The European Union has no option but to talk to Afghanistan's new Taliban rulers and Brussels will try to coordinate with member governments to organise a diplomatic presence in Kabul, the top EU diplomat said on Tuesday.

- The Afghan crisis is not over - EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told the European Parliament in Strasbourg. - To have any chance of influencing events, we have no other option but to engage with the Taliban. -EU foreign ministers have set conditions for re-establishing humanitarian aid and diplomatic ties with the Taliban, who took control of Afghanistan on Aug. 15, including respect for human rights, particularly women's rights.
- Maybe it's a pure oxymoron to talk about human rights but this is what we have to ask them - he said.
Borrell told EU lawmakers that the bloc should be prepared to see Afghans trying to reach Europe if the Taliban allow people to leave, although he said he did not expect migration flows to be as high as in 2015 caused by Syria's civil war.
The European Commission plans to secure funding from EU governments and the common budget of 300 million euros ($355 million) both this year and next to pave the way for resettlement of around 30,000 Afghans.

EU foreign ministers have set conditions for re-establishing humanitarian aid and diplomatic ties with the Taliban

EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell delivers a speech on the situation in Afghanistan during a plenary session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, September 14, 2021.

EU says it has no option but to talk to Taliban

South Korea’s antitrust regulator has imposed a $177 million fine on global tech giant Google for its alleged abuse of the market dominance in the mobile operating system and app markets, local media reported.

- Since 2016, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) has been looking into Google over allegations it obstructed local smartphone makers, such as Samsung Electronics Co., from using operating systems developed by rivals - according to Yonhap News Agency.
The regulator said that the global tech giant hampered market competition by requiring smartphone makers to clinch an "anti-fragmentation agreement (AFA)" when they sign key contracts with Google over app store licenses and early access to OS.
Under the AFA agreement, the device makers are not permitted to install modified versions of Android OS, known as "Android forks" on their products. They are also not allowed to develop their own Android forks, Yonhap said.
The regulator has also ordered Google to end its practice of forcing Android device manufacturers to sign the AFA agreement.
- We expect the latest measures will help set the stage for competition to revive in the mobile OS and app markets. This is also expected to help the launch of innovative goods and services in smart device markets - the news agency cited KFTC statement as saying.
Reacted to the decision, Google said it plans to appeal the regulator's decision.
In April this year, Turkish authorities fined Google 296 million Turkish liras ($36.6 million) for violating the country's competition law.
In 2019, the European Commission also slapped a $1.69 billion fine on Google for breaking the EU’s anti-trust rules on online advertising.

Google fined for alleged abuse of market dominance in mobile operating system, app markets, antitrust regulator says

The regulator said that the global tech giant hampered market competition by requiring smartphone makers to clinch an "anti-fragmentation agreement (AFA)" when they sign key contracts with Google over app store licenses and early access to OS

South Korea fines Google $177M over alleged abuse of market dominance

The Taliban have denied that one of their top leaders has been killed in a shootout with rivals, following rumours about internal splits in the movement nearly a month after its lightning victory over the Western-backed government in Kabul.

Sulail Shaheen, a Taliban spokesman, said Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, former head of the Taliban political office who was named deputy prime minister last week, issued a voice message rejecting claims he had been killed or injured in a clash.
- He says it is lies and totally baseless - Shaheen said in a message on Twitter.
The Taliban also released video footage purportedly showing Baradar at meetings in the southern city of Kandahar. Reuters could not immediately verify the footage.
The denials follow days of rumours that supporters of Baradar had clashed with those of Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of the Haqqani network that is based near the border with Pakistan and was blamed for some of the worst suicide attacks of the war.
The rumours follow speculation over possible rivalries between military commanders like Haqqani and leaders from the political office in Doha like Baradar, who led diplomatic efforts to reach a settlement with the United States.
The Taliban have repeatedly denied the speculation over internal divisions.
Baradar, once seen as the likely head of a Taliban government, had not been seen in public for some time and was not part of the ministerial delegation which met Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in Kabul on Sunday.
The movement's supreme leader, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, has also not been seen in public since the Taliban seized Kabul on Aug. 15, although he issued a public statement when the new government was formed last week.
Speculation over Taliban leaders has been fed by the circumstances surrounding the death of the movement's founder, Mullah Omar, which was only made public in 2015 two years after it happened, setting off bitter recriminations among the leadership.

