Afghanistan: Taliban deputy denies reports of leadership row in new video - BBC News

AFP

Afghanistan's acting deputy prime minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar has appeared in a video to deny reports that he was injured in a clash with a rival faction of the Taliban.

The Taliban co-founder had disappeared from view for several days.

There have been reports of a row between Taliban leaders, involving Mr Baradar and a rival faction loyal to the powerful Haqqani network.

But in the new interview, Mr Baradar denied reports of internal strife.

"No, this is not true; I am OK and healthy," Baradar said, when asked about whether he had been hurt.

"I was out of Kabul and I did not have access to the internet to reject the fake news," he added.

The short clip - posted on Twitter by the Taliban's political office in Doha - showed him seated on a sofa next to a state television interviewer, apparently reading from a sheet of paper.

"Thank God we have good relations with each other and we respect each other. Our relations are even better than a family," he said.

Mr Baradar was the first Taliban leader to communicate directly with a US president, in a telephone conversation with Donald Trump in 2020. Before that, he signed the Doha agreement on the withdrawal of US troops on behalf of the Taliban.

• PROFILES: Who's who in the Taliban leadership
• INVESTIGATION: Taliban kill civilians in resistance stronghold
• VOICES: Uncertain times ahead for Afghan women

The new video comes after senior Taliban officials told the BBC that supporters of Mr Baradar brawled with a faction loyal to Khalil ur-Rahman Haqqani - the minister for refugees and a prominent figure within the militant Haqqani network.

The sources said the argument had broken out because Mr Baradar was unhappy about the structure of their interim government.

The row also reportedly stemmed from divisions over who in the Taliban should take credit for their victory in Afghanistan.

Mr Baradar reportedly believes that the emphasis should be placed on diplomacy carried out by people like him, while members of the Haqqani group - which is run by one of the most senior Taliban figures - and their backers say it was achieved through fighting.

The Haqqani network is associated with some of the most violent attacks that have occurred in Afghanistan against Afghan forces and their Western allies in recent years. The group is designated by the US as a terrorist organisation.

Its leader, Sirajuddin Haqqani, is the interior minister in the new government.

Rumours about a falling-out have been spreading since late last week, when Mr Baradar - one of the best-known faces of the Taliban - disappeared from public view. There was speculation on social media that he might have died.

The Taliban sources told the BBC that Mr Baradar had left Kabul and travelled to the city of Kandahar following the row.

Before the new interview was released, an official from the Taliban's cultural commission said on Twitter that the interview would be aired on state RTA TV to disprove "enemy propaganda".

The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan last month, and have since declared the country an "Islamic Emirate". Their new interim cabinet is entirely male and made up of senior Taliban figures, some of whom are notorious for attacks on US forces over the past two decades.

You might be interested in watching:

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiLmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLWFzaWEtNTg1NTUyMzTSATJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iYmMuY28udWsvbmV3cy93b3JsZC1hc2lhLTU4NTU1MjM0LmFtcA?oc=5

2021-09-15 22:25:59Z
52781881239216

North Korea missile tests were by new 'railway-borne' system, state media says - Sky News

Missiles fired by North Korea were tests of a new "railway-borne missile system", according to the state news agency KCNA.

The missiles flew 497 miles (800km) before striking a target in the sea off North Korea's east coast, the agency said.

On Wednesday, South Korean and Japanese authorities announced they had detected the launch of two ballistic missiles from North Korea.

It comes just days after it tested a cruise missile that analysts said could have nuclear capabilities.

Wednesday's test was reportedly conducted by a railway-borne missile regiment that had been organised earlier this year.

Advertisement

"The railway-borne missile system serves as an efficient counter-strike means capable of dealing a harsh multi-concurrent blow to the threat-posing forces," said Pak Jong Chon, a North Korean marshal and a member of the Presidium of the Politburo of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, who oversaw the test, according to KCNA.

More on North Korea

Related Topics:

Tensions increased further after South Korea tested its own ballistic missiles later on Wednesday.

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, criticised South Korean President Moon Jae-in for comments he made while observing his country's missile tests, which included its first of a submarine-launched ballistic missile.

Image: The missiles flew 497 miles before striking a target in the sea off North Korea's east coast. Pic: KCNA

Mr Moon had said South Korea's growing missile capabilities will serve as a "sure deterrence" against North Korean provocations.

But in a statement issued by state media, Ms Kim berated Mr Moon for describing North Korean weapons demonstrations as a provocation.

She also warned of a "complete destruction" of bilateral relations if he continued with what she described as the slander of North Korea.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council scheduled emergency consultations on the North Korean missile launches late on Wednesday afternoon at the request of France and Estonia.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric expressed concern at the missile launches, reiterating that "diplomatic engagement remains the only pathway to sustainable peace and complete, verifiable denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula".

Experts have said North Korea is building up its weapons systems to apply pressure on the United States in the hopes of winning relief from economic sanctions aimed at forcing the country to abandon its nuclear arsenal.

