Afghanistan News LIVE Updates: No Power Sharing, Ghani Hands Over Govt to Taliban

Afghanistan News: No Power Sharing, Ghani Hands Over Govt to Taliban | There will be no power sharing in Afghanistan, as President Ashraf Ghani has handed over the government to Taliban, diplomatic sources told CNN-News18 on Sunday. Meanwhile, a Taliban official says they will soon declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the presidential palace in Kabul, the Associated Press reported, after reports of the insurgents entering the premises and taking control of it. The Taliban entered Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Sunday, following which President Ashraf Ghani left the city for Tajikistan.

Afghanistan: 'Will Never Ever Bow to Taliban': VP Amrullah Saleh | First Vice President Amrullah Saleh vowed to never, ever and under no circumstances bow down to the Taliban. "I will never, ever and under no circumstances bow to d Talib terrorists. I will never betray d soul and legacy of my hero Ahmad Shah Masoud, the commander, the legend and the guide. I won't disappoint millions who listened to me. I will never be under one ceiling with the Taliban. NEVER," tweeted Saleh.

Afghanistan News: Why Afghan Forces Are Proving To Be No Match For Taliban | Unexpected as it was, the US decision to completely pull out its troops from Afghanistan may not have been as surprising as the speed at which the Afghan armed forces that it created and trained have capitulated to the Taliban in one major city after another. More numerous and better equipped than the Taliban on paper, the Afghan national army is seen as suffering from grave systemic issues that have hollowed out its fighting capabilities, reports have said. Read more

Afghanistan Crisis: Taliban Enter Kabul from 'All Sides' After Sweeping Provinces with Lightning Speed | PHOTOS

The Taliban entered Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Sunday, following a week of rapid territorial gains from retreating government forces battling to hold off the Islamist militant group.

Taliban Says It Will Soon Declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from Kabul's Presidential Palace | Taliban official says they will soon declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the presidential palace in Kabul, the Associated Press reported, after reports of the insurgents entering the premises and taking control of it. The Taliban entered Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Sunday, following which President Ashraf Ghani left the city for Tajikistan.

The Rise and Fall of Ashraf Ghani Include Bursts of Success, Bad Temper and 'Final Judgement'

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani prided himself on being one of the foremost global experts on failed states, only to watch his administration collapse.

Afghanistan's Fall to Taliban Not Good for India: Punjab CM Capt Amarinder | "Afghanistan’s fall to #Taliban doesn’t augur well for our country. It’ll strengthen the Sino-Pak nexus against India (China has already sought militia’s help on Uyghur). The signs are not at all good, we need to be extra vigilant now at all our borders," said Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh in a tweet on Sunday.

Afghanistan’s fall to #Taliban doesn’t augur well for our country. It’ll strengthen the Sino-Pak nexus against India (China has already sought militia’s help on Uyghur). The signs are not at all good, we need to be extra vigilant now at all our borders.

— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) August 15, 2021

Afghanistan News: Germany Moves Kabul Diplomatic Staff to Airport | Germany on Sunday moved its diplomatic personnel in Kabul from the embassy to the airport ahead of an evacuation planned from Monday, as the Taliban reached the outskirts of the Afghan capital. "I have decided this morning to move the personnel from the Kabul embassy into the military section of the airport," Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Twitter. Sources close to the defence ministry said an evacuation was planned from Monday.

Afghanistan News: EU Says Working 'Hard' to Ensure Safety of Staff in Nation | The EU said Sunday that the Taliban's advance to Kabul had "increased the urgency to provide protection" for its Afghan staff against possible reprisals, and Brussels was trying to ensure their safety. "The matter is extremely urgent, we take it very seriously and continue to work hard, together with EU Member States, on implementing rapid solutions for them and ensure their safety. We are in intense contact and work closely on this with the Member States to maximise the possibilities for our local staff and their dependents to relocate to a safe location," an EU spokesman said. 

