Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani have jointly inaugurated the Israeli embassy….reports Asian Lite News
Visiting Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and his Bahraini counterpart Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani have jointly inaugurated the Israeli embassy here in the wake of the two countries normalising their ties..
As he arrived in Manama on Thursday, Lapid became the highest Israeli official to visit Bahrain, Xinhua news agency.
The visit is “a milestone” in the rapid development of the bilateral relations, Zayani told a press conference.
His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of Bahrain
The two Ministers signed several cooperation agreements on environmental protection, sports, innovation, and development of water resources.
Later in the day, Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received Lapid at the Sakhir Palace, said a statement quoted by the Bahrain News Agency.
Also on Thursday, a Gulf Air Airbus A320 arrived at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, which was the first direct commercial flight between Bahrain and Israel.
The flight by Bahrain’s national carrier departed from Manama about an hour after Lapid landed.
The flight between Manama and Tel Aviv would be operated twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays, according to a statement issued by the Israeli Transportation Ministry.
Lapid inaugurates Israel embassy in Bahrain
The trip from Bahrain to Israel will take two hours and 50 minutes, and two hours and 35 minutes for the return trip.
During an ceremony held at the Ben Gurion Airport, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll said that the new route would “allow citizens of the two countries to work together and develop scientific, cultural and business collaborations”.
Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates signed the US-brokered agreements called the Abraham Accords to establish diplomatic relations with Israel in September 2020.
Two decades later, Massoud’s son Ahmad Massoud is once again fighting the Taliban to protect his father’s legacy. He is ably assisted by Amrullah Saleh, a former aide to Afghanistan’s famous war hero…reports Mrityunjoy Kumar Jha
The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Italy has announced that it will be closed on Thursday, September 9, 2021 to mark the respect of Afghanistans national hero Ahmad Shah Massoud on his 20th death anniversary. Massoud was the only chief Afghan leader who never left Afghanistan in the fight against the Soviet Union and later in the armed struggle against the Taliban.
Massoud,who was leading the last remaining resistance to the Taliban capture of Afghanistan, was killed by suicide bombers of the Taliban and al-Qaeda in his residence on September 9, 2001, two days before the 9/11. After the Taliban’s fall in 2001, he was declared the national hero of the country and September 9 was marked as martyr day.
Unsurprisingly, the Taliban detest Massoud and his clan. They even tried to destroy his tomb in Panjshir on Tuesday.
Two decades later, Massoud’s son Ahmad Massoud is once again fighting the Taliban to protect his father’s legacy. He is ably assisted by Amrullah Saleh, a former aide to Afghanistan’s famous war hero.
“The Taliban want the world to recognize them, and then they want to oppress the Afghan people again,” Ahmad Massoud has declared. “If someone invades our land, we will fight against it and defend ourselves and the rights of the Afghan people.”
The Massoud Circle in Kabul, 2006
The junior Massoud has launched a guerrilla war against the Taliban who have managed to capture parts of the Panjshir valley with the active support of the Pakistani army.
Pakistani Air Force planes and special forces battalions provided military support to the Taliban operation in Panjshir, Russian news agency Sputnik reported on Wednesday. The report says that four JF-7 fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force including 27 Pakistani special forces helicopters and drones, are assisting the Taliban in their quest.
Like Italy, many embassies of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan are opposing the regime of Islamic Emirate Afghanistan foisted by the Taliban. Afghanistan’s embassy in India has also refused to represent the Taliban government. Abdulhaq Azad, a spokesperson of the Afghan embassy in Delhi told Deccan Herald that it will continue to represent the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in India and not the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan established by the Taliban.
“The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in New Delhi will continue to provide services to the citizens of Afghanistan in India,” Azad said.
Earlier, during the Taliban’s aggression, the Afghan envoy had asked India to help his country with airpower against the Taliban.
“The avoidable suffering of Afghanistan is man-made and at a scale beyond all civilised contemplation,” he had said. Afghanistan is going through a difficult time, and only good leadership, compassionate attitude and international support to the Afghan people “would somewhat bring an end to these miseries”, Farid Mamundzay, the Afghan envoy observed.
