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☆ Four survive charter jet crash in Afghanistan but condition of two others unclear, Russia says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Two Taliban provincial officials said four survivors were now with Taliban administration officials who had reached the remote, mountainous site of the crash. The Taliban administration’s top spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the pilot of the plane was among four who had survived. The Russian-registered charter plane with six people on board disappeared from radar screens over Afghanistan a day earlier, Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia said on Sunday, after Afghan police said they had received reports of a crash. The pilot then reported that one engine had stopped, and then that the second one had also stopped, SHOT reported. Afghanistan police had received reports of a plane crash in a remote, mountainous region of Badakhshan in Afghanistan’s far north, a provincial police spokesperson said on Sunday.

Persons: Zabiullah Mujahid, ”, Rosaviatsia, “, Zabihullah Amiri Organizations: CNN, Taliban, Thailand’s Utapao, Dassault Aviation, Falcon, Reuters, Russia’s, Athletic Locations: Moscow, Afghanistan, Islamic, Thailand’s, Pattaya, India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Russian, Indian, Thailand’s Pattaya, Bangkok, “, Russia, Badakhshan, Afghanistan’s, Fayzabad

☆ Two Russian Nationals Were Passengers on Jet Which Went Missing Over Afghanistan - TASS
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Two Russian citizens were passengers on a charter flight bound for Moscow that disappeared over Afghanistan, Russia's state-run TASS news agency said on Sunday, citing a source "in the operational services". A manifest list for the plane which named everyone on board and which was published by the SHOT news outlet appeared to show that the crew were Russian nationals too. Russian aviation authorities said on Sunday a Russian-registered plane with six people thought to be on board had disappeared from radar screens over Afghanistan the previous night, after local Afghan police said they had received reports of a crash. Russia's RIA news agency said the flight was a medical evacuation from Thailand to Moscow. Russian investigators said on Sunday they had opened a criminal investigation to determine whether there was any violation of safety rules.

Persons: Maxim Rodionov, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Reuters Locations: Moscow, Afghanistan, Russian, Thailand

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Almost 100,000 children in Afghanistan are in dire need of support, three months after earthquakes devastated the country's west, the U.N. children’s agency said Monday. The majority of those dead in the quakes in Zinda Jan and Injil districts were women and children, and 21,000 homes were destroyed, UNICEF said in a statement. “The atmosphere in these villages is thick with suffering even 100 days after the earthquakes in western Afghanistan when families lost absolutely everything," said Fran Equiza, UNICEF representative in Afghanistan. Schools and health centers, which children depend upon, are damaged beyond repair, or destroyed completely,” he added. Daniel Timme, head of communications for UNICEF in Afghanistan, said schools, homes, health facilities and water systems were destroyed.

Persons: Fran Equiza, Equiza, ” Equiza, Daniel Timme, It’s, Timme, Riazat Butt Organizations: UNICEF, Associated Press Locations: ISLAMABAD, Afghanistan, Herat, Islamabad

☆ Trump’s avalanche of dishonesty: Fact-checking 102 of his false claims from this fall
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +111 min

Below is a fact check of 102 of Trump’s false claims from the 12 speeches. But contrary to Trump’s claim, it’s not true that people had been attempting for decades to create such an initiative. Trump’s aid to farmersIn speech after speech, Trump claimed that he had given US farmers $28 billion from China. Even if the poll result is off, it’s clear that Trump’s claim that “nobody wants them” is not true. He said he was an airline pilot.”Facts First: Trump made a false claim while mocking Biden for making false claims.

