PHOTO: AFP/FILEThe Taliban co-founder and now prime minister of Afghanistan Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund pledged on Saturday that his government will "not interfere" in other countries' internal affairs, and urged international charities to continue offering aid to the war-ravaged country. The Taliban seized power on August 15 after ousting the previous US-backed government, as Washington hurriedly withdrew its troops from the country after a 20-year war. Said to be in his 60s, Hassan served as foreign minister and deputy prime minister in the movement's previous regime between 1996-2001. He was placed on a UN Security Council sanctions list connected to the "acts and activities" of the Taliban. Inflation and unemployment have surged in Afghanistan, while the country's banking sector has collapsed since the Taliban takeover.

Source: The Nation November 27, 2021 23:22 UTC