WORLD
Kamala Harris tanking in polls after Afghan withdrawal
According to a Rasmussen Reports survey, released on Thursday, 55 per cent of likely voters say the former Senator from California is either "not qualified" or "not at all qualified" to assume the duties of the presidency. By contrast, 43 per cent consider Harris "qualified" or "very qualified" to be commander in chief, the New York Post reported.The same poll found in April that 49 per cent of likely voters said Harris was qualified to become President, though 51 per cent of voters had an "unfavourable impression" of her.
California wildfire grows 10 times in size in 48 hrs
According to Inciweb, spotting and rollout continued to be the main contributor to fire spread throughout Wednesday evening and multiple new spot fires were expected on Thursday, so the blaze sparked on August 14 had potential to grow further, reports Xinhuaa news agency.
Indian Military Academy trained Afghan soldier, figures among top Taliban leaders
Stanikzai, who was a deputy foreign minister in the last Taliban regime, is in contrast to his peers, considered to be highly educated as he has passed out of the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun. He was trained at the officers' academy in the 1970s, under the Indo-Afghan defence cooperation programme. Most of the other Taliban leaders have in contrast studied from madrasas in Afghanistan or Pakistan.
Al Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula praises Taliban as role model after its return to power in Afghanistan
"This victory and empowerment reveal to us that jihad and fighting represent the Sharia-based, legal, and realistic way to restore rights (and) expel the invaders and occupiers," AQAP said in a statement. The AQAP described democracy as a "deceptive mirage", which has no future. The AQAP is one of the most potent wings of the Al Qaeda "international".
Canadian military resumes flights to Afghanistan
In a statement on Thursday, Trudeau said that CAF assets and personnel have arrived on the ground in Afghanistan to coordinate at the tactical level with the US and other allied partners, helping "get Canadians, Afghans and their families to safety", reports Xinhua news agency. Trudeau said two CAF CC-177 planes will make regular flights into Kabul to support evacuation efforts.
Israel launches missile strikes at Syria
The Syrian air defences responded to the attacks late Thursday night, intercepting most of the Israeli missiles, Xinhua news agency quoted a military source as saying to local media. The Syrian authorities were assessing the damages caused by the strikes, the source added. The sounds of explosions were clearly heard in Damascus as the Syrian air defenses were responding to the attack.
UNSC voices concerns over IS threat
In a press statement released on THursday after a Security Council meeting on the IS, the members of the Security Council noted with deep concern that the IS and other terrorist groups continue to exploit, both online and offline, the disruption, grievances, and development setbacks linked to the Covid-19 pandemic, reports Xinhua news agency.
People missing after attempts to escape from Kabul airport
They are not among those who have been either killed or seriously injured amid the chaos at the airport that began on Sunday. At least 40 casualties, both fatalities and serious injuries, from shootings, stampeding and falling from aircraft have been reported since Monday. "My son has been missing since Monday," said Habibullah, a father of a missing person.
12.2mn Afghans acutely food insecure: UN
While thousands of people are fleeing, or attempting to flee, through Kabul airport, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Thursday that 735,000 people returned to the country this year from Iran, Pakistan and other countries and are in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
Blinken discusses Afghan situation with Jaishankar 2nd time this week
Blinken and Jaishankar last spoke on Monday, a day after the Taliban took control of Kabul. Jaishankar was in New York for two days of UN Security Council programmes on protecting peacekeepers and fighting terrorism and was leaving the city on Thursday. He told reporters at the UN that getting Indians trapped in Afghanistan was the Indian government's priority and US controls Kabul airport, the main gateway out of the country.
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