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04 Sep

Google locks Afghan government email accounts as concerns grow over the Taliban tracking down their enemies, report says

editor0 CommentsInternationalAfghanisthan, google

Google has temporarily locked down an unspecified number of Afghan government email accounts, according to a person familiar with the matter, as fears grow over the digital paper trail left by former officials and their international partners. In the weeks since the Taliban's swift takeover of Afghanistan from a U.S.-backed government, reports have highlighted how biometric and Afghan payroll databases might be exploited by the new rulers to hunt their enemies. In a statement on Friday, Alphabet Inc's Google (GOOGL.O) stopped short of confirming that Afghan government accounts were being locked down, saying that the company was monitoring the situation…

02 Sep

Pakistan shuts key border crossing with Afghanistan

editor0 CommentsInternational, WorldAfghanistan, pakistan

Pakistan on Thursday temporarily closed a key border crossing with Afghanistan, apparently due to fear of the influx of refugees eager to leave their homeland after the Taliban seized power last month. Chaman border crossing - the second-largest commercial border point with Afghanistan after the Torkham commercial town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - has been closed due to security threats, Geo News reported, citing sources. Earlier in the day, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed had said that the Chaman crossing may be closed for some days due to security threats. “We will be closing the Chaman crossing for a while,” he…

01 Sep

Al Qaeda congratulates Taliban; calls on to ‘liberate Kashmir from enemies of Islam’

editor0 CommentsInternationalAl Qaeda, Taliban

Soon after the Taliban's victory in Afghanistan, terror group Al Qaeda has congratulated the former and has even talked of Kashmir liberation. This came soon after the withdrawal of US troops from the war-ravaged Afghanistan late on Monday. The letter by Al Qaeda was shared on Twitter by a journalist. "Allah! Liberate the Levant, Somalia, Yemen, Kashmir and the rest of the Islamic lands from the clutches of the enemies of Islam," read a statement in the letter addressed to Taliban. “Dear Ummah, it’s time for you to prepare for next stage of the struggle. This historic victory will open…

01 Sep

Afghan soil mustn’t be used to attack nations: UNSC resolution

editor0 CommentsIndia, InternationalAfghanisthan, Taliban terrorists

In a strongly worded resolution adopted at the close of India’s presidency of the Security Council for the month of August, the UN’s highest body pointed to the Taliban’s commitments regarding combating terrorism and allowing the safe and orderly departure of Afghan and foreign nationals. The UN Security Council resolution 2593, tabled by permanent members France, the UK and the US, was backed by 13 of the 15 council members. Permanent members China and Russia abstained. The resolution demanded “that Afghan territory not be used to threaten or attack any country or to shelter or train terrorists, or to plan…

01 Sep

Emergency regulations:Sri Lanka declares food emergency as forex crisis worsens

editor0 CommentsInternationaleconomy

Sri Lanka on Tuesday (Aug 31) declared a state of emergency over food shortages as private banks ran out of foreign exchange to finance imports. With the country suffering a hard-hitting economic crisis, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he has ordered emergency regulations to counter the hoarding of sugar, rice and other essential foods. Mr Rajapaksa has named a top army officer as "Commissioner General of Essential Services to coordinate the supply of paddy, rice, sugar and other consumer goods". The move followed sharp price rises for sugar, rice, onions and potatoes, while long queues have formed outside stores because of…

30 Aug

Pakistan delivering WHO medical supplies in city Mazar-e-Sharif : Afghanistan

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On Monday Pakistan said it would deliver WHO medical supplies to northern Afghanistan’s Mazar-e-Sharif, the fourth largest city of the country which fell to the Taliban on August 14. Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan announced on Twitter that the country’s flag carrier Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) would deliver the medical supplies of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a cargo flight. “First PIA Cargo flight with WHO medical supplies from Islamabad to Mazar Sharif today. A humanitarian air bridge for essential supplies to Afghanistan in coordination with international agencies. Thanx PIA,” he said in a tweet. It was…

30 Aug

We want to maintain Afghanistan’s trade, political ties with India: Taliban leader

editor0 CommentsIndia, InternationalTaliban terrorists

The Taliban want to maintain Afghanistan's trade, economic and political relations with India, senior leader of the outfit Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai has said while describing it as an important country in the region. In a video address in Pashto, Stanekzai said consultations with various groups and political parties are going on to form a government in Kabul that will have representations from people from “different walks of life” “We attach great importance to our trade, economic and political relations with India and want to maintain that relation,” Stanekzai said on Saturday. “We also need to keep the air trade…

30 Aug

All parties should establish contact with the Taliban and guide it actively

editorInternationalAfghanistan, Taliban

China has told the US that the Afghanistan situation has undergone fundamental changes and it is necessary for 'all parties' to make contact with the Taliban and 'guide it actively', reiterating that America's troop withdrawal may provide an opportunity for the resurgence of terrorist groups. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during his telephonic conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday, discussed the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan amidst chaotic airlifts of Afghan civilians and diplomats by the US and NATO countries before the August 31 deadline. Wang and Blinken also discussed bilateral ties which were riddled with tensions…

27 Aug

Government offers emergency visa to deported woman Afghanistan MP Rangina Kargar

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According to a report in The Indian Express, the government has described the deportation of Rangina Kargar, a woman MP from Afghanistan, as 'an inadvertent error'. The government has now reached out to Rangina Kargar, member of the Wolesi Jirga representing the Faryab province, to ask her to apply for an emergency visa. Earlier, news agency ANI quoted government officials as saying that Kargar was deported because she had failed to show any documents of her medical treatment in India and also she failed to provide any reference from the Afghanistan Embassy. Rangina Kargar was deported from the Indira Gandhi…

25 Aug

Afghan nationals must travel to India on e-visa, says govt

editor0 CommentsInternationalAfghanisthan, India

The Centre on Wednesday said all Afghan nationals must travel to India only on an e-Visa owing to the evolving security situation in Afghanistan. The government said that the introduction of the e-Emergency X-Misc visa has streamlined the application process, thus it has been decided to make the e-Visa mandatory for all Afghan nationals coming to India. Earlier, the Centre had announced that it would “facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan” and said Hindus and Sikhs from the country will be given priority. Keeping in view some reports that certain passports of Afghan nationals have…