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Afghanistan Toes US Decision, Not To Participate Moscow Talks

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Afghanistan Toes US Decision, Not To Participate Moscow Talks

Following US decision not to participate in Afghan peace talks slated to be held in the first week of September in Moscow, Afghanistan government has also announced for not participating in the multilateral talks where 12 countries were invited. However, Taliban have agreed to participate in the talks.

According to Kabul based Tolo News network, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on Wednesday said the Afghan government will not participate in the upcoming peace meeting. The ministry said government firmly believes in intra-Afghan dialogues. Kabul government has not received a formal invitation to attend the talks so far.

Sibghat Ahmadi, the deputy spokesman of Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “Any regional consensus about Pakistan needs to be structured in axis of the Afghan government. The peace process definitely needs to be carried out under the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. We will not participate in the Moscow talks.”

Afghanistan Toes US Decision, Not To Participate Moscow TalksHowever, a former Taliban political figure Sayed Akbar Agha said Taliban will attend the meeting and will start discussions on the prospects of peace in Afghanistan with countries in the region.

Agha further said, “Taliban has agreed on the Moscow talks and they will attend it. These talks are related to Asia. Foreign forces have come to Asian countries and there are concerns among these countries about it. All these countries want foreign forces to withdraw from Afghanistan.”

Read More:Afghanistan: 52 Killed In Taliban Terror Attacks on Security Forces

There are reports that Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, head of Taliban’s political office, will lead the Taliban’s delegation in the talks.

Meanwhile AP reports from Washington that US has rejected an invitation to join Russia led talks on Afghanistan because they are “unlikely to help bring peace”. However, State Department spokesman said Wednesday that Trump administration was prepared to appoint a diplomatic veteran as a new special envoy for Afghanistan.

The State Department official, who was not authorised to be quoted, said that as a matter of principle, the US supports Afghan-led efforts to advance a peace settlement. Based on the previous Russia-led meetings on Afghanistan, the Moscow talks are “unlikely to yield any progress toward that end”.

Read More: Spy chiefs of Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan to counter terror in Afghanistan

But, the report said that a perception exists that taking the Afghan peace talks to different venues in the west and east will complicate the reconciliation process in the country.

Meantime, Mohammadullah Haidari, Afghanistan’s former ambassador to Syria said, “Today the Taliban are ready to talk with the US and also they are ready to talk with Russia, but those who claim to be Afghans and want to bring peace in Afghanistan or talk about the peace process should talk to Afghans. However, they are not ready to talk with the legitimate government of Afghanistan.”

Moreover, there are reports that Alice Wells, the US’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs has met top Taliban officials in Doha.

Read More: Afghanistan: Taliban announce three-day Eid ceasefire

Meanwhile, Reuters, quoted an Afghan official working with foreign ministry saying that Afghan government had “decided against attending the Moscow conference” and that they will “hold direct talks” with the Taliban, without involving foreign powers.

Afghan reaction came a day after Russian foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted, by Interfax news agency, saying that Taliban plans to take part in the 4 September talks in Russia’s capital Moscow. Taliban sources have also confirmed to Aljazeera about its participation in the Moscow talks.

Russia has invited 12 countries, including US, to the multilateral peace talks, but Washington has declined the invitation. Foreign Ministry in Moscow said on Wednesday it regretted the US decision.

Read More: India joins UN in condemning terror attacks in Afghanistan

US also did not participate in the international talks on Afghanistan held in April last year in Moscow.

On Monday, Zamir Kabulov, a Russian foreign ministry official, was cited by Interfax as saying that Moscow has invited the Taliban, which is banned in Russia and considered a terrorist organisation. Kabulov is Russian President’s special envoy to Afghanistan who also served as ambassador in Afghanistan, Iraq and UN.

According to RIA news agency, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Moscow Abdul Kayum Kuchai, had welcomed the Taliban’s involvement in the talks.

There are reports that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo intends to appoint Zalmay Khalilzad, former US ambassador to Afghanistan, as special envoy, to deal with the Afghan-Taliban peace process.

Aljazeera reports that a Western diplomat based in Kabul has said that Russia was seeking to increase its influence and improve its image in Afghanistan by inviting Taliban leaders for talks.

Afghanistan Toes US Decision, Not To Participate Moscow TalksIn February this year, the Afghan Taliban had called for direct talks with the US to take place in its political office in Doha, the capital of Qatar. A Senior Taliban official based in Doha told Aljazeera that the group invites US officials to its political office in Qatar to discuss a “peaceful solution” to end the bloodshed in Afghanistan.

According to Wikipedia, senior Taliban leaders are currently stationed in Doha. The original purpose of the Taliban leaders’ presence in Qatar was to open an office that would facilitate reconciliation between members of the Taliban, Afghanistan, the US and other countries. However, shortly after the opening of the Taliban office in 2013, the office was closed by the Qatari government.

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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigns amid affair scandal, Colette Kress takes over

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has resigned amid an affair-related controversy. The company’s CFO, Colette Kress, will serve as interim CEO while the board looks for a permanent successor.

