WORLD
Blast at Kabul Airport; 11 dead, say Taliban
"We can confirm an explosion outside the Kabul airport. Casualties are unclear at this time. We will provide additional details when we can," Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said in a tweet. However, a Taliban leader said that at least 11 people, including women and children, were killed, and a number of Taliban guards got injured in the blast.
India will soon know that Taliban can run Af affairs smoothly: Taliban leader
Dawn said the statement from the Taliban leader came a week after Modi commented on the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, saying "empires created out of terror can dominate for some time, but their existence is never permanent as they cannot suppress humanity forever". Dilwar warned India not to interfere in the internal affairs of Afghanistan.
Russia relies on its Central Asian military bases to block terror influx from Afghanistan
The recent military drills that took place on the Afghan border with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan had Russian forces from these bases—sending a clear signal to the Taliban not to invade or cause problems in the region. Among its bases, Russia maintains its largest presence in Tajikistan where it has deployed its 201 motorised division. In Tajikistan, the division operates from Dushanbe, and Bokhtar.
Republicans alarmed over reports that Ghani left with $169 mn in cash
Ghani hastily abandoned Afghanistan earlier this month as the Taliban marched to power. He turned up in the United Arab Emirates, which accepted the president on humanitarian grounds. Fox News reported House Republicans are raising alarms over news reports that Ghani left Afghanistan with "duffle bags full of cash totaling $169 million."
Japan suspends use of 1.63mn Moderna doses over contamination
The Ministry said foreign substances have been confirmed since August 16 at eight vaccination sites in the prefectures of Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Gifu and Aichi, reports Xinhua news agency. Japanese drugmaker Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., in charge of sales and distribution of the vaccine in the country, said it has yet to see any reports of safety concerns and had reported them to the Ministry on Wednesday.
Taliban, Panjshir resistance not to attack each other
The two sides have agreed to cease attacks against each other, sources said, adding that meetings between the two delegations of the Taliban and Northern Alliance were taking place over the last two days at Charikar in Afghanistan's Parwan province. A peace agreement will be announced during a press conference by the Taliban and Northern Alliance leaders, the sources added.
35 people killed in Nigeria armed attack
A police source told Xinhua news agency on Wednesday that the attack took place in the Yelwa Zangam village. Simon Lalong, governor of the Plateau state, also confirmed the attack, adding that the perpetrators also destroyed properties. Lalong described the attack as a "barbaric" act, adding security agencies had already arrested 10 suspects in connection with the attack and efforts were ongoing to track down the other assailants.
Texas Governor bans Covid vax mandates
"No governmental entity can compel any individual to receive a Covid-19 vaccine," the order, issued on Wednesday. It however excludes places like nursing homes and state-supported living centres, reports Xinhua news agency. As a result, public institutions in Texas including state agencies, local governments, universities, public schools and any other entities that receive public funding, are banned from compelling employees to get the shots or asking people who use their services for proof of vaccination.
India returns to the Afghan cockpit after Modi-Putin talks
Several points of convergence emerged in the dialogue. Russia has been engaging with the Taliban, which overran Kabul on August 15, for a long time. But the two countries decided they will coordinate their position regarding recognition of the new Emirate of Taliban, which would come only if there is a marked change in the behaviour of the Islamist group dominated by ethnic Pashtuns.
'US to ensure Americans, partners can leave Afghanistan beyond Aug 31'
President Joe Biden confirmed on Tuesday that his administration aimed to complete the evacuation by August 31, while asking for contingency plans to adjust the timeline if necessary, reports Xinhua news agency. Addressing reporters on Wednesday, Blinken said that there was no deadline on the work to help Americans and those Afghan partners who remained in the country to leave. "That effort will continue every day past August 31," he said.
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