Eurasia

China Encourages Companies to Invest in Afghanistan: Envoy

Chinese envoy in Kabul Wang Yu on Sunday said that cooperation between Afghanistan and China in the implementation of the Belt and Road initiative will benefit the people of the two countries. He said that Chinese companies will be encouraged to take part in Afghanistan’s reconstruction. Wang vowed his country’s …

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Govt Employee Killed in Gunmen Attack in Kabul

Ahmad Fawad Amiri, a government employee at the Presidential Palace, was killed in an attack by unidentified gunmen in Kabul on Saturday evening, a source said. The incident happened in Khawja Musafir area in Paghman district of Kabul when the government employee was on the way to a mosque on …

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US, NATO Forces Preparing for Withdrawal: Miller

Gen. Austin Scott Miller, the US and NATO forces commander in Afghanistan, on Sunday said that the US and coalition forces have started the withdrawal process and they will continue to support their Afghan counterparts. “All of our forces are now preparing to retrograde,” Miller told reporters in Kabul. “The …

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Moscow, Prague To Keep Equal Number Of Staff At Each Other’s Embassies, Says Czech Foreign Minister

Czech Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhanek says the number of people that will be allowed by Prague and Moscow at their respective embassies will be 32, as tensions between the two continue to simmer over Russia’s alleged role in a deadly 2014 explosion at a Czech arms depot. “[The Czech Republic’s …

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Deby’s Death Seen as Blow to Counterterrorism Efforts in Africa’s Sahel

The death of Chad’s President Idriss Deby could be a major setback for counterterrorism efforts in Africa’s restive Sahel region, according to Chadian activists, African politicians and security experts. The 68-year-old longtime leader died Monday from injuries sustained while visiting troops fighting a Libya-based rebel group known as the Front …

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US, West Wary of Russian Claims That Military Buildup Near Ukraine Is Over

Claims that Russian troops are beginning to pull back from positions in Crimea and along the Russian border with Ukraine are being met with caution in the West, where officials are demanding that Moscow be more transparent and refrain from additional saber-rattling. Western officials said Friday that they were watching …

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The Trouble with Northern Ireland Legacy Cases

The departure of a UK government minister does little to promote a serious discussion about a painful episode. On 20 April Prime Minister Boris Johnson sacked Johnny Mercer from his position as Minister for Defence People and Veterans. Mercer had repeatedly criticised the decision not to extend protections to Northern …

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Bohemian Forest Dark Tales: The Czech Republic, Russia’s Dirty War Machine and Western Solidarity

Revelations that Russia’s intelligence agents were responsible for setting off deadly explosions at a Czech arms depot back in 2014 offer Prague an opportunity to hit back at Moscow’s egregious behaviour. But the Czechs would need to be supported in this endeavour. The coronavirus pandemic continues to throttle international travel. …

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Infighting Between Opposition Groups in Northern Syria

For the second consecutive day, the Turkish forces have imposed a curfew in the city of Sere Kaniye (Ras al-Ain), which is under their control, against the backdrop of bloody fighting between Turkish-backed armed opposition groups. The city of Sere Kaniye, on the Syrian-Turkish border, in northeastern Syria, witnessed intensive …

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Syria, Russia Call on International Community to Condemn US Sanctions on Syria

Syria and Russia have said that the US and its allies’ occupation of Syrian territories — which support terrorist organizations and plunder natural resources — leave huge damages to the Syrian economy. A joint statement by the Syrian and Russian coordination committees on the return of Syrian refugees called on …

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