Scene at Kabul’s streets after US completes military withdrawal
By AFP
31 August 2021 |
2:17 pm
Images of streets and traffic in Kabul on Tuesday morning. The US military has completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan to end a brutal 20-year war -- one that started and ended with the hardline Islamist Taliban in power, despite billions of dollars spent trying to rebuild the conflict-wracked country.
Related
17 Dec
The US said it was seeking "security and prosperity" for Palestinians. The dialogue had not been convened since before the election of former President Donald Trump.
17 Dec
Many Facebook groups based in Mali and Nigeria began sharing a video of a helicopter on December 9, claiming it showed an aircraft delivering weapons to terrorists. In Mali, the posts often accused the French government of operating the helicopter, while posts coming from Nigeria laid the blame on the Nigerian government. In reality, the video is from neither one of these countries – it was filmed in the Central African Republic during a routine supply drop.
19 Dec
Government officials in Bangladesh denounced US sanctions but activists hailed them as a step forward for human rights in the country. The measures were implemented over rights abuses and extrajudicial killings.
19 Dec
The US Commerce Department sanctioned Chinese surveillance and biotechnology companies over rights abuses. The Biden administration expressed concern that US technology could be used in abusing Uyghur people.
19 Dec
Fighting between Ethiopian government forces and militants from the Tigray region has now lasted a year. The conflict threatens to widen as military clashes spread beyond the region.
20 Dec
Nobody was ever held responsible for strikes that killed thousands of civilians in Afghanistan and the Middle East, a New York Times report has found. A US strike cell routinely sidestepped safety procedures, it found.
21 Dec
US President Joe Biden has unveiled a new plan to tackle his country's COVID-19 emergency. Announcing the measures on his first full day in power, he said drastic action is needed.
20 Dec
A case of whether to uphold a Mississippi law that bans terminations of pregnancy after 15 weeks has made it to the country's highest court. A ruling could see the landmark 1973 'Roe versus Wade' case that legalized abortion overturned.
25 Dec
The court has agreed to hear arguments about the Biden administration's vaccine or testing requirement for large employers, and a separate vaccine mandate for healthcare workers.
25 Dec
The latest polls find a majority of Americans regard the supply chain crisis as a major concern.
25 Dec
US national security advisor Jake Sullivan is in Israel to discuss Iran and other issues. In Jerusalem, Sullivan said Iran may exhaust diplomacy within weeks.
26 Dec
In an interview with FRANCE 24 at the Paris Peace Forum, US billionaire Frank McCourt strongly criticised tech giants, saying social media is "undermining our democracies". The owner of French football club Olympique de Marseille told us more about his Project Liberty plan. He has invested $100 million in the initiative, which he hopes will "transform the way the internet works".
Latest
21 mins ago
The war in Ukraine has forced a major rethink of European security, with further enlargement of both NATO and the EU now on the table. Kyiv has asked for a fast-track procedure for EU membership. Moldova and Georgia have also applied. The EU has made it clear that Ukraine belongs to the European family. However, admitting several more nations would be highly challenging. And even before the war, the EU was already negotiating with candidate countries Albania, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. We discuss how far the EU should grow, and how fast that process should be, with two MEPs.
22 mins ago
As Berlin seeks to ween itself off Russian energy sources, Chancellor Scholz has said Qatar "plays an important role" in energy policy. The visiting Emir of Qatar has confirmed could start LNG deliveries by 2024.
22 mins ago
Germany's defense minister has said the anti-aircraft tank will be used to protect "critical infrastructure" in Ukraine from Russian attacks.
1 hour ago
On day two of the Cannes Film Festival, FRANCE 24's Olivia Salazar-Winspear tells us why the première of "Top Gun: Maverick" has movie fans jostling to catch a glimpse of US actor Tom Cruise on the red carpet. We also take a look at the first films competing for the Palme d'Or, as Kirill Serebrennikov returns to Cannes to present "Tchaikovsky's Wife". The Russian director was unable to attend the screenings of his last two films, "Petrov's Flu" and "Leto", due to living under virtual house arrest in Moscow in recent years.
1 hour ago
Taipei has introduced a "new Taiwan model" to shift away from its "zero-COVID" strategy. But public health experts warn of an increase in COVID-19 fatalities if the island can't streamline policies.
1 hour ago
In France, coming out of the closet and living openly as a member of the LGBTI+ community can be a significant psychological, emotional and social challenge. Until just 40 years ago, it was also a legal one. In 1982, the age of consent was lowered from 21 to 18 for homosexuals in France, making it the same for everyone. This landmark law paved the way for important civil liberties, including the legalisation of same-sex marriage in 2013. But there are still obstacles to be overcome. To find out more about the ongoing fight for equality, we speak to Sébastien Tüller, LGBTI+ legal advisor for Amnesty International France.