CNN By Ivana Kottasová, Barbara Starr, Kylie Atwood, Nick Paton Walsh, Sam Kiley, Zachary Cohen, Jennifer Hansler and Nectar Gan, CNN The United States has vowed to continue the evacuation of American citizens and allies out of Afghanistan, as US troops brace for the threat of more terrorist attacks following two deadly bombings at Kabul’s
Continue ReadingBy Ivana Kottasová, Barbara Starr, Kylie Atwood, Nick Paton Walsh, Sam Kiley, Zachary Cohen, Amy Woodyatt, Jennifer Hansler and Nectar Gan, CNN The United States still plans to end its mission in Afghanistan this month, the Pentagon said Friday, as the evacuation of US citizens and allies enters its final, desperate stage after a deadly
Continue ReadingBy Jessie Yeung and Zixu Wang, CNN They sing, they dance, they’re impeccably dressed — and they’re all children, mostly under 10. Panda Boys, China’s newest boy band, debuted on August 21 with their first song and music video, a pastel-laden synth pop number with a rap and Chinese opera interlude. But just three days
Continue ReadingBy Nectar Gan and Steve George, CNN China’s coronavirus vaccination drive has surpassed 2 billion doses, authorities announced Friday, but heavy-handed tactics intended to boost inoculation rates are triggering backlash in some areas. As of Thursday, more than 889 million people had been fully vaccinated, with more than two billion shots of domestically-produced Covid-19 vaccine
Continue ReadingBy Ivana Kottasová, Barbara Starr, Kylie Atwood, Nick Paton Walsh, Sam Kiley, Zachary Cohen, Jennifer Hansler and Tim Lister, CNN Thirteen US service members and at least 60 Afghans have been killed in two bombing attacks outside Kabul’s airport, according to the Pentagon and Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health. The deadly blasts came as the
Continue ReadingCNN By Rob Picheta and Nilly Kohzad, CNN Afghans who narrowly avoided the terror attack outside Kabul airport on Thursday have described horrifying scenes and piles of victims’ bodies at the site of the blast. Muhammad, who said he assisted US forces and worked with NATO in Afghanistan, was at the airport with his family
Continue ReadingCNN By Tim Lister, CNN In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, the Taliban resisted demands from Washington to hand over al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The result was an invasion by US and allied forces, which swept the Taliban from power. Fast forward 20 years and the
Continue ReadingBy Tim Lister, CNN The devastating bomb attack outside Kabul airport on Thursday is a brutal reminder that Afghanistan remains fertile territory for jihadi terrorism and that ISIS remains a resilient presence far beyond its birthplace. The attack was claimed — remarkably quickly — by ISIS-Khorasan, the ISIS “province” active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
Continue ReadingCNN By Tim Lister, CNN In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, the Taliban resisted demands from Washington to hand over al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The result was an invasion by US and allied forces, which swept the Taliban from power. Fast forward 20 years and the
Continue ReadingBy Jessie Yeung and Eric Cheung, CNN Hong Kong’s national security police are investigating the group behind the city’s annual June 4 vigil, which commemorates pro-democracy protesters who died in the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing, according to a letter to organizers seen by CNN. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic
Continue ReadingBy Saleem Mehsud, Kara Fox, Natalie Croker and Henrik Pettersson and Tim Lister, CNN The Taliban‘s leadership structure has long been a mystery, with little known about how it works beyond the group’s most influential figures. After seizing control of Afghanistan, the Taliban are moving to form a new government, with pledges of inclusivity and
Continue ReadingBy Rob Picheta and Zahid Mahmood, CNN Fear is mounting for women and girls in Afghanistan after the Taliban told working women to stay at home, admitting they were not safe in the presence of the militant group’s soldiers. Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid said at a news conference on Tuesday that women should not go
Continue ReadingBy Julia Hollingsworth, CNN New Zealand authorities reported 62 new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases Wednesday — the highest number in a single day since last year as the country wrestles with a growing outbreak driven by the more contagious Delta variant. Last week New Zealand confirmed its first community Covid-19 cases since February, prompting Prime
Continue ReadingCNN, AFP, QATAR GOVT, KTVT, DEFENSE DEPT, UNITED AIRLINES, HANIF SUFIZADA, TALIBAN VIDEO, ISIS VIDEO By Nick Paton Walsh, Brad Lendon and Sheena McKenzie, CNN The Taliban said Tuesday that they would not allow Afghans to leave the country and warned that the US must stick to next week’s deadline to pull out, as a
Continue ReadingCNN By Nick Paton Walsh, Brad Lendon and Sheena McKenzie, CNN The Taliban said Tuesday that it would not allow Afghans to leave the country and said the US must stick to next week’s deadline to pull out, as a frantic Western evacuation operation at Kabul airport picked up pace. The announcement came as a
Continue ReadingBy Nick Paton Walsh, Brad Lendon, Sheena McKenzie and Ivana Kottasová, CNN The Taliban said Tuesday that they were “not allowing the evacuation of Afghans anymore” and warned that the US must stick to next week’s deadline to pull out, as a frantic Western evacuation operation at Kabul airport picked up pace. The announcement came
Continue ReadingCNN By Kara Fox and Tim Lister, CNN As the Taliban firms up its grip on Afghanistan, there is one remote region whose resistance to the militant group goes back decades. Now, the last major holdout is under threat. The Taliban has been massing forces in and around Panjshir province, the only one yet to
Continue ReadingBy Kara Fox, Tim Lister and Nilly Kohzad, CNN As the Taliban firm up their grip on Afghanistan, there is one remote region whose resistance to the militant group goes back decades. Now, the last major holdout is under threat. The Taliban have been massing forces in and around Panjshir province, the only one yet
Continue ReadingCNN By Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Dozens of US military transport jets were expected to land at Kabul’s international airport on Monday, as about 20,000 people remained at the facility awaiting evacuation, a source close to the situation told CNN. Plans called for 33 US Air Force C-17s to head to Hamid Karzai International Airport
Continue ReadingBy Jessie Yeung, Nectar Gan and Steve George, CNN Beijing was once known as one of the world’s most polluted cities, with dense smog and acrid air a daily reality for residents. Now, its skies are mostly blue — a sign the Chinese capital is entering a new era of clean air, the country’s Minister
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