Gas markets ease as investors bank on Russia to step in - Financial Times

Global gas markets eased and equities climbed on Thursday, as investors banked that Russia would help Europe avoid a full-blown energy crisis.

European and UK gas prices fell in morning trades after a chaotic Wednesday that saw UK futures contracts climb almost 40 per cent before Russian president Vladimir Putin said his country was prepared to stabilise the market.

Russia, a major supplier of gas to Europe, has been accused by some European politicians of deliberately withholding supplies in an effort to win approval of the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which would send the fuel directly to Germany.

Alexander Novak, Russia’s energy minister, said late on Wednesday that certifying the recently completed pipeline would give a “positive signal” that could “cool down the current situation somewhat”.

Novak also suggested that increasing gas trading volumes on an electronic platform in St Petersburg run by Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned energy company, “could curb the speculative effect” on prices.

Hopes of Russian assistance helped European equities to rebound from losses on Wednesday. The benchmark Stoxx 600 share index gained 0.9 per cent while London’s FTSE 100 rose 0.8 per cent.

UK gas contracts for November delivery, which reached more than £4 per therm on Wednesday, fell 18 per cent to £2.23 on Thursday. The European TTF contract for November delivery dropped 21 per cent to €90.50 per megawatt hour.

Surging gas prices, unleashed by a combination of the global economy’s recovery from the pandemic, a shortage of supplies and longstanding efforts to reduce the use of fossil fuels, are threatening to slow economic growth and fuel inflation.

Olivier Marciot, cross asset investment manager at fund manager Unigestion, cautioned that while power prices could moderate, markets would remain vulnerable to broader inflationary pressures hitting consumers and prompting central banks to raise interest rates.

“It is not just about gas,” he said, referring to increases in the prices of commodities from cotton to coffee alongside pandemic-related worker shortages in the US, Europe and the UK.

Headline consumer price inflation in the US has topped 5 per cent for three months and hit a 29-year high in Germany.

Meanwhile, US energy secretary Jennifer Granholm told the Financial Times on Wednesday that the White House may release strategic oil reserves to stop the gas shortage dragging crude prices higher. Brent crude fell 1.4 per cent to $79.88 a barrel after approaching $83.50 on Wednesday.

Energy price swings and prospects of Russia gaining more influence in Europe was “developing a geopolitical lens over markets,” that had been absent since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, when debt and equity valuations became dominated by central banks’ stimulus spending, said Edward Park, chief investment officer of Brooks Macdonald.

“The first order event was a supply and demand imbalance coming out of the pandemic,” that caused energy price rallies, he said. “Now the geopolitics are coming out because of the prices.”

Government bonds were steady on Thursday following volatile trading in recent sessions, as traders held back from bets ahead of Friday’s US non-farm payrolls report. US employers are predicted to have hired almost half a million workers in September, which analysts believe could prompt the Fed to decide the economy has healed enough from the pandemic to reduce its $120bn a month of crisis-fighting bond purchases.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves inversely to its price and influences borrowing costs worldwide, was flat at 1.529 per cent. It has climbed from about 1.3 per cent in late September.

The UK’s 10-year gilt yield, which last week topped 1 per cent for the first time since March 2020 as traders anticipated stagflation and interest rate rises, was steady at 1.07 per cent.

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2021-10-07 09:15:59Z
CAIiEDoASQ5aG-xDWpEgRTtK8rcqGAgEKg8IACoHCAow-4fWBzD4z0gw_fCpBg

Biden, Xi plan US-China virtual summit before year's end as tensions over Taiwan mount - Daily Mail

Biden, Xi plan US-China virtual summit before year's end as tensions over Taiwan mount

• The summit has reportedly been made possible after US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with senior Chinese foreign policy advisor Yang Jiechi 
• Jen Psaki has yet to confirm details of the meeting but they are expected to discuss tariffs, human rights and Chinese secrecy about Covid's origin
• It's unclear how much of the virtual summit will be public
• The news comes as China warned that World War III could be triggered 'at any time' after it sent dozens of warplanes into Taiwan's airspace 
• China claims Taiwan as its own territory but Taiwan says it's an independent country that will defend its freedoms and democracy
• The last time Biden and Xi spoke was on a 90-minute call on September 9

By Shannon Thaler For Dailymail.Com

Published: 06:31 BST, 7 October 2021 | Updated: 07:23 BST, 7 October 2021

US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a virtual summit before the end of 2021 as tensions rise between China and Taiwan, White House officials said.

