Dubai, UAE | Xinhua | Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani claimed on Wednesday night that he was forced to leave Kabul in order to prevent bloodshed. Ghani made the statement, addressing his compatriots in their native language Pashto, during a live Facebook broadcast from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ghani said, …
Read More »Taliban intends to form inclusive gov’t in Afghanistan
Kabul, Afghanistan | Xinhua | The Taliban did not want to have any internal or external enemies, and intended to form an inclusive government in Afghanistan, a Taliban spokesman said on Tuesday. At its first press conference since the Taliban’s takeover of most parts of Afghanistan on Sunday, the group’s spokesman Zabihullah …
Read More »Fallout of botched Afghan exit overwhelms White House
Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | The White House is finding itself in a new crisis after a botched withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan, overwhelmed by withering criticism from home and abroad. A viral video clip shows a crowd of Afghans running alongside a U.S. military transport aircraft, with some …
Read More »Johnson, Biden vow to work together on Afghan situation after Taliban takeover
London, UK | Xinhua | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and U.S. President Joe Biden spoke via phone on Tuesday evening about the current situation in Afghanistan following Taliban takeover, Downing Street said in a statement. The two leaders welcomed their countries’ cooperation in recent days to help evacuate their nationals, …
Read More »Normalcy returns to Afghan capital, Taliban urges gov’t workers to return to work
Kabul, Afghanistan | Xinhua | Normality has returned to Kabul, capital of Afghanistan as the Taliban on Tuesday urged the government employees to return to work, two days after the group took control of the capital. Declaring a general amnesty, the Taliban urged all to start routine life with confidence. It also …
Read More »Evacuation flights taking off at Kabul airport, crowds cleared: reports
Kabul, Afghanistan | Xinhua | Military planes evacuating diplomats and civilians from Afghanistan started taking off from Kabul airport on Tuesday morning, after the airport runway and tarmac were cleared of crowds, media reports said. The airport was shut down on Monday after crowds of people surged onto the runways, leading to …
Read More »Biden says deteriorating situation in Afghanistan “did unfold more quickly” than U.S. anticipated
Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday stood by his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan while acknowledging Kabul’s collapse to the Taliban came much sooner than Washington had anticipated. “I stand squarely behind my decision,” said Biden in a televised speech from the White House. …
Read More »U.S. experts blast White House for strategic error in chaotic troop withdrawal
Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | Days before Taliban forces entered the Afghan capital of Kabul, U.S. President Joe Biden said at a news conference that he did not regret his move to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. However, with the news of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani leaving the country and the …
Read More »World reacts as Taliban enter Kabul
Kabul, Afghanistan | Xinhua | Countries and international organizations closely observing the unfolding situation in Afghanistan have swiftly reacted to Taliban forces entering the capital Kabul on Sunday. The U.S. State Department and the Pentagon issued a joint statement, saying, “At present we are completing a series of steps to secure the …
Read More »Commercial flights from Kabul airport cancelled
Kabul, Afghanistan | Xinhua | All commercial flights from Kabul airport have been cancelled, according to a statement from Afghanistan’s civil aviation authority released on Monday. “All the flights from Kabul airport have been temporarily cancelled and the passengers should not come to the airport until informed,” the statement said. The …
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