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Published by Al-Araby The Taliban’s secretive supreme leader on Tuesday told the newly appointed government to uphold sharia law, in his first message since the hardline movement swept to power. “I assure all the countrymen that the figures will work hard towards upholding Islamic rules and sharia law in the country,” Hibatullah Akhundzada, who has […]

Published by Al-Araby The UK has opened talks with the Taliban over the “safe passage” of its remaining nationals and allies out of Afghanistan after the hardline Islamist group’s quickfire takeover of the country last month. The British government confirmed to AFP it has dispatched senior civil servant Simon Gass to meet with Taliban representatives

Published by Al-Araby Israel on Wednesday approved a series of measures easing its blockade of the Gaza Strip, including opening the main commercial crossing with the Palestinian enclave to imports. The announcement came a day after Israeli officials allowed the import of crucial construction material needed for the Gaza Strip’s rebuilding following the recent conflict

Published by Al-Araby A Taliban spokesman said a US drone strike targeting a suspected suicide bomber in Kabul on Sunday resulted in civilian casualties and condemned the United States for failing to inform the Taliban before ordering the strike. Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told China’s state television CGTN on Monday that seven people were killed in

Published by Reuters By Francois Murphy and Josh Smith VIENNA/SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea appears to have restarted a nuclear reactor that is widely believed to have produced plutonium for nuclear weapons, the U.N. atomic watchdog said in an annual report, highlighting the isolated nation’s efforts to expand its arsenal. The signs of operation at the

Published by DPA Hurricane Ida was downgraded to a tropical storm early on Monday, but was still sparking dangerous tidal surges, winds and flash flooding as it moved into the US state of Mississippi. The storm hit the neighbouring state of Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane on Sunday, with winds of up to 240

Published by Reuters By Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Democrats face a test of unity in the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday as they begin work on two ambitious spending plans that would devote trillions of dollars to transportation infrastructure and social programs. While centrist Democrats are eager to pass a $1 trillion infrastructure bill

Published by Reuters By Carl O’Donnell and Manas Mishra (Reuters) -The U.S. drug regulator on Monday granted full approval to the Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE COVID-19 vaccine that had earned emergency-use authorization in December, making it the first to secure such Food and Drug Administration validation as health authorities struggle to win over vaccine skeptics. The

Published by Reuters BENGALURU (Reuters) -India’s drug regulator has granted emergency use approval for Zydus Cadila’s COVID-19 vaccine, the world’s first DNA shot against the coronavirus, in adults and children aged 12 years and above. The approval gives a boost to India’s vaccination programme, which aims to inoculate all eligible adults by December, and will

Published by Al-Araby As Western embassies rush to evacuate their diplomats and nationals from Afghanistan, the Taliban are desperate to secure international legitimacy. China and Russia so far appear comfortable with keeping their diplomatic staff in Afghanistan. Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s envoy to Kabul, confirmed on Monday that the Taliban were guarding Moscow’s mission. Russia’s Foreign