‘Provisional govt falls short of promises’: EU warns Taliban

The European Union voiced disapproval on Wednesday of the Taliban’s provisional government in Afghanistan after the Islamist militants named several leaders, saying they had not kept a promise to include women and other religious groups.

Fire kills 41 in overcrowded Indonesia prison block

A fire killed 41 inmates in an overcrowded prison block in Indonesia’s Banten province on Wednesday, a government minister said, injuring scores more in a blaze that police said may have been caused by an electrical fault.

Germany surpasses 4 million coronavirus cases

Germany has surpassed the 4-million mark for total coronavirus cases according to data released on Sunday by the country’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) disease control body.

Ex-UK PM Brown, accuses west of ‘moral outrage’

Former British prime minister Gordon Brown accused rich countries of committing a “moral outrage” by stockpiling COVID-19 doses while poor countries are struggling to get supplies.

Indian farmers hold huge rally, vow to campaign against ruling party

ens of thousands of Indian farmers on Sunday joined a major rally where they resolved to continue their protest against new agricultural laws and to campaign against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in key state polls.

Air pollution likely to cut 9 years of life expectancy of Indians

A new study has claimed that air pollution is likely to reduce the life expectancy of about 40 per cent of Indians by more than nine years. It has been conducted by Energy Policy Institute of University of Chicago.

Taliban confront economy in turmoil, humanitarian crisis

Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers struggled to keep the country functioning on Wednesday after the final withdrawal of U.S. forces, with foreign donors alarmed about an impending humanitarian crisis.

Police deployed as hundreds protest virus measures in Berlin

Hundreds of people participated in banned demonstrations against coronavirus measures in the German capital on Sunday, with over 2,000 police deployed in several parts of the capital to watch the protests.

US drone strike hits Islamic State car bomb in Kabul: Officials

American forces launched a drone strike in Kabul on Sunday targeting a suicide bomber in a vehicle who was aiming to attack the airport, U.S. officials said, as the United States nears the end of its military presence in the city.

Australia’s COVID-19 cases hit new record as ‘reopening’ debate heats up

Australia logged a record 1,323 local COVID-19 cases on Sunday as debate rages on whether the country should start living with the virus in the community, after initially being successful with suppressing coronavirus.

Myanmar military arrests more journalists

Myanmar’s military government has arrested two more local journalists, army-owned television reported on Saturday, the latest among dozens of detentions in a sweeping crackdown on the media since a Feb. 1 coup.

Taliban impose order around Kabul airport: Witnesses

Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers imposed some order around chaotic Kabul airport on Sunday, making sure people formed orderly queues outside the main gates and not allowing crowds to gather at the perimeter, witnesses said.

Around eight killed as Tropical Storm Grace slams Mexico

At least eight people were killed after Tropical Storm Grace wreaked havoc in eastern Mexico, bringing floods and power outages.

Russia to pump 5.6bn cm gas via Nord Stream 2

Gas supplies via the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline may total 5.6 billion cubic meters this year, Russia’s state-run energy giant Gazprom said in a statement on Thursday.

Sydney imposes nightly curfew as Australia battles Delta outbreak

Two million residents of Sydney will be under nightly curfew from next week to slow the highly infectious Delta variant of coronavirus that is spreading across New South Wales state, authorities said on Friday as they extended lockdown orders.

UK embassy guards who helped evacuate diplomats: ineligible for rescue

Around 125 Afghans hired to guard the British Embassy in Kabul have been informed they will receive no protection from the UK government, the Guardian reported, noting they were rejected as they didn’t work “directly” for London.

Navalny tells Russians to sabotage upcoming elections

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny on Thursday told Russians to take part in a tactical voting campaign at next month’s parliamentary elections to try to dent the ruling United Russia party’s political dominance.

Afghan protests spread to Kabul in early challenge to Taliban

Protests against the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan have spread to more cities, including the capital Kabul, while the militant group called on the country’s imams to urge unity at Friday prayers, the first since they seized control.

Indian states prepare for next COVID wave, focus on children

Several Indian states are building facilities with more paediatric beds, plus oxygen, due to concern that children returning to school without being vaccinated will be among the most vulnerable during a third wave of coronavirus infections.

Sydney warned worse to come as Delta cases surge

Sydney’s Delta outbreak has not peaked and residents must brace for more deaths, authorities said on Wednesday, as Australia’s largest city continued to break records for new daily infections despite a nearly two-month lockdown.

Deadly Jalalabad protests as Taliban consolidate Islamist rule

At least three people were killed in anti-Taliban protests in the Afghan city of Jalalabad on Wednesday, witnesses said, as the militant group tried to set up a government and Western countries stepped up evacuations of diplomats and civilians.

Taliban say they want peace, will respect women’s rights under Islamic law

The Taliban held their first official news conference in Kabul on Tuesday since the shock seizure of the city, declaring they wanted peaceful relations with other countries and would respect the rights of women within the framework of Islamic law.

Children hospitalized with COVID-19 in US hits record number

The number of children hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States hit a record high of just over 1,900 on Saturday, as hospitals across the South were stretched to capacity fighting outbreaks caused by the highly transmissible Delta variant.

Taliban enter Afghan capital, President Ghani leaves for Tajikistan

Taliban insurgents entered Afghanistan›s capital Kabul on Sunday and an official said President Ashraf Ghani had left the city for Tajikistan, capping the militants› lightning push for power.

Haiti earthquake death toll jumps to 724

Officials have raised the death toll from a devastating earthquake in Haiti to 724, with thousands more injured. Reeling from the quake, the Caribbean country is now bracing itself for a tropical storm.

India set for huge boost in COVID vaccine supplies

India expects to get about 266 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in August as a simpler licensing process has helped the government secure far more than earlier expected, the President of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party said on Friday.

Former K-pop singer jailed over prostitution, fraud scandal

Former South Korean K-pop star known as Seungri was sentenced to three years in prison and fined nearly $1 million on Thursday after a court convicted him of crimes including procuring prostitutes for potential investors, local media reported.

US demography ‘changing dramatically’: New census data

Newly released data from the US Census Bureau show the percentage of white Americans declining sooner than demographers expected, while Asian, Hispanic, and Other categories are on the rise. Most Covid-19 deaths weren’t counted.

Australia’s capital goes into snap lockdown

Australia’s capital Canberra was ordered into a seven-day lockdown Thursday, after a single Covid-19 case was detected in the city that has largely avoided virus restrictions.

Taliban take strategic Afghan city of Ghazni on road to Kabul

Taliban fighters captured the strategic Afghan city of Ghazni on Thursday, taking them to within 150 km (90 miles) of Kabul following days of fierce clashes as the Islamist group ruled out sharing power with the government based there.