A lack of clarity on the Taliban's position on women in Afghanistan has generated "incredible fear" across the country, a senior UN official said on Wednesday, warning there were daily reports of curbs on the rights of women.
Alison Davidian, deputy head of UN Women in Afghanistan, said some women were being prevented from leaving home without a male relative, women in some provinces were forced to stop work, protection centers for women fleeing violence had been targeted and safe houses for rights activists were at full capacity.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Wednesday that the Taliban would have to earn legitimacy from the world, after talks with allies on how to present a united front to the hardline new government in Afghanistan.
"The Taliban seek international legitimacy. Any legitimacy -- any support -- will have to be earned," Blinken told reporters at the US air base in Ramstein, Germany, after leading a 20-nation ministerial meeting on the Afghan crisis.
Here are the LIVE updates on the Afghanistan Crisis:
First Evacuation Flight From Kabul Since US Exit Lands In DohaAround 100 passengers including Americans arrived in Doha after flying from Kabul airport Thursday, AFP correspondents said, the first flight ferrying out foreigners since a US-led evacuation ended.
BRICS Nations Support India's Views On developments In Afghanistan: OfficialRussia, China, South Africa and Brazil supported India's perspective on the ongoing developments in Afghanistan and the region at the 13th BRICS summit, said Sanjay Bhattacharyya, Secretary Consular, Passport, Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs.
Foreign Ministry Under Ashraf Ghani Terms Taliban Cabinet "Illegitimate"The foreign ministry under the erstwhile government of Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani has described the interim cabinet formed by the Taliban as "illegitimate" and "unjustifiable", saying the decision goes against the will of the people of the country.
.@OnReality_Check | Mahmud Khalili (@afghanspirit), Author, #Afghanistan Decoded, on the #Taliban's recent violence against journalists pic.twitter.com/XsIQG1BiNP
- NDTV (@ndtv) September 9, 2021
.@OnReality_Check | A journalist with an #Afghan newspaper on colleagues being detained and severely beaten by the #Taliban despite their promises that media freedoms will be protected pic.twitter.com/trRXES5FZN
- NDTV (@ndtv) September 9, 2021
Uncertainty Everywhere, Afghanistan One Such Example: Defence Minister Rajnath SinghUncertainty has spread in everywhere in the world and the current developments in Afghanistan is one such example, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said today.
#BRICS pic.twitter.com/p48HlJno2e
- NDTV (@ndtv) September 9, 2021
First Evacuation Flight Takes Off From Kabul Since US Retreat: ReportSome 200 passengers, including US citizens, took off from Kabul airport on Thursday, on the first flight carrying foreigners out of the Afghan capital since a US-led evacuation ended on August 30.
Sharia Law Remark On Taliban Deliberately Distorted: Mehbooba MuftiA day after she said Taliban can set an example for the world if they follow the real Sharia law, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti said her remarks concerning Sharia have been "deliberately distorted" and she can't point fingers since most countries that claim to uphold Sharia have failed to imbibe its true values.
During the 13th BRICS Summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin slammed the US for creating a "new crisis" in Afghanistan, stating that global security has faced serious challenges and the system of strategic stability has gone all down hill.
The withdrawal of US forces & its allies from #Afghanistan has led to a new crisis, and it's still unclear how this will affect global & regional security. It is for good reason that our countries have paid special attention to this issue: Russian President Vladimir Putin
- NDTV (@ndtv) September 9, 2021
(ANI) pic.twitter.com/M6oX5DP6fd
As Immediate Neighbour, India Has One Of Highest Stakes In Afghanistan: Minister Meenakashi LekhiAs an immediate neighbour of Afghanistan with long standing historical linkages, India has one of the highest stakes in the developments in the war-torn country, Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi has said, highlighting that the USD 3 billion Indian investment in different welfare projects was aimed for the benefit of the Afghan people.
Amid Concerns Over Radicalisation, Amit Shah reviews Security In J&KUnion Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir today -- a first since Taliban took over Kabul. With the changing situation in Afghanistan, there is concern about growing radicalisation in Kashmir Valley.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is monitoring the changing situation in Afghanistan and the board will discuss the impact this might have on the continued development of the game in the country.
