The evacuation of Turkish troops from Afghanistan has begun and will be completed at the earliest, the country's defense minister said on Thursday.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency in the eastern Mus province, Hulusi Akar said Turkish soldiers successfully fulfilled the task given to them in the war-torn country.
Despite the extraordinary conditions at the airport, where thousands of people are desperately trying to get a flight out since the Taliban takeover, the Turkish Armed Forces are making every effort to ensure that their plan is implemented without any major disruptions, he added.
-We would like to thank our friends Pakistan and Tajikistan, and our allies with whom we worked together in the region, for their support- Akar said.
He said they are coordinating with the Foreign Ministry and other relevant departments with regard to the pullout.
Turkey was part of a NATO mission in Afghanistan since 2002, and was also involved in evacuation efforts at the Kabul airport since the Taliban took control of the capital this month.

Hulusi Akar thanks Pakistan, Tajikistan, others for support

Speaking to Anadolu Agency in the eastern Mus province, Hulusi Akar said Turkish soldiers successfully fulfilled the task given to them in the war-torn country

Turkey to complete troop evacuation from Afghanistan soon: Defense minister

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has cancelled her planned visit to Israel this weekend due to developments in Afghanistan, her office announced on Thursday.

The visit “has been cancelled in consultation with the Israeli Prime Minister due to the current developments in Afghanistan,” Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement.
He said both sides have agreed to reschedule the outgoing chancellor’s visit to a later date.
The news came on the same afternoon as reports of an explosion outside the airport serving Kabul, the Afghan capital, where thousands are waiting to be evacuated from the country.
Germany’s plans to evacuate its citizens, Afghan local staff, and their family members from the country have been hampered by the deteriorating security situation in Kabul.
The German military was planning to carry out its final evacuation flights on Thursday, while Germany’s special envoy Markus Potzel was holding talks with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar to allow civilian airlifts after the Aug. 31 deadline.
The Taliban have repeatedly said they would not extend the Aug. 31 deadline for the full withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan, including those currently controlling Kabul airport.
Since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, Germany has evacuated nearly 5,200 people from Afghanistan, but thousands more Afghans who worked for the German military, development agencies, or other institutions are still trying to flee the country.
Merkel’s coalition government has been criticized for failing to anticipate the Taliban's swift takeover of Afghanistan, and ignoring repeated earlier warnings to evacuate thousands of Afghan local staff, their family members, as well as women’s rights activists and politicians who have close ties with the country.
The Taliban’s Aug. 15 capture of Kabul triggered an exodus of foreign nationals and workers, along with Afghans who worked with foreign militaries and groups.
The Taliban has said it is working to form a government that would be inclusive.

German chancellor to stay in Berlin as talks continue with Taliban for evacuation of Afghans who want to leave country

Merkel cancels visit to Israel due to developments in Afghanistan

South African Airways (SAA) is set to resume flights from Sept. 23, after remaining grounded for more than 15 months.

-The wait is finally over. In just under a month, the striking and familiar livery of SAA will once again be visible in the skies as the airline resumes operations-’ the national carrier said in a statement on Wednesday.
The airline underwent a business rescue process after it collapsed last March due to financial mismanagement and the impact of COVID-19 on the aviation industry.
-After months of diligent work, we are delighted that SAA is resuming service and we look forward to welcoming on board our loyal passengers and flying the South African flag. We continue to be a safe carrier and adhering to COVID-19 protocols- said interim chief executive Thomas Kgokolo.
-There is a profound feeling of enthusiasm within Team SAA as we prepare for takeoff, with one common purpose – to rebuild and sustain a profitable airline that once again takes a leadership role among local, continental, and international airlines.-The airline is now owned by the government and a private equity partner, which is a majority shareholder.
It had survived on bailouts for many years, irking members of the opposition and citizens alike.
The flag carrier will initially operate flights from Johannesburg to Cape Town, Accra, Kinshasa, Harare, Lusaka and Maputo, and more destinations will be added to the route network as it ramps up operations in response to market conditions.

Now privatized national carrier to resume operations on Sept. 23

The airline is now owned by the government and a private equity partner, which is a majority shareholder

'Wait is finally over': South African Airways to start flying again next month

Russia said Thursday it has received new orders for arms and helicopters from Central Asian republics bordering Afghanistan following the Taliban's takeover of the country. 