Afghanistan News: Taliban Says It Has Taken Control of Presidential Palace in Kabul | Taliban fighters entered the presidential palace and took control of it, two senior Taliban commanders in Kabul said, Reuters has reported. The Taliban entered Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Sunday, following which President Ashraf Ghani left the city for Tajikistan. A senior Afghan Interior Ministry official said Ghani has left for Tajikistan. Reached for a comment, the president’s office, however, said it “cannot say anything about Ashraf Ghani’s movement for security reasons”.

Afghanistan News: Turkey Urges Efforts to Stem Migrant Wave Amid Taliban Offensive

Turkey's president says his country will work for stability in Afghanistan along with Pakistan, in order to stem a growing migration wave amid the Taliban's countrywide offensive.

NATO Maintains Diplomatic Presence in Kabul Despite Taliban Advances | NATO is maintaining its diplomatic presence in Kabul and helping to keep the city’s airport running, a NATO official told Reuters on Sunday as Taliban insurgents entered the Afghan capital. “NATO is constantly assessing developments in Afghanistan," the official said, adding the security of the alliance’s personnel was paramount and NATO would continue to adjust as necessary. Read more

Afghanistan News: Canada Says Temporarily Closing Embassy in Kabul | Canada is temporarily closing its embassy in Kabul after evacuating staff ahead of an feared takeover of the Afghan capital by Taliban fighters, the Foreign Ministry in Ottawa announced Sunday. The ministry said in a statement that Canadian personnel were already on their way back to Canada. It added that the embassy would reopen once conditions allowed a resumption of normal activities under adequate security.

Taliban Enter Kabul; President Ghani Resigns & Leaves for Tajikistan | Taliban insurgents entered Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Sunday and an official said President Ashraf Ghani had left the city for Tajikistan, capping the militants’ lightning push for power. A senior Afghan Interior Ministry official said Ghani had left for Tajikistan. Asked for comment, the president’s office it “cannot say anything about Ashraf Ghani’s movement for security reasons". Read more

Afghanistan: Women ‘Will Have Rights’, Foreigners & Moneyed to be Safe: A Possible Taliban Regime & Its Promises | As the Taliban capture large parts of Afghanistan, reports emerge of the Islamist group re-imposing their repressive laws. The Taliban have reportedly demanded that families marry off girls aged 15 and above and widows below 40 years of age to their fighters, a charge the Islamist group has denied. The reports have been confirmed by the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations. Read more

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Leaves Kabul As Taliban Wait to Take Over Capital | Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left the country on Sunday, hours after the Taliban ordered its fighters to wait on the outskirts of the capital following an astonishing rout of government forces. “The former Afghan president has left the nation," Abdullah Abdullah, who heads the peace process, said in a video on his Facebook page. Read more

With 126 Passengers On Board, Last Air India Flight Takes Off from Afghanistan's Kabul | As the Taliban activities have advanced in Afghanistan, Air India’s last commercial flight with up to 126 passengers onboard has took off from Kabul and is expected to arrive in New Delhi tonight, according to sources. All other flights from Kabul airport have been suspended, the sources added. The decision was taken keeping the passengers safety in mind as the military activity in the Kabul airspace has intensified. Read more

Afghanistan News: Taliban Want Peaceful Transfer of Power in 'Next Few Days' | The Taliban want to take control of Afghanistan “in the next few days", a spokesman for the group told the BBC Sunday, as their fighters encircled the capital. “In next few days, we want a peaceful transfer," Suhail Shaheen, based in Qatar as part of the group’s negotiating team, told the BBC. Read more

US Secy of State Blinken Says Kabul Embassy Staff Being Moved to Airport | US embassy staff in Kabul were being moved Sunday to the airport as Taliban forces advanced on the Afghan capital, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. The Taliban were on the brink of total victory, with their fighters ordered to wait on the outskirts of Kabul and the government conceding it was preparing for a “transfer of power. Read more

Afghanistan: President Ashraf Ghani Leaves Kabul | Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani has left Kabul after resigning, sources told CNN-News18. Details are awaited on his destination. On Vice President Amrullah Saleh, there are no reports of his leaving Kabul, who is maintaining that he will stay.

