In a strange incident, a grieving family saw an unknown mourner at the funeral home in northern France and were then told that the 60-years-old is a friend of the deceased. 

The family left her to pay her respects at the open coffin.

According to the reports by French media, when they came back, the deceased was stripped off her jewellery as her necklace, ring and earrings had all vanished.

Also read | Pakistan not responsible for Taliban’s actions in Afghanistan: PM Imran Khan

Investigations began after the family informed the police.

The police got a suspect, a woman living not far from the funeral home, in the town of Liévin.

Soon, they were able to link her with the theft of a wallet from the body of a man at the same funeral home, earlier on the same day, Tuesday 24 August.

After searching the suspect’s home, police found a stack of recent death notices. 

Included in the notices were the access codes for family members to enter the individual rooms where the coffins of their relatives were reposing.

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Image Source : AP/ REPRESENTATIONAL.

France in talks with Taliban on humanitarian operations in Afghanistan: President Emmanuel Macron.

 

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that discussions were underway with the Taliban through Qatar to “protect and repatriate” Afghans at risk since this month’s takeover by the group. Evacuations are planned jointly with Qatar and may involve “airlift operations”, Macron said on Saturday (local time) after a summit in Baghdad, adding that France had evacuated 2,834 people from Afghanistan since August 17, Samaa TV reported citing an international news agency.

Meanwhile, Paris and London will call on Monday for the creation of a “safe zone” in the Afghan capital of Kabul, which is expected to allow the continuation of humanitarian operations, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with Journal du Dimanche.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will meet with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on Monday to discuss the latest developments in Afghanistan.According to Sputnik, Macron said that France and the UK are developing a “draft resolution” which “aims to define, under UN control, a ‘safe zone’ in Kabul to allow humanitarian operations to continue.” reported Sputnik.

The French president explained that such a “safe zone” would provide a framework for the United Nations to act in an emergency. Macron also said that France is counting on the help of Qatar in what concerns airlift operations.

On Saturday, Macron confirmed that discussions had been launched with the Taliban on the humanitarian operations and the evacuation of vulnerable Afghans. 

The French leader told reporters at the Baghdad Cooperation and Partnership Conference that the mission was being worked out in cooperation with Qatar, reported Sputnik furthermore.

(With inputs from ANI)

 

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Protesters take cover next to tires on fire near the fence of Gaza Strip border with Israel during a protest east of Khan Younis.

A 12-year-old Palestinian boy who was shot in the head by Israeli fire during a violent demonstration at the Gaza-Israeli border last week died of his wounds Saturday, Gaza health officials said.

Hassan Abu al-Neil was shot on August 21 during the demonstration organized by Gaza’s Hamas rulers to protest the crippling blockade imposed by Egypt and Israel.

Violence erupted when Palestinian protesters began throwing rocks and explosives at Israeli troops near the fortified border. Israeli troops responded by opening fire, wounding over 40 Palestinians, including al-Neil.

Another Palestinian man, later identified as a member of Hamas’ military wing, died from his wounds Wednesday.

An Israeli soldier remains in critical condition after being shot in the head from point-blank range by a protestor during the clashes.

Hundreds of Palestinian protesters demonstrated Wednesday near the Gaza-Israeli border, again calling for the easing of the blockade. Under pressure from Egyptian mediators, Hamas kept demonstrators away from the separation fence and the protests ended without a recurrence of last week’s deadly violence.

Following Wednesday’s protest, Israel said it was easing some of the commercial restrictions on Gaza, allowing vehicles, goods, and equipment for rebuilding projects to enter the Palestinian enclave. Israel’s Defense Ministry said the easing could expand further if things remain quiet.

Egypt, which had closed its border crossing with Gaza to put pressure on Hamas, also partially reopened the crossing to allow a light flow of traffic to enter Gaza from Egypt.

The Israeli government reached an agreement with Qatar on Aug. 19 allowing the gulf country to resume aid payments to families in the Gaza Strip, a move aimed at reducing tensions with Hamas in the aftermath of May’s 11-day war, the fourth since the militant group seized power in 2007. Israel suspended aid payments in May and said the move was necessary to ensure Hamas did not benefit from cash injections.

At least 260 Palestinians were killed during May’s Gaza-Israel war, including 67 children and 39 women, according to the Gaza health ministry. Hamas has acknowledged the deaths of 80 militants. Twelve civilians, including two children, were killed in Israel, along with one soldier.

ALSO READ | 1mn Palestinian kids return to school after months of closure

 

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Rescue workers search bodies at the site of a burnt chemical factory in Karachi. 

