by Summary for Wednesday, 25th August
7:10
We're resuming our live coverage of the latest developments in Afghanistan. Here's what you need to know:
About 6,400 people were evacuated on US military flights, while coalition flights carried the remaining numbers.
In total, the US has evacuated or helped to relocate 70,700 since 14 August.
However, most countries have acknowledged that it will not be possible to evacuate all those who are eligible for evacuation before the US withdraws from Kabul airport on 31 August, after President Joe Biden ruled out any extension to the US presence.
The staffers were punctual: they moved velvety ropes from a briefing room to the Roosevelt Room, and got ready for the president's speech at 12:00 (16:00 GMT).
They set up a sound system, and prepared the stage for an important moment: the president would speak about Afghanistan. But the president was late.
Several hours later, he appeared to say things were on track to end the US mission by 31 August.
His remarks were a bitter disappointment for many in Kabul, who say the mission is far from over, since it leaves them stranded.
Backstage at the White House, the president's day, and the lead-up to his speech, were disorganised, unpredictable and chaotic.
For many, it captured the essence of his Afghanistan policy, one that they describe as disastrous.
His comments came as US media reported that several hundred US troops had already left Afghanistan - although a US defence official quoted by CNN insisted that their departure "does not affect the mission".
The militants have opposed any extension to the evacuation deadline.
Biden said the airlift had to come to end soon because of an increasing threat from the Islamic State group in Afghanistan.
Afghan journalist Bilal Sarwary saw the Taliban toppled in 2001 and his country reborn. But in the last two weeks the path of his homeland took a terrifying twist, one that put his own life in danger.
One of my former classmates is a member of the Taliban and we are the same age. Over the last 20 years, we have continued to talk despite the fact that he's adhering to a different ideology. But recently, I saw him at a wedding and I could see how his attitude had hardened and soured. I saw and felt how this conflict has really divided Afghans. When we met, we could barely converse.
How could I know that all these years later I would find him on the other side?
His story is also one of deep personal loss. His brother, father, and uncle were killed in a raid that was based on false intelligence and petty local rivalries. Separated as we are, I can't help but hope for a future of national reconciliation.
But that seems a distant possibility now. I covered the regional capitals falling to the Taliban in recent weeks, with massive surrenders where no one put up a fight. But I didn't think they could make it into Kabul and take over the city.
The night before it happened, officials I spoke to still thought they could hold it with the help of US air strikes. And there was talk of a peaceful transition of power into an inclusive government. But then [former president] Ghani left by helicopter and suddenly the Taliban were in the city. There was fear hanging in the air - people were very scared to see them back.
Then I was told that my life was in danger.
You can read Bilal's full account here.
"We remain in the country and will continue to remain and do everything we can," Guterres sai.
A number of international charities, including Médecins Sans Frontières, have also said they plan to continue working in the country following the Taliban takeover.
Around 380 Afghans who worked for the South Korean government are being airlifted from Kabul in three military planes and are due to arrive at the main airport near Seoul in the next 24 hours.
The foreign ministry said they wouldn't be entering the country as refugees. Instead, they will be designated as "people of special merit".
The evacuees include the workers' families - about 100 of them are children. They'll go through the quarantine process as soon as they arrive at Incheon Airport and will be moved to government-owned housing south of Seoul.
The evacuees are medical professionals, vocational trainers, IT experts and interpreters who worked at South Korea’s embassy and on various humanitarian projects in Afghanistan.
South Korea rarely accepts refugees, unless they are from North Korea. It has led to some concern from residents in the region where the evacuees will be given a temporary home.
But the government has asked local people to "present a warm heart" to those who aided South Korea in Afghanistan.
The French Minister for European Affairs, Clément Beaune, warned on Wednesday that it was "very probable" that the French operations would end the following day.
According to figures released by the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Afghanistan, more than 400,000 people have been registered as newly displaced since the start of May, as fighting intensified across the country.
In total, almost 550,000 Afghans have been displaced so far this year.
The Taliban's rapid advance across almost all of Afghanistan's provinces has put even further strain on the country, where 18 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.
Local media said about 250 protesters gathered outside a reception centre at an army camp in Harskamp, a village east of Utrecht.
The protest was peaceful at first but tensions mounted after a group of young men ignored repeated calls to leave.
Some protesters sang nationalist songs, displayed hostile banners and set alight tyres in front of the reception centre.
Police officers with dogs were sent to break up the demonstration and chase protesters out of the area, but nobody was arrested.
About 800 refugees from Afghanistan will be accommodated at the Harskamp army camp. The first evacuees arrived on Tuesday afternoon.
The army camp is one of four emergency shelters for Afghan evacuees in the Netherlands.
The Council of Europe says Poland should take immediate action to protect the group and UNHCR has appealed to Warsaw to allow them to seek asylum. Poland has already sent tents, blankets and beds but Belarus has refused the offer.
There has been a surge of Iraqis and Afghans heading via Belarus to the borders with Lithuania, Latvia and Poland. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says Belarus is trying to create a "pan-European migration crisis".
The BBC's Adam Easton in Warsaw says the issue is separate from Poland's operation to fly people out of Kabul airport. Poland has sent military planes to evacuate more than 750 Afghans, many of whom worked with the Polish embassy and military in recent years.
Kabul Bank has begun serving customers, but is not issuing large sums of money.
