World

Blame thy neighbour

Blame thy neighbour
At least 78 people have been killed in Afghanistan over the last 24 hours. Attacks, targeting Shia mourners in Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif killed 59 people on Tuesday, while another 19 civilians were killed in Helmand province on Wednesday. The attacks have been said to incite sectarian violence in Afghanistan. Security officials in Afghanistan have blamed Pakistan for the attacks, saying that militant groups from across the border orchestrated these...
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Lions and lambs

Lions and lambs
The strategic partnership agreement, still under discussion between Washington and Kabul, will govern American involvement in Afghanistan after the deadline for the exit of foreign combat troops by the end of 2014. According to President Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan is also negotiating similar agreements with Britain, France, Australia and the European Union. Afghanistan wants the US and Nato to agree to stop carrying out night raids on Afghan homes...
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Occupy the world

Occupy the world
Inspired by the Wall Street rallies that began on September 17, protestors worldwide have joined in the movement against financiers and politicians they accuse of ruining global economies. Dozens of cities across the world, including London, Frankfurt, Washington Australia, Tokyo and Hong Kong, are holding demonstrations today in a show of solidarity with “Occupy Wall Street”, which is being coined as the “people powered movement for democracy.” According...
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Softening stance?

Softening stance?
While India is willing to back efforts to seek peace with Taliban to stabilise Afghanistan, the UN representative to Afghanistan also met with ‘members of the Taliban insurgency’ to talk about peace. The Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, has been calling for talks to discuss the possibility of Taliban militants dropping their arms and instead being offered jobs funded by the US. India has clearly stated that they still consider the Taliban terrorists...
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Should the Afghan govt talk to the Taliban?

Should the Afghan govt talk to the Taliban?
In London, Afghan President Hamid Karzai argued that the best way to end the war in his country was by reaching out to the Taliban leadership. He also announced that he would invite Taliban leaders to an upcoming peace jirga (tribal conference). This initiative is a significant development in Karzai’s plan for stabilising Afghanistan, which he set in motion about a year ago. ‘Talks about talks’ between the Afghan government and the...
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Guilty until proven innocent

Guilty until proven innocent
Visiting US envoy Richard Holbrooke, defending America’s new, stringent airport security measures, says that he too has to go through intensified screening. But the outcry from Pakistan on this issue suggests his defence won’t go down well with the public. Travelers from Pakistan are to undergo extra security screening according to new rules put in place by the Obama administration. With Pakistan bearing the unparalleled brunt of the war...
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Is Obama’s Afghanistan troop strategy viable?

Is Obama’s Afghanistan troop strategy viable?
On Tuesday evening, US President Barack Obama will finally announce his decision on sending more troops to Afghanistan. After months of deliberation, the president is expected to announce an escalation of US presence across the Durand Line by more than 30,000 troops. This represents a 50 per cent increase over the 68,000 troops already fighting in Afghanistan. Speaking at the US Military Academy at West Point, Obama will emphasise that the goal of...
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Baitullah Mehsud dead, what next?

Baitullah Mehsud dead, what next?
With the death of Tehrik-e-Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud being confirmed, it is hoped that the wave of terror gripping the country will lose strength. While Pakistani government officials are yet to give an official reaction to Mehsud’s death, the White House has said that Pakistan will be a safer place now that the country’s number one enemy is gone. How will Mehsud’s death change the tactics in the offensive against militants in the tribal...
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What do you think of the reportedly low key response in Germany?

What do you think of the reportedly low key response in Germany?
Marwa al-Sherbini, a 31-year-old Egyptian woman, was stabbed to death by her neighbour Axel W in a courtroom in Dresden, Germany. Marwa, about four months pregnant, wore the head scarf and was involved in a court case against Alex for calling her a terrorist. She was set to testify against him when Alex stabbed her 18 times in front of her three-year-old son and half a dozen German police officers. The killing has dominated Egyptian media for days...
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Aid vs. terror

Aid vs. terror
Dawn.com invites its readers to discuss current affairs in this forum. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has called for more international aid to combat extremists, claiming that the Taliban could move into India and the Gulf if the financial support to stem their movement is not made available. He has asked for 2.5 billion dollars for emergency relief and reconstruction aid for the north-west of Pakistan, where military operations...
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