The orders come as countries in the ex-Soviet region, where Moscow holds military bases, have raised concerns over the militant group sweeping to power.
-We are already working on a number of orders from countries in the region for the supply of Russian helicopters, fire arms and modern border protection systems- Alexander Mikheev, the head of Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, told the RIA Novosti news agency. 
While Russia remains cautiously optimistic about the new leadership in Kabul, it has warned of militants entering neighbouring countries as refugees.
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan earlier this month held joint military exercises with Russia close to their borders with Afghanistan.
Drills involving members of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), a military alliance led by Moscow, are also scheduled in Kyrgyzstan between September 7 and 9. 
The maneuvers will focus on "the destruction of illegal armed groups that have invaded the territory of an CSTO member state", according to the press-service of the alliance quoted by the Interfax news agency. 
While the Taliban has said it does not pose a threat to Central Asian countries, the ex-Soviet republics in the region have previously been targeted by attacks attributed to allies of Afghan Islamists.&nbsp;

The orders come as countries in the ex-Soviet region, where Moscow holds military bases, have raised concerns over the militant group sweeping to power

While Russia remains cautiously optimistic about the new leadership in Kabul, it has warned of militants entering neighbouring countries as refugees

Russia to supply weapons to Afghanistan's neighbours

The death toll from heavy rains that triggered mudslides and floods in western Venezuela has risen to 20, local authorities said Wednesday, with 17 other people missing.

Nine states are in an "emergency" situation and more than 54,000 people have been affected by the downpours, Interior Minister Remigio Ceballos told state television.
On Tuesday he warned it would continue to rain "for the next 10 days."
The hardest-hit areas are in the state of Merida, where the Mocoties river burst its banks and flooded a village, cutting off electricity and telephone links.
Local official Jehyson Guzman said the number of dead had "increased today to 20" -- up from 15.
Heavy rains have also hit other parts of Venezuela, including the capital Caracas.
The downpours have destroyed more than 8,000 homes in 11 states, according to President Nicolas Maduro, who linked the extreme weather to climate change.
Scientists say climate change is intensifying the risk of heavy rain around the world, because a warmer atmosphere holds more water.
According to an international study published Tuesday, global warming made deadly floods that devastated parts of Germany and Belgium last month up to nine times more likely.

Nine states are in an "emergency" situation and more than 54,000 people have been affected by the downpours, Interior Minister Remigio Ceballos told state television

The hardest-hit areas are in the state of Merida

At least 20 dead after torrential rains in Venezuela

A French court has handed a 10-month suspended jail sentence to an Afghan man for violating the terms of a surveillance order, days after France evacuated him from Taliban-controlled Kabul.

The man, Ahmat M., is one of five people who were placed under surveillance after their arrival in France as part of an investigation into links with the Taliban.
One man, not Ahmat M, is suspected of working for the Taliban despite helping France evacuate nationals and Afghans in danger. He and four others deemed close to him, including Ahmat M., were placed under surveillance earlier this week.
The surveillance order included strict limits on movements and Ahmat M., who arrived at the weekend, was convicted by a court late Wednesday for straying outside of this zone.
Ahmat M., who says he was a prosecutor in Afghanistan before resuming his law studies, had been ordered not to leave the Paris suburb of Noisy-le-Grand, where he was living with his wife, baby daughter and several other family members.
He told the court he wanted to buy medicine because he suffered from headaches and vomiting since arriving in France. In sometimes confused remarks, he said he followed a man living in the same hotel who offered to buy him these medicines, without realising that he was going to central Paris. 
The other man told investigators that Ahmat M. had asked him to accompany him to Paris to buy SIM cards. Ahmat M. also insisted he was unaware of the restrictions he had to follow.
-This is not the case of a Taliban in France, it is the case of a man who fled his country with his wife and his three-month-old daughter" and who was arrested for "going to the supermarket- said his lawyer Alice Ouaknine. 
The possibility that there could be Taliban members among the hundreds of Afghans evacuated by France over the last fortnight has ignited a storm of controversy in France, with migration set to be a prime battleground in 2022 presidential elections.
The right has accused the government of President Emmanuel Macron of failing to carry out proper security checks while he has also faced criticism from the left who accuse him of letting down ordinary Afghans by only allowing limited numbers into France.&nbsp;

The man, Ahmat M., is one of five people who were placed under surveillance after their arrival in France as part of an investigation into links with the Taliban

Passengers disembarking from a French Air Force Airbus A400M flying from Kabul, before boarding a French Republic plane to Paris at the French air base of Al Dhafra, near Abu Dhabi

France convicts Afghan days after Kabul evacuation

Rwanda is set to welcome refugee students fleeing Afghanistan, officials confirmed Wednesday, making it the second African country to host Afghan refugees after Uganda.

