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Afghanistan is grappling with serious economic and social woes over a decade after a US led invasion of the country. The government has also been criticized for failing to deal with these problems. The economic plight has forced a large number of Afghan children to work on the streets to try to feed their families. Kabul has a population of around six million people. Among them are around 600,000 street children who live in tough conditions. Most of them belong to fatherless families. These families depend on their children to try to find a way to survive. Umar is one of those children who have to work. A US night time air raid on their village in Kapisa province left Umar\\\'s father dead. Soon after the family lost its breadwinner, Umar left his village for Kabul. Now he lives with his uncle\\\'s family. But as his uncle is a simple shoe maker, Umer has to work too. For Umar it\\\'s a constant struggle to feed himself and send some money back to his family in Kapisa every month. Afghan president Hamid Karzai expressed his concern about the living conditions of street children in a recent address on the Afghan National Radio. Karzai asked International organizations including UNICEF to pay more attention to the issue. But some experts are pointing the finger at the afghan government and western countries for failing to do much. Today\\\'s children are the men of Afghanistan\\\'s future. But what many afghans are asking is how these poor street children who are not receiving any education will play a positive role in Afghanistan\\\'s future.

Millions of Shia Muslims from across the world have flocked to Iraq\'s holy city of Karbala to hold mourning ceremonies marking Arba\'een. Arba\'een marks the 40th day since the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein, Prophet Mohammed\'s grandson and the third Shia imam. Security is tight in Karbala and other cities across Iraq. Authorities estimate that some 15 million people have braved the cold and deadly violence to attend Arba\'een ceremonies. Dozens of pilgrims have so far lost their lives in multiple terrorist attacks in recent days.

Still with Turkey, riot police have used water cannon and smoke grenade to disperse thousands of Kurdish protesters marching on the Syrian border. The march in the eastern province of Jiz-reh was in solidarity with Syrian Kurds. Demonstrations started peacefully when thousands gather to attend a rally organized by pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party. But clashes broke out when they marched on the Syrian border and crossed into the Arab country. Kurds\' assertiveness during the Syrian conflict has put Turkey in a tough position to deal with the militants from Kurdish Workers Party-- the P-K-K. Ankara has been engaged in a peace process with the P-K-K during the past year despite designating them as a terrorist group. Turkey has also been a main supporter of the insurgency in Syria which has negatively affected the lives of Kurds there.

At least eight people have been killed in mortar shell attacks on an Iraqi army base west of the capital Baghdad. Officials say four of the victims were army officers, including a brigade commander. Four soldiers were also killed in the attack, which took place in the Abu Ghraib area. Just two days ago, gunmen killed five senior officers and ten soldiers in the western province of Anbar. Violence has spiked in Iraq in 2013. Based on UN figures, at least eight-thousand people have lost their lives across the country this year alone.

The United Nations is warning that it\\\'ll investigate reports of crimes against humanity in South Sudan. The warning comes after eyewitnesses unveiled a wave of brutal ethnic killings. UN chief Ban Ki-moon says all those responsible for the killings will face the consequences. He has asked the Security Council to nearly double the size of the UN mission in South Sudan. Since nearly a week ago, the country has been hit by deadly fighting between government forces and rebels loyal to former vice president, Riek Machar. According to official estimates, 500 people have lost their lives in the week long conflict. But independent sources believe the real figure to be higher.

The tragedy of Imam Hussein who was martyred around 14 centuries ago along with 72 of his companions in Iraq\'s Karbala has touched the hearts of millions across the globe does not stop at the martyrdom Prophet Mohammad\'s grandson. Millions of Shiite Muslims also remember the sufferings of the survivors of Karbala, mostly women and children, many of whom spent the rest of their lives telling the tale.

Press TV has conducted an interview with Eugene Michael Jones, editor of Culture Wars Magazine, about the Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemning the latest Israeli airstrikes on the besieged Gaza Strip that claimed the lives of two Palestinians, including a three-year-old girl.

Iranian Parliamentarians say that human rights has become a tool in the hands of the West to pressure other countries. Human Rights Resolution proposed by Canada against Iran was adopted on December 18th. Iranian parliamentarians talked about the resolution after they came back from vacation this week. The resolution was approved with 86 votes in favor, 36 against and 61 abstentions, expressing concern over alleged human rights violations in Iran. Iranian representatives say the move does not aim in any way to enhance rights conditions. They say human rights has been politicized and this is damaging to those who have dedicated their lives to create better living conditions for all individuals without a political motive.

In the deadliest attack in a Shia neighborhood, two car bombs left at least seven people dead. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Iraq has been gripped by violence in recent months. The U-N says more than eight thousand people have lost their lives in the violence in 20-13.

