13 h. ago Farage confirms he wants to deport female asylum seekers back to the Taliban in Afghanistan

Farage also backtracked on a promise to stop small boat arrivals within two weeks of gaining power

Events

18 h. ago Nigel Farage confirms he would send women asylum seekers back to Taliban in Afghanistan

It comes after confusion over the Reform UK leader’s position on the issue

Events

49 h. ago ‘All I have left is this cloth’: Afghan earthquake survivors still waiting for help

Villagers near epicentre of devastation in Kunar province say they have been left without adequate food, tents or medical help as harsh terrain and loss of foreign aid hamper Taliban’s relief effortsIn the shattered houses of Wadeer village in Afghanistan’s Kunar province, survivors of Sunday’s devastating earthquake that has killed more than 2,200 people say they are still waiting for the most basic help: food and shelter.The 6.0-magnitude quake, which struck eastern Afghanistan – and has been followed by two further earthquakes including one overnight – also injured more than 3,600, according to Taliban officials. The district of Nurgal, in the west of Kunar province, where the village of Wadeer lies, was the epicentre of the devastation, with 1,000 people confirmed dead and 2,500 injured. More than 5,700 homes were destroyed. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago Afghanistan's former health minister who fled Taliban after standing up for women's rights has UK asylum bid rejected while staying at migrant hotel

Feroz Ferozuddin, who has been recognised internationally for his work as a trauma surgeon, fled his homeland for fear of being tortured by the militant group in 2021.

Politics

4 d. ago Afghanistan earthquake death toll passes 1,400 as Taliban appeal for aid

Rescuers search into the night for people trapped under debris of mud and stone homes in steep valleysThe Taliban have called for international aid as Afghanistan reels from an earthquake that killed more than 1,400 people and left thousands more injured.Rescuers searched into the night on Monday for survivors after the 6.0-magnitude quake struck on Sunday destroying entire villages across the country’s eastern Kunar province, which borders Pakistan. Continue reading...

Events

4 d. ago Shock at scale of destruction as Afghanistan earthquake death toll climbs to more than 1,400

Rescuers are still battling through heavy rain to reach survivors, with the Taliban authorities appealing for international aid

Events

4 d. ago Shock at scale of destruction as Afghanistan earthquake death toll climbs to 900

Rescuers are still battling through heavy rain to reach survivors, with the Taliban authorities appealing for international aid

Events

4 d. ago Afghanistan earthquake: Taliban appeal for aid as death toll rises to 900

Rescuers search into the night for people trapped under debris of mud and stone homes in steep valleysThe Taliban have called for international aid as Afghanistan reels from an earthquake that killed more than 900 people and left thousands injured.Rescuers searched into the night on Monday for survivors after the 6.0-magnitude quake struck on Sunday destroying entire villages across the country’s eastern Kunar province, which borders Pakistan. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Afghanistan earthquake kills more than 800 and injures another 2,500 as rescuers search rubble for survivors

Officials warn death toll could rise as rescue efforts hampered by landslides

Events

6 d. ago Afghanistan earthquake live: more than 600 dead after shallow quake strikes country’s east, state media reports

Several villages in Kunar province ‘completely destroyed’, says ministry for public health, as rescue operations take placeAt least 250 dead after 6.0 magnitude quake near JalalabadHere is a summary from Afghanistan, where hundreds of people have been killed after an earthquake struck the country’s mountainous eastern region late last night. This is what we know so far:At least 622 people have been killed and more than 1,500 others injured in the earthquake, Afghanistan’s Taliban-run interior ministry said on Monday morning.The earthquake struck the rugged province of Kunar at 11.47pm on Sunday and was centred 27km north-east of the city of Jalalabad in Nangarhar province, the US Geological Survey said.Jalalabad is about 119km (74 miles) away from the capital city, Kabul. A 4.5 magnitude quake occurred 20 minutes later in the same province.The Kunar Disaster Management Authority said deaths and injuries had been reported in the districts of Nur Gul, Soki, Watpur, Manogi and Chapadar...

Events

7 d. ago Taliban launch crackdown on Afghanistan’s secret beauty salons

The clandestine businesses – a financial lifeline for many women – have been given a month to cease operationsThe Taliban have issued an order targeting underground beauty salons operating in secret across Afghanistan, warning the women running them that they have one month to stop or face arrest.Officially, all beauty salons were closed by the Taliban in August 2023, shuttering 12,000 businesses with the loss of more than 50,000 female beautician jobs. Yet clandestine salons have continued to operate within communities across the country. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Farage branded ‘disastrous’ and ‘damaging’ by SNP over immigration plans

Stephen Gethins hit out after the Reform UK leader unveiled plans to deport up to 600,000 asylum seekers in a year.

Events

1 week ago Farage’s plan to deport thousands of asylum seekers draws scorn from legal experts

Reform UK leader told scheme is ‘simply not rooted in reality’ after he dodges questions on how it would workUK politics live – latest updatesNigel Farage’s plans to deport hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers to despotic regimes such as Afghanistan’s Taliban and withdraw the UK from vital human rights protections have triggered fierce condemnation from legal experts and political opponents, who said the proposals would dismantle Britain’s postwar commitments and shred fundamental rights.Unveiling Reform UK’s “Operation Restoring Justice” at a combative Oxford press conference, Farage claimed his party would detain and deport “absolutely anyone” arriving by small boat and ensure they are “never, ever allowed to stay”, insisting this would stop crossings “within days” and “save tens and possibly hundreds of billions of pounds”. Continue reading...

Events

3 w. ago Female travel influencers spark backlash after 'glamourising' Taliban

But today, female travel influencers are gushing over their trips to Kabul despite Western countries strongly advising against travelling to the nation.

Politics

3 w. ago Men celebrate fourth anniversary of Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan

Thousands gathered for Kabul ‘flower showers’ while women, banned from the events, staged protestsThousands of men gathered across Kabul on Friday to watch flowers being scattered from helicopters to mark the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power – a celebration that women were barred from attending.Three of the six “flower shower” locations were already off-limits to women, who have been prohibited from entering parks and recreational areas since November 2022. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Afghan women feel forgotten by world after four years of ‘war’ waged by Taliban on their rights

While the rest of the world pays little attention, the Taliban’s edicts eroding women’s basic rights have only grown in number. Former female inmates of the group’s prisons tell Arpan Rai they are being brutally enforced

Events

3 w. ago A timeline of events in Afghanistan in the four years since the Taliban’s takeover

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO forces withdrew after more than two decades of a costly war

Politics

3 w. ago Afghanistan is starting its fifth year of Taliban rule. Here are 5 things to know

The Taliban are starting their fifth year of ruling Afghanistan

Politics