Politics
Snow, heavy rain kill 61 in three days in Afghanistan
- Most of casualties caused by roof collapses, avalanches: official.
- Deaths occur mainly in central and northern provinces: ANDMA.
- Rescue teams unable to reach Salang pass because of blockage.
Snow and heavy rain have killed 61 people in Afghanistan in the past three days, disaster officials said on Saturday, with a major road and power also cut in several provinces.
The deaths occurred mainly in central and northern provinces between Wednesday and Friday, according to a map released by Afghanistan’s disaster management authority (ANDMA).
The “initial figures of casualties and destruction” also include 110 injured people and 458 houses that were either partially or fully destroyed, ANDMA said on social media platform X.
A total of 360 families were affected, said a spokesman who asked people in a video message to avoid unnecessary travel on snowy roads.
The spokesman also told AFP that most of the casualties were caused by roof collapses and avalanches, while many also died from frostbite in sub-zero temperatures.
The emergency department in the southern province of Kandahar said six children were killed when the roof of their home collapsed in strong wind and heavy rain on Wednesday.
Houses were also damaged in other districts.
Major highway cut
The Salang highway, one of Afghanistan’s main roads, has been closed, authorities in Parwan province north of Kabul said. The highway is a vital connection to Afghanistan’s northern provinces.
Food supplies were also distributed to travellers stuck on a mountain pass in central Bamyan province, west of the capital.
A transmission line importing electricity from Uzbekistan was also damaged on Thursday, leaving households in almost 12 provinces without power.
“The technical teams are ready but cannot reach the area because of the blockage of Salang pass,” said Mohammad Sadiq, the spokesman for Afghanistan’s national power utility Dabs.
The heavy snow and rain also destroyed shops and killed livestock in different parts of the predominantly rural country.
“Snow and rain, when managed properly, contribute positively to Afghanistan’s environment and livelihoods,” the Kabul Times daily wrote in an editorial.
“However, without sufficient preparation and timely intervention, these natural phenomena can quickly turn into sources of tragedy,” it said.
Around half of Afghanistan’s population of more than 40 million people will need humanitarian assistance this year, according to the United Nations, after a sharp drop in foreign assistance in recent years.
Natural disasters such as earthquakes and drought also often compound the daily struggle to survive.
US President Donald Trump has said India will buy Venezuelan oil, as opposed to purchasing oil from Iran.
“We’ve already made that deal, the concept of the deal,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he travelled to his vacation home in Florida from Washington.
Reuters reported on Friday that the United States has told Delhi it could soon resume purchases of Venezuelan oil to help replace imports of Russian oil, citing three people familiar with the matter.
India has not been importing significant amounts of Iranian oil due to US sanctions, but became a major buyer of Russian oil after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 triggered Western sanctions that drove down its price.
Trump in August doubled duties on imports from India to 50% to pressure New Delhi to stop buying Russian oil, and earlier this month said the rate could rise again if it did not curb its purchases.
However, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled in January that the additional 25% tariff on Indian goods could be removed, given what he called a sharp reduction in Indian imports of Russian oil.
Trump in March 2025 also imposed a 25% tariff on countries buying Venezuelan oil, including India. The US government this week lifted some sanctions on Venezuela’s oil industry to make it easier for US companies to sell its crude oil.
Trump’s comments on Saturday appeared to reflect continued improvement in US-India relations, which have been tense throughout the past year.
Trump also said China could make a deal with the US to buy Venezuelan oil.
“China is welcome to come in and would make a great deal on oil,” Trump said, without providing any details.
- Congress leadership condemns Modi for ties, demands answers.
- Cites Modi’s meetings with Trump, Israel trip to allege connection.
- Govt denies any advisory role or meaningful contact with Epstein.
Freshly released files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have sparked attention after an email mentioning Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi surfaced in the latest batch published by the US Department of Justice, drawing a sharp response from New Delhi.
The Jerusalem Post reported on Saturday that one of the emails, attributed to Epstein, refers to Modi’s 2017 state visit to Israel — the first ever by an Indian prime minister.
