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Taliban Pledge Safety For Humanitarian Workers: UN

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="Taliban Pledge Safety For Humanitarian Workers: UN" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2019-08/8t3oc5eo_united-nations_625x300_18_August_19.jpg" title="Taliban Pledge Safety For Humanitarian Workers: UN" /></div>
The UN said this week humanitarian flights had resumed to several Afghan provinces.
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United Nations, United States:
The Taliban on Sunday pledged to guarantee the safety of humanitarian workers and aid access in Afghanistan in a meeting with the UN humanitarian chief in Kabul, a UN spokesman said.
Martin Griffiths was in the Afghan capital on Sunday for several days of meetings with Taliban leadership amid a looming humanitarian disaster in the country newly under the control of the Taliban.
"The authorities pledged that the safety and security of humanitarian staff, and humanitarian access to people in need, will be guaranteed and that humanitarian workers -- both men and women -- will be guaranteed freedom of movement," a statement from UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
Griffiths reiterated in the meeting that the humanitarian community was committed to delivering "impartial and independent humanitarian assistance," the statement added.
He also called on all parties to ensure the rights and safety of women, both those contributing to aid delivery and civilians.
Women's freedoms in Afghanistan were sharply curtailed under the Taliban's 1996-2001 rule.
The Taliban delegation, led by the group's co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, thanked UN officials for the "promised continuation of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people" and assured them "of cooperation and provision of needed facilities," according to a statement posted on Twitter by Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen.
The UN says Afghanistan is mired in a humanitarian crisis affecting 18 million people, or half the population.
Even before the Taliban's lightning offensive that ousted the Western-backed government on August 15, Afghanistan was already heavily aid-dependent -- with 40 percent of the country's GDP drawn from foreign funding.
But the future of aid missions in the country under the Taliban has been a source of concern for the UN and aid groups, despite Taliban pledges of a softer brand of rule than during their first stint in power.
Several relief organizations have previously confirmed to AFP they were in talks with the Taliban to continue their operations, or have already received security guarantees for existing programs.
The UN said this week humanitarian flights had resumed to several Afghan provinces.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged "the Taliban and all other parties to exercise utmost restraint to protect lives and to ensure that humanitarian needs can be met" in a report to the Security Council this weekend.
The report was compiled as the mandate of the UN political mission in Afghanistan is scheduled to expire on September 17.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
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The UN said this week humanitarian flights had resumed to several Afghan provinces. United Nations, United States: The Taliban on Sunda...

US Lawyer Shot In The Head Months After His Wife, Son Killed: Report

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The survived and was airlifted to a hospital, say reports. (Representational)
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Washington:
A prominent South Carolina lawyer whose family has deep roots in regional law enforcement has been shot in the head, just months after his son and wife were mysteriously murdered, authorities said.
The lawyer, Alex Murdaugh, was changing a tire on the side of a country road when someone in a truck drove past, then returned and fired at him, his lawyer, Jim Griffin, told The New York Times.
Murdaugh, 53, survived and was airlifted to a hospital, where he was able to describe the attack to his brother, media reports said.
The sheriff's office in coastal Hampton County confirmed the shooting and said it was investigating.
The attack came three months after Murdaugh returned home one day to find his wife, Maggie, and son Paul, a 22-year-old college student, shot to death in their estate in the village of Islandton, in the state's southwest.
No arrests have been made in that June 7 case, and prosecutors said recently that they still have no suspects.
But the Murdaugh family's long history in law enforcement has drawn intense attention and fueled speculation in the months since the shootings.
Alex Murdaugh's father, grandfather and great-grandfather all served as top regional prosecutors.
One line of speculation surrounding the double murder related to the fact that Paul Murdaugh, at the time of his death, was awaiting trial on charges stemming from a boat crash that killed a 19-year-old woman.
Reports conflicted as to whether Paul Murdaugh was driving the boat at the time.
Following the roadside attack on Alex Murdaugh, the family issued a statement, the Island Packet newspaper reported.
It read: "The Murdaugh family has suffered through more than any one family can ever imagine. We expect Alex to recover and ask for your privacy while he recovers."
The shooting has added to the family's deep sense of shock, lawyer Griffin said.
"It makes us all wonder what the hell's going on," he told the Times.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-lawyer-shot-in-the-head-months-after-his-wife-son-killed-report-2530979">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-lawyer-shot-in-the-head-months-after-his-wife-son-killed-report-2530979</a>

news world US Lawyer Shot In The Head Months After His Wife, Son Killed: Report

The survived and was airlifted to a hospital, say reports. (Representational) Washington: A prominent South Carolina lawyer whose famil...