At least 16 people died after a fire broke out at a factory in Pakistan’s Karachi on Friday, local media reported citing police and rescue officials. According to Dawn, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) Additional Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said that 16 bodies had been brought to the hospital so far, adding that more were expected.

She said 12 of the bodies had been identified and were taken away by relatives, while four could not be identified immediately. All of the deceased were aged between 18 and 38, she added.

Korangi SSP Shah Jehan said that police had been informed that there were 25 people still trapped in the building and feared that they may have died, according to Dawn.

According to a spokesman for the Pakistan Rangers (Sindh), the area had been cordoned off and Rangers personnel were engaged in relief efforts with rescue teams. The spokesperson said that the fire had occurred at a chemical factory in Mehran Town, adding that the blaze was now under control and rescue efforts were underway.

According to police officials, an Edhi volunteer, Saddam, 30, also sustained injuries while trying to extinguish the fire. Saddam, along with three other injured people, was taken to JPMC, Dawn reported.

(With inputs from ANI)

 

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UNGA prez Volkan Bozkir calls for protecting civilians in Afghan. 

 

The President of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Volkan Bozkir, has called for protecting civilians following the reported twin suicide explosions outside of Kabul airport.

“Protection of civilians and rights and freedoms of Afghan people – in particular women and children must be a priority,” the UNGA president said on Thursday in a note emailed to UN correspondents, Xinhua news agency reported.

Bozkir noted that for 40 years, the General Assembly has addressed “the situation in Afghanistan,” focusing on peace, stability, good governance, human rights and development.

“During its last meeting on December 10, 2020, the UN membership expressed much hope with many fronts in Afghanistan’s path towards peace and political reconciliation.”

“Unfortunately, the hope is overshadowed with recent developments during the past two weeks. Above all, the news of reportedly twin suicide explosions today, outside of Kabul airport, is alarming,” he said.

“This grotesque development will only complicate and debilitate efforts, among others, at evacuations. This is unacceptable. The situation in Afghanistan is most concerning,” said the UNGA president.

“Violence, the threat of terrorism, an unstable security situation and growing civilian casualties have strong potential to derail the Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation, which is the only path to enduring peace and stability,” said the veteran diplomat.

He said that Afghan leadership, from every ethnic and political groups, “cannot squander this opportunity to come together to forge a collective pathway to peace, security and prosperity, for its people and for the region.”

“The United Nations must lead the way in assisting the people of Afghanistan at this crucial juncture. More than ever the Afghan people need the support of the international community to preserve hard gained achievements and overcome the many challenges facing security, sustainable development, and the economy,” he added.

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Supply chain services startup Delhivery is getting ready to file an initial public offering in India that could raise an estimated $1 billion, Bloomberg reported Wednesday (Aug. 25).

The company is reportedly working on a draft prospectus that could be filed in October with a March 2022 listing target in Mumbai. The offering could be comprised of new and existing shares, one source told the news outlet.

Delhivery can list on the Bombay Stock Exchange, the National Stock Exchange, or on both, per information from the Securities and Exchange Board of India. Both exchanges are located in Mumbai.

See also: India Sees Highest IPO Funding In 13 Years

Headquartered in Gurgaon, in the northern Indian state of Haryana, Delhivery was founded in 2011 and has the financial backing of SoftBank Vision Fund and Carlyle Group.

“The company is still working out details of the issue, including its size. However, given that we already have substantial cash on our balance sheet, we expect it to be a primary issue in the $400-500 million range,” Delhivery CEO and Co-founder Sahil Barua said in a press release earlier this summer.

Related news: FedEx Investing $100M In India’s Delhivery To Expand International Shipping

“Since we are an Indian company and have a substantial part of our business here, we will list locally,” he added. “We are going into a public listing sitting on $550 million in cash, and we don’t burn money.” Barua was formerly a consultant at Bain & Company.

Delhivery is among the top logistics and supply chain services firms in India and is striving to be the “operating system for commerce in India,” per its website. It has fulfilled more than 1 billion orders to over 525 million households in the country and employs over 43,000 people. It delivers more than 1.5 million packages daily and operates 24/7 .

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NEW PYMNTS DATA: 58 PERCENT OF MULTINATIONAL FIRMS ARE USING CRYPTOCURRENCY

 About: In spite of their price volatility and regulatory uncertainty, new PYMNTS research shows that 58 percent of multinational firms are already using at least one form of cryptocurrency — especially when moving funds across borders. The new Cryptocurrency, Blockchain and Global Business survey, a PYMNTS and Circle collaboration, polls 500 executives looks at the potential and the pitfalls facing crypto as it moves into the financial mainstream.

