The chairman of a key House subcommittee said Monday that she would strip $3.9 billion in aid for Afghanistan from next year's spending bill over concerns about rampant graft in the country and alleged efforts by President Hamid Karzai's government to derail corruption probes.

The decision was made after Belarus refused to pay some 200 million U.S. dollars owned to Russia over gas supplies. Over 85 percent of Russia's gas supplies to the neighbor will be affected.

The assets of Mr Karzai, whose remuneration is five times the national average, were published by the High Office for Oversight and Anti-Corruption as part of a decree aimed at improving transparency. Corruption remains a major complaint of Afghans and those doing business with the country....

The released report by the United States on Afghanistan's untapped natural resources appears to be an attempt to get intact the anti-terrorist coalition in Afghanistan.

The minerals and untapped treasures in the country may value 3 trillions U.S. dollars," Shahrani told a news conference here.

"There is stunning potential here," Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of the United States Central Command, told the paper in a report published Monday. "There are a lot of ifs, of course, but I think potentially it is hugely significant."

Davutoglu said the tripartite mechanism between Turkey, Afghanistan and Pakistan would make efforts to hold the Istanbul Forum meeting, one that involves businesspeople of the three countries, in Kabul.

While many refugees in Iran are already feeling the effects of rising inflation, UNHCR believes this will only worsen when the Government’s new five-year national economic policy – which will see the removal of subsidies for electricity, water and basic commodities like food – takes effect....

The money will be used for the purchase of weaponry, modernization of the existing military equipment, scientific research for the ministries of defense, interior, emergencies, Federal security service and the intelligence agency.

The euro soared on Monday morning as investors reacted with initial relief at the €750bn plan to defend the single currency and European Monetary Union from potential collapse.

Shanghai kicked off its multi-billion dollar technology Expo Friday, expected to attract 70 million visitors. The opening ceremony featured action film star Jackie Chan serenading the crowd. 189 countries will take part in the Expo

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Development Fund (SDF) has been officially launched here by Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigmi Y. Thinley.

The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2010 officially opened Saturday morning in Boao in south China's Hainan Province, with a focus on Asia's sustainable recovery from the economic downturn.

Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon said that the European Union foreign affairs representative would also be present at the two-day meeting in Ottawa.

Crude rose on Monday, snapping three sessions of losses, as a weaker U.S. dollar, a cold snap and geopolitical tensions provided support.

Turkish troops based in Afghanistan's Wardak province distributed 20 tons mutton to local needy people, a local newspaper reported Monday.

The aid package, which would be between $4 billion and $5 billion, would be spread out over five years starting in 2010, the Nikkei said.

A juice producing plant established with 11 million U.S. dollars has been inaugurated in the war-torn Afghan capital Kabul, a press release the Ministry for Agriculture and Livestock said Saturday.

The aim of the measures is an improvement of the flight control in the Afghan airspace. A better flight control is one of the priority projects of the Afghan Government and in urgent need of improvement and standardization to support increasing air traffic.

As the G20 summit came to a close in Pittsburgh, leaders highlighted their new plans to give more weight in economic decision making to emerging and developing economies.