And although other banks are open, they say they have not been able to allow withdrawals due to a lack of cash from Afghanistan's central bank.
The closure of the banks has compounded other issues in Kabul in recent weeks: the price of basic foods has risen. Meanwhile, money transfer company Western Union - which allows people to receive money from abroad - suspended its services a week ago.
Addressing the German parliament on Wednesday, she said the government would continue evacuations for military and development staff who worked with Germany “for as long as necessary”, while also supporting UN bodies in providing humanitarian aid to people in Afghanistan and those who have fled to neighbouring countries.
She said that German forces had evacuated more than 4,600 people so far - the largest foreign airlift in the country's history - and said Germany would work "in the remaining days to continue to help those who helped us, to offer protection".
On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden said there would be no extension to the 31 August deadline for the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. France has already indicated it will end its evacuations from Thursday.
"This new reality is a bitter reality but we must engage with it,” Mrs Merkel said of the Taliban takeover and the increased risk of terrorism.
"What we absolutely underestimated was how breathtakingly fast the Afghan troops would give up against the Taliban, or that such resistance would not even be attempted," she said.
Last night while defending his decision not to extend the presence of US troops at Kabul airport, President Biden warned of the threat posed to coalition troops by a group he referred to as ISIS-K.
This is the name under which the Islamic State group (IS) operates in Afghanistan, with the K standing for "Khorasan Province" (ISKP).
"Khorasan" refers to a historical region covering parts of modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. ISKP initially included Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, in May 2019, IS declared a separate new “Pakistan Province”.
ISKP was formed in January 2015 and is reportedly primarily made up of former members of the Pakistani Taliban and the Afghan Taliban.
It is far more hard-line than the Afghan Taliban, and the two are sworn enemies. The group considers Taliban militants “apostates”, making their killing lawful under their interpretation of Islamic law.
IS condemned the 29 February 2020 peace agreement between the US and the Taliban in Afghanistan, vowing to continue to fight.
It also dismissed the recent Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, saying the US handed them the country as part of a secret deal.
ISKP suffered major military defeats in late 2019 and the capture of senior leaders in April 2020.
Since then, however, it has bounced back, claiming to have carried out scores of attacks in a surge of violence during peace talks between the Taliban and the government.
Since its establishment, ISKP has claimed regular deadly attacks across Afghanistan. It has been mostly active in the eastern province of Nangahar and in the capital Kabul, but it has claimed attacks in the provinces of Kunar, Jowzjan, Paktia, Kunduz and Herat.
The group has targeted Afghan security forces, Afghan politicians and ministries, the Taliban, religious minorities, including Shia Muslims and Sikhs, US and Nato forces, and international agencies, including aid organisations.
It also claimed an attack in Iran in September 2018.
Care packs including toiletries, nappies, blankets, and cuddly toys have been handed to people on arrival.
The council has thanked "warm-hearted" residents of the county saying: "The generosity of Oxfordshire people to date means that no further donations are needed just now.
"Some of the items donated have already been distributed and gratefully received by arrivals at RAF Brize Norton from Afghanistan over recent days."
We've got the full story here.
"I love my country, but I cannot stay here," Wahida Faizi told the BBC's Lyse Doucet in Kabul.
She vowed never to return to Afghanistan. "After this, it's not my country."
On Tuesday, a Taliban spokesman said that working women must stay at home until proper systems are in place to ensure their safety.
Read more here: Afghan working women to stay at home for now
"We can no longer risk the lives of our diplomats, our military,” says Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz. Two planes are currently on their way back to Poland and some 800 Afghans are thought to have been evacuated overall.
France has said it's very likely that its evacuations will end tomorrow and Hungary expects its operation to bring out Afghans is nearly over too. "The exact timing will be announced by the commander of the army, which may happen as soon as today," says Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto.
Spanish military flights are continuing meanwhile and the government in Madrid says it is going to carry on for the moment, having expanded its list to Afghan women and girls in positions that are considered vulnerable. This Spanish defence ministry post shows Afghans being airlifted from Kabul to Dubai.
Two evacuation flights arrived in Belgium this morning carrying 470 people and Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder has said the future of the evacuation mission depends on continuing security on the ground. Details are also emerging of a secret Belgian operation last night to evacuate up to 250 people, who were told to gather at a special place before being taken to the airport in five buses.
The number included those with Russian passports, people with permanent residence rights and students of Russian universities.
Meanwhile the Russian Defence Ministry has announced that it has begun evacuating more than 500 people from Afghanistan, including citizens of Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.
Yesterday, President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of his ruling United Russia party that the situation in Afghanistan was "difficult and alarming" and that his government was keeping "a close eye on the situation".
The RAF has evacuated 10,291 people out of Kabul to date.
That includes 341 embassy staff, 2,570 UK nationals and 6,308 under the government’s Afghan relocation programme (ARAP).
Defence sources say that was well beyond the original estimates when the operation began.
The BBC has been told that 2,000 people eligible for the ARAP scheme remain in Afghanistan - but the plan is to evacuate more in the coming days.
Defence sources say there’s been an “uptick” in people being beaten on their way to the airport. The defence secretary has already gone on record to say that not everyone will get out in the airlift.
'Real risk of an attack'
The BBC has also been told that the terrorist threat remains high with “a very real risk of an attack" on the airport. There is specific concern about the threat posed by ISKP.
