Afghanistan

UPDATED: Firefight involving Western forces at Kabul airport, Afghan guard killed

A firefight erupted at Kabul airport on Monday when Afghan guards exchanged fire with unidentified gunmen and one guard was killed during the clash, which involved U.S. and German soldiers,…

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U.S. recruits commercial airlines to help move Afghanistan evacuees

The United States has enlisted the help of six commercial airlines to help transport people after their evacuation from Afghanistan as Washington seeks to step up the pace of departures…

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Will the Afghan crisis trigger a new refugee crisis for Europe?

The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan has stoked fears of an exodus of Afghans and a repeat of Europe's 2016/16 migration crisis, when more than a million people from the Middle…

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Russia’s Putin: we don’t want Afghan militants in Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that the conflict in Afghanistan directly affects the security situation in Russia, Russian news agencies reported. Putin criticised an idea of some Western…

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Dutch send more soldiers to Afghanistan to help with evacuations

The Netherlands will increase its military presence in Afghanistan to help with efforts to evacuate people from the country, the Dutch defence ministry said on Sunday. An unspecified number of…

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Biden administration to use commercial airlines to carry Afghan evacuees

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration said on Sunday that commercial aircraft would be used to help ferry people who have been evacuated from Afghanistan. A Pentagon spokesman said the 18…

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ISIS threat forces US changes to evacuations at Kabul airport

Potential ISIS threats against Americans in Afghanistan are forcing the U.S. military to develop new ways to get evacuees to the airport in Kabul, a senior U.S. official said, adding…

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Blair calls US withdrawal tragic and unnecessary

Former UK PM Tony Blair has described the US withdrawal from Afghanistan as "tragic, dangerous, and unnecessary" in his first statement since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban last…

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Austria’s Kurz says he opposes taking in any more Afghans

Austria's conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz opposes taking in any more people fleeing Afghanistan now that the Taliban have seized power, he said in remarks published on Sunday. Austria took in…

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Spain offers itself as hub for Afghans who collaborated with EU

U.S. President Joe Biden and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez agreed two military bases in southern Spain can be used to receive Afghans who have worked for the U.S. government,…

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UPDATED: Taliban fire in the air to control crowd at Kabul airport

The Taliban fired in the air and used batons to make people line up in orderly queues outside Kabul airport on Sunday, witnesses said, a day after seven people were…

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Trump assails Biden for Afghanistan ‘humiliation’

Former President Donald Trump launched on Saturday a sustained attack on President Joe Biden's handling of the retreat of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, which he called "the greatest foreign policy…

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Putin, Erdogan agree to strengthen coordination on Afghan issues -Kremlin

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan discussed the situation in Afghanistan during a phone call and agreed to strengthen bilateral coordination on Afghan issues, the…

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EU says no recognition of Taliban, no political talks

BRUSSELS, Aug 21 (Reuters) - The European Union has not recognised the Taliban, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Saturday, nor is it holding political talks with…

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Americans urged to keep clear of Kabul airport as crowd chaos grows

KABUL, Aug 21 (Reuters) - The United States advised Americans in Afghanistan to avoid travelling to Kabul airport on Saturday as thousands gathered trying to flee the country almost a week after…

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Photo Story – Afghan refugees in Iran-Afghanistan border

A handout photo made available by Iranian Red Crescent shows Afghan women sit on a bus in Iran-Afghanistan border in Sistan-Blochestan province, south-eastern Iran, 16 August 2021 (issued 19 August…

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“We sneaked past the crowd”: Airline pilot recounts escape from Kabul

SKOPJE, Aug 20 (Reuters) - As thousands of people thronged Kabul airport in a bid to escape the advancing Taliban on August 15, Kam Air pilot Jovica Rajhl and his…

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NATO allies press for more time to fly people out of Kabul

BRUSSELS, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Several NATO countries pressed on Friday for evacuations from Kabul to continue beyond the current U.S. deadline of Aug. 31 because so many people seeking…

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Taliban vow to be accountable, probe reports of Afghanistan reprisals

KABUL, Aug 21 (Reuters) - The Taliban will be accountable for its actions and will investigate reports of reprisals and atrocities carried out by members, an official of the Islamist…

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U.S. commander has ordered restart to evacuation flights out of Afghanistan -official