The news was announced through a tweet by Shabana Basij-Rasikh, the president and co-founder of the Afghanistan Leadership School (SOLA), indicating that Afghanistan's only boarding school for girls is moving all 250 of its students, faculty, staff, and family members to the East African nation to continue their education for the coming months.
-As announced earlier by the Ministry of Education, we welcome the SOLA community to Rwanda. We are respecting their request for privacy so there will be no further comments at this time- Rwanda’s Education Ministry told Anadolu Agency in a short statement.
Since last week, reports indicated that all the students, professors, management staff, and family members affiliated with the school had left Kabul, following the capture of the capital Kabul by the Taliban.
Initially, they will be hosted for a semester, Basij-Rasikh said.
While the date of arrival has not been disclosed, Basij-Rasikh added that all the evacuees are already on their way to Rwanda after transiting through Qatar.
-So many people played a key role in our departure, and while I cannot thank all of you here, I would like to publicly express my gratitude to the governments of Qatar, Rwanda and the United States for their essential assistance- Basij-Rasikh wrote on Twitter.
-When circumstances on the ground allow, we hope to return home to Afghanistan. For now, I'm asking for privacy for our community.-Rwanda hosts some 135,000 Burundian and Congolese refugees in various camps in the country who depend on humanitarian assistance to meet their basic food needs, according to the UN.
Rwanda has committed to ensuring that all refugees get valid refugee identity cards and that 100% of refugee students enroll in secondary schools and 50% in primary schools.
According to the US State Department, Rwanda is one of 13 countries that have agreed to temporarily receive the evacuated Afghans.
On Wednesday, Uganda announced that it had received the first group of 51 evacuees from Afghanistan, including men, women, and children.
Last week, Uganda said it would host 2,000 Afghans and other nationals fleeing Afghanistan after the Taliban captured Kabul.

250 students of Afghanistan Leadership School to be hosted in East African country

According to the US State Department, Rwanda is one of 13 countries that have agreed to temporarily receive the evacuated Afghans

Rwanda to take in Afghan refugee students

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the recent developments in Afghanistan with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a phone talk on Wednesday, the Kremlin said.

The two leaders expressed readiness to step up efforts to combat the threats of terrorism and drug trafficking emanating from the territory of Afghanistan, the Kremlin said in a statement on its official website.
-The importance of establishing peace in this country as soon as possible and preventing the spread of instability to neighboring regions was emphasized. To do this, it is intended to use at maximum the potential of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization- it said.
Putin and Xi also agreed to intensify bilateral contacts and close coordination on the issues, primarily through the foreign ministries, it added.
The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan after taking Kabul on Aug. 15, forcing President Ashraf Ghani and other top officials to leave the country.
Following the departure of Ghani, former President Hamid Karzai, veteran politician Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, and top peace negotiator Abdullah Abdullah formed a council with an aim to ensure a smooth transfer of power.
The swift Taliban takeover led thousands of people to try to leave Afghanistan through Kabul's airport, with the Aug. 31 deadline looming.​​​​​​​

Putin, Xi agree to use potential of Shanghai Cooperation Organization to reconcile Afghan sides

Putin and Xi also agreed to intensify bilateral contacts and close coordination on the issues, primarily through the foreign ministries

Russian, Chinese leaders over phone discuss situation in Afghanistan

The family of a pregnant Palestinian woman jailed by Israel on Wednesday appealed for international intervention to set her free to give birth outside prison.

