Russian foreign minister wears USSR jumper as he arrives at Trump-Putin summit in Alaska
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov drew attention in Anchorage on Friday when he arrived for a high-profile summit between US president Donald Tru...
Kabul’s streets were lined with white flags and decorated banners on Friday as Afghanistan marked the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power on 15 August 2021.
Officials held seminars and processions while residents drove through the capital with flags on their vehicles. Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, urged unity, saying Afghans should “strive with solidarity to preserve these great achievements and build a bright and prosperous future under the Islamic system.”
Security forces said measures were in place to ensure safety throughout the day.
The anniversary marks the fall of the US-backed Republic and the return of Taliban rule, a moment seen by many as one of the most significant political shifts in modern Afghan history.
International voices, however, warned of worsening conditions. Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), said Afghanistan faces its “worst” situation yet, with more than 23 million people in need of humanitarian assistance according to the United Nations. He urged donor nations to return diplomats to Kabul “so we can together fight for the rights of Afghan women and girls”.
Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada marked the anniversary by ordering the removal of the word “acting” from officials’ titles, claiming “suitable conditions” now exist for rebuilding the country and that Afghans have been “freed from linguistic, ethnic, regional, partisan and other divisions”.
Analysts note the move is part of efforts to project permanence in governance, despite Afghanistan’s ongoing economic crisis, restrictions on women’s rights, and limited international recognition.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 56 kilometres east of Gorgan in northern Iran early Sunday morning, according to preliminary seismic data.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he would not negotiate on Ukraine’s behalf during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, stressing that Kyiv must decide whether to pursue any territorial swaps with Moscow.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov drew attention in Anchorage on Friday when he arrived for a high-profile summit between US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin wearing a vintage sweatshirt bearing the Soviet-era “CCCP” emblem.
King Charles III of Great Britain and Queen Camilla attended the 80th anniversary commemoration VJ Day in Britain on Friday.
Ukraine has warned that delays in Western military and financial aid risk giving Russia time to strengthen its positions, with officials citing past pauses in support that led to territorial losses and heavier casualties.
Hopes for a Ukraine ceasefire have buoyed bond prices, but investors remain sceptical that Friday’s Trump–Putin summit will yield major breakthroughs.
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