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Western countries should not interfere in Afghanistan: Putin
He also said he hoped the Taliban would "guarantee the security of locals and foreign diplomats" and that the country would not break apart following the withdrawal of US-led forces, Guardian reported. Speaking at the Kremlin during a "farewell summit" with outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Putin noted that he was worried that militants from Afghanistan would try to infiltrate nearby countries under the guise of refugees.
Taliban resistance forming in last remaining holdout of Panjshir Valley
A Taliban resistance is forming in Panjshir Valley under the leadership of Vice President Amrullah Saleh and Ahmad Massoud, the son of a famed anti-Taliban fighter, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "The Taliban doesn't control the whole territory of Afghanistan," Lavrov told reporters at a press conference in Moscow following a meeting with his Libyan counterpart.
Tear gas fired to control crowds at Kabul airport
Soldiers have also fired into the air to disperse the crowd, according to a senior Western official. It was unclear as to whether the soldiers were American. Afghan, British, and other Western troops are also stationed at the airport. Soldiers are also emerging from the airport and coming out into the perimeter, which is surrounded by Taliban, to disperse crowds and clear the way for families struggling to get in.
Pak Army used militants trained by LeT to aid Taliban
A large number of them are from Punjab (Pakistan), who were dispatched by the army after a short stint of training at camps run by the Lashkar-e-Taiba to beef up the ranks of the Taliban. Punjab is home to two of the most notorious Pakistan Army supported terrorist groups -- Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Although the exact number of Punjabi militants, mostly from the LeT, is not known.
China passes three-child policy, offers sops to couples for having more children
China's national legislature on Friday formally accepted the governing Communist Party's proposed three-child policy that aims to prevent a sharp drop in birth rates in the world's most populous country. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) passed the revised Population and Family Planning Law, allowing the Chinese couple to have three children.
Afghanistan's $3tn worth of natural assets in Taliban's control
A follow-up report by the Afghan government in 2017 estimated that Kabul's new mineral wealth may be as high as $3 trillion, including fossil fuels. To date, the Taliban have profited from the opium and heroin trade. Now the militant group effectively rules a country with valuable resources that China needs to grow its economy, DW reported.
Al Qaeda celebrates Taliban takeover of Afghanistan
"This victory and empowerment reveals to us that jihad and fighting represent the Sharia-based, legal, and realistic way to restore rights (and) expel the invaders and occupiers," Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) said in a statement.
Taliban can't ignore progress of women over past 20 yrs
This comes as the Taliban said it has begun discussing the formation of a new government. "The people, the government, and any official who is to form a state in the future cannot ignore the women of Afghanistan. We will not relinquish our right to education, the right to work, and our right to political and social participation," said Fariha Esar, a human rights activist said.
NATO crew member from K'taka recalls Afghan stint
"I am in touch with locals of Herat city who worked with me. There is a curfew kind of atmosphere in the entire city. People are not coming out of their houses," he told IANS. Only the Kabul airport is operating and all the others are closed. "When we were evacuated, there was no mad rush like it is happening in Kabul. Our base was handed over to the local government after evacuation," he says.
US to help Lebanon get electricity from Jordan
The plan would provide Egyptian natural gas to Jordan for generation into additional electricity that can be transmitted to Lebanon via Syria, as well as facilitate the transfer of natural gas to Lebanon, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying on THursday. US Ambassador to Beirut Dorothy Shea informed Lebanese President Michel Aoun of this decision in a phone call, said the statement.
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