Everyone "Got It Wrong" On Taliban's Lightning Takeover Of Afghanistan: British Army Chief

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The Taliban is expected to announce a new government soon (File)
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London:
The world "got it wrong" on how quickly the Taliban would take over Afghanistan, the head of the British army said on Sunday, days after the UK government acknowledged that intelligence suggested that "it was unlikely Kabul would fall this year" after Western troops withdrew from the war-torn country.
The US and other countries were caught off-guard by the Taliban's lightning conquest of Afghanistan last month and the strikingly rapid fall of the Afghan military and government backed by the West once NATO troops left the country.
"It was the pace of it that surprised us and I don't think we realised quite what the Taliban were up to," Britain's chief of the defence staff, General Nick Carter told the BBC.
Asked whether military intelligence was wrong, he said the government received intelligence from a variety of sources.
"It's not purely about military intelligence," he said.
The last British and US troops left Afghanistan a week ago, bringing their 20-year military campaign in the country to an end. There has been criticism of the way the West withdrew from Afghanistan, with questions over how the Taliban was able to seize control of the country at such speed.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told MPs last week the intelligence assessment had been that there would be a "steady deterioration" in the security situation in August but it was "unlikely Kabul would fall this year". However, the Taliban took over Kabul on August 15 and Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani fled to the UAE.
Speaking to the BBC, Nick was asked how the predictions had been wrong.
"I think everybody got it wrong is the straight answer," he said. "Even the Taliban didn't expect things to change as quickly as they did."
Asked whether military intelligence was wrong, Nick said: "No... many of the assessments suggested it wouldn't last the course of the year and, of course, that's proven to be correct."
He said: "It's a much broader thing than just strictly military intelligence. "The way it works in this country is we have the joint intelligence committee which sits inside the Cabinet Office. So what they do is pull together the sources from the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign Office, the inter-agencies and the secret intelligence services and wider open source material."
He said: "I don't think what anybody predicted was how fragile that Afghan government was and how fragile it was in relation to the command of its armed forces."
After the Taliban took control of Kabul, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley commented on the intelligence assessment at a Pentagon news conference, saying the time frame of the Afghan government's collapse "was widely estimated and ranged from weeks to months and even years following our departure."
"There was nothing that I or anyone else saw that indicated a collapse of this army and this government in 11 days," Milley said.
The Taliban is expected to announce a new government soon, meaning foreign powers will have to adapt to the prospect of dealing with an administration led by Taliban terrorists.
The British army chief said it was too early to say how the Taliban would govern, but there was a possibility the group would be less repressive than it was in the past.
"On the face of it, it doesn't look good at the moment. But let's see what happens. It may well change," he said.
"I also think they're not stupid enough to [not] know the Afghan people have changed and they want a slightly different sort of governance."
On Sunday, the Taliban was accused of murdering a female police officer. The killing comes amid reports the group is escalating its repression of women.
He said it was now down to the international community to encourage the Taliban to govern in a different way.
"They're going to need a bit of help to run a modern state effectively," he said.
"If they behave, perhaps they'll get some help," he said.
Nick said the risk of terrorism will depend on whether an effective government can be formed in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Opposition Labour Party's shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said there was a strong possibility that Britain may now be less safe because of the events in Afghanistan.
"The urgent task for the government... is to make sure Afghanistan doesn't collapse once again into a haven of terrorism," the Indian-origin politician said.
She called on the UK to work with other countries - not just its allies - to take a common approach towards the Taliban, and use their leverage to demand rights for women and girls living in Afghanistan.
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/everyone-got-it-wrong-on-talibans-lightning-takeover-of-afghanistan-british-army-chief-2530976">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/everyone-got-it-wrong-on-talibans-lightning-takeover-of-afghanistan-british-army-chief-2530976</a>

news world Everyone "Got It Wrong" On Taliban's Lightning Takeover Of Afghanistan: British Army Chief

The Taliban is expected to announce a new government soon (File) London: The world "got it wrong" on how quickly the Taliban ...

Surfer Dies In Shark Attack Off Australian Beach

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="Surfer Dies In Shark Attack Off Australian Beach" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/unsplash--shark-generic_625x300_1530432631269.jpg" title="Surfer Dies In Shark Attack Off Australian Beach" /></div>
The incident took place off the Emerald Beach, some 550 km north of Sydney. (Representational)
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MELBOURNE:
A surfer died on Sunday after being bitten by a shark off a surfing beach on Australia's east coast, paramedics said.
The incident took place off the Emerald Beach, some 550 km (342 miles) north of Sydney.
"Despite the best efforts of bystanders, paramedics and other emergency services the patient sadly died at the scene," New South Wales Ambulance said on its Twitter account.
The beach, about 20 km (12 miles) north of Coffs Harbour, was closed after the incident, Coffs Harbour Lifeguards officials said.
The surfer was believed to be in his late 20s and was bitten in the arm, media reported.
Australia ranked behind only the United States in the number of unprovoked shark encounters with humans in 2019, according to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/surfer-dies-in-shark-attack-off-australian-beach-2530974">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/surfer-dies-in-shark-attack-off-australian-beach-2530974</a>

news world Surfer Dies In Shark Attack Off Australian Beach

The incident took place off the Emerald Beach, some 550 km north of Sydney. (Representational) MELBOURNE: A surfer died on Sunday after...

