‘Nothing to hide’

The Indian government yesterday told the Supreme Court that there is “nothing to hide” in the Pegasus snooping allegations and it will constitute a committee of eminent experts to examine all aspects.
16 August 2021, 18:00 PM

‘First concern is to grow my beard’

Kabul’s streets were deserted early yesterday, a day after Taliban insurgents took over the Afghanistan capital without a fight, but the airport was jammed with hundreds of civilians trying to flee.
16 August 2021, 18:00 PM

‘China’s Fauci’ probed for plagiarism

A top doctor in China’s fight against the coronavirus is under investigation for plagiarism, weeks after making a social media post questioning the country’s zero-tolerance strategy to control the pandemic.
16 August 2021, 18:00 PM

Malaysian PM resigns

Malaysia’s Muhyiddin Yassin stepped down as prime minister yesterday after months of political turmoil culminated in the loss of his majority, but his resignation is likely to open another chapter of instability in the absence of any obvious successor.
16 August 2021, 18:00 PM

Taliban to give Qaeda covert support: analysts

The Taliban will offer support to Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan more discreetly than during their first period in power when they openly embraced the terror network, analysts say.
16 August 2021, 18:00 PM

US officials say 7 killed in Kabul airport evacuation chaos

Thousands of Afghans rushed onto the tarmac of Kabul’s international airport Monday, so desperate to escape the Taliban capture of their country that they held onto an American military jet as it took off and plunged to death in chaos that killed at least seven people, U.S. officials said.
16 August 2021, 15:41 PM

Russia says Afghan president fled with cars and helicopter full of cash – RIA

Russia's embassy in Kabul said on Monday that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had fled the country with four cars and a helicopter full of cash and had to leave some money behind as it would not all fit in, the RIA news agency reported.
16 August 2021, 11:11 AM

Russia in contact with Taliban via embassy in Kabul – diplomat

Russia is in contact with Taliban officials via its embassy in Kabul, President Vladimir Putin's special representative on Afghanistan said on Monday, a day after the Afghan government collapsed and the capital fell to the Islamist insurgent group.
16 August 2021, 10:57 AM

Detainee says China has secret jail in Dubai, holds Uyghurs

A young Chinese woman says she was held for eight days at a Chinese-run secret detention facility in Dubai along with at least two Uyghurs, in what may be the first evidence that China is operating a so-called “black site” beyond its borders.
16 August 2021, 10:38 AM

Malaysian PM Muhyiddin resigns as political crisis escalates

Malaysia's Muhyiddin Yassin stepped down as prime minister on Monday after months of political turmoil culminated in the loss of his majority, but his resignation is likely to open another chapter of instability in the absence of any obvious successor.
16 August 2021, 10:28 AM

Taliban start collecting weapons from civilians in Kabul

Taliban fighters in the Afghan capital, Kabul, started collecting weapons from civilians on Monday because people no longer need them for personal protection, a Taliban official said.
16 August 2021, 10:22 AM

Bangladesh calls for ensuring peace and security for all in Afghanistan

Bangladesh has urged all stakeholders in Afghanistan to maintain peace and calm, ensuring safety and security of all including foreign nationals.
16 August 2021, 10:13 AM

5 killed at Kabul airport

At least five people were killed in Kabul airport as hundreds of people tried to forcibly enter planes leaving the Afghan capital, witnesses told Reuters.
16 August 2021, 09:02 AM

Britain says Taliban control Afghanistan - we're not going back

The Taliban are in control of Afghanistan and British and NATO forces will not be returning to fight the insurgents, Britain's defence minister said on Monday.
16 August 2021, 08:55 AM

Flight chartering companies propose Biman to operate evacuation flights from Afghanistan

Several flight chartering companies have proposedBiman Bangladesh Airlines to evacuate thousands, including Afghan citizens who worked for the American troops, from the country in turmoil.
16 August 2021, 07:58 AM

Profits and poppy: Afghanistan's illegal drug trade a boon for Taliban

The United States spent more than $8 billion over 15 years on efforts to deprive the Taliban of their profits from Afghanistan's opium and heroin trade, from poppy eradication to airstrikes and raids on suspected labs.
16 August 2021, 07:26 AM

Commercial flights out of Kabul cancelled due to chaos at airport: official

Commercial flights from Kabul were cancelled Monday after chaotic scenes at the airport with thousands looking for a way out after the Taliban re-took power in Afghanistan.
16 August 2021, 05:41 AM

Taliban declares 'war is over'

The Taliban declared the war in Afghanistan was over after insurgents took control of the presidential palace in Kabul as US-led forces departed and Western nations scrambled on Monday to evacuate their citizens.
16 August 2021, 02:51 AM

Pentagon OKs more troops for Kabul as US embassy says airport security not stable

The Pentagon authorized another 1,000 troops to help evacuate U.S. citizens and Afghans who worked for them from Kabul, a U.S. official said on Sunday, after the embassy warned the security situation at the city's airport was changing quickly.
15 August 2021, 20:29 PM

Afghan president Ghani says he left country in order to avoid bloodshed

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Sunday he left the country in order to avoid bloodshed, as the Taliban entered the presidential palace in Kabul.
15 August 2021, 19:34 PM