Budget 2018-19

  China has been an aggressor against India along the Himalayan border, a top American diplomat has told lawmakers China has been an aggressor against India along the Himalayan border, a top American diplomat nominated by President Joe Biden as his next envoy to Beijing has told lawmakers, stating that the US must hold the Chinese government accountable for failing to play by the rules. Nicholas Burns told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday that the US will challenge China where it must, including when Beijing takes actions that run counter to America’s values and interests; threaten the security of the United States or its allies and partners; or undermine the rules-based international order. Beijing has been an aggressor against India along their  Himalayan border ; against Vietnam, the Philippines, and others in the South China Sea; against Japan in the East China Sea; and has launched an intimidation campaign agai...

  The Taliban’s cruelties are horrendous, but withholding international support and maintaining blanket sanctions will only hurt the long-suffering Afghan people. Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation is spiraling into catastrophe. Millions of Afghans are now facing severe economic stress and food insecurity in the wake of the Taliban’s August takeover, set off by widespread lost income, cash shortages, and rising food costs. Officials with the UN and several foreign governments are warning of an economic collapse and risks of worsening acute malnutrition and outright famine. Surveys by the World Food Program (WFP) reveal over nine in ten Afghan families have insufficient food for daily consumption, half stating they have run out of food at least once in the last two weeks. One in three Afghans is already acutely hungry. Other United Nations reports warn that over 1 million more children could face acute malnutrition in the coming year. One main cause of the crisis is that governmen...

  Morrison on Friday rejected Chinese criticism of Australia’s new nuclear submarine alliance with the United States and said he doesn’t mind that President Joe Biden might have forgotten his name. Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday rejected  Chinese criticism  of Australia’s new nuclear submarine alliance with the United States and said he doesn’t mind that President Joe Biden might have forgotten his name. China reacted angrily when Biden, Morrison and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson used a virtual news conference this week to announce a trilateral defense alliance that will provide Australia with a fleet of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines. Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian said it was highly irresponsible for the U.S. and Britain to export the nuclear technology. Morrison said  Australia  wanted to boost peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Everything we’ve done with the United States is consistent wit...

  Australia’s SBS TV has quoted a Taliban spokesperson as saying that women’s sports and women’s cricket specifically will be banned by his group in Afghanistan Australia’s SBS TV has quoted a  Taliban  spokesperson as saying that women’s sports and women’s cricket specifically will be banned by his group in Afghanistan “In cricket, they might face a situation where their face and body will not be covered. Islam does not allow women to be seen like this,” the network quoted Ahmadullah Wasiq, the deputy head of the Taliban’s cultural commission, as saying. “It is the media era, and there will be photos and videos, and then people watch it. Islam and the Islamic Emirate do not allow women to play cricket or play the kind of sports where they get exposed.” Wasiq last month told SBS that the Taliban would allow men’s cricket to continue and that it has given approval for the men’s national team to travel to Australia for a test match in November. But in a state...

  United States says concerned by some Cabinet members The Taliban drew from its inner high echelons to fill top posts in Afghanistan’s new government on Tuesday, including an associate of the Islamist militant group’s founder as premier and a wanted man on a U.S. terrorism list as interior minister. World powers have told the Taliban the key to peace and development is an inclusive government that would back up its pledges of a more conciliatory approach, upholding human rights, after a previous 1996-2001 period in power marked by bloody vendettas and oppression of women. Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, in his first public statement since the Aug. 15 seizure of the capital Kabul by the insurgents, said the  Taliban  were committed to all international laws, treaties and commitments not in conflict with Islamic law. “In the future, all matters of governance and life in Afghanistan will be regulated by the laws of the Holy Sharia,” he said in a statement, in...

  However, Massoud remained defiant and said his force, drawn from the remnants of the regular Afghan army as well as local militia fighters, was still fighting The Taliban claimed victory on Monday in the last part of Afghanistan still holding out against their rule, declaring that the capture of the Panjshir valley completed their takeover of the country and they would unveil a new government soon. Pictures on social media showed Taliban members standing in front of the gate of the Panjshir provincial governor’s compound after days of fighting with the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRFA), commanded by Panjshiri leader Ahmad Massoud. “Panjshir, which was the last hideout of the escapee enemy, is captured,”  T aliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told a news conference. However, Massoud remained defiant, and said his force, drawn from the remnants of the regular Afghan army as well as local militia fighters, was still fig...

  The Taliban will be on uncertain ground as they declare legitimacy, but no pretender to Afghanistan’s troubled throne is likely to offer a national alternative Unsurprisingly, the Taliban’s rapid takeover of power across  Afghanistan  has prompted headlines about a renewed “civil war”. This is misleading, however. “Civil war” implies a situation where an insurgent movement is taking on a ruling government. But in 2001, it was not just the US-backed Northern Alliance that removed the Taliban from Kabul – other local commanders and political leaders were challenging their authority too. And in 2021, the Taliban swept to power by offering local groups incentives to cooperate or persuading them to stand aside. Now that the Taliban try to establish a government and ruling institutions, it is possible that these groups may resist being co-opted. They may bristle at a lack of autonomy, or see political and economic benefit in opposition to th...

