Mes: agosto 2019

(CBS News) KABUL – By the end of 2014, the international military forces who have tried to secure Afghanistan for more than a decade will leave the country, and as they go, so too will many of the business opportunities granted by their presence. “The current economy is artificial,” Muqim Jamshady tells CBS News in his suburban Kabul home. Jamshady started his own company, Afghan Logistics, shortly after the Taliban regime was ousted almost 11 years ago. The current economy “has no foundation,” he says. “Much depends on the coalition forces. If they leave, the economy will collapse dramatically.” Hundreds of Afghan forces sacked, detained over insider attack fearsCan Afghan forces vet their recruits?U.S. halts training of some Afghan forces Much of Jamshady’s business depends on an international presence in Kabul. He runs a hugely successful logistics, rental car and taxi firm – services which are mostly aimed at the massive population of foreigners in the Afghan capital. He built his business from almost nothing, starting as an owner-driver and then spending his savings on a second vehicle, which his brother drove. Soon, there was a third brother driving a third car. Today he has more than 100 vehicles, a large complex of offices and his own maintenance facility. His wealth is apparent, but Jamshady is reluctant to disclose his real net-worth. Success here comes with great risk. As...

(AP) BAGHDAD – Three bomb blasts shortly before sunset Wednesday killed 10 people north of Baghdad in the latest spasm of violence to grip Iraq. The blasts underscored the volatility of the country eight months after the last U.S. troops pulled out. Insurgents, led by the local branch of al Qaeda, are trying to re-establish themselves in their old strongholds and undermine the government. The first bomb went off Wednesday in Baqouba, about 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of the Iraqi capital. Police said two civilians and one police officer were killed, and five people were wounded. Minutes later, authorities said, a car bomb exploded at the entrance of the main market in Muqdadiyah, about 90 kilometers (60 miles) north of Baghdad. A second blast struck as police arrived on the scene. Police said the toll for both bombings in the town was seven killed and 철원출장샵 26 wounded. Iraq: Gunmen kill 7 Shiites in targeted attack The bombs exploded shortly before the ceremonial breaking of the daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan, when families and friends gather for a sunset meal. Police said the Muqdadiyah market was crowded with shoppers who were buying last-minute supplies for the “iftar” meal. Baqouba and Muqdadiyah are both located in the province of Diyala, a former stronghold of al Qaeda’s Iraqi branch. The province is home to both Sunni and...

Jeff Glor hears from Kevin Wilson about “Family Fang,” his inventive novel about a quirky couple obsessed with performance art. For them, everything in life is secondary to art, including their children. Jeff Glor: What inspired you to write the book? Kevin Wilson: I knew I wanted to write about family, what it means to be born into something and how you eventually leave it behind to become your own person. But the biggest event that spurred me to write the book was the birth of my son, Griff. Once my wife and I became parents, I thought more and more about what the responsibility of caring for a baby meant and if our actions were helping or hurting our son. JG: What surprised you the most during the writing process? KW: How much I grew to care about the characters. I felt such an affinity for Annie and Buster, the children in the novel, that when I finished the book, I missed writing about them. I imagine it was the same feeling a parent has when a child leaves for college. They left me behind, but I still had more ideas for them. JG: What would you be doing if you weren’t a writer? KW: Most of my life, I’ve been a secretary, so I imagine I’d keep doing that. I am very good at taking orders and...

(CBS News) UNITED NATIONS – With “acrimonious fault lines” between members blocking action by the United Nations Security Council on Syria’s escalating civil war, as a senior European diplomat put it to CBS News, the General Assembly came together Tuesday – for the second time – to shine a light on the issue and try to present a more unified front. More in After the Arab Spring Diplomats accused both President Bashar Assad’s government and the opposition of violating human rights. They pointed to the recent report that more than 100,000 Syrians fled their country in August alone. They called on nations to meet the appeals for humanitarian aid. In the end, however, and with great frustration, they threw up their hands. There is, after all, not much that the General Assembly can do. Syria opposition calls for “Marshall Plan” post-Assad100K fled Syria war in August aloneSyria: No talks with rebels until they’re crushed The U.N.’s hopes for diplomacy now rest with seasoned Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi, the global body’s new envoy to Syria, who has taken over Kofi Annan’s role as negotiator-in-chief after the former U.N. secretary-general quit the position having accomplished little. “The destruction is reaching catastrophic proportions,” Brahimi told the General Assembly’s 193 member nations. “The support of the international community is indispensable and very urgent.” Brahimi’s pleas came two days after he told the BBC...