Anhar al-Deek, 25, from Kafr Ni'ma town, west of Ramallah city, sent a letter to her family appealing to human rights defenders to take an action against her imprisonment.
-What shall I do if I give birth while I’m away from you (her family)?- al-Deek said in the letter. “I am handcuffed and you know how cesarean operation [is difficult] outside the prison. How will I go through this experience while I’m in prison and alone?"
The Palestinian woman said Israeli prison authorities will hold her in solitary confinement after giving birth to her child.
Al-Deek was detained by Israeli forces five months ago on accusations of attempting to carry out a stabbing attack in an Israeli settlement built near her town. Her husband was allowed to visit her for only one time.
Her mother Aisha told Anadolu Agency that her daughter is experiencing a difficult psychological situation.
The mother said the family has reached out to rights organizations and foreign embassies to pile pressure on the Israeli authorities to allow her give birth to her baby outside prison.
Qadri Abu Bakr, the head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)’s committee for prisoners' affairs, called for international intervention to end the “inhumane” detention of the pregnant Palestinian woman.
There are around 4,850 Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, including 41 women, 225 children and 540 administrative detainees, according to institutions concerned with prisoners’ affairs.

Anhar al-Deek, 25, detained by Israel for allegedly attempting to carry out a stabbing attack

Anhar al-Deek, 25, from Kafr Ni'ma town, west of Ramallah city, sent a letter to her family appealing to human rights defenders to take an action against her imprisonment

Pregnant Palestinian woman jailed by Israel appeals for her release

A gunman was shot dead after killing two police officers in a rampage near the French Embassy in Tanzania’s largest city, Dar es Salaam, on Wednesday.

The assailant, armed with two assault rifles, opened fire near the embassy in the city’s posh Oyster Bay suburb, an area where most foreign diplomats live, witnesses said.
Cops on duty at the French mission and a nearby bank tried to neutralize the gunman, who was yelling that he wanted to kill police officers, according to the witnesses.
-Several motorists abandoned their vehicles on the road and ran for cover- said Lucy Kilomo, a resident of the city’s Kinondoni area who was on a passenger bus.
The man was standing in the middle of a road when he was finally shot by police snippers, she said.
Simon Sirro, Tanzania’s police chief, confirmed that the two police officers were killed by the shooter.
There were no other casualties in the incident, he said, adding that the gunman’s motives remain unknown at the moment.
The incident happened barely a month after a pistol-wielding man, who is believed to have had psychological problems, killed his friend and took his own life in Sinza, a suburb on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam.

Shooter fatally wounded 2 police officers before being taken down by snipers

The incident happened barely a month after a pistol-wielding man, who is believed to have had psychological problems, killed his friend and took his own life in Sinza, a suburb on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam

Gunman killed after rampage near French Embassy in Tanzania's Dar es Salaam

The Turkish government is donating more than 73,000 army uniforms to South Sudan to help ensure stability during the nation’s transitional period, said the Turkish envoy to the country, Erdem Mutaf, on Wednesday.

After speaking with Tut Galuak, the presidential security adviser, Mutaf told reporters than they discussed “the Turkish government's decision to donate more than 73,000 army uniforms for the use of unified forces in South Sudan," at the government’s request.
-This donation would be an important step for us to contribute to the efficient implementation of the revitalized peace agreement with respect to the formation of unified forces- he said.
-We received the needs list of unified forces some time ago, we transmitted it to the relevant ministries through the Turkish Foreign Ministry- he added.
Mutaf also said that Turkey's food donations to South Sudan over the last two years totals over 32 tons, adding that the Turkish government will continue to support the country’s peace process.
Under a 2018 peace deal, the nation is supposed to train and graduate a unified force of 83,000 personnel to take charge of security during the transitional period until 2023, when elections are set to be held.
The unification of the army has been delayed amid missed deadlines.
The process has also been hampered by economic hardships in the country due to more than six years of conflict which broke out in December 2013.

Turkish government will continue to support peace process in South Sudan, says ambassador

Turkey's food donations to South Sudan over the last two years totals over 32 tons,

Turkey donates over 73,000 army uniforms to South Sudan

Russia's armed forces said they began evacuating more than 500 Russians and citizens of several ex-Soviet states from Afghanistan on Wednesday.