Next the 1,000 UK military personnel at the airport will have to be evacuated. There is still the scope of conducting the military drawdown while continuing evacuation flights over the coming days.
The MoD is not giving any timetables for the drawdown.
But given that the US is providing the bulk of security at Kabul airport their forces are expected to leave last.
Alistair Burt, the UK's Former Minister of State for the Middle East, has told the BBC that Britain has "limited leverage" over what happens in Afghanistan now.
"The Taliban are going to rule Afghanistan in the way in which they have already set out, according to their interpretation of Sharia law," he told Radio 4's The World at One. "If other governments don't like it, I don't suspect there is very much they can do about it."
"I think it's always difficult for politicians and governments to say there is nothing we can do. Nobody wants to hear that," added Mr Burt.
"But sometimes it's very honest and realistic to say we are very limited in what we can do."
China’s President Xi Jinping has talked on the phone to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The two leaders reportedly “had an in-depth exchange of views on the situation in Afghanistan”.
According to state media, Mr Xi “emphasised that China respects Afghanistan’s "sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity,” and said that China is “pursuing a policy of non-interference in Afghan internal affairs”.
However, he noted that “the two sides agreed that the current international and regional situation is complex and evolving,” and added that both countries will “maintain communication”.
The state-backed Global Times newspaper had earlier indicated that China's attitude towards the Taliban could change if events in Afghanistan have a “negative impact on Xinjiang”, the Chinese region that borders the country.
China’s embassy in Afghanistan remains open, but has called on Chinese based there to make themselves known in the event that the situation changes. Today the foreign ministry has emphasised that “China maintains smooth communication with the Taliban”.
What was notably absent from media coverage of the conversation between Mr Xi and Mr Putin was any mention of the West’s role in Afghanistan. However, Mr Xi stressed the importance of political dialogue from all parties.
In recent days, media in China have emphasised that the US cannot simply walk away from Afghanistan.
Outlets have highlighted the recent comments of foreign ministry personnel, who have criticised the “hasty” US retreat from Afghanistan, saying that they have said this has left “turbulence and chaos".
Speaking with the Afghan Islamic Press, a Taliban spokesperson said anyone caught with these items would have them confiscated, and they'd face legal action.
It comes as the Taliban face mounting pressure on their finances from abroad.
The Afghan central bank has reserves of roughly $9bn (£6.5bn), most of which is held in America. But the US has barred the Taliban from withdrawing any of its assets in America.
The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) have also suspended their aid and loans to Afghanistan.
US Army Maj Gen Hank Taylor, joint staff deputy director for regional operations security, says the focus of the evacuation operation remains to "get as many people out as efficiently and safely as possible".
He says 42 US military aircraft - 37 C17 and five C130 planes - took 11,200 US personnel and 7,800 personnel from 48 allied partners out of Afghanistan yesterday.
He says a plane departed Kabul airport every 39 minutes.
He says there are more than 10,000 people currently at the airport awaiting departure.
"This is a snapshot in time," he says as more people could arrive at the airport in a bid to leave the country.
The war in Afghanistan was launched in 2001 by President George W Bush, a former governor of Texas, and so the scenes unfolding in Kabul now are being followed especially avidly in political circles here in Austin.
In many ways, the Afghanistan conflict is closely linked to Texas. It is a state with 15 military bases that has sent many troops there, and is also now home to a vibrant Afghan-American community that once worked as translators for the US military.
Thomas McGregor, Chairman of the South Austin Republican Club, tells the BBC the US has a huge obligation to the families of former translators. “It’s a very dangerous situation. We need those families to know they have asylum here if they want and they will be protected.”
Asked if this is President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, Mr McGregor says: “Let’s not conflate things. We’re all in support of the goal. It’s the execution that the Biden admin has failed on. They’ve failed in communication with people on the ground. They’ve been basically hands-off in this situation.”
He said he had no more information but that screening was being done by the department of homeland security, immigration and intelligence officials as evacuees took onward flights.
US Army Maj Gen Hank Taylor also confirmed there had been a helicopter mission "last night during the period of darkness" that had brought up to 20 evacuees from outside Kabul airport into the complex, where they awaited a flight.
A young Afghan woman has told the BBC that Taliban forces at Kabul airport are treating the crowds of waiting civilians "like animals".
Fatima (not her real name) is now on a flight out of Afghanistan. She recalled the extreme difficulties she and her family had faced in reaching the airport.
"Today after three days I finally got into the airport and I have my flight. It took us 18 hours to get through one of the gates and we were moved through several areas with a lot of restrictions.
"The airport is completely surrounded by Taliban forces and they're being as brutal as they can to the people. They're shooting at people, they're beating people," Fatima said.
She added: "I have mixed feelings. On the one hand I'm travelling to a safer country - anything right now is better than being in a country led by the Taliban. On the other, I'm leaving behind everything - my life, my work, my dreams, my hopes for the future. I really desperately want to one day come back to Kabul and see Kabul free of the Taliban and free of all restrictions."
Yesterday, a Taliban spokesperson told the BBC that Afghan citizens would only be allowed to enter the airport if they held valid visas.
At some time during the last few days, US intelligence picked up word that the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State group was planning to carry out an attack on Kabul airport.
