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Singapore ‘strongly condemns’ Kabul bombings

aseanpr
2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singapore on Friday (Aug 27) strongly condemned the bombings outside Afghanistan's Kabul airport that killed dozens of people and injured hundreds more. "These acts of violence are deplorable and cannot be justified," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a statement. Singapore also conveyed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a full recovery. "Singapore continues to urge all parties, including the Taleban, to ensure the safety of civilians and facilitate the safe and orderly departure of foreign nationals who wish to leave Afghanistan," added the MFA. Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K), an affiliate of militants who previously battled United States forces in Syria and Iraq, struck the crowded gates of the airport in a suicide bomb attack on Thursday. At least two explosions tore through crowds that had thronged the gates of Hamid Karzai International Airport desperate to leave since the Taleban seized power almost two weeks ago. The bombings killed at least 60 civilians and 13 US troops, and leaving hundreds injured. US President Joe Biden has vowed to go after the perpetrators, saying he had asked the Pentagon to develop ...

SeaPRwire

Wall Street retreats from records awaiting Fed news

elean
2 minutes

NEW YORK (AFP) - US shares pulled back from record levels on Thursday (Aug 26), snapping a five-day winning streak to close lower as markets await a key speech from Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell. Traders are waiting to see if Powell's comments to the annual Jackson Hole central banking symposium Friday will reveal any details of the central bank's plans to pull back on its massive bond buying program. But news of the attack near the Kabul airport that killed at least 12 US troops also cast a pall on the late summer trading session. "The devastating news coming out of Afghanistan is having an effect on the psychology of investors," Art Hogan of National Securities told AFP. Traders are also leery after comments from Fed officials seeming to push for a rapid start to the tapering process, offering an incentive to take profits after this week's gains, he said. "I think you've got a combination of those two things with a market in a precarious position, the constant bit of investor anxiety and a good reason to take some profits tomorrow," Hogan said. The benchmark Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.5 per cent to finish the day at 35,213.12. After hitting records in the previo...