US-led talks on the issue have been stalled for more than two years.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L25vcnRoLWtvcmVhLW1pc3NpbGUtdGVzdHMtd2VyZS1ieS1uZXctcmFpbHdheS1ib3JuZS1zeXN0ZW0tc3RhdGUtbWVkaWEtc2F5cy0xMjQwOTEzMtIBc2h0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2FtcC9ub3J0aC1rb3JlYS1taXNzaWxlLXRlc3RzLXdlcmUtYnktbmV3LXJhaWx3YXktYm9ybmUtc3lzdGVtLXN0YXRlLW1lZGlhLXNheXMtMTI0MDkxMzI?oc=5

2021-09-15 21:49:41Z
52781877468119

Simone Biles: 'I blame system that enabled Larry Nassar abuse' - BBC News

Elite US gymnast Simone Biles has testified before the Senate about abuse she suffered at the hands of disgraced former team doctor, Larry Nassar.

Former teammates Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney also appeared before the committee, along with FBI Director Christopher Wray.

The committee is examining shortcomings in the FBI's investigation into Nassar, later convicted of sexually abusing girls.

He is serving a life sentence in jail.

"I blame Larry Nasser, and I also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetrated [sic] his abuse," said Ms Biles, the most decorated Olympic gymnast of all-time.

"If you allow a predator to harm children, the consequences will be swift and severe," she added.

• SCATHING REPORT: FBI failed to investigate USA Gymnastics abuser
• VOICES: What it was like to face 'monster' doctor in court

Gymnast Maggie Nichols - the first victim to report her abuse to USA Gymnastics - also testified.

What did the women say?

In emotional testimony on Wednesday, the four women told the Senate Judiciary Committee they had "suffered and continue to suffer" from the abuse they experienced and its bungled handling.

Four-time Olympic gold medallist Simone Biles - one of the most famous figures in world sports - called for the agents involved to be federally prosecuted.

"How much is a little girl worth?" she asked.

Aly Raisman, who served as captain of the 2012 and 2016 US Olympic gymnastics teams, expressed disgust that she was "still fighting for the most basic answers and accountability" more than six years after first reporting her abuse.

"Over the past few years it has become painfully clear how a survivor's healing is affected by the handling of their abuse," she testified.

She criticised the FBI investigation as being "like guesswork", warning that not addressing its serious flaws would result in a recurring "nightmare" for many more women.

McKayla Maroney, who won gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games, described the experience of being interviewed by the FBI as replete with "silence and disregard for my trauma".

"They chose to fabricate, to lie about what I said and protect a serial child molester," she told senators.

"What is the point of reporting abuse if our own FBI agents are going to take it upon themselves to bury that report in a drawer?"

Reuters

What was the hearing for?

The four athletes were among more than 200 women who gave powerful impact statements to a court in 2018, detailing Larry Nassar's abuse as the sports doctor of the United States women's national gymnastics team.

In total, Nassar was accused of sexual abuse by more than 330 women and girls at USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University.

A long-awaited report into the FBI's investigation, which was published in July, found numerous missteps, delays and cover-ups by FBI agents, which allowed Nassar's abuse to continue for several more months after the case was first opened.

The 119-page report by the Department of Justice Inspector General found that, despite the seriousness of the allegations against Nassar, the FBI field office in Indianapolis had been slow to respond.

The agency initially interviewed only Ms Maroney while declining to interview other young women who had come forward with their stories.

Confronted by their mistakes, two FBI officials lied during interviews to cover up their errors, the report said. According to the FBI, one of those officials was fired last week.

What did the FBI say?

FBI Director Christopher Wray apologised profusely to those present for the "reprehensible conduct" and "fundamental errors" detailed in the July report.

Mr Wray only took the agency's top job in 2017, but pledged to prevent a repeat of the mishandled case under his leadership.

He pointed to last week's removal of the supervising official involved, while noting the other official - who led the field office in Indianapolis - had retired long before he could be disciplined.

He acknowledged the work of both agents had "violated the FBI's long-standing code of conduct" but was "inconsistent" with the vast majority of his team.

At a news conference later on Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the president "supports" the recommended steps outlined for the FBI in the Department of Justice report.

But both lawmakers and witnesses called out the department for being a "no-show" at the hearing despite being invited. Speaking after the hearing, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal noted the department must still answer more questions.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiM2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLXVzLWNhbmFkYS01ODU3Mzg4N9IBN2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLXVzLWNhbmFkYS01ODU3Mzg4Ny5hbXA?oc=5

2021-09-15 18:58:09Z
52781878402375

Taliban leader bust-up over credit for Afghanistan victory - BBC News - BBC News

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiK2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnlvdXR1YmUuY29tL3dhdGNoP3Y9MURqRW9Nb2RJY2PSAQA?oc=5

2021-09-15 15:55:28Z
52781877993782

North and South Korea in 'arms race' as both test ballistic missiles - BBC News - BBC News

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiK2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnlvdXR1YmUuY29tL3dhdGNoP3Y9cGtiOUthSVRyanfSAQA?oc=5

2021-09-15 16:45:02Z
52781877468119

Afghanistan women's youth soccer team escapes to Pakistan - BBC News

Getty Images

Female players from Afghanistan's junior national soccer team have crossed the border into Pakistan.