While the exact nature of the threat is not known, the possibility of a suicide bomber slipping into the crowds at the gates or a rocket attack on the runway would have catastrophic consequences on the already volatile situation there.
Islamic State Khorasan Province, as it calls itself, or ISIS-K, as the US president refers to it, has been operating in Afghanistan for more than six years.
It is smaller and weaker than its jihadist rivals al-Qaeda yet it has fought a number of clashes with US and Afghan security forces in the past, as well as with Taliban and al-Qaeda militants. It has also been blamed for some of the deadliest attacks on Afghan civilians.
The group initially based itself in Nangahar province where President Trump in 2017 ordered them to be bombed with a massive 20,000lb (9,000kg) explosive weapon.
IS militants later boasted that the bomb missed them.
Today they are believed to have infiltrated the capital, Kabul, and are looking for opportunities to sow confusion and chaos.
The UK government has said that it has evacuated 1,200 people from Afghanistan in the last 12 hours.
The operation was moving at a "significant pace," a source said.
More than 500 troops had been stationed in the country as part of a Nato force.
Previously there had been suggestions that Turkish troops might maintain a presence after the 31 August deadline for Western forces to withdraw in order to help run Kabul airport.
On Wednesday Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said it was "important for Afghanistan to stabilise," reports AFP.
"Turkey will continue to be in close dialogue with all parties in Afghanistan in line with this goal," he added.
19:18
The local time in Kabul is now just after 22:45. Here's the latest on the situation in Afghanistan:
Freelance journalist Natiq Malikzada says the situation there is far worse than at Kabul's airport - but there are no foreign reporters in the town to cover the crisis.
The BBC's Mark Urban says the video has not been verified, and it is not clear when it was filmed. The arch in the background does appear to be the Spin Boldak crossing in southern Afghanistan.
21:33
Just a quick recap on the key developments in the past 24 hours before we go:
- Evacuations from Kabul airport in Afghanistan pick up pace, with the total number leaving since the Taliban takeover reaching 82,300
- An Afghan woman who got onto a flight tells the BBC Taliban forces at the airport are beating people
- The Pentagon says more than 10,000 people are still awaiting evacuation
- US President Joe Biden says he aims to complete the operation - and US troop pull-out - by the 31 August deadline
- Some US troops have already started to leave as the effort enters its final phase
- US allies have pressed Biden to extend the timeframe
- There are fears thousands of Afghans who wish to flee the Taliban may be left behind
- The Taliban say Afghans should not go to Kabul airport or try to leave the country
7:10
Welcome back
We're resuming our live coverage of the latest developments in Afghanistan. Here's what you need to know:
- US President Joe Biden has defended the plan to withdraw by 31 August, saying: "The sooner we finish the better"
- More than 70,000 people have been airlifted from Kabul since Taliban militants swept into power
- "Several hundred" of the nearly 6,000 US troops controlling Kabul international airport have already pulled out, the Pentagon says
- The World Bank has halted funding for projects in Afghanistan, citing concerns over how the Taliban's takeover would impact the country's development prospects, especially for women
- The World Health Organization has warned there were only enough medical supplies in Afghanistan to last a week. It says attempts to deliver medical supplies have been blocked due to restrictions at Kabul airport
How many people have been evacuated so far?
The pace of evacuations from Kabul airport has been accelerating, with around 12,000 people leaving within just 12 hours on Tuesday, the White House has said.About 6,400 people were evacuated on US military flights, while coalition flights carried the remaining numbers.
In total, the US has evacuated or helped to relocate 70,700 since 14 August.
However, most countries have acknowledged that it will not be possible to evacuate all those who are eligible for evacuation before the US withdraws from Kabul airport on 31 August, after President Joe Biden ruled out any extension to the US presence.
Chaos at the White House
Tara McKelvey - BBC News, WashingtonThe staffers were punctual: they moved velvety ropes from a briefing room to the Roosevelt Room, and got ready for the president's speech at 12:00 (16:00 GMT).
They set up a sound system, and prepared the stage for an important moment: the president would speak about Afghanistan. But the president was late.
Several hours later, he appeared to say things were on track to end the US mission by 31 August.
His remarks were a bitter disappointment for many in Kabul, who say the mission is far from over, since it leaves them stranded.
Backstage at the White House, the president's day, and the lead-up to his speech, were disorganised, unpredictable and chaotic.
For many, it captured the essence of his Afghanistan policy, one that they describe as disastrous.
First US troops leave Afghanistan - reports
As we've already reported, President Joe Biden says the US is "on pace" to meet the 31 August deadline for evacuations, despite previous calls from allies for an extension.His comments came as US media reported that several hundred US troops had already left Afghanistan - although a US defence official quoted by CNN insisted that their departure "does not affect the mission".
The militants have opposed any extension to the evacuation deadline.
Biden said the airlift had to come to end soon because of an increasing threat from the Islamic State group in Afghanistan.
Bilal Sarwary: Suddenly nowhere was safe
Afghan journalist Bilal Sarwary saw the Taliban toppled in 2001 and his country reborn. But in the last two weeks the path of his homeland took a terrifying twist, one that put his own life in danger.
One of my former classmates is a member of the Taliban and we are the same age. Over the last 20 years, we have continued to talk despite the fact that he's adhering to a different ideology. But recently, I saw him at a wedding and I could see how his attitude had hardened and soured. I saw and felt how this conflict has really divided Afghans. When we met, we could barely converse.
