Leaving Afghanistan: Heartbreak as evacuation deadline looms
02 September 2021 |
11:16 am
Hundreds of people still awaiting evacuation. And that is only inside the perimeter of Kabul Airport. On the day after twin attacks targeting the US-led evacuation operation, flights out resuming ahead of an August 31st deadline. The death toll from the blasts continues to rise. Thirteen military personnel killed, that is the United States' highest casualty toll since an attack in Mosul, Iraq in 2004.
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After taking power in August, the Taliban now need to put in place a functioning state in Afghanistan. Official declarations and policies are scarce for now, but no doubt the most tangible sign of the Taliban takeover are the security patrols of thousands of former fighters who have poured into the capital. They're now police officers who are enforcing a strict interpretation of Sharia law. Our reporters Catherine Norris-Trent and Roméo Langlois were able to follow Taliban fighters on patrol in Kabul and also gain access to a hearing of an Islamic court.
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The Taliban's reclusive supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has been seen in public for the first time since he took control of the group in 2016, officials have said. His appearance may ease rumors of his death.
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Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed on Friday (November 5) it has postponed the Afghanistan test in Hobart scheduled for Nov. 27 until the situation regarding the women's game in the South Asian nation becomes clearer.
CA had said in September it would scrap the test if the Taliban government, which took power in August, did not allow women and girls to play the sport.
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India fears that a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan would benefit Pakistan. The government is trying to protect its strategic interests.
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At least one person has been killed in an explosion in Kabul. The largely Shiite neighborhood has previously been targeted by attacks by the Islamic State-Khorasan group.
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By imposing new restrictions on the media and female actors, the Taliban have once again reaffirmed their misogynistic ideology, rights advocates have said.
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