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Baradar absent from meetings with Qatar delegation; arch-rivals Haqqanis present in full strength
On Monday, the Taliban were forced to deny that Mullah Baradar is dead after rumours emerged that he was killed during a gunfight with his political rivals. The Taliban insisted that Baradar is in Kandahar province, meeting with the group's supreme leader Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada to discuss the country's future now that the US troops have withdrawn.
Mullah Baradar issues audio message to say he is alive
"Taliban spokesman says rumours of the killing of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's Deputy PM, is not true. He has been saying the same thing about Haibatullah Akhundzada for the past 2 years, but so far in the past 2 years, no one saw him or heared from him until now," a Twitterati said.
Afghans face perhaps their most perilous hour: UN
"The people of Afghanistan need a lifeline. After decades of war, suffering and insecurity, they face perhaps their most perilous hour. Now is the time for the international community to stand with them," Guterres said. One in two Afghans do not know where their next meal is coming from, the UN chief explained, adding that "many people could run out of food by the end of the month, just as winter approaches".
Kingmaker of Afghanistan, Pak spy chief Faiz Hameed could be next army chief
As expected, after accomplishing "Mission Kabul", Hameed is now being compared to the former ISI chief Hamid Gul who is known as the "Godfather of Taliban". Gul didn't create the group - he nurtured it. In Afghanistan. Gul was sometimes called "the butcher of the Afghans.On his orders, Pakistani Special Forces have reportedly flown helicopter gunships and drones in support of the Taliban.
China's real estate crisis after Evergrande collapse reveals dangers of shadow banking
According to the Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS), China's household debt in December last year was estimated at 150 per cent of its disposable income. This was also marked by a rise in property prices and seems to be concentrated among the millennials. China, which has remained focused on economic growth, has been witnessing a surge in its overall debt level - whether it is for local governments or corporates.
Taliban seize $6 mn in cash, 15 gold bricks from ex-VP Saleh's house
Saleh and the resistance front have not commented on the issue yet, Khaama News reported. Afghanistan's ambassador to Tajikistan, Mohammad Zahir Agbar, had claimed that President Ashraf Ghani had "taken $169 million with him" when he fled Afghanistan. He said Ghani should be arrested and the wealth of the Afghan nation be restored, Ozodi reported.
Iran's unease over Pakistani influence in Afghanistan
As with the former Soviet Union, Britain, and most recently the United States, if a country like Pakistan intervenes in Afghan matters, it will suffer the same fate, said former diplomat Mohsen Rouhi Sefat. Sefat said experience shows that any foreign intervention in Afghanistan will end in failure, citing Britain (1839-42), the Soviet Union (1980-88) and the US (2001-2021) as examples.
Huawei infiltrates Cambridge University
Three out of four of the directors at the Cambridge Centre for Chinese Management (CCCM) have ties to the company, and its so-called chief representative is a former senior Huawei vice-president who has been paid by the Chinese government. The university insists that one former Huawei executive has never delivered services to the centre while the firm itself has said any suggestion of impropriety is absurd.
Uniformed police to be stationed in Kabul
Anaamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban's cultural commission, told TOLO News on Sunday that the current Taliban forces, who do not have uniforms, will be transferred from Kabul to military posts in the provinces. Samangani, however, did not say how many police and Taliban forces will be deployed in Kabul.
NATO blames Afghanistan's leadership for collapse
Stoltenberg said the US and NATO are not responsible for the collapse of the former government, TOLO News reported on Sunday."Parts of the Afghan security forces fought bravely. But they were unable to secure the country. Because ultimately, the Afghan political leadership failed to stand up to the Taliban and to achieve the peaceful solution that Afghans desperately wanted.
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