How could I know that all these years later I would find him on the other side?
His story is also one of deep personal loss. His brother, father, and uncle were killed in a raid that was based on false intelligence and petty local rivalries. Separated as we are, I can't help but hope for a future of national reconciliation.
But that seems a distant possibility now. I covered the regional capitals falling to the Taliban in recent weeks, with massive surrenders where no one put up a fight. But I didn't think they could make it into Kabul and take over the city.
The night before it happened, officials I spoke to still thought they could hold it with the help of US air strikes. And there was talk of a peaceful transition of power into an inclusive government. But then [former president] Ghani left by helicopter and suddenly the Taliban were in the city. There was fear hanging in the air - people were very scared to see them back.
Then I was told that my life was in danger.
You can read Bilal's full account here.
UN promises to remain in Afghanistan
UN Chief António Guterres has pledged to remain in Afghanistan despite the political upheaval."We remain in the country and will continue to remain and do everything we can," Guterres sai.
A number of international charities, including Médecins Sans Frontières, have also said they plan to continue working in the country following the Taliban takeover.
South Korea to welcome hundreds of Afghans
Laura Bicker - BBC News, SeoulAround 380 Afghans who worked for the South Korean government are being airlifted from Kabul in three military planes and are due to arrive at the main airport near Seoul in the next 24 hours.
The foreign ministry said they wouldn't be entering the country as refugees. Instead, they will be designated as "people of special merit".
The evacuees include the workers' families - about 100 of them are children. They'll go through the quarantine process as soon as they arrive at Incheon Airport and will be moved to government-owned housing south of Seoul.
The evacuees are medical professionals, vocational trainers, IT experts and interpreters who worked at South Korea’s embassy and on various humanitarian projects in Afghanistan.
South Korea rarely accepts refugees, unless they are from North Korea. It has led to some concern from residents in the region where the evacuees will be given a temporary home.
But the government has asked local people to "present a warm heart" to those who aided South Korea in Afghanistan.
France to end evacuations on Thursday
France is set to end its evacuations from Kabul airport from Thursday after the US refused to extend a deadline of 31 August to withdraws its troops from Afghanistan.The French Minister for European Affairs, Clément Beaune, warned on Wednesday that it was "very probable" that the French operations would end the following day.
Over half of displaced Afghans are children - UN
Almost 60% of Afghans who have been forced to leave their homes this year are children, the UN has said.According to figures released by the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Afghanistan, more than 400,000 people have been registered as newly displaced since the start of May, as fighting intensified across the country.
In total, almost 550,000 Afghans have been displaced so far this year.
The Taliban's rapid advance across almost all of Afghanistan's provinces has put even further strain on the country, where 18 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.
Dutch protest against Afghan arrivals
A demonstration in the Netherlands against the arrival of Afghan evacuees descended into chaos on Tuesday night, forcing police to intervene.Local media said about 250 protesters gathered outside a reception centre at an army camp in Harskamp, a village east of Utrecht.
The protest was peaceful at first but tensions mounted after a group of young men ignored repeated calls to leave.
Some protesters sang nationalist songs, displayed hostile banners and set alight tyres in front of the reception centre.
Police officers with dogs were sent to break up the demonstration and chase protesters out of the area, but nobody was arrested.
About 800 refugees from Afghanistan will be accommodated at the Harskamp army camp. The first evacuees arrived on Tuesday afternoon.
The army camp is one of four emergency shelters for Afghan evacuees in the Netherlands.
Poland urged to take in Afghans on Belarus border
More than 20 people, mainly Afghans, have been stranded on the Belarus border with Poland for over a week, as part of an apparent Belarusian attempt to push migrants into neighbouring EU countries. Now the Council of Europe and the UN refugee agency UNHCR have called on Poland to help them.The Council of Europe says Poland should take immediate action to protect the group and UNHCR has appealed to Warsaw to allow them to seek asylum. Poland has already sent tents, blankets and beds but Belarus has refused the offer.
There has been a surge of Iraqis and Afghans heading via Belarus to the borders with Lithuania, Latvia and Poland. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says Belarus is trying to create a "pan-European migration crisis".
The BBC's Adam Easton in Warsaw says the issue is separate from Poland's operation to fly people out of Kabul airport. Poland has sent military planes to evacuate more than 750 Afghans, many of whom worked with the Polish embassy and military in recent years.
Kabul banks open for first time in over a week
Banks in the Afghan capital have reopened for the first time since the Taliban takeover on 15 August - but many people are still having difficulty accessing their savings.Kabul Bank has begun serving customers, but is not issuing large sums of money.
And although other banks are open, they say they have not been able to allow withdrawals due to a lack of cash from Afghanistan's central bank.
The closure of the banks has compounded other issues in Kabul in recent weeks: the price of basic foods has risen. Meanwhile, money transfer company Western Union - which allows people to receive money from abroad - suspended its services a week ago.
Germany prepared to talk to Taliban - Merkel
Germany is prepared to talk to the Taliban to “safeguard” the gains of the past 20 years, but will not offer the militants any unconditional agreements, Chancellor Angela Merkel has said.Addressing the German parliament on Wednesday, she said the government would continue evacuations for military and development staff who worked with Germany “for as long as necessary”, while also supporting UN bodies in providing humanitarian aid to people in Afghanistan and those who have fled to neighbouring countries.
