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Taliban leader ‘favours political settlement’ to Afghan conflict: statement

9Aug

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Taliban leader ‘favours political settlement’ to Afghan conflict: statement

Taliban leader 'favours political settlement' to Afghan conflict: statement A man standing on Afghanistan's side of the border holds a Taliban flag as people walk towards a border crossing point in Pakistan. KABUL: The Taliban's supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada on Sunday said he "strenuously favours" a political settlement to the conflict in Afghanistan even as the hardline Islamist movement has launched a sweeping offensive across the nation. The announcement comes as representatives of the Afghan government and Taliban insurgents sat down for a new round of talks in Doha over the weekend, stirring hopes that the long stalled peace talks were being resuscitated. "In spite of the military gains and advances, the Islamic Emirate strenuously favors a political settlement in the count...

Indian officials say 10 combatants killed in Kashmir

7Aug

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Business, Conflict, World

Indian officials say 10 combatants killed in Kashmir

SRINAGAR, India (AP) — Eight suspected rebels and two Indian soldiers were killed in a series of counterinsurgency operations in disputed Kashmir, police said Thursday, as many shops were shut in parts of the region to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of a popular rebel commander whose killing triggered open defiance against Indian rule. The deaths in five separate incidents starting Wednesday came as violence in the Himalayan region has increased in recent weeks. India’s military said two soldiers and two insurgents were killed Thursday in a clash along the Line of Control, the highly militarized de facto frontier that divides Kashmir between nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and India. The fighting erupted after soldiers intercepted a group of militants who crossed into the Indian-

US Taiwan tie in a USD 750 million arms deal

7Aug

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Conflict, World

US Taiwan tie in a USD 750 million arms deal

Taipei, Taiwan: United states have done its 1st arms deal with Taiwan amid the heating conflict with China. "We welcome @StateDept's approval of a proposed USD 750M arms sale to Taiwan. The decision demonstrates the US government's commitment to the #TaiwanRelationsAct & #SixAssurances. It also allows the country to maintain a rock-solid self-defense, & regional peace & stability," Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted. "The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) of 155mm M109A6 Paladin Medium Self-Propelled Howitzer System and related equipment for an estimated cost of USD 750 million," US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a...

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama celebrates 86th birthday

6Aug

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Conflict, World

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama celebrates 86th birthday

DHARMSALA, India (AP) — The Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama celebrated his 86th birthday on Tuesday, thanking his supporters and expressing his appreciation to India, where he has lived since he fled his homeland in 1959. “I want to express my deep appreciation of all my friends who have really shown me love, respect and trust,” the Dalai Lama said in a video message. He reiterated his mission to serve humanity and urged supporters to be compassionate. “Since I became a refugee and now settled in India, I have taken full advantage of India’s freedom and religious harmony,” he said. He added that he had great respect for India’s secular values such as “honesty, karuna (compassion), and ahimsa (non-violence).” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished the Dalai Lama well on his

5Aug

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Conflict, Singapore, World

Brunei’s chairmanship is truly Asean

Brunei's chairmanship is truly Asean Myanmar armed forces chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, right, meets with Brunei's Second Minister of Foreign Affairs Erywan Yusof, left, in Nay Pyi Taw last month. MYANMAR NEWS AGENCY via AFP By default, Brunei's Asean chairmanship has brought into the open the bloc's strengths and weaknesses for all to see due to political disruption within the region. Throughout its 54 years of existence, Asean has been chastised and belittled as a talk-only-no-decision institution. Given the current environment, its success in maintaining regional sustainable peace and development for the past five decades nevertheless has become little more than a cliché. The international community tends to forget that the existing stability has been built and nurtured throu

UN warns of ‘unprecedented’ Afghan civilian deaths from Taliban offensives

5Aug

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Conflict, World

UN warns of ‘unprecedented’ Afghan civilian deaths from Taliban offensives

UN warns of 'unprecedented' Afghan civilian deaths from Taliban offensives Afghan men line up to apply for a passport in Kabul, with a rush of applications ahead of the final withdrawal of foreign troops from the country. KABUL: The United Nations warned Monday that Afghanistan could see the highest number of civilian deaths in more than a decade if the Taliban's offensives across the country are not halted. Violence has surged since early May when the insurgents cranked up operations to coincide with a final withdrawal of US-led foreign forces. In a report released Monday documenting civilian casualties for the first half of 2021, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said it expected figures to touch their highest single-year levels since the mission began reporting over a...

To reach a peace deal, Taliban say Afghan president must go

4Aug

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Conflict, Politics, World

To reach a peace deal, Taliban say Afghan president must go

ISLAMAB (AP) — The Taliban say they don’t want to monopolize power, but they insist there won’t be peace in Afghanistan until there is a new negotiated government in Kabul and President Ashraf Ghani is removed. In an interview with The Associated Press, Taliban spokesman, Suhail Shaheen, who is also a member of the group’s negotiating team, laid out the insurgents’ stance on what should come next in a country on the precipice. The Taliban have swiftly captured territory in recent weeks, seized strategic border crossings and are threatening a number of provincial capitals — advances that come as the last U.S. and NATO soldiers leave Afghanistan. This week, the top U.S. military officer, Gen. Mark Milley, told a Pentagon press conference that the Taliban have “strategic momentum,” and he

UN warns of ‘perfect storm’ as childhood vaccination plummets

3Aug

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Conflict, World

UN warns of ‘perfect storm’ as childhood vaccination plummets

UN warns of 'perfect storm' as childhood vaccination plummets Number of children not receiving vital immunisations against measles, diphtheria and tetanus, according to the World Health Organization GENEVA: The UN warned Thursday that a "perfect storm" was brewing, with a raging pandemic disrupting access to routine vaccinations, leaving millions of children at risk from measles and other deadly diseases. A full 23 million children missed out on basic childhood vaccines last year, as routine health services were hit worldwide by restrictions aimed at controlling Covid-19 and many parents shunned the clinics that were open for fear of exposure to the virus. It marks the highest number in over a decade and 3.7 million more than in 2019, according to data published Thursday by the World H...

Cyber capabilities report: US dominant in cyber realm, but China catching up

26Jul

By Desk TeamNo Comments

China, Conflict, Singapore, World

Cyber capabilities report: US dominant in cyber realm, but China catching up

The United States has no peer when it comes to capabilities in the realm of cyberspace, but China is rapidly gaining ground in terms of strategic competition, according to a new report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). The report released yesterday evaluates the cyber capabilities of 15 countries and how this intersects with international security, economic cooperation and military affairs. The US' dominance in the cyber realm can be gauged from the 2013 leak that revealed the National Security Agency's sweeping surveillance system. The country has also demonstrated its ability to bring down critical civilian and military networks, such as when it disrupted Iranian nuclear enrichment activities. In addition to its clear superiority in information and communica...

International community calls for ‘urgent end’ to Taliban offensive

26Jul

By Desk TeamNo Comments

Conflict, World

International community calls for ‘urgent end’ to Taliban offensive

International community calls for 'urgent end' to Taliban offensive Afghanistan has seen a deadly surge in fighting in recent months. KABUL: More than a dozen diplomatic missions in Afghanistan on Monday called for "an urgent end" to the Taliban's ruthless military offensive, saying it was at odds with claims they want to secure a political deal to end the conflict. The statement -- signed by the United States, the European Union, and more than a dozen other foreign missions in Kabul -- follows another round of inconclusive talks in Doha over the weekend between the Afghan government and the Taliban that many hoped would kickstart the ailing peace process. "The Taliban's offensive is in direct contradiction to their claim to support a negotiated settlement," the statement read. "It ha...

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