21/09/2025

theSun on Sunday SEPT 21, 2025

WORLD 7

British couple fly home after release by Kabul

Australia telco outage leaves three dead SYDNEY: The Australian government said yesterday that telco firm Optus “let Australians down” after three people died during a network outage that prevented calls to emergency services. The outage affected 600 people across South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory shortly after midnight on Thursday for 13 hours. Authorities said they were not informed of the incident or deaths until Friday. Communications Minister Anika Wells said the telco company had “let Australians down when they needed them the most and this isn’t good enough”. “Optus and all telecommunications providers have obligations under Australian law to ensure that they enable emergency services calls.” Wells added it was “not good enough” that Optus did not appear to know enough about why the failure occurred and why alarms did not go off 24 hours after the outage. South Australian police said the deaths of an eight-week-old boy and a 68-year-old woman were linked to the outage. The third death occurred in Western Australia. Optus chief executive Stephen Rue said the outage occurred during a regular firewall update. “Initial testing and monitoring did not indicate there were any issues with calls connecting,” he said yesterday. “There were no alarms to alert us that some emergency calls were not making it through.” Optus was made aware of the outage shortly after midday on Friday and stopped the upgrade, restoring calls to emergency services. He said the three deaths were “absolutely tragic”. Rue added welfare checks had been carried out on all affected customers and he was not aware of any further deaths. Optus will conduct an independent investigation into the matter. The telco could face fines and other legal penalties. Optus was previously fined A$12 million (RM33 million) after an outage halted its mobile and internet systems for nearly 12 hours in 2023. – AFP Hong Kong police defuse WWII bomb HONG KONG: Police here yesterday defused an unexploded World War II bomb discovered at a construction site in the Eastern District. Police said the site and its surroundings are now safe for evacuated residents to return and all blocked roads have been reopened. Despite the rain, bomb disposal personnel managed to cut a hole in the shell and burn the 227kg of explosives inside, a high-stakes operation given the power of the bomb, said Suryanto Chin-chiu, senior bomb disposal officer. To dispose of the aerial bomb, which is 1.5m long and weighs about 454kg, police had to evacuate around 6,000 people from nearby buildings by 11pm on Friday. Some of them spent the night at community centres with assistance from care teams and District Council members. Police said the bomb found on Friday was “fully functional” and could have caused mass casualties if mishandled. Hong Kong was an early target in what would become a full-blown Asian campaign for imperial Japan during the Second World War. – Bernama

the British embassy. The Afghan authorities have not explained why the pair were detained and Qatar brokered the negotiations for their release. Speaking on the tarmac at Kabul Airport on Friday, Barbie said they had been treated well and were “looking forward to seeing our children”. “We are looking forward to returning to Afghanistan if we can. We are Afghan citizens,” she said. They were embraced by family members on arrival in Doha, with their daughter Sarah Entwistle telling AFPTV she was “overwhelmed with gratitude and relief”. The couple were first held in a maximum security facility, “then in underground cells without daylight, before being transferred” to the intelligence services in Kabul, UN experts have said. In July, independent UN human rights experts called on the Afghan government to free them, warning that they risked “irreparable harm or even death” as their health deteriorated.

The couple’s family had made repeated pleas for their release, citing their failing health. Afghanistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said on Friday the couple “had violated the laws of Afghanistan” and were released from custody “following the judicial process”. Their four children said they were thankful the couple’s release but said they face a “long” recovery. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the “long-awaited news will come as a huge relief” to the family. The British government advises citizens against travelling to Afghanistan, warning that its ability to offer consular assistance is “extremely limited”. Russia is the only country to have officially recognised the Afghan government, which has imposed a strict version of Islamic law and has been accused of sweeping human rights violations. Dozens of foreign nationals have been arrested since the change in government in August 2021 following the Nato pullout. – AFP

DOHA: An elderly British couple released after almost eight months in detention in Afghanistan flew back to the UK yesterday. Afghan authorities arrested Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, in February as they were returning to their home in Bamiyan province, central Afghanistan. Following concerns for their health, the pair were freed on Friday and flown to the Qatari capital Doha. They left on a commercial flight to London after completing medical checks. The couple married in Kabul in 1970 and have spent almost two decades living in Afghanistan, running educational programmes for women and children. They also became Afghan citizens. When the Afghan government changed hands in 2021, they remained in Afghanistan against the advice of Negotiations brokered by Qatar

Peter and Barbie speaking with journalists at Kabul Airport on Friday. – AFPPIC

Timor-Leste to strengthen Asean global links DILI: Timor-Leste’s admission into Asean will expand the bloc and strengthen its consistent support since Timor-Leste’s independence in 2002.

that is where opportunities lie. Our natural assets, including coffee, can offer unique opportunities.” With over 60% of the population in Timor-Leste under 35, human capital development is a priority. Rangel said Malaysia’s support for vocational training has helped build youth skills. “With Asean membership, we hope to expand these opportunities further.” Rangel highlighted Timor-Leste’s reconciliation experience with Indonesia and its ability to connect Asean to new communities. “We want to contribute to an already peaceful region.” Timor-Leste will be officially admitted as Asean’s 11th member at the 47th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur. – Bernama

global outreach, said its Vice Minister for Asean Affairs Milena Rangel (pic) . Rangel said membership offers the country an opportunity to link the region with new partners and perspectives. “Joining Asean is a huge achievement but it also carries responsibility. We want to contribute through our reconciliation experience, our youth and our global networks,” she told Bernama at her office in Dili. She said Timor-Leste could serve as a bridge to the G7 plus grouping of post conflict states. Rangel also praised Malaysia’s

“Malaysia has been vital from the start. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan have been strong advocates of our Asean membership. “Joining Asean has been transformative – it pushed us to reform institutions, invest in human capital and strengthen policies. The real work begins

after accession,” Rangel said. The country’s national plan identifies agriculture, fisheries, tourism and renewable energy as priority sectors for investment. “Infrastructure is still developing, but