The Taliban also released video footage purportedly showing Baradar at meetings in the southern city of Kandahar

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's deputy leader and negotiator, and other delegation members attend the Afghan peace conference in Moscow, Russia March 18, 2021.

Taliban deny their deputy prime minister, Mullah Baradar, is dead

Turkey offered its condolences Sunday to the Philippines after Typhoon Jolina struck the country, killing at least 17 people.

- We are saddened to learn that Typhoon Jolina (Conson), which hit the Philippines, has caused the loss of many lives, injuries as well as material damage - the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Twenty-four people were injured while seven are still missing, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council of the Philippines.
- We extend our heartfelt condolences to the relatives of those who lost their lives as well as to the friendly people and government of the Philippines and wish a speedy recovery to the injured -&nbsp; the ministry added.
Around 9,000 buildings were damaged and transportation was disrupted.
More than 313,000 people were affected in total.

Foreign Ministry extends 'heartfelt condolences' to friendly people, government of Philippines over casualties

Twenty-four people were injured while seven are still missing, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council of the Philippines

Turkey condoles with Philippines over victims of deadly typhoon

North Korea has carried out a successful test of its new long-range cruise missile over the weekend, state-run media reported on Monday.

The Korean Central News Agency in a statement said the country's Academy of Defense Science successfully test-fired a new type of long-range cruise missile on Saturday and Sunday.
- The launched long-range cruise missiles traveled for 7,580 seconds (126 minutes) along an oval and pattern-8 flight orbits in the air above the territorial land and waters of the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and hit targets 1,500 km (932 miles) away - the statement said.
The latest missile test came after the last month's US-South Korea joint military exercises opposed by Pyongyang, which termed them "a threat to their security."
The joint military drills came a month after North Korea and South Korea restored cross-border communication lines that were cut off by Pyongyang in June last year.
North Korea severed communication with South Korea and also blew up an inter-Korean liaison office along the border in June 2020.
Earlier in January, just hours after US President Joe Biden took office, Pyongyang conducted a cruise missile test while later in March North Korea again tested a new tactical short-range ballistic missile.
Reacting to the North Korean move, Biden warned there would be “responses” if North Korea continues with such escalations.
In response, North Korea said Washington might face "undesirable happenings" if it continues its provocations and "habitual hostility" against Pyongyang.

Pyongyang successfully test-fires its cruise missile over weekend, state-run media says

The Korean Central News Agency in a statement said the country's Academy of Defense Science successfully test-fired a new type of long-range cruise missile on Saturday and Sunday

North Korea tests new long-range cruise missile

Lebanon will receive $1.3 billion from the IMF on Sept. 16, the country’s finance ministry said on Monday.

A ministry statement said that allocation will be in the IMF Special Drawing Rights (SDRs).
The amount is comprised of $860 million from 2021 and $275 million from 2009, the statement said.
In August, the IMF Board of Governors agreed to distribute a general allocation of SDRs equivalent to $650 billion to the IMF members to address their needs of reserves and to foster stability of the global economy.
The SDR is an international reserve asset, created by IMF in 1969, to supplement its member countries' official reserves.
The last IMF's SDRs distribution was in 2009 where member countries received $250 billion in SDR reserves to help ease global financial crisis.
Since late 2019, Lebanon has been grappling with some of the severest domestic challenges, including currency devaluation which lost almost all of its value against the dollar, along with shortages of fuel and medicines.

Amount will be in IMF Special Drawing Rights (SDRs)

The amount is comprised of $860 million from 2021 and $275 million from 2009

Lebanon to receive $1.13 billion from IMF

Women in Afghanistan can pursue an education at all levels in any field, but classes will be segregated and there will be a compulsory dress code, the Taliban announced Sunday.