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Howard Gleckman Organizations: Washington CNN —, CNN, Republican, Trump Trump, Republican Jewish Coalition, Department, ISIS, Trump’s, Democratic, Congress, Defense Department, former Defense Department, Center, US Customs, Trump, American Enterprise Institute, Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Energy Security, Center for Strategic, International Studies, US, IHS, Islamic, The State Department, Customs Enforcement, Policy Institute, ICE, El Salvador, ”, Merriam, The New York Times, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Abraham Accords, United Arab Emirates, West Bank, Hezbollah, State Department, Carnegie Endowment, International, Arab Center Washington DC, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force, Obama, US International Trade Commission, Washington Post, U.S . International Trade Commission, New England lobstermen, England lobstermen, Americas, Crisis, government’s Energy, Administration, Washington Free Beacon, Energy Information Administration, Democrats, Biden, Electoral, Georgia, Michigan, Carter, Democrats can’t, Republicans, Alabama, Arizona, Fox News, ” Energy, Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Wildlife, Alaska Industrial Development, Export Authority, Raymond James & Associates, Wilderness Society, Cox Automotive, Pew Research Center, New York Times, National Oceanic, California Gov, California, American Petroleum Institute, Union, West, Energy, American Automobile Association, AAA, GasBuddy, New Hampshire, Houston, Keystone XL, Obama administration’s State Department, –, Foreign, Military, DoD, Afghan, Defense, Policy, Taiwan News, “, University of Tennessee’s Center for National Security, Foreign Affairs, Israeli, NBC, Jerusalem Post, Yahoo, Pentagon, ” CNN, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Post, National Security, Group, US government’s Defense Intelligence Agency, Narcotics Bureau, Global Health, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health, Justice Department, Washington, Judicial, Popular Mobilization Forces, Customs and, Middle East, Customs, Protection, CBP, Border Protection, Kiel Institute, European Union, New York, New, ExxonMobil, Trump University, Trump Foundation, Manhattan, Attorney, federal Justice Department, Department of Justice, Washington DC, Presidential Records, Presidential, Mar, Biden White, MAGA Republicans, Inflation, Heritage Foundation, Trump ., Brookings Tax, Urban Institute Locations: New Hampshire, New York City, Saudi, Florida, al Qaeda, New York, Texas, Iowa, Mexico, “, U.S, Houston, Iraq, Israel, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Nord, Germany, Russian, Trump’s, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, El, Washington, ”, ” In Texas, Covid, China, Wuhan, Italy, France, Abraham, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Palestine, Afghanistan, Somalia, Pakistan, New England, England, Kpler, Malaysia, Oregon, Alabama, Maricopa County, Arizona, Arizona’s, Moscow, Alaska, East, South Carolina, California, “ California, West Virginia, Virginia, United Kingdom, West Texas, “ U.S, Los Angeles, Venezuela, Mississippi , Louisiana, Canada, United States, Paris, Taiwan, “ China, Iranian, that’s, –, Singapore, Iraqi, San Diego, Kiel, York, Manhattan, York’s, Chicago, Philadelphia, Georgia, Qaeda

☆ Pakistan's top court begins hearing challenge to expulsion of Afghans
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

More than 370,000 Afghans have fled Pakistan since Oct. 1, after Pakistan vowed to expel more than a million undocumented refugees, mostly Afghans, amid a row with Kabul over charges that it harbours anti-Pakistan militants. Children born to Afghan families in Pakistan could not be sent back due to their birthright, Gilani said. Pakistan is home to more than 4 million Afghan migrants and refugees, about 1.7 million of whom are undocumented. Islamabad has not heeded calls from international bodies and refugee agencies to reconsider its deportation plans. Reporting by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: I've, Umar Ijaz Gilani, Gilani, Asif Shahzad, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Western, South, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Balochistan Province, Chaman, ISLAMABAD, Kabul, Taliban, U.S, Karachi, Islamabad

☆ Afghan embassy in India shuts down citing lack of support, Taliban pressure
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People are seen outside the Afghanistan embassy in New Delhi, India, September 29, 2023. An embassy statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday said that period in limbo was over, and the embassy was shutting and the keys had been given to the host government. "Given the constant pressure from both the Taliban and the Indian government to relinquish control, the embassy faced a difficult choice," the statement added. Afghan diplomats in India appointed by Ghani's government have reached third countries and there are none remaining in India, the embassy statement said. "The only individuals present in India are diplomats affiliated with the Taliban, visibly attending their regular online meetings," the statement said.

Persons: Anushree, Farid Mamundzay, Mamundzay, Shivam Patel, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: REUTERS, Taliban, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, New Delhi, India, DELHI, Europe, U.S, Mumbai

☆ Families Ripped Apart as Pakistan Expels Tens of Thousands of Afghans
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Zia Ur-Rehman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He and his son were arrested on Sept. 12 in the Pakistani city of Karachi during a raid on Afghan migrants. Mr. Gul, 30, was born and raised in Karachi and married his wife there. His wife, Ram Bibi, 29, also an Afghan citizen, sold valuables to hire a lawyer who could argue that Mr. Gul was a legal resident of Pakistan. But he was deported to Afghanistan on Nov. 13, after Pakistan set a deadline for all 1.7 million illegal migrants to leave, most of them Afghans. Mr. Gul is now stranded in a country he does not know, leaving his pregnant wife and his children at the mercy of impoverished relatives to survive.