The virtual meeting was reportedly only made possible after US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan met with senior Chinese foreign policy advisor Yang Jiechi in Zurich, Switzerland on Wednesday. 

'When China and the United States cooperate, the two countries and the world will benefit,' China's Xinhua news agency reported.

US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping (pictured with Biden in 2013) are set to hold a virtual summit before the end of 2021 as tensions rise between China and Taiwan. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has yet to confirm the details of the meeting but the two presidents are expected to discuss tariffs, human rights and Chinese secrecy about the origin of Covid-19

The digital meeting has reportedly only been made possible after US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan (left) met with senior Chinese foreign policy advisor Yang Jiechi (right) in Zurich, Switzerland earlier today

The news comes as China continues to threaten Taiwan. On Monday, China warned that World War III could be triggered 'at any time' after it sent dozens of warplanes into Taiwan's airspace.  

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has yet to confirm the details of the meeting.

Psaki said at Wednesday's daily press briefing: 'Leader-level engagement is an important part of our effort to responsibly manage the competition with China, especially given the coalescing of power in Chinese leadership.

'We’re still working through what that would look like, when and of course the final details.' 

It's unclear how much of the virtual summit will be public or who else will attend.

Currently, China claims Taiwan as its own territory but Taiwan says it's an independent country that will defend its freedoms and democracy, blaming China for the tensions.

Xi said Taiwan will be taken by force if necessary. A reported 148 Chinese air force planes were in the southern and southwestern part of Taiwan's air defense zone over a four-day period beginning on Friday - the same day China marked a key patriotic holiday, National Day. 

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday vowed to 'do whatever it takes' to guard Taiwan against invasion as she indicated that without help from the country's allies 'authoritarianism has the upper hand over democracy'.  

'They should remember that if Taiwan were to fall, the consequences would be catastrophic for regional peace and the democratic alliance system.

'It would signal that in today's global contest of values, authoritarianism has the upper hand over democracy,' she added.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (pictured in Beijing on September 30, 2021) claims Taiwan as China's territory but Taiwan says it's an independent country that will defend its freedoms and democracy, blaming China for the tensions

President Tsai Ing-wen (pictured in October 2020 in Taipei) vowed to 'do whatever it takes' to guard Taiwan against invasion as she warned that if the country's allies allowed it to fall 'it would signal that authoritarianism has the upper hand over democracy'

Nearly 150 Chinese warplanes have breached Taiwan's airspace since Friday, including nuclear-capable bombers on Monday in a dramatic increase in aggression

On Sunday, the US urged China to stop its military activities near Taiwan.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement on Sunday: 'The United States is very concerned by the People's Republic of China's provocative military activity near Taiwan, which is destabilizing, risks miscalculations, and undermines regional peace and stability.'   

The talks are to be a follow-up on Biden's call with Xi last month as the administration continues 'to seek to responsibly manage the competition' between the two countries, the White House said in a statement.

Biden on Tuesday sought to reassure Taiwan as he told reporters: 'I've spoken with Xi about Taiwan. We agree ... we'll abide by the Taiwan agreement.'

However, he was referring to the last time he spoke to Xi, which was on a 90-minute call with the Chinese president on September 9. Tensions have risen significantly in recent days.  

The agreement he was referring to was Washington's long-standing 'one-China policy' where the country will officially recognize Beijing rather than Taipei, and the Taiwan Relations Act - which makes it clear that the US decision to establish diplomatic ties with Beijing instead of Taiwan depends on the expectation that the future of Taiwan - will be determined by peaceful means.  

China warned that World War Three could be triggered 'at any time' on Tuesday after it sent dozens of warplanes into Taiwan's airspace. Recent voyages through the Strait of Taiwan by the British and American navies (pictured) - coupled with the new Aukus defense pact - have infuriated Beijing and sparked more shows of strength in the South China Sea

Pictured: Britain's HMS Queen Elizabeth warship (second right at the head of the armada) took part in joint training with warships from six different countries over the weekend in the Philippine Sea amid rising tensions between China and Taiwan

Meanwhile, Beijing has been infuriated by activity of US and UK navies in the region. 

Britain's HMS Queen Elizabeth was spotted sailing in the Philippine Sea in a joint exercise with two US aircraft carriers - the USS Ronald Reagan and USS Carl Vinson - and Japan's helicopter destroyer JS Ise. 

The armada, which also includes a number of warships from six different countries in total, trained together over the weekend in the region amid the rising tensions.

The recent voyages through the Strait of Taiwan by the British and American navies - coupled with the new Aukus defense pact - have infuriated Beijing and sparked more shows of strength in the South China Sea.

