Xi warns of ‘grim’ situation with Taiwan

Xi warns of ‘grim’ situation with Taiwan

TAIPEI: The situation in the Taiwan Strait is “complex and grim”, Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote in a congratulatory letter on Sunday to the newly elected leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party, who has pledged to renew talks with Beijing. Taiwan’s Kuomintang (KMT) elected as their leader on Saturday former New Taipei City mayor Eric […]

Executions, amputations to resume: Taliban prisons chief

Executions, amputations to resume: Taliban prisons chief

• Says cabinet mulls policy to decide if executions will be public or not • Defence minister orders fighters to keep ‘notorious former soldiers’ out of their ranks • Declares ‘unauthorised’ executions won’t be tolerated • US condemns plan to reinstate executions KARACHI: The Taliban’s official in charge of prisons and former justice minister of […]

World refugee body blasts UK’s planned immigration law

World refugee body blasts UK’s planned immigration law

LONDON: Britain’s proposed law to implement what it calls the biggest overhaul of asylum rules in decades “undermines established international refugee protection rules”, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Thursday. Interior minister Priti Patel — a prominent supporter of Brexit, where “taking back control” of immigration was a key campaign issue — said the […]

Chinese FM says economic sanctions on Afghanistan must end

Chinese FM says economic sanctions on Afghanistan must end

China’s State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the various unilateral sanctions or restrictions on Afghanistan should be lifted as soon as possible. Economic sanctions on Afghanistan must end, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement, citing Wang at a virtual G20 foreign ministers’ meeting on Afghanistan on Wednesday. Afghanistan’s foreign exchange reserves […]

Afghan Taliban want to address General Assembly: UN

Afghan Taliban want to address General Assembly: UN

Who should represent Afghanistan at the United Nations this month? It’s a complex question with plenty of political implications. The Taliban, the country’s new rulers for a matter of weeks, are challenging the credentials of their country’s former UN ambassador and want to speak at the General Assembly’s high-level meeting of world leaders this week, […]

Taliban expand interim cabinet, double down on all-male team

Taliban expand interim cabinet, double down on all-male team

The Taliban expanded their interim cabinet by naming deputy ministers on Tuesday but failed to appoint any women, doubling down on a hardline course despite the international outcry that followed their initial presentation of an all-male cabinet lineup earlier this month. The international community has warned that it will judge the Taliban by their actions, […]

At least eight dead in Russian campus shooting

At least eight dead in Russian campus shooting

A student opened fire at a university campus in central Russia on Monday killing at least eight people, investigators said, in the second mass shooting at an education facility this year. Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said several people were also injured in the attack at Perm State University and that the suspect […]

SCO asks US to help avert crisis in Afghanistan

SCO asks US to help avert crisis in Afghanistan

• Tells Taliban to fulfil promises on inclusive govt • Moscow asks Washington to unfreeze Afghan central bank assets • Xi expects Kabul to ‘resolutely fight all forms of terrorism’ and live in peace with its neighbours • Imran proposes a five-point way forward for regional bloc DUSHANBE: While asking the Afghan Taliban to yield […]

Chinese astronauts return to earth after 90-day mission

Chinese astronauts return to earth after 90-day mission

Chinese astronauts returned to earth on Friday after completing the country’s longest-ever crewed mission, the latest landmark in Beijing’s drive to become a major space power. The capsule carrying the three astronauts was suspended on a parachute and landed in the Gobi desert at 1:35pm local time (05:35 GMT).   The crew of the Shenzhou-12 […]