分类： world

KABUL, Afghanistan — In a development escalating security concerns across Central Asia, the Islamic State (IS) militant organization has publicly claimed responsibility for a devastating suicide bombing at a popular Chinese restaurant in Afghanistan’s capital. The attack, which unfolded late Monday in Kabul’s Shahr-e-Naw district, resulted in significant casualties and has drawn international condemnation.

According to a statement released through the group’s Aamaq news agency, an IS operative infiltrated the restaurant—a known gathering spot for Chinese nationals—and detonated an explosive vest during a crowded gathering. The militant group asserted that the assault resulted in approximately 25 casualties, including Taliban security personnel, though these figures remain unverified by independent sources.

Afghan authorities, while continuing their investigation into the blast’s precise origins, confirmed a tragic death toll of at least seven individuals. Interior Ministry spokesperson Mufti Abdul Mateen Qani acknowledged that the incident remains under active investigation, withholding official confirmation of the cause.

The IS claim, consistent with the group’s typical rhetoric, included explicit threats against Chinese citizens within Afghanistan, directly linking the violence to Beijing’s policies toward Uyghur Muslims. This connection underscores the complex geopolitical tensions permeating the region.

China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed one Chinese national was killed and five others wounded in the explosion. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated Beijing ‘strongly condemns and resolutely opposes terrorism in all forms,’ while urging Afghan authorities to enhance protective measures for Chinese citizens and infrastructure. In response to the attack, China has issued travel advisories warning its citizens against visiting Afghanistan and recommending those already in the country evacuate high-risk areas.

The bombing highlights the precarious security situation in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, where IS has maintained an active presence since the government transition in 2021. Despite the Taliban’s assurances that Afghan territory would not be used by militant groups, this incident demonstrates ongoing challenges to regional stability.

International reactions included strong condemnation from Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, who criticized the Taliban government’s adherence to security agreements. The attack occurred concurrently with reports of border clashes between Afghan gunmen and Tajik security forces, further illustrating the region’s volatile security landscape.

The International Criminal Court has presented damning evidence alleging the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group executed “an organized, calculated campaign” of atrocities during their capture of el-Fasher in October 2025. Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan delivered this assessment to the United Nations Security Council via video link on Monday, revealing the ICC’s intensified efforts to establish individual criminal responsibility for crimes committed in both el-Fasher (North Darfur) and el-Geneina (West Darfur).

Khan’s presentation detailed a pattern of systematic violence targeting non-Arab communities, including mass executions, sexual violence, arbitrary detentions, and the creation of mass graves. The prosecutor’s office has collected substantial evidence including video footage, audio recordings, and satellite data showing RSF members celebrating direct executions and desecrating corpses.

The investigation reveals that the approximately 18-month siege of el-Fasher culminated in widespread criminality during late October 2025. Satellite imagery analysis indicates incidents of mass killing and subsequent attempts to conceal these crimes through mass graves. Khan emphasized that these atrocities appear to have been employed as tactical tools to assert control over the population.

Significant progress has been made in investigating the 2023 el-Geneina massacres that resulted in thousands of civilian deaths. The ICC is prioritizing gender-based crimes in its investigative strategy, noting the undeniable use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. However, social stigma and fear of reprisals create substantial barriers to documentation efforts.

The Office of the Prosecutor is currently preparing arrest warrant applications related to the el-Fasher situation while also documenting reports of potential Rome Statute crimes allegedly committed by Sudanese armed forces in Darfur. Khan emphasized that all conflict parties must uphold their obligations under international law and avoid targeting civilian populations and facilities.

The ongoing Sudan conflict, active since April 2023, has created what the UN describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The fighting has resulted in thousands of deaths, displaced nearly 13 million people, and pushed over 40% of the population into acute food insecurity. UN Sudan chief Denise Brown, who recently visited el-Fasher, described the situation as a “crime scene” and called for international intervention to prevent further atrocities.

Australian authorities are conducting a thorough investigation to determine whether protected dingoes were responsible for the death of a 19-year-old Canadian woman discovered on a K’gari beach. The incident occurred Monday morning on the world’s largest sand island, formerly known as Fraser Island, located off Queensland’s coast.

The victim, who had been employed at local tourist accommodations for approximately six weeks, was found approximately 90 minutes after embarking on a morning swim. Police Inspector Paul Algie confirmed that responders encountered a distressing scene near the popular shipwreck tourist attraction at 6:35 a.m., where two men in an SUV had reported approximately ten dingoes surrounding the body.

While forensic evidence indicates the native canines had “interfered” with the remains, authorities refuse to speculate on the actual cause of death. “We simply can’t confirm whether this young lady drowned or died as a result of being attacked by dingoes,” Algie stated during a press briefing, acknowledging visible markings consistent with dingo contact.

The tragedy evokes memories of a similar incident three years prior when a pack of dingoes nearly killed a 23-year-old jogger, requiring tourist intervention to drive the animals into the surf. K’gari’s estimated 200 dingo population represents a protected native species within the World Heritage-listed national park, though conservationists have noted increased aggression and reduced fear of humans among younger animals since post-pandemic tourism resurgence.

Yemen is rapidly descending toward its most severe food security catastrophe since 2022, with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) warning that pockets of famine affecting over 40,000 people will emerge across multiple districts within the next sixty days. The humanitarian organization issued this grave assessment on Monday, indicating the nation is entering a dangerous new phase of widespread hunger.

Projections indicate that more than half of Yemen’s population—approximately 18 million people—will experience deteriorating food security by early 2026. According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis, an additional one million individuals could be pushed into life-threatening hunger levels.

This escalating crisis stems from a decade of relentless conflict and mass displacement that has systematically dismantled livelihoods and deprived communities of essential health and nutrition services. The situation has been exacerbated by a nationwide economic collapse that has severely diminished household purchasing power, coinciding with dramatic reductions in humanitarian funding.

By the conclusion of 2025, the aid response was funded at less than 25% capacity—the weakest financial support level in ten years—while life-saving nutrition programs received under 10% of required funding. Humanitarian agencies identify these funding cuts as primary accelerants of the collapse, with more than 80% of US foreign aid programs cancelled alongside reductions from other international donors.

The consequences are already visible: clean water systems have ceased operation in cholera-prone regions, healthcare services have shuttered, and millions have lost access to basic medical care. Less than 10% of the $2.5 billion required for Yemen’s 2025 humanitarian response has been secured.

Caroline Sekyewa, IRC’s Country Director in Yemen, expressed grave concern about the alarming pace of deterioration. ‘The people of Yemen still remember when they didn’t know where their next meal would come from. I fear we are returning to this dark chapter again,’ she stated. ‘What distinguishes the current deterioration is its speed and trajectory. Food insecurity in Yemen is no longer a looming risk; it is a daily reality forcing parents into impossible choices.’

Local organizations report dismantling fragile protection networks established over years, particularly for women, through the closure of safe spaces, suspension of psychosocial services, and halted legal aid.

Compounding the humanitarian disaster, political tensions are resurfacing. In early January, Saudi Arabia launched strikes against the UAE-aligned separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) and targeted an Emirati arms shipment in Mukalla’s port city. Abu Dhabi subsequently withdrew its forces from Yemen, resulting in the collapse of STC control and government troops retaking Aden and surrounding areas. These developments have raised prospects of further escalation as regional powers continue to vie for influence over Yemen’s future.