World

Afghan protesters have waved their national flag in a symbol of defiance against the Taliban on the country’s Independence Day. Processions of cars drove through Kabul with banners of red, green and black billowing from them on Thursday. The Taliban, who have their own black and white flag, moved quickly to suppress the demonstrations, which

Seventeen people have been injured in a stampede at a gate to the airport in the Afghan capital of Kabul, a NATO security official has said. He told Reuters he had not heard any reports of violence by Taliban fighters outside the airport. It comes as the militant group blew up a statue of a

The Taliban is “cooperating” with British forces as they work to evacuate people from Afghanistan and is not behaving in a “medieval way”, the chief of the UK defence staff has said. General Sir Nick Carter told Sky News: “We are cooperating with the Taliban on the ground and that seems to be a very

The Taliban has declared an “amnesty” across Afghanistan and urged women to join the government following a day of chaos that saw citizens descend on the airport en masse in a bid to flee their rule. Enamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban’s cultural commission, said: “The Islamic Emirate doesn’t want women to be victims. “They

In the early hours of its new rule, the Taliban has said it wants to begin a dialogue with foreign states and has promised not to harm Afghans or limit female liberties. Few believe the hardline group – just witness the chaotic scenes of utter desperation at Kabul airport. Live updates on Afghanistan as Taliban

Afghanistan is poised for an announcement that it is now the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, under Sharia law, after the Taliban swept to power. It follows a spokesman for the group telling AP it is holding talks aimed at forming an “open, inclusive Islamic government” and the deputy leader of the group releasing a video

Since the withdrawal of Western troops, the Taliban’s advance through Afghanistan has been swift – taking control of major cities and entering the capital, Kabul, over the weekend. Pictures from Afghanistan show thousands of people fleeing their homes, seeking refuge in neighbouring Pakistan and beyond, while Taliban troops seized control of the presidential palace. Live

Algerian authorities have detained 36 people after the mob killing and burning of a man wrongly accused of starting wildfires. The fires began last Monday and have torn through the mountainous Kabyle region, killing at least 47 residents and 28 soldiers, while also destroying olive groves and livestock. Artist Djamel Ben Ismail, 38, was killed

Hospitals in Haiti have become overwhelmed as they treat thousands of people injured in a earthquake that has left 1,297 dead. Some 13,694 houses have been destroyed, Haiti’s civil protection agency said, suggesting the number of dead could rise further. Saturday’s 7.2 magnitude quake has left at least 5,700 people injured in the Caribbean nation,

Boris Johnson is to convene an emergency Cobra meeting this afternoon over the worsening situation in Afghanistan. Taliban fighters took control of the Afghan city of Lashkar Gah on Friday, following their capture of Kandahar and Herat, as they continue to make advances across the country. With weeks to go before the US plans to

Taliban fighters have taken the Afghan city of Lashkar Gah, following their capture of Kandahar and Herat, as the security situation in the country rapidly deteriorates. A police official confirmed the capture of the city in the southern province of Helmand, with Afghan officials moving to Camp Bastion and about 1,500 soldiers surrendering. If follows

Fighting in Afghanistan’s Kandahar region has become “extremely intense” amid the continued insurgence of the Taliban in the country. It comes after warnings the capital Kabul could fall within the next 90 days, with the hardline Islamist group now controlling around 65% of Afghanistan. In Kandahar, Afghanistan’s second largest city which is situated 480km (300

A British embassy worker has been arrested in Germany on spying charges. The British national, named as David S, was arrested in Potsdam after he allegedly worked “for a foreign secret service”, the German public prosecutor said in a statement. The statement continued: “Until his arrest, David S worked as a local employee at the

Even before their day begins battling Greek wildfires, British firefighters make an hour-long drive up a steep hillside. The terrain is dry, rugged and the roads winding and narrow. It’s not an easy journey. As our convoy reaches the top, it’s clear it’s going to be a tough day. Even at this early hour, the

The body of missing hiker Esther Dingley and her equipment have been found together in the Pyrenees, close to where a bone was discovered two weeks ago. The discovery was made yesterday by her partner Daniel Colegate following search efforts by him since her disappearance, said the overseas crisis support charity LBT Global (formerly the

A Taliban advance in Afghanistan is undoing many of the freedoms Afghans have come to regard as normal, reports claim, amid a push for a diplomatic solution to the fighting. There have been reports from civilians fleeing affected areas of heavy-handed treatment by the insurgents including schools being burned down and repressive restrictions on women.

As they closed the Olympics in Tokyo, organisers celebrated how they had brought the world together and overcome the pandemic hurdles placed in front of them. The Games were a huge gamble for Japan and having told some spectacular sporting stories they have reached the finish line after 16 days of competition. The Olympic drama

As wildfires rage across southern Europe and parts of the US, the biggest climate change report in almost a decade is set to deliver the “starkest warning yet” about the crisis facing the planet. The report from the United Nations’ climate science body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), arrives this morning and is

Hundreds of people have been evacuated from hotels, campsites and homes across an Italian seaside resort as a wildfire spread through the area. More than 400 people have been evacuated in Campomarino Lodi, a city in the Italian region of Molise. Officials said firefighters and a helicopter had been deployed to battle the blaze, with

A German coach has been kicked out of the Olympics after she was filmed appearing to punch a horse after it refused to jump. Kim Raisner was filmed leaning over a fence to strike the horse Saint Boy during the women’s modern pentathlon competition. German athlete Annika Schleu had been struggling to control the horse