Taliban appoint UN-sanctioned Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund leader of new government

This file photo shows Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund, new prime minister of Afghanistan. (Reuters/ File)
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Updated 08 September 2021
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Taliban appoint UN-sanctioned Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund leader of new government

  • Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar will be the deputy leader, announces Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid 
  • Mullah Yaqub, Sirajuddin Haqqani, Amir Khan Muttaqi given key positions in the ‘acting’ Afghan cabinet

KABUL: The Taliban announced their new government on Tuesday, with a UN-blacklisted veteran of the hard-line movement in the top role, after the hard-liners swept to power in a lightning offensive which toppled the US-backed president. 
The announcement came as protests were growing against Taliban rule, with two people shot dead in the western city of Herat on Tuesday, a doctor told AFP. 
The Islamist hard-liners, notorious for their brutal and oppressive rule during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001, had pledged a more “inclusive” brand of rule as US troops completed their chaotic pullout. 
But all the key positions appointed Tuesday are core, veteran players in the movement. 
Chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told a press conference that the new government would be an interim one, and that veteran official Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund would serve as its new acting prime minister. 
He had served as deputy foreign minister under the Taliban’s old regime, and is on a UN blacklist. 




This photo shared on social media shows Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund, new prime minister of Afghanistan. (Photo courtesy: Social Media)

Mujahid also said that Taliban co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar will be the deputy leader. Previously he served as the head of his movement’s political office, overseeing the signing of the US withdrawal agreement in 2020. 
Mullah Yaqoob, the son of the Taliban founder and late supreme leader Mullah Omar, was named defense minister, while the position of interior minister was given to Sirajuddin Haqqani, the leader of the feared Haqqani network who also doubled up as a Taliban deputy leader. 
Shortly after the announcement of the new lineup, Hibatullah Akhundzada, the secretive supreme leader of the Taliban made his first statement since his movement’s stunning takeover of Afghanistan, saying that the new government would “work hard toward upholding Islamic rules and sharia law.” 
Following their 20-year insurgency, the Taliban now face the colossal task of ruling Afghanistan, which is wracked with economic woes and security challenges — including from the Daesh group’s local chapter. 
In what appeared to be a fresh sign that the Taliban are seeking to appease skeptics, Mujahid said the government — as yet incomplete — would only have an interim role. 
“We will try to take people from other parts of the country,” he said. 
One analyst told AFP, however, that the new lineup was far removed from the softer brand of rule the movement had pledged. 
“It’s not at all inclusive, and that’s no surprise whatsoever,” said Michael Kugelman, a South Asia expert at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. 
“The Taliban had never indicated that any of its cabinet ministers would include anyone other than themselves.” 
Scattered protests in recent days have indicated that some Afghans do not believe in the Taliban’s capacity to translate their promise of a more moderate rule into reality. 
In Herat, scores of demonstrators marched, unfurling banners and waving the old Afghan flag — a black, red and green vertical tricolor with the national emblem overlaid in white. 
Taliban militants opened fire to disperse the crowds who had gathered to protest against Pakistan — seen widely as a backer of Afghanistan’s new rulers. 
Two bodies were brought to the city’s central hospital from the site of the protest, a doctor in Herat told AFP on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. 
“They all have bullet wounds,” he said. 
Videos posted on social media of a separate rally showed more than a hundred people marching through the streets of Kabul under the watchful eye of armed Taliban members. 
Demonstrations have also been held in smaller cities in recent days, where women have demanded to be part of a new government. 
General Mobin, a Taliban official in charge of security in the capital, told AFP he had been called to the scene by guards who said that “women were creating a disruption.” 
“These protesters are gathered based only on the conspiracy of foreign intelligence,” he claimed. 
An Afghan journalist covering the demonstration told AFP his press ID and camera were confiscated by the Taliban. 
“I was kicked and told to go away,” he said. 
Later, the Kabul-based Afghan Independent Journalists Association said 14 journalists — Afghan and foreign — were detained briefly during the protests before being released. 
Images shared online showed reporters with cuts and bruises to their hands and knees. 
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Taliban had reiterated a pledge to allow Afghans to freely depart Afghanistan. 
US President Joe Biden has faced mounting pressure amid reports that several hundred people, including Americans, have been prevented for a week from flying out of an airport in northern Afghanistan. 