Human spirit perseveres even in the face of tremendous adversary. Inside the besieged coastal enclave of Gaza people have to struggle for the very basic daily activities that are generally taken for granted in most other parts of the world. \\\"Within Gaza\\\" series- in 5 episodes- peaks through the walls of occupation and siege to try to reveal how the Gazans go about their lives. Each episode deals with one harshness that afflicts the residents and portrays their ingenuity in coping with Israeli occupation and intermittent onslaught.

Nouri al-Maliki has, in a televised speech, demanded that the militants in Anbar province surrender. He\'s also promised to be lenient on them in case they turn themselves in. Iraqi troops have besieged Fallujah as they prepare for a major offensive to drive the militants out. But concerns about the lives of the city residents have complicated the operation. Meanwhile, Iraqi forces together with local tribesmen have reportedly taken control of 90 percent of the city of Ramadi in the same province. Local tribesmen have joined the army over the past week to reverse the surge of the al-Qaeda militancy. In the neighboring Babil province, government forces have arrested an al-Qaeda-linked leader and destroyed a militant camp in an airstrike.

Rights activists have repeatedly called for key figures behind the 2003 invasion of Iraq to be put on trial. Britain, along with the US, attacked Iraq under the pretext that the regime of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction. W-M-Ds were never found in Iraq and the war took hundreds of thousands of lives. And now to further show the atrocities committed during the war, the International Criminal Court has been asked to investigate allegations of abuse and torture by British forces in the war-torn country.

The Syrian army continues its clean-up operations in several areas across the Middle Eastern country, killing a number of foreign-backed militants. According to a military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the army killed 19 militants in al-Koum village in Lattakia countryside. In al-Rabea village, the army stormed the militants\' hideouts, killing a number of them. Elsewhere, in Salma countryside, the Syrian troops continued their operations, killing 23 militants and wounding 43 others. In the village of Ghamam, the army killed nine militants fighting against the government. Moreover, scores of foreign-backed militants were killed or injured in similar operations in many areas in Aleppo and its countryside. Meanwhile the infighting among al-Qaeda-linked militants and armed opposition groups has claimed more than 1,000 lives over the past two weeks.

In an awaited address by Americans, US President Barack Obama talked about reforms that he recommends for the spying agency the National Security Agency (NSA). Of course his speech has come as a reaction to uproar by Americans and much of the world. US whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed the extent of America\'s snooping agency involvement in eavesdropping on the private lives of regular Americans to foreign heads of state. Stay with us as we take a look at just what these alleged reforms means

An Al-Qaeda-linked group has issued a threat to Hezbollah, saying it would continue its attacks against the Lebanese resistance movement. In a statement posted on the Internet, the group, known as the Al-Nusra Front in Lebanon, says -- Hezbollah and its bases are legitimate targets. The statement comes just three days after the group claimed responsibility for a car bombing in Beirut\'s southern suburbs that killed four people. That was the sixth in a string of terrorist attacks in Lebanon in recent months. Another al-Qaeda-linked outfit, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, carried out a twin bombing in front of the Iranian Embassy in Beirut in November. The attacks claimed the lives of 23 people -- including an Iranian diplomat.

In northern Yemen, Shia Houthi fighters have overrun the strongholds of pro-Salafi tribal militants. Local sources say Houthis have taken control of the town of Houth as well as Khamri village from tribal gunmen in the north. The move is considered a major advance for the Shia fighters following weeks of battles with pro-Salafi militants. Houthi fighters and gunmen from the Hashid tribe have been engaged in heavy fighting since early January. Hundreds of people have lost their lives in the clashes since last October.

Iraqi security forces continue operations against al-Qaeda-linked insurgents in the restive west of the country. Reports say some 50 militants of the terrorist group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, ISIL, have been killed in Anbar province. Anbar has been the scene of fighting between the Iraqi government forces and the I-S-I-L over the past weeks. The clashes have claimed many lives on both sides. A large number of Iraqi civilians have also been killed in bomb blasts and other terrorist attacks in recent months. The Iraqi government has blamed the attacks on the al-Qaeda-linked group and its regional supporters including Saudi Arabia.

In northern Yemen, heavy clashes have erupted between Shia Houthi fighters and pro-Salafi tribal militants. Militants have launched missiles at civilian homes in the town on Houth. This comes after Houthis took control of the town as well as the village of Khamri from tribal gunmen. The advances are considered huge victories for the Shia fighters following weeks of battles with pro-Salafi militants. Houthi fighters and gunmen from the Hashid tribe have been engaged in heavy fighting since early January. Hundreds of people have lost their lives in the clashes since October.

