Category Archives: Afghanistan

China urges nations to ‘actively guide’ Taliban government

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US should work with international community to help Afghanistan run government functions, Wang Yi says

China’s top diplomat has urged the international community to engage with Afghanistan’s new Taliban government and “guide it actively”, in a phone call with the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

Wang Yi, Chinese state councillor and foreign minister, also said that Washington should work with the international community to help the new regime run governmental functions normally, according to a statement. He added that the US’s “hasty withdrawal” could allow terrorist groups to “regroup and come back stronger”.

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Rockets fired at Kabul airport as US approaches withdrawal deadline – video

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Several rockets were fired at Kabul airport on Monday, less than 48 hours before the United States is due to complete its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Eyewitnesses said the rockets were launched from a car and were aimed towards the airport on Monday morning. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack

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International talks aim for consensus on Taliban government

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Western G7 powers are meeting Turkey, Qatar and Nato in Doha to discuss how Kabul airport could be reopened

Talks are due in Doha and New York to try to reach an international consensus on the conditions for recognising the Taliban government in Afghanistan. There are signs of tensions between superpowers after Russia called on the US to release Afghan central bank reserves that Washington blocked after the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul earlier this month.

“If our western colleagues are actually worried about the fate of the Afghan people, then we must not create additional problems for them by freezing gold and foreign exchange reserves,” said the Kremlin’s envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov.

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Biden meets remains of 13 troops killed in Kabul as US promises more strikes

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The White House on Sunday reasserted its promise to capture or kill the perpetrators of the deadly attacks on Kabul airport, as Joe Biden travelled to Delaware for the repatriation of the bodies of the 13 US troops who died.

Related: Pentagon names troops killed in Kabul – some were babies at time of invasion

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‘This is our final’: the team who led athletes’ escape from Afghanistan | Suzanne Wrack

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A dedicated crew of people helped the women’s national football team and others to flee the Taliban over two remarkable weeks

“We have been working like fingers on one hand, with different roles, and we came together as a big strong punch,” says the former captain and one of the founders of the Afghanistan women’s national football team, Khalida Popal. She is talking about the small team that pulled off the mission to evacuate 100-200 Afghan athletes and a number of individuals connected to them from the Hamid Karzai international airport in Kabul.

Across a two-week period those fingers worked tirelessly around the clock and across numerous time zones, tracking the real-time movements of the Taliban and military personnel on the ground to pull off what seemed completely impossible: to get a group of female football players, many teenagers, and a host of others, including family members, into the airport and on to planes.

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Smoke visible across Kabul after blast near airport – video

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US forces have launched a 'defensive' military strike in Kabul against a vehicle carrying 'multiple suicide bombers' from the Islamic State’s local affiliate in Afghanistan who were aiming to attack the airport, American officials have said.

There was no immediate word on casualties and few other details have so far emerged about the incident, which may have triggered a second blast in a nearby house.

Witnesses reported an explosion near Kabul airport and television footage showed black smoke rising into the sky. Taliban officials confirmed the US account. According to some reports, a child died in the second blast

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Afghanistan live news: US embassy warns of ‘specific, credible threat’ at Kabul airport as Biden says terror attack ‘highly likely in next 24-36 hours’

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Speaking on Saturday afternoon, Biden vows further strikes against Islamic State as airport terror threat ‘remains high’; largest UK evacuation mission since second world war comes to a close

Here are the key developments from the last few hours:

If you’re just joining us, here is our main story with all the key developments:

The US remains on high alert for another possible terror attack at Kabul airport and has warned citizens to “immediately” leave the area, as military forces moved into the final stage of evacuations from Afghanistan and the Taliban signalled its readiness to take over.

Related: US warns of fresh threats at Kabul airport as evacuations enter final phase

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Republicans scent blood as Biden assailed over Afghanistan pullout

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The chaotic evacuation has dented the president’s image of empathy and competence but political attacks may have limited shelf life

For Republicans it was a day of thoughts and prayers – and political opportunity.

Related: Kabul airport atrocity offers a glimpse of the chaos to come in Afghanistan

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Animal rescuer ‘threatened’ MoD aide for ‘blocking’ Kabul evacuation

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Ex-marine Pen Farthing said to have left expletive-laden message for defence secretary’s adviser as he sought to fly out staff and pets

A former Royal Marine who founded an animal shelter in Kabul left an expletive-laden message for a government aide as he sought to place his staff and pets on a flight out of Afghanistan, according to reports.

The Times newspaper said it had obtained a leaked audio recording of Paul “Pen” Farthing berating Peter Quentin, a special adviser to the defence secretary, Ben Wallace, who he accused of “blocking” efforts to arrange a flight.

