Qatar
Argentina hailed World Cup champions after dramatic win
After more than 120 minutes of play, Argentina beat France in penalty kicks in an extraordinary match on Sunday at this year’s World Cup in Doha, Qatar.
Qatar opens World Cup with lavish half-hour ceremony
Qatar treatment of migrant workers under spotlight again ahead of World Cup
US top diplomats visit Persian Gulf to reassure allies
Qatar says it's not clear when Kabul airport will reopen
Taliban announce 'amnesty,' urge women to join government
The Taliban declared an "amnesty" across Afghanistan and urged women to join their government Tuesday, seeking to convince a wary population that they have changed a day after deadly chaos gripped the main airport as desperate crowds tried to flee their rule.
Women in Afghanistan push for rights and more representation amid ongoing talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban
Afghan women and other minorities fear losing impact in negotiations as US troops begin to pull out of the country.
Israel and Hamas agree to ceasefire
Israel and Hamas agree to ceasefire in Gaza after more than a week of fighting.
344 schoolboys return home in northwestern Nigeria; Milley meets with Taliban in Doha; Pence gets vaccine on TV
Several hundred schoolboys abducted in northwestern Nigeria have been freed. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley held an unannounced meeting with Taliban officials in Doha, Qatar. And, outgoing US Vice President Mike Pence received a COVID-19 vaccine on live television.
Taliban welcome Trump tweet promising early troop withdrawal
The Afghan Taliban on Thursday welcomed a tweet from President Donald Trump in which he promised to have the last of US troops out of Afghanistan by Christmas.
Foreign observers see rancorous US debate; Kuwait swears in new emir; UK, Canada impose sanctions on Lukashenko
Around the globe, observers of US politics noted after last night’s chaotic presidential debate that Americans are enmeshed in a painful and personal contest, Kuwait's new emir, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, was sworn in Wednesday by parliament, and the UK and Canada imposed sanctions on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and seven other government officials.
Afghan women negotiating with the Taliban say they feel ‘heavy responsibility’
For the first time in two decades, members of the Afghan negotiating team are officially meeting with the Taliban to work out a peace agreement. There are only four women on the team, and they say they carry a heavy responsibility on behalf of women in their country.
Lukashenko meets with Putin; Indian parliament convenes for first time in 6 months; Afghan peace talks kick off
The authoritarian president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, arrived at the Russian resort city of Sochi on the Black Sea coast to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. India’s parliament convened for the first time in six months, as new cases of the coronavirus increased by over 90,000 in just a day. Also, the Afghan government and the Taliban began peace talks in Doha, Qatar.
India and China pull back from the brink; intra-Afghan talks to begin; Germany and Russia investigate Navalny case
In a meeting in the Russian capital Thursday, the foreign ministers of India and China have agreed their troops should disengage from a precarious standoff. Pompeo says long-awaited negotiations between opposing parties from the war in Afghanistan will undoubtedly be “contentious.” And Germany’s Justice Ministry has approved Russia’s request for German state prosecutors to assist in Russia’s own investigation into the Navalny poisoning.
Hongkongers continue protests against threats to civil liberties; Brazil follows US in coronavirus outbreak as Qatar requires contact-tracing app
Protesters in Hong Kong are planning to demonstrate against another law that could limit their autonomy. And, the novel coronavirus is hitting Brazil hard. Also, in Qatar, the government is requiring use of a contact-tracing app. Meanwhile in South Korea, youth are embracing old school tunes.