SOUTH ASIA

Kabul, Sep 26 (IANS) A commuter lost his life and 11 others sustained injuries in a head-on road collision in northern Afghanistan’s Jawzjan province, according to the provincial police on Friday.

The collision took place between two passenger cars in the Qarabuyen Olya region, along the highway connecting Jawzjan to neighbouring Balkh province, leaving one dead on the spot and 11 others injured, said a police statement, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Blaming reckless driving for the accident, the statement noted that the injured were promptly transported to a nearby health center for treatment, where most remain in critical condition.

On Thursday, one traveller was killed and three others injured when their car overturned in eastern Afghanistan’s Laghman province, the provincial police office said in a statement.

Blaming reckless driving for the deadly mishap, the statement noted that the accident occurred in the Kakakh region, along the highway linking the capital Kabul to eastern Nangarhar province, resulting in the immediate death of one passenger and injuries to three others.

Earlier, on September 17, seven travellers lost their lives and two others were injured in a collision between a car and a passenger bus in eastern Wardak province.

The main highway traversing Laghman province frequently witnesses fatal accidents due to driver negligence, with highway traffic officials urging motorists to adhere to traffic rules and regulations to prevent such tragedies.

The deadly accident took place on a road linking the country’s capital city, Kabul, to southern Kandahar province, the statement said.

The road, which crosses Wardak province, often sees deadly road accidents due to the carelessness of the drivers, it added.

On the same day, at least three people were killed and two others injured when their vehicle veered off the road and plunged into a deep ravine in northern Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province, a provincial police spokesman, Ehsanullah Kamgar, said.

The accident occurred in the Argo district after the vehicle lost control on a steep path, resulting in the immediate deaths of three commuters, including the driver, and injuries to two children, said Ehsanullah Kamgar.

Deadly road accidents remain a persistent issue in war-torn Afghanistan, often attributed to deteriorating road conditions, reckless driving, and inadequate safety measures amid challenging terrain and limited infrastructure.

–IANS

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Windhoek, Sep 26 (IANS) Namibia has unveiled a comprehensive national strategy to transform its crop sector, enhance food sovereignty, and reduce dependence on agricultural imports.

The strategy was formalised on Friday in the Namibian capital of Windhoek, where Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Land Reform Inge Zaamwani introduced the Namibian Agronomic Board’s annual report, Five-Year Integrated Business Plan, Five-Year Crop Value Chain Development Strategy, and Potato Development Scheme, Xinhua News Agency reported.

“Together, these milestones are not simply documents; they are a renewed commitment to transform the crop subsector and accelerate food self-sufficiency,” she said.

According to Zaamwani, the new strategic direction is encapsulated in the Five-Year Integrated Strategic Business Plan and the Five-Year Crop Value Chain Development Strategy.

She noted that the strategy directly responds to the country’s national goals under the Sixth National Development Plan, where agriculture has been declared a number one priority.

“The Crop Value Chain Development Strategy is designed to take a holistic value chain approach, addressing all segments of the crop subsector from inputs (seeds, fertilizers, equipment), production, processing, storage, and marketing,” she explained.

The minister added that the most immediate high-impact initiative is the Potato Development Scheme, which is expected to boost local production, create jobs across the potato value chain, and reduce reliance on imports. It will also promote agro-processing such as chips, crisps, and starch production, while serving as a model for similar schemes in other priority crops.

Zaamwani said that by unveiling these plans, the country is charting a course toward a future where the crop sector is sustainable, resilient, and globally competitive.

About 70 per cent of Namibia’s population depends on agricultural activities for livelihood, mostly in the subsistence sector.

Earlier in August, Namibian Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare pledged to accelerate efforts to address rural development challenges, including lack of clean water, feeder roads, and digital connectivity, as part of the government’s commitment to building a more inclusive nation.

Speaking in northern Namibia, Ngurare said many rural households still lack basic services, decades after independence.

“The lack of reliable access to clean water is a fundamental challenge that affects not only your health but also your ability to thrive,” he said, stressing the government’s resolve to expand potable water supply, rural roads, and electricity to underserved areas.

