Taliban Kunduz attack: Afghan forces claim control of city
Afghan officials say they have regained control of key areas of the northern city of Kunduz from the Taliban.
An operation launched overnight saw forces recapture government landmarks and inflict heavy casualties on the militants, officials said.
But the Taliban has insisted it still controls large parts of the city.
The city's capture on Monday by the militant group was a huge blow to President Ashraf Ghani, coming on the first anniversary of his taking power.
Kunduz, with a population of around 300,000, is one of Afghanistan's largest cities and strategically important both as a transport hub and a bread-basket for the region.
If confirmed this represents a crucial victory for the Afghan army, its biggest test since the withdrawal of coalition forces back in December last year.
North Korea prepared to launch missiles 'at any time', says ambassador
In rare public appearance, Hyon Hak-bon says threat of sanctions will not interfere with plans ahead of significant 70th anniversary
North Korea will not be deterred from plans to launch controversial long-range missiles by the threat of further sanctions, the country’s ambassador to the UK said in a rare public appearance.
Pyongyang insists the launches are part of a peaceful satellite programme but the US and its allies say they are disguised ballistic missile tests and a key component of a nuclear weapons development scheme.
Pyongyang has hinted that it could fire one of the rockets in October to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Workers Party, a key political anniversary for the secretive nation.
Doing so would invite fresh sanctions from the west, and probably derail plans for an inter-Korean family reunion set for late October.
VW Scandal: Time for German Industry to Abandon Its Arrogance
A Commentary by Armin MahlerArrogance and complacency are widespread in Germany industry, with Volkswagen becoming just the most recent example. For the German economy to remain healthy, fundamental changes are necessary.
The best commentary on the Volkswagen scandal came courtesy of former CEO Martin Winterkorn himself, well before he resigned last week. "Arrogance and complacency are the worst things that could happen to us," he said. The quote does not come from in his recent video message, where he attempted to apologize for the company's self-destruction. Rather, it is from an interview with SPIEGEL that took place exactly a year ago. And he meant it merely as a description of a hypothetical danger. He didn't yet realize that the worst had already long since happened.
A belief in their own invincibility is widespread among Germany's captains of industry. When it comes to reaching the goals they've set for themselves, they will resort to any means necessary.
'Great Firewall of Thailand' under website attack as online users strike back
Lindsay Murdoch
South-East Asia correspondent for Fairfax Media
Bangkok: Internet users have attacked key Thai government websites to protest against plans to introduce a single internet gateway for the country.
More than 100,000 people have signed a petition against the proposal, dubbed the "Great Firewall of Thailand". It is seen as a way for the ruling military junta to monitor the web and block content.
The websites of the Prime Minister, the Defence Ministry and the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology were brought down late on Wednesday after hackers used social network sites to urge users to go online and continuously click refresh, causing overloads on the sites.
Why has Japan's 'womenomics' plan been a flop?
A subsidy program that was part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ambitious 'womenomics' policy may have been too restrictive. The government says it will try again.
Japan last year earmarked 120 million yen to award companies that were promoting women to senior management, expecting hundreds of firms to start writing in.
They didn't.
Now, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s embattled plan to get more women into the country’s shrinking workforce – also referred to as “womenomics” – has suffered another humiliating blow, as a senior official reveals that not a single company has applied for the million-dollar program.
A spokeswoman for the health ministry, the agency that would have administered the payouts, told The Japan Times the funds have gone unused, likely because eligibility requirements were too restrictive.Vox Sentences: Russia’s bombing someone in Syria, but it’s not ISIS
Updated by Dara Lind and Dylan Matthews on September 30, 2015
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