  Efforts on to resume operations at Kabul airport Afghan crisis:  Taliban and Afghan rebels loyal to local leader Ahmad Massoud claimed heavy casualties in heavy fighting in the Panjshir Valley, with some media reports suggesting 13 Taliban fighters were ambushed on Thursday. Panjshir is the last Afghan province resisting rule by the Taliban, which took control of the country two weeks ago by overthrowing the Western-backed government as the US and other foreign troops withdrew after 20 years. According to certain media reports, more than 300 fighters from both sides lost their lives during the fighting over the past few days, as the Northern Resistance Front refused to give up despite being surrounded by the Taliban from all sides. “We started operations after negotiations with the local armed group failed,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. Taliban fighters had entered Panjshir and taken control of some territory, he said. “They (the enemy)...

  In the aftermath of the  Taliban  regaining power in Afghanistan, a former senior American diploma Nikki Haley t has said there is a need to closely watch China In the aftermath of the Taliban regaining power in Afghanistan, a former senior American diplomat has said there is a need to closely watch China as it is making a move to take over the Bagram air force base that was controlled by the United States for nearly two decades. America’s former envoy to the United Nations Nikki Haley told Fox News on Wednesday that it is time that President Joe Biden’s administration reaches out to its key friends and allies like India, Japan and Australia and assure them that the US will have their back. The first thing you should do is immediately start connecting with our allies, whether it’s Taiwan, whether it’s Ukraine, whether it’s Israel, whether it’s India, Australia, Japan, all of them, and reassure them that we will have their back and that we need them as well,  Nikki ...

  Consultations on forming an inclusive Afghan govt end in ‘consensus’ The  Taliban  and other Afghan leaders have reached a “consensus” on the formation of a new government and cabinet under the leadership of the group’s top spiritual leader, an official said. Taliban supreme commander  Haibatullah Akhundzada  will be the top leader of any governing council, Bilal Karimi, a member of the group’s cultural commission said Wednesday. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, one of Akhundzada’s three deputies and the main public face of the Taliban, is likely to be in charge of the daily functioning of the government, Karimi added. “The consultations on forming an inclusive Afghan government within the Islamic Emirate’s leaders, with the leaders from previous government and other influential leaders have officially ended,” Karimi said. “They have reached a consensus. We’re about to announce a functioning cabinet and government in a few days, not weeks. The  Taliban  h...

  The last US troops are due to pull out of Kabul by Tuesday, after they and their allies mounted the biggest air evacuation in history, bringing out 114,000 of their own citizens and Afghans US anti-missile defences intercepted rockets fired at  Kabul airport  early on Monday, as the United States flew its core diplomats out of Afghanistan in the final hours of its chaotic withdrawal. The last US troops are due to pull out of Kabul by Tuesday, after they and their allies mounted the biggest air evacuation in history, bringing out 114,000 of their own citizens and Afghans who helped them over 20 years of war. Two US officials said the “core” diplomatic staff had withdrawn by Monday morning. They did not say whether this included top envoy Ross Wilson, expected to be among the last to leave before the final troops themselves. A US official said initial reports did not indicate any US casualties from as many as five missiles fired on the airport. Islamic State — enemies of ...

  India was trying to evacuate as many people as possible from Afghanistan, the minister said Evacuating Indian personnel from Afghanistan, where the situation is “critical”, was a top priority, the government said on Thursday at the all-party meet, convened to brief on the Afghan situation. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar briefed the leaders on the latest situation in  Afghanistan  after the Taliban captured power there last week. Besides Jaishankar, Union minister and Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi were also present during the briefing in the Parliament House Annexe. India was trying to evacuate as many people as possible from Afghanistan, the minister said and asserted that evacuating Indian personnel was a “top priority”, according to some of the participants at the meeting. The government also described the situation in the war-torn country as “critical” and said the Taliban has broken the promi...

  The Islamic State group claims responsibility for the killings; the Taliban were not believed to have been involved in the attacks. Two suicide bombers and gunmen attacked crowds of Afghans flocking to  Kabul ‘s airport Thursday, transforming a scene of desperation into one of horror in the waning days of an airlift for those fleeing the Taliban takeover. The attacks killed at least 60 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops, Afghan and U.S. officials said. The U.S. general overseeing the evacuation said the attacks would not stop the United States from evacuating Americans and others, and flights out were continuing. Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, said there was a large amount of security at the airport, and alternate routes were being used to get evacuees in. About 5,000 people were awaiting flights on the airfield, McKenzie said. The blasts came hours after Western officials warned of a major attack, urging people to leave the airport. But that advice went largely ...