- There will be no hurdles for girls to continue their education - Abdul Baqi Haqqani, the acting education minister in the interim Taliban administration, said at a news conference in the capital Kabul.
He said women will be free to study to even the postgraduate level, but there will be gender-segregated or entirely separate classes in universities because “coeducation is against Islamic and Afghan traditions.”
- The most important thing is that girl students wear the hijab - Haqqani said, without specifying if he meant headscarves or complete face coverings.
If universities have the capacity, then there will be completely separate classes, and even buildings, for girls and boys, he added.
Men will teach boys and girls will be taught by women, Haqqani explained, clarifying that in case there are not enough women teachers, male teachers will teach girls from behind a curtain.
While acknowledging that his ministry is facing financial difficulties, he claimed that the interim administration is working on a strategy to invite Afghan academics living abroad to take up positions in local universities.
Haqqani, who assumed office without officially taking oath, asserted that the Taliban are “willing to work with the international community in the field of education.”
He added that the interim administration will give special attention to Taliban members who did not have access to education in the past.

Gender-segregated classes, compulsory dress code among requirements announced by interim Taliban administration

If universities have the capacity, then there will be completely separate classes, and even buildings, for girls and boys

Laying out rules, Taliban say women free to study at any level

Egyptian flag carrier EgyptAir will launch a direct flights route between Cairo and Tel Aviv as of October, according to local media on Monday.

The official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation network said flights will be launched between Cairo and Ben Gurion International Airport, for the first time in decades.
According to the broadcaster, there will be four flights a week in the first phase.
Since 1980s, flights between Cairo and Tel Aviv have been operated by Air Sinai, a subsidiary carrier of EgyptAir, in unmarked planes without Egyptian flag.
There was no comment from EgyptAir on the Israeli reports.
Egypt was the first Arab country to sign a peace agreement with Israel in 1979.

Four flights will be operated weekly between Cairo, Tel Aviv

There will be four flights a week in the first phase

EgyptAir to operate direct flights between Cairo, Tel Aviv

The Pentagon spent up to $7 trillion on contractors who "took advantage of wartime conditions" in the wake of 9/11, a new study released on Monday suggests.

The figure represents as much as half of the Defense Department's $14 trillion expenditure since the war in Afghanistan began in 2001 and the War on Terror went global, according to Brown University's Costs of War Project.
Its research found that contractors used the military rush "to overcharge the government or engage in outright fraud" amid the Pentagon's demand for rapid assistance and "less rigorous oversight."
Up to one-third of the expenditures granted to contractors went to just five companies: Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman. Lockheed Martin alone received $75 billion in fiscal year 2020, which is more than 150% of the State Department and US Agency for International Development's $44 billion budget for that year, the study said.
With the US completing its withdrawal from Afghanistan last month, and attempting to pivot its military posture away from the War on Terror, there is a new rationale already in place to continue the outsized spending.
- As the U.S. reduces the size of its military footprint in Iraq and Afghanistan, exaggerated estimates of the military challenges posed by China have become the new rationale of choice in arguments for keeping the Pentagon budget at historically high levels," the study said. "Military contractors will continue to profit from this inflated spending. -

US spent up to $7 trillion on contractors, with up to one-third of that money going to just 5 companies

The figure represents as much as half of the Defense Department's $14 trillion expenditure since the war in Afghanistan began in 2001 and the War on Terror went global, according to Brown University's Costs of War Project

Study finds war-zone contractors 'took advantage of' post-9/11 conditions

Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's coalition and the main opposition bloc on Monday signed a cooperation pact to ensure stability during the COVID-19 pandemic, an agreement that could also help the premier win a confidence vote.

