Afghanistan: No cell phones for civil servants and security forces

Today’s headlines: Iran-US: 60 days of negotiations following Friday’s signing; Seoul is to restrict the no-go zone for civilians on the border with North Korea; India temporarily suspends Telegram to prevent cheating in the medical school entrance exam; In Vietnam, 400 cats destined for slaughter have been rescued.

AFGHANISTAN

The Taliban have banned the use of smartphones by civil servants and their security forces in Kandahar, in what appears to be the latest attempt to tighten controls over communications and access to information. Sources in Kandahar told Amu TV that the order came into force on Monday and requires employees of all public institutions, as well as Taliban personnel, to use basic mobile phones instead of smartphones. The move follows a restriction at the University of Herat, where Taliban-appointed officials have banned staff from bringing smartphones onto campus.

IRAN – UNITED STATES

The United States and Iran are set to begin talks in Switzerland on Friday aimed at finding a definitive solution to their conflict. The negotiations will begin after the signing and will continue for 60 days, leading to decisions on the fate of Iran’s nuclear programme and a plan for the lifting of international economic sanctions. Optimism regarding the end of the war triggered by the US and Israeli attacks on Tehran on 28 February has, however, been dampened by recent Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon. Furthermore, a final agreement would include a 0 billion fund earmarked for investment and reconstruction in Iran.

SOUTH KOREA

South Korea will move a line running parallel to the military border with North Korea to restrict the area where civilian access is limited, in order to adapt to the changing security situation and to facilitate the lives of local residents. The ‘civilian control line’ currently lies up to 10 km south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) drawn at the end of the 1950–53 Korean War. Authorisation from the armed forces is required to access the area.

INDIA

India has temporarily blocked the Telegram app over fears it could be used to cheat, just days before a resit of a crucial medical school entrance exam. Millions of students will sit the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Undergraduate (NEET-UG) again on 21 June, after the exam scheduled for May was cancelled due to allegations of leaked exam papers. However, internet users and human rights activists have criticised the ban, calling it a “cosmetic solution” to a much wider problem of exam fraud.

VIETNAM

In Vietnam, over 400 cats destined for slaughter have been rescued. Nine people have been arrested in connection with what the police have described as a “criminal gang specialising in the theft and collection of cats”. Officers recovered more than 400 live cats and around 80 dead animals preserved in ice during raids carried out last week at several sites in Tay Ninh province and Ho Chi Minh City. A further 21 cats were seized at a separate facility.

RUSSIA - CHINA

Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping on his birthday, according to the Kremlin press service. The president sent a congratulatory telegram to Xi, who turned 72 on 15 June. Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov, told journalists during a briefing that “a relationship of true brotherhood has developed between the leaders of our countries; they have deep respect for one another, trust one another, and their dialogue is always frank and constructive”.

KAZAKHSTAN

On 15 June, the Almaty court began the criminal trial of Aset Mataev, managing director of the international news agency KazTAG, and Amir Kasenov, editor-in-chief of the same agency. Journalists and observers are seated in separate rooms, with audio and video transmission of very poor quality. The defendants’ defence team raised complaints about the organisation of the trial and subsequently filed a motion to recuse Judge Ernar Kasymbekov, forcing him to withdraw to the judges’ chambers.