This is a repeat of 1996 when the then Afghan ambassador to India Masoud Khalili refused to pledge allegiance to the Taliban following India’s refusal to recognise the Taliban regime. Khalili, was a close friend of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the leader of the anti-Taliban force the Northern alliance.
Photograph of Ahmad Shah Massoud (Wikipedia)
The previous Taliban regime was recognised only by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
While countries of the world have yet to decide about giving recognition to the Taliban government, all the Afghan embassies will be known as representatives of the previous Afghan government, as per the recognition by the United Nations.
Other Afghan embassies have also refused to pledge allegiance to the Taliban government. Ashraf Haidari, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Sri Lanka has been always critical of the Taliban. On Tuesday, he slammed the Taliban for their government formations.
“The beginning of the end of imposed totalitarianism: foreign madrassa militants deployed to target Afghans — Afghan women — at point-blank range is unforgivable by any standards of humanity. The UN knows, Biden knows which UN member-state plays with Afghan lives,” Haidari posted on Twitter.
Said T Jawad, Kabul’s envoy to Russia, retweeted a video of protests by Afghans in front of the Embassy of Pakistan in the capital of his country.
Shukria Barakzai, Afghan envoy in Oslo retweeted a post from a journalist which slammed the Taliban. “The Taliban government has 33 mullahs and 4 people under US sanctions but zero women or people from other political groups. Son of late leader Mullah Omar is Defence Minister. They say they have changed but this is hardline.”
Afghanistan’s envoy to Tajikistan Mohammad Zahir Aghbar had accused the Taliban and Pakistan of plotting to kill anti-resistance leaders Ahmad Massoud and acting president Amrullah Saleh in the Panjshir battle.
It may be recalled how Pakistani security agencies ill-treated the Afghan envoy’s daughter’s kidnapping case, following which, the then Afghan government had to recall its diplomats from Pakistan.
(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
The State Department said that this was part of the standard procedure applied when minimising the US footprint…reports Asian Lite News.
The US Embassy in Kabul is instructing personnel to destroy sensitive materials as well as items “which could be misused in propaganda efforts”, according to a management notice sent to the staff.
The notice about “Emergency Destruction Services” underscores the dire situation on the ground in Afghanistan as cities continue to fall to the Taliban, a CNN news report said.
The report said that one intelligence assessment indicated that Kabul could be isolated by the Taliban within the week, possibly in the next 72 hours, but stressed that does not mean the militant group would enter the capital.
President Joe Biden spoke with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Friday “about the ongoing efforts to safely drawdown the civilian footprint in Afghanistan”, according to a White House tweet.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin concurred with the recommendation to keep a small force in Afghanistan.
That, certainly, is a deeply popular position with many Americans, and many Biden administration officials (and Trump supporters, for that matter).
In preparation of that effort, Friday’s embassy notice said facilities would provide “destruction support” daily and called on personnel to “please take advantage and reduce the amount of sensitive material on the property”, including papers and electronics.
“Please also include items with embassy or agency logos, American flags, or items which could be misused in propaganda efforts,” it said.
The notice said there would be a variety of means to destroy these materials, including burn bins, a disintegrator, an incinerator and a compacter and heavy-duty equipment.
The State Department said that this was part of the standard procedure applied when minimising the US footprint.
“Drawdowns at our diplomatic posts around the world follow a standard operating procedure designed to minimise our footprint across various categories, including staffing, equipment, and supplies. Embassy Kabul is conducting their drawdown in accordance with this standard operating procedure,” a State Department spokesperson said.
The situation on the ground is incredibly challenging for US diplomats, who say that plans are changing by the minute.
The notice said there would be a variety of means to destroy these materials, including burn bins, a disintegrator, an incinerator and a compacter and heavy-duty equipment.
As the Taliban rapidly surges and American diplomats and military leave, many in Afghanistan have been left in a state of unease, fear and despair.