She said that German forces had evacuated more than 4,600 people so far - the largest foreign airlift in the country's history - and said Germany would work "in the remaining days to continue to help those who helped us, to offer protection".
On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden said there would be no extension to the 31 August deadline for the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. France has already indicated it will end its evacuations from Thursday.
"This new reality is a bitter reality but we must engage with it,” Mrs Merkel said of the Taliban takeover and the increased risk of terrorism.
"What we absolutely underestimated was how breathtakingly fast the Afghan troops would give up against the Taliban, or that such resistance would not even be attempted," she said.
Who are ISIS-K and why are they a threat to the Kabul evacuation?
BBC MonitoringLast night while defending his decision not to extend the presence of US troops at Kabul airport, President Biden warned of the threat posed to coalition troops by a group he referred to as ISIS-K.
This is the name under which the Islamic State group (IS) operates in Afghanistan, with the K standing for "Khorasan Province" (ISKP).
"Khorasan" refers to a historical region covering parts of modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. ISKP initially included Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, in May 2019, IS declared a separate new “Pakistan Province”.
ISKP was formed in January 2015 and is reportedly primarily made up of former members of the Pakistani Taliban and the Afghan Taliban.
It is far more hard-line than the Afghan Taliban, and the two are sworn enemies. The group considers Taliban militants “apostates”, making their killing lawful under their interpretation of Islamic law.
IS condemned the 29 February 2020 peace agreement between the US and the Taliban in Afghanistan, vowing to continue to fight.
It also dismissed the recent Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, saying the US handed them the country as part of a secret deal.
ISKP suffered major military defeats in late 2019 and the capture of senior leaders in April 2020.
Since then, however, it has bounced back, claiming to have carried out scores of attacks in a surge of violence during peace talks between the Taliban and the government.
Since its establishment, ISKP has claimed regular deadly attacks across Afghanistan. It has been mostly active in the eastern province of Nangahar and in the capital Kabul, but it has claimed attacks in the provinces of Kunar, Jowzjan, Paktia, Kunduz and Herat.
The group has targeted Afghan security forces, Afghan politicians and ministries, the Taliban, religious minorities, including Shia Muslims and Sikhs, US and Nato forces, and international agencies, including aid organisations.
It also claimed an attack in Iran in September 2018.
UK council 'overwhelmed' by donations to refugees
Oxfordshire County Council in England says it has been "inundated" with donations for Afghan refugees arriving at RAF Brize Norton.Care packs including toiletries, nappies, blankets, and cuddly toys have been handed to people on arrival.
The council has thanked "warm-hearted" residents of the county saying: "The generosity of Oxfordshire people to date means that no further donations are needed just now.
"Some of the items donated have already been distributed and gratefully received by arrivals at RAF Brize Norton from Afghanistan over recent days."
We've got the full story here.
Tears on the tarmac as Afghan journalist speaks to BBC
An Afghan journalist gave an emotional interview as she fled Afghanistan, fearing the Taliban would kill her for her work."I love my country, but I cannot stay here," Wahida Faizi told the BBC's Lyse Doucet in Kabul.
She vowed never to return to Afghanistan. "After this, it's not my country."
On Tuesday, a Taliban spokesman said that working women must stay at home until proper systems are in place to ensure their safety.
Read more here: Afghan working women to stay at home for now
Poland ends flights as European operations near end
The Polish government says it has stopped flights from Kabul, after completing a mission to bring out all Poles and Afghans who helped its embassy and military."We can no longer risk the lives of our diplomats, our military,” says Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz. Two planes are currently on their way back to Poland and some 800 Afghans are thought to have been evacuated overall.
France has said it's very likely that its evacuations will end tomorrow and Hungary expects its operation to bring out Afghans is nearly over too. "The exact timing will be announced by the commander of the army, which may happen as soon as today," says Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto.
Spanish military flights are continuing meanwhile and the government in Madrid says it is going to carry on for the moment, having expanded its list to Afghan women and girls in positions that are considered vulnerable. This Spanish defence ministry post shows Afghans being airlifted from Kabul to Dubai.
Two evacuation flights arrived in Belgium this morning carrying 470 people and Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder has said the future of the evacuation mission depends on continuing security on the ground. Details are also emerging of a secret Belgian operation last night to evacuate up to 250 people, who were told to gather at a special place before being taken to the airport in five buses.
Russia grants 1,000 permission to travel from Afghanistan
Russia has granted around 1,000 people permission to enter the country from Afghanistan after its rapid takeover by the Taliban, the state-owned news company RIA has reported.The number included those with Russian passports, people with permanent residence rights and students of Russian universities.
Meanwhile the Russian Defence Ministry has announced that it has begun evacuating more than 500 people from Afghanistan, including citizens of Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine.
Yesterday, President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of his ruling United Russia party that the situation in Afghanistan was "difficult and alarming" and that his government was keeping "a close eye on the situation".
Beatings on way to airport as terror threat looms
Jonathan Beale - BBC defence correspondentThe RAF has evacuated 10,291 people out of Kabul to date.
That includes 341 embassy staff, 2,570 UK nationals and 6,308 under the government’s Afghan relocation programme (ARAP).
Defence sources say that was well beyond the original estimates when the operation began.
