Kabul announces list of 250 Afghans for talks with Taliban
AP, Kabul, Afghanistan
Kabul has announced a list of 250 people – including around 50 women – who are headed for Qatar for talks with the Taliban later this week, a gathering known as intra-Afghan dialogue.
The list was released by the government on Tuesday although the Taliban have refused to talk directly with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s government, saying they would recognize participants only as “ordinary” Afghans.
Russian parliament adopts internet controls bill
AP, Moscow
Russia’s lower chamber of parliament has adopted a bill that would expand government control over the internet, raising fears of widespread censorship.
The State Duma on Tuesday overwhelmingly voted to support the bill, which still has to be approved by the upper chamber of Russian Parliament and signed into the law by the president.
Heavy rains, floods kill 5 in Afghanistan
AP, Kabul
Afghan officials say at least five more people have been killed and 17 are missing as a new wave of heavy rains and flooding swept across the country’s western Herat province.
Hamid Mubarez, disaster and humanitarian affairs director in Herat, says the 17 were last heard of while traveling in a van on Monday in the district of Obey.
The country’s disaster ministry says heavy rains and flooding have hit 16 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces in the past 24 hours, and that the floods have also destroyed and damaged houses and swept away livestock.