There is particular concern among women, minorities, and those who worked for the US government — groups who now face repression and reprisal by the Taliban.
France and Italy on Sunday witnessed mass protests against the COVID-19 health pass with protesters saying that it infringes on their civil liberties…reports Asian Lite News.
The Indian embassy in France said that Indian students coming to France can apply for health passes with documents proving their vaccination status.
“Students coming to France may send their request for a ‘pass sanitaire’ (health pass) with all relevant documents proving their vaccination status, to students.covid-pass@diplomatie.gouv.fr” Indian Embassy said in a tweet.
“Any additional questions, send an email to:help.covid-pass@diplomatie.gouv.fr,” the tweet added.
France and Italy on Sunday witnessed mass protests against the COVID-19 health pass with protesters saying that it infringes on their civil liberties.
Demonstrations against France’s health pass and mandatory vaccines for health care workers entered their fourth weekend, with Saturday seeing the largest rally yet.
France is currently in the grips of the fourth wave of coronavirus infections. The county has seen a boost in vaccinations since French President Emmanuel Macron announced the health pass in July.
Meanwhile, government spokesperson Gabriel Attal announced that France will stop offering free coronavirus tests by mid-October, in a move to boost vaccination and avoid drastic measures to halt the spread of more infectious variants.
PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and antigen tests will no longer be available for free, except to patients with a medical prescription, Xinhua news agency quoted Attal as saying in a statement on Wednesday.
“Testing does not protect. Repeated tests do not prevent people from going to the hospital or getting infected.
“By mid-October, everyone will have had time to get organised and take responsibility for himself,” he added.
According to government figures, France has so far administered 45 million first doses of Covid-19 vaccines, representing 67.2 per cent of its total population, while more than half of the country’s population of 67 million have received both doses.
The French government aims to have administered 50 million first shots and have 35 million people fully vaccinated by the end of August.
It hopes to achieve herd immunity, where 90 per cent of eligible people would be vaccinated, by this autumn.
After a virtual defence council on the epidemic situation, President Emmanuel Macron also decided to give booster shots to the elderly and most vulnerable from September onwards.
Other measures to halt the spread of the Delta variant include the mandatory ‘health pass’ in shopping centres whose surface area exceeds 20,000 square metres in departments where the incidence rate is over 200 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Meanwhile, the situation in France’s overseas territories is “dramatic”. With intensive care beds running out in Guadeloupe, a strict lockdown has been ordered, while in Martinique, beaches and shops selling non-essential products have been shut down for three weeks and tourists asked to leave the island. (ANI/IANS)
According to the joint media statement by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne, the embassy building will be closed on May 28…reports Asian Lite News
Australia will close its embassy in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, where the Australian troops are scheduled to withdraw later this year, an official statement issued here on Tuesday said.
According to the joint media statement by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne, the embassy building will be closed on May 28, reports Xinhua news agency.
“Our residential representation in Afghanistan and the Australian Embassy in Kabul will be closed at this time,” they said.
“It is Australia’s expectation that this measure will be temporary and that we will resume a permanent presence in Kabul once circumstances permit,” the statement said.
“The departure of the international forces and hence Australian forces from Afghanistan over the next few months brings with it an increasingly uncertain security environment where the Government has been advised that security arrangements could not be provided to support our ongoing diplomatic presence,” the statement added.
Morrison announced in April that Australian troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September this year.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the embassy has been open since 2006.
US President Joe Biden announced on April 14 that all American troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan before September 11, the 20th anniversary of the 2001 terror attacks in America.
Troops in Afghanistan.
Australia announced to withdraw its troops from Afghansitan a day after the US announcement.
As the security situation in Afghansitan remains complicated and terrorism keeps festering, analysts deem the US decision as irresponsible and warn against an intensifying civil conflict and more rampant terrorist acts.
The security situation in the war-torn Afghanistan has been deteriorating over the past weeks as Taliban militants have intensified their offensives by attacking government forces and conducting suicide bombing attacks.
