International - The Purbottar

12 Sep

Afghan women rally in support of the Taliban

editor0 CommentsInternationalAfghans, Taliban

Afghan women wearing full face veils sat in rows at a Kabul university lecture theatre Saturday, pledging commitment to the Taliban's hardline policies on gender segregation. About 300 women -- covered head-to-toe in accordance with strict new dress policies for education -- waved Taliban flags as speakers railed against the West and expressed support for the Islamists' policies.A handful wore blue burqas, which have only a small mesh window to see from, but most wore black niqabs covering most of the face apart from the eyes. The women attended an event at a university, in which women speakers spoke in…

09 Sep

Pakistan bans teachers from wearing jeans and t-shirts, no tights for women staffers

editor0 CommentsInternationalPAKISTAN

Pakistan's Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) has issued a notification asking women teachers not to wear jeans and tights. The same notification goes on to prohibit male teachers from wearing jeans and t-shirts. A letter in this regard was sent to the principals of schools and colleges by the director of academics on Monday, reported Dawn. The letter asked principals to ensure that each staff member "observes reasonably good measures in their physical appearance and personal hygiene". It goes even further to describe such good measures as a regular haircut, beard trimming, nail cutting, shower and use of deodorant or…

06 Sep

Former France Defender Jean-Pierre Adams Dies After Almost 40 Years In Coma

editor0 CommentsInternational, Sports

The former France defender Jean-Pierre Adams has died at the age of 73, almost 40 years after falling into a coma as a result of a medical error, his former clubs, Paris St-Germain and Nîmes, said on Monday. In 1982, Adams was administered a near fatal dose of anaesthetic before a routine knee operation, which caused brain damage. The Dakar-born Adams won 22 caps for Les Bleus in the 1970s, forming with Marius Tresor what was known as ‘the Black Guard’. He played for Nîmes from 1970-73 and for PSG from 1977-79 after joining from Nice. Since the accident, Adams…

04 Sep

Google locks Afghan government accounts as Taliban seek emails: Source

editor0 CommentsInternationalAfghanistan, Google

Google has temporarily locked down an unspecified number of Afghan government email accounts, according to a person familiar with the matter, as fears grow over the digital paper trail left by former officials and their international partners. In the weeks since the Taliban's swift takeover of Afghanistan from a U.S.-backed government, reports have highlighted how biometric and Afghan payroll databases might be exploited by the new rulers to hunt their enemies. In a statement on Friday, Alphabet Inc's Google stopped short of confirming that Afghan government accounts were being locked down, saying that the company was monitoring the situation in…

01 Sep

Sri Lanka declares food emergency as forex crisis worsens

editor0 CommentsInternationalECONOMY

Sri Lanka on Tuesday declared a state of emergency over food shortages as private banks ran out of foreign exchange to finance imports. With the country suffering a hard-hitting economic crisis, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he ordered emergency regulations to counter the hoarding of sugar, rice and other essential foods. Rajapaksa has named a top army officer as "Commissioner General of Essential Services to coordinate the supply of paddy, rice, sugar and other consumer goods". The move followed sharp price rises for sugar, rice, onions and potatoes, while long queues have formed outside stores because of shortages of milk powder,…

01 Sep

UNSC resolution addresses ‘key concerns’ on Afghanistan: India

editor0 CommentsIndia, InternationalAfghanistan, Taliban

Despite the abstention of two “P-5” countries, Russia and China, from the India-led United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2593, the Government of India said it was a “matter of satisfaction” that the resolution, addressed India's “key concerns” on Afghanistan. According official sources, the resolution, which called on the Taliban to keep its commitments on preventing terror groups in Afghanistan and urged them to assist the safe evacuations of all Afghan nationals wishing to leave the country, was the result of careful coordination and “high-level official contacts with UNSC members, including a call to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken,…

30 Aug

Taliban Want to Continue Political, Trade Ties With India, Leader Stanekzai Says

editor0 CommentsIndia, InternationalTaliban

Taliban leader Sher Mohammed Abbas Stanekzai has said the group wants to continue Afghanistan’s political, economic and cultural ties with India, the first time a member of the Taliban’s top hierarchy has spoken on the issue since the takeover of Kabul. In a nearly 46-minute video posted on the Taliban’s social media platforms on Saturday, Stanekzai spoke extensively in Pashto on the end of the war in Afghanistan and the Taliban’s plans for forming an Islamic administration based on Shariah. He also spoke about the Taliban’s views on relations with key countries in the region, including India, Pakistan, China and…

29 Aug

COVID-19: India extends ban on scheduled international flights till September 30

editor0 CommentsIndia, Internationalflight

The Centre on Sunday extended the suspension on international scheduled commercial flights till September 30 owing to the coronavirus diseases (Covid-19) pandemic. The latest circular issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) continued to keep international cargo flights and those approved by the regulator to operate. The DGCA also said that scheduled international flights might be allowed on selected routes on a case to case basis. Scheduled international passenger services have been suspended in India since March 23, 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. But special international flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission since May…

25 Aug

E-visa must for Afghan nationals travelling to India: Home Ministry

editor0 CommentsInternationalAfghanistan, INDIA

All Afghan nationals must travel to India only on e-visa, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced on Wednesday. “Owing to the prevailing security situation in Afghanistan and streamlining of the visa process by introducing the e-Emergency X-Misc visa, it has been decided that all Afghan nationals henceforth must travel to India only on e-visa”, the MHA said in a statement. Earlier, the Centre had announced that it would “facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan” and said Hindus and Sikhs from the country will be given priority. Keeping in view some reports that certain…

25 Aug

Possible case of ‘Havana syndrome’ in Vietnam delays Vice President Harris’ visit

editor0 CommentsInternational

Vice President Kamala Harris’ flight from Singapore to Vietnam had to be pushed back several hours Tuesday over possible “Havana Syndrome” cases among US personnel in Hanoi. The US Embassy in Hanoi issued a statement blaming “a recent possible anomalous health incident” there for the three-hour delay of Harris’ flight. An “anomalous health incident” is a term the US government has used to describe so-called “Havana Syndrome” — a mysterious condition that includes dizziness, nausea, migraines and memory lapses and is sometimes preceded by a piercing sound. The condition got its name from a rash of health incidents first reported…