Ali Ahmad Jalali Could Become Head of Interim Afghan Govt as Taliban Rushes Towards Takeover: Report

Ali Ahmad Jalali, a US-based academic and former Afghan interior minister, could be named head of an interim administration in Kabul, three diplomatic sources told Reuters, though it was unclear…

Afghanistan News: President Ghani Resigns, V-P Saleh to Leave Country | Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani has signed his resignation and an interim government will be constituted soon, sources told CNN-News18 on Sunday. American helicopters have taken charge of Kabul city, which is under ‘complete anarchy’ at the moment, the sources added. While the Taliban has not taken formal control, in terms of flag hoisting, the sources also said Vice President Amrullah Saleh will also leave the country.

Afghanistan News: Political Solution 'More Urgent than Ever': NATO | NATO said on Sunday that finding a political solution to the conflict in Afghanistan was more pressing "than ever" as the Taliban stood poised to take power on the outskirts of Kabul. "We support Afghan efforts to find a political solution to the conflict, which is now more urgent than ever," an official at the 30-nation alliance told AFP. 

Stoning for Adultery, Execution for Tight Clothes: Taliban’s Medieval Gender Rules for Afghan Women | Punished for speaking their mind, working with men, stoned for adultery and made to dress conservatively. This is not a description from a fictional account, but a harsh reality of what millions of girls and women have already started facing as the terrorist group Taliban take over majority of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US troops from the nation. Read more

As Afghanistan Hurtles Towards a Disaster, A Look at Malala Yousafzai — the Woman Who Defied the Taliban

"I spoke out publicly on behalf of girls and our right to learn.

Power Sharing Off the Table, Taliban Promise Safe Passage to Ghani, Other Afghan Leaders

Waiting at the gates of Kabul, the Taliban have refused the power sharing proposal of the Afghanistan government and are planning their next move as the world waits with bated breath.

Indian Govt Has 'Contingency Plans' on Evacuation of Indian Staff from Embassy in Kabul | India has put in place contingency plans to evacuate hundreds of its officials and citizens from Kabul that has been gripped by fear and panic following reports of Taliban fighters entering the outskirts of the Afghan capital city on Sunday. People familiar with the development said the government will not put the lives of its staffers at the Indian embassy and Indian citizens in Kabul at any risk and plans have already been finalised in case they require emergency evacuation. "The government is closely monitoring the fast-paced developments in Afghanistan. We will not put the lives of our staff at the Indian embassy in Kabul at any risk," said one of the persons cited above. Specifically asked when the Indian staffers and citizens in Kabul will be evacuated, they said decisions will depend on the ground situation.

Afghanistan News: Taliban 'Not Ready to Share Power'| The Taliban are not ready for 'power sharing' but safe passage will be given to leaders of the government including President Ashraf Ghani and Amrullah Salleh, sources told CNN-News18. The Taliban are yet to decide their next move but have said they will not carry out violence in Kabul, the sources said. 

Afghanistan News: Pope Francis Expresses Concern Amid Taliban Takeover | Pope Francis expressed his "concern" Sunday over the conflict in Afghanistan and called for dialogue so that the "battered population" can live in peace. "I join in the unanimous concern for the situation in Afghanistan," the pontiff said during the weekly Angelus at the Vatican. I ask all of you to pray with me to the God of peace so that the clamour of weapons might cease and solutions can be found at the table of dialogue. Only thus can the battered population of that country – men, women, elderly and children – return to their own homes, and live in peace and security, in total mutual respect."

Indian Embassy sources: 'Monitoring Situation Closely' | Indian Embassy sources say they are monitoring the fast-changing situation closely. The process of online visa has started, and staff is being reduced.