Insurgent attacks on candidates and poor security are negatively affecting the country’s parliamentary elections, to be held Sept. 18, a human rights advocate group warned. Candidates, especially women, are facing risks of kidnappings, assassinations and intimidation by rebels and rival candidates, the New York-based Human Rights Watch says. These risks are threatening the validity of the upcoming elections, the organization adds. This will be Afghanistan’s second parliamentary election since the fall of the Taliban. The first was in 2005.