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UK has not forgotten those who still need to leave Afghanistan, says ambassador – video

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The British ambassador to Afghanistan, Sir Laurie Bristow, said it was 'time to close this phase' of the evacuation effort, after the final UK flight for Afghan nationals left Kabul airport. About 14,000 people have been airlifted out of the country by British forces in less than two weeks

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Several troops killed in Kabul blast were just babies when US invaded

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Several of the 13 American military personnel killed in the suicide bombing at Kabul airport on Thursday were not even a year old when the US invaded Afghanistan in late 2001.

Related: Afghanistan drone strike targeted Islamic State ‘planner’ in car, US says

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Final UK evacuation flight purely for Afghan nationals has left Kabul airport

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Chaotic airlift ends after taking around 14,000 people out of Taliban-controlled country

The final UK evacuation flight purely for Afghan nationals has left Kabul airport, ending an often chaotic process in which about 14,000 people were airlifted out of Afghanistan by British forces in less than two weeks, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.

Any further flights to leave Kabul under the UK’s evacuation operation will also have UK diplomatic and military personnel onboard. It is thought any further flights would be able to transport those still needing evacuation, but would now also include personnel travelling back to the UK.

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‘I feel helpless, useless and hopeless’: diary of an Afghan evacuee

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Student, English teacher and journalist Mursal Rasa Jamili, 23, was evacuated to the UK from Kabul with her two sisters

Mursal Rasa Jamili, a 23-year-old final-year university student, English teacher and journalist in Kabul, was evacuated to the UK with her two sisters. Here she explains what happened during her last days in Afghanistan.

Sunday 22 August

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Afghanistan live news: US warns citizens at Kabul airport gates to ‘leave immediately’ due to security threats

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US warns citizens to leave airport gates and not to travel to airport; White House says the next few days of evacuation operation likely to be the most dangerous

In less sad news, the Albanian government on Saturday said 154 Afghans evacuated from their country fearing the Taliban arrived on two charter flights.

A government spokesman confirmed the arrivals, organised by a US nonprofit organisation, without giving more details.

The Afghans were taken from Tirana’s international airport to a student housing area to stay for a couple of weeks before moving to hotels in other cities.

Great to welcome 2 more planes from Kabul carrying 154 Afghans, incl women of all professions, journalists, activists, children. Pleased to work w/@ediramaal @RepSlotkin @SpiritAmerica @VitalVoices @YaldaHakimFund @SchmidtFutures to bring people out of harm’s way. Thank you, ! pic.twitter.com/NfscCg0KZg

The New York Times’ Sharif Hassan reports that a friend of his, journalist Alireza Ahmadi, is among the victims of the airport attack.

Alireza Ahmadi, a dear journalist friend and his younger brother, were among the dead victims of yesterday’s #KabulAirport attack. He worked for different local media outlets for over a decade as a writer, photographer and reporter, giving voice for his people. RIP brother pic.twitter.com/BB73aaHYxX

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Biden doesn’t want Kabul attackers ‘to live on planet Earth any more’, says Psaki – video

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The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, underlined Joe Biden's comments on Thursday's attack on Kabul airport, saying: 'I think he made it clear he doesn't want them to live on planet Earth any more.'

Biden’s national security team has warned him that US troops remain under threat of another terrorist attack just 24 hours after the devastating suicide bomb at Kabul airport that killed 13 US service members and at least 90 Afghans.

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‘Bad options all around’: Biden’s vow to avenge Kabul attack could take years

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Joe Biden’s options are limited in short-term as US troops withdraw from Afghanistan in days

American spies and special forces will be able to hunt down those behind Thursday’s suicide bombing in Kabul, although the effort may take years, experts and former CIA officials believe.

Joe Biden vowed on Thursday to avenge the 13 US service members who died in a suicide bomb attack at the Kabul airport, declaring to the extremists responsible: “We will hunt you down and make you pay.”

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Andrew Quilty documents 12 days of chaos in Kabul – in pictures

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The Australian photojournalist has been working in the Afghan capital as troops from the US, UK and Australia withdraw. A period culminating in two suicide bombings, which tore through crowds trying to enter Hamid Karzai international airport

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‘We weren’t able to bring everyone’: Jacinda Ardern ends New Zealand flights from Afghanistan

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Prime minister Jacinda Ardern announced New Zealand was ending further flights into Kabul, due to the continuing threat of terrorist attacks. The announcement followed an attack at the airport on Thursday that killed least 60 Afghans and 13 US soldiers.

Ardern said she did not know how many visa holders from Afghanistan remained in the country, nor how many of those registered on SafeTravel managed to get out, but said New Zealand had not given up on trying to bring visa-holders home

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Kabul airport atrocity offers a glimpse of the chaos to come in Afghanistan

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Joe Biden left with no good options after deadliest day for US troops in Afghanistan in more than a decade

The tempting comparison between the withdrawals of US forces from Kabul in 2021 and Saigon in 1975 has offered diminishing returns over the past 12 days.

Whereas about 7,000 people were evacuated from Vietnam (5,500 Vietnamese civilians and about 1,500 Americans), more than 95,000 people have left Afghanistan in a historic airlift since 14 August, the day before the capital fell to the Taliban.

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