Ismail Sabri took office last month with a slim parliamentary majority, becoming the third prime minister in as many years, but the constitutional monarch has called for him to face a vote of confidence to prove he has majority support in parliament.
The legislature reconvened on Monday but no date has been set for the confidence vote.
The bipartisan pact signed on Monday covers six areas including strengthening a COVID-19 plan, transformation in governance, parliamentary reforms, and freedom of the judiciary, Ismail Sabri said in a statement.
- The government is confident that this will not only see political differences being put aside but also ensure the national recovery will be inclusive and holistic - he said.
Ismail Sabri, however, did not say whether the agreement included his previous offer to the opposition to introduce political reforms including laws to prevent defections and to limit a prime minister to 10 years in office.&nbsp;His offer on Friday had also included: bipartisan agreement on every bill to be introduced in parliament, input from opposition parties on a national recovery council and immediate lowering of the minimum voting age to 18 from 21. He also said the opposition leader would get the same pay and privileges as a cabinet minister.
Malaysia has seen political instability since the election defeat in 2018 of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), which had governed for more than 60 years since independence, after a string of corruption allegations.
Two governments had collapsed since then and Ismail Sabri's appointment restored the premiership role to UMNO.

Ismail Sabri took office last month with a slim parliamentary majority, becoming the third prime minister in as many years, but the constitutional monarch has called for him to face a vote of confidence to prove he has majority support in parliament

New Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob waves from a car, as he leaves after the inauguration ceremony, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia August 21, 2021.

Malaysia's government signs cooperation pact with opposition in boost for PM

Gunmen have killed 12 Nigerian security forces members in a weekend attack on a military base in northwest Zamfara state, before stealing weapons and torching buildings, two security sources said Monday.

It was not immediately clear who carried out the Saturday raid in Mutumji, but the army is engaged in operations in Zamfara against armed criminal gangs known as bandits who are blamed for a series of mass abductions.
Telecommunications have also been cut in Zamfara and in parts of neighbouring state Katsina in an attempt to disrupt bandit communications about army movements during the crackdown.
- The attackers stormed the base around 10:30 am and engaged the troops in a fierce gun battle - one security source said.
- They subdued the troops and killed 12 of them. They included nine navy, a soldier and two policemen. -A second security source confirmed the casualties.
The base in Mutumji, Dansadau district, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the state capital Gusau, is a key site for logistics and reconnaissance in the army's fight against bandits in the area.
Jihadists in Nigeria's northeast frequently attack military bases in Borno State, the heart of a 12-year insurgency that has killed 40,000 people.
But large, heavily armed criminal gangs who raid villages and kidnap for ransom in the northwest and central states have also become more brazen.
In July, bandit gunmen shot down an air force jet over Zamfara while it was returning from operations. The pilot safely ejected and managed to escape capture.
Gunmen also attacked the country's elite defence academy in northwest Kaduna State last month, killing two officers and kidnapping another in a raid in one of the symbols of the armed forces.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It was not immediately clear who carried out the Saturday raid in Mutumji, but the army is engaged in operations in Zamfara against armed criminal gangs known as bandits who are blamed for a series of mass abductions

The attackers stormed the base around 10:30 am and engaged the troops in a fierce gun battle

Security sources: Gunmen kill 12 in attack on Nigeria military base in northwest

Libyan prime minister Wednesday announced that Germany is set to reopen its embassy in Libya.

Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh made the announcement during a meeting with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas who is on an official visit to Libya’s capital Tripoli.
German Embassy closed its doors seven years ago due to a civil war in the North African country.
Dbeibeh hailed the reopening of the embassy as yet another “step towards stability”.
-I am happy with the visit by the German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and we look forward to the realization of privileged relations between the two countries- Dbeibeh said.
Libya’s latest political developments as well as the upcoming elections in the oil-rich country slated for December this year were also among topics discussed during the meeting.
Meanwhile, Maas hailed the progress made so far in the North African country.
-We are seeing good progress in the country and want Libya to continue on that path- Maas tweeted.
A popular revolution ousted Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Ever since, the country fell into political deadlock and was engulfed by civil war, with Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar seeking to seize power and overthrow the internationally recognized government.
In February, Libya's rival political groups agreed to form an interim unity government to lead the country to elections in December.

