Taliban claims to have defeated resistance force as concern mounts over Americans held "hostage" by the group
CBSN
Doha, Qatar — The Taliban claimed on Monday to have taken full control of Afghanistan. The group said its forces had seized the Panjshir Valley, and with it the last province in the country where resistance forces held ground and put up a fight against the Islamic extremists' takeover.
There were competing claims about the situation in Panjshir, north of the capital Kabul, with some members of the resistance refusing to give up, but images from the rugged mountain region suggested the fight was over, and the Taliban had won. Despite the competing claims, it was clear that the Taliban was cementing its control over the country, and its latest apparent victory came amid growing concern over the fate of Americans and Afghans who have been unable to leave.Jerusalem — Thousands of Israeli nationalists marched Wednesday through east Jerusalem as authorities deployed police with tensions sky-high nearly eight months into the Gaza war. That war appeared to be intensifying in Gaza and the far-right nationalists staged their annual march – long deemed a provocation by Palestinians – in Jerusalem.
The world has now marked one full year of back-to-back monthly heat records, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service announced on Wednesday. It said last month was the hottest May in recorded history — the 12th consecutive month in which the monthly high temperature record was broken.
New Delhi — India's 2024 election results show Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to win his third term in office, with the political alliance led by his Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on track to win a solid majority of the seats up for grabs in India's Parliament. Final numbers were expected later Tuesday, but the results of the world's biggest democratic elections appeared clear: Modi will keep his job, but with a smaller mandate than was widely expected or promised by his party.
Seoul, South Korea — South Korea on Tuesday took steps to suspend a contentious military agreement with North Korea and resume front-line military activities, as tension between the rivals rises over the North's recent launch of trash-carrying balloons. North Korea didn't immediately respond, but South Korea's resumption of firing exercises or propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts will likely prompt North Korea to take similar or stronger steps along the rivals' heavily militarized border.
Berlin — A recent survey conducted for a sports program that airs on a regional public broadcaster in Germany revealed that one in five Germans (21% of respondents) would prefer to see more White players on the German national soccer team. The survey conducted for Western Germany's WDR network's "Sport Inside" show has drawn sharp criticism, with the national team's coach Julian Nagelsmann among those expressing shock.