The Taliban has declared the war in Afghanistan over, and said that all their opponents would be pardoned, as they held their first news conference since seizing power from the Western-backed government in Kabul.
"We don't want any internal or external enemies," the movement's main spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, said.
He said women would be allowed to work and study and "will be very active in society but within the framework of Islam."
Mujahid added that soldiers who have fought against the Taliban will be pardoned, while families at Kabul airport who decide to return home will not be harmed.
In a plea to the West, he said that Afghanistan will become a "narcotics-free" country and asked for help in cultivating alternative crops to poppies.
In response to the sweeping claims, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said: "We will need to see what actually happens and I think we will need to see action on the ground in terms of promises kept."
Follow the latest updates below.
07:30 PM
State Department briefing
Ned Price, spokesperson for the US State Department confirms that all US embassy personnel have been evacuated from Kabul, leaving small core group based at airport.
That includes Chargé d'Affaires Ross Wilson.
Former ambassador John Bass and others are currently flying into Kabul to assist evacuation efforts.
Facing heavy criticism, Joe Biden says: "How many more generations of America’s daughters and sons would you have me send to fight Afghanistan’s civil war when Afghan troops will not?
"I’m clear on my answer."
How many more generations of America’s daughters and sons would you have me send to fight Afghanistan’s civil war when Afghan troops will not?
The United Nations Human Rights Council will hold a special session on Afghanistan on August 24 to address the "serious human rights concerns" following the Taliban takeover.
The meeting in Geneva is being convened following an official request jointly submitted by the representatives of Pakistan and Afghanistan, and supported by 89 countries so far.
07:03 PM
Navy chief on evacuation efforts
Royal Navy Vice Admiral, Ben Kay has been speaking about the evacuation efforts from Hertfordshire.
He says that the Taliban has not impacted the operation so far.
06:48 PM
Kamala Harris tweets
The vice president has been in touch, virtually, with Joe Biden over the last few days, but has been otherwise quiet on Afghanistan.
In only her second tweet on the situation, she says the mission "is to get our people, our allies, and vulnerable Afghans to safety."
We went to Afghanistan almost 20 years ago. Now, our mission is to get our people, our allies, and vulnerable Afghans to safety outside of the country.
Mr Bolton, held high office in the Reagan and Bush administrations, added: "These people are pursuing a very strict ideology. That's really the concern that I have for why it was a mistake to leave Afghanistan entirely as we have now done.
"The strategic reason to stay in Afghanistan was as an insurance policy against Taliban coming back to power, and others getting sanctuary there."
Donald Trump and Joe Biden are "Tweedledum and Tweedledee" in their views of Afghanistan, Mr Bolton claimed, but pinned the blame for the handling of the withdrawal on President Biden.
"It is entirely on Biden. It has seen Biden shred his own credibility as a professional who can handle national security affairs... The reverberations around the world are going to be very detrimental to America and the western world more widely."
06:34 PM
John Bolton on Channel 4
The Telegraph's Dominic Penna has been tuning into Channel 4, where Donald Trump's former National Security Adviser John Bolton says the Taliban "have their smiling faces on" as they make promises about women's rights and their opponents' safety.
"They did say they would respect all that under Sharia law, as interpreted by the Taliban - so by the very statement of it, they're not making a very convincing case," Mr Bolton told Channel 4 News.
John Bolton - AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais
"They have had good western public relations advice and they won't get back to slitting throats until everyone's out of that airport... I don't trust them any more today than we did 20 years ago. If you look for where the best evidence is, it's in the minds of the Afghan people, and as far as I can see from a distance they're terrified."
Asked whether the Taliban had changed, Mr Bolton said "anything is possible" but added that, after 20 years of exile, "they're not going to say Kumbaya or attend international conferences on climate change... It's not going to happen."
06:12 PM
President Ghani is no longer a factor in Afghanistan
Mr Sullivan says the administration will conduct a "hot wash" of the situation and assess what could have been done differently.
He adds that the results will be shared publicly.
06:07 PM
Biden not spoken to world leaders
Joe Biden has not spoken with any other world leaders about the situation in Afghanistan in the last few days, Mr Sullivan confirms.
This is a bit of a shock.
Boris Johnson is pushing for a G7 meeting and has spoken with Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel.
"Truly, deeply, my heart goes out to Afghan women and girls today under the Taliban," says Mr Sullivan.
"But this wasn't just a choice between saving those women and girls and not saving those women and girls."
05:53 PM
Taliban promise safe passage to airport
"The Taliban have informed us they are prepared to provide the safe passage of civilians to the airport," says Mr Sullivan.
"We communicated with American citizens for weeks telling them to get out of the country. Some decided to stay until the last moment and that was their choice.
"We were clear eyed going into this decision that it was possible the Taliban would end up in control of Afghanistan," Mr Sullivan adds.
"As the president said yesterday, it happened sooner than anticipated."
05:46 PM
'It was time for troops to come home'
"We said back in 2011 that we would be out in 2014. We stayed another seven years," says Mr Sullivan.
"President Biden is later focused on accomplishing the core national security objectives of the United States.
"He believes it was time for our troops to come home.
"President Biden and all of us are heartbroken by the human consequences that are unfolding and continue to unfold.
"But President Biden is not prepared to have American men and women fight and die in a civil war in another country."
05:41 PM
'We did not want more Americans to die'
Mr Sullivan doubles down on Joe Biden's position.
He says that the speed and strength of the Taliban shows that the US would have needed a significantly increased presence on the ground if it were to be repelled.
"American men and women would have been fighting and dying once again in Afghanistan," he says.
Mr Biden was not willing to do that.
Jake Sullivan, the National Security adviser - AP Photo/Alex Brandon
05:38 PM
White House press briefing
Jake Sullivan, the US National Security adviser is speaking to the press at the White House.
He is joined by the President's spokesperson, Jen Psaki.
"I want to salute our troops at Kabul airport," says Mr Sullivan.
"They have secured the airfield and are conducting flights out of the country."
"These operations will continue in the coming days."
"The images from the past few days have been heartbreaking" but Mr Biden had to think about the consequences of staying," Mr Sullivan adds.