The BBC has been told that 2,000 people eligible for the ARAP scheme remain in Afghanistan - but the plan is to evacuate more in the coming days.
Defence sources say there’s been an “uptick” in people being beaten on their way to the airport. The defence secretary has already gone on record to say that not everyone will get out in the airlift.
'Real risk of an attack'
The BBC has also been told that the terrorist threat remains high with “a very real risk of an attack" on the airport. There is specific concern about the threat posed by ISKP.
Next the 1,000 UK military personnel at the airport will have to be evacuated. There is still the scope of conducting the military drawdown while continuing evacuation flights over the coming days.
The MoD is not giving any timetables for the drawdown.
But given that the US is providing the bulk of security at Kabul airport their forces are expected to leave last.
UK has 'limited leverage' says former Middle East minister
The World at One - BBC Radio 4Alistair Burt, the UK's Former Minister of State for the Middle East, has told the BBC that Britain has "limited leverage" over what happens in Afghanistan now.
"The Taliban are going to rule Afghanistan in the way in which they have already set out, according to their interpretation of Sharia law," he told Radio 4's The World at One. "If other governments don't like it, I don't suspect there is very much they can do about it."
"I think it's always difficult for politicians and governments to say there is nothing we can do. Nobody wants to hear that," added Mr Burt.
"But sometimes it's very honest and realistic to say we are very limited in what we can do."
Presidents Xi and Putin pledge co-operation in phone call
Kerry Allen - BBC Monitoring, Chinese Media AnalystChina’s President Xi Jinping has talked on the phone to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. The two leaders reportedly “had an in-depth exchange of views on the situation in Afghanistan”.
According to state media, Mr Xi “emphasised that China respects Afghanistan’s "sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity,” and said that China is “pursuing a policy of non-interference in Afghan internal affairs”.
However, he noted that “the two sides agreed that the current international and regional situation is complex and evolving,” and added that both countries will “maintain communication”.
The state-backed Global Times newspaper had earlier indicated that China's attitude towards the Taliban could change if events in Afghanistan have a “negative impact on Xinjiang”, the Chinese region that borders the country.
China’s embassy in Afghanistan remains open, but has called on Chinese based there to make themselves known in the event that the situation changes. Today the foreign ministry has emphasised that “China maintains smooth communication with the Taliban”.
What was notably absent from media coverage of the conversation between Mr Xi and Mr Putin was any mention of the West’s role in Afghanistan. However, Mr Xi stressed the importance of political dialogue from all parties.
In recent days, media in China have emphasised that the US cannot simply walk away from Afghanistan.
Outlets have highlighted the recent comments of foreign ministry personnel, who have criticised the “hasty” US retreat from Afghanistan, saying that they have said this has left “turbulence and chaos".
Taliban prohibits foreign transfer of US dollars and local artefacts
The Taliban say they've banned Afghans from transferring American dollars and local artefacts abroad.Speaking with the Afghan Islamic Press, a Taliban spokesperson said anyone caught with these items would have them confiscated, and they'd face legal action.
It comes as the Taliban face mounting pressure on their finances from abroad.
The Afghan central bank has reserves of roughly $9bn (£6.5bn), most of which is held in America. But the US has barred the Taliban from withdrawing any of its assets in America.
The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) have also suspended their aid and loans to Afghanistan.
More than 10,000 at Kabul airport awaiting evacuation - Pentagon
US defence and military officials are holding a news conference at the Pentagon.US Army Maj Gen Hank Taylor, joint staff deputy director for regional operations security, says the focus of the evacuation operation remains to "get as many people out as efficiently and safely as possible".
He says 42 US military aircraft - 37 C17 and five C130 planes - took 11,200 US personnel and 7,800 personnel from 48 allied partners out of Afghanistan yesterday.
He says a plane departed Kabul airport every 39 minutes.
He says there are more than 10,000 people currently at the airport awaiting departure.
"This is a snapshot in time," he says as more people could arrive at the airport in a bid to leave the country.
Texas: A state with close links to the Afghan war
Laura Trevelyan - BBC World News America presenterThe war in Afghanistan was launched in 2001 by President George W Bush, a former governor of Texas, and so the scenes unfolding in Kabul now are being followed especially avidly in political circles here in Austin.
In many ways, the Afghanistan conflict is closely linked to Texas. It is a state with 15 military bases that has sent many troops there, and is also now home to a vibrant Afghan-American community that once worked as translators for the US military.
Thomas McGregor, Chairman of the South Austin Republican Club, tells the BBC the US has a huge obligation to the families of former translators. “It’s a very dangerous situation. We need those families to know they have asylum here if they want and they will be protected.”
Asked if this is President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, Mr McGregor says: “Let’s not conflate things. We’re all in support of the goal. It’s the execution that the Biden admin has failed on. They’ve failed in communication with people on the ground. They’ve been basically hands-off in this situation.”
Pentagon aware of reports of IS affiliate on evacuation flight
During the Pentagon briefing just now, press secretary John Kirby confirmed he had seen press reports that someone affiliated with Islamic State had taken one of the evacuation flights.He said he had no more information but that screening was being done by the department of homeland security, immigration and intelligence officials as evacuees took onward flights.
US Army Maj Gen Hank Taylor also confirmed there had been a helicopter mission "last night during the period of darkness" that had brought up to 20 evacuees from outside Kabul airport into the complex, where they awaited a flight.
