The Taliban say they have signed mining contracts worth $6.5 billion in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban say they have signed mining contracts worth billions of dollars in Afghanistan. They’ve  been courting foreign investment since their takeover two years ago to revitalize the economy, pinning their hopes on the country’s vast and untapped mineral resources. On Thursday, an official from the Taliban-led government said seven contracts amounting to more than $6.5 billion in investment have been signed with companies based locally. Many of them have foreign partners in countries including China and Iran. Most of the previous, Western-backed Afghan government’s budget came from the international community. But that money has mostly gone since the Taliban returned to power.