South Korea’s parliament presses for Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal as impeachment trial winds down

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South Korea’s parliament presses for Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal as impeachment trial winds down

  • Lawyers for both sides summarize their arguments and evidence at the Constitutional Court
  • Yoon Suk Yeol has argued that he had a right as president to issue his martial law decree
SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol could try to impose martial law again or undermine constitutional institutions should he be reinstated, lawyers for parliament argued on Tuesday as his impeachment trial entered its final phase.
After weeks of testimony by high-ranking current and former officials, including some facing criminal charges for their role in the brief imposition of martial law on December 3, lawyers for both sides summarized their arguments and evidence at the Constitutional Court.
“Declaring martial law in a situation that doesn’t fit a national emergency is a declaration of dictatorship and military rule,” Kim Jin-han, a lawyer for the parliament, told the justices.
He cited pro-Yoon protesters who stormed a different court in January.
“If he returns to work, we don’t know if he will again exercise martial law,” Kim said. “If he returns to work, we can’t rule out the possibility that he will attack other state and constitutional institutions.”
The Constitutional Court is due to hold another hearing to question three more witnesses on Thursday, including the impeached prime minister and the former police chief.
The court is reviewing parliament’s impeachment of Yoon on December 14 and will decide whether to remove him from office permanently or reinstate him. If he is removed, a new presidential election must be held within 60 days.
Yoon has argued that he had a right as president to issue his martial law decree, which lasted around six hours before he rescinded it in the face of parliamentary opposition. He said the move was also justified by political deadlock and threats from “anti-state forces” sympathetic to North Korea.
His case at the Constitutional Court has also included arguments that he never actually intended to stop parliament from operating, even though the order was publicly declared and troops and police were deployed to the legislature.
Yoon also sent troops to the National Election Commission and later said the decree was necessary in part because the NEC had been unwilling to address concerns over election hacking, a claim rejected by election officials.
Prosecutors have also indicted Yoon on separate criminal charges of leading an insurrection. He was arrested last month and is being held at a detention center.
The first preparatory hearing in that case is scheduled for Thursday.
Insurrection is one of the few criminal charges from which a South Korean president does not have immunity. It is punishable by life imprisonment or death, although South Korea has not executed anyone in decades.

Philippines accuses China’s navy of ‘reckless’ flight maneuvers  

Updated 16 min 28 sec ago
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Philippines accuses China’s navy of ‘reckless’ flight maneuvers  

  • People’s Liberation Army Navy helicopter flew as close as three meters to a Philippine government fisheries aircraft

MANILA: The Philippine coast guard accused the Chinese navy of performing dangerous flight maneuvers on Tuesday when it flew close to a government aircraft patrolling a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.
“This reckless action posed a serious risk to the safety of the pilots and passengers,” the coast guard said in a statement.
The Philippine coast guard said the government fisheries aircraft was conducting what it called a maritime domain awareness flight on Tuesday over the Scarborough Shoal, a rocky atoll and prime fishing patch located inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.
The Chinese defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The People’s Liberation Army Navy helicopter flew as close as three meters to the aircraft, which the Philippine coast guard said was a “clear violation and blatant disregard” for aviation regulations.
Named after a British ship that was grounded on the atoll nearly three centuries ago, the Scarborough Shoal is one of the most contested maritime feature in the South China Sea, where Beijing and Manila have clashed repeatedly.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, a vital waterway for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, putting it at odds with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. A 2016 arbitration ruling invalidated China’s expansive claim but Beijing does not recognize the decision.


US and Russia meet for talks in Riyadh on Ukraine war

Updated 17 min 2 sec ago
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US and Russia meet for talks in Riyadh on Ukraine war

  • Two sides were expected to discuss ways to end the conflict in Ukraine and restore American-Russian relations
  • Conversation could pave the way for a summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is hosting talks on Ukraine between Russia and the US as part of its efforts to enhance global peace and security, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry announced on Tuesday.

