Nato

Russia said Monday it was suspending its mission to NATO and closing the alliance's offices in Moscow, as relations with the Western military bloc plunged to new depths.

The West's ties with Russia remain strained over everything from Ukraine to alleged Russian election meddling to the 2018 poisoning with a nerve agent in England of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter.

President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey still intended to buy a second batch of S-400 missile defense systems from Russia, a move that could deepen a rift with NATO ally Washington and trigger fresh U.S. sanctions.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday said Britain owed "an immense debt" to Afghans who worked with NATO forces as he announced "vital support" for those resettling in the UK.

Staff involved in efforts to evacuate as many people from Kabul as possible after the Taliban seized power did their best in extremely difficult conditions, NATO's senior civilian representative to Afghanistan said on Saturday.

Italy's last evacuation flight from Kabul will leave Afghanistan in the "next few hours", with a top NATO envoy on board, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Friday.

The Taliban has joined global leaders and NATO in condemning twin suicide bombs that ripped through crowds waiting to be evacuated outside Kabul airport, killing at least 85 people, including 13 US troops.

Deadly coordinated explosions on Thursday tore through crowds of people at Kabul airport hoping to board flights to safety, as countries raced to evacuate as many people as possible before an August 31 deadline.

The international community must maintain dialogue with the Taliban if it is to protect improvements made in Afghanistan during two decades of NATO deployment, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday.

Western countries worked at a "war-footing pace" on Tuesday to get people out of Afghanistan, a NATO country diplomat said.

Germany is in talks with both NATO allies and the Taliban about keeping Kabul airport open beyond the planned August 31 US withdrawal date, to help evacuate as many Afghans who need protection as possible, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday.

India on Monday brought back 146 of its nationals in four different flights from Qatar's capital Doha, days after they were evacuated from Afghanistan by NATO and American aircraft in view of the deteriorating security situation.

At least 20 people have died in the past seven days in and around the Kabul airport during the evacuation effort after Taliban insurgents took over the Afghan capital last week, a NATO official said on Sunday.

NATO on Friday called on the Taliban to allow people being evacuated to leave Afghanistan, and vowed that the allies would remain in "close coordination" while operations continue.

Taliban fighters in Afghanistan have shot and killed a relative of a Deutsche Welle journalist while hunting for him, the German public broadcaster said.

Russia said Monday it was suspending its mission to NATO and closing the alliance's offices in Moscow, as relations with the Western military bloc plunged to new depths.

The West's ties with Russia remain strained over everything from Ukraine to alleged Russian election meddling to the 2018 poisoning with a nerve agent in England of Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter.

President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey still intended to buy a second batch of S-400 missile defense systems from Russia, a move that could deepen a rift with NATO ally Washington and trigger fresh U.S. sanctions.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday said Britain owed "an immense debt" to Afghans who worked with NATO forces as he announced "vital support" for those resettling in the UK.

Staff involved in efforts to evacuate as many people from Kabul as possible after the Taliban seized power did their best in extremely difficult conditions, NATO's senior civilian representative to Afghanistan said on Saturday.

Italy's last evacuation flight from Kabul will leave Afghanistan in the "next few hours", with a top NATO envoy on board, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Friday.

The Taliban has joined global leaders and NATO in condemning twin suicide bombs that ripped through crowds waiting to be evacuated outside Kabul airport, killing at least 85 people, including 13 US troops.

Deadly coordinated explosions on Thursday tore through crowds of people at Kabul airport hoping to board flights to safety, as countries raced to evacuate as many people as possible before an August 31 deadline.

The international community must maintain dialogue with the Taliban if it is to protect improvements made in Afghanistan during two decades of NATO deployment, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday.

Western countries worked at a "war-footing pace" on Tuesday to get people out of Afghanistan, a NATO country diplomat said.

Germany is in talks with both NATO allies and the Taliban about keeping Kabul airport open beyond the planned August 31 US withdrawal date, to help evacuate as many Afghans who need protection as possible, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday.

India on Monday brought back 146 of its nationals in four different flights from Qatar's capital Doha, days after they were evacuated from Afghanistan by NATO and American aircraft in view of the deteriorating security situation.

At least 20 people have died in the past seven days in and around the Kabul airport during the evacuation effort after Taliban insurgents took over the Afghan capital last week, a NATO official said on Sunday.

NATO on Friday called on the Taliban to allow people being evacuated to leave Afghanistan, and vowed that the allies would remain in "close coordination" while operations continue.

Taliban fighters in Afghanistan have shot and killed a relative of a Deutsche Welle journalist while hunting for him, the German public broadcaster said.