05:31 PM
Evening summary
It is now 10pm in Kabul. Here is a recap of today's remarkable events.
The Taliban held a press conference in which they promised:
To pardon anyone who fought against them or worked for foreign forces.
To protect the rights of women 'within Islamic law'.
To allow a free, independent press.
To allow families at Kabul airport to return home.
Not to be a "narcotics state" relying on the export of opium.
At the Pentagon, in Arlington, Virginia, US military leaders said:
There will be 4,000 US troops in Kabul by this evening.
The aim is to fly out 5,000-9,000 people a day.
The Taliban has so far not threatened the US evacuations and the two parties have been in contact.
Elsewhere:
Germany said it would stop giving aid to Afghanistan.
Canada said it will not recognise Taliban authority.
France's Emmanuel Macron pledged a robust European approach against illegal migration in the wake of the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban.
The Russian ambassador to Afghanistan said he had a “constructive” and “positive” meeting with Taliban representatives in Kabul.
The airport in Kabul is open for evacuation flights after earlier chaotic scenes forcing the runway to close.
05:14 PM
Reaction to Taliban conference
The West will judge the Taliban "by their actions", German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has said, after the militants declared the war in Afghanistan over and all their opponents would be pardoned.
"What's important is that this transition phase will be peaceful and that will depend on what the transition government actually does as soon as it's in place, in terms of whether we can believe their statements," Maas told reporters after talks with his EU counterparts.
"We will need to see what actually happens and I think we will need to see action on the ground in terms of promises kept," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.
Elsewhere, the International Criminal Court expressed concern Tuesday about reports of crimes in Afghanistan that may amount to violations of "international humanitarian law".
Chief prosecutor Karim Khan said reports include "allegations of extrajudicial executions in the form of revenge killings of detainees and individuals who surrendered, persecution of women and girls, crimes against children and other crimes affecting the civilian population at large."
04:59 PM
Afghanistan 'expected to turn into a terror hub'
Czech President Milos Zeman says he expects Afghanistan to turn into a terror hub under the Taliban leadership, criticising NATO for its withdrawal from the conflict-plagued country.
"The Taliban will create a terrorist centre on the Afghan territory," the outspoken leader told the Parlamentni Listy news site.
"This will lead to the renewal of terror attacks practically all over the world," said the 76-year-old.
The Taliban would have no problems with financing because it could live off selling opium as "Afghanistan is the largest opium producer in the world", he added.
Milos Zeman - REUTERS/David W Cerny
"I already criticised the withdrawal at the NATO summit in London a year ago and now at the NATO summit in Brussels," Zeman said.
"I was looking (Donald) Trump and (Joe) Biden in the eyes, telling them it was cowardice.
"I think that by leaving Afghanistan, the Americans have lost the prestige of a global leader and NATO itself has raised doubts about the legitimacy of its existence."
04:44 PM
Canada will not recognise Taliban authority
"Canada has no plans to recognise the Taliban as the Government of Afghanistan," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters.
"They have taken over and replaced a duly elected democratic government by force."
Boris Johnson has made a similar statement, and called for other countries to do the same.
However, the Russian ambassador to Afghanistan said he had a "constructive" and "positive" meeting with Taliban representatives in Kabul to discuss security for the Russian diplomatic mission.
Tuesday's meeting was announced the day before by the Kremlin envoy on Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, who also said the Taliban has already started guarding the outside perimeter of the Russian embassy.
The Taliban's negotiator Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar at the Afghan peace conference in Moscow in March - Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS
Ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov told Russian state TV Tuesday that the meeting was "dedicated exclusively to the security of the embassy" and involved "senior Taliban representatives in the city who were accepting the surrender of the remnants of the self-disbanded Afghan national security forces."
"The meeting was positive and constructive," Mr Zhirnov said. "The Taliban representatives said the Taliban has the friendliest ... approach to Russia. They confirmed guarantees of security for the embassy."
Russia designated the Taliban a terrorist organisation in 2003, but has since hosted several rounds of talks in Afghanistan, most recently in March, that involved the group.
04:28 PM
Analysis
The Taliban made a number of sweeping claims in their first press conference. Given their history, there is much scepticism over whether they really mean what they say.
Amnesty to soldiers who fought against the Taliban and former government workers
Afghan soldiers and Western allies have fought against the Taliban for 20 years, incurring and inflicting huge losses. But they have been invited to become a part of the new government and help lead the country forwards.
There is worry that even if the leadership says there is an amnesty, fighters will take into their own hands.
Can the West ever feel safe enough to re-open their embassies while the country is under Taliban rule?
Women's rights will be protected within Islamic law
Women and girls will be able to go to school and have jobs "under Islamic law". But when asked by a female journalist if women could work in the media, Mujahid said that a decision would be left up to the new government and must fall in line with the new laws.
The Taliban has been accused of going door to door and seizing girls as young as 12 to become sex slaves.
Afghanistan will not be used to harbour terrorists
There are deep ties between Al-Qaeda and Afghanistan. The September 11 attacks were planned in Afghanistan. They say that they do not want the country to be a "narcotic-state" - dependent on money from opium, but this will require a huge recalibration of the economy. Already, Germany has said it will stop giving aid to the country.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid - HOSHANG HASHIMI/AFP via Getty Images
03:58 PM
Summary
The Taliban has promised a brighter future for Afghanistan, without any enemies and willing to engage on the international stage.
In a press conference held in Kabul, spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said women would be allowed to work and study and "will be very active in society but within the framework of Islam."
These are the key takeaways:
The Taliban wishes to have "good relations with everybody" and revive the Afghan economy.
They are committed to a "free and independent" media.
Afghanistan will be "narcotics-free" and wants help to cultivate alternative crops to poppies.
Families at Kabul airport who return to their homes will be safe.
Soldiers who have fought against the Taliban will be pardoned
When asked about Al-Qaeda building up a base in the country, he said “we want to reassure that Afghanistan will not be used against anybody.”
03:46 PM
Women are important part of society
Zabihullah Mujahid says: “All our sisters, all our women are secure. Our God, our Quran, says women are a very important part of our society.”