Afghan refugee: Taliban treating crowds at airport like animals
BBC News
A young Afghan woman has told the BBC that Taliban forces at Kabul airport are treating the crowds of waiting civilians "like animals".
Fatima (not her real name) is now on a flight out of Afghanistan. She recalled the extreme difficulties she and her family had faced in reaching the airport.
"Today after three days I finally got into the airport and I have my flight. It took us 18 hours to get through one of the gates and we were moved through several areas with a lot of restrictions.
"The airport is completely surrounded by Taliban forces and they're being as brutal as they can to the people. They're shooting at people, they're beating people," Fatima said.
She added: "I have mixed feelings. On the one hand I'm travelling to a safer country - anything right now is better than being in a country led by the Taliban. On the other, I'm leaving behind everything - my life, my work, my dreams, my hopes for the future. I really desperately want to one day come back to Kabul and see Kabul free of the Taliban and free of all restrictions."
Yesterday, a Taliban spokesperson told the BBC that Afghan citizens would only be allowed to enter the airport if they held valid visas.
Security worries add to airlift urgency
Frank Gardner - BBC Security CorrespondentAt some time during the last few days, US intelligence picked up word that the Afghan affiliate of the Islamic State group was planning to carry out an attack on Kabul airport.
While the exact nature of the threat is not known, the possibility of a suicide bomber slipping into the crowds at the gates or a rocket attack on the runway would have catastrophic consequences on the already volatile situation there.
Islamic State Khorasan Province, as it calls itself, or ISIS-K, as the US president refers to it, has been operating in Afghanistan for more than six years.
It is smaller and weaker than its jihadist rivals al-Qaeda yet it has fought a number of clashes with US and Afghan security forces in the past, as well as with Taliban and al-Qaeda militants. It has also been blamed for some of the deadliest attacks on Afghan civilians.
The group initially based itself in Nangahar province where President Trump in 2017 ordered them to be bombed with a massive 20,000lb (9,000kg) explosive weapon.
IS militants later boasted that the bomb missed them.
Today they are believed to have infiltrated the capital, Kabul, and are looking for opportunities to sow confusion and chaos.
UK evacuates 1,200 people in a day
Nick Eardley - Political correspondentThe UK government has said that it has evacuated 1,200 people from Afghanistan in the last 12 hours.
The operation was moving at a "significant pace," a source said.
Turkey begins withdrawing troops
Turkey has announced that it has started pulling its military out of Afghanistan.More than 500 troops had been stationed in the country as part of a Nato force.
Previously there had been suggestions that Turkish troops might maintain a presence after the 31 August deadline for Western forces to withdraw in order to help run Kabul airport.
On Wednesday Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said it was "important for Afghanistan to stabilise," reports AFP.
"Turkey will continue to be in close dialogue with all parties in Afghanistan in line with this goal," he added.
19:18
The local time in Kabul is now just after 22:45. Here's the latest on the situation in Afghanistan:
- Around 10,000 people remain at Kabul airport awaiting evacuation, Pentagon officials say, warning that the figure could rise in the coming days
- 19,000 evacuees departed on Tuesday alone, US officials say, with planes taking off every 39 minutes
- Taliban forces outside the airport are brutally beating and shooting at people in the crowds, one woman who got on a departing flight told the BBC
- Many Afghans are finding it increasingly difficult to reach the airport even if they have permits to fly abroad
- President Biden has vowed to stick to his 31 August deadline to end all combat operations in Afghanistan
- Foreign officials say the threat from terrorists remains high at the airport, with specific concerns raised about the group known as ISIS-K
- US defence officials say they are aware of reports that at least one person with affiliation to the IS terror group was permitted to board one of the departing flights
- The presidents of China and Russia have spoken by phone and reportedly had "an in-depth exchange of views on the situation in Afghanistan"
- Within the next hour, US Secretary of State Tony Blinken is expected to address the situation in Afghanistan. The White House and Pentagon press secretaries are also due to update reporters in the coming hours
Video suggests crowds at Afghan-Pakistan border
Footage has emerged purportedly showing big crowds in the Afghan border town of Spin Boldak, hoping to cross into Pakistan.Freelance journalist Natiq Malikzada says the situation there is far worse than at Kabul's airport - but there are no foreign reporters in the town to cover the crisis.
The BBC's Mark Urban says the video has not been verified, and it is not clear when it was filmed. The arch in the background does appear to be the Spin Boldak crossing in southern Afghanistan.
21:33
We're pausing our live coverage
We're now suspending our live coverage of this dramatic and fast-changing story - thanks for staying with us.Just a quick recap on the key developments in the past 24 hours before we go:
- Evacuations from Kabul have continued, with the total number of those airlifted - Afghans and foreign nationals - now at more than 82,000 since the Taliban takeover
- The US says more than 10,000 people - including up to 1,500 Americans - are still waiting to be flown out
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the Taliban have agreed to allow Americans and "at-risk" Afghan nationals to leave after 31 August, the date set by President Joe Biden for a full withdrawal of US troops
- The Wall Street Journal reports that the CIA and US military are now conducting clandestine helicopter operations to evacuate Americans
- Turkey has begun pulling its troops out of Afghanistan, apparently scrapping plans to help secure Kabul airport
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