Taliban hail China’s new ambassador with fanfare
Kabul, Sep 13: The Taliban on Wednesday hailed China’s new ambassador to Afghanistan with fanfare, saying his arrival is a sign for other nations to come forward and establish relations with them. The Taliban seized power in August 2021 as US and NATO forces withdrew after two decades of war. Their leaders are under sanctions and no country recognises them as Afghanistan’s legitimate rulers. The country’s seat at the United Nations is still held by the former Western-backed government that was led by Ashraf Ghani. Only a handful of nations have working diplomatic missions in Afghanistan, including China, the world’s second-largest economy. The two sides have been open about their desire for closer ties, especially commercial ones. Ambassador Zhao Sheng’s car swept through the tree-lined driveway of the Presidential Palace escorted by a police convoy. He was greeted by uniformed troops and met top-ranking Taliban officials, including Mohammad Hassan Akhund, who heads the administration, and Foreign Affairs Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. It is the first time since the Taliban takeover that an ambassador to Kabul has been afforded such lavish protocol. (AP)
China upgrades relationship with Venezuela
Beijing, Sep 13: China announced on Wednesday it was upgrading its diplomatic ties with Venezuela to an “all weather” partnership, a label reserved for a select few of its diplomatic partners. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is on a state visit in Beijing, his fifth as president, according to state broadcaster CCTV. He met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. One of the best known of China’s select all-weather strategic partnerships is with Pakistan, where it has invested USD 25.4 billion over the past decade. About 7 million people have left Venezuela during a complex political and humanitarian crisis that has been ongoing for the past decade. The country is reliant on oil as its main export but has faced US sanctions. Maduro has cultivated China throughout his years in power. His country has received support from China in loans, cash and investment worth tens of billions of dollars. (AP)
US cop laughs over death of Indian student
Houston, Sep 13: A bodycam footage of a police officer joking about the death of a 23-year-old Indian student after she was struck by a speeding police patrol car earlier this year in Seattle has prompted India to raise the matter strongly with the US authorities for a thorough investigation and action against those guilty in the case. Jaahnavi Kandula was killed in January after she was struck by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave. He was driving 74 mph (more than 119 kmph) on the way to a report of an overdose, the Seattle Times newspaper reported on Monday. In bodycam footage released on Monday by the Seattle Police Department, Officer Daniel Auderer laughed about the deadly crash and dismissed any implication Dave might be at fault or that a criminal investigation was necessary. (PTI)