Asked if women can work in the media, he says that we should wait until a government is formed and the laws are established.
“All our sisters, all our women are secure. Our God, our Quran, says women are a very important part of our society”
The Taliban will build up Afghanistan's economy and is committed to a "free and independent media", Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has claimed.
However, he said he had "requests" for the media including that "nothing should be against Islamic values when it comes to the activities of the media, therefore Islamic values should be taken into account when it comes to the activities of the media".
He said the media "should not work against national values, against national unity".
Mr Mujahid said: "When it comes to ethnic differences, religious differences and hostilities, they should not be actually promoted by the media, they should work ... for the unity of the nation to have peaceful, brotherly living together."
“If they work according to our Islamic rules, to Sharia, they will be free, they can work, they can broadcast freely”
In a remarkable statement, Mujahid says that all soldiers who have fought against the Taliban for the last 20 years have been pardoned.
He says that families at Kabul airport who return to their homes will be safe.
Looking to the future, the spokesperson adds that private media companies will continue to be free and independent.
He wants the country to be "narcotics-free" and has pleaded for help to cultivate alternative crops to poppies.
In a plea to the people, Mujahid promises: "nobody is going to harm you. Nobody is going to knock on your door. Nobody is going to interrogate you."
03:26 PM
Taliban press conference
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has told a press conference: "Freedom and independence-seeking is a legitimate right of every nation."
He said: "The Islamic Emirate - after the freedom of this nation - is not going to revenge anybody, we do not have any grudges against anybody.
"We know that we have been undergoing very challenging periods and crises, a lot of mistakes were made that were in the advantage of the occupiers.
"We want to make sure that Afghanistan is not the field of conflict, the battlefield of conflict, any more."
He added: "We have pardoned anyone, all those who have fought against us. We don't want to repeat any conflict, any war, again, and we want to do away with the factors for conflict.
"Therefore, the Islamic Emirate does not have any kind of hostility or animosity with anyone, animosities have come to an end, and we would like to live peacefully.
"We don't want any internal enemies and any external enemies."
03:16 PM
Join us on Twitter Spaces
The Telegraph is hosting a discussion on Afghanistan with our deputy foreign editor, Memphis Barker and reporter Ben Farmer, who covers Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Labour leader has given a pool interview, in which he says Dominic Raab and Boris Johnson were "completely wrong" to be on holiday as Kabul fell.
"Speak to anybody who has any experience of Afghanistan and they will tell you it was obvious last week that we were heading to a very serious situation," he said.
Sky's Joe Pike, who was asking the questions, reports that Mr Starmer said the Taliban should not be recognised as Afghanistan's legitimate govt.
He is "Deeply concerned" that US president Joe Biden doesn’t recognise wider consequences of his actions.
And he doesn't agree that the Afghan army or government should be blamed.
We'll drop in the clip when it arrives.
03:00 PM
Taliban chiefs return from Qatar
Mullah Baradar, the chief of the Taliban's political office, has arrived in Afghanistan's Kandahar province along with a delegation, the group's spokesperson said in a tweet.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, one of the co-founders of the Taliban, now heads its political office and is part of the negotiating team that has been in Doha, where talks on a ceasefire had been underway.
Baradar, reported to have been one of Mullah Omar's most trusted commanders, was captured in 2010 by security forces in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi and released in 2018.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar - Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS
02:52 PM
Germany suspends aid to Afghanistan, offers help to refugees
Germany has suspended aid to Afghanistan and will work with its partners in the European Union to provide aid to neighbouring countries facing an influx of Afghan civilians, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has said.
"We have told the United Nations that we are ready to help with humanitarian assistance for people in neighbouring countries," Mr Maas told a news conference.
Earlier, German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for coordinated, "controlled" EU action to take in the most vulnerable people from Afghanistan after the Taliban regained control over the country.
Angela Merkel speaking this morning - Kay Nietfeld/Pool via Reuters
She told reporters in Berlin that people fleeing Afghanistan should be helped first and foremost in neighbouring countries in coordination with the UN refugee agency, the UNHCR.
"Then we can think about, as a second step, whether especially affected people can be brought to Europe in a controlled way," she said
02:41 PM
Key takeaways:
The US has evacuated around 1,500 people so far - including more than 600 on one flight.
The aim is to evacuate 5,000-9,000 people a day. This could involve one flight leaving every hour from Kabul.
The US self-imposed deadline of August 31 still stands.
The Taliban has so far not threatened the US evacuations.
The US and Taliban have been in "low level" communication around the airport.
02:35 PM
Air Forces investigating deaths at airport
Mr Kirby says that two people were shot dead by US troops at the airport but there are "no firm numbers" for the number of casualties yesterday.
Recognising the video of the C-17 which took off while Afghan citizens clung on, and later fell, Mr Kirby says the Air Force is investigating and : "You'll hear more from the air force about this today."
Mr Kirby insists that there have not been any hostile interactions with the Taliban "to our people or to our operations."
02:27 PM
August 31 deadline looming
John Kirby, Pentagon press secretary is asked if it is realistic to assume that the airlift of as many as 100,000 people could happen by the White House's August 31 deadline.
This is the date that Joe Biden said the Afghanistan drawdown would be complete.
"I can't guarantee a certain number by a certain day," he says, adding that weather could play a role, for example.
The US is aiming for a "couple of dozen sorties per day, conditions permitting."
He adds: "We will do as much as we can for as long as we can."
Mr Kirby insists that the US can airlift 5,000 to 9,000 people a day.
02:19 PM
Pentagon press briefing
The US military is giving a briefing at the Pentagon, just outside Washington DC in Arlington, Virginia..
Major General Hank Taylor - Deputy director, Joint Staff, Regional Operations, says: "I am tremendously proud of the herculean effort we have seen from the US so far."
There were 2,500 US troops on the ground yesterday and by the end of today, there are expected to be 4,000, he says.
The airport is currently open for military flight operations and limited commercial operations, he added.
"The speed of evacuation will pick up. The best effort would see 5,000-9,000 passengers a day" being airlifted out of Kabul.
