http://www.earthtimes.org The Earth Times online newspaper, serving the planet with news that matters. Covering current affairs, world news, environmental affairs and sport en-us PHP/4.4.4 http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295500,german-defence-minister-afghan-government-must-do-more.html Washington - Germany's new Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg Thursday said the Afghanistan government must act, not just talk, about bringing order to the country. Guttenberg made the remarks after a 45-minute meeting with his US counterpar... World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:04:24 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295500,german-defence-minister-afghan-government-must-do-more.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294402,afghan-minister-says-nato-could-start-withdrawal-in-4-to.html Kabul - Afghan Defence Minister, General Abdul Rahim Wardak, said Thursday that NATO-led international troops could start a gradual withdrawal from Afghanistan in four to five years if the size and training of indigenous forces are boosted. Since ... Asia,World Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:34:16 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294402,afghan-minister-says-nato-could-start-withdrawal-in-4-to.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294315,australian-bomb-sniffing-dog-back-from-the-dead.html Sydney - An Australian Army bomb-detection dog given up for dead 14 months ago after going missing during a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan has been found alive and well, news reports said Thursday. Sabi was about to complete a second tour of duty with... Australasia,World Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:58:17 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/294315,australian-bomb-sniffing-dog-back-from-the-dead.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292241,polish-foreign-minister-to-meet-with-clinton-on-missile-shield.html Warsaw - Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski will meet US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton next month to discuss Afghanistan and a new US proposal for a missile shield, the Polish Press Agency PAP reported on Wednesday. Sikorski and Clinton a... Europe,World Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:16:40 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292241,polish-foreign-minister-to-meet-with-clinton-on-missile-shield.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295471,suicide-attacks-kill-two-us-soldiers-10-afghan-civilians--summary.html Kandahar/Kabul - Two suicide bombers targeted a NATO-led military base and a police station in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, killing two US soldiers and ten Afghan civilians, officials said. The attacks came as President Hamid Karzai said Afghan ... Asia,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:22:21 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295471,suicide-attacks-kill-two-us-soldiers-10-afghan-civilians--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296351,berlusconi-agrees-to-boost-italian-support-of-afghan-mission.html Rome - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi agreed Wednesday in a telephone conversation with US President Barack Obama to increase Italy's support of the international community's efforts in Afghanistan. The details of Italy's contribution would... Europe,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:16:17 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296351,berlusconi-agrees-to-boost-italian-support-of-afghan-mission.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296308,big-increase-in-german-military-spending-in-afghanistan.html Berlin - Germany is planning a big increase in its military spending in Afghanistan, according to budget data Wednesday. The Defence Ministry said the reason was an increase in personnel, running and purchasing costs as well as the need to improve a ... Europe,World Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:10:20 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/296308,big-increase-in-german-military-spending-in-afghanistan.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291172,abdullah-concerned-about-widespread-fraud-in-afghan-runoff--summary.html Kabul - The top challenger in Afghanistan's disputed August presidential election, Abdullah Abdullah, said Wednesday that his team will set certain conditions to avoid widespread fraud in the November 7 runoff. The August 20 presidential election, ... Asia,World Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:46:50 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291172,abdullah-concerned-about-widespread-fraud-in-afghan-runoff--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293385,more-than-a-dozen-civilians-us-soldier-killed-in-afghanistan.html Kabul - Conflicting accounts were given Thursday of a NATO attack in southern Afghanistan with villagers saying nine farmers were killed while working a field and international forces claiming eight militants died while planting a roadside bomb. The ... Asia,World Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:16:21 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293385,more-than-a-dozen-civilians-us-soldier-killed-in-afghanistan.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293386,un-relocating-up-to-600-staff-from-afghan-danger-zones.html Kabul - The United Nations began to relocate up to 600 of its foreign personnel in Afghanistan from danger zones in the country in the face of mounting Taliban attacks, officials said Thursday. The decision to temporarily move up to 60 per cent of it... Asia,World Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:22:20 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293386,un-relocating-up-to-600-staff-from-afghan-danger-zones.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/289979,al-qaeda-number-two-lashes-out-at-pakistani-military.html Islamabad - The Pakistan Army has become a tool in the hands of the crusaders to save American and NATO troops from certain defeat in Afghanistan, al-Qaeda's second-in-command said in a new video message on Tuesday. At this moment Pakistani forces... Asia,World Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:04:50 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/289979,al-qaeda-number-two-lashes-out-at-pakistani-military.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291320,rasmussen-urges-action-on-afghanistan-before-nato-meeting--update.html Bratislava - Describing Afghanistan as the most complex challenge NATO has ever undertaken, the alliance's secretary general called on Thursday for a greater commitment to bring stability and peace to the country and to prevent greater regional thr... Europe,World Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:40:52 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291320,rasmussen-urges-action-on-afghanistan-before-nato-meeting--update.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292230,ban-un-will-continue-elections-work-despite-attack--summary.html New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday pledged UN determination to carry on with its activities in Afghanistan despite the attack that killed up to 12 people in a raid on a UN guest house by Taliban. We will never be deterred by th... World Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:34:38 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292230,ban-un-will-continue-elections-work-despite-attack--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291034,eu-welcomes-afghanistans-second-presidential-vote.html Stockholm - The European Union Tuesday welcomed announcements that Afghanistan was to hold a run-off presidential election, noting that the safeguards of the electoral system have worked. A statement issued by Sweden, current holder of the rotating ... Europe,World Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:04:44 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291034,eu-welcomes-afghanistans-second-presidential-vote.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292274,sources-nato-airstrike-report-delivered-to-german-officials.html Berlin - NATO has delivered a report on its investigation into an airstrike called in by a German officer in Afghanistan, highly placed military sources told the German Press Agency dpa. The report was flown from Afghanistan to Germany and delivered ... Europe,World Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:22:42 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292274,sources-nato-airstrike-report-delivered-to-german-officials.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295451,suicide-attack-kills-2-us-soldiers-as-karzai-starts-second-term.html Kabul - A suicide bomber targeted a NATO-led military base in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, killing two US soldiers, military officials said. The attack came as President Hamid Karzai said Afghan security forces should be able to take over the co... US,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:52:18 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295451,suicide-attack-kills-2-us-soldiers-as-karzai-starts-second-term.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295452,sweden-extends-afghan-mission.html Stockholm - The Swedish parliament Thursday voted overwhelmingly to keep Sweden's military contingent in Afghanistan for another year. Sweden has some 430 troops in northern Afghanistan, and the contingent was likely to increase to some 500 next year... Europe,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:58:26 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295452,sweden-extends-afghan-mission.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295456,extra-ten-afghan-civilians-killed-suicide-bombing-attack.html Kandahar - Ten civilians, including two children, were killed and 13 others wounded in a suicide bombing near a police station in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, the provincial police chief said. The suspect was identified as a bomber and shot by A... Asia,World Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:22:17 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/295456,extra-ten-afghan-civilians-killed-suicide-bombing-attack.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292623,un-builds-security-protection-for-staff-in-afghanistan--summary.html New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met with General Assembly leaders on Friday to request prompt approval of at least 75 million dollars to strengthen security and safety for UN staff in Afghanistan. Despite the clear need, our security man... World Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:58:38 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292623,un-builds-security-protection-for-staff-in-afghanistan--summary.html http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292584,non-essential-un-staff-to-be-relocated-ban-says.html New York - Non-essential UN staff working in Afghanistan will be relocated to safer locations and security will be beefed up to protect those working to assist Kabul in run-off presidential elections, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Friday. Ban... World Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:58:41 GMT http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/292584,non-essential-un-staff-to-be-relocated-ban-says.html