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KABUL, Afghanistan — An explosion went off Thursday outside Kabul’s airport, where thousands of people have flocked as they try to flee the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Officials offered no casualty count, but a witness said several people appeared to have been killed or wounded.

Western nations had warned earlier in the day of a possible attack at the airport in the waning days of a massive airlift. Suspicion for any attack targeting the crowds would likely fall on the Islamic State group and not the Taliban, who have been deployed at the airport’s gates trying to control the mass of people.

The Pentagon confirmed the blast, with no immediate word on casualties.

Adam Khan, an Afghan waiting outside the airport, said the explosion went off in a crowd of people waiting to enter the airport. Khan, who said he was standing about 30 meters (yards) away, said several people appeared to have been killed or wounded, including some who lost body parts.

Several countries urged people to avoid the airport earlier in the day, with one saying there was a threat of a suicide bombing. But just days — or even hours for some nations — before the evacuation effort ends, few appeared to heed the call.

Over the last week, the airport has been the scene of some of the most searing images of the chaotic end of America’s longest war and the Taliban’s takeover, as flight after flight took off carrying those who fear a return to the militants’ brutal rule.

Already, some countries have ended their evacuations and begun to withdraw their soldiers and diplomats, signaling the beginning of the end of one of history’s largest airlifts. The Taliban have pledged not to attack Western forces during the evacuation, but insist the foreign troops must be out by America’s self-imposed deadline of Aug. 31.

Overnight, warnings emerged from Western capitals about a threat from Afghanistan’s Islamic State group affiliate, which likely has seen its ranks boosted by the Taliban’s freeing of prisoners during their blitz across the country.

British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey told the BBC early Thursday there was “very, very credible reporting of an imminent attack” at the airport, possibly within “hours.” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said his country had received information from the U.S. and other countries about the “threat of suicide attacks on the mass of people.”

The acting U.S. ambassador to Kabul, Ross Wilson, said the security threat at the Kabul airport overnight was “clearly regarded as credible, as imminent, as compelling.” But in an interview with ABC News, he would not give details and did not say whether the threat remained.

A while later, the blast was reported. U.S. President Joe Biden has been briefed on the explosion, the White House says.

Late Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy warned citizens at three airport gates to leave immediately due to an unspecified security threat. Australia, Britain and New Zealand also advised their citizens Thursday not to go to the airport, with Australia’s foreign minister saying there was a “very high threat of a terrorist attack.”

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied that any attack was imminent in the wake of those warnings.

Earlier Thursday, the Taliban sprayed a water cannon at those gathered at one airport gate to try to drive the crowd away, as someone launched tear gas canisters elsewhere.

Nadia Sadat, a 27-year-old Afghan, carried her 2-year-old daughter with her outside the airport. She and her husband, who had worked with coalition forces, missed a call from a number they believed was the State Department and were trying to get into the airport without any luck. Her husband had pressed ahead in the crowd to try to get them inside.

“We have to find a way to evacuate because our lives are in danger,” Sadat said. “My husband received several threatening messages from unknown sources. We have no chance except escaping.”

Gunshots later echoed in the area as Sadat waited. “There is anarchy because of immense crowds,” she said, blaming the U.S. for the chaos.

Aman Karimi, 50, escorted his daughter and her family to the airport, fearful the Taliban would target her because of her husband’s work with NATO.

“The Taliban have already begun seeking those who have worked with NATO,” he said. “They are looking for them house-by-house at night.”

Many Afghans share those fears. The hard-line Islamic group wrested back control of the country nearly 20 years after being ousted in a U.S.-led invasion following the 9/11 attacks, which al-Qaida orchestrated while being sheltered by the group.

Senior U.S. officials said Wednesday’s warning from the embassy was related to specific threats involving the Islamic State group and potential vehicle bombs. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss ongoing military operations.

The Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan grew out of disaffected Taliban members who hold an even more extreme view of Islam. The Sunni extremists have carried out a series of brutal attacks, mainly targeting Afghanistan’s Shiite Muslim minority, including a 2020 assault on a maternity hospital in Kabul in which they killed women and infants.

The Taliban have fought against Islamic State militants in Afghanistan. But IS fighters were likely freed from prisons along with other inmates during the Taliban’s rapid advance. Extremists may have seized heavy weapons and equipment abandoned by Afghan troops.

Amid the warnings and the pending American withdrawal, Canada ended its evacuations, and European nations halted or prepared to stop their own operations.

“The reality on the ground is the perimeter of the airport is closed. The Taliban have tightened the noose. It’s very, very difficult for anybody to get through at this point,” said Canadian General Wayne Eyre, the country’s acting Chief of Defense Staff.