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor - Alex Wong/Getty Images
In the next 24 hours, the hope is that they can fly one cargo plane out of Kabul every hour.
Major General Taylor mentions the image of a C-17 Globetrotter III packed with Afghan citizens, whoch flew to Qatar yesterday.
So far, there have been "no hostile interactions" and "no threats from the Taliban."
02:00 PM
Britain’s ambassador to Afghanistan plans to stay in Kabul ‘for as long as possible’
Sir Laurie Bristow has set up an emergency operation to evacuate up to 4,000 British nationals and eligible Afghan staff as Taliban close in, reports Roland Oliphant.
Britain’s ambassador to Afghanistan plans to stay in Kabul “for as long as possible” to oversee efforts to evacuate up to 4,000 British nationals and eligible Afghan staff as the Taliban consolidate control over the city.
Afghanistan latest news: Emmanuel Macron calls for 'robust' response to illegal migration to EU as Afghans flee Taliban - Valery Sharifulin /TASS
Sir Laurie Bristow and a team of diplomats have set up an emergency consul operation at Kabul airport that could remain in place until the end of the month.
They are assisted by 600 paratroopers from 16 Air Assault Brigade, who arrived on Saturday to provide security and evacuate vulnerable Britons from inside Kabul city to the airport.
01:48 PM
The human cost of the war in Afghanistan
01:36 PM
NATO chief blames Afghan leadership for Kabul collapse
NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday the alliance had been surprised by the speed of the Taliban victory in Afghanistan but blamed Afghan leaders for the "tragedy".
"Ultimately, the Afghan political leadership failed to stand up to the Taliban and to achieve the peaceful solution that Afghans desperately wanted," he said. "This failure of the Afghan leadership led to the tragedy we are witnessing today."
"Those now taking power have the responsibility to ensure that international terrorists do not regain a foothold," he told reporters in Brussels.
The NATO chief also reiterated the view held across the west that no one expected the collapse of the Afghan government apparatus to come about quite so quickly
Mr Stoltenberg's comments echoed those made by US President Joe Biden last night in his address from the White House, in which he accused the Afghan leaders of "giving up and fleeing the country" and saying the Afghan army "did not try to fight".
01:24 PM
Who is Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban commander set to rule Afghanistan?
Our veteran foreign affairs correspondent Colin Freeman profiles the combat veteran who fought against Soviet occupation before masterminding group’s strategy based on targeted killings and suicide bombings.
Afghanistan latest news: Emmanuel Macron calls for 'robust' response to illegal migration to EU as Afghans flee Taliban - KARIM JAAFAR /AFP
As Taliban forces seized Kabul on Sunday, the bespectacled 54-year old was understood to be heading to the Afghan capital from Qatar, where he led the militant group's peace negotiation team after his release from jail in 2018.
A veteran combatant who cut his teeth fighting Afghanistan's Soviet occupation, Baradar is arguably living proof of the old adage attributed to every Afghan insurgency that has seen off a better-equipped imperial power. "You may have the watch," it goes, "but we have the time."
01:10 PM
Taliban call press conference for 2.30pm BST
The Taliban have called a formal press conference which will begin in about 20 minutes time. It is unclear what the subject matter will be, but we will bring you all the live updates and breaking news from that press conference right here.
01:03 PM
'Here’s why the Afghan army that I helped to train fell so quickly'
To see everything that we fought so hard to achieve unravel so quickly is devastating, yet it has a sad air of inevitability about it, says Conservative politician and ex-British Army Infantry Officer Ben Obese-Jecty.
There is an oft-quoted apocryphal tale of a conversation between a Taliban commander and a NATO military officer spawning a now infamous adage. Upon witnessing the might that a modern western military force could bring to bear, the Taliban commander prophetically stated, “You may have the watches, but we have the time”. Though it is a phrase that could be applied to a plethora of scenarios that have occurred during the peaks and troughs of the mission in Afghanistan, it is now more pertinent than ever.
As a veteran of the conflict in Afghanistan myself, to see everything that we fought so hard to achieve unravel so quickly is devastating, yet it has a sad air of inevitability about it. As an Infantry Captain I spent a tour in an embedded partnership role mentoring the Afghan National Army’s 2nd Kandak in Sangin as we strived to stabilise the area and assert control over one of Helmand Province’s most contested regions. Operation Herrick 11 was a costly tour for our Battlegroup and the ferocity of the fighting there well documented. Despite the frustrations and complexities of working alongside the Afghan National Army we were resolute in achieving our mission, to further develop the skills and capabilities needed for Afghan Security Forces to operate independently.
You can read Ben's full, first-hand perspective here.
12:56 PM
British student evacuated from Kabul after 'danger tourism' stunt forced him into hiding from Taliban
Miles Routledge, 21, received widespread criticism on social media after he flew into Afghanistan on Friday, despite imminent Taliban threat, reports India McTaggart.
Loughborough University student Miles Routledge, 21, received widespread attention and criticism on social media after flying to Kabul on a planned trip last week despite the extremist group's gains in the nation.
Mr Routledge, from Birmingham, shared updates about his experiences over recent days as the Taliban seized the country, including claims he had encountered the group's members, seen dead bodies in the street and shielded from gunfire in a Nato-controlled safe house.
Afghanistan latest news: Emmanuel Macron calls for 'robust' response to illegal migration to EU as Afghans flee Taliban - Miles Routledge /PA
On Tuesday he told followers that he had secured a place on a list for evacuation from Kabul, and hours later posted a video of himself and dozens of others landing in what he described as a British Army plane.
"The happy ending: landed in Dubai thanks to the brilliant people at the British army. All safe!" he wrote.
You can read more about the young man's foolish jolly across central Asia here.
12:42 PM
Russia hails 'positive signal' from Taliban
Russia says that the Taliban's initial assurances since completing their military takeover of Afghanistan have been a "positive signal" and that it supports "inclusive" political dialogue in the country.
"I consider it a positive signal that the Taliban in Kabul are declaring and in practice showing their readiness to respect the opinion of others," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
"In particular, they said that they are ready to discuss a government in which not only they but other Afghan representatives will also participate."
