Kabul, June 19 (Xinhua-ANI): The Afghan government on Wednesday announced that it suspended talks with the United States on the proposed security agreement, saying the United States had contradictory stance over the peace process in Afghanistan, local media reported.

London, June 19 (ANI): The United States is to open direct talks with Taliban leaders within days.

Kabul, June 18 (Xinhua-ANI): Some members of Afghan High Peace Council will travel to the Gulf state of Qatar to hold formal peace talks with the Taliban, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Tuesday.

Kabul, June 18 (Xinhua-ANI): At least three civilians were killed and many others wounded Tuesday morning when a suicide bombing hit west of Afghan capital Kabul, witnesses said.

Washington, June 18 (ANI): Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by the Taliban for promoting girls' education, has denounced an attack on a bus carrying female students in Quetta as 'cowardly'.

Islamabad, June 17 (ANI): The Pakistani Taliban has reportedly asked two local businessmen to pay 'protection money' to help militants carry out 'jihad'.

Islamabad, June 17 (ANI): The Pakistani Taliban has said peace talks with government are on hold for the time being and will not happen anytime soon.

New Delhi, June 14 (ANI): Afghanistan watchers fear that the current trends in the violence in that country would make 2013 as violent as 2011, which was the most violent since 2001. This has been mostly the result of the spring offensive codenamed 'Khaled bin Walid' announced by the Taliban on April 27.

Islamabad, June 13 (ANI): Pakistan has increased its defence budget by 15 percent for the coming fiscal year.

London, June 13 (ANI): The international community has been warned not to turn its back on Afghanistan by the commander of international forces in Afghanistan.

Islamabad, June 12 (ANI): The Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan is discriminated against even during death.

Sydney, June 12 (ANI): The United Nations' political mission in Afghanistan has received signals from the Taliban of a willingness to talk about human rights and reducing civilian casualties in the country.

Beijing, June 12 (Xinhua-ANI): The UN Security Council on Tuesday condemned "in the strongest terms" the terrorist attack in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan.

Islamabad, June 11 (ANI): The Afghan Taliban has denied allegations that it was involved in preparations for an attack on the bases of the Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in the Mohmand tribal region.

Islamabad, June 10 (ANI): The Afghan Taliban is willing to hold talks with the government-backed peace council, an Afghan official said.

Peshawar, June 8 (ANI): The tenure of the newly-formed Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government will soon witness the withdrawal of security forces from Swat.

Washington, June 5 (ANI): Fort Hood massacre suspect Army Major Nidal Hasan has argued that he sought to protect Taliban leaders in Afghanistan during a shooting rampage at the Texas military base that killed 13 people, and injured more than 30.

Washington, June 4 (ANI): Although US President Barack Obama's aggressive campaign of drone strikes has generated controversy overseas and among terrorism experts, majority of America seems to be fine with it, a poll has revealed.

Islamabad, June 4 (ANI): Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman has ruled out the role of the party in peace talks with the Taliban, stating withdrawal of the talks offer, and disinterest of military establishment in talks as the reason.

Beijing, June 3 (Xinhua-ANI): A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a school in Samkani district of Paktia province, 100 km south of the Afghan capital of Kabul, killing 11 people including the attacker and injuring 17 others on Monday, provincial police chief Zalmai Oryakhil said.

Islamabad, June 3 (ANI): Senior Afghan Taliban officials, who wrapped up their three-day visit to Iran, have assured Iranian authorities that they would accommodate all sides in any post-NATO set-up in Afghanistan, according to sources.

Islamabad, June 3 (ANI): The US drone attack on May 29 has dampened prospects of Secretary of State John Kerry's tentative visit to Pakistan this month.

New Delhi, June 3 (ANI): On the face of it, the May 29, 2013 U.S. drone strike that killed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan ( TTP) number two Waliur Rehman as he slept in Chashma village near Miranshah in North Waziristan, was just another drone strike. Rehman, who belonged to the Manzai clan of the Mehsuds, was head of the organisation's South Waziristan chapter, and was a high value target with a USD 5 million U.S. bounty on his head.

Washington, June 3 (ANI): The family of a 16-year-old Bangladeshi girl who is playing the role of Pakistani teen activist Malala Yousafzai in a new film have insisted that no photos of the girl be released until midway through filming, in fear of revenge attacks by the Taliban.

London, June 2 (ANI): Senior British officers under the 6.6 million pound International Security Assistance Force (IASF) project, are offering the Taliban militants bribes in order to 'leave the battlefield' for a period of 12 months.