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Biden Says Afghan Leaders Must "Fight For Their Nation" As Taliban Gains

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="Biden Says Afghan Leaders Must 'Fight For Their Nation' As Taliban Gains" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-06/m3egk0dk_joe-biden-reuters-650_625x300_17_June_21.jpg" title="Biden Says Afghan Leaders Must 'Fight For Their Nation' As Taliban Gains" /></div>
The US president said he does not regret his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan(FILE)
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Kabul/Washington:
Taliban insurgents tightened their grip on captured Afghan territory on Tuesday, now controlling 65% of the country, as US President Joe Biden urged the nation's leaders to fight for their homeland.
Pul-e-Khumri, capital of the northern province of Baghlan, fell to the Taliban on Tuesday evening, according to residents who reported Afghan security forces retreating toward the Kelagi desert, home to a large Afghan army base.
Pul-e-Khumri became the seventh regional capital to come under the control of the Islamist militants in about a week.
"Afghan leaders have to come together," Biden told reporters at the White House, saying the Afghan troops outnumber the Taliban and must want to fight. "They've got to fight for themselves, fight for their nation."
The US president said he does not regret his decision to withdraw, noting that Washington has spent more than $1 trillion over 20 years and lost thousands of troops. He said the United States continues to provide significant air support, food, equipment and salaries to Afghan forces.
In Kabul, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he was seeking help from regional militias he has squabbled with for years. He appealed to civilians to defend Afghanistan's "democratic fabric."
In Aibak, a provincial capital between Mazar-i-Sharif and Kabul, Taliban fighters were moving into government buildings. Most government forces appeared to have withdrawn.
"The only way is self-imposed house arrest or to find a way to leave for Kabul," said tax officer Sher Mohamed Abbas, when asked about living conditions in Aibak.
"But then even Kabul is not a safe option anymore," said Abbas, who supports a family of nine.
For years, the north was Afghanistan's most peaceful region, with only a minimal Taliban presence. The militants' strategy appears to be to take the north, and border crossings in the north, west and south, and then close in on Kabul.
The Taliban, battling to defeat the U.S-backed government and reimpose strict Islamic law with peace talks at an impasse, met little resistance as they swept into Aibak on Monday.
Taliban forces now control 65% of Afghanistan, threaten to take 11 provincial capitals and seek to deprive Kabul of its traditional support from national forces in the north, a senior European Union official said on Tuesday.
The government has withdrawn from hard-to-defend rural districts to focus on holding population centers. Officials have appealed for pressure on Pakistan to stop Taliban reinforcements and supplies flowing over the border. Pakistan denies backing the Taliban.
The United States has been carrying out some air strikes to support government troops. Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said the strikes were having a "kinetic" effect on the Taliban, but acknowledged limitations.
"Nobody has suggested here that air strikes are a panacea, that will solve all the problems of the conditions on the ground. We've never said that," Kirby said.
DISPLACED FAMILIES
Taliban and government officials confirmed that the Islamist insurgents have overrun six provincial capitals in recent days in the north, west and south.
Gulam Bahauddin Jailani, head of the national disaster authority, told Reuters that fighting was going on in 25 of 34 provinces and 60,000 families had been displaced over the past two months, with most seeking refuge in Kabul.
About 400,000 Afghans have been displaced in recent months and there has been an increase in the numbers of people fleeing to Iran over the past 10 days, the EU official said.
Six EU member states warned the bloc's executive against halting deportations of rejected Afghan asylum seekers arriving in Europe, fearing a possible replay of a 2015-16 crisis over the arrival of more than a million migrants, mainly from the Middle East.
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said reports of violations that could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity were emerging, including "deeply disturbing reports" of the summary execution of surrendering government troops.
"People rightly fear that a seizure of power by the Taliban will erase the human rights gains of the past two decades," said Bachelet, a former Chilean president.
The Taliban, ousted after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, appeared to be in a position to advance from different directions on Mazar-i-Sharif. Its fall would deal a devastating blow to Ghani's government.
Atta Mohammad Noor, a northern militia commander, vowed there would be "resistance until the last drop of my blood". He added on Twitter: "I prefer dying in dignity than dying in despair."
India sent a flight to northern Afghanistan to take its citizens home. The United States and Britain have already advised citizens to leave Afghanistan.
Washington will complete the withdrawal of its forces this month in exchange for Taliban promises to prevent Afghanistan being used for international terrorism. The Taliban promised not to attack foreign forces as they withdraw but did not agree to a ceasefire with the government.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
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The US president said he does not regret his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan(FILE) Kabul/Washington: Taliban insurgents ti...

