6 h. ago Information that led to Afghan superinjunction being lifted was available last year, government admits

Fresh questions have been raised over why the unprecedented gagging order was maintained for so long when the level of risk to Afghans was known last year

Politics

6 h. ago Starmer’s fury over Afghan data breach as he warns Tories ‘have questions to answer’

On a dramatic day in Westminster, questions have been asked over why nobody was sacked for the data breach and why the information commissioner is not planning to investigate

Events

7 h. ago The Guardian view on the Afghan leak superinjunction: a dangerous precedent is set | Editorial

In an era of mistrust in politics, the government now has a duty to bring maximum transparency to a very opaque scandalOne of many extraordinary features of the data breach that put tens of thousands of Afghan lives in jeopardy is the length of time between the original leak and the government taking action. The email containing a highly sensitive dataset was sent from a Ministry of Defence computer in February 2022. Ministers were not aware of the problem until August 2023.The fact that the MoD’s systems were lax enough for the error to have been made is worrying enough. The delayed response is more alarming still. And then there is the disturbing mechanism by which the whole scandal was kept from the public eye.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

Politics

7 h. ago Betrayal after betrayal: Afghan special forces abandoned by Britain had details leaked in MoD data breach

Soldiers from two specialist units have faced death and torture by the Taliban after being let down by Britain

Politics

10 h. ago UK politics live: Suella Braverman apologises for Tory government ‘failures’ over Afghan data breach

Email blunder triggered the evacuation of thousands of Afghans who were brought to the UK under a secret resettlement scheme

Politics

11 h. ago UK politics live: ‘Angry’ Starmer says Tories have questions to answer over Afghanistan data breach

Email blunder triggered the evacuation of thousands of Afghans who were brought to the UK under a secret resettlement scheme

Politics

11 h. ago Voices: ‘We failed those who protected us’: Independent readers react to UK’s ‘shameful’ MoD data breach

Our community has reacted with anger, disbelief and deep concern to revelations that a catastrophic Ministry of Defence data breach, which put tens of thousands of Afghans at risk, was kept hidden under a superinjunction for nearly two years, as the government quietly launched a covert evacuation programme

Events

12 h. ago Starmer says Labour ‘inherited Tories’ failings’ from Afghan data leak, must answer ‘serious questions’

Sir Keir Starmer has said that the Conservatives have “serious questions to answer” over the Afghan data breach that put nearly 100,000 Afghans at risk of being killed by the Taliban.

Events

12 h. ago UK politics live: Starmer says Tories have ‘serious questions’ to answer over Afghanistan data breach

Email blunder triggered the evacuation of thousands of Afghans who were brought to the UK under a secret resettlement scheme

Politics

12 h. ago PM: Tories have questions to answer over Afghan data breach and superinjunction

Sir Keir Starmer raised the issue of the Afghan data breach at Prime Minsiter’s Questions.

Politics

13 h. ago Starmer says Tories have ‘serious questions to answer’ over Afghan data breach

Sir Keir Starmer has said that the Conservatives have “serious questions to answer” over the Afghan data breach that put nearly 100,000 Afghans at risk of being killed by the Taliban.

Politics

13 h. ago PMQs live: Starmer says Tories have ‘serious questions’ to answer over Afghanistan data breach

Email blunder triggered the evacuation of thousands of Afghans who were brought to the UK under a secret resettlement scheme

Politics

14 h. ago UK politics live: Former veterans minister hits out at ‘ineptitude’ over Afghan resettlement scheme

Email blunder triggered the evacuation of thousands of Afghans who were brought to the UK under a secret resettlement scheme

Politics

16 h. ago Not our finest hour: When Britain’s allies put their lives on the line, we abandoned them – and covered it up

The British believe their word is their bond – but no one who’s dealt with us agrees, least of all in Afghanistan, world affairs editor Sam Kiley writes

Politics

16 h. ago UK politics live: Defence minister warns ‘accountability starts now’ after Afghan data breach

Email blunder triggered the evacuation of thousands of Afghans who were brought to the UK under a secret resettlement scheme

Politics

28 h. ago MoD official responsible for catastrophic Afghan data breach that cost billions still works for government

Email blunder potentially put up to 100,000 people at risk and triggered the evacuation of thousands of Afghans who were brought to the UK under a secret resettlement scheme

Politics

29 h. ago The disastrous MoD data leak should have been cleared up – not covered up

Editorial: The leak itself placed all the Afghans listed in jeopardy. The superinjunction threatened to make the leak even worse, by giving the impression that all of those on it were – in the eyes of the Taliban – traitors

Events

35 h. ago MoD data breach latest: MPs vow to investigate Afghan leak ‘mess’ after defence secretary apologises

An unprecedented gagging order prevented details of the government breach being revealed for more than 600 days

Events

35 h. ago Inside the £7bn secret scramble to save lives after MoD data breach

After a leak from the Ministry of Defence, officials faced a race to keep up to 100,000 Afghans from the Taliban’s clutches – with two years of court fights and rescue plans projected to cost billions, all hidden from MPs and the public. Now, after the lifting of an unprecedented superinjunction, the full story can finally be told. Social affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft reports

Society

37 h. ago MoD data breach latest: Defence secretary addresses MPs over secret Afghan evacuation after superinjunction lifted

An unprecedented gagging order prevented details of the government breach being revealed for more than 600 days

Politics