Persons: Baz Gul’s, Gul, Ram Bibi Locations: Pakistani, Karachi, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Afghan

[1/2] Afghan nationals rest at a camp after returning from Pakistan at the Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, November 14, 2023. Islamabad last month announced it would expel over a million undocumented refugees, mostly Afghans, amid a row with Kabul over charges that it harbours anti-Pakistan militants. Over 370,000 Afghans have fled Pakistan since Oct. 1. The agency has said the Afghans' return should be voluntary and that Pakistan should identify vulnerable individuals who need international protection. Pakistan is home to over 4 million Afghan migrants and refugees, about 1.7 million of whom are undocumented.

Persons: Abdul Khaliq Sediqi, Afghanis, Babar Baloch, Asif Shahzad, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, UNHCR, UNHCR Police, Wednesday, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Pakistan, Afghanistan, ISLAMABAD, Islamabad, Kabul, Karachi, Taliban, U.S

☆ Taliban Defends Record on Women as UN Looks at Path Forward
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

It proposes a path for political engagement aimed at reintegrating Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power in August 2021 as U.S.-led forces withdrew after 20 years of war. "Any formal re-integration of Afghanistan into global institutions and systems will require the participation and leadership of Afghan women," it read. Since the Taliban returned to power, most girls have been barred from high school and women from universities. The United Nations says two-thirds of Afghanistan's 43 million people need humanitarian aid. The independent assessment given to the Security Council recommended the appointment of a U.N. special envoy on Afghanistan, which the Taliban rejected as "unacceptable."

Persons: Michelle Nichols UNITED, Antonio Guterres, Feridun Sinirlioglu, Michelle Nichols, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS, Reuters, United Nations, Islamists, . Security, Security Locations: Afghanistan, Turkish, Emirate

☆ Deportation drive sparks 'sense of panic' among Afghan refugees in Pakistan: UNHCR
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Islamabad last month announced it would expel over a million undocumented refugees, mostly Afghans, amid a row with Kabul over charges it harbours anti-Pakistan militants. Pakistan says documented refugees are exempt, but the U.N. High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said even those with the right documents were being targeted. She reiterated that the return of Afghans should be voluntary and that Pakistan should identify vulnerable individuals who need international protection. Pakistan says harassment of documented refugees is rare and it is taking action against perpetrators. "With over six million people already internally displaced throughout the country, Afghans returning from Pakistan face a precarious, uncertain future," IOM said.

Persons: Philippa Candler, Philippa Candler's, Gibran Peshimam, Akhtar Soomro, Nick Macfie Organizations: National Database, Commission, Refugees, Organization for Migration, Thomson Locations: Karachi, Pakistan, KARACHI, Islamabad, Kabul, Geneva, Afghanistan, U.S

☆ The Taliban appears to be patrolling Kabul on rollerblades while carrying AK-47s, video shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A video appears to show Taliban security forces patrolling Kabul on rollerblades. The Taliban took complete control of Afghanistan in 2021 following the withdrawal of US troops. A video posted on YouTube shows what appears to be several uniformed Taliban members carrying AK-47s and "skitching," holding on to a truck while being pulled along. The slick video appears to have been made for propaganda purposes and is a departure from the types of content previously posted by the YouTuber. AdvertisementFollowing the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban took complete control of the country.

Persons: — Organizations: AK, Service, Kabul — rollerblades, YouTube, Hollywood, Islamic Locations: Kabul, rollerblades, Afghanistan, Kabul —, Afghan, Emirate

☆ Taliban Minister Raises Return of Deported Afghans' Assets in Pakistan Visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Charlotte GreenfieldISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The Taliban's acting commerce minister said he had asked Pakistan to help return the assets of expelled Afghans and discussed ways to overcome Afghanistan's stalled banking sector transactions during a four-day visit to Islamabad this week. Acting minister Nooruddin Azizi's arrival in the Pakistani capital marked the first public visit by a senior Taliban official since Pakistan announced its policy to deport thousands of undocumented Afghans and other foreign citizens after Nov. 1. The Taliban have said the security issues are a domestic matter for Islamabad and called on Pakistan to stop deportations. Azizi said a major focus of the visit had been raising the problem of Afghan deportees being unable to return their assets from Pakistan. Pakistan's commerce minister and a spokesman for the commerce ministry did not respond to request for comment.