The evacuations were the first made public by Russia, which has taken a cautiously optimistic outlook of the new Taliban leadership in Kabul. 
Moscow said it sent four military transport planes to fly out more than 500 citizens of Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.
The evacuations were being organised at the behest of President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Russia's military said in a statement. 
Each plane had drinking water, individual rations and blankets for the evacuees, the statement added. 
While Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are members of a Moscow-led security bloc, Ukraine and Russia have had strained ties since Moscow in 2014 annexed Crimea and pro-Russia separatists broke away in the east. 
Unlike Western countries, Russia has not evacuated its embassy in Kabul, having secured guarantees of the mission's protection from the militants.
Last week Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov said the Taliban were "engaged in restoring order" in Kabul and were behaving in a "responsible, civilised manner". 
But on Tuesday the Kremlin suggested that some of the embassy staff's families -- women and children -- may have been taken out of Afghanistan. 
Russia in recent years has reached out to the Taliban and is seeking contact with the group to stop the instability from spilling over into Central Asia where Moscow maintains military bases.
While some countries have welcomed Afghan refugees fleeing the Taliban, Putin has warned against an influx into Russia, saying militants could enter the country under the guise of seeking asylum.

Moscow said it sent four military transport planes to fly out more than 500 citizens of Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine

Each plane had drinking water, rations and blankets for evacuees

Moscow evacuates Russians, ex-Soviet citizens from Afghanistan

A Palestinian has died from injuries sustained during weekend clashes with Israeli forces on the Gaza border, the territory's health ministry said, ahead of fresh protests called for Wednesday. 

Following Saturday's unrest -- which wounded dozens and left an Israeli police officer in critical condition -- 32-year-old Palestinian Osama Khaled Deaih died after being shot by Israeli forces, the ministry said. 
The Israeli army said it responded with live fire and other measures to Palestinian "rioters" who were hurling explosives over the border fence and attempting to scale it. 
The territory's Islamist rulers Hamas said that among the wounded was a 13-year-old boy who was shot in the head and left in critical condition. 
Palestinian factions in the Israeli-blockaded enclave have called a new protest for 5:00 pm (1400 GMT) Wednesday on the border near the south Gaza city of Khan Yunis. 
The Israeli army said it was reinforcing its Gaza division late Saturday, as it hit multiple Hamas targets with air strikes.
Israel struck Gaza again overnight Monday-Tuesday in response to incendiary balloon launches that sparked multiple fires in Israel's southern Eskhol region. 
There were no reported casualties from the latest Israeli strikes.
The protests come three months after an informal truce ended 11 days of conflict between Hamas and Israel, the worst fighting between the two sides in years. 
Hamas authorities said 260 Palestinians were killed by Israeli air strikes during the conflict, including fighters.
Palestinian groups launched thousands of rockets at Israel during the fighting, killing 13 people, including a soldier, according to the military and police. 
In 2018, Gazans began a protest movement demanding an end to Israel's blockade and the right for Palestinians to return to lands they fled or were expelled from when the Jewish state was founded.
The Hamas-backed weekly demonstrations, often violent, sputtered as Israel killed some 350 Palestinians in Gaza over more than a year.

32-year-old Palestinian Osama Khaled Deaih died after being shot by Israeli forces

The Israeli army deployed reinforcements after Saturday's clashes at the Gaza border which fatally wounded a Palestinian and left a boy and an Israeli policeman in critical condition

Palestinian wounded in Gaza clash dies ahead of new protest

Japan moved Wednesday to expand a virus state of emergency to eight more regions, a day after the Paralympic opening ceremony, as rising infections put hospitals under pressure.

The step comes with summer school holidays ending and top infection experts suggesting delaying the start of classes to reduce infection risks.
The country has been recording more than 20,000 new infections a day in recent weeks, and in urban areas like Tokyo patients in serious condition have been left waiting for hours or travelling long distances in ambulances to find available hospital beds.
Government spokesman Katsunobu Kato said a panel of experts had approved a plan to place eight more regions under the emergency already in place in 13 areas including Tokyo.
The decision is expected to become official later in the day, when Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga convenes a special meeting of ministers.
The measure largely limits the sale of alcohol by restaurants and bars and asks them to close early, while urging the public to work from home and avoid non-urgent outings.
-This puts further burden on the Japanese people, but we ask for their continued efforts to prevent infections- Kato told a regular briefing.
The government also plans to bring four other regions under a less strict measure that already affects eight regions.
In all, the planned move will mean 33 of Japan's 47 regions are under heightened anti-infection rules as the country hosts the Paralympics after the Olympics.
Organisers say their countermeasures have stopped infection spreading from participants to the Japanese public but some experts argue holding the events has undermined government messaging on the virus and encouraged people to go out. 
A top adviser to the government on the virus told lawmakers Wednesday that municipalities should be able to consider extending the summer vacation for school children to prevent infections.
The government has so far ruled out blanket school closures, and is proceeding with a vaccination programme that began slowly but has picked up speed, with around 40 percent of the population now fully inoculated.
So far Japan has recorded around 15,500 deaths in the pandemic.