Afghanistan latest news: Emmanuel Macron calls for 'robust' response to illegal migration to EU as Afghans flee Taliban - Vitaly Nevar /TASS
Mr Lavrov told a meeting in Kaliningrad that Moscow wanted the formation of Kabul's new government to be an inclusive process.
"We support the beginning of an inclusive national dialogue with the participation of all of Afghanistan's political, ethnic and religious groups," he said in comments carried by the state-run Rossiya 24 television channel after the meeting.
Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov was meeting the Taliban on Tuesday and has said that the militants have already established public order.
12:26 PM
Uganda to take 2,000 Afghan refugees at U.S. request
Kampala said it has agreed to a request from the United States to take in temporarily 2,000 refugees from Afghanistan fleeing after the Taliban takeover.
The east African nation has experience receiving people escaping conflict and currently hosts about 1.4 million refugees, most from South Sudan.
"The request was made yesterday by the U.S. government to H.E. (President Yoweri Museveni) and he has given them an OK to bring 2,000 (Afghan) refugees to Uganda," Esther Anyakun Davinia, Uganda's junior minister for relief, disaster preparedness and refugees, told Reuters.
"They are going to be here temporarily for three months before the U.S. government resettles them elsewhere."
It was unclear when they would start arriving. Albania and Kosovo have also accepted a U.S. request to temporarily take in Afghan refugees.
12:09 PM
Stranded in Kabul: Voices of Afghans fearing for the future
11:49 AM
Facebook to continue ban of Taliban content
Facebook has confirmed it will continue to ban content from the Taliban from its platform after reiterating its belief that they are a “terrorist” organisation.
A dedicated team of Afghan experts will be employed by the social media company to ensure compliance. The Taliban are known to use the site to spread their message to the widest audience possible.
"The Taliban is sanctioned as a terrorist organization under US law and we have banned them from our services under our Dangerous Organisation policies. This means we remove accounts maintained by or on behalf of the Taliban and prohibit praise, support, and representation of them," a Facebook spokesperson told the BBC.
Facebook added it does not make decisions about the recognition of national governments but instead follows the "authority of the international community".
11:32 AM
UNICEF says some Taliban support girls' education
Taliban representatives in some parts of Afghanistan have expressed support for educating girls after they seized control of the country, the U.N. children's agency (UNICEF) said.
UNICEF is still delivering aid to most parts of Afghanistan and is quite hopeful for cooperation with Taliban representatives, Mustapha Ben Messaoud, UNICEF's chief of field operations in Afghanistan, told a U.N. briefing in Geneva.
"We have ongoing discussions, we are quite optimistic based on those discussions. We have not a single issue with the Taliban in those field offices," he said, adding that 11 out of 13 field offices were currently operational.
Afghanistan latest news: Emmanuel Macron calls for 'robust' response to illegal migration to EU as Afghans flee Taliban - AREF KARIMI /AFP
Afghanistan latest news: Emmanuel Macron calls for 'robust' response to illegal migration to EU as Afghans flee Taliban - AREF KARIMI /AFP
The Taliban ruled Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001. They did not allow women to work, girls were not allowed to attend school and women had to cover their faces and be accompanied by a male relative if they wanted to venture out of their homes.
UNICEF cited some Taliban local representatives as saying they were waiting for guidance from their leaders on the issue of educating girls, while others have said they want schools "up and running".
11:13 AM
Body of Afghan found inside landing gear of US plane fleeing Afghanistan
An Afghan's body was reportedly found in the landing gear of a US C-17 aircraft, report Jamie Johnson and James Rothwell.
The body of an Afghan who was desperately trying to flee Kabul as it fell to the Taliban has been found inside the landing gear of an aircraft, according to US media reports.
The body was found shortly after an American C-17 aircraft took off from Hamid Karzai International aircraft and it had rendered the landing gear "inoperable," the Washington Post reported.
US authorities have not yet confirmed the report, but it follows harrowing scenes of Afghans clinging on to US aircraft as they departed Hamid Karzai international airport on Monday.
Video footage from the scene has also shown bodies falling from the aircraft to their deaths as those trying to flee the chaos lost their grip on the plane's exterior.
Mikhail Gorbachev says U.S. campaign was doomed from start
Mikhail Gorbachev, the leader who oversaw the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan in 1989 after Moscow's failed decade-long campaign there, said that NATO's own deployment to the country had been doomed from the start.
Gorbachev, 90, regarded the Soviet presence in Afghanistan as a political mistake that was sapping precious resources at a time when the Soviet Union was living through what turned out to be the twilight of its own existence.
The Soviet-backed authorities in Afghanistan survived for three years after the withdrawal by Moscow of its main forces but never recovered from a Russian decision to cut aid to them after the Soviet collapse in January 1992 and fell later that year.
"They (NATO and the United States) should have admitted failure earlier. The important thing now is to draw the lessons from what happened and make sure that similar mistakes are not repeated," Gorbachev told RIA.
"It (the U.S. campaign) was a failed enterprise from the start even though Russia supported it during the first stages," he added.
"Like many other similar projects at its heart lay the exaggeration of a threat and poorly defined geopolitical ideas. To that were added unrealistic attempts to democratise a society made up of many tribes."
10:49 AM
Chinese state media jumps on Afghan crisis to taunt Taiwan with invasion threats
Chinese warnings that the US would abandon Taiwan come as China's military launches new live fire drills near the island, reports Nicola Smith.
“After the fall of the Kabul regime, the Taiwan authorities must be trembling. Don’t look forward to the US to protect them,” tweeted Hu Xijin, the editor of the Global Times, and known for his nationalist views, on Monday night.
“Taipei officials need to quietly mail-order a Five-Star Red Flag from the Chinese mainland. It will be useful one day when they surrender to the PLA,” he added, referring to China’s People’s Liberation Army.
Taiwan - a democratic island of some 24 million people operating like any other nation with its own government, currency, and military - is claimed by the Chinese Communist Party, which has never ruled there.