Algeria Wildfires Kill 42, Authorities Blame Arson

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Late Tuesday the death count stood at 25 soldiers and 17 civilians killed.
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Algiers:
Wildfires fanned by blistering temperatures and tinder-dry conditions have killed at least 42 people in Algeria, authorities said on Tuesday, adding that the fires had criminal origins.
Late Tuesday the death count stood at 25 soldiers and 17 civilians killed.
Photographs posted on social media show huge walls of flame and billowing clouds of smoke towering over charred trees in the forested hills of the Kabylie region, east of the capital Algiers.
Algeria joins a string of countries to be hit by major blazes in recent weeks, including Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and the western United States.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune tweeted his condolences for 25 soldiers killed as they worked to rescue people in the areas of Bejaiea and Tizi Ouzou, the epicentre of the blazes.
"It is with great sadness that I have learned of the martyrdom of 25 soldiers after they were successful in rescuing around 100 citizens from the flames in the mountains of Bejaiea and Tizi Ouzou," the president said.
The defence ministry said the actions of the soldiers had "saved 110 people -- men, women and children -- from the flames".
At least another 14 soldiers were injured to varying degrees.
Seventeen civilians died in the Tizi Ouzou and Setif area, Prime Minister Aimene Benabderrahmane said late Tuesday.
Earlier, the APS news agency gave a toll of 13 civilians killed.
State radio said three "arsonists" had been arrested in the northern district of Medea and another in Annaba, in relation to other fires.
More than 70 fires have broken out in 18 states across the north of the country, including 10 around Tizi Ouzou, one of the most populous cities in Kabylie.
An AFP photographer in Tizi Ouzou saw medics carrying away bodies of people killed in the fire.
Meteorologists said the temperature would hit 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday in a North African country that is also struggling with severe water shortages.
Interior Minister Kamel Beldjoud, on a visit to Tizi Ouzou, told television that "50 fires starting at the same time is impossible. These fires are of criminal origin."
The civil protection directorate said 12 northern urban centres were hit by fires.
Arson suspected
Public radio reported the arrest of three suspected arsonists in Medea.
Arson has been blamed for several major fires in recent years in Algeria.
Last month, President Tebboune ordered a bill to stiffen punishments for starting a forest fire, with sentences of up to 30 years in prison -- and possible life imprisonment, if the fire results in death.
In July, three people were arrested on suspicion of starting fires that devastated 15 square kilometres (six square miles) of forest in the Aures mountains.
In 2020, nearly 440 square kilometres (170 square miles) of forest were destroyed by fire, and several people were arrested on suspicion of arson.
On Monday, the UN released a major report showing how the threat from global warming is even more acute than previously thought.
It highlighted how scientists are quantifying the extent to which human-induced warming increases the intensity and/or likelihood of a specific extreme weather event, such as a heatwave or a wildfire.
Climate change amplifies droughts, creating ideal conditions for wildfires to spread out of control and inflict unprecedented material and environmental damage.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
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news world Algeria Wildfires Kill 42, Authorities Blame Arson

Late Tuesday the death count stood at 25 soldiers and 17 civilians killed. Algiers: Wildfires fanned by blistering temperatures and tin...