He noted that infrastructure development remains central to Namibia’s growth strategy, adding that good infrastructure is vital for economic development as it connects communities, enables farmers to bring their produce to market, and ensures children can get to school safely.

Ngurare also highlighted plans to bridge the digital divide, pointing out that young people in rural constituencies need reliable internet to study and compete in the global economy. He said new information and communication technology towers were recently launched to extend coverage to previously underserved communities.

He urged communities to work with the government by turning present challenges into opportunities for future generations.

–IANS

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Dhaka, June 28 (IANS) The Chittagong Central Jail of Bangladesh is reportedly housing inmates more than three times its capacity, forcing them to live in overcrowded conditions.

In an effort to address the situation, an initiative was undertaken by the local authorities to construct a new prison. However, no land has been allocated despite repeated appeals by the Prisons Department, local media reported on Saturday.

Citing prison sources, leading Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo reported that the jail, which can accommodate 1853 prisoners, detains an average of 6000 prisoners daily.

“Currently, there are more than three times as many prisoners in the Chittagong Prison. Despite repeated requests, we are not getting land for a new prison. If there is a new prison, it can be developed as a correctional facility, where there will be arrangements for training prisoners as workers in the fishing and garment industries,” the newspaper quoted Mohammad Motahar Hossain, Director General of the Prisons Department, as saying.

Earlier, the Chittagong district administration stated that lands in Jangal Salimpur remain under illegal occupation, and have yet to be recovered before it can be handed to the prison authorities.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader and the current Mayor of Chittagong City Corporation, Shahadat Hossain, who is imprisoned in the jail in connection with a political case, described the conditions as “inhumane”.

“There is excessive pressure on prisoners. I have seen that instead of 30-40, as many as 100 people are kept in a limited area. This is inhumane. The prisoners suffer in various ways due to a lack of adequate space and washrooms. It is necessary to build a new prison in Chittagong to ensure minimum basic rights and healthcare,” the BNP leader told the Bangladeshi daily.

In October 2024, a data released by the Department of Prisons revealed that Bangladesh’s 68 prisons had a capacity of 42,887 but were housing 53,831 inmates.

Jyotirmoy Barua, a human rights activist and senior lawyer at the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, stated that overcrowded prisons constitute a serious violation of human rights.

“A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by law, and it is the state’s responsibility to uphold their rights. The government should consider temporary measures to ensure constitutional equality for the accused, except for those who have been convicted,” he added.

–IANS

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Quetta, June 28 (IANS) Nadia Baloch, sister of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) Central Organiser Mahrang Baloch, on Saturday appealed to lawyers, human rights organisations, the Baloch public, and all political leaders to raise their voice for the immediate release of the BYC leader and other activists who have been “illegally detained” by the Pakistani authorities.

“My sister, Dr. Mahrang Baloch, and her companions were illegally detained on March 22 under the black law of 3MPO or the Maintenance of Public Order. Since then, we’ve knocked on every legal door, exhausted every lawful means to secure their release,” Nadia said in a video message released by the BYC.

“According to the law, their detention period ended on June 22. Bibarg Baloch was due to end on June 25. Under 3MPO, a Review Board including the Chief Justice and senior judges must convene, review their case, and personally hear them. But no such board was ever formed,” she stated.

On repeated queries regarding the legal grounds on which they were still imprisoned she said, “the only response we received was baseless excuses that the ‘situation outside isn’t suitable’, so they are being held for 15 more days”.

Nadia challenged that no individual has the authority to extend their detention and only a formal Review Board can decide, adding that no official notification was provided.

“We went to the jail and waited the entire day. When we insisted, they finally brought a document but strictly forbade us from copying or photographing it. We were shown nothing official. No Review Board ever met. This is a completely illegal act,” she mentioned

Raising concern she said that under such lawlessness, even breathing has become unsafe, and “these black laws are suffocating us all”.

Earlier in the day, in a letter to the Civil Society Friends and Media, Nadia expressed deep concern about her sister, stating that Mahrang is under immense psychological pressure in prison.

