Afghanistan’s tumultuous 24 hours from Kabul’s siege to the President fleeing

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On Sunday morning, Afghans woke up in a country facing the draconian rule of the Taliban for the first time in 20 years.

The day before, the militants captured the vital trading hub Mazar-i-Sharif. It is north-west of the capital Kabul, to which local commander Atta Mohammad Noor and other militia leaders loyal to the government had fled.

Within 24 hours, Afghanistan’s president declared defeat by the Taliban. Before the day’s end, the militants had surrounded the capital and its presidential palace.

Rapid escalation

With Mazar-i-Sharif under Taliban control, the group would go on to capture Jalalabad, thus closing the last remaining crossing out of the country.

Kabul was now isolated and fears loomed over an imminent attack on the capital. The UN warned of catastrophic urban warfare in the city of 4.5 million people, which was swelling with internally displaced people while richer citizens sought to leave the country.

The US embassy began flying its diplomatic staff and personnel to safety by helicopter. It ferried staff from the building’s roof to Kabul airport, a scene reminiscent of the fall of Saigon in 1975, when the US embassy of South Vietnam was similarly abandoned.

Canada, Britain, Germany and others joined the evacuation effort. Government employees went home early, and banks and private businesses closed.

To the relief of some, the Taliban released a statement saying they would not take over the city by force and would await a “peaceful transition” of power.

The details of what that changeover entailed were uncertain but unconfirmed reports began to circulate that President Ashraf Ghani was preparing to relinquish his power to the group.

The Taliban and the Afghan government’s acting interior minister issued separate statements reassuring citizens that Kabul would remain unharmed. But the Taliban later announced the formation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, a nod to their harsh regime of the same name that ruled most of the country from 1996 to 2001.

By Sunday evening it was clear that no large urban battle for Kabul was under way. This would be of little comfort to thousands of Afghans struggling to board flights out of the country.

The post-civil war Afghanistan, a 20-year effort to instill democracy led by an internationally recognised government, was no more.

Quick escape

Within hours of the Afghan army’s capitulation, Mr Ghani left Afghanistan, as did a few of his close compatriots.

Afghanistan's Tolo news and Tajik media said he had flown to neighbouring Tajikistan.

Until that point, Mr Ghani had not made an official statement confirming a power vacuum.

The world looked to both Mr Ghani and the whereabouts of Taliban founder Omar Baradar, who was preparing to head back to Afghanistan from abroad, according to the group’s spokesman, Suhail Shaheen.

Before the day was over, Mr Ghani appeared in a video message declaring the Taliban had “won”.

“The Taliban have won with the judgement of their swords and guns, and are now responsible for the honour, property and self-preservation of their countrymen,” he said on Facebook.

Declarations of victory by Taliban officials began trickling in.

“We have never expected to reach such a victory,” the Taliban’s deputy leader, Abdul Ghani Baradar, said in a video message shared on Twitter, congratulating his fighters and the nation.

“Now is the time when we will be tested on how we serve and secure our people, and ensure their good life and future to the best of our ability.”

But with mounting international pressure against them, how far a potential Taliban takeover of the country will differ from their last ruling stint has yet to be seen.

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TCL INFO

Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan

Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
When December 14-17

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7/06/19, Euro 2020 qualifier

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Ireland 0-0 Denmark

13/10/2018, Nations League

Ireland 1 Denmark 5

14/11/2017, World Cup qualifier

Denmark 0-0 Ireland

11/11/2017, World Cup qualifier

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The biog

Hobbies: Writing and running
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As it stands in Pool A

1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14

2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11

3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5

Remaining fixtures

Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am

Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm

Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm

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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership

Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.

Zones

A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full

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The biog

Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer

Marital status: Single

Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran

Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food

Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo

Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish

Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com

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If you go

The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.