WASHINGTON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. commander on the ground has ordered a restart to evacuation flights out of Afghanistan after brief pause, a senior administration official said on…

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U.S. set to expand evacuation flights from Kabul to Europe- officials

WASHINGTON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department is expected to announce that its evacuation flights out of Kabul will now be able to land in Europe, U.S. officials…

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China can contribute to Afghan development -Taliban spokesman

China has played a constructive role in promoting peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan and is welcome to contribute to the rebuilding of the country, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Chinese…

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Senior Russian security official questions U.S. commitment to Ukraine after Afghan exit

One of the most senior Russian security officials questioned Washington's commitment to Ukraine in light of its rushed exit from Afghanistan, forecasting on Thursday that it would one day abandon…

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Afghans at risk “have no clear way out” – UNHCR

Most Afghans are unable to leave their homeland and those who may be in danger "have no clear way out", the United Nations refugee agency said on Friday. Shabia Mantoo,…

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NATO pledges to speed evacuations from Afghanistan as criticism mounts

More than 18,000 people have been flown out of Kabul since the Taliban took over Afghanistan's capital, a NATO official said on Friday, pledging to redouble evacuation efforts as criticism…

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Taliban carrying out door-to door manhunt, Relative of Deutsche Welle reporter killed by Taliban

The Taliban have begun rounding up Afghans on a blacklist of people they believe have worked in key roles with the previous Afghan administration or with U.S.-led forces that supported…

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Airlifted Afghans to receive temporary shelter in Albania

Yuri Kim, ambassador of the United States to Albania, has revealed that a contingent of Afghans will be arriving in the Balkan country, without giving a precise figure. "We do…

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Biden says Taliban must decide if it wants international recognition – interview

The Taliban must decide whether it wants to be recognized by the international community, U.S. President Joe Biden said in an ABC interview aired on Thursday, adding that he did…

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Greece says border forces on alert to avoid repeat of 2015 migrant crisis

Greece's border forces are on alert to avoid a repeat of the mass arrivals of migrants that the country experienced in 2015, the government's spokesman said on Thursday, following the…

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Italy pushes for extraordinary G20 summit on Afghanistan

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi is working to organise a summit of the Group of 20 major economies on the situation in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover at the weekend,…

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Reports of several killed amid firing by Taliban and stampede during rally in Afghan city

Flag-waving protesters took to several Afghan cities on Thursday and several people were killed when Taliban fighters fired on a crowd, a witness said, in the first popular opposition to…

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Afghanistan’s fate means West is now perceived as weak, British minister says

The fate of Afghanistan after a 20-year war led by the United States means that the West's resolve is now perceived as weak by major adversaries such as Russia, British…

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EU’s Borrell says 300 staff and families still trying to leave Kabul

About 400 Afghans who worked with the European Union and their family members have been evacuated to Europe but there are 300 more who are still trying to make it…

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EU countries should take in more Afghans in need, migration Commissioner says

Migration from Afghanistan is likely to increase under Taliban rule, the European Union said, calling on member states to ramp up admission quotas for Afghans in need of protection, particularly…

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Taliban keep some evacuees from reaching Kabul airport, as U.S. vows to finish airlift

Armed members of the Taliban kept people desperate to flee Afghanistan from reaching Kabul's airport on Wednesday, witnesses said, while President Joe Biden vowed to keep U.S. troops in the…

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Biden says August 31 deadline in Afghanistan might have to be extended

U.S. troops may stay in Afghanistan past an Aug. 31 deadline to evacuate Americans, President Joe Biden said on Wednesday, and the Pentagon said the U.S. military does not currently…

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Swiss won’t accept large groups of Afghan refugees directly

Switzerland won't accept large groups of Afghan refugees arriving directly from the country, the government said on Wednesday, but instead will review asylum applications on a case-by-case basis. Humanitarian visas…

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Reports of deaths following anti-Taliban protests in Jalalabad

At least three people were killed and more than a dozen injured after Taliban militants opened fire during protests against the group in the Afghan city of Jalalabad, two witnesses…

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EU must take in Afghans, some may face ‘revenge’- European Parliament chief

The European Union has a responsibility to accept Afghan refugees and cannot leave people who worked for the bloc in Afghanistan to "face revenge", European Parliament President David Sassoli said…

