World

Thirteen Britons are among hundreds of people allowed to leave Afghanistan in the first international civilian flight since Kabul fell to the Taliban, the Foreign Office has said. The Qatar Airways flight to Doha took off from Kabul airport earlier on Monday with 200 on board – the first to leave since Western military left

The Taliban says it will allow 200 Americans and other civilians to leave Afghanistan on charter flights, according to a US official. The official, who spoke to Reuters on the condition of anonymity, said the Taliban were pressed to allow the departures by US Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad. The flight is expected to depart on

The Taliban has announced a ban on all protests in Kabul and other provinces in Afghanistan which have not got prior permission. The country’s new rulers have released a statement saying no one is allowed to go on to the street to protest without authorisation from the justice and interior ministry. It added that any

A huge fire has killed at least 41 inmates at an overcrowded prison near Indonesia’s capital Jakarta. Televised footage showed firefighters battling to extinguish orange flames while black smoke billowed from the Tangerang prison after the fire broke out at around 1am. It also showed dozens of bodies in orange bags laid in a room

The Taliban has appointed several old guard members to Afghanistan’s caretaker government. Among those appointed to the new interim cabinet as interior minister is Sarajuddin Haqqani, who is on the FBI’s most-wanted list. Interim prime minister Mullah Hasan Akhund had headed the Taliban government in Kabul during the last years of its rule. One of

Relatives of the 298 people who died when Malaysian Airlines flight 17 was shot down have accused Russia of lying about its role in the incident. The allegations were made during the murder trial in The Netherlands of four suspects Russia has refused to extradite. International investigators concluded that the missile which downed the plane

The Taliban is claiming it now controls the whole of Afghanistan after taking complete control of Panjshir province, the last area in Afghanistan being held by resistance forces. A spokesman for the group, Zabihullah Mujahid, issued a statement saying the area had been “completely conquered” and a “number of people” were killed while the “rest

Soldiers in Guinea claim they have dissolved the government of President Alpha Conde and its constitution, as well as closed all land and air borders. The announcement on state television comes after hours of gunfire around the presidential palace in the capital Conakry, sparking fears of a coup attempt. But the defence ministry said an

The Taliban has broken up women’s rights protests in Kabul by firing shots into the air and using teargas and tasers, witnesses say. Women marched through the Afghan capital for a second day in a row on Saturday demanding their freedoms are guaranteed under the new Islamist regime. The demonstrations began peacefully with a number

An RAF pilot missed smashing his aircraft into a bus carrying evacuees at Kabul airport by about 3m (10ft) after the vehicle steered onto the runway as he was taking off. Wing Commander Kev Latchman revealed military air traffic controllers had been praying for him when they saw his C-17 transport aircraft hurtling towards a

The man who stabbed seven people at a New Zealand supermarket has been named as Ahamed Samsudeen. The 32-year-old had been assessed by authorities as such a high risk that he was being monitored by up to 30 police officers in the weeks leading up to the attack. Samsudeen, who had arrived in New Zealand

Six people have been injured after a “violent extremist” began stabbing people in a New Zealand supermarket. The offender, a Sri Lankan national, cannot be named due to a suppression order currently in place. However, local media reported he is a 32-year-old man who had recently been released from prison. He first came to the

A man, inspired by ISIS ideology, who entered a New Zealand supermarket and stabbed at least six people was a “violent extremist” known to the police, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said. The man was shot and killed by police within 60 seconds of beginning his attack, which wounded at least six people at a

At least six people have been killed after Storm Ida dumped a month’s worth of rain on parts of the US. Four of those who died were in New York City, while the other two were in New Jersey, according to NBC. A state of emergency has been declared after the remnants of a hurricane

The death and destruction caused by Storm Ida is a reminder that “the climate crisis is here” and “we must better prepare,” US President Joe Biden has said. The flooding caused by the storm has killed at least 25 people in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including a two-year-old boy, NBC reports. States of

The Taliban has been showcasing military hardware it captured in its takeover of Afghanistan, during a parade in the southern province of Kandahar. Footage showed fighters sitting on top of pickup trucks, flying the group’s flag and driving a convoy of armoured vehicles through the streets. Celebrations have erupted across Afghanistan after the US troops

The UK is in talks with the Taliban to ensure Britons can safely leave Afghanistan, the government has said. Its special representative for Afghan transition, Simon Gass, has met senior members of the hardline Islamist group in Doha, Qatar. They also discussed safe passage for Afghans who have worked with the UK over the last

A former British soldier has launched a plan to save 400 Afghan nationals and has called on the government to “make a decision” after claiming he was left stranded in the country when his visa failed to be approved. Ben Slater has travelled hundreds of miles in a bid to lead an escape effort out

The US has completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan after the last of its planes took off from Kabul airport. All its service members have now departed, bringing an end to a 20-year campaign that saw more than 2,400 Americans die – as well as tens of thousands of Afghans. General Kenneth F McKenzie announced the

Ten members of one Afghan family were killed following a US drone strike in Kabul, according to relatives. The drone strike on Sunday was aimed at a vehicle carrying “a substantial amount of explosive material” and heading to Kabul airport, US officials said. A military official said the strike had caused “significant secondary explosions”. Zemaray