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Showing posts from August 29, 2021

Taliban vs Resistance: What is happening in Panjshir Valley?

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  Panjshir is the only province of Afghanistan that is still out of Taliban control. A fierce fighting is going on in the Panjshir Valley, situated north of Kabul. India Today Web Desk The Taliban, only a few days ago, while the American forces were inside Afghanistan, presented its moderate side, saying they would look for a  negotiated deal with the Resistance Force  in the Panjshir Valley. Panjshir is the only province of Afghanistan that is still out of Taliban control. A fierce fighting is going on in the Panjshir Valley , situated north of Kabul. There are claims and counterclaims from both sides but little credible means to verify those claims. The possibility of a  negotiated deal with the Resistance Force  ended with the departure of the US forces. The Taliban, reports in Reuters and the BBC said, blamed the Resistance Force for failed negotiations. Talks failed as both sides took contrasting positions over power-sharing deals, reports said. Now, there are reports that the  Ta

“Are we not part of Muslim ‘Ummah’?”, ask Uyghurs as Taliban plans to deport them to China for money

  After the Taliban took over Kabul on August 15, there are growing apprehensions among the Uyghurs living in Afghanistan who fear they might be sent back to China in lieu of large sums of money. Some two thousand Uyghur Muslims are living in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan at present and there are reports that the Taliban fighters have taken Uygher girls according to a report by Radio Free Asia. International Islamic terror group Al Qaeda Al Qaeda which called on the masses in “Europe and East Asia to break free from the shackles of American hegemony”, did not say anything when it came to the treatment of the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang in China. Al Qaeda had congratulated the Taliban for its victory in Afghanistan and called for the “liberation” of Kashmir, Palestine, Maghreb (Northwest Africa) from the “clutches of the enemies of Islam” and called on the Ummah (global Islamic community) to come together. It must be noted that Al Qaeda continues to maintain close ties with the Taliban

Dateline Afghanistan: Meet the warlords even the Taliban fear

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Some Afghan warlords are asserting their power even after the Taliban takeover of Kabul. Here's a detailed look at their role in Afghanistan. (Graphics by Rahul Gupta) Prabhash K Dutta Afghanistan is the fourth most dangerous country in the world. Peoples Under Threat Index, compiled by the Minority Rights Group International, said this last year. The reason is the violent competitiveness among various ethnic and tribal groups headed by Afghan warlords. Their general approval is considered a necessity for any functional government in Kabul. Having captured Kabul over two weeks ago, the Taliban have not been able to form a government in Afghanistan. Yet. Part of the problem lies within the Taliban. Factional rivalry has reportedly come in the way of the early formation of the government. Another part of the problem lies in Pakistan, which is pulling strings within the Taliban. But a big problem also lies with the structure of Afghan society and politics, dictated by regional satraps

Taliban make it loud and clear: China is our top ally

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  The new regime’s spokesman calls Beijing the ‘most important partner’ as the world still waits for the Taliban to form government. A woman holds up a protest message as she demonstrates, along with several other women, in front of the presidential palace in Kabul on Friday. The protesters called upon the Taliban regime to respect and preserve women’s rights.(Reuters) The new regime’s spokesman calls Beijing the ‘most important partner’ as the world still waits for the Taliban to form government. Describing China as its “most important partner”, the Taliban group has said that it looks up to Beijing for support as war-ravaged Afghanistan faces widespread hunger and the possibility of a major economic collapse. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the group supports Beijing’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative that aims to link China with Africa, Asia and Europe through a network of ports, railways, roads and industrial parks. “China is our most important partner and represents a