Lionel Messi Signs 2-Year Deal With French Club PSG After Leaving Barcelona

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Lionel Messi: "I am excited to begin a new chapter of my career at Paris Saint-Germain"
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Paris:
Argentina forward Lionel Messi, who left Barcelona after 21 years last week, has signed a two-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain, with the option of an additional year, the French club announced on Tuesday.
Messi, 34, will wear the number 30, the number he had when he began his professional career at Barca, and is set to be unveiled by PSG at a press conference they have called for 11:00 am (0900 GMT) Wednesday.
"I am excited to begin a new chapter of my career at Paris Saint-Germain," he said in a statement on the club's website.
"Everything about the club matches my football ambitions," Messi, who was given a hero's welcome by the PSG fans when he arrived in the French capital on Tuesday, added.
"I know how talented the squad and the coaching staff are here.
"I am determined to help build something special for the club and the fans, and I am looking forward to stepping out onto the pitch at the Parc des Princes."
Warm welcome
Messi, who was a free agent after his shock departure from boyhood club Barcelona last week, landed at Le Bourget airport to the north of Paris on Tuesday afternoon.
There he was greeted by hundreds of PSG supporters who had gathered hoping to catch a glimpse of their new signing.
Those fans also gathered outside the club's Parc des Princes home and near a plush hotel in the city where Messi along with wife Antonella and their three children are expected to be staying.
Messi waved to crowds while sporting a Paris t-shirt on his arrival at the airport before being taken for his medical.
Messi's father Jorge, who is also his agent, had earlier confirmed the inevitable as he arrived at Barcelona's El Prat airport to board a flight to France.
Asked by reporters if his son would sign for the French club, he replied: "Yes".
The completion of his move closes a whirlwind few days following the announcement last Thursday that he would leave Barcelona, the club he has represented for the entirety of his 17-year professional career.
PSG's move for Messi had been an open secret for days, although reports in Spain on Monday night talked of a "final offer" by Barcelona to try to keep the player.
Instead, the six-time Ballon d'Or winner will join a PSG attack already featuring Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Qatar-backed PSG see Messi as the missing piece in their jigsaw as they chase the Champions League, the trophy they want more than anything else.
"Back together," Neymar, who played with Messi at Barcelona before moving to PSG in 2017, posted on Twitter.
Coming to terms
Barcelona are still coming to terms with the departure of their greatest ever player, who said goodbye to his club of two decades at a tearful news conference on Sunday.
Despite offering to cut his salary by half to seal a new five-year contract with the Catalans, the deal foundered on Spanish league salary cap rules.
Barcelona, carrying debts of 1.2 billion euros ($1.41 billion), are unable to register new signings because of their financial predicament.
With Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City having ruled themselves out, PSG were about the only club who could afford what is expected to be a deal worth 35 million euros ($41 million) a year.
He leaves Barcelona with 672 goals in 778 appearances, a record tally for one club.
Messi won 35 trophies at the Camp Nou after joining Barca aged 13, but his last appearance was a damp squib: a 2-1 home defeat behind closed doors against Celta Vigo in May.
His trophy haul includes four Champions Leagues and 10 La Liga titles.
"It will be difficult to see him in another shirt than that of Barca," Messi's old Barcelona team-mate Andres Iniesta, now playing in Japan, told AFP in an interview on Tuesday.
"As a player he just transcended everything. I've not seen a player like him -- and I don't think I ever will. You look at what he did and for so long..."
PSG building
This summer PSG have already added veteran Spanish defender Sergio Ramos from Real Madrid and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, the star of Euro 2020.
They have also signed Georginio Wijnaldum from Liverpool, snatching the Netherlands' midfielder from under the noses of Barcelona, and spent 60 million euros on Inter Milan right-back Achraf Hakimi, who scored on his PSG league debut at the weekend.
Messi could be unveiled to supporters on Saturday, when PSG host Strasbourg and a full house of nearly 48,000 will be allowed in for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic struck 18 months ago.
However he is unlikely to make his debut until later this month at the earliest.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
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Lionel Messi: "I am excited to begin a new chapter of my career at Paris Saint-Germain" Paris: Argentina forward Lionel Messi...