Taliban Used Whips As Women Protested Against All-Male Government: ReportAfghan women, who were protesting against the all-male Afghanistan's new interim government on Wednesday in Kabul, were driven away by the Taliban with whips and sticks in the latest crackdown on dissent in the country, reported CNN.
Afghanistan's acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund has appealed to former officials of past governments to return to the country and assured them "full protection", saying the period of bloodbath is over and reiterated the Taliban's promise of amnesty for anyone who has worked alongside the previous governments following the US-led invasion in 2001, Al-Jazeera news channel reported.
Cricket Australia on Thursday said it would cancel a historic maiden Test match against Afghanistan unless the Taliban backtracks on a reported ban on women playing sport.
The governing body said the first ever men's Test between the two nations in November was under serious threat after the deputy head of the Taliban's cultural commission, Ahmadullah Wasiq, reportedly said women would not play cricket, or any other sport, under the new regime.
Afghan Journalists Beaten By Taliban For Covering Women's ProtestsDistressing images of journalists displaying injuries sustained after being beaten by the Taliban have underlined global concerns over the hardline Islamist group's ability to deliver on promises to protect human rights and freedom of press.
Afghanistan LIVE Updates: Urged By US, Taliban Agrees To Let 200 Foreigners Leave AfghanistanTwo hundred Americans and other foreigners who remain in Afghanistan are set to depart the war-ravaged country on charter flights from Kabul on Thursday after the new Taliban government agreed to their evacuation, a U.S. official said.
Australia has taken in more than 3,500 evacuees from Afghanistan, mostly women and children, after the Taliban overran the country last month, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday.
An international airlift began on Aug. 14 as the Islamist militants arrived at the gates of Kabul, having already captured most of the country. As part of that effort, Australia evacuated 4,100 citizens and Afghans with visas, though some with dual nationality chose to go elsewhere.
Taliban On Holding Protests: Apply For Clearance 24 Hours BeforehandForeign countries greeted the makeup of the new government in Afghanistan with caution and dismay on Wednesday after the Taliban appointed hardline veteran figures to top positions, including several with a U.S. bounty on their heads.
Taliban authorities have agreed to let 200 American civilians and third country nationals who remained in Afghanistan after the end of the U.S. evacuation operation to depart on charter flights from Kabul airport, a U.S. official said.
Taliban Legitimacy Will Have To Be Earned, Says US Secretary Of State Antony BlinkenUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Wednesday that the Taliban would have to earn legitimacy from the world, after talks with allies on how to present a united front to the hardline new government in Afghanistan.
The Taliban is already neglecting its promise to respect Afghan women's rights, a United Nations official based in Kabul said Wednesday.
The terrorist group has "repeated the same statement that women's rights would be respected within the framework of Islam," said Alison Davidian, a representative for UN Women in Afghanistan. "But every day we were receiving reports of rollbacks on women's rights."
For example, "women are prohibited from leaving the house without a mahram," or male family member, Davidian said during a video conference with journalists in New York. Read more
Some Afghans Evacuated From Kabul Struggle To Find Help In USAfter Fahima, 30, stepped off a plane at Dulles international airport in Virginia on Aug. 26th, she asked an immigration official what would happen to her next. He shrugged, she said, and told her to find a lawyer.
Could Not Make It End Differently: Ex-President Ashraf Ghani Apologises To AfghansFormer Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani today apologised to his countrymen - nearly three weeks after fleeing the country as the Taliban seized power with the fall of Kabul on August 15.
Who To Blame For Taliban Takeover? Former Afghan Envoy Points Finger At KabulRoya Rahmani, Afghanistan's first female ambassador to the United States who left her post in July, is clearly horrified by the Taliban takeover of her country. But she is not surprised.
Ex-Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Told This To US Secretary Of State Antony Blinken The Night Before ExitAshraf Ghani said he would "fight to the death" the night before he fled Afghanistan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said in an interview to Tolo News.