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colette kress

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has resigned from his position, marking a major leadership change at the world’s leading artificial intelligence chipmaker. The company’s board has appointed Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress as interim CEO while it begins the process of finding a permanent successor.

The development comes amid controversy surrounding reports of Huang’s alleged extramarital relationships, including one involving a Chinese businesswoman suspected by US authorities of having links to espionage activities.

Huang’s departure comes after more than three decades at the helm of Nvidia, the company he co-founded in 1993. His leadership helped transform the business from a graphics chip manufacturer into a dominant supplier of processors powering the global artificial intelligence industry.

Colette Kress appointed interim Nvidia CEO

Following Huang’s resignation, Nvidia’s board appointed Colette Kress as interim chief executive officer.

Kress, who has served as Nvidia’s executive vice president and CFO since September 2013, will continue to hold the finance portfolio alongside her interim leadership responsibilities until a permanent successor is appointed.

Before joining Nvidia, she spent nearly 25 years working in finance roles at major technology companies, including Cisco and Microsoft.

The board has said it will consider both internal and external candidates as part of its search for a permanent CEO.

Nvidia has also appointed Harvey C. Jones as the company’s first-ever chairman of the board.

Affair controversy surrounding Jensen Huang

Huang’s resignation follows a series of reports about alleged extramarital relationships that have raised questions about his position at the company.

One of the controversies involves Alice Huang, a Chinese businesswoman whom US intelligence agencies reportedly suspect of involvement in facilitating shipments of Nvidia chips to Chinese companies.

Another report alleged that Huang had a relationship with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia’s vice president of healthcare, who reportedly worked under him.

Huang had earlier acknowledged being unfaithful to his wife in a message to Nvidia employees, taking responsibility for his actions and apologising to his family and colleagues.

The company’s board had also initiated an independent investigation into whether Huang had been targeted as part of a foreign intelligence operation.

Jensen Huang’s departure marks a major change for Nvidia

Huang co-founded Nvidia in 1993 alongside Curtis Priem and Chris Malachowsky. Under his leadership, the company evolved from a graphics processing unit manufacturer primarily associated with gaming into a central player in the global AI industry.

Nvidia’s processors have become critical to companies developing and operating artificial intelligence systems, making the company one of the most influential businesses in the technology sector.

His departure also comes at a crucial time for Nvidia, with investors closely watching the company’s leadership transition and its ability to maintain its position in the rapidly expanding AI market.

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India, Canada discuss trade pact to boost bilateral commerce

India and Canada discussed advancing negotiations on a proposed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement aimed at expanding trade, investment and market access between the two countries.

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India canada trade pacts

India and Canada discussed advancing negotiations on a proposed trade agreement as the two countries seek to strengthen their economic and commercial ties.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met Canada’s Minister of International Trade Maninder Sidhu, who is leading a Canadian delegation to India. The discussions focused on advancing negotiations for the proposed India-Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

The proposed pact is aimed at creating greater market access and opening up new opportunities for trade and investment between the two countries.

India-Canada CEPA talks

Both sides discussed the importance of a balanced and mutually beneficial agreement that can make use of the complementary strengths of the two economies.

The discussions also focused on deepening commercial engagement and creating new opportunities for businesses in both countries.

Goyal said the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to taking the India-Canada economic partnership to a higher level, with CEPA serving as a catalyst for deeper commercial engagement.

India and Canada are working towards concluding the CEPA negotiations by the end of 2026.

India-Canada trade

The proposed CEPA is aimed at improving market access and creating opportunities across sectors while strengthening the broader economic relationship between India and Canada.

The agreement is expected to provide greater opportunities for businesses in both countries and support deeper trade and investment ties.

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White House put on temporary lockdown after car crashes into signpost

The White House was temporarily placed under lockdown after a car crashed into a signpost near Lafayette Square in Washington, DC. The driver was detained after a confrontation with security personnel.

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The White House was placed under a temporary lockdown on Monday after a car crashed into a signpost at Lafayette Square near the presidential residence in Washington, DC.

The incident triggered a security response in the area, with the US Secret Service directing members of the White House press corps to move indoors and remain there temporarily.

Driver detained after confrontation with security personnel

The driver was detained following a confrontation with Secret Service officers and National Guard personnel, according to reports.

Video footage showed a silver sedan on the paved area at the northern end of Lafayette Square after striking a signpost. Smoke was also seen coming from the vehicle.

Authorities had not immediately disclosed the driver’s identity or established what led to the crash.

White House security restrictions imposed

The security response prompted temporary restrictions around the White House. The incident occurred at Lafayette Square, which is directly across Pennsylvania Avenue from the presidential complex.

At around 10 am local time, Secret Service personnel instructed White House journalists to move indoors while security personnel dealt with the incident.

The White House was under the security restriction while President Donald Trump was at the premises, according to reports.

Motive behind crash remains unclear

It was not immediately known whether the crash was accidental or deliberate. Authorities had also not immediately confirmed whether anyone was injured.

The circumstances surrounding the incident, including the driver’s identity and possible motive, remained under investigation.

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