Lt. Col. Georges Eiden, Luxembourg’s army representative in neighboring Pakistan, said that Friday would mark the official end for U.S. allies. But two Biden administration officials denied that was the case.

A third official said that the U.S. worked with its allies to coordinate each country’s departure, and some nations asked for more time and were granted it.

“Most depart later in the week,” he said, while adding that some were stopping operations Thursday. All three officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the information publicly.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex told RTL radio his country’s efforts would stop Friday evening. Danish Defense Minister Trine Bramsen bluntly warned: “It is no longer safe to fly in or out of Kabul.”

Denmark’s last flight has already departed, and Poland and Belgium have also announced the end of their evacuations. The Dutch government said it had been told by the U.S. to leave Thursday.

But Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said some planes would continue to fly.

“Evacuation operations in Kabul will not be wrapping up in 36 hours. We will continue to evacuate as many people as we can until the end of the mission,” he said in a tweet.

The Taliban have said they’ll allow Afghans to leave via commercial flights after the deadline next week, but it remains unclear which airlines would return to an airport controlled by the militants. Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said talks were underway between his country and the Taliban about allowing Turkish civilian experts to help run the facility.

The Taliban have promised to return Afghanistan to security and pledged they won’t seek revenge on those who opposed them or roll back progress on human rights. But many Afghans are skeptical.

Ziar Yad, an Afghan journalist from private broadcaster Tolo News, said Taliban fighters beat him and his colleague and confiscated their cameras, technical equipment and a mobile phone as they tried to report on poverty in Kabul.

“The issue has been shared with Taliban leaders; however, the perpetrators have not yet been arrested, which is a serious threat to freedom of expression,” Yad wrote on Twitter.

Lawless reported from London and Gambrell from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem; Sylvie Corbet in Paris; Jan M. Olsen from Copenhagen, Denmark; Tameem Akhgar and Andrew Wilks in Istanbul; James LaPorta in Boca Raton, Florida; Mike Corder at The Hague, Netherlands; Philip Crowther in Islamabad; Colleen Barry in Milan; and Aamer Madhani and Robert Burns in Washington contributed to this report.

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Issued on: 26/08/2021 – 12:47

The French President marks his return to the European scene on Thursday in a one-day visit to Ireland, one of the four EU countries he has yet to visit as part of his tour of the bloc. While France and Ireland have much in common, the thorny issue of international taxation is set to loom large.

This is Emmanuel Macron’s first official visit to Ireland and fulfils part of his election pledge to visit all 27 EU member states during his term in office.

The president is travelling with a high-level delegation, including the ministers of finance, foreign affairs and European affairs.

During the one-day tour of Dublin he will meet his Irish counterpart Michael D Higgens and the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Michael Martin.

There is much to discuss: Brexit and the future of the EU, Covid-19, international taxation, how to handle the Afghanistan refugee crisis as the EU tries to reach a coordinated approach.

Macron will also talk to entrepreneurs, students and intellectuals during visits to Trinity College and the Guinness Enterprise Centre.

Macron and Martin are to host a joint press conference later today.

Brexit

France and Ireland have common ground on the issue of Brexit, having stood up to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson over his desire to renegotiate the withdrawal agreement between the UK and the EU.

London wants to renegotiate the protocol on Northern Ireland which would see the introduction of controls on goods between Ulster and Britain. It has obtained an extension until 1 October.

While the Elysée says it is willing to discuss the pragmatic implementation of all the provisions, renegotiating the text is out of the question.

Ireland defends the protocol and is likely to appreciate France’s firm stance on the matter.

Taxation

The issue of international taxation is set to be less consensual.

Ireland is one of three EU countries to have rejected the proposal to create a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15 percent as part of the international tax reform negotiated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The proposal would redistribute tax revenues from very large corporations to countries where they have their sales.

Validated by the G20 in July, 132 member countries out of the 139 making up the OECD have signed up. But Ireland, Estonia and Hungary have not.

France has been at the forefront of pushing for a minimum tax rate, but Ireland has expressed reservations. Its own 12.5 percent rate allows it to host headquarters of digital giants like Google, Apple and FaceBook.

Signs of hope

France believes there may be a mood for change.

According to the presidency the head of the Irish government and his finance minister Paschal Donohoe have given “signals” that they are willing to work and look at the details of this agreement.

“Ireland has not entirely closed the door,” an Elysée official told journalists ahead of today’s meeting.

Getting Ireland on board is crucial since the global tax rate requires unanimity within the bloc if it is to become law.

In January 2022, France takes over the six-month rotating presidency of the EU Council, placing Macron in a “president of Europe” role.

