Two coalition service members, an Afghan police officer and one civilian were killed in western Afghanistan on Wednesday when a mentoring session turned into a shootout, military officials said. FULL POST
Kalu, Afghanistan — In September, the government of Afghanistan will offer up a contract for mining rights in Bamyan Province about 80 miles outside of Kabul, hoping to attract international companies. Based on Soviet studies from teh 1960s, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates the potential value of Afghanistan's mineral wealth at a trillion dollars. The Afghan minister of mines says it could be as much as $3 trillion. But a lack of security and lack of infrastructure may hinder any progress. FULL POST
Dozens of schoolgirls and teachers were sickened Wednesday by poison gas in Afghanistan, medical and government officials said.
The latest incident, this one at a high school, is the ninth such case involving the poisoning of schoolgirls, said Asif Nang, spokesman for the nation's education ministry. FULL POST