Taliban returned to power in Afgahnistan earlier this month. (File)
A lack of clarity on the Taliban's position on women in Afghanistan has generated "incredible fear" across the country, a senior UN official said on Wednesday, warning there were daily reports of curbs on the rights of women.
Alison Davidian, deputy head of UN Women in Afghanistan, said some women were being prevented from leaving home without a male relative, women in some provinces were forced to stop work, protection centers for women fleeing violence had been targeted and safe houses for rights activists were at full capacity.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Wednesday that the Taliban would have to earn legitimacy from the world, after talks with allies on how to present a united front to the hardline new government in Afghanistan.
"The Taliban seek international legitimacy. Any legitimacy -- any support -- will have to be earned," Blinken told reporters at the US air base in Ramstein, Germany, after leading a 20-nation ministerial meeting on the Afghan crisis.
At BRICS Summit, leaders call for refraining from violence and settling Afghan situation by peaceful meansAt the conclusion of the 13th BRICS Summit, BRICS Leaders adopted the "New Delhi Declaration". On Afghanistan, leaders called for refraining from violence and settling the situation by peaceful means in Afghanistan, through an inclusive intra-Afghan dialogue so as to ensure stability, civil peace, law and order in the country.
They underscored the priority of fighting terrorism, including preventing attempts by terrorist organisations to use Afghan territory as terrorist sanctuary and to carry out attacks against other countries. They emphasised the need to address the humanitarian situation and to uphold human rights, including those of women, children and minorities.
First Evacuation Flight Takes Off From Kabul Since US Retreat: ReportSome 200 passengers, including US citizens, took off from Kabul airport on Thursday, on the first flight carrying foreigners out of the Afghan capital since a US-led evacuation ended on August 30.
The evacuation flight left for Qatar, the first since a chaotic airlift of more than 120,000 people came to a close on August 30.
Sharia Law Remark On Taliban Deliberately Distorted: Mehbooba MuftiA day after she said Taliban can set an example for the world if they follow the real Sharia law, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti said her remarks concerning Sharia have been "deliberately distorted" and she can't point fingers since most countries that claim to uphold Sharia have failed to imbibe its true values.
The former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, who made a series of tweets, also said that the Afghanistan crisis has only worsened increasing Islamophobia.
Vladimir Putin Raises Afghanistan In BRICS Meet Chaired By PM ModiDuring the 13th BRICS Summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin slammed the US for creating a "new crisis" in Afghanistan, stating that global security has faced serious challenges and the system of strategic stability has gone all down hill.
He added, "The citizens of Afghanistan have fought for decades and deserve to exercise their rights of defining of what their state will look like on their own".
Amid Concerns Over Radicalisation, Amit Shah reviews Security In J&KUnion Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir today -- a first since Taliban took over Kabul. With the changing situation in Afghanistan, there is concern about growing radicalisation in Kashmir Valley.
"The situation in Afghanistan has acted as a big boost for radical elements in Kashmir and we are continuously monitoring it," a senior police officer from Kashmir Valley told NDTV.
Afghanistan's acting Prime Minister appeals to past government officials to return, assures them ''full protection''Afghanistan's acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund has appealed to former officials of past governments to return to the country and assured them "full protection", saying the period of bloodbath is over and reiterated the Taliban's promise of amnesty for anyone who has worked alongside the previous governments following the US-led invasion in 2001, Al-Jazeera news channel reported.
"We appeal to the officials of past governments to return to their country as we will give them full protection of their lives. We are faced with the huge task of rebuilding and reconstruction of war-ravaged Afghanistan," said the acting leader of the country.
US not in a rush to recognise Taliban government in Afghanistan: White HouseThe US is not in a rush to recognise the new Taliban-led interim government in Afghanistan but was engaged with the people who are now overseeing and controlling the country to get the American citizens out of the strife-torn nation, according to a top White House official.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday that the US was not rushing to recognise the new regime in Kabul. "No one in this administration, not the President nor anyone on the national security team, would suggest that the Taliban are respected and valued members of the global community. They have not earned that in any way, and we have never assessed that. This is a caretaker cabinet that does include four former imprisoned Taliban fighters," Jen Psaki said.
Afghanistan LIVE Updates: Australia To Cancel Afghanistan Test If Women Barred From Sport Cricket Australia on Thursday said it would cancel a historic maiden Test match against Afghanistan unless the Taliban backtracks on a reported ban on women playing sport.
The governing body said the first ever men's Test between the two nations in November was under serious threat after the deputy head of the Taliban's cultural commission, Ahmadullah Wasiq, reportedly said women would not play cricket, or any other sport, under the new regime.
Afghanistan LIVE Updates: Australia Says 3,500 People Have Arrived From AfghanistanAustralia has taken in more than 3,500 evacuees from Afghanistan, mostly women and children, after the Taliban overran the country last month, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday.
An international airlift began on Aug. 14 as the Islamist militants arrived at the gates of Kabul, having already captured most of the country. As part of that effort, Australia evacuated 4,100 citizens and Afghans with visas, though some with dual nationality chose to go elsewhere.
Taliban To Allow 200 Americans, Other Civilians To Leave Afghanistan
Taliban authorities have agreed to let 200 American civilians and third country nationals who remained in Afghanistan after the end of the U.S. evacuation operation to depart on charter flights from Kabul airport, a U.S. official said.
Afghanistan LIVE Updates: UN Concerned About Afghan Women's Rights Under Taliban The Taliban is already neglecting its promise to respect Afghan women's rights, a United Nations official based in Kabul said Wednesday.
The terrorist group has "repeated the same statement that women's rights would be respected within the framework of Islam," said Alison Davidian, a representative for UN Women in Afghanistan. "But every day we were receiving reports of rollbacks on women's rights."
For example, "women are prohibited from leaving the house without a mahram," or male family member, Davidian said during a video conference with journalists in New York. Read more
US Says Doing "Everything In Power" To Start Charter Flights From AfghanUS Secretary of State
Antony Blinken vowed Wednesday to press the Taliban to start charter flights out of Afghanistan after criticism the administration was not doing enough to allow evacuations.
"Let me be very clear -- those flights need to be able to leave," Blinken told reporters on a visit to Germany.