"Relentless Search": Partner Finds Body Of UK Hiker In French Pyrenees After 8 Months

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="'Relentless Search': Partner Finds Body Of UK Hiker In French Pyrenees After 8 Months" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-08/vvvdfc9c_ester-uk-hiker-fb-photo_625x300_11_August_21.jpg" title="'Relentless Search': Partner Finds Body Of UK Hiker In French Pyrenees After 8 Months" /></div>
Esther Dingley had gone missing on November 22 last year.
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London, United Kingdom:
The partner of a British hiker who went missing in the French Pyrenees last November has found her body, her family said Tuesday, adding that an accident was "the most likely hypothesis".
Esther Dingley, 37, had been walking on her own in the mountain range, which straddles the border between France and Spain, but had not been heard from since sending a WhatsApp message on November 22.
Her partner Daniel Colegate, who raised the alarm over her whereabouts, found her body on Monday following a "relentless search", according to a family statement released by charity LBT Global.
Colegate found Dingley's body and equipment close to where a bone was found by a mountain runner two weeks ago. A DNA test on the bone confirmed last month that it belonged to the hiker.
"At this stage an accident is the most likely hypothesis, given the location and other early indications," the statement said.
"A full investigation is under way to confirm the details."
Her family said they "remain incredibly grateful for the efforts of the police units involved and their commitment to understanding the exact circumstances of Esther's death".
Dingley had planned to make a loop around the Salvaguardia peak, which stands at 2,738 metres (8,982 feet) above sea level, between Spain and where her vehicle was parked, according to investigators.
The BBC reported she and Colegate, who were partners for 20 years, had travelled around Europe in a camper van after leaving northeast England in 2014.
Colegate was house-sitting at a Gascony vineyard while his girlfriend took their motor home on the journey to Spain.
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/partner-finds-body-of-uk-hiker-esther-dingley-in-french-pyrenees-after-8-months-2507532">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/partner-finds-body-of-uk-hiker-esther-dingley-in-french-pyrenees-after-8-months-2507532</a>

news world "Relentless Search": Partner Finds Body Of UK Hiker In French Pyrenees After 8 Months

Esther Dingley had gone missing on November 22 last year. London, United Kingdom: The partner of a British hiker who went missing in th...

Twitter Suspends Pro-Trump US Lawmaker Marjorie Taylor For Covid Misinformation

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="Twitter Suspends Pro-Trump US Lawmaker Marjorie Taylor For Covid Misinformation" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-07/416mg5k_marjorie-taylor-greene-reuters-650_625x300_20_July_21.jpg" title="Twitter Suspends Pro-Trump US Lawmaker Marjorie Taylor For Covid Misinformation" /></div>
Twitter has suspended US lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene's account.
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Washington, United States:
Twitter said Tuesday it had suspended the account of controversial US lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene, a staunch supporter of former Republican president Donald Trump, for a week over a "misleading" tweet on coronavirus vaccines.
The tweet in question, sent on Monday, said the US Food and Drug Administration should not give final approval to anti-coronavirus vaccines, with Greene saying they were "failing" and did not curb the spread of the virus.
Twitter labeled the message "misleading" and suggested that users consult information provided by US health authorities about vaccines and mask-wearing.
"The tweet you referenced was labeled in line with our Covid-19 misleading information policy," a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement to AFP.
"The account will be in read-only mode for a week due to repeated violations of the Twitter rules."
The platform's rules on Covid misinformation state that a seven-day suspension comes with a fourth violation of the site's terms of use.
If the first-term Georgia congresswoman were to break the rules again, she could face a permanent ban.
Greene accused Twitter of suspending her for "speaking the truth, and tweeting what so many people are saying."
The lawmaker has been a staunch defender of Trump and his unsubstantiated claims that Democrats stole the 2020 presidential election.
In February, she apologized for her past support for QAnon conspiracy theories but was stripped of her two committee assignments.
Then in May, she courted controversy by repeatedly equating mask mandates with Nazis forcing Jews to wear yellow stars in wartime Germany.
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/twitter-suspends-pro-donald-trump-us-lawmaker-marjorie-taylor-for-covid-misinformation-2507529">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/twitter-suspends-pro-donald-trump-us-lawmaker-marjorie-taylor-for-covid-misinformation-2507529</a>