beijing. And, thus far, this sounds like the most reasonable explanation. Click here to read more.