After the fall of the Kabul regime, the Taiwan authorities must be trembling. Don’t look forward to the US to protect them. Taipei officials need to quietly mail-order a Five-Star Red Flag from the Chinese mainland. It will be useful one day when they surrender to the PLA.😁
You can read Nicola's report on the alarming noises coming out of Beijing here.
10:36 AM
Greece says it cannot become the gateway to the EU for fleeing Afghans
Greece does not want to become the entry point into the European Union for Afghans fleeing the escalating conflict in their homeland, Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said, calling for a common EU response to the crisis.
Greece was on the frontline of Europe's migration crisis in 2015, when nearly a million people fleeing conflict in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan landed on its islands, and like other EU member states, it is nervous that developments in Afghanistan could trigger a replay of that crisis.
"We are clearly saying that we will not and cannot be the gateway of Europe for the refugees and migrants who could try to come to the European Union," Mitarachi told state television ERT.
"We cannot have millions of people leaving Afghanistan and coming to the European Union ... and certainly not through Greece."
"The solution needs to be common, and it needs to be a European solution," Mitarachi added. Unity between EU member states over whether to deport failed Afghan asylum-seekers crumbled last week.
Afghanistan latest news: Taliban announce amnesty for all government officials - SAKIS MITROLIDIS /AFP
10:11 AM
Defiant group of Afghan women stage open protest in Kabul
A few Afghan women protested in the Wazir Akbar Khan area of Kabul, calling for better representation of women in politics, governance, and the economy.
Their defiance comes despite growing fears and concerns that women in Afghanistan will be forced back into living under a conservative and repressive regime
No Taliban interference was reported with the protest.
Today few Afghan women protested in the Wazir Akbar Khan area of Kabul city, calling for better representation of women in politics, governance, and the economy. No Taliban interference was reported with the protest. DM me if someone has any new update. #Afghanistanpic.twitter.com/VnX5YCwofT
Taliban order fighters to respect foreigners in Afghanistan
The Taliban have ordered their fighters to maintain discipline and not enter any diplomatic buildings or interfere with embassy vehicles, and for ordinary people to go about their business as usual, a senior official of the group said on Tuesday.
"Taliban members have been ordered at all levels to ensure that we don't disrespect any country's presence in Afghanistan," said the senior official, who declined to be identified.
Alongside the amnesty issued to all government workers, Taliban leaders have appealed to the wider population to "continue normal economic activities" as the group seek to ensure a seamless transition into power.
Footage has emerged on social media reportedly showing Taliban members assisting the evacuation of foreign nationals through Hamid Karzai International Airport.
'Is this shameful-looking exit from Afghanistan Joe Biden’s Saigon moment?'
There's no easy way of ending an unending war: once you've jumped on the carousel, it's impossible to get off without injury, says Tim Stanley.
"This is manifestly not Saigon," said Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, on Sunday - but the comparison is inescapable, and Joe Biden was involved in both.
In April 1975, with the North Vietnamese surrounding the South's capital, the US began a humiliating, chaotic withdrawal, culminating in a helicopter escape from a rooftop that eerily echoes a Chinook's flight near the US embassy in Kabul.
Boris Johnson wants to discuss Afghanistan with G7 as soon as possible
Prime Minister Boris Johnson intends to hold a virtual meeting of Group of Seven leaders at the earliest opportunity to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, his office said after the British leader spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday.
“The Prime Minister spoke to German Chancellor Merkel this morning about the situation in Afghanistan,” a spokesperson said.
“They agreed that global cooperation was crucial, both on the urgent need to evacuate foreign nationals and others from Afghanistan, and the longer-term importance of preventing a humanitarian crisis in the country and region.”
“Both leaders resolved to use their bilateral and multilateral influence to encourage international partners to adopt a joined-up approach to the challenges ahead. The Prime Minister also stressed the need to agree shared international standards on human rights that any future Taliban government in Afghanistan will be held to by the international community.”
“The Prime Minister outlined his intention to convene G7 leaders for a virtual meeting to discuss this at the earliest opportunity.”
09:20 AM
Female presenter interviews Taliban spokesperson
Afghan women in particular are facing an uncertain future as the Taliban have returned to the corridors of power in Kabul. The militant group was known for its repressive and conservative attitudes towards women when it last ruled during the 1990s, banning them from gaining an education and forcing them to wear a burka in public.
Despite public statements form the Taliban that their attitudes towards women have changed, many fear this to be simply a PR exercise, frightened that the gains made in the strive for equality in the past 20 years will be undone overnight.
However, in a rare sign of potential optimism, a female anchor by the name of Beheshta Arghand has interviewed Mawlawi Abdulhaq Hemad, a close member of the Taliban’s media team, on the 24-hour Afghan news channel TOLO news.
While evidently not a sign that all will be well for women moving forward in Afghanistan, it does represent a tiny step that the Taliban are prepared to be marginally more open minded moving forward.
In this program, host Beheshta Arghand interviews Mawlawi Abdulhaq Hemad, a close member of the Taliban’s media team, about Kabul’s situation and house-to-house searches in the city. https://t.co/P11zbvxGQCpic.twitter.com/Pk95F54xGr
British student stuck in Kabul after ‘danger tourism’ stunt backfires
Miles Routledge, 21, flew into Afghanistan on Friday despite imminent threat of the Taliban seizing the capital, Kabul, reports Jack Hardy.
A British student stuck in Afghanistan after embarking on an ill-advised holiday boasted to thousands of online followers about how he had researched the “most dangerous countries in the world”.
Miles Routledge, a 21-year-old physics undergraduate at Loughborough University, flew into Kabul on Friday as the Taliban prepared to seize control of the capital.
He chronicled his journey on the online forum 4chan, joking that he would be “goofing off and soaking in the sun”. At first, he appeared to dismiss the security threat posed by the advancing Taliban insurgents.
Afghanistan latest news: Taliban announce amnesty for all government officials - -/-
A very good morning everyone. As the Taliban declares and amnesty for all government workers and evacuation flights have recommenced from Kabul airport, here's everything you need to know from this morning in Afghanistan:
The Taliban have announced a general amnesty for all government workers, urging them to return to work in order to ensure continuity
The militant group have also urged women to join the government, declaring they "don't want women to be victims."
