Business
Export volume of Afghan pine nuts drops off

Exports of pine nuts from Afghanistan have declined in recent months as trade routes remain closed, traders say.
Traders in Khost said that the pine nuts could spoil if shipments remain in warehouses for too long.
“In the past, pine nuts were being exported to Pakistan, China and other countries at a high price,” said Anwar, a trader in Khost. “Now the routes are closed. The route to Pakistan is closed.”
Bostan, another pine nuts trader in Khost, said that their harvest remains in underground warehouses and the pine nuts are rotting.
According to the Khost Pine Nuts Traders Union, the price of pine nuts has declined by 50 percent and they don’t have proper facilities to preserve it.
“In the past, pine nuts would either go to China or Pakistan,” Gulkai, head of Pine Nuts Traders said. “It not only spoils, but also loses weight.”
Local officials in Khost acknowledged that pine nuts traders are facing challenges, but say they are working to resolve the problems.
“The Islamic Emirate has tried to help reopen the routes, but there are some issues which are in the hands of others only,” said Shabir Ahmad Osmani, the provincial head of information and culture in Khost.
Hundreds of tons of pine nuts are produced annually in Paktia, Khost and Paktika provinces, but its trade faces many challenges.
Recently, China promised to reactivate air corridors with Afghanistan to facilitate importing of pine nuts and other dried fruits from Afghanistan.
Business
MTN receives $35 million offer for Afghanistan operation

South Africa’s MTN Group has received a binding offer for 100% of its shares in MTN Afghanistan for a consideration of approximately $35 million, the company has confirmed.
The identity of the buyer was not disclosed but the operator expects the transaction to be concluded within roughly six months, South African media reports indicated.
The sale will mark the completion of the group’s planned exit from its consolidated Middle East and Central Asia markets following the sale of its business in Yemen and the loss of its Syrian operations last year.
Business
Muttaqi urges China to help increase Afghan export volume

Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met with Beijing’s visiting special envoy to Kabul on Tuesday and called on China to pave the way for Afghan exports.
During the meeting, held in Kabul, Muttaqi thanked the Chinese government for starting the visa issuance process in Kabul for Afghan traders, calling it beneficial for bilateral trade between the two countries.
China’s envoy Yue Xiaoyong said that he was working on bilateral and multinational relations with Afghanistan, and spoke about the “encouraging news during his recent regional visits,” according to a statement from the Afghan foreign ministry.
Yue also praised the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) for its efforts and achievements, adding that the new Afghan government has been able to fulfill challenging and significant tasks in a short period of time, and that it had managed the natural disasters and cold winter well, the statement said.
The Chinese special envoy said bilateral relations with Afghanistan had progressed significantly, adding that the meetings between the two countries’ foreign ministers depicted deep relations between the two nations.
He also said that in addition to pine nuts, China was considering importing other dried and fresh fruits to help Afghanistan’s economy.
China’s special envoy arrived in Kabul after visiting Turkey, Pakistan and India to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.
In Kabul, the envoy also met with Acting Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid, where they discussed the need for bilateral cooperation.
Mujahid told the envoy that Afghanistan would facilitate investment in the country.
Business
Musk says Twitter deal could move ahead with ‘bot’ info

Elon Musk said Saturday his planned $44 billion takeover of Twitter should move forward if the company can confirm some details about how it measures whether user accounts are ‘spam bots’ or real people, AP reported Saturday.
The billionaire and Tesla CEO has been trying to back out of his April agreement to buy the social media company, leading Twitter to sue him last month to complete the acquisition. Musk countersued, accusing Twitter of misleading his team about the true size of its user base and other problems he said amounted to fraud and breach of contract.
Both sides are headed toward an October trial in a Delaware court.
“If Twitter simply provides their method of sampling 100 accounts and how they’re confirmed to be real, the deal should proceed on original terms,” Musk tweeted early Saturday. “However, if it turns out that their SEC filings are materially false, then it should not.”
Twitter declined comment Saturday. The company has repeatedly disclosed to the Securities and Exchange Commission an estimate that fewer than 5% of user accounts are fake or spam, with a disclaimer that it could be higher. Musk waived his right to further due diligence when he signed the April merger agreement.
Twitter has argued in court that Musk is deliberately trying to tank the deal because market conditions have deteriorated and the acquisition no longer serves his interests. In a court filing Thursday, it describes his counterclaims as an imagined story “contradicted by the evidence and common sense.”
“Musk invents representations Twitter never made and then tries to wield, selectively, the extensive confidential data Twitter provided him to conjure a breach of those purported representations,” company attorneys wrote.
-
Health4 days ago
New Langya virus infects 35 people in China
-
Sport4 days ago
Former international cricket umpire Koertzen dies in car accident
-
COVID-194 days ago
China closes Potala Palace after COVID-19 reported in Tibet
-
Latest News3 days ago
SIGAR finds it ‘unlikely’ that Ghani fled with millions of dollars in cash
-
Latest News5 days ago
10 stabbed to death in Iran, Afghan man arrested
-
Sport4 days ago
Ireland beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in first T20I match of series
-
World5 days ago
FBI searches Trump’s Florida home as part of presidential records probe
-
Science & Technology4 days ago
WhatsApp unveils new privacy features to boost user security