What is the Taiwan Relations Act?

Biden told reporters Tuesday that he had 'spoken with Xi about Taiwan. We agree ... we'll abide by the Taiwan agreement'.

Biden appeared to be referring to Washington's long-standing policy under which it officially recognizes Beijing rather than Taipei, and the Taiwan Relations Act, which makes clear that the US decision to establish diplomatic ties with Beijing instead of Taiwan rests upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan will be determined by peaceful means.

Biden also appeared to be referencing a 90-minute call he held with Xi on September 9, their first talks in seven months.

While that act binds the United States to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, Washington only acknowledges China's stance that the island belongs to it and that there is 'one China,' and takes no position on Taiwan's sovereignty.

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said it had sought clarification from the United States about Biden's comments, and were reassured US policy towards Taiwan had not changed, the US commitment to them was 'rock solid' and that the U.S. will continue to help Taiwan maintain its defenses.

'Facing the Chinese government's military, diplomatic and economic threats, Taiwan and the United States have always maintained close and smooth communication channels,' it said, noting recent US comments of concern about China's activities.

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2021-10-07 05:31:05Z
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At least 20 people killed and hundreds injured after earthquake in Pakistan - Sky News

At least 20 people have been killed and more than 200 injured after an earthquake in Pakistan.

The 5.9-magnitude quake was about 12 miles deep and centred eight miles north-northeast of Harnai in Balochistan province.

It hit at about 3.20am on Thursday, when most people were asleep.

Image: Many people left their homes after the quake Pic: AP

According to Pakistan's The News, people had rushed out of their homes reciting prayers and verses from the Quran as the ground shook.

Aftershocks are still being felt.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority has been reported as saying that most of the dead were children.

At least four of the other victims were killed when a coal mine collapsed.

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Rescuers are using heavy machinery to look for survivors but the number of dead is expected to rise.

Image: People gather outside a hospital following an earthquake in Harnai, Balochistan

More than 100 mud houses were destroyed and more properties were damaged, including government buildings.

The death toll is expected to rise as crews search the remote mountainous area, said Suhail Anwar, the local deputy commissioner in the city of Harnai, about 60 miles from the city of Quetta

Mr Anwar told Reuters that hundreds of people had been left homeless.

Some homes have been buried under the rubble and the area's power supply has been suspended.

Image: The earthquake hit in the early hours of Thursday, when most people were asleep. Pic: AP

The military was deployed to airlift dozens of injured people from mountain peaks, and search and rescue teams have arrived in the area.

At least nine critically injured people were taken to Quetta and the medical superintendent of a rural hospital in the Harnai district said they have "treated more than 200 casualties", with as many as 15 bodies taken there.

Image: Many residents have been left homeless and power to the area has been suspended

Quetta was the scene of one of southern Asia's deadliest quakes - in 1935 between 30,000 and 60,000 people were killed in a 7.7 magnitude quake. The death toll is expected to rise as crews search the remote mountainous area, said Suhail Anwar Shaheen, the local deputy commissioner.

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2021-10-07 08:15:58Z
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Biden seeks corporate America’s support in fight to raise debt limit - Financial Times

Mitch McConnell, the Senate’s top Republican, has offered Democrats two pathways to avoid a debt limit crisis, a rare olive branch in a long-running stand-off that has spooked investors and corporate America.

While McConnell, the Senate minority leader, continued to blame Democrats for putting the US government at risk of running out of money, he gave two options that could offer a path out of the current paralysis in Washington: Republicans would either help expedite the reconciliation process that would allow Democrats to raise the debt ceiling on their own, or approve a short-term extension of the borrowing limit through December.

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, offered a chilly response. “There’s been no formal offer made. A press release is not a formal offer,” she said, adding: “We don’t need to kick the can”. 

Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s top Democrat, did not immediately comment. A crucial procedural vote set for Wednesday afternoon on a measure that would raise the debt ceiling and avert a default crisis in just over a week — which Republicans had been expected to block — was subsequently postponed.

Earlier on Wednesday, Joe Biden sought corporate America’s help in his attempt to convince Congress to raise the US borrowing limit, holding a virtual meeting with a group of chief executive and business leaders including Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase, Jane Fraser of Citigroup and Brian Moynihan of Bank of America, as well as Greg Hayes from Raytheon and Pat Gelsinger of Intel.

Fraser warned that the US was “playing with fire” in its brush against the debt limit, as she urged Congress and the administration to resolve the crisis as quickly as possible.