The girls had spent the past month in hiding amid fears of a crackdown on women's rights by the Taliban.

The adult side flew out of Kabul last month but the youth team were reportedly left stranded as they lacked passports and other documentation.

Thirty-two players and their families won visas after the charity "Football for Peace" lobbied Pakistan.

An official with Pakistan's Football Federation said the group, totalling 81 people, would travel from Peshawar to the eastern city of Lahore, where they would be housed at the federation's headquarters. A further 34 people will arrive on Thursday he said.

The players will remain in Pakistan under tight security for 30 days before applying for asylum in third countries, the official said.

The Independent recently revealed that the players had written to the Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan to ask for permission to urgently enter the country.

The letter claimed that the girls were at risk of "grave threats" from the Taliban.

After the fall of Kabul players were warned by the national team's former captain, Khalida Popal, to delete pictures of themselves playing on social media and to burn their kits to protect themselves from potential reprisals from the new regime.

Last week the deputy head of the Taliban's cultural commission, Ahmadullah Wasiq, cast doubt over the future of women's sport in the country when he said it was considered neither appropriate nor necessary in response to a question about the fate of the women's cricket team.

"In cricket, they might face a situation where their face and body will not be covered. Islam does not allow women to be seen like this", Wasiq said.

"It is the media era, and there will be photos and videos, and then people watch it. Islam and the Islamic Emirate [Afghanistan] do not allow women to play cricket or play the kind of sports where they get exposed."

Women were barred from participating in sports during the Taliban's last spell in power from 1996-2001.

Their departure is part of a wider exodus of Afghan sports and cultural stars amid fears of a crackdown on women's rights following the takeover of the country by the Taliban last month.

As well as the departure of the women's football teams, the country's biggest pop singer Aryana Sayeed and the famed film director Sahraa Karimi both left during the evacuation last month.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiLmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3dvcmxkLWFzaWEtNTg1NzExODPSATJodHRwczovL3d3dy5iYmMuY28udWsvbmV3cy93b3JsZC1hc2lhLTU4NTcxMTgzLmFtcA?oc=5

2021-09-15 14:52:44Z
52781881239216

North Korea fires two ballistic missiles - days after testing 'weapon of great significance' - Sky News

Analysis by Tom Cheshire, Asia correspondent

Not long ago, you couldn't go a week without a North Korean missile launch. But the country has been quieter for a while, perhaps while it dealt with COVID or challenging economic conditions.

Normal service has been very much resumed, though. And, just like buses, after a long wait two launches have come at once.

Over the weekend, the regime announced it had successfully tested a long range cruise missile, one it described as a "strategic weapon of great significance" - code for potentially nuclear capable.

That may or may not be the case and US and South Korean intelligence will be looking closely.

There's no doubt about today's launch of two ballistic missiles. Unlike the cruise missile, which was first made public by North Korean state media, both Japanese and South Korean officials reported this launch.

That indicates these were bigger missiles they were able to track.

The timing is interesting. Nuclear negotiators from the US, South Korea and Japan are meeting in Tokyo.

More unusually, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is in Seoul to discuss the stalled nuclear diplomacy with President Moon Jae-in.

China is North Korea's most important friend. Loosing off missiles while he's in town just over the border may be regarded as a warning to remember whose side he's supposed to be on, and of the capability and threat that North Korea poses more generally.

Then there was the judgment last month by the UN that North Korea has restarted its nuclear reactor, potentially producing plutonium for warheads.

Add in a big military parade in the capital Pyongyang - where we saw a new, slimmed down Kim Jong Un - and the clear message is that North Korea is back in business.

The issue had been parked for the beginning of the Biden administration, while the world grappled with COVID-19. North Korea's recent actions are a reminder that it is a long way from being solved.

Adblock test (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMifGh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L25vcnRoLWtvcmVhLWZpcmVzLXR3by1iYWxsaXN0aWMtbWlzc2lsZXMtZGF5cy1hZnRlci10ZXN0aW5nLXdlYXBvbi1vZi1ncmVhdC1zaWduaWZpY2FuY2UtMTI0MDgzMjTSAYABaHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLnNreS5jb20vc3RvcnkvYW1wL25vcnRoLWtvcmVhLWZpcmVzLXR3by1iYWxsaXN0aWMtbWlzc2lsZXMtZGF5cy1hZnRlci10ZXN0aW5nLXdlYXBvbi1vZi1ncmVhdC1zaWduaWZpY2FuY2UtMTI0MDgzMjQ?oc=5

2021-09-15 10:16:26Z
52781877468119