Afghanistan: Shots fired at airport were to disperse crowd, not at Italian plane August 26, 2021 Shots earlier reported to have been fired at an Italian military plane evacuating Afghans from Kabul are now thought to have been used to disperse a crowd on the ground. Military sources had told Italian news agency ANSA that a C-130 transport carrying Afghan ex-Nato workers out of Kabul was fired on as it left [...]
Afghanistan: More than 11,000 people evacuated from Kabul by UK armed forces August 25, 2021 UK armed forces have evacuated more than 11,000 UK and Afghan nationals from Kabul since the Taliban took control of the nation, the Ministry of Defence confirmed tonight. So far 11,474 people have been flown out of Kabul since the mission began on 13 August. The tally includes embassy staff, British nationals,Afghan nationals under the [...]
Afghanistan: Former central bank boss warns Taliban have ‘less than a week’ of financial coverage August 25, 2021 Following its takeover by the Taliban, Afghanistan and its capital Kabul have been left in chaos – with thousands attempting to flee the country while its economic climate becomes increasingly dire. An eyewatering amount of capital has been snatched from the hands of the Taliban as countries like the US, Germany and other foreign fiscal [...]
Afghanistan: World Bank freezes funding after Taliban takeover August 25, 2021 The World Bank has halted funding for projects in Afghanistan after the country’s fall to Taliban control. The Washington-based financial institution cited concerns over Afghanistan’s future development prospects in the wake of drastic leadership change, particularly for the nation’s women. The halt on aid disbursements is set to continue while the bank assesses how the [...]
Lawyers urge UK government to save Afghan judges and artists August 24, 2021 City law firm Bates Wells has urged the Home Office to urgently help lawyers, academics and activists in Afghanistan, as the crisis in the country continues. The firm called on the government to take on board recommendations made in a joint letter by the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (ILPA) and the Afghanistan and Central Asian [...]
Afghanistan: G7 leaders prepare for emergency meeting as evacuation deadline looms August 24, 2021 G7 leaders are under pressure to present a united front at an emergency meeting this afternoon on the crisis in Afghanistan. Leaders of the UK, US, Canada, France, Italy, Germany and Japan are to discuss how to coordinate their response to the crisis. The online talks chaired by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will also [...]
Afghanistan: UK ups evacuations as Taliban warns against an overstay August 23, 2021 The UK is set to fly around 6,000 British and Afghan citizens out of Afghanistan this week, as it ramps up its evacuation plans. To help more people leave the country, the military has extended the deadline for the final RAF evacuation flight from tomorrow to Friday or Saturday, according to Time Times. The total [...]
Clarissa Ward: The US reporter who fearlessly strolls the chaotic streets of Kabul August 20, 2021 US reporter Clarissa Ward has become somewhat of an internet sensation after clips of her strolling the streets of Kabul in Afghanistan have gone viral. The London-based TV journalist, currently an international correspondent for CNN, has been documenting the changes in the Afghan capital following its takeover by the Taliban. In 2019, Ward became one [...]
Facebook secures Afghan accounts as Taliban cements takeover August 20, 2021 Facebook has brought in new safety measures in response to concerns that the Taliban, who have taken over Afghanistan this week, could use social media to target and track individuals, according to reports. The social media giant has temporarily removed the ability for people to see or search the friends lists of accounts based in [...]
Phone call Raab delegated to junior minister in Afghan crisis was not made August 20, 2021 A key phone call to Afghanistan’s foreign minister was delegated by Dominic Raab to a junior minister and subsequently not made. The Foreign Secretary is facing calls to quit over his handling of the crisis in Afghanistan after he was seen relaxing on a beach in Crete as the Taliban marched on Kabul. On Friday, [...]