War in Afghanistan (2001-present) The US military left Bagram Airfield – its key base in Afghanistan – in the dead of night without notifying the Afghans, the base’s new commander said. General Asadullah Kohistani told the BBC that the US left Bagram at 03:00 local time on Friday, and that the Afghan military found […]
Jailed Indian tribal rights activist Stan Swamy has died of a cardiac arrest in Mumbai city. He was 84. The Jesuit priest, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease, was moved to a private hospital in May after he tested positive for Covid. Swamy, the oldest person to be accused of terrorism in India, was arrested in […]
War in Afghanistan (2001-present) Any foreign troops left in Afghanistan after Nato’s September withdrawal deadline will be at risk as occupiers, the Taliban has told the BBC. It comes amid reports that 1,000 mainly US troops could remain on the ground to protect diplomatic missions and Kabul’s international airport. Nato’s 20-year military mission in […]
More than 1,000 Afghan soldiers have fled to neighbouring Tajikistan after clashing with Taliban militants, officials have said. The troops retreated over the border to “save their own lives”, according to a statement by Tajikistan’s border guard. Violence has risen in Afghanistan and the Taliban have been making significant gains, particularly in the north of […]
A military plane has crashed in the southern Philippines killing at least 45 people, with dozens more pulled alive from the burning wreckage. The transporter was carrying more than 90 people, mostly troops, when it overshot the runway on Jolo island. The dead are mainly military personnel, but three civilians on the ground were also […]
Japan floods Rescue teams battling heavy rain pulled survivors from their ruined homes on Sunday after a landslide struck the Japanese coastal city of Atami. Authorities said an elderly couple were among 19 people rescued so far. Two people have been confirmed killed but several others remain missing after a torrent of mud swept […]
Coronavirus pandemic The number of deaths linked to coronavirus in India has moved past the 400,000 mark as the country tries to speed up its vaccination drive. Experts warn that the real number of fatalities might be much higher as many deaths are not officially recorded. India is only the third in the world […]
The last US and Nato forces have left Afghanistan’s Bagram airbase, the centre of the war against militants for some 20 years. The pull-out could signal that the complete withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan is imminent. President Joe Biden has said US forces will be gone by 11 September. But the withdrawal from the […]
India’s top filmmakers have protested against proposed rules that they say will give the government sweeping censorship powers. The changes, if passed, allow the government to “re-examine” a film already cleared by the censor board. Filmmakers say the proposals are an attack on their freedom of expression. Films cannot be publicly exhibited in India unless […]
Thailand has welcomed its first quarantine-free tourists back to the island of Phuket as the country tries to reboot its tourism industry. About 250 people, mainly from the Middle East, were expected to arrive on four flights on Thursday as part of the “Phuket Sandbox” scheme. None of the arrivals need to quarantine, but they […]
