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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said hundreds of fighters loyal to the Islamic State militant group were massing in northern Afghanistan with plans to move between ex-Soviet Central Asian countries disguised as refugees. “According to our intelligence, the number of (IS) members alone in northern Afghanistan is about 2,000 people,” the Russian leader said during a video conference meeting with leaders of other ex-Soviet states. Putin earlier this week warned of the threat of veteran fighters from Iraq and Syria with IS links crossing into Afghanistan, while Russia’s foreign ministry… Continue reading “Putin says IS fighters massing in northern Afghanistan”

Suspected rebels killed an Indian army officer and a trooper during a manhunt in Kashmir, where 22 people have died in spiralling violence in the past two weeks, officials said Friday. The soldiers were chasing rebels in a forested area in southern Kashmir when a gun battle erupted late Thursday, Colonel Devendar Anand told AFP. The hunt in the Mendhar region had been intensified since five soldiers were killed nearby three days earlier. Violence in the Muslim-majority territory, also claimed by Pakistan, has escalated since last week, when armed militants staged attacks that left seven civili… Continue reading “Two Indian soldiers killed as Kashmir tensions escalate”

By Noah Browning LONDON (Reuters) – A global energy crunch is expected to boost oil demand by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) and could stoke inflation and slow the world’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Thursday. Oil and natural gas prices have soared to multi-year highs recently, sending power prices surging to record levels as widespread energy shortages hit Asia and Europe. “Record coal and gas prices as well as rolling blackouts are prompting the power sector and energy-intensive industries to turn to oil to keep the lights on and operatio… Continue reading “Energy crisis could threaten global economic recovery, says IEA”

COVID-19 illustration by Svetlozar Hristov, used under Pixabay license. By late September some 50 per cent of the world’s population had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and over 6 billion doses had been administered. Yet only 2 per cent of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose. Some key natural advantages stemming from income levels and demography have given great advantage to large, poor nations in their levels of Covidity compared to rich nations of Europe and North America. This may well be nullified by the present failure of the vaccination program… Continue reading “COVID-19, vaccination and the progress of the global healthcare system”

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said on Thursday it had suspended flights to Kabul over the “unprofessional attitude” of Taliban authorities. PIA resumed special flights to the country after the Taliban seized power in mid-August, and was a lifeline for many Afghans trying to flee the new regime and economic crisis. “Our flights frequently faced undue delays because of the unprofessional attitude of the Kabul aviation authorities,” Abdullah Hafeez Khan, the PIA spokesman told AFP. The route will remain suspended until “the situation becomes conducive,” he added. A source at the airline t… Continue reading “Pakistan’s PIA suspends Kabul flights citing Taliban conduct”

A high-level delegation of Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers has arrived in Turkey for talks with Turkish officials, the Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday. The meetings in the capital of Ankara would be first between the Taliban and senior Turkish government officials after the group seized control of Afghanistan. The visiting delegation is led by Amir Khan Mutaqi, the acting foreign minister, according to a Taliban spokesman. Turkey has been working with Qatar to re-open the airport in the Afghan capital of Kabul to international travel. However, repairs are needed before commercial fligh… Continue reading “Taliban arrive in Turkey for first high-level talks”

A prominent Afghan women’s rights activist who fled her country after the Taliban took over on 21 August has pledged to continue her work in exile, prompting a nomination for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. Mary Akrami founded the Afghan Women’s Network, an alliance of NGOs dedicated to supporting women in the war-torn country, and she also established shelters for women who have experienced domestic abuse in Kabul. Akrami fled Afghanistan in 1996 when the Taliban first took over and remained in neighbouring Pakistan until the US-led invasion in 2001. The 45-year-old returned to Afg… Continue reading “Afghan women’s rights activist nominated for Sakharov Prize”