Talks With Taliban Must Continue To Evacuate More People: Angela Merkel

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="Talks With Taliban Must Continue To Evacuate More People: Angela Merkel" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-08/h708o97k_angela-merkel-germanyafp650_625x300_25_August_21.jpg" title="Talks With Taliban Must Continue To Evacuate More People: Angela Merkel" /></div>
"We want to get people out of the country," Angela Merkel said.
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Berlin:
German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday called for a dialogue with the Taliban as the hardline Islamists finalise a new government that will set the tone for their rule in Afghanistan.
"We simply have to talk to the Taliban about how we can get people who have worked for Germany out of the country and bring them to safety," Merkel told a new conference in North Rhine-Westphalia state.
"They are the ones we have to talk to now. We want to get people out of the country who have worked for German development organisations in particular and who now feel threatened," Merkel said.
The Taliban swooped into power in Afghanistan three weeks ago, prompting a hurried effort by Western states to evacuate their citizens and Afghans who had worked for their armies and aid organisations.
Facing the challenge of morphing from insurgents to rulers, the Taliban now appear determined to snuff out fighting in the Panjshir valley before announcing who will lead the country in the aftermath of last week's US troop withdrawal.
Afghanistan's new rulers have promised a more "inclusive" government that represents Afghanistan's complex ethnic makeup -- though women are unlikely to be included at the top levels.
While the West has adopted a wait-and-see approach to the group, there are some signs of engagement with the new leaders gathering pace.
Earlier on Sunday, Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper that the Taliban wanted "strong and official diplomatic relations with Germany".
Already in August, Merkel had told parliament that the international community had to maintain dialogue with the Taliban if it was to protect improvements made in Afghanistan during two decades of NATO deployment.
The chancellor also said Sunday it was a "good signal" that the airport in the Afghan capital Kabul was in use again.
The country's flag carrier Ariana Afghan Airlines resumed domestic trips on Friday and some humanitarian aid flights have also been allowed into the country.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/german-chancellor-angela-merkel-talks-with-taliban-must-continue-to-evacuate-more-people-2530960">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/german-chancellor-angela-merkel-talks-with-taliban-must-continue-to-evacuate-more-people-2530960</a>

news world Talks With Taliban Must Continue To Evacuate More People: Angela Merkel

"We want to get people out of the country," Angela Merkel said. Berlin: German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday called for ...

WATCH: French Riot Cops Brutally Arrest 2 Women — But Retreat in Face of Big Crowd of Anti-Covid Pass Protesters in Paris Mall