She highlighted that the health of the BYC leader has deteriorated dramatically, and she has been sick for the past three days without access to proper medical care.

“Last night, she became severely unwell and experienced repeated vomiting. A doctor was finally called this morning, but the delay in medical attention is unacceptable. I fear that she is being deliberately kept in conditions that are worsening her health, and I am deeply concerned that her food may be contaminated. This morning, I visited the jail to meet her. My sister, Iqra, wasn’t allowed to meet her. I met her only for a couple of minutes. She looked extremely weak, sick, and fragile,” Nadia stated.

Besides that, Nadia mentioned that Mahrang has repeatedly complained about surveillance cameras, the lack of proper beds, food, and the violation of her rights as a political prisoner.

“Despite these hardships, she remains strong in her spirit. But she is sick and we fear for her life. Internet services were shut down in Quetta today so that we can’t amplify her voice. I urge you all to continue raising your voices for her and all detained Baloch prisoners,” Nadia concluded.

–IANS

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New Delhi: Ukraine’s efforts to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and the European Union (EU) suffered a jolt this week as the NATO Summit at The Hague wrapped up without any mention of the same in the official declaration.

The member countries of NATO, however, agreed to invest five per cent of their GDP, which includes 3.5 per cent GDP into core defence requirements, and 1.5 per cent on defence and security related to investments in infrastructure and industry by the year 2035.

The Summit gave the green signal for more defence equipment manufacturing by the European defence contractors, with the NATO leaders agreeing to ramp up and increase their defence budgets.

US President Donald Trump, while describing this as “a monumental win”, made it clear that NATO members should not rely on the US for any military support.

Driven by Trump, the defence budget of the NATO members is expected to pressurise Russian President Vladimir Putin to stay away from Kyiv.

Europe is trying to inflict maximum damage to Russia, not to contain, but to defeat it. Germany is providing assistance to Ukraine via money, weapons as well as setting up facilities for weapon production. The EU has adopted 17 sanction packages, the most recent being on May 14.

For the first time, Trump’s views were supported and accepted by the NATO member countries, all wanting to keep Europe “safe” from Putin. This summit brought into light a lot of fissures and factions between the US and Europe on Russia’s military might and intentions.

However, a rather laidback response was noted between Trump and the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Analysts reckon that Russia could mount a large-scale military attack on Ukraine in the coming months. While Russia is building up its forces with the aid of North Korea, Ukraine on the other hand is relying on the EU and NATO for more high tech defence equipment, including drones. Zelensky discussed the US Patriot Air Defence Systems (ADS) and joint weapons production with Trump. It has been reported that Trump might consider selling to Kyiv the US Patriot ADS and missiles, to bolster Ukraine’s ADS along with their European partners.

Ukraine would make a payment of USD $ 30-50 billion directly to the US, or via the fund under the US-Ukraine mineral deal, for the ADS. Ukraine has also upgraded its naval drone, Katran, with strike capabilities reaching targets up to a 100 kms away.

The fight against Russian reconnaissance and drones remains a top priority for Ukraine. Ukraine’s drones and missile strikes destroyed up to one-third of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet from 2022 to 2024.The Ukrainian drones are a force multiplier. After manufacturing more than a million drones last year, there have been plans made to cross the number and bring it to over two million this year.

Zelensky called the recent drone attack on the Tupolev nuclear-capable bomber fleet by Ukraine, which targetted five Russian air bases located 3000 km north-South and 5000 km West-East, on June 1, with 117 drones in a single operation called ‘Spider’s Web’, the longest range operation.

The drones were targetted towards Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur regions. The Russian ADS failed in the Murmansk and Irkutsk regions, with the destruction of at least 41 Russian heavy bombers.

Russia attacked Ukraine with Iranian-designed drones, most of which are now made in the Yelabuga drone factory in Tatarstan, Russia. It is believed that Iran transferred software and expertise to Russia.