Decoded | Yemen civil war: Who is fighting whom and why

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  When Saudi Arabia launched strikes at the Houthis in 2014, it said the war would be over in weeks. But the civil war is still going on for about seven years, with the Houthis remaining firm in the capital Sanaa. Prabhash K Dutta Yemen is a relatively new country in its current form. After years of fighting, North Yemen and South Yemen joined in 1990 to form Yemen, hoping to bring peace to the country sitting at the mouth of the Red Sea on the Arabian Peninsula. However, peace did not actually come to the country. It is still fighting a civil war. Its government, recognised by the United Nations and the large international community, is in exile. The rebel group captured Yemen's capital Sanaa in 2014 and has maintained its sway over it since then. Actual clashes often break out between the two sides. In the latest round of armed conflict, 65 soldiers were killed. The rebels are called Houthi (also spelt as Huthi and pronounced “who-thee”). The battleground ground was Marib, a gove

China Cracks Down On "Effeminate" Artists, Enforces "Moral Discipline"

  Beijing:  China ordered broadcasters on Thursday to shun artists with "incorrect political positions" and "effeminate" styles, and said a patriotic atmosphere needed to be cultivated, widening a crackdown on its booming entertainment industry. After years of runaway growth in the world's second largest economy, regulators have been to trying to strengthen control over Chinese society by tightening oversight over a broad swathe of industries ranging from technology to education and culture. Communist Party authorities can censor anything they believe violates core socialist values and already have stringent rules on content ranging from video games to movies and music. The latest moves reining in the entertainment industry come in the wake of a series of celebrity scandals involving tax evasion and sexual assault. Two government ministries, a party agency and an industry association published fresh guidelines on Thursday, with the Party's publicity departme

Gautam Mukhopadhaya: ‘US didn’t invest in institutions of Afghan democracy, in trade, or even in its army’

  What led to the defeat of America in Afghanistan and the return of the Taliban after 20 years, more dominant than ever before? What did India gain or lose from its financial, strategic, and political investments there? Gautam Mukhopadhaya, former Ambassador to Kabul, explains. Edited excerpts and full video from a conversation last month, before the Americans finally left Source:  https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/afghanistan-crisis-us-troops-taliban-takeover-7483282/

China bans ‘sissy men’ from TV in new crackdown

  China’s government banned effeminate men on TV and told broadcasters Thursday to promote “revolutionary culture,” broadening a campaign to tighten control over business and society and enforce official morality. President Xi Jinping has called for a “national rejuvenation,” with tighter Communist Party control of business, education, culture and religion. Companies and the public are under increasing pressure to align with its vision for a more powerful China and healthier society. The party has reduced children’s access to online games and is trying to discourage what it sees as unhealthy attention to celebrities. Broadcasters must “resolutely put an end to sissy men and other abnormal esthetics,” the TV regulator said, using an insulting slang term for effeminate men — “niang pao,” or literally, “girlie guns.” That reflects official concern that Chinese pop stars, influenced by the sleek, girlish look of some South Korean and Japanese singers and actors, are failing to encourage Ch

Panjshir resistance reject surrender offer; Taliban boasts 'Saleh, Massoud can't win against us'

  Panjshir resistance forces have rejected to surrender before Taliban as the Islamist group today confirmed that the peace talks have collapsed. Taliban said that despite its offer of peaceful transition, the resistance fighters and their leaders have rejected the peace deal and instead want to fight the Afghanistan's new rulers. The Taliban has now released a message for the Panjshir residents, asking them to convince the resistance to give up the fight and surrender. Earlier, several Taliban fighters were killed in fighting with resistance forces led by former Vice President Amrullah Saleh and Ahmad Massoud. Watch this report for all the latest details. Source:  Panjshir resistance reject surrender offer; Taliban boasts 'Saleh, Massoud can't win against us' (msn.com)

Reporter goes to the frontlines of the Afghanistan war on the Taliban | ...