The step comes with summer school holidays ending and top infection experts suggesting delaying the start of classes to reduce infection risks

Thirteen areas including Tokyo are already under a state of emergency due to rising infections

Japan expands virus emergency after Paralympics open

At least 22 people were killed while search and rescue efforts continued Sunday for 45 missing after flash floods swept through the US state of Tennessee, according to local authorities.

The highway in the city of Waverly was inaccessible due to heavy rains, and there were power outages in Hickman, Houston and Humphreys counties.
An 8 p.m. curfew is in effect in the flood-affected areas as helicopters and aid teams sent to the region continue their search and rescue efforts.

Search and rescue efforts continue for dozens missing

The highway in the city of Waverly was inaccessible due to heavy rains, and there were power outages in Hickman, Houston and Humphreys counties

At least 22 dead in flash floods in Tennessee

The death toll in Haiti from a powerful earthquake earlier this month has risen to more than 2,000, the country’s civil defense agency said Sunday.

At least 2,207 people are dead and 12,268 injured after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the country on Aug. 14.
With over 100,000 homes destroyed or damaged from the quake, search and rescue efforts remain underway for more than 344 missing.
The epicenter of quake was 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) northeast of Saint-Louis-du-Sud at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles).
The country, which has suffered huge devastation and tremors, has called for international help.
One of the world’s most deadly earthquakes in the last century occurred in Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010. 
According to official figures, 316,000 people died and 300,000 were injured in the magnitude-7.0 quake that struck the south of the country.
Around 1.3 million people were left homeless in the aftermath.

More than 12,200 injured after 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck country on Aug. 14

With over 100,000 homes destroyed or damaged from the quake, search and rescue efforts remain underway for more than 344 missing

Turkey to complete troop evacuation from Afghanistan soon: Defense minister

Merkel cancels visit to Israel due to developments in Afghanistan

'Wait is finally over': South African Airways to start flying again next month

Russia to supply weapons to Afghanistan's neighbours

At least 20 dead after torrential rains in Venezuela

France convicts Afghan days after Kabul evacuation

Rwanda to take in Afghan refugee students

Russian, Chinese leaders over phone discuss situation in Afghanistan

Pregnant Palestinian woman jailed by Israel appeals for her release

Gunman killed after rampage near French Embassy in Tanzania's Dar es Salaam

Turkey donates over 73,000 army uniforms to South Sudan

Moscow evacuates Russians, ex-Soviet citizens from Afghanistan

Palestinian wounded in Gaza clash dies ahead of new protest

Japan expands virus emergency after Paralympics open

At least 22 dead in flash floods in Tennessee

Death toll in Haiti from powerful earthquake rises to 2,207

World

Turkey to complete troop evacuation from Afghanistan soon: Defense minister

Merkel cancels visit to Israel due to developments in Afghanistan

'Wait is finally over': South African Airways to start flying again next month

Russia to supply weapons to Afghanistan's neighbours

At least 20 dead after torrential rains in Venezuela

France convicts Afghan days after Kabul evacuation

Rwanda to take in Afghan refugee students

Russian, Chinese leaders over phone discuss situation in Afghanistan

Pregnant Palestinian woman jailed by Israel appeals for her release

Gunman killed after rampage near French Embassy in Tanzania's Dar es Salaam

Turkey donates over 73,000 army uniforms to South Sudan

Moscow evacuates Russians, ex-Soviet citizens from Afghanistan

Palestinian wounded in Gaza clash dies ahead of new protest

Japan expands virus emergency after Paralympics open

At least 22 dead in flash floods in Tennessee

Death toll in Haiti from powerful earthquake rises to 2,207