Germany closed its embassy 7 years ago due to civil war in North African country

German Embassy closed its doors seven years ago due to a civil war in the North African country

Germany to reopen its embassy in Libya: Dbeibeh

Afghanistan on Thursday received humanitarian assistance, including food and medicines, from five countries, an official said.

The cash-strapped country, which suffered 20 years of war, is now in severe economic crisis, and poverty can be seen everywhere in the capital Kabul with people even begging for bread to survive.
According to Abdul Hadi Hamdarda, an official at Hamid Karzai International Airport, four planes from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Pakistan arrived in Kabul to supply food and medicines to the recently constituted interim Taliban administration.
Afghanistan also received aid from neighboring Turkmenistan by road, said Hamdarda.
Hundreds of people are sleeping in Shahr-e-Nau park, some in plastic tents, because they do not have enough money to return home. They arrived in Kabul in August when the Taliban were taking control of provincial capitals.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, who is now acting culture and information minister, announced an interim administration on Monday, along with the establishment of a Ministry of Refugees.
Millions of Afghans have become refugees in different parts of the world, with the majority migrating to neighboring Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, and Turkey during the 43-year conflict, which began with political unrest in 1978 and was followed by an invasion by the former Soviet Union the next year.
Following the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the US overthrew the Taliban government and fought with the Taliban fighters for two decades until the last year's Doha peace deal.

Planes with food, medicines from Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Pakistan land in Kabul amid rising poverty

The cash-strapped country, which suffered 20 years of war, is now in severe economic crisis, and poverty can be seen everywhere in the capital Kabul with people even begging for bread to survive

Afghanistan receives humanitarian aid from 5 countries

Some 150 Afghan dual nationals left Afghanistan for the US on a Qatar Airways flight on Thursday.

The plane departed from Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport and will first head to Qatar’s capital Doha, according to Abdul Hadi Hamdarda, a Taliban official at the airport.
Only passengers with foreign passports and valid travel documents were allowed to board the flight, he told Anadolu Agency.
This was the first such flight to leave Kabul since foreign countries, including the US, concluded the evacuation missions launched after the Taliban completed their takeover on Aug. 15.
Since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, Kabul has been swarmed by people seeking a way out of the country, many of them civilians who worked with foreign forces or groups and now fear retribution.
Arriving at the airport early on Thursday morning, three young men – two from the central Uruzgan province and one from Kunduz in the north – told Anadolu Agency that they were due to board a flight heading to the US.
Ezzda, who hailed from Kunduz, said he worked with an American company and showed his official credentials, which he said made him eligible for relocation to the US.
Nasrullah and Samiullah, two brothers, also had documents proving they worked as interpreters for the US.

Qatar Airways plane departs from Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport

Only passengers with foreign passports and valid travel documents were allowed to board the flight

Some 150 Afghan dual nationals leave Kabul on US-bound flight

Russia claimed on Wednesday it has evidence that the US’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was involved in the arrest of 33 Russians in Belarus last year.

Russians allegedly linked to private military contractor Wagner were arrested in July 2020 on charges of attempted interference in the presidential election held in Belarus last August.
They were released a month later after several rounds of talks between Moscow and Minsk.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement that there were clear traces of the CIA’s involvement in the incident.
It said the CIA worked out the operation with the goal to divide Russia and Belarus and supported it financially, while the Ukrainian intelligence was “a direct executor.”
-The task of the Americans was known, they acted exclusively within the framework of this geopolitical task – the rupture of Russian-Belarusian relations- the FSB said.
If successful, the operation would have dealt a very heavy blow to relations between Russia and Belarus, and it would have taken a long time to address the situation, the statement added.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was aware of US involvement from the “very beginning.”
-From the very beginning, from the moment of the arrest, Moscow spoke about the involvement of the US intelligence- he said at a news conference.
-In this case, this is an additional, indirect confirmation that the traces [of CIA involvement] are not so deeply hidden.-The August 2020 presidential election in Belarus was won by Alexander Lukashenko, a staunch Moscow ally who has ruled the former Soviet republic for more than 26 years.
His victory sparked months of mass protests in the country, with the opposition accusing Lukashenko of rigging the polls and demanding he step down.
Thousands were arrested as the government cracked down on the demonstrations, which were eventually quelled by the end of 2020.​​​​​​​

