WHO links forced Afghan repatriation from Pakistan to polio resurgence

WHO links forced Afghan repatriation from Pakistan to polio resurgence

Islamabad —  The World Health Organization has labeled a forced repatriation of Afghan nationals from Pakistan as a “major setback” for polio eradication efforts, contributing to the regional resurgence of the paralytic disease. Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan are the only two polio-endemic nations, reporting 49 and 23 cases respectively, so far this year, up from … Read more

The disastrous fallout of Taliban’s suspension of polio vaccines in Afghanistan – Firstpost

The disastrous fallout of Taliban’s suspension of polio vaccines in Afghanistan – Firstpost

Afghanistan is one of only two countries, alongside neighbouring Pakistan, where polio has continued to spread. So the news that the Taliban have suspended polio vaccination will probably have major consequences for the control of the disease in the country and the surrounding region read more The Taliban recently announced that they are suspending its … Read more

Taliban administration officials to attend UN climate conference in Azerbaijan

Taliban administration officials to attend UN climate conference in Azerbaijan

Host Azerbaijan invited the Afghan environment agency officials to COP29 as observers, enabling them to “potentially participate in periphery discussions and potentially hold bilateral meetings,” a diplomatic source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Because the Taliban are not formally recognised within the UN system as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, the source said, the … Read more

October was worst month for Russia since start of Ukraine war, UK official says – POLITICO

October was worst month for Russia since start of Ukraine war, UK official says – POLITICO

While Russian gains are putting pressure on the Ukrainian front, Radakin said, Moscow is suffering losses “for tiny increments of land.” The Kremlin does not provide figures on the impact the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has had on the Russian military. A Wall Street Journal report in September said more than a million … Read more

Middle East peace is possible – POLITICO

Middle East peace is possible – POLITICO

How to stop the killing Intense efforts through mediation and dialogue have been tried since Oct. 7, 2023. President Biden and his emissaries, leaders from the region, nations such as Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, the U.K., the EU and its members, the Holy See and many others have thrown their … Read more

Pakistan, Afghanistan launch polio vaccination drives as cases resurge

Pakistan, Afghanistan launch polio vaccination drives as cases resurge

Islamabad —  Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan simultaneously launched fresh vaccination campaigns against polio Monday amid a resurgence in cases in the only two countries globally where the virus continues to be endemic and paralyze children. The World Health Organization reported 64 polio infections this year: 41 from Pakistan and 23 from Afghanistan, up from six … Read more

Some ten Iranian officers killed in insurgent attack

Some ten Iranian officers killed in insurgent attack

At least ten Iranian border police officers were killed in the Gohar Kuh area of Sistan and Balochistan province, CBS News reported on Saturday evening. The attack, which took place 1,200 kilometers southeast of Tehran, reportedly involved gunfire that targeted two police vehicles. CBS noted that photos and videos shared by HalVash, a Baloch … Read more

How Afghan, Pakistani clerics battle polio vaccine misinformation

How Afghan, Pakistani clerics battle polio vaccine misinformation

Maulana Tayyab Qureshi, the top cleric in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, has seen up close the devastating effects of polio. Two of his own kin were once paralyzed, victims of a scourge that has been vanquished worldwide yet refuses to go away from Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan. “Had their parents not neglected [to have their … Read more

Polio strikes as misinformation fuels vaccine refusal in Pakistan and Afghanistan

Polio strikes as misinformation fuels vaccine refusal in Pakistan and Afghanistan

The naturally occurring form of polio remains active in only two countries in the world: Pakistan and Afghanistan. Over 50 cases of so-called wild polio have been confirmed in the region this year despite continuing efforts to eradicate the disease. This report comes from both sides of the border, narrated by Bezhan Hamdard. Read original … Read more

Germany arrests Libyan suspected of planning terror attack on Israeli embassy – POLITICO

Germany arrests Libyan suspected of planning terror attack on Israeli embassy – POLITICO

Germany arrested a Libyan citizen suspected of plotting an attack against Israel’s embassy in Berlin, the federal prosecutor’s office said on Sunday. The authorities identified the man only as Omar A. and said he is “strongly suspected” of supporting the terror organization Islamic State (IS) and intended to carry-out an attack with firearms on the … Read more