Afghan Flights Delayed as Snow Blankets Kabul Airport

A man cycles through Kabul as the first snow of the winter descends on the Afghan capital (AFP/Mohd RASFAN)
A man cycles through Kabul as the first snow of the winter descends on the Afghan capital (AFP/Mohd RASFAN)
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Afghan Flights Delayed as Snow Blankets Kabul Airport

A man cycles through Kabul as the first snow of the winter descends on the Afghan capital (AFP/Mohd RASFAN)
A man cycles through Kabul as the first snow of the winter descends on the Afghan capital (AFP/Mohd RASFAN)

Flights to and from the Afghan capital were delayed or cancelled Thursday after the city was blanketed by overnight snow.

Kabul's streets were also largely empty as shop owners, government employees and workers stayed indoors to seek shelter from the freezing weather, AFP said.

The cold snap has added to Afghanistan's woes, with the United Nations and other organizations warning millions will need food and shelter from the country's harsh winter.

On Thursday, dozens of workers cleared snow from the single runway at Kabul's airport, which has slowly resumed business after being trashed in August when tens of thousands of people scrambled to evacuate as the Taliban returned to power.

"Flights have been delayed as there is snow on the runway but soon we will clear it," said Imamuddin Ahmadi, spokesman for the Ministry of Transport and Aviation.

Kabul has missed regular snowfall in recent years, as thick clouds of smog from coal and wood fires keep temperatures high in the immediate vicinity.

But the forecast for the coming days suggests temperatures will dip further in the capital and neighboring provinces.



Shooting Kills 2 and Wounds 6 During Halloween Celebrations in Orlando

File photo: Seattle Police officers carry gear as they walk towards the Seattle Police Department's West Precinct in Seattle, Washington, US June 10, 2020. (Reuters Photo)
File photo: Seattle Police officers carry gear as they walk towards the Seattle Police Department's West Precinct in Seattle, Washington, US June 10, 2020. (Reuters Photo)
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Shooting Kills 2 and Wounds 6 During Halloween Celebrations in Orlando

File photo: Seattle Police officers carry gear as they walk towards the Seattle Police Department's West Precinct in Seattle, Washington, US June 10, 2020. (Reuters Photo)
File photo: Seattle Police officers carry gear as they walk towards the Seattle Police Department's West Precinct in Seattle, Washington, US June 10, 2020. (Reuters Photo)

Two people were killed and six others were wounded in a shooting early Friday at a public Halloween celebration in Florida, police and local media said.
The Orlando Police Department said in a social media post that it was conducting an investigation into a shooting in the city's downtown area, reported The Associated Press.
Orlando Police Chief Eric Smith said the victims were shot while hundreds were celebrating Halloween in public around around 1 a.m., WTVT reported. A 17-year-old male suspect was being interviewed by detectives, Smith said.
Additional details were expected to be released at an upcoming briefing, police said.