Persons: Charlotte Greenfield, Nooruddin, Azizi, Asif Shahzad, Mohammad Yunus Yawar, William Maclean Organizations: Taliban, Pakistan, Reuters Locations: Charlotte Greenfield ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Islamabad, Afghanistan, Islamic Emirate, Uzbekistan, China, Kabul

☆ UN Human Rights Chief ‘alarmed’ by reported abuse of Afghan refugees in Pakistan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Akanksha Sharma | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said he is “alarmed” by reports that Afghan refugees are being abused in Pakistan as the country carries out its policy of forced mass deportation. Pakistan, which is home to more than a million registered Afghan refugees, launched a mass deportation drive asking them to voluntarily leave the country by November 1. “Arbitrary arrests and detentions are contrary to Pakistan’s obligations under international law,” Türk added. As of the end of 2022, Pakistan hosted more than 1.3 million registered Afghan refugees and 427,000 people in “refugee-like situations” from Afghanistan, according to the United Nations’ refugee agency. But their presence in Pakistan has long been controversial, with police crackdowns and threats of deportation in previous years.

Persons: Volker Türk, ”, Türk, ” Türk Organizations: CNN — United Nations Human, ” CNN, UN, Pakistan police, UN Human, Taliban, United Nations ’ Locations: Pakistan, Islamabad, Afghanistan, Soviet, Kabul, United States

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Officials from Afghanistan's ruling Taliban on Wednesday welcomed the resumption of FlyDubai flights to Kabul's international airport two years after stopping service following the collapse of the Western-backed government. All international airlines halted flights to Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in mid-August 2021 as U.S. and NATO forces departed after two decades of war. FlyDubai, the sister carrier of long-haul airline Emirates, now will make two flights a day to Kabul. In May last year, the Taliban signed a deal allowing an Emirati company to manage three airports in Afghanistan. Two Afghan airlines, Kam Air and Ariana Afghan Airlines, operate from Kabul to destinations such as Dubai, Moscow, Islamabad and Istanbul.

Persons: FlyDubai, Abdul Ghani Baradar, ”, Abu, Ashraf Ghani, Jon Gambrell Organizations: —, Wednesday, NATO, United, Emirates, Taliban, Solutions, Kam, Ariana Afghan Airlines, Associated Press, Badruddin Haqqani, Airbus, Dubai Air, UAE . The Emirates, U.S, ___ Associated Press Locations: ISLAMABAD, Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, Kabul, Abu Dhabi, Herat, Kandahar, Dubai, Moscow, Islamabad, Istanbul, UAE

☆ Boeing wins orders worth $52 billion from Emirates at the Dubai Air Show
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Emirates announced an order worth $52 million that includes 90 Boeing 777s at the Dubai Air Show . The orders marked a significant win for Boeing on the first day of the air show. AdvertisementAdvertisementDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Long-haul carrier Emirates opened the Dubai Air Show Monday with a $52 billion purchase of Boeing aircraft, showing how aviation has bounced back after the groundings of the coronavirus pandemic, even as Israel's war with Hamas clouds regional security. Emirates, a main economic engine for Dubai amid its booming real estate market, announced record half-year profits of $2.7 billion Thursday. The deal includes 28 Boeing 737-8s and 17 Boeing 737-10s models, as well as the opportunity for another 45 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

Persons: —, Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Sheikh Saeed, Stan Deal, — Rafael, Israel Aerospace Industries —, Rafael, Khalifa Hifter Organizations: Emirates, Boeing, Dubai Air, Service, United Arab Emirates, Investment Corporation of Dubai, Al, Dubai World, Dubai International Airport, U.S . Air Force, Defense Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries, IAI, Meets Technology, Russian Helicopters, U.S, Roscosmos, Russian Knights, Associated Press, Libyan National Army, AP, United, Haqqani, Airbus, International Air Transport Association ., . Emirates, Riyadh Air, Turkish Airlines, Anadolu, Lufthansa, MAX, Royal Jordanian, Royal Air Maroc Locations: DUBAI, United Arab, Dubai, Sheikh, Emirates, Israel, Ukraine, Iran, UAE, Abu Dhabi, Russian, Afghan, Al, Riyadh, Saudi, Latvia, France

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Three murderers are among 81 foreigners recently released in Australia after the High Court ruled their indefinite detention in migrant centers was unconstitutional, the immigration minister said on Tuesday. The court hasn't released the reasons behind its ruling last week that overturned a 2004 precedent that stateless people could be detained indefinitely. Political Cartoons View All 1244 ImagesImmigration Minister Andrew Giles said the released foreigners included three murderers and several sex offenders. “The decision of the High Court which requires release effects very, very serious offenders,” Giles told Parliament. The 50-year-old had fled to Australia before he was sentenced in absentia and had been held in detention for nine years until the High Court decision last week.

