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How Moscow became the first to meet with the new rulers of Afghanistan Russia was one of the few countries that did not evacuate its embassy in Kabul when the Taliban took over the city on 15 August 2021. Russian Ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov was the first foreign diplomat to publicly meet with the Taliban, while the Russian embassy criticized the former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani for fleeing the country with cars full of cash. Russia had already established close contacts with the Taliban through the ‘Moscow format’ talks, which involved representatives of the former Afghan government and the radical Islamist…

Keir Starmer faces criticism from his own party over his stance on the conflict Labour leader Keir Starmer is under pressure from some of his MPs and local council leaders to take a stronger position on the escalating violence between Israel and Hamas. Starmer has been accused of being too timid and vague in his response to the crisis, which has claimed the lives of over 200 people, mostly Palestinians, in the past week. Starmer has condemned the rocket attacks by Hamas and called for an end to the violence, but he has stopped short of calling for an immediate…

Yousaf defends Sturgeon’s transparency and accountability The first minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf, has defended his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon against accusations of avoiding scrutiny over WhatsApp messages sent by Scottish ministers during the pandemic. Yousaf said that Sturgeon had shown full transparency and accountability by doing daily media briefings, parliamentary statements, and answering questions from the public and the opposition. Ross questions Sturgeon’s legality and honesty The leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Douglas Ross, has questioned Sturgeon’s legality and honesty, claiming that she had deleted WhatsApp messages that could be relevant to the Covid inquiry. Ross said that destroying or…

Drivers in Scotland are advised to prepare for disruption on the M74 motorway as several sections of the road are set to close this month. The closure is due to resurfacing works on the northbound carriageway between Junction 6 Hamilton and Motherwell. What are the details and timings of the closure? The closure will start at 8pm on Friday, November 10 and end at 6am on Monday, November 13. During this time, the road will be restricted to two lanes and the Hamilton Motorway Services on and off slip roads will also be closed. The closure will affect the traffic…

A team of archaeologists has unearthed a cobbled road that dates back to the first century and was used by some of the most influential figures in British history. The road that connected empires and kingdoms The road was built by the Roman armies of general Julius Agricola, who invaded Scotland in 79 AD and established a series of forts and settlements along the River Forth. The road would have linked these outposts and provided a strategic crossing point for the river. The road was also used by the Picts, the ancient people who resisted the Roman occupation and eventually…