Dimon said the consequences of a possible default would range from a “recession” to a “complete catastrophe”, and undermine US credibility around the world. “This is a time I think we should show American competence, not American incompetence,” he said.

Adena Friedman, chief executive of Nasdaq, added that she was already “starting to experience volatility” in the financial markets. “Investors really just don’t handle uncertainty very well,” she said.

Janet Yellen, the US Treasury secretary, also attended the meeting. She has warned that the US risks running out of cash to pay its bills after October 18 without an increase.

Biden has tried to portray Republican opponents of the debt ceiling increase as playing “Russian roulette” with the US economy and financial markets, raising tensions between the party’s lawmakers and their allies and donors in the business community.

Republican lawmakers have insisted they will not sign on to raising the debt limit, seeking to tie the effort to Democrats’ ambitious spending plans, including the president’s proposals for a $1.2tn infrastructure bill and a $3.5tn social spending package.

Democrats contend that Republicans are being hypocritical, given they voted to lift or suspend the debt ceiling three times when Donald Trump was president, and most of the government’s current borrowing is needed in order to pay for costs incurred during the previous administration.

Schumer has asked Republicans to agree to suspend the filibuster — which in effect requires at least 60 senators to sign on to most legislation, meaning at least 10 Republicans would have to join all 50 Democrats. If so, his party can lift the debt ceiling on their own, using a simple majority.

But McConnell has refused, insisting that Democrats use a more complicated manoeuvre called reconciliation to pass the measure without his party’s support. Schumer and the White House argue reconciliation would be too risky and time-consuming to avert a crisis by the middle of the month.

Some Democrats have floated the idea of temporarily and unilaterally suspending the filibuster in order to raise the debt ceiling. When asked about the idea on Tuesday night, Biden told reporters it was “a real possibility”.

Joe Manchin, the Democratic senator from West Virginia who has long opposed scrapping the filibuster and whose support would be required for such a move, told reporters that his stance had not changed.

“I truly implore both leaders [Schumer and McConnell] to start working . . . this out,” he added. “There should not be a crisis.”

Several lawmakers and former officials have warned that a default would have diplomatic implications for the US government. Six former US defence secretaries, including Jim Mattis, who served in the Trump administration, warned in an open letter to congressional leaders on Wednesday that a default would have “catastrophic consequences” for the US military and the country’s “position of leadership in the world”.

The White House’s Council of Economic Advisers warned on Wednesday that without action, it could take “decades” for the US to recover.

“Financial markets would lose faith in the United States, the dollar would weaken, and stocks would fall,” they wrote, adding: “The debt ceiling is not and should not be used as a political football. The consequences are too great.”

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2021-10-06 18:59:41Z
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ISIS-K suicide bomber was released from prison just DAYS before devastating Kabul airport attack - Daily Mail

ISIS-K suicide bomber was released from prison by the Taliban just DAYS before killing 13 US service members and hundreds of Afghan civilians in Kabul bomb blast

• ISIS-K bomber has been identified as Abdul Rehman Al-Loghri by US officials
• He was released from a prison on Bagram Air Base 11 days before the attack
• On August 26 Al-Loghri set off an explosion that killed more than 180 people 
• The Taliban released thousands of prisoners from two facilities near Kabul 
• American troops abandoned Bagram Air Base in July, and have been criticized 

By Elizabeth Elkind, Politics Reporter For Dailymail.Com

Published: 18:20 BST, 6 October 2021 | Updated: 21:44 BST, 6 October 2021

The ISIS-K suicide bomber who set off an explosion outside Hamid Karzai International airport and slaughtered hundreds of people was freed from prison just days earlier by the Taliban, it was revealed Wednesday.

In the final days of the US military withdrawal from Afghanistan, a blast ripped through the crowd outside Kabul airport. It killed 13 US service members and more than 170 Afghans. 

The man who carried out the bombing was imprisoned at the Parwan prison at Bagram Air Force base 11 days before the devastating attack, House Rep. Kevin Calvert (R-CA) and two other US officials told CNN.

Calvert said he was briefed on the information by national security officials. 

Two US officials confirmed the man's identity as Abdul Rehman Al-Loghri, who was named by ISIS-K when they took credit for the attack.

Bagram was under US control until early July, when its abandonment spurred widespread criticism. 

It was run by Afghan authorities from 2013.

At her daily news briefing on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki 

The attacker's identity was confirmed to be Abdul Rehman Al-Loghri

Parwan and nearby Pul-e-Charkhi prison, both near Kabul, were taken under Taliban control when the militants made their lightning advance to seize the Afghan capital. 