The message claims Modi acted on Epstein’s advice during the trip, a suggestion Indian authorities have firmly rejected.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the only verifiable fact in the email is Modi’s official visit to Israel, calling the rest of the claims unfounded and misleading.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dismissed the remarks as the musings of a convicted criminal, saying there was no evidence of any meaningful contact or advisory role involving Modi and Epstein.
Despite the denial, opposition parties have cited the reference to press the government for an explanation.
Meanwhile, local media reported that the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, strongly criticised Prime Minister Modi, calling any alleged link with Epstein a matter of deep national shame.
Congress, in a recent statement, said Epstein wrote in an email that Modi took his advice before visiting Israel, claiming Modi “danced and sang” there for the benefit of the US president.
The party said Modi visited Israel from July 4 to 6, 2017, and that Epstein’s email was written three days after the trip.
It added that Modi had met then US President Donald Trump in June 2017, before the Israel visit, claiming this showed a long-standing and deep connection between Modi and Epstein.
The opposition party said the issue concerns national dignity and international credibility and that Modi must answer questions about what advice he took from Epstein and the meaning of the claims made in the email.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He was jailed in 2008 for soliciting paid sex from a minor.
A fresh cache of files released on Friday related to the investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein contains documents that refer to numerous high-profile figures.
President Donald Trump, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and British billionaire Richard Branson are among some of the people named in the documents.
- Congress leadership condemns Modi for ties, demands answers.
- Cites Modi’s meetings with Trump, Israel trip to allege connection.
- Govt denies any advisory role or meaningful contact with Epstein.
Freshly released files tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have sparked attention after an email mentioning Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi surfaced in the latest batch published by the US Department of Justice, drawing a sharp response from New Delhi.
The Jerusalem Post reported on Saturday that one of the emails, attributed to Epstein, refers to Modi’s 2017 state visit to Israel — the first ever by an Indian prime minister.
The message claims Modi acted on Epstein’s advice during the trip, a suggestion Indian authorities have firmly rejected.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the only verifiable fact in the email is Modi’s official visit to Israel, calling the rest of the claims unfounded and misleading.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal dismissed the remarks as the musings of a convicted criminal, saying there was no evidence of any meaningful contact or advisory role involving Modi and Epstein.
Despite the denial, opposition parties have cited the reference to press the government for an explanation.
Meanwhile, local media reported that the main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, strongly criticised Prime Minister Modi, calling any alleged link with Epstein a matter of deep national shame.
Congress, in a recent statement, said Epstein wrote in an email that Modi took his advice before visiting Israel, claiming Modi “danced and sang” there for the benefit of the US president.
The party said Modi visited Israel from July 4 to 6, 2017, and that Epstein’s email was written three days after the trip.
It added that Modi had met then US President Donald Trump in June 2017, before the Israel visit, claiming this showed a long-standing and deep connection between Modi and Epstein.
The opposition party said the issue concerns national dignity and international credibility and that Modi must answer questions about what advice he took from Epstein and the meaning of the claims made in the email.
Epstein died by suicide in 2019 in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He was jailed in 2008 for soliciting paid sex from a minor.
A fresh cache of files released on Friday related to the investigation into the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein contains documents that refer to numerous high-profile figures.
President Donald Trump, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and British billionaire Richard Branson are among some of the people named in the documents.
Budget 2026 Live Updates: TCS On Overseas Tour Packages Slashed To 2%; TDS On Education LRS Eased
Trump says India will buy oil from Venezuela, not Iran
Budget 2026: Cabinet gives green signal to Union Budget 2026–27
-
Business1 week agoSuccess Story: This IITian Failed 17 Times Before Building A ₹40,000 Crore Giant
-
Fashion1 week agoSouth Korea tilts sourcing towards China as apparel imports shift
-
Sports1 week agoTransfer rumors, news: Saudi league eyes Salah, Vinícius Jr. plus 50 more
-
Sports5 days agoPSL 11: Local players’ category renewals unveiled ahead of auction
-
Entertainment1 week agoThree dead after suicide blast targets peace committee leader’s home in DI Khan
-
Sports1 week agoWanted Olympian-turned-fugitive Ryan Wedding in custody, sources say
-
Fashion1 week agoTamil Nadu wind policy tweaks to boost textile sector competitiveness
-
Tech1 week agoStrap One of Our Favorite Action Cameras to Your Helmet or a Floaty