Military evacuation flights have resumed from Kabul airport after the US military were able to reestablish control.
Joe Biden has doubled down on his policy, saying in a speech on Monday night that he stands "squarely behind" the decision to withdraw troops.
Dominic Raab has said Britain will have to be "pragmatic" it its dealings with the Taliban and is hopeful the UK can be a "moderating" influence.
08:37 AM
Britain's fourth Afghan war is a replay of the first infamous retreat 170 years ago
Across the centuries, Afghan invaders thought they could walk in, perform regime change, and be out in a couple of years. William Dalrymple analyses how no one seems to have learned their lesson.
The First Anglo-Afghan War was arguably the greatest military humiliation ever suffered by the West in the East. On the infamous retreat from Kabul, which began on the 6 Jan 1842, of the 18,500 who left the British cantonment, only one British citizen, the surgeon Dr Brydon, made it through to Jalalabad six days later. An entire army of what was then the most powerful military nation in the world utterly destroyed by poorly-equipped tribesmen.
A year later, the Rev GR Gleig wrote a history of Britain’s first disastrous, expensive and entirely avoidable entanglement with Afghanistan. It was, he wrote, “a war begun for no wise purpose, carried on with a strange mixture of rashness and timidity, brought to a close after suffering and disaster, without much glory attached either to the government which directed, or the great body of troops which waged it. Not one benefit, political or military, has been acquired with this war. Our eventual evacuation of the country resembled the retreat of an army defeated.”
You can read more of William's enlightening historical analysis here.
08:20 AM
Afghanistan this morning in pictures
Afghanistan latest news: Taliban announce amnesty for all government officials - STRINGER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock /Shutterstock Afghanistan latest news: Taliban announce amnesty for all government officials - STRINGER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock /Shutterstock Afghanistan latest news: Taliban announce amnesty for all government officials - STR/AFP
08:07 AM
Joe Biden's speech mystified Washington - but it will have struck a chord with many Americans
Public opinion polling shows that the president's promise of 'ending forever wars' will resonate in both Republican and Democrat heartlands, reports our Washington editor Rozina Sabur,
It was a defiant Joe Biden who addressed Americans on Monday night, declaring from the White House's East Room that he stood "squarely behind" his decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan.
The US president had been forced to abandon his break at his presidential retreat and return to the White House to address the chaotic scenes of an overrun Kabul airport playing on repeat on cable networks.
But as he broke his days-long silence, Mr Biden insisted his decision was the "right one for America", even as he sought to blame his predecessor Donald Trump and the Afghan government for the perilous situation.
First German plane evacuated only 7 people from Kabul
The first of several German military planes to arrive in Kabul was able to evacuate only seven people, a foreign policy spokesman in Chancellor Angela Merkel's party said, due to chaos at the Afghan capital's airport.
The main mission of the A400M military transport plane, in what Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer described as a "breakneck landing", was to bring in German soldiers to organise and secure the evacuation.
"We have a very chaotic, dangerous and complex situation at the airport," she told broadcaster ARD.
"..We had very little time, so we only took on board people who were on site. Due to the chaotic situation not many were able to be at the airport."
Seven people made it on board the aircraft, conservative CDU/CSU parliamentary group foreign policy spokesman Johann Wadephul told broadcaster Deutschlandfunk.
Military flights to evacuate diplomats and civilians from Afghanistan were suspended on Monday as people trying to flee after Taliban insurgents seized Kabul crowded the runway. Flights resumed early on Tuesday.
07:14 AM
UK Armed Forces evacuate Afghan civilians from Kabul after Taliban takeover
07:03 AM
Militants must never attack West from Afghanistan, warns Dominic Raab
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the West would have to be pragmatic in its relations with the Taliban and try to see if it could moderate the new rulers of Afghanistan.
"Our message is going to be this: Afghanistan must never be used to launch terrorist attacks against the West, we've had 20 years of success in that regard," Raab told Sky.
"We want to do everything we can, through the full range of diplomatic-economic sanction measures, to make sure we can use as much leverage as we conceivably have, and I'm realistic about that, to try and moderate and exercise some form of positive influence around the regime," he said.
Told by a Sky reporter that the Taliban were a "red tag bunch of thugs", Raab said: "I'm not going to dissent from that view but they are now in power, and we now need to deal with that reality."
"We want to test whether there is scope to moderate the kind of regime that we will now see in place," Raab said.
Raab said the position at Kabul airport was stabilising: "The position at the airport is stabilising. The stability at the airport is absolutely key."
Former U.S. President Bush expresses 'deep sadness' over Afghan situation
Former U.S. President George Bush said he and former First Lady Laura Bush feel "deep sadness" over the events unfolding in Afghanistan.
"Laura and I have been watching the tragic events unfolding in Afghanistan with deep sadness. Our hearts are heavy for both the Afghan people who have suffered so much and for the Americans and NATO allies who have sacrificed so much," the former president said in a statement issued late on Monday.
“Many of you deal with wounds of war, both visible and invisible,” the statement continued. “And some of your brothers and sisters in arms made the ultimate sacrifice in the war on terror. Each day, we have been humbled by your commitment and your courage. You took out a brutal enemy and denied Al Qaeda a safe haven while building schools, sending supplies, and providing medical care. You kept America safe from further terror attacks, provided two decades of security and opportunity for millions, and made America proud. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts and will always honor your contributions.”
“Like our country, Afghanistan is also made up of resilient, vibrant people. Nearly 65 percent of the population is under twenty-five years old. The choices they will make for opportunity, education, and liberty will also determine Afghanistan’s future,”
06:38 AM
Taliban mulls flooding the West with heroin to shore up Afghan economy
The West is expected to lose influence in the battle against drugs as other donors offer Kabul cash with fewer strings, reports Tim Wallace.
The Taliban is ascendant. Ashraf Ghani and his Government have fled Afghanistan.
But as hardline Islamists form a government for the first time in two decades, they also face a looming economic crisis and the risk of a sudden halt to the aid payments which have sustained the country for years.