CIA planned, financially supported operation to damage relations between Moscow, Minsk, says Russian intelligence

Russians allegedly linked to private military contractor Wagner were arrested in July 2020 on charges of attempted interference in the presidential election held in Belarus last August

US intelligence involved in 2020 arrest of Russians in Belarus, claims Moscow

The Taliban have painted a white flag on the abandoned US Embassy building in Afghanistan's capital Kabul.

Soon after the Taliban took control on Aug. 15, the US diplomatic staff was evacuated to the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.
Although no one was inside the building, two Taliban security guards were seen on Wednesday at the gate and another in front of the building at the Ahmad Shah Massoud crossroads.
One of the Taliban security guards said: -We have been instructed to remain at the building's security.-A person was also spotted selling the Taliban flag at the embassy's front entrance.
Taliban security guards can be noticed safeguarding important government and private buildings all around the city.
Over a hundred thieves and robbers have been caught since the Taliban took control of Kabul, while the Taliban have been posting video footage on social media.
Asmatullah Wazir, a roadside money-changer, told Anadolu Agency: "I am an ordinary man, and security is the most important to me. ... I used to return home with companions in the nighttime because of the worry of robbers. Now, the security situation has improved.”
On Tuesday evening, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, now the acting culture and information minister, announced the Taliban administration's interim setup, admitting in a news conference that security and the economy are the two major challenges the government will initially address.

Person found selling white flag at gate of mission's building in Kabul

A photo shows the US Embassy walls after being painted with Taliban flag in Kabul, Afghanistan on September 8, 2021.

EU says it has no option but to talk to Taliban

South Korea fines Google $177M over alleged abuse of market dominance

Taliban deny their deputy prime minister, Mullah Baradar, is dead

Turkey condoles with Philippines over victims of deadly typhoon

North Korea tests new long-range cruise missile

Lebanon to receive $1.13 billion from IMF

Laying out rules, Taliban say women free to study at any level

EgyptAir to operate direct flights between Cairo, Tel Aviv

Study finds war-zone contractors 'took advantage of' post-9/11 conditions

Malaysia's government signs cooperation pact with opposition in boost for PM

Security sources: Gunmen kill 12 in attack on Nigeria military base in northwest

Germany to reopen its embassy in Libya: Dbeibeh

Afghanistan receives humanitarian aid from 5 countries

Some 150 Afghan dual nationals leave Kabul on US-bound flight

US intelligence involved in 2020 arrest of Russians in Belarus, claims Moscow

US Embassy in Afghanistan painted with Taliban flag

World

EU says it has no option but to talk to Taliban

South Korea fines Google $177M over alleged abuse of market dominance

Taliban deny their deputy prime minister, Mullah Baradar, is dead

Turkey condoles with Philippines over victims of deadly typhoon

North Korea tests new long-range cruise missile

Lebanon to receive $1.13 billion from IMF

Laying out rules, Taliban say women free to study at any level

EgyptAir to operate direct flights between Cairo, Tel Aviv

Study finds war-zone contractors 'took advantage of' post-9/11 conditions

Malaysia's government signs cooperation pact with opposition in boost for PM

Security sources: Gunmen kill 12 in attack on Nigeria military base in northwest

Germany to reopen its embassy in Libya: Dbeibeh

Afghanistan receives humanitarian aid from 5 countries

Some 150 Afghan dual nationals leave Kabul on US-bound flight

US intelligence involved in 2020 arrest of Russians in Belarus, claims Moscow

US Embassy in Afghanistan painted with Taliban flag