A statement under the directive of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said: “Saudi Arabia hosts today, Tuesday, in the city of Riyadh, talks between the Russian Federation and the United States of America, as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to enhance security and peace in the world.”

The meeting involved Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the presence of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Saudi Minister of State and National Security advisor Musaed Al-Aiban.

The talks between US and Russian officials in Riyadh are the most significant to date between the two former Cold War foes on ending Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

The two sides were expected to discuss ways to end the conflict in Ukraine and restore American-Russian relations. The conversation could pave the way for a summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine, which is not attending the talks, says no peace deal can be made on its behalf in Riyadh.

Russia said Lavrov would meet top US officials in talks that would focus on ending the Ukraine war and restoring “the whole complex” of Russia-US ties.

The head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund on Tuesday described Trump as a problem solver ahead of the discussions in Saudi Arabia.

“We really see that President Trump and his team is a team of problem solvers, people who have already addressed a number of big challenges very swiftly, very efficiently and very successfully,” Kirill Dmitriev told reporters in Riyadh.

Dmitriev, a US-educated former Goldman Sachs banker, played a role in early contacts between Moscow and Washington during Trump’s first term as president from 2016-2020.

 

 

Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy adviser, said on Monday that Dmitriev might join the delegation to discuss any economic questions that might arise.

“It’s very important to understand that US businesses lost around $300 billion from leaving Russia. So there is huge economic toll on many countries from you know what’s happening right now, and we believe as a way forward is through solutions,” Dmitriev said.

The talks come after European leaders gathered in Paris on Monday for an emergency summit to agree on a unified strategy. They were blindsided by Trump’s push for immediate talks on Ukraine after a phone call with Putin last week.

The European leaders said they would invest more in defense and take the lead in providing security guarantees for Ukraine.

“Everyone feels the great sense of urgency,” Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on X. “At this crucial time for the security of Europe we must continue to stand behind Ukraine.”

“Europe will have to make a contribution toward safeguarding any agreement, and cooperation with the Americans is essential,” he said.

Initial contact

In Riyadh, Rubio, White House national security adviser Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff were due to meet Lavrov and Yuri Ushakov, a foreign policy adviser to Putin, officials from both sides said.

The meeting comes barely a month after Trump took office and reflects a significant departure from Washington’s position under the administration of US President Joe Biden, who eschewed public contacts, concluding that Russia was not serious about ending the Ukraine war.

Russia, which has occupied parts of Ukraine since 2014, launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.

US officials sought to cast Tuesday’s talks as an initial contact to determine whether Moscow is serious about ending the war in Ukraine.

“This is a follow-up on that initial conversation between Putin and President Trump about perhaps if that first step is even possible, what the interests are, if this can be managed,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters in Riyadh.

The Kremlin, however, suggested the discussions would cover “the entire complex of Russian-American relations,” as well as preparing for talks on a possible settlement regarding Ukraine and a meeting between the two presidents.

Russia said Lavrov and Rubio in a call on Saturday discussed removing barriers to trade and investment between the two countries.

Then-President Biden and Kyiv’s allies around the world imposed waves of sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine three years ago, aimed at weakening the Russian economy and limiting the Kremlin’s war efforts.

Riyadh, which is also involved in talks with Washington over the future of the Gaza Strip, has played a role in early contacts between the Trump administration and Moscow, helping to secure a prisoner swap last week.

How to engage Washington

It remains unclear how Europe will engage Washington after Trump stunned Ukraine and European allies by calling Putin, long ostracized by the West.

“We agree with President Trump on a ‘peace through strength’ approach,” a European official said after the Paris meeting, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The US decision has sparked a realization among European nations that they will have to do more to ensure Ukraine’s security.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who before the meeting said he was willing to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, said on Monday there must be a US security commitment for European countries to put boots on the ground.

Keith Kellogg, Trump’s Ukraine envoy, said he would visit Ukraine from Wednesday and was asked if the US would provide a security guarantee for any European peacekeepers.

“I’ve been with President Trump, and the policy has always been: You take no options off the table,” he said.


