Crackdown on Afghan residents in Pakistan triggers alarm September 29, 2023 at 03:47AM

A crackdown on Afghan residents in Pakistan has caused disruption and uncertainty in the community. Many Afghans, including a young bride, have been affected by the arrests. The crackdown specifically targets those lacking legal status, with authorities citing escalating crime rates and inadequate immigration regulation as reasons. Hundreds of Afghans have been apprehended, with accusations of indiscriminate arrests and police extortion.

US-Saudi defence pact tied to Israel deal, Palestinian demands put aside September 29, 2023 at 02:46AM

Saudi Arabia is determined to secure a military pact with the United States that would require the US to defend the kingdom in return for opening ties with Israel. The pact would not require congressional backing and could resemble treaties the US has with Asian states or the US agreement with Bahrain.

No current talks with Taliban, Afghanistan's Massoud says, promising guerrilla warfare September 29, 2023 at 12:48AM

Ahmad Massoud, the exiled leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), stated that there are no negotiations with the Taliban for a peace settlement. He vowed to increase guerrilla warfare to force the Taliban to the negotiating table. Massoud emphasized that the Taliban would only gain legitimacy through elections, which are currently unlikely.

As China censors homegrown feminism, a feminist scholar from Japan is on its bestseller lists September 28, 2023 at 06:50PM

Chizuko Ueno, a 75-year-old Japanese feminist scholar, has become a celebrity in China despite the government's promotion of conservative values. Ueno's popularity reflects a surge of interest in women's rights in the country. Her books have sold over half a million copies in China, and she is seen as a role model for women who choose not to marry or have children.

Migrants are being raped at Mexico border as they await entry to US September 29, 2023 at 12:09AM

Criminal investigations into the rape of foreign nationals, excluding Americans, were the highest on record in the two cities this year, according to state data from 2014 to 2023 obtained by Reuters through freedom of information requests. The US State Department considers Tamaulipas, where the two cities are located, to be the most dangerous state along the US-Mexico border.

Millions travel across China as national holiday kicks off September 29, 2023 at 12:10AM

Chinese travellers are flocking to transport networks as the eight-day national holiday begins, marking the first October break since the end of strict Covid-19 policies. Pre-booked international trips are 20 times higher than last year, while domestic trips are over four times higher, according to China's largest online travel provider, Trip.com.

Migrants cross into Texas, undeterred by razor wire or new asylum rules September 28, 2023 at 10:59PM

For the past several days large groups of migrants, mostly from Venezuela, have been wading across the Rio Grande river near a railroad bridge in Eagle Pass, Texas, undeterred by coils of razor wire laid along the banks.