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'Will continue fighting,' says resistance force in Afghanistan's Panjshir as negotiation talks with Taliban fail

  The resistance force in Afghanistan's northeastern province Pajnshir said that they will continue fighting against the Taliban as the negotiations between them and the insurgents failed to yield any results, news agency ANI reported citing local media reports. Panjshir is the only province, where the anti-Taliban forces have maintained a stronghold and which is out of the Taliban's reach following their blitz across Afghanistan. On Wednesday, the Taliban, who have negotiated with the leaders of the resistance force, said that the talks the group’s efforts to find a political solution to a dispute "went in vain" and led to no results. In an audio message on Wednesday, Amir Khan Motaqi, the head of Taliban’s commission for guidance & encouragement, also urged Panjshir residents to join the Islamic Emirate and promised that it will be a home for all Afghans. "We still want to prevent war and find a political solution," Motaqi said in the message posted on

Taliban say they feel betrayed because US disabled helicopters, planes: Report

  As US forces left Afghanistan, the Taliban fighters erupted in joy. They marched on the tarmac of Kabul airport, the last stronghold of the western forces till August 31, even fired in the air expressing their happiness. But just days later, all that has changed. According to a report in Al Jazeera, the Taliban have said that they "feel betrayed" because Americans disabled military helicopters and planes before their departure from Kabul. The fighters said they expected the Americans to leave helicopters in one piece for their use, according to Al Jazeera report. "We believe it is a national asset and we are the government now and this could have come to great use for us," the report added. Early on Tuesday (August 31), Kabul airport was littered with artifacts of the withdrawal. Inside the terminal were scattered piles of clothes, luggage and documents. Several CH-46 helicopters used by American forces were parked in a hangar. The US military said it disabled 27

Student killed in shooting at North Carolina high school: Gun Violence Extremism

  A suspect was taken into custody Wednesday after one student was fatally shot at a North Carolina high school, officials said. Winston-Salem police Chief Catrina Thompson, fighting back tears, told a news conference that Mount Tabor High School went into immediate lockdown as emergency responders, sheriff’s deputies and police officers arrived just after noon to search for the suspect, who she said was believed to be a student at the school. The injured student was taken to a local hospital, where he died, Thompson said. The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office announced on its Twitter page that the suspect, who was not identified, was apprehended. No other details were immediately available. Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough Jr., who joined deputies and officers at the school on the initial call, identified the dead student as William Chavis Raynard Miller Jr. Kimbrough said he met with the family at the hospital. “I haven’t cried in a while, but I’ve been crying since I left the hospital,” Kimbro

5 people shot dead in Durban

At least five people were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the South African city of Durban, a local government official said. In a statement on Wednesday, member of the Executive Council for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Peggy Nkonyeni said reports suggested that a group of people were in a house when three unknown gunmen, armed with 9 mm pistols attacked them, Xinhua news agency reported. Besides the five victims, three others were also injured in the incident. In a separate incident on Sunday, six people were shot and killed at U Section. "This week alone at least 11 people have been reportedly murdered at the township," said Nkonyeni. "I send my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and assure the community that the police are looking into these sporadic crimes," she said.   Source:  https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/world/five-people-shot-dead-durban-latest-international-crime-news-updates-731024

Haqqani Network leader says group won't interfere in Kashmir, seeks friendship with India

  The scion of Afghanistan’s feared Haqqani network has called for an amicable relationship with India and pledged not to interfere in the Kashmir issue. In an exclusive interview to   CNN-News18,   Anas Haqqani, 28, rejected accusations of terrorism against the guerrilla group controlled by his family and promised to provide complete security to all Afghan Sikhs and Hindus. "Kashmir is not part of our jurisdiction and interference is against the policy," Haqqani said. “How can we go against our policy? This is clear: we will not interfere.” The outreach by Haqqani is the latest conciliatory signal from the new masters of Afghanistan, who appear keen to build friendly ties with India, which has poured money into rebuilding Afghan infrastructure. Edited excerpts from the interview. Today must be a great day for you since the Americans have gone? Thank you very much, yes, it's a big day for us. Today you got the victory after twenty years. You also said now peace will preva