Ukraine security guarantees take centre stage as 'Coalition of the willing' meet
European leaders including Türkiye and Canada are arriving in Paris, France on Thursday for another "coalition of the willing" meeting....
Rescue teams have been working to recover bodies from the wreckage of homes destroyed in this week’s earthquakes in Afghanistan, as the window for survivors narrows.
Global aid agencies have warned that funds for food, shelter, and medical supplies are rapidly depleting, leaving those affected facing a grim outlook.
Search operations continued late into Wednesday in the quake-hit mountainous eastern regions, as additional bodies were recovered, the Taliban administration said. The death toll has surpassed 1,457, though exact figures are still being compiled.
“Everything we had has been destroyed,” said Aalem Jan, a resident of Kunar province, the area worst affected. “Our house collapsed, and all our belongings are gone. The only things left are the clothes on our backs.”
The first tremor, measuring magnitude 6, struck on Sunday at a shallow depth of 10 km (6 miles), causing widespread devastation across Kunar and Nangarhar provinces. A second quake of magnitude 5.5 on Tuesday triggered panic and disrupted rescue efforts, sending rocks tumbling down slopes and cutting off access to remote villages.
Authorities reported around 3,400 people injured and more than 6,700 homes destroyed. The United Nations warned that the death toll could rise further, as many remain trapped beneath the rubble.
Humanitarian needs are “vast and growing rapidly,” the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said, noting that approximately 84,000 people are directly or indirectly affected, with thousands displaced.
In some villages in Kunar province, entire households were obliterated. Survivors frantically searched for loved ones, carrying bodies on woven stretchers, sifting through rubble, and digging graves with pickaxes while awaiting aid.
Footage from Reuters TV showed trucks carrying sacks of flour and men with shovels making their way to remote villages on steep slopes. In locations inaccessible to helicopters, authorities deployed commando units by air.
Resources for rescue and relief remain limited in Afghanistan, a nation of 42 million already weakened by decades of war, poverty, and declining aid. Harsh weather has further complicated operations.
Funding cuts to foreign aid under U.S. President Donald Trump, combined with donor frustration over the Taliban’s restrictions on women and limits on aid workers, have exacerbated the country’s isolation.
The World Health Organisation highlighted a funding shortfall of $3 million, warning that supplies of medicines, trauma kits, and essential items must be maintained amid soaring demand.
The U.N. World Food Programme can provide support for survivors for only four more weeks, according to its country head, John Aylieff.
Jacopo Caridi of the Norwegian Refugee Council urged donors to commit to long-term support, stressing the need to go beyond emergency aid to give Afghans a chance at a sustainable future.
“The earthquake should serve as a stark reminder: Afghanistan cannot be left to face one crisis after another alone,” he said.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
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.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
European leaders including Türkiye and Canada are arriving in Paris, France on Thursday for another "coalition of the willing" meeting.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Economy, Haji Qari Din Mohammad Hanif, has praised Japan for its humanitarian and development assistance over the past two years, calling relations between Kabul and Tokyo “historic”.
Indonesian delivery driver Rizky Azhar was taken aback when he received a food order from Malaysia, both because of the distance and the accompanying note, which stated that the plate of smoked beef with rice was intended for him.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 4th of September, covering the latest developments you need to know.
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed the allegations that Russia was responsible for jamming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's aircraft, labelling them as fake and a product of paranoia.
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