Taliban fighters freed all of the hundreds of ISIS-K prisoners and thousands of others when they emptied both jails the same day the capital fell.

ISIS-K is an Afghanistan-based affiliate of the Islamic State. 

The group is a sworn enemy of the Taliban, and in the airport attack on August 26, the insurgent group condemned the violence and claimed some of its fighters were hurt as well.

The release of thousands of prisoners from facilities in Afghanistan was one of the first of numerous criticisms hurled at President Joe Biden over the crisis. 

A scene from Kabul airport after the ISIS-K explosion ripped through the crowd and slaughtered more than 180 people

Blood stains and belongings of the victims of the airport bomb blast nearby a hospital in Kabul

House Republican leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy said in late August: 'President Biden handed over billions of dollars in American military weaponry to the Taliban. They now have more Blackhawk helicopters than Australia, and they have released thousands of ISIS terrorists from prison.'

It's not clear when the Biden administration became aware that the Taliban released the bomber. The White House hasn't immediately responded to a request for comment.

In the weeks since the withdrawal the Biden administration has emphasized a firm but encouraging approach to the Taliban entering the global community. 

The president has vowed to keep a close eye on the new government, specifically within the realm of human rights, but his administration has already resumed giving Afghanistan millions of aid dollars.

It's not immediately clear how Monday's report would affect that.

Al-Loghri killed 13 US servicemembers just 11 days after being released from prison by the Taliban

There were approximately 5,000 prisoners at Bagram when US forces handed full control of the air base over to the Afghan military. An Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman had told CNN they were mostly terrorists.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley spoke to the US military and intelligence communities' fears that the Taliban controlling Afghanistan could once again turn the country into a hotbed for terrorism last week.

'It's a real possibility in the not too distant future - six, 12, 18, 24, 36 months that kind of timeframe - for reconstitution of al Qaeda or ISIS,' he said at a Congressional hearing. 

US intelligence reports have also flagged concerns that groups like Al Qaeda could see a resurgence less than two years after an American withdrawal.

But the recent CNN report, which notes that Al-Loghri went from prisoner to terrorist attacker in under two weeks, casts fears that the timeline for fostering more and greater attacks could be even shorter. 

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2021-10-06 17:20:08Z
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Nobel Prize: Scotland-born scientist joint winner of award in chemistry - Sky News

A Scotland-born scientist has been jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry with a German scientist for their work on developing a new way for building molecules.

David WC MacMillan of Princeton University and Benjamin List of the Max Planck Institute were announced as the winners by Goran Hansson, secretary-general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

The Nobel panel said the scientists in 2000 had independently developed a new way of catalysis called "asymmetric organocatalysis".

"It's already benefiting humankind greatly," Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede, a member of the Nobel panel, said.

Speaking after the announcement, Professor List said the award was a "huge surprise".

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"I absolutely didn't expect this," he said, adding that he was on holiday in Amsterdam with his family when the call from Sweden came.

Prof List said he did not initially know that Professor MacMillan was working on the same subject and figured his hunch might just be a "stupid idea" until it worked.

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"I did feel that this could be something big," he added.

Image: Pictures of the winners were displayed on a screen during the announcement

It is common for several scientists who work in related fields to share the prize.

Last year the prize went to Emmanuelle Charpentier of France and Jennifer A Doudna of the United States for developing a gene-editing tool that has revolutionised science by providing a way to alter DNA.

The prestigious award comes with a gold medal and 10 million Swedish kronor (£800,000).

The prize money comes from a bequest left by the prize's creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who died in 1895.

On Monday, the Nobel Committee awarded the prize in physiology or medicine to Americans David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian for their discoveries into how the human body perceives temperature and touch.

The Nobel Prize in physics was awarded on Tuesday to three scientists whose work found order in seeming disorder, helping to explain and predict complex forces of nature, including expanding our understanding of climate change.

Prizes will also be awarded this week for outstanding work in the fields of literature, peace and economics.

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2021-10-06 11:55:26Z
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Afghan women’s losing battle to remain visible under Taliban - Al Jazeera English

Kabul, Afghanistan – Marzia Hamidi, a 19-year-old Afghan taekwondoin, had big plans.

She used to dream of national and international championships but fears that those dreams are now dashed forever after the Taliban took control of the country in August.

By the end of September, she had to go into hiding after she heard that some members of the group had come looking for her.