Persons: hasn't, ”, Andrew Giles, Sussan Ley, ” Giles, Sirul Azhar Umar, Ley, Aliyawar Yawari, Clare O’Neil, ” O’Neil Organizations: Court, Rights Law, Australian, Home Affairs Locations: CANBERRA, Australia, Melbourne, Malaysian, Mongolian, Perth, Sydney

☆ Taliban minister raises issue of refugee assets during Pakistan visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Charlotte Greenfield | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Naseer Ahmed/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsISLAMABAD, Nov 14 (Reuters) - The Taliban's acting commerce minister met Pakistan's foreign minister in Islamabad this week, an Afghan embassy statement said on Tuesday, discussing trade and how the thousands of Afghan citizens Pakistan is expelling could take cash and other assets back to their homeland. Taliban officials say militancy is an internal matter for Pakistan and have called on Islamabad to halt its deportation of Afghan citizens. Afghan citizens returning to Afghanistan have said there are restrictions on the transfer of cash and property to Afghanistan from Pakistan, where many had built businesses and homes for decades. Last month, Pakistan set a Nov. 1 start date for the expulsion of all undocumented immigrants, including hundreds of thousands of Afghans. Pakistan's foreign office said the Taliban acting commerce minister would also undertake a trilateral meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

Persons: Naseer Ahmed, Haji Nooruddin Azizi's, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Jilani, Charlotte Greenfield, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Balochistan Province, Chaman, Rights ISLAMABAD, Islamabad, Afghan, Karachi, Western, Uzbekistan, South, Central Asia

☆ Pakistan Opens New Border Crossings to Expedite Afghans' Repatriation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Saleem AhmedQUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan on Monday opened three new border crossings to accelerate the repatriation of undocumented Afghan nationals who have been ordered to leave the country or face expulsion, officials said. Many Afghans have opted to go home voluntarily to avoid deportation under a government push for undocumented migrants to be expelled. The new crossings were set up at the Afghan border in southwestern Balochistan province in addition to the main crossing in Chaman district, said Jan Achakzai, information minister for the provincial caretaker government. More than 280,000 Afghan nationals have left Pakistan since the new policy was announced in early October, according to the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR). Kabul has also asked Islamabad to give Afghan nationals ample time to leave.

Persons: Saleem Ahmed, Pakistan's, Jan Achakzai, Asif Shahzad, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Reuters, Monday, United Nations, Refugees Locations: Saleem Ahmed QUETTA, Pakistan, Islamabad, Kabul, Afghan, Balochistan, Chaman, UNHCR

☆ Pakistan opens new border crossings to expedite Afghans' repatriation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Saleem Ahmed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Afghan nationals with belongings sit atop a truck as they head back with their families to Afghanistan from Pakistan, at the Chaman Border Crossing along the Pakistan-Afghanistan Border in Balochistan Province, in Chaman, Pakistan November 10, 2023. REUTERS/Naseer Ahmed/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsQUETTA, Pakistan, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Pakistan on Monday opened three new border crossings to accelerate the repatriation of undocumented Afghan nationals who have been ordered to leave the country or face expulsion, officials said. The new crossings were set up at the Afghan border in southwestern Balochistan province in addition to the main crossing in Chaman district, said Jan Achakzai, information minister for the provincial caretaker government. More than 280,000 Afghan nationals have left Pakistan since the new policy was announced in early October, according to the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR). Kabul has also asked Islamabad to give Afghan nationals ample time to leave.

Persons: Naseer Ahmed, Pakistan's, Jan Achakzai, Asif Shahzad, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Monday, United Nations, Refugees, Thomson Locations: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Balochistan Province, Chaman, Rights QUETTA, Islamabad, Kabul, Afghan, Balochistan, UNHCR

☆ Keeping Lights Off: Undocumented Afghans Go Underground in Pakistan
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

She is one of thousands believed by rights activists to be in hiding in Pakistan to avoid deportation under a government push for undocumented migrants to leave the country. That includes over one million Afghans, many of whom the Pakistan government says have been involved in militant attacks and crime. 'WORSE THAN PRISON'Reuters spoke to a dozen undocumented migrants trying to stay under the radar of the nationwide sweep. "This is worse than prison," said a 22-year-old Afghan man who said he ensured the lights remained off at night. Some locals who are helping the Afghans arrange for food and water to be secretly smuggled into the shelter under the cover of night.

