Kabul: Afghanistan stared at an uncertain future as President Ashraf Ghani fled the country leaving Kabul in the hands of the Taliban. As the Taliban insurgents seized the presidential palace, the embattled Afghanistan government fell out of power and fellow citizens and foreigners had no option but to flee the country. While US President Joe Biden prepares to address the nation, India draws up an evacuation plan to facilitate repatriation to India.

Here are the top developments of the day:

  1. The United Nations Security Council gathered for a meeting today to discuss the Afghanistan crisis situation. India, as a neighbour of Afghanistan, hoped that there is an inclusive dispensation that represents all sections of the society, underling that a broader representation” would help the arrangement gain more acceptability and legitimacy.
  2. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned the Taliban saying “the world is watching”. “We cannot and should not leave the people of Afghanistan alone,” he said at the UN Security Council meeting.
  3. At least 10 people were killed amid chaos at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai airport, while several others were injured. Incidents of firing were reported from the city, including at the airport. US soldiers reportedly killed two armed men at the Kabul airport.
  4. Thousands scrambled at Kabul’s Hamid Black Day Embarks Upon Afghanistan as Taliban Take Charge, UN Chief Says ‘World is Watching’ | Key DevelopmentsBlack Day Embarks Upon Afghanistan as Taliban Take Charge, UN Chief Says ‘World is Watching’ | Key DevelopmentsKarzai International Airport, mobbed the tarmac to catch flights and escape the Taliban takeover. Visuals went viral of Afghan civilians clinging to the side of a US military aircraft as it prepared to take off.
  5. India’s airlines such as Air India and Vistara will avoid flying over Afghanistan and reroute their operations as Kabul’s airspace has been closed for civilian air traffic.
  6. At the same time, the United States, which did not anticipate the Taliban insurgence after signing the withdrawal of its forces, raced to evacuate its citizens from the capital today. US President Joe Biden will finally break the silence and ” deliver remarks on Afghanistan” at 3:45 PM local time on Monday (1:15 AM IST), the White House stated.
  7. The situation in Afghanistan worsened on Sunday evening as Kabul was captured by the Taliban. President Ashraf Ghani along with National Security Advisor Hamdullah Muhib and head of the administrative office of the President, Fazel Mahmood Fazli, fled from Afghanistan on Sunday.
  8. The presidential palace is now being controlled by Taliban insurgents, and there is fear and panic among the public in Kabul and other Afghan cities.
  9. A city that only 48 hours ago was jam-packed with cars and hundreds of people lining up outside banks, visa processing offices and travel agencies, has come to a near standstill.
  10. Meanwhile, the Taliban said that discussions are underway in Doha about a future government in Afghanistan, including its structure and name, and they will report on the process in the very near future.