Afghan agents pour 3,000 litres of liquor into Kabul canal
A team of Afghan intelligence agents poured around 3,000 litres of liquor into a canal in Kabul, the country's spy agency said on Sunday, as the new Taliban authorities crack down on the sale of alcohol.
Video footage released by the General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) showed its agents pouring alcohol stored in barrels into the canal after seizing it during a raid in the capital.
"Muslims have to seriously abstain from making and delivering alcohol," an intelligence official said in the footage the agency posted on Twitter on Sunday.
It was not clear when the raid was carried out or exactly when the alcohol was destroyed, but a statement issued by the agency said three dealers were arrested during the operation.
Selling and consuming alcohol was banned even under the previous Western-backed regime, but the Taliban, known for their austere brand of Islam, are stricter in their opposition to it.
Since the Islamists seized power on August 15, the frequency of raids, including on drug addicts, has increased across the country.
The Taliban government's Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has also issued several guidelines restricting women's rights.
Less time to read?
Try Quickreads
-
N.Korea ramping up production of drugs, medical supplies to fight Covid: Report
North Korea is ramping up the production of drugs and medical supplies to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, which has wreaked havoc. According to the Korean Central News Agency on Thursday, North Korea is also increasing the production of traditional Korean medicines used to reduce fever and pain. In the capital city of Pyongyang and nearby regions, factories are churning out more injections, medicines and thermometers and other medical supplies.
-
Ukraine war: Biden nominee Bridget Brink set to be confirmed as US envoy to Kyiv
Veteran diplomat Bridget Brink, who was nominated by US President Joe Biden to be the country's next ambassador to war-hit Ukraine, was on Wednesday (local time) given a unanimous approval by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for appointment to the post, which means that she just a step away from being Washington's new representative in the east European nation. She was nominated by Biden on April 25.
-
32 cases in Portugal, Spain put Europe on alert for monkeypox
Officials in Spain and Portugal announced on Wednesday that they have detected around 32 suspected cases of monkeypox, days after the UK reported new cases that have triggered concerns that there may be an undetected transmission in parts of Europe. Portugal had five confirmed and 20 suspected cases, Spain eight suspected cases and UK seven confirmed infections as on Wednesday.
-
Blinken, Bilawal meet, hold talks on strengthening ties
US secretary of state Antony Blinken on Wednesday met Pakistan's foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at the UN headquarters and their talks focussed on regional security as well as strengthening bilateral economic and commercial ties. Bilawal is on a maiden visit to the US at the invitation of Blinken to attend the ministerial meeting on the “Global Food Security Call to Action” to be held at the United Nations later on Wednesday.
-
World Bank to offer $30 billion as Ukraine war threatens food security
The World Bank said on Wednesday it will make $30 billion available to help stem a food security crisis threatened by Russia's war in Ukraine, which has cut off most grain exports from the two countries. The total will include $12 billion in new projects and over $18 billion funds from existing food and nutrition-related projects that have been approved but have not yet been disbursed, the bank said.
