Iran resumes fuel exports to Afghanistan after Taliban request
LONDON: Iran resumed fuel exports to Afghanistan a few days ago following a request from the new Afghan government, which feels empowered by the US withdrawal to buy the sanctioned nation’s oil more openly, an Iranian official said. The price of gasoline in Afghanistan reached $900 per tonne as many Afghans drove out of cities, […]
WHO seeks experts’ help in probe into Covid origin
GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a call for experts to join a new advisory group its forming, in part to address the agency’s fraught attempts to investigate how the coronavirus pandemic started. In a statement on Friday, the UN health agency said the new scientific group would provide the WHO with an […]
Taliban urge people to leave Kabul airport after 12 killed since Sunday
At least 12 people have been killed in and around the airport in Kabul, Taliban and Nato officials said, since the Taliban seized the city on Sunday, triggering a rush of fearful people trying to leave. The deaths were caused either by gunshots or in stampedes, the Taliban official said on Thursday, and he urged people […]
Johnson accused of complacency over Afghanistan retreat
LONDON: In a packed, emotional session of parliament, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced accusations on Wednesday from lawmakers across the political spectrum of needlessly abandoning Afghanistan to the whims of the Taliban and of undermining Britain’s position in the world. The members of parliament were recalled from their summer break to attend the emergency […]
Evacuations from Afghanistan gather momentum as Taliban promise peace
More than 2,200 diplomats and other civilians have been evacuated from Afghanistan on military flights, a Western security official told Reuters on Wednesday, as efforts gathered pace to get people out after the Taliban seized the capital. The Taliban have said they want peace, will not take revenge against old enemies and would respect the […]
‘Stand behind my decision,’ says Biden on US withdrawal; blames Afghan army and leaders for ‘giving up’
US President Joe Biden said on Monday he stood “squarely behind” his decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan despite searing images of chaos in Kabul that exposed the limits of US power and plunged him into the worst crisis of his presidency. Breaking his silence on the US pullout after scenes of bedlam dominated […]
All people in Kabul can resume normal life, says Taliban spokesman
KARACHI: The Afghan Taliban on Sunday assured the people, foreign missions, staff as well as those who worked in the Kabul administration and foreign forces that their life and property are safe and they could resume their normal activities, as the Taliban await a peaceful transfer of power to form an Afghan inclusive Islamic government. […]
Death toll of powerful earthquake in Haiti soars to 1,297
The death toll from a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Haiti climbed to 1,297 on Sunday, a day after the powerful temblor turned thousands of structures into rubble and set off frantic rescue efforts ahead of a potential deluge from an approaching storm. Saturday’s earthquake also left at least 5,700 people injured in the Caribbean nation, with thousands more […]
Taliban fighters enter Kabul; helicopters land at US Embassy
Taliban fighters entered the outskirts of Kabul on Sunday as panicked workers fled government offices and helicopters began landing at the U.S. Embassy in the Afghan capital, further tightening the militants’ grip on the country. Three Afghan officials said that the fighters were in the districts of Kalakan, Qarabagh, and Paghman in the capital. The […]
At least 304 dead, 1,800 hurt as powerful quake slams Haiti
A powerful magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday, killing at least 304 people, injuring a minimum of 1,800 others and destroying hundreds of homes. People in the Caribbean island nation rushed into the streets to seek safety and to help rescue those trapped in the rubble of collapsed homes, hotels and other structures. Saturday’s […]