Patients and doctors have protested inside Gaza\'s Shifa hospital as they marked the World Cancer Day. The number of cancer cases has been on the rise in recent years following two Israeli wars on the blockaded coastal strip. An average of one thousand cancer cases has been recorded annually among Gazans for the last two years. The Gaza Health Ministry says the Israeli regime\'s use of internationally banned weapons has sharply increased the number of cancer cases. During the 22-day Israeli war at the turn of 2009, Norwegian Doctor Mads Fredrik Gilbert who volunteered at Gaza\'s Shifa hospital said that some victims had traces of depleted uranium in their wounds. The majority of Israeli high-tech weapons contain depleted uranium. Most cancer patients lived in areas that were heavily bombarded by Israeli forces during the last two Israeli wars. Lack of medicines as well as cancer patients\' inability to receive treatment abroad due to closure of crossings by both Israel and the Egyptian military is putting their lives at grave risk. Experts have said that Israeli forces used internationally banned weapons like White Phosphorous and weapons containing depleted uranium against the civilian population of Gaza. Experts say such weapons are carcinogenic.

6TH International Congress on Health in Emergencies and Disasters in Tehran. Top professors and scientists in the area of disaster control and related fields from United States, France, Finland, Sweden and Norway attended the event to share their knowledge with Iranian counterparts and colleagues. The Congress analyzed the important role of health services including psychology after any disaster. The Head of Physical Rehabilitation Programs Health Unit at International Committee of Red Cross was at the event. He shared his professional opinion on Iran and its capability to manage disasters. Iranian professors at this event talked about response time in time of emergency. They said Iran needs to improve in this area. Recently two of Iran\'s Northern provinces were hit by heavy snow and as a result electricity was cut off. For a few days many people were trapped. The head of Iran National Disaster Management Organization used the opportunity to talk about the latest natural disaster in Iran and how it is being dealt with. According to officials 86 percent of Iran\'s urban population lives on earthquake fault lines and 70 percent of natural disaster damages during the past decades have been caused by floods.

The British government\'s anti-terror policy has long been criticized as ineffective and discriminatory against the country\'s Muslim community. Now, a new report details how those policies have impacted every aspect of British Muslims\' lives.

Electoral campaigns continue for the second week in Afghanistan, but security issues remain to be the main concern of the country\'s officials. The first security alarm came after three campaigners of Dr Abdullah Abdullah lost their lives in separate terrorist attacks in the west and north of Afghanistan. This man condemned the killings and blamed the Afghan government for what he called \"inattention to terrorist attacks.\" Illegal armed groups are not the biggest threat for the upcoming election as the Taliban has already threatened to attack polling stations. Some even believe that some candidates might use illegal tactics to win the vote.

No end in sight to the deadly violence in the war-torn Iraq. Several people have been killed and many more injured in separate attacks in the capital Baghdad. Two simultaneous bomb blasts in Baghdad left five people dead and fifteen others injured. Another explosion in the city\'s Kenani Market left scores of casualties. The attacks are the latest in a chain of deadly violent incidents hitting Iraq over the last months. The Iraqi government blames al-Qaeda-linked groups for the deadly unrest. Official figures show more than a thousand people lost their lives in violent attacks across Iraq last month alone.

In Syria, militants have withdrawn from a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Damascus under a deal with Palestinian factions. Palestinian fighters have been deployed to prevent the entry of any gunmen after most insurgents left the Yarmouk camp. Now a Palestinian delegation is set to tour it soon to make sure that all militants have left. Bomb disposal experts will also be sent there following the tour to defuse all explosives and mines before humanitarian aid is allowed in. Thousands of civilians have been trapped in Yarmouk since the Syrian army laid a siege on the camp after fighting broke out between opponents and supporters of the Syrian government there. The nearly seven-month blockade caused famine, claiming over a hundred lives.

Several car bombs targeted Shia districts of the Iraqi capital Baghdad and the southern city of Hilla. The blasts come a day after over twenty people were killed in various bomb explosions in the capital. Last month, more than one thousand people lost their lives in a surge of violence. The bloodshed is largely blamed on al-Qaeda-linked militants. The government has launched an operation against the militants in the western province of Anbar.

Terrorist attacks in Iraq leave nearly fifty people dead. Several car bombs targeted Shia districts of the Iraqi capital Baghdad and the southern city of Hilla. The blasts come a day after over twenty people were killed in various bomb explosions in the capital. Last month, more than one thousand people lost their lives in a surge of violence. The bloodshed is largely blamed on al-Qaeda-linked militants. The government has launched an operation against the militants in the western province of Anbar.

Bahraini forces have raided the funeral of an anti-regime activist who died in prison two days ago. Tear gas was fired to disperse thousands of people who had gathered at the funeral of Jafar al-Dirazi in his home town of al-Daih. Bahrain\'s main opposition party al-Wefaq announced on Wednesday that the 22-year-old, who suffered from anemia, died in jail due to torture and lack of medical treatment. He is one of scores of activists who have lost their lives at the hands of the Manama regime since February 20-11, when an uprising against the Al Khalifa regime started.

[13 May 2014] Report: GCHQ covertly photographs, records computer users - English