Thousands of Indian investors lose $100 million in Ponzi scheme

Updated 18 February 2025
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Thousands of Indian investors lose $100 million in Ponzi scheme

  • Indian police arrest two individuals after a case was filed against Falcon Invoice Discounting
  • Falcon promised returns of up to 22 percent to nearly 7,000 investors since 2021

HYDERABAD: Thousands of investors in India are scrambling to recoup nearly $100 million after they were caught in a Ponzi scheme that duped them into making short-term investments promising high returns, according to a police statement and multiple victims Reuters spoke to.
Indian police arrested two individuals on Saturday after a case was filed against Falcon Invoice Discounting, which promised returns of up to 22 percent by claiming to connect depositors with the likes of Amazon and biscuit maker Britannia.
Falcon collected 17 billion rupees (about $196 million) from nearly 7,000 investors since 2021 but has repaid only half, according to a statement from police in the southern state of Telangana.
Ankit Bihani, a New Delhi-based jeweler, met with 50 other investors last week to discuss measures, including legal remedies, to recoup the collective 500 million rupees they said they had lost.
“Most of them (investors) got to know about the investing platform through social media and invested in it,” Bihani said.
Falcon used the money from new investors to pay out older ones and diverted the remaining funds to various shell entities, the police said. Authorities are hunting for Amardeep Kumar, Falcon’s founder and the main accused, a source said.
However, some of the victims that Reuters spoke to are left wondering if they will recoup the money – entire life savings, in some cases – they entrusted to Falcon.
“It is my hard-earned money. We don’t know when and how will we get it back,” said Roopesh Chauhan, a tech employee who lost 15 million rupees.
S. Smriti, an assistant professor, reached out to the police after losing over 3 million rupees.
“The money was all our savings,” said Smriti.
Indian authorities have expressed concerns over a recent surge in complaints from people being duped by phoney investment schemes that rely on fraudulent apps, websites and call centers to deceive unsuspecting investors.
Britannia, Amazon and Falcon did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters sent on Monday.


Myanmar detains 270 foreigners from scam compounds on Thai border

Updated 18 February 2025
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Myanmar detains 270 foreigners from scam compounds on Thai border

  • Hundreds of thousands of people trafficked by criminal gangs forced to work in scam compounds
  • Despite operating for years, the scam centers have only recently faced renewed scrutiny

Myanmar authorities detained 273 foreigners from scam compounds along the border with Thailand on Monday, as a senior Chinese official visited frontier towns on both sides in a widening crackdown on illegal online operations.
Hundreds of thousands of people trafficked by criminal gangs have been forced to work in scam compounds that have sprung up across Southeast Asia, including the border between Thailand and Myanmar, the United Nations says.
Despite operating for years, the scam centers have only recently faced renewed scrutiny after the rescue and return to China of actor Wang Xing, abducted in Thailand after being lured there with the promise of a job.
Officials from China, Myanmar and Thailand met in Myawaddy this week, including China’s assistant public security minister, Liu Zhongyi, the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar said on Tuesday.
“The representatives held a coordination meeting in Myawaddy and discussed the preventive system for telecom fraud between the three countries,” it said, referring to the Myanmar town abutting Thailand in the vicinity of which Wang was rescued.
Since the end of January, Myanmar authorities have found 1,303 foreigners who entered the country illegally and worked in scam compounds in the Myawaddy area, with 273 detained on Monday, the paper added.
Myanmar has been in the throes of a widening civil war since 2021, when its powerful military overthrew an elected government, sparking protests that have morphed into a rebellion against the junta.
Swathes of the Southeast Asian country are now controlled by armed groups, including parts of Myawaddy that are run by the Karen National Army, a militia led by regional warlord Col. Saw Chit Thu.
“We will work until the scam centers and human trafficking are eradicated,” he told reporters on Monday, that signalled the growing pressure on his group from regional countries.
Their tactics include the cutting of Thai electricity, fuel and Internet supplies to some border areas.
A group of 260 scam center survivors from Myawaddy entered Thailand last week, most of them victims of human trafficking, said Choocheap Pongchai, the governor of the Thai province of Tak.
Two of the group have handed to police for further investigation, he added.