RUSSIA: The Supreme Court lifted a ban today on Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban, a group that was designated as a terrorist organisation more than two decades ago.

The ruling is a diplomatic victory for the Taliban, who were put on Russia’s list of terrorist organisations in 2003, making any contact with them punishable under Russian law.

BULGARIA: Bulgaria’s right-wing coalition government survived a second no-confidence motion in parliament in as many weeks today.

The motion, tabled by the Mech party and backed by two other nationalist groups, accused the government of failing to effectively combat rampant graft and bribery. It was defeated in a 130-72 vote in the 240-seat parliament. 

MYANMAR: The head of the military government has granted amnesty to around 4,900 prisoners to mark the country’s traditional new year, state-run media reported today.

An independent watchdog said the release included political detainees and least 19 buses with prisoners aboard had left Yangon’s Insein prison.

The Political Prisoners Network: Myanmar, an independent watchdog group that records violations of human rights in Myanmar’s prisons, said in a statement that by its initial count, 22 political prisoners had been freed.

TURKEY: Police detained 525 suspected drug dealers in dawn operations across the capital, Ankara, today in what Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said was the “biggest narcotics operation” in the country’s history.

Mr Yerlikaya said the raids were the result of “technical and physical surveillance” of each suspect over six months.

He added that many of those arrested were suspected of being involved in the sale of drugs “in neighbourhoods and streets via internet-based communication platforms.”