Even Marzia’s Instagram account – with more than 20,000 followers – is a little bit darker now. She wears a black abaya and matching hijab, fearing Afghanistan’s new rulers.

She is not alone in her fears. Many women fear a return to enforced invisibility they lived under for five years (1996-2001) when the Taliban controlled Afghanistan last.

When the Taliban came to power, it promised to respect women and allow them to participate in public life “in accordance with Islamic law”, but secondary schools remain closed for girls, and many women are finding returning to work difficult, with the exception of some professions such as in the health sector.

Protests erupted across several cities last month, with women demanding their rights, but they were harshly suppressed.

Marzia was born in Iran to a family of Afghan refugees [Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska/Al Jazeera]

During the first Taliban regime, women virtually disappeared from the public eye as they were banned from working and were not allowed to travel without a male guardian. The violation of strict rules on women’s clothing and their behaviour in public attracted severe punishment.

Marzia worries that women like her will soon meet a similar fate.

Born in Iran

Marzia was born in Iran to a family of Afghan refugees. At 15, she went to a taekwondo class and immediately fell in love with the sport, going on to compete and earning several gold medals in the Under 57kg category national competitions.

But three years ago, Marzia’s sporting career was disrupted after her family decided to move to Afghanistan. Her father no longer wanted to be a refugee in a foreign land, where they were often subjected to racist attacks. Iran is home to more than two million undocumented Afghans, in addition to 800,000 registered refugees.

The family joined her brother, who had a profitable business in Kabul. But for the self-confident athlete, Kabul proved to be a difficult place to practice her sport.

“It’s always been hard for female fighters in Afghanistan. My male coach always stared at me, focused on my looks, which made me uncomfortable. Other girls in the taekwondo team always wore headscarves and complained that I did not,” Marzia says.

“When the Taliban came, I was thinking about destroying my medals. Shall I burn them or keep them? I asked myself. But my brother talked me out of the idea and told me to hide them in a safe place.”

Soon after, however, the medals were not the only thing she had to hide.

Went into hiding

Last month, a group of unknown men came to her family home asking for her whereabouts, likely because of her social media activity, she says. They also visited her brother’s office.

A month and a half into the Taliban rule, Marzia decided to go into hiding. She now frequently changes locations and lives in constant fear.

“I want to leave Afghanistan to resume my training because I want to prepare for the 2024 Olympic Games. But I don’t want to go back to Iran. The situation of refugees is difficult there, there is a lot of racism. Even if I’m the best, they will not let me attend the Olympics,” Marzia says.

Millions of teenage girls are still waiting for what the establishment of what the Taliban says is ’a safe learning environment’ [File: Aref Karimi/AFP]

“Everything has changed since the coming to power of the Taliban.”

A distant dream

As an employee with foreign organisations, Meena Naeemi had an opportunity to leave Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul, but she decided to stay. Now, in the final semester of her master’s in Pashto literature, she is waiting to finish her degree before looking for opportunities abroad.

But completing her studies under the Taliban may prove impossible. Classes at her university have not resumed for women and when they do, they will be segregated.

“I did not expect to face such a fate. It is still very hard for me to believe that my country is in such a state. I have no hopes for completing my education and getting a job because they do not want us to participate in society. They introduced peace at the expense of eliminating women,” Naeemi says.

“I’m afraid that from now on, the girls will be stuck at home, while boys continue their education. I look in the mirror and realise that all my plans are a distant dream. I feel like I am slowly dying.”

The past 20 years have changed Afghan women; many no longer agree with the strict rules imposed on them, gaining agency that they are unlikely to give away.

Homeira Qaderi, a women’s rights activist from Herat, believes in civil resistance against the Taliban. But she also knows that most women will be too afraid to stand up for their rights.

“When the Taliban took over Kabul, I went to the media to talk to them. They should see women who will not remain silent. I believe in the power of speech. But with each passing day, we see the Taliban abusing women on the streets again,” the 41-year-old says.

“The streets of Afghanistan are no longer a safe place for women. The resistance is a path to light. But what if women’s resistance to the Taliban will be met with whips and guns?”

Qaderi remembers the Taliban’s previous rule during the 1990s as a teenager when women had no choice but to get married and raise children. Many of them ended up marrying people they did not know or love, at an age when they could not make informed choices.

“Violence against women is systematic in the behaviour of the Taliban government. If the Taliban do not use violence against women, they will lose their identity,” she says.

“But the period of slavery is over and any attempt to enslave us will sooner or later fail. I hope the world does not turn its back on Afghan women again.”

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2021-10-06 08:25:36Z
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