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The Taliban could be different this time, Britain’s army chief says

The world should give the Taliban the space to form a new government in Afghanistan and may discover that the insurgents cast as militants by the West for decades have…

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UPDATED: Evacuations from Afghanistan gather momentum as Taliban promise peace

More than 2,200 diplomats and civilians have been evacuated from Afghanistan on military flights, a Western security official said on Wednesday, as the Taliban made first efforts to set up…

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UPDATED: Dutch get 35 citizens out of Afghanistan after chaos holds up evacuations

The Netherlands managed to get 35 of its citizens out of Afghanistan on Wednesday in a slow start to its evacuation operation amid chaos outside Kabul airport, Defence Minister Ank…

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Afghan turmoil ‘shames’ the West, says German president

Images of throngs trying to flee Kabul are shameful for Western nations, Germany's president said, as desperate people clamoured at the airport after the Taliban takeover. "We are experiencing a…

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EU says it will work with Taliban only if human rights respected

The EU will only cooperate with the Taliban if they respect fundamental rights, including those of women, and prevent the use of Afghanistan's territory by terrorists, the bloc's foreign policy…

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Greece says cannot become gateway to EU for fleeing Afghans

Greece does not want to become the entry point into the European Union for Afghans fleeing the escalating conflict in their homeland, Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said, calling for a…

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Human remains found in landing gear of military flight from Kabul, says U.S. Air Force

The U.S. Air Force said that it was investigating the circumstances surrounding human remains that were found in the wheel well of one of its C-17s that flew out of…

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UK’s Johnson wants to discuss Afghanistan with G7 as soon as possible

Prime Minister Boris Johnson intends to hold a virtual meeting of Group of Seven leaders at the earliest opportunity to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, his office said after the British leader spoke…

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Taliban say they want peace, will respect women’s rights under Islamic law

The Taliban held their first official news conference in Kabul on Tuesday since the shock seizure of the city, declaring they wanted peaceful relations with other countries and would respect the rights…

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Taliban say they want peace, will respect women’s rights under Islamic law

KABUL, Aug 17 (Reuters) - The Taliban held their first official news conference in Kabul on Tuesday since the shock seizure of the city, declaring they wanted peaceful relations with…

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Taliban’s Afghanistan takeover presents fresh challenge for social media companies

The Taliban's rapid takeover of Afghanistan poses a new challenge for big U.S. tech companies on handling content created by a group considered to be terrorists by some world governments. Social media giant…

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Investors step back from risk amid worries over China data, Afghanistan

nvestors generally shied away from risk Monday, as turmoil in Afghanistan, fresh concerns about an economic slowdown in China and the spreading coronavirus Delta variant put the brakes on last week's…

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Merkel says Germany may need to rescue 10,000 people from Afghanistan

BERLIN, Aug 16 (Reuters) - Germany must urgently evacuate up to 10,000 people from Afghanistan for whom its has responsibility, Chancellor Angela Merkel told party colleagues, warning that the fallout…

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Malta: Ex-inmate is victim of ‘character assassination’

The Times of Malta leads with shocking scenes from Afghanistan as thousands of Afghans crowded onto the tarmac in the hope of catching any flight out after the weekend Taliban…

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France’s Macron urges UN to act with single voice on Afghanistan

Islamist militants will seek to benefit from the turmoil in Afghanistan, said French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, adding that France would do all it could to ensure Russia, the United States…

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UPDATE – Evacuation flights resume at Kabul airport as Biden defends U.S. withdrawal

Aug 17 (Reuters) - Military flights evacuating diplomats and civilians from Afghanistan resumed early on Tuesday after the runway at Kabul airport was cleared of thousands of people desperate to…

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Britain asks: Is America back or has it turned its back?

The humiliation of the lightning Taliban takeover in Afghanistan after a 20-year war that cost hundreds of thousands of lives has raised a question for the United States' staunchest European…

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CDU says Germany can’t repeat 2015 migrant influx over Afghanistan, Austria calls for ‘deportation centres’

Germany cannot fix the situation in Afghanistan through a repeat of the open-door migrant policy it pursued in 2015, the general secretary of Chancellor Angela Merkel's party said on Monday.…

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