Afghanistan: World Bank freezes funding after Taliban takeover August 25, 2021 The World Bank has halted funding for projects in Afghanistan after the country’s fall to Taliban control. The Washington-based financial institution cited concerns over Afghanistan’s future development prospects in the wake of drastic leadership change, particularly for the nation’s women. The halt on aid disbursements is set to continue while the bank assesses how the [...]
Lawyers urge UK government to save Afghan judges and artists August 24, 2021 City law firm Bates Wells has urged the Home Office to urgently help lawyers, academics and activists in Afghanistan, as the crisis in the country continues. The firm called on the government to take on board recommendations made in a joint letter by the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (ILPA) and the Afghanistan and Central Asian [...]
Afghanistan: G7 leaders prepare for emergency meeting as evacuation deadline looms August 24, 2021 G7 leaders are under pressure to present a united front at an emergency meeting this afternoon on the crisis in Afghanistan. Leaders of the UK, US, Canada, France, Italy, Germany and Japan are to discuss how to coordinate their response to the crisis. The online talks chaired by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will also [...]
Afghanistan: UK ups evacuations as Taliban warns against an overstay August 23, 2021 The UK is set to fly around 6,000 British and Afghan citizens out of Afghanistan this week, as it ramps up its evacuation plans. To help more people leave the country, the military has extended the deadline for the final RAF evacuation flight from tomorrow to Friday or Saturday, according to Time Times. The total [...]
Clarissa Ward: The US reporter who fearlessly strolls the chaotic streets of Kabul August 20, 2021 US reporter Clarissa Ward has become somewhat of an internet sensation after clips of her strolling the streets of Kabul in Afghanistan have gone viral. The London-based TV journalist, currently an international correspondent for CNN, has been documenting the changes in the Afghan capital following its takeover by the Taliban. In 2019, Ward became one [...]
Facebook secures Afghan accounts as Taliban cements takeover August 20, 2021 Facebook has brought in new safety measures in response to concerns that the Taliban, who have taken over Afghanistan this week, could use social media to target and track individuals, according to reports. The social media giant has temporarily removed the ability for people to see or search the friends lists of accounts based in [...]
Phone call Raab delegated to junior minister in Afghan crisis was not made August 20, 2021 A key phone call to Afghanistan’s foreign minister was delegated by Dominic Raab to a junior minister and subsequently not made. The Foreign Secretary is facing calls to quit over his handling of the crisis in Afghanistan after he was seen relaxing on a beach in Crete as the Taliban marched on Kabul. On Friday, [...]
Legal groups urge UK to help female judges and legal professionals in Afghanistan August 19, 2021 At least 250 female judges in Afghanistan face a “perilous” future, legal groups have said while urging the UK government to offer asylum to female judges and other legal professionals in the country which has been control of by the Taliban. According to the Lawyer Monthly, the Bar Council, Bar Human Rights Committee and Law [...]
Afghanistan: Taliban announces ‘amnesty’ and claims women should join new government August 17, 2021 The Taliban has declared an “amnesty” for all government workers in Afghanistan and urged women to join their new government, in an effort to convince the domestic and international community of a more moderate approach as they take control of the country. Two days after the Taliban’s week-long blistering offensive across the country culminated in [...]
PM set to unveil ‘bespoke plan’ to help settle vulnerable Afghans in UK August 17, 2021 The Prime Minister will unveil a “bespoke” resettlement scheme for vulnerable Afghans as efforts to get British nationals and other support staff back to the UK continue. Boris Johnson would give more information about the refugee scheme in the coming days, with the policy anticipated to be focused on helping women and girls, Number 10 [...]