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French riot police officers have been scolded for brutally arresting two women, after backing away when confronted by a big group of protesters against the so-called coronavirus health passes, who stormed a mall in central Paris.
Hundreds of people forced their way into the Forum des Halles shopping center on Saturday, amid a nationwide string of demonstrations against the Covid-19 restrictions and mandates. The group was seen chanting ‘Freedom!’ inside the mall, which is partially underground and connected to the metro transit hub of Chatelet–Les Halles.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" readability="3.0245901639344">
« LIBERTÉ ! »
Les anti <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PassSanitaire?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PassSanitaire</a> ont réussie à envahir le centre commercial de Châtelet. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/manifestation4septembre?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#manifestation4septembre</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Manifs4septembre?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Manifs4septembre</a> <a href="https://t.co/Tf6S4stDxa">https://t.co/Tf6S4stDxa</a> <a href="https://t.co/1VSKQsk1Ih">pic.twitter.com/1VSKQsk1Ih</a>
— Clément Lanot (@ClementLanot) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClementLanot/status/1434169470810050564?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
To restore public order, authorities deployed a riot police unit, BRAV-M, a French acronym for the Motorized Brigades for the Repression of Violent Actions – even though the crowd was not even technically defying the ban on entering shopping centers without a health certificate, since Forum des Halles is one of a handful of Paris venues <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://actu.fr/ile-de-france/paris_75056/les-centres-commerciaux-de-paris-ou-le-pass-sanitaire-n-est-pas-obligatoire_44020406.html" target="_blank">exempt</a> from the coronavirus pass mandate.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" readability="5.1779141104294">
🔴Tensions a l’intérieur du Forum des Halles à <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ch%C3%A2telet?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Châtelet</a>, alors que des manifestants sont entrés à l’intérieur du centre commercial. Intervention en cours de la BRAV-M. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Manifs4septembre?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Manifs4septembre</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PassSanitaire?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PassSanitaire</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Manifestations4Septembre?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Manifestations4Septembre</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris</a> <a href="https://t.co/4tM0zSc8fK">pic.twitter.com/4tM0zSc8fK</a>
— Charles Baudry (@CharlesBaudry) <a href="https://twitter.com/CharlesBaudry/status/1434173581227929603?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
At one point, the riot cops trying to quell the crowd were “forced to leave the shopping center under pressure” from the demonstrators, according to journalist Clement Lanot.
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PARIS – La BRAVM est obligée de quitter le centre commercial sous la pression des antis <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PassSanitaire?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PassSanitaire</a>. Ils sont suivis jusqu’aux escalators. Tensions en cours. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Manifs4septembre?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Manifs4septembre</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/manifestation4septembre?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#manifestation4septembre</a> <a href="https://t.co/oGBXZpsw01">https://t.co/oGBXZpsw01</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZHC0Wrn9ea">pic.twitter.com/ZHC0Wrn9ea</a>
— Clément Lanot (@ClementLanot) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClementLanot/status/1434172687644073984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
Multiple videos showed tensions running high, but no direct clashes between the protesters and police. The crowd eventually dispersed peacefully, with no injuries and no damage reported, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.bfmtv.com/police-justice/anti-pass-sanitaire-trois-interpellations-apres-des-tensions-au-forum-des-halles-a-paris_AV-202109040213.html" target="_blank">according</a> to BFMTV.
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Quelques dizaines de militants contre le <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Passanitaire?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Passanitaire</a> se trouvent encore dans la zone des Halles à <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris</a> <a href="https://t.co/m6UaPDBZMV">pic.twitter.com/m6UaPDBZMV</a>
— Lucas Léger (@lucas_rtfrance) <a href="https://twitter.com/lucas_rtfrance/status/1434188537092509697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
French media said only three people were arrested inside the complex for “violence and insulting the police” – but a purported video of the arrest caused a torrent of outrage and indignation. 
In one of the clips widely shared online, at least half a dozen officers in full riot gear with batons and shields are seen rushing inside the underground station, ganging up on two women and knocking one of them down to the ground. One of the cops is also seen pushing the camera operator aside.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/France?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#France</a> Paris <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/libert%C3%A9?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#liberté</a> 4/09/2021 <a href="https://t.co/EFaynL5lN4">pic.twitter.com/EFaynL5lN4</a>
— Nicole Elisei (@EliseiNicole) <a href="https://twitter.com/EliseiNicole/status/1434189703872491527?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
While it’s unclear why the women were arrested, the brutality of the response was almost unanimously denounced as excessive. Many called the officers “cowards” who were not that brave in the face of a larger crowd. Others quipped sarcastically that women might feel safer in Kabul, Afghanistan. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" readability="9.5401234567901">
Hey dad, what do you and the other police do today? Did you catch a robber? Stop a murder?
No son. 20 of us in full riot gear chased down a terrified woman and beat her with batons because her papers weren’t in order.
I’m so proud of you dad. <a href="https://t.co/A9WYhYWO4T">pic.twitter.com/A9WYhYWO4T</a>
— Ezra Levant 🍁 (@ezralevant) <a href="https://twitter.com/ezralevant/status/1434332543206273025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
In total, an estimated 140,000 people took part in more than 200 rallies all across France on Saturday, for the eighth consecutive weekend in a row. The rallies began in mid-July after President Emmanuel Macron’s government introduced a system that made presenting a vaccination certificate or negative Covid-19 test obligatory for those wishing to visit a restaurant, theater, cinema or shopping mall, or travel on a long-distance train.
The authorities maintain that the measure is needed to encourage people to get the jabs and eventually avoid another lockdown. Just over 60% of French citizens have been fully vaccinated, and those who haven’t got the shot yet, or are not planning to at all, say that the health pass diminishes their rights and turns them into second-class citizens.
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Greg Reese reports on Corey Digs’ extensive research into how the <a href="https://freeworldnews.tv/watch?id=6130f291ace02d0354b90ecd">QR Code will be used to mark every human being on Earth</a>.
 
 
source <a href="https://www.infowars.com/posts/watch-french-riot-cops-brutally-arrest-2-women-but-retreat-in-face-of-big-crowd-of-anti-covid-pass-protesters-in-paris-mall">https://www.infowars.com/posts/watch-french-riot-cops-brutally-arrest-2-women-but-retreat-in-face-of-big-crowd-of-anti-covid-pass-protesters-in-paris-mall</a>

news WATCH: French Riot Cops Brutally Arrest 2 Women — But Retreat in Face of Big Crowd of Anti-Covid Pass Protesters in Paris Mall

French riot police officers have been scolded for brutally arresting two women, after backing away when confronted by a big group of protes...