UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday said he intended to host an online G7 meeting this week to discuss recognising any future Afghan government and preventing a humanitarian and refugee crisis in Afghanistan.
In a call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Mr Johnson said the international community had to take a unified approach on Afghanistan.
The two said it was vital to work together on the long-term future of Afghanistan and help nationals of both countries, and others, move to safety.
The leaders agreed that the UK and France should work together at the UN Security Council, including on a possible joint resolution.
Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the international community was “surprised” by the speed of the Taliban victory.
Mr Raab said Britain would use all the means at its disposal to hold the Taliban to account in Afghanistan.
He suggested the UK could reduce aid to Afghanistan, introduce new sanctions or keep current penalties in place, depending “on the behaviour of the Taliban”.
In a televised speech, Mr Macron promised on Monday that France would not abandon Afghans who worked for his country, including translators and kitchen staff, as well as artists, activists and others under threat from the Taliban.
He said that protecting those who helped France over the years was an “absolute urgency", and that two military planes carrying special forces were due to arrive in Kabul “in the coming hours".
The exact timing was not immediately clear because the US temporarily shut down the Kabul airport to civilian and military flights after chaos on the tarmac that left at least seven people dead.
The aircraft would fly from a base in Abu Dhabi, a transit stop for those whom France is flying out.
Mr Macron said in his recorded speech that it was not known how many would be involved in the evacuation.
France has already pulled out about 1,400 Afghan employees and families, and moved citizens on a charter flight in July.
Paris withdrew all of its soldiers from Afghanistan after 13 years by December 2014, but continued to work with civil society.
Mr Macron pledged that the fight against “terrorism in all its forms” would not end.
“Afghanistan cannot again become the sanctuary for terrorism that it was,” he said.
Stability can only come about through political and diplomatic actions to be defined in the days ahead with the UN Security Council, Mr Macron said.
“We will do everything so that Russia, the United States and Europe can co-operate efficiently because our interests are the same,” he said.
Mr Macron said France, Germany and other European countries would work swiftly on developing a “robust response” to another major concern for many countries: an influx of migration by Afghans.
He said Afghanistan, “will also need in the times ahead its (people) and Europe cannot alone assume the consequences of the current situation".
Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel said the US-led Nato operation in Afghanistan had achieved less than planned.
Mrs Merkel said she shared the pain of families of soldiers who died there “as it seems right now like it was all in vain".
The mission stopped Al Qaeda repeating its September 11, 2001 attacks on the US, but “everything else that has followed has not been as successful and has not been achieved in the way that we had planned”, she said.
The rapid return of the Taliban to power was “particularly dramatic and terrible”, Mrs Merkel said.
“It is terrible for the millions of Afghans who had worked for a freer society and who, with the support of the western community, have focused on democracy, on education, on women's rights,” she said.
It was also devastating for the loved ones of soldiers who paid with their lives in the Nato operation, Mrs Merkel said.
Lessons must be drawn from the two-decade operation, she said: “You also have to set smaller goals, I think, in such missions."
Germany and other western countries should provide aid to countries bordering Afghanistan to help them deal with Afghans fleeing the Taliban or risk a repeat of the 2015 migrant crisis, she said.
“We need to make sure that the many people who have big worries and concerns, even though they have not worked with German institutions, have a secure stay in countries neighbouring Afghanistan.
“We should not repeat the mistake of the past when we did not give enough funds to UNHCR and other aid programmes, and people left Jordan and Lebanon towards Europe.”
The leader of Mrs Merkel's CDU party, Armin Laschet, had earlier on Monday called the Afghanistan operation the “biggest debacle” in the alliance's history.
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
%3Cp%3E%0DElena%20Rybakina%20(Kazakhstan)%20%20%0D%3Cbr%3EOns%20Jabeur%20(Tunisia)%20%20%0D%3Cbr%3EMaria%20Sakkari%20(Greece)%20%20%0D%3Cbr%3EBarbora%20Krej%C4%8D%C3%ADkov%C3%A1%20(Czech%20Republic)%20%20%0D%3Cbr%3EBeatriz%20Haddad%20Maia%20(Brazil)%20%20%0D%3Cbr%3EJe%C4%BCena%20Ostapenko%20(Latvia)%20%20%0D%3Cbr%3ELiudmila%20Samsonova%20%20%0D%3Cbr%3EDaria%20Kasatkina%E2%80%AF%20%0D%3Cbr%3EVeronika%20Kudermetova%E2%80%AF%20%0D%3Cbr%3ECaroline%20Garcia%20(France)%E2%80%AF%20%0D%3Cbr%3EMagda%20Linette%20(Poland)%E2%80%AF%20%0D%3Cbr%3ESorana%20C%C3%AErstea%20(Romania)%E2%80%AF%20%0D%3Cbr%3EAnastasia%20Potapova%E2%80%AF%20%0D%3Cbr%3EAnhelina%20Kalinina%20(Ukraine)%E2%80%AF%E2%80%AF%20%0D%3Cbr%3EJasmine%20Paolini%20(Italy)%E2%80%AF%20%0D%3Cbr%3EEmma%20Navarro%20(USA)%E2%80%AF%20%0D%3Cbr%3ELesia%20Tsurenko%20(Ukraine)%3Cbr%3ENaomi%20Osaka%20(Japan)%20-%20wildcard%3Cbr%3EEmma%20Raducanu%20(Great%20Britain)%20-%20wildcard%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
IF YOU GO
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info
Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.
ENGLAND TEAM
Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Joe Root (captain), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
more from Janine di Giovanni
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
MANDOOB
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
