Tag: Afghanistan

Women Soccer Players Leave Afghanistan on Evacuation Flight

KABUL, Afghanistan—Players from Afghanistan women’s national soccer team had an “important victory” on Tuesday when they were among a group of more than 75 people evacuated on a flight from Kabul. Global soccer players’ union FIFPRO thanked the Australian government for making the evacuation of players, team officials, and family members possible, with work continuing…


UK Defence Minister: Evacuation of Afghan on ‘No-Fly’ List Wasn’t Security Fail

The British defence minister has insisted that the security system was working as it should do when an Afghan who was on a “no-fly” watchlist landed in the UK on an evacuation flight. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said that the term “no-fly” refers to a broader category of watchlists and requirements and doesn’t mean a…


LIVE: Pentagon Defense, Military Officials Hold Press Conference


Security-Focused EU Ramps up Humanitarian Aid for Afghans

The EU announced a ramped-up Afghan aid program that an official said it would seek safety guarantees on the ground and coordination with the United Nations to deliver, as the bloc’s executive and G7 leaders prepare to discuss the crisis in the country. European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union would…


Afghan Envoy Tells UN That Millions Live in Fear Under Taliban

GENEVA—A senior Afghan diplomat from the deposed government on Tuesday called for accountability for Taliban actions, describing an “uncertain and dire” situation where millions of people fear for their lives amid reports of forced marriages and door-to-door searches. Addressing an emergency session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Ambassador Nasir Ahmad Andisha called…


Extension to Evacuation Window in Afghanistan Unlikely, UK Warns

LONDON—The U.S. government is unlikely to extend the evacuation window to allow its citizens and Afghans more time to fly out of Kabul, British defence minister Ben Wallace said ahead of emergency talks by G7 leaders. U.S. President Joe Biden will face pressure to extend an Aug. 31 deadline to evacuate thousands seeking to flee…


More Than 7,000 Evacuated From Afghanistan by UK Military

The British military has so far evacuated 7,109 people out of Afghan capital Kabul, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said. The figure includes embassy staff, British nationals, those eligible under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) programme, and a number of nationals from partner nations, the MoD said late on Monday. Armed…


‘Unlikely’ Afghanistan Evacuation Will be Finished by Aug. 31 Deadline: Schiff

The United States will likely not complete evacuating Americans and others from Taliban-held Afghanistan by its self-imposed Aug. 31 deadline, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Monday. “I think it’s possible but I think it’s very unlikely given the number of Americans who still need to be evacuated, the number of SIVs, the number of others…


Allies to Press Biden to Extend Afghanistan Aug 31 Deadline to Continue Evacuations

President Joe Biden is set to be pushed by allies to extend the evacuation operation from Kabul beyond his self-imposed Aug. 31 deadline, amid warnings from the Taliban that doing so would result in “consequences.” At an emergency virtual G7 meeting of leaders on Afghanistan on Tuesday, the United Kingdom is expected to call on…


US Working On Offering COVID-19 Vaccines to Afghan Refugees: Psaki

The Biden administration is working on offering COVID-19 vaccines to Afghan refugees, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday. Psaki also told reporters that refugees from Afghanistan arriving in the United States are being tested for COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. “They are being tested, and we…