  Officials said since Indian missions in Afghanistan are shut, the applications will be examined and processed in New Delhi The Union home ministry on Wednesday announced that all Afghan nationals henceforth must travel to India only on e-Visa in view of the prevailing situation in Afghanistan. The decision comes days after the government introduced a new category of visa called “e-Emergency X-Misc visa” for the Afghan nationals after the  Taliban  captured power in that country. “Owing to the prevailing security situation in Afghanistan and streamlining of the visa process by introduction of the ‘e-Emergency X-Misc visa’, it has been decided that all Afghan nationals henceforth must travel to India only on e-Visa,” a home ministry statement said. The home ministry also announced that keeping in view some reports that certain passports of Afghan nationals have been misplaced, previously issued visas to all Afghan national...

  Trump has slammed Biden on his Afghan policy and expressed concerns that thousands of terrorists might have been flown out of Afghanistan as part of the evacuation process Former US President Donald Trump has slammed his successor Joe Biden on his Afghan policy and expressed concerns that thousands of terrorists might have been flown out of Afghanistan as part of the evacuation process. Biden surrendered Afghanistan to terrorists and left thousands of Americans for dead by pulling out the military before our citizens, Trump said in a statement on Tuesday. Now we are learning that out of the 26,000 people who have been evacuated, only 4,000 are Americans. You can be sure, the   Taliban ,  who are now in complete control, didn’t allow the best and brightest to board these evacuation flights. Instead, we can only imagine how many thousands of terrorists have been airlifted out of Afghanistan and into neighbourhoods around t...

  There is no meaningful evidence that the Taliban are feeling any existential crisis, much less that they care about making money or running an economy Joe Biden doesn’t know what to make of the Taliban. Asked in an ABC News interview last week if he thought the Afghan insurgents had changed, the U.S. president gave a tortured answer that amounted to, “Yes, no and maybe.” It is worth examining his exchange with George Stephanopoulos in some detail for a full appreciation of Biden’s self-delusion: Q: What happens now in Afghanistan? Do you believe the Taliban have changed? A: No. I think… let me put it this way: I think they’re going through sort of an existential crisis about do they want to be recognized by the international community as being a legitimate government. I’m not sure they do. Q: They care about their beliefs more? B: Well, they do. But they also care about whether they have food to eat, whether they have an income that th...

  The German military says a firefight broke out at the Kabul airport’s north gate early on Monday between Afghan security forces and unknown attackers. The German military says a firefight broke out at the Kabul airport’s north gate early on Monday between Afghan security forces and unknown attackers The military said in a tweet that one Afghan security officer was killed and another three were wounded in the early morning incident. It said that U.S. and German forces then also got involved, and that there were no injuries to German soldiers. There was no further information and it wasn’t known who the attackers were. The Taliban, who are manning the outside perimeters of the  Kabul airport,  have until now not opened fire on NATO or Afghan troops within. Monday’s incident took place after at least seven Afghans died in a panicked crush of people trying to enter Kabul’s international airport on Sunday, the British military said. Thousands were still trying to f...

  The Afghan capital’s residents seemed doubtful about their future, pondering whether the current peace could be a lull before storm Although the security situation is comparatively stable compared when the Taliban took over Kabul on August 15, the Afghan capital’s residents seemed doubtful about their future, pondering whether the current peace could be a lull before storm. Since Kabul’s fall to the Taliban, many government offices, schools and universities have remained closed. The Taliban has however, repeatedly called upon government employees to return to their offices and resume their work normally, but many offices in the government and private sectors including banks, schools and universities have been out of business. “Since last Sunday I have not been to my office as no one knows what would happen next hour or in the afternoon,” a Kabul resident Noor Khan told Xinhua news agency on Sunday. The 37-year-old Khan, an employee of the Passport Department i...

  US President  Joe Biden  announced that the United States is predicted to reach the mark of 160 million fully vaccinated Americans by the end of this week US President Joe Biden on Tuesday (local time) announced that the United States is predicted to reach the mark of 160 million fully vaccinated Americans by the end of this week. “By the end of this week, we’ll have reached the mark of 160 million fully vaccinated Americans. And that’s a goal I set in March that I’m thrilled we’re going to hit just a few days after July the Fourth. So, we will have 160 million fully vaccinated Americans — up from roughly 3 million when we took office five months ago,” White House said in the statement. Earlier, the Biden administration has fallen short of the July 4  COVID vaccination  goal to have 70 percent of Americans at least partially vaccinated. Just over 67 percent of American adults have had at least one Covid-19 vaccine and more than 157 million Americans are fully ...

  Biden came up well short on his goal of delivering 80 mn doses of coronavirus vaccine to rest of world by end of June as a host of logistical and regulatory hurdles slowed pace of US vaccine diplomacy President Joe Biden came up well short on his goal of delivering 80 million doses of coronavirus vaccine to the rest of the world by the end of June as a host of logistical and regulatory hurdles slowed the pace of US vaccine diplomacy. Although the Biden administration has announced that about 50 countries and entities will receive a share of the excess  COVID-19 vaccine  doses, the US has shipped fewer than 24 million doses to 10 recipient countries, according to an Associated Press tally. The White House says more will be sent in the coming days and stresses that Biden has done everything in his power to meet the commitment. It’s not for lack of doses. All the American shots are ready to ship, the White House said. Rather, it’s taking more time than anticipated to sort ...