Taliban Offensive

Israel has ordered a full siege of the Gaza Strip and vowed to obliterate Hamas after its all-out offensive entered the next phase.

US prosecutors on Thursday charged an alleged former Taliban commander with terrorism-related offenses over the killing of American troops in 2008.

A legislation has been introduced in the US Senate seeking a report from the Secretary of State about his assessment of Pakistan's role in the Taliban offensive that led to the toppling of the US-backed Afghan government

Iran on Monday "strongly" condemned the Taliban's military offensive against holdout fighters in Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley, as the Islamist group claimed it had taken control of the area.

The new, Taliban-appointed head of Afghanistan's central bank has sought to reassure banks the group wants a fully-functioning financial system, but has so far provided little detail on how it will supply funds to sustain it, said four bankers.

Former Army chief General Shankar Roychowdhury said the government needs to step up outreach in Kashmir as the Taliban victory in Afghanistan is likely to see a renewed offensive by Pakistan-based terrorists.

The official websites of the Taliban, who swept to power in Afghanistan on the back of a lightning offensive last week, appeared to have vanished from the internet late on Friday.

The group has a social-media presence and responsive media team that is saying all the right things: It wants an inclusive government, it won't take revenge on political opponents, diplomats are safe and investors won't have trouble.

A crowd outside the Kabul airport, desperate to get in after the Taliban's takeover, scatters as gunshots are heard, in dramatic videos reflecting Afghanistan's spiraling crisis.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said that he had fled the country on Sunday to "prevent a flood of bloodshed", as the Taliban entered the capital, capping a lightning offensive across the country.

The Canadian government has announced that it will permanently re-settle 20,000 "vulnerable" Afghans, including Sikhs and Hindus, who are fleeing the war-torn country amidst a deadly offensive launched by the Taliban militants.

The Afghan Taliban tightened their territorial stranglehold around Kabul on Saturday, as refugees from the the terror group's relentless offensive flooded the capital and US Marines returned to oversee emergency evacuations.

Afghanistan is on the precipice and the nation's security forces have all but collapsed after being battered by a Taliban offensive they were unable to halt.

The United States and Britain said on Thursday they would send thousands of troops to Afghanistan to protect and help evacuate civilians, as the Taliban stood poised for their two biggest military victories since they began a broad offensive in May.

Afghan government forces battled Taliban fighters in and around several cities on Thursday, officials said, as the Taliban pressed on with their offensive that U.S. intelligence believes could see them take over the capital, Kabul, within 90 days.

Israel has ordered a full siege of the Gaza Strip and vowed to obliterate Hamas after its all-out offensive entered the next phase.

US prosecutors on Thursday charged an alleged former Taliban commander with terrorism-related offenses over the killing of American troops in 2008.

A legislation has been introduced in the US Senate seeking a report from the Secretary of State about his assessment of Pakistan's role in the Taliban offensive that led to the toppling of the US-backed Afghan government

Iran on Monday "strongly" condemned the Taliban's military offensive against holdout fighters in Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley, as the Islamist group claimed it had taken control of the area.

The new, Taliban-appointed head of Afghanistan's central bank has sought to reassure banks the group wants a fully-functioning financial system, but has so far provided little detail on how it will supply funds to sustain it, said four bankers.

Former Army chief General Shankar Roychowdhury said the government needs to step up outreach in Kashmir as the Taliban victory in Afghanistan is likely to see a renewed offensive by Pakistan-based terrorists.

The official websites of the Taliban, who swept to power in Afghanistan on the back of a lightning offensive last week, appeared to have vanished from the internet late on Friday.

The group has a social-media presence and responsive media team that is saying all the right things: It wants an inclusive government, it won't take revenge on political opponents, diplomats are safe and investors won't have trouble.

A crowd outside the Kabul airport, desperate to get in after the Taliban's takeover, scatters as gunshots are heard, in dramatic videos reflecting Afghanistan's spiraling crisis.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said that he had fled the country on Sunday to "prevent a flood of bloodshed", as the Taliban entered the capital, capping a lightning offensive across the country.

The Canadian government has announced that it will permanently re-settle 20,000 "vulnerable" Afghans, including Sikhs and Hindus, who are fleeing the war-torn country amidst a deadly offensive launched by the Taliban militants.

The Afghan Taliban tightened their territorial stranglehold around Kabul on Saturday, as refugees from the the terror group's relentless offensive flooded the capital and US Marines returned to oversee emergency evacuations.

Afghanistan is on the precipice and the nation's security forces have all but collapsed after being battered by a Taliban offensive they were unable to halt.

The United States and Britain said on Thursday they would send thousands of troops to Afghanistan to protect and help evacuate civilians, as the Taliban stood poised for their two biggest military victories since they began a broad offensive in May.

Afghan government forces battled Taliban fighters in and around several cities on Thursday, officials said, as the Taliban pressed on with their offensive that U.S. intelligence believes could see them take over the capital, Kabul, within 90 days.