Complete withdrawal imminent as last US troops leave biggest air base in Afghanistan
All US and Nato troops have left the biggest air base in Afghanistan, a US defence official told AFP on Friday, signalling the complete withdrawal of foreign forces from the country was imminent after two decades of war. Bagram Air Base served as the linchpin for US operations in the rugged country, where the long war against the Taliban […]
Most European troops exit Afghanistan quietly
BERLIN: Most European troops have already pulled out of Afghanistan, quietly withdrawing months before the US-led mission was officially expected to end part of an anticlimactic close to the forever war that risks leaving the country on the brink of civil war. Germany and Italy declared their missions in Afghanistan over on Wednesday and Poland’s […]
Taliban fighters launch attack on Ghazni
GHAZNI: Taliban fighters have launched an attack on Ghazni, clashing with Afghan forces and using explosives in an attempt to seize the central Afghan city, local officials said on Tuesday. The assault on Ghazni, on the highway linking the capital Kabul with the southern province of Kandahar, ramps up the Taliban’s offensive against the government […]
Covid curbs reimposed in Moscow as Delta variant fuels outbreak
MOSCOW: Work-from-home restrictions were re-imposed in Moscow on Monday as Russia tried to contain a deadly coronavirus wave fuelled by the Delta variant, while several Asian nations also tightened curbs to contain growing outbreaks. While many wealthy countries have brought down infections through rapid vaccinations, outbreaks are still raging from Bangladesh and Indonesia to South […]
Taliban take key Afghan district, adding to string of gains
KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban fighters took control of a key district in Afghanistan’s northern Kunduz province Monday and encircled the provincial capital, police said, as the insurgent group added to its recent battlefield victories while peace talks have stalemated. The Taliban’s gains came as the Pentagon reaffirmed the U.S. troop withdrawal was still on pace […]
US assessing whether Taliban serious about peace: Blinken
PARIS: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday Washington was assessing whether the Taliban were serious about ending the conflict in Afghanistan, and that trying to take back the country by force was not consistent with peace efforts. Blinken, who was visiting Paris, acknowledged attacks on Afghan security forces were increasing before planned […]
US to evacuate Afghan interpreters before pullout is over
WASHINGTON: The United States is planning to evacuate a group of vulnerable Afghan interpreters before it completes its withdrawal so they can wrap up their visa applications from safety, officials said on Thursday. The decision by President Joe Biden’s administration risks creating a sense of crisis in Afghanistan, just a day before Biden meets Afghan […]
No recognition if Taliban take Kabul by force, warns US
WASHINGTON: The United States has cautioned the Taliban that the world will not accept a government imposed by force in Afghanistan as an intelligence report warned that the current setup in Kabul could collapse within six months after the American withdrawal. At a Tuesday afternoon news briefing in Washington, State Department spokesperson Ned Price also […]
Taliban Capture Afghanistan’s Main Tajikistan Border Crossing: Officials
Kunduz: The Taliban captured Afghanistan’s main border crossing with Tajikistan, officials said Tuesday, with security forces abandoning their posts and some fleeing across the frontier. The seizure of Shir Khan Bandar, in the far north of Afghanistan, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Kunduz city, is the most significant gain for the Taliban since the […]
Swedish govt toppled in no-trust vote
STOCKHOLM: Sweden’s government was toppled on Monday after Stefan Lofven became the country’s first prime minister to lose a no-confidence vote, meaning he can now either resign or trigger a snap election. The motion of no confidence was filed on Thursday by the far right Sweden Democrats, after the Left Party, which has been propping […]
