Afghanistan: Taliban Reiterates 31 August Deadline, Says Won't Allow Extension
Catch all the updates on the Afghanistan crisis here.
Afghanistan Taliban Crisis LIVE. US Air Force aircrew, assist qualified evacuees boarding a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft in support of the Afghanistan evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport.
(Photo: US Air Force/PTI)
A Taliban spokesman on Tuesday urged skilled Afghans to stop fleeing the country, and warned that it would not accept any extension of the August 31 deadline for evacuations.
They also asked US to stop taking "Afghan experts" such as engineers and doctors out of Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden held talks with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson regarding the Afghanistan situation on Monday, amid speculation about whether the evacuation deadline would be extended beyond 31 August.
Further, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin for about 45 minutes on the phone and had a detailed conversation on the Afghanistan situation, as per news agency ANI.
An Air India flight is en route to Delhi from Dushanbe carrying 78 passengers, including 25 Indians, who were evacuated from Kabul on an IAF aircraft, the MEA said on Tuesday
The US has evacuated and facilitated the evacuation of around 48,000 people from Afghanistan since 14 August, according to the White House
The Taliban took over Afghanistan on 15 August, as President Ashraf Ghani fled
Since the Taliban's takeover, chaos has emerged at the airport in Kabul as countries scramble to evacuate their citizens, while locals are desperate to flee the country
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10,900 People Evacuated in 12 Hours from Kabul: White House
Around 10,900 people were evacuated from Kabul in a span of 12 hours, the White House said on Monday, 23 August.
"Since 14 August, the US has evacuated and facilitated the evacuation of approximately 48,000 people. Since the end of July, we have re-located approximately 53,000 people," it tweeted.
US President Biden Holds Talks With UK PM Johnson on Afghanistan
US President Joe Biden held talks with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson regarding the Afghanistan situation on Monday, amid speculation about whether the evacuation deadline would be extended beyond 31 August.
The two discussed ongoing efforts by their diplomatic and military personnel to evacuate their citizens, local staff and other vulnerable Afghans, the White House reportedly said.
India's Afghanistan Evacuation Operation Called 'Dev Shakti'
'Ukranian Evacuation Plane Hijacked': Conflicting Reports Emerge
Some reports emanating from Russia have claimed that a Ukrainian plane sent to Afghanistan to evacuate its citizens was hijacked and diverted to Iran.
Russian News Agency TASS, on Tuesday, quoted Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Yevgeny Yenin as saying:
However, according to other reports, Iran's Civil Aviation Authority and Ukraine's Foreign Ministry have dismissed the claim.
Ukraine Denies Claims of Evacuation Plane Hijacking: Reports
Ukraine has denied claims of their evacuation plane having been hijacked in Afghanistan, as per international media reports. This reported rejection comes after Russian news agency TASS quoted Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister as saying that a Ukrainian plane sent to Afghanistan to evacuate its citizens was hijacked and diverted to Iran.
Talibs Not Allowing Food Into Andarab Valley, Situation Dire: Amrullah Saleh
Afghanistan’s self-declared ‘caretake president’ Amrullah Saleh, on Tuesday, took to Twitter to share that the humanitarian situation in the Andarab valley is dire.
PM Modi Discusses Afghanistan Situation in a Phone Call With Putin
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin for about 45 minutes on the phone and had a detailed conversation on the Afghanistan situation, as per news agency ANI.
Special Session of UNHRC on Afghanistan Underway
A special session of the UN Human Rights Council on Afghanistan is underway in Geneva to consider the "promotion and protection of human rights in Afghanistan"
"The human rights system cannot and should not 'wait and see'. We need attention and action": Nasir Ahmad Andisha, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, reportedly, told UN Human Rights Council.
Meanwhile, UN Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet called for a dedicated mechanism to closely monitor the evolving human rights situation, including the Taliban’s implementation of its promises, with a focus on prevention.
'Sewadars' From Afghanistan Have Thanked PM for Sanctury, Particularly to Hindus & Sikhs: Union Min Hardeep Puri
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, on Tuesday, as per ANI, claimed that "the sewadars who have come (from Afghanistan) have thanked PM Modi and Mother India that we are able to provide sanctuary and comfort to people in distress, particularly to Hindus and Sikhs."
US CIA Chief Met Secretly With Taliban Co-Founder Yesterday: Report
United States Central Intelligence Agency chief William Burns held a secret meeting in Kabul with Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar on Monday, the Washington Post reported, citing anonymous United States sources.
Taliban Asks US to Stop Evacuating Skilled Afghans
In its second since press conference since taking control of Afghanistan, the Taliban, on Tuesday, 24 August, requested Afghans to stop fleeing the country and asked the United States to not "encourage" Afghan doctors, engineers, and "educated elite" to leave Afghanistan.
Airbnb Says it Will Give Temporary Free Housing to 20,000 Afghan Refugees
Airbnb and its charitable arm, Airbnb.org, said on Tuesday that the company intended to provide free temporary housing globally for 20,000 refugees fleeing the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
The cost of the accommodations will be covered with money from Airbnb and its chief executive, Brian Chesky, as well as contributions from the Airbnb.org Refugee Fund, which was begun in June with the goal of raising $25 million. The organisation is working with resettlement agencies and offered to support federal and state governments.
Biden to Stick to 31 August Deadline: Reports
US President Joe Biden plans to adhere to the 31 August deadline to complete the evacuation mission in Kabul, despite demands from other global leaders to continue the operation into next month, reports say.