Persons: Ariba Shahid, Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Sijal Shafiq, Shafiq, Wafa, I'm, Saleh Zada, Gibran Peshimam, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters, Authorities, United Nations Locations: Mohammad Yunus Yawar KARACHI, Pakistan, Kabul, Afghanistan, Karachi, United States, Hazara, Islamabad, France, Canada

Persons: Saleh Zada, Akhtar Soomro, Sijal Shafiq, Shafiq, Wafa, I'm, Gibran Peshimam, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Authorities, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Badakhshan province, Kabul, Karachi, Pakistan, Rights KARACHI, Afghanistan, United States, Hazara, Islamabad, France, Canada

Seven generations of its men before him had trained as Islamic scholars, known as Mawlawis. But his father, Mawlawi Mohammed Rafiq Habibi, was a conflicted man. He dressed in suits and ties and was open to debating theological questions with his son about the existence of God. On a bus ride from Kandahar to Karachi, the conductor softly sang the song. “All these distances in the world — the threads, the ropes are in God’s hand,” she told him.

Persons: Mohammed Sadiq Habibi, Kandahar “, Mawlawi Mohammed Rafiq Habibi, Bibi Hazrata, “, ”, tugged Organizations: Radio Afghanistan Locations: Afghan, Kandahar, Karachi, India, Arghandab

☆ Pakistan PM says expulsion of Afghans a response to Taliban non-cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Last month, Pakistan set a Nov. 1 start date for the expulsion of all undocumented immigrants, including hundreds of thousands of Afghans. Kakar said 15 suicide bombings in recent months had been carried out by Afghans, and dozens of Afghans had been killed in clashes with Pakistani security forces. A spokesman for the Taliban administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment. There has been a resurgence of attacks by Islamist militants in Pakistan since talks between Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Pakistani state broke down in 2022. Kakar said that Pakistan had communicated to the Taliban administration that it had to "choose between Pakistan and the TTP".

Persons: Anwar ul Haq Kakar, Kakar, Gibran Peshimam, Alex Richardson Organizations: United Nations, Caretaker, Taliban, Thomson Locations: Afghan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Balochistan Province, Chaman, ISLAMABAD, Western, Islamabad, U.S, Tehreek, Taliban Pakistan, Pakistani

The anthem they stand for at the beginning of every game belongs to a republic that was toppled two years ago. Yet Afghanistan’s athletes have become the unlikely — and widely celebrated — heroes of the Cricket World Cup that is underway in India. In a tournament followed by hundreds of millions of people across the globe, they have defeated the defending world champions and two former titleholders handily. When they win, players sing and dance from the dugout, to the team bus, to their hotel rooms. The Afghan cricket team’s accomplishments are amplifying what has already been an astonishingly speedy rise in sports history.

Organizations: Cricket Locations: India

☆ China pledges to expand market access at annual trade fair amid foreign criticism
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Brenda Goh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SHANGHAI, China (Reuters) -China will further expand market access and increase imports, its premier told a trade fair in Shanghai on Sunday, amid criticism from European firms who said they wanted to see more tangible improvement in the country’s business environment. China will promote coordinated development of trade in goods and services, protect an international business environment, and relax market access including lifting restrictions on foreign investment in manufacturing, he said. The import expo was launched by President Xi Jinping in 2018 to promote China’s free trade credentials and counter criticism of its trade surplus with many countries. China’s imports have slumped this year amid a slowdown in the world’s second largest economy, although data released last month indicated that the downtrend could be starting to ease. China will “actively promote” its application to join the Comprehensive Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Li also said in his speech on Sunday.

Persons: Li Qiang, Tingshu Wang, ” Li, Xi Jinping, Li, Anthony Albanese, “ Organizations: Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre, China, European Chamber of Commerce, Micron Technology, Nestle, Burberry, Australian, Pacific Locations: SHANGHAI, China, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Afghan, Australia, United States, Taiwan, Ukraine, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Ecuador, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, Britain

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