Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Afghanistan

UN Cites 'Massive' Turnout In Afghan Elections

10 October 2004 -- (NCA) -- Turnout in Afghanistan's first-ever direct presidential ballot was "massive," a United Nations official said following yesterday's vote.

TEXT SIZE - +

October 10, 2004

Spokesman Manoel de Almeida e Silva acknowledged there were "some problems" with the polls. He cited complaints the ink used to mark voters' fingers -- and prevent people from casting multiple ballots -- washed away easily.

Fifteen of the 16 candidates claimed the vote was marred by widespread fraud. The sole exception, incumbent leader Hamid Karzai, said he was satisfied by election officials' decision not to call for a recount.

Some 10.5 million Afghans were registered to vote, more than 41 percent of them women.

U.S. President George W. Bush today praised the Afghan vote as a remarkable achievement. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Afghanistan had reached a "significant milestone" in its history.

(RFE/RL/AFP/AP)

[For more on the Afghan elections, see RFE/RL and Radio Free Afghanistan's dedicated "Afghanistan Votes 2004-05" webpage.]

A vendor in the central Bosnian town of Zenica sells heart-shaped cushions with proclamations of love for 1 euro each.

Love It (Or Hate It), It's Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, the Western holiday celebrating love, has become a global phenomenon over the past two decades. The fall of communism and the emergence of the Internet have helped February 14 become something of an unofficial international day of romance. However, not all the passions the holiday stirs are related to love. While some countries have openly embraced the holiday, others are attempting to ban it or replace it with local customs. More

Gasoline prices have risen dramatically in Pakistan in recent years

In Pakistan, Cleaner Fuel Powers Supply, Safety Issues

Rising fuel prices have pushed Pakistan to become a global leader in using compressed natural gas (CNG) to fuel vehicles. More

Family members of missing Baluchs, mostly political activists, rally in protest on the eve of international Human Rights Day in Quetta, Balochistan, on December 10, 2011.

U.S. Hearing On Balochistan Raises Hackles, Awareness

The U.S. Congressional hearing last week on Balochistan, the largest of Pakistan's four provinces, though it was firmly rejected by Islamabad, is being seen in Pakistan as any eye-opener for the state and its security agencies. More