Friday, September 3, 2021

Six In The Morning Friday 3 September 2021

 




China to keep Kabul embassy open and ‘beef up’ relations, say Taliban

Beijing also reportedly aiming to increase humanitarian assistance, as Taliban prepares to unveil new cabinet



China has promised to keep its embassy in Kabul open and “beef up” relations, the Taliban have said, as Afghanistan’s new rulers worked on preparing their new government and winning international recognition.

A spokesman for the Islamist militia, Suhail Shaheen, said on Friday a senior member of the Taliban’s political office in Qatar had been told by China’s deputy foreign minister that Beijing also aimed to increase humanitarian assistance.

While the west has mostly adopted a wait-and-see approach and demanded evidence, as the Taliban move from insurgency to government, of more inclusive government and respect for human rights, China has said it seeks “friendly and cooperative” relations – although it, too, has yet to formally recognise the new regime.


Rights body raps Greece over migrant rescue crackdown

Europe’s top human rights body has called on Greece’s parliament to withdraw articles included in draft legislation that would impose heavy penalties on nongovernmental organizations that carry out unsanctioned rescue operations of migrants at sea

Via AP news wire

Europe’s top human rights body on Friday called on Greece’s parliament to withdraw articles included in draft legislation that would impose heavy penalties on nongovernmental organizations that carry out unsanctioned rescue operations of migrants at sea.

The Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner, Dunja Mijatovic, said in a statement that the proposed changes would “seriously hinder the life-saving work” carried out by NGOs.

Greece’s center-right government has toughened border controls since taking office two years ago and has promised additional restrictions in response to the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan


New Zealand police kill ‘violent extremist’ after supermarket stabbing attack


New Zealand police on Friday shot and killed a "violent extremist" who was known to the police, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said, after he stabbed and wounded at least six people in a supermarket in the city of Auckland. 

"A violent extremist undertook a terrorist attack on innocent New Zealanders," Ardern told a briefing.

Ardern said the man, a Sri Lankan national who arrived in New Zealand in 2011 and was on a terror watchlist, entered a shopping mall in suburban Auckland, seized a knife from a display and went on a stabbing spree.


How will legal cannabis firms navigate Mexico’s business risks?


The Mexican senate is expected to take up cannabis legalisation this month and big international firms are eager to profit from the country’s market. But will corruption and extortion be part of the cost of doing business?


Legal cannabis is coming to Mexico, and many foreign investors are chomping at the bit.

Mexico has been inching closer and closer to full legalisation ever since its Supreme Court of Justice ruled in 2018 that banning the drug was unconstitutional. In January, the country’s health ministry laid out regulations for its use for medical purposes.

Now, a bill to legalise recreational use by people over the age of 18 is in the hands of the country’s Senate of the Republic, which is expected to vote on it this month.


Women stage protest in Taliban-controlled Kabul

Updated 1219 GMT (2019 HKT) September 3, 2021


A group of Afghan women activists staged a small protest in Taliban-controlled Kabul Friday calling for equal rights and full participation in political life, CNN has confirmed.

In spite of the risk, a group called the Women's Political Participation Network marched on the street in front of Afghanistan's Finance Ministry, chanting slogans and holding signs demanding involvement in the Afghan government and calling for constitutional law.
Footage showed a brief confrontation between a Taliban guard and some of the women, and a man's voice could be heard saying, "Go away!" before chanting resumed.


Suga to resign; says he couldn't run for reelection and handle virus response

By Kyoko Hasegawa and Hiroshi Hiyama


Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Friday he will not run for his ruling party's leadership, effectively ending his tenure and throwing wide open the race for the next prime minister.

The shock decision after just a year in office comes with Suga's approval ratings at an all-time low over his government's handling of the response to the pandemic.

And it suggests a possible return to political instability for Japan, which cycled through prime ministers regularly before the lengthy tenure of Suga's predecessor Shinzo Abe.

"In one year since I became prime minister, I have poured all of my strength into dealing with the various problems facing the country, with anti-coronavirus measures at the forefront," Suga told reporters.





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