Putin mentioned about his aim to annex Ukraine at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

“I have said many times that the Russian and Ukrainian people are one nation, in fact. In this sense, all of Ukraine is ours,” said Putin on June 20.

The Europeans fear that Trump’s plan to put an end to the Russia-Ukraine war might never happen with the increasing intensity of the Russian attacks.

It is believed by the Ukrainians that Trump might not be too consistent or strong when it comes to Putin. Based on figures from Statista, the EU and its institutions provided € 52.1 billion euros in regard to the Russian invasion on Ukraine, from January 24 to 28, 2025.

The US provided 114 billion Euros, the highest value of allocations till now.

The US and the other member countries of NATO agreed to accelerate Ukraine’s membership in NATO in July 2024. However, the same commitment was found to be missing from the NATO Summit at The Hague this year. Zelensky, not pursuing the Minsk-I and II Agreements in September 2014 and February 2015, made his commitment to end the war look ‘remote’.

As agreed in a meeting in Istanbul on June 2, the exchange of prisoners of war still continues.

Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, hopes to find a settlement by bringing Putin and Zelensky together, along with Trump, in Turkey.

Although Russia laid out two options for complete ceasefire, it had not provided the memorandum for peace settlement to Ukraine before the meeting, which prolonged the negotiation process further. Russia also rejected Ukraine’s proposal for a 90-day ceasefire.

With the troubled bilateral ties between the US and the EU member states, the trans-Atlantic unity has been possible because of Ukraine.

Ukraine’s entry into NATO and the EU has stalled, with Trump replacing Joe Biden as the US President. Putin’s key condition is that NATO should be placed back from Russia’s borders to the position that existed in the 1990s.

Russia will not support or allow the eastward expansion of NATO at any cost.

The Trump administration has worked well to accommodate Russia in Ukraine and Putin’s Russia is happy with Trump returning to the White House.

(The writer is an expert on South Asia and Eurasia. He was formerly with Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. Views expressed are personal)

–IANS

Sanaa/Jerusalem, June 28 (IANS) Yemen’s Houthi group announced Saturday that it had launched a ballistic missile targetting a “sensitive” site in southern Israel, activating air defence sirens in Israel for the first time since a ceasefire for the Israel-Iran conflict went into effect on Tuesday.

The strike, using a Zulfiqar ballistic missile, had “successfully hit its target,” Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement aired by the group’s al-Masirah TV channel.

Saree added that earlier in the week, Houthi forces carried out “several military operations” targetting “sensitive” sites and military facilities in three Israeli cities: Beer Sheva, Jaffa (Tel Aviv), and Haifa, using a number of ballistic missiles and drones. All of the operations, he said, were “successfully executed.”

He said the operations were “a form of support for the oppressed Palestinian people,” vowing that the group would continue its “supportive military operations until the aggression on Gaza ceases and the blockade is lifted.”

Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement that a missile fired from Yemen towards Israel on Saturday morning was “most likely successfully intercepted.”

Israel’s national emergency service, Magen David Adom, said that there were no immediate reports of hits or casualties, Xinhua news agency reported.

Following the launch, air defence sirens sounded across large areas of southern Israel, including the cities of Beer Sheva and Dimona as well as the Dead Sea region, sending hundreds of thousands of residents to shelters.

On Thursday, Yemen’s Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said that his forces have launched 309 ballistic, hypersonic missiles, and drones at Israel since mid-March, as part of what the group calls the second phase of its military campaign.

In a televised speech marking the Islamic New Year, broadcast by the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV, al-Houthi said 25 missiles and drones were launched this month alone in what he described as “qualitative military operations in support of Gaza.”

He reaffirmed that the Red Sea remains closed to Israeli-linked maritime traffic and accused Israel of continuing its offensive in Gaza with US backing.

Yemen’s internationally recognised government, meanwhile, accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of directly controlling the missile systems used by Houthi forces.

Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said Tehran was using Yemen as “an advanced missile platform” to threaten regional and international security while avoiding direct confrontation.

The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, began targetting Israel in November 2023, weeks after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, in what they say is an act of solidarity with the Palestinian people.

–IANS

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