Brought into office on a pro-European platform, Macron is expected to run for re-election in April 2022. Polls suggest he will likely face off hard-right leader Marine Le Pen in the second round.

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Fu Cong, a Foreign Ministry DG, speaks at a briefing for foreign journalists at the Foreign Ministry in Beijing, China.

China went on the offensive Wednesday ahead of the release of a U.S. intelligence report on the origins of the coronavirus, bringing out a senior official to accuse the United States of politicizing the issue by seeking to blame China.

Fu Cong, a Foreign Ministry director general (DG), said at a briefing for foreign journalists that “scapegoating China cannot whitewash the U.S.”

“If they want to baselessly accuse China, they better be prepared to accept the counterattack from China,” he said.

China, the U.S. and the World Health Organization are entangled in a feud that centers on whether the virus that causes COVID-19 could have leaked from a lab in the city of Wuhan, where the disease was first detected in late 2019.

A joint WHO-China report published in late March concluded that a lab leak was “extremely unlikely,” and China wants the investigation to move on to other possibilities. The most likely scenario, the report said, is that the virus jumped from bats to another animal that then infected humans.

But the findings are not conclusive, and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that “all hypotheses are on the table and warrant complete and further studies.” He added in July that there had been a “premature push” to rule out the lab leak theory.

In May, President Joe Biden ordered a 90-day review by intelligence agencies of both theories. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that Biden received the report and a classified briefing about it on Tuesday, and that an unclassified summary is being prepared “expeditiously” for public release.

The feud over whether to keep pursuing the lab leak theory has delayed the next phase of research, and the scientists who made up the WHO team for the joint report warned Wednesday that the window of opportunity for solving the mystery is “closing fast.”

China has responded to continuing speculation about a leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology by suggesting the virus could have escaped from Fort Detrick, a U.S. military lab in Maryland.

Fu, who heads the Foreign Ministry’s Arms Control Department, denied that China is engaging in a disinformation campaign.

He said that if other parties insist on pursuing the lab leak theory, then the WHO team of researchers should visit Fort Detrick. He portrayed it as a fairness issue, since the WHO has been to the Wuhan institute twice.

“If Dr. Tedros believes that we should not rule out the hypothesis of a lab leak, well, he knows where to go,” Fu said. “He needs to go to the U.S. labs.”

China notes that the Fort Detrick’s infectious disease institute has studied coronaviruses and that it was closed for several months in 2019-20 for safety violations.

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The digital payment and banking provider i2c has joined forces with Mexican lender Credijusto to provide a new credit card for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in Mexico.

The two companies announced the partnership Wednesday (Aug. 25), saying the Covalto American Express card would be available to SMBs throughout Mexico this year.

They say the card aims to help business owners avoid using their personal payment cards to operate their businesses.

“Issued by Credijusto, backed by i2c and supported on the American Express network, the modern credit card will be a first-of-its-kind corporate solution with digital onboarding,” the companies said in a news release. “Fee and annuity free, the card and financial software provides an innovative means for companies to control expenses and have increased visibility into their business.”

The companies say the card will offer customers unlimited cashback, next-generation security, 40 days of financing and virtual card capabilities, all powered by the Covalto app. The program is designed to reduce onboarding time and give customers immediate credit access.

“We’re thrilled to partner with and support Credijusto in delivering a truly novel product for the Mexican (SMB) market,” said Kevin Fox, i2c’s EVP, Global Head of Sales. “Innovative ventures like these are a great example of how current FinTech and issuer-processor collaborations are reaching under-addressed, high-demand market segments.”

Learn more: i2c, KEO And PAYBACK Team To Offer Mexican Consumers Prepaid Amex Cards

This is i2c’s second partnership with a Mexican company this month.

On Aug. 11, i2c announced it was working with lending company KEO and Mexican customer loyalty program PAYBACK on a prepaid American Express credit card designed to provide customers with more financial inclusion and credit availability.

The companies say they will make that happen through a fully digital underwriting process that provides a quick credit approval for users without a credit check or paperwork.

i2c also recently announced it was expanding its partnership with Visa to offer issuers buy now, pay later capabilities at point of sale.

Read more: i2c Expands Visa Partnership For BNPL At POS

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NEW PYMNTS DATA: 58 PERCENT OF MULTINATIONAL FIRMS ARE USING CRYPTOCURRENCY

 About: In spite of their price volatility and regulatory uncertainty, new PYMNTS research shows that 58 percent of multinational firms are already using at least one form of cryptocurrency — especially when moving funds across borders. The new Cryptocurrency, Blockchain and Global Business survey, a PYMNTS and Circle collaboration, polls 500 executives looks at the potential and the pitfalls facing crypto as it moves into the financial mainstream.

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