The opium fields, which have long been a crucial source of cash for the Taliban, could now become a vital replacement for those international funds - sparking a new surge in heroin across the West.
Back in 2001, the invading allies were aware of Afghanistan’s status as a nascent narco-state.
The speed of the Taliban return was frightening...
06:10 AM
Taliban announce 'general amnesty' for government officials
The Taliban has declared a general amnesty for all government officials and urged them to return to work, two days after taking power following a lightning sweep through the country.
"A general amnesty has been declared for all... so you should start your routine life with full confidence," said a statement from the Taliban.
In the same TV statement, a Taliban official said the militants "don't want women to be victims," urging them to be in government.
"The Islamic Emirate doesn't want women to be victims" Enamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban's cultural commission, said, using the militants' term for Afghanistan. "They should be in government structure according to Shariah law."
"The structure of government is not fully clear, but based on experience, there should be a fully Islamic leadership and all sides should join."
05:53 AM
Crew 'made the decision to go'
Evacuees crowd the interior of a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft - DEFENSE ONE
The crew of a US military cargo plane has been praised for keeping cool heads and flying 640 Afghans out of Kabul in one of the largest single airlifts in history, despite chaotic scenes at the airport and far more people on board than scheduled.
In what has been described as an act of “compassion,” the crew of a C-17 Globemaster III “made the decision to go” even though dozens of people jumped onto a half-open ramp at the rear of the plane.
Built and trained at a two-decade cost of $83 billion (£60 billion), Afghan security forces collapsed so quickly and completely - in some cases without a shot fired - that the ultimate beneficiary of the American investment turned out to be the Taliban.
They grabbed not only political power but also US-supplied firepower: guns, ammunition, helicopters and more.
The Taliban captured an array of modern military equipment when they overran Afghan forces who failed to defend district centres.
Bigger gains followed, including combat aircraft, when the Taliban rolled up provincial capitals and military bases with stunning speed, topped by capturing the biggest prize, Kabul, over the weekend.
A US defence official confirmed the Taliban's sudden accumulation of American-supplied Afghan equipment is enormous.
03:38 AM
Indian officials leaving Kabul immediately
Indian embassy officials in Kabul, including the ambassador, are being evacuated from the Afghan capital, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry in New Delhi said.
"In view of the prevailing circumstances, it has been decided that our ambassador in Kabul and his Indian staff will move to India immediately," spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Twitter.
In view of the prevailing circumstances, it has been decided that our Ambassador in Kabul and his Indian staff will move to India immediately.
Military flights evacuating diplomats and civilians from Afghanistan started taking off on Tuesday morning, a Western security official at Kabul airport told Reuters.
The airport runway and tarmac, overrun on Monday by thousands of people desperate to flee from the Afghanistan capital, are now clear of crowds, the official said.
US forces, which are in charge at the airport, had halted the evacuation flights because of the chaos.
02:45 AM
The Afghan government 'was abandoned by its supposed friends'
Shabnam Nasimi's family fled the Taliban for safety in the UK in 1999 and she is shocked to see Afghanistan falling back into the hands of extremists.
Writing for The Telegraph, she says:
"What incentive now, given that they can claim to have driven the West out of the country, do the Taliban leaders on the ground have to do anything other than rule as they see fit? The collapse of the Afghan government, after it was abandoned by its supposed friends and allies in the West, is a failure that the free world should never be allowed to forget."
Joe Biden has authorised $500 million (£362 million) in aid relief to help Afghan refugees.
The US President on Monday night directed the Secretary of State to make funds available "for the purpose of meeting unexpected urgent refugee and migration needs of refugees, victims of conflict, and other persons at risk as a result of the situation in Afghanistan, including applicants for Special Immigrant Visas".
It comes amid a growing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan as thousands of people are attempting to flee the country following its rapid fall to the Taliban.
01:30 AM
Afghan asylum seekers protest on Lesbos
Elena, an Afghan asylum seeker who lives in a migrant camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, worries about friends and family back home after the Taliban's swift moves to seize control of Afghanistan.
"It's a disaster," the 21-year-old told the Reuters agency. "What will happen now in Afghanistan for [the] young generation? For children? For women's rights? Everything is destroyed by the Taliban."
Elena was one of around 500 Afghan asylum seekers and local activists taking part in a protest on Monday night, holding up a large Afghan flag and sitting near a banner that read: "We say no to Taliban."
A girl shouts slogans during a demonstration of Afghan migrants against the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, on the island of Lesbos - REUTERS
Afghan migrants demonstrate against the Taliban - REUTERS
Children take part in a demonstration - REUTERS
01:12 AM
PM to reveal plan to help refugees
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.
No 10 said 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.
In Afghanistan, British armed forces numbers are to be bolstered to 900, with a further 200 announced by the Ministry of Defence on Monday.
They will be involved in the push to bring UK nationals home and secure the safety of selected Afghans, an effort that has intensified since the Taliban took Kabul following their lightning offensive which has shocked the West.
On Monday evening Joe Biden told Americans that despite the shambolic withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, and the Taliban's surge, he was committed to ending the America's longest conflict.
Mr Biden knows that he has support among voters. In a recent poll, more than 70 per cent of them said they wanted US troops our of Afghanistan.
In a tweet on Monday evening, Mr Biden reiterated his promise to get US personnel home.
Our current military mission will be short in time and focused in its objectives:
Get our people and our allies to safety as quickly as possible.
And once we have completed this mission, we will conclude our military withdrawal. We will end America’s longest war.
The US and the UK announced extra troop deloyments in a bid to get their diplomats to safety
Flights from Kabul airport were halted on Monday but the runways have reopened under US control
The Telegraph has learned Ministry of Defence figures repeatedly warned their US counterparts that the plan to remove all US troops from Afghanistan by September 11 was too fast
Mitch McConnell, the most senior Republican in the US Senate, called the scenes playing out in Kabul "the embarrassment of a superpower laid low"
Boris Johnson, working in Downing Street after cancelling a planned holiday, held a third Cobra meeting in four days
Dominic Raab, back in the UK after cutting a holiday in Greece short on Sunday, said sanctions were a possibility depending on how the Taliban acted
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