UK PM Boris Johnson has been accused of telling lies over the evacuation of Pen Farthing's animals from Afghanistan in August 2021.

UK PM Boris Johnson accused of lying over Kabul evacuation in August 2021

Boris Johnson has been caught lying, again. This time, it is regarding the evacuation of some 150 animals from Afghanistan. Will the British Prime Minister finally be forced to step down? Listen in to Palki Sharma.

Gravitas: Another leaked email hits Boris Johnson

Jacinda Adern-led government in New Zealand is facing heat for resettling Afghanistan’s former vice president and his 13 family members in the country while hundreds of Afghans who helped New Zealand forces remain trapped abroad and in fear for their lives.

According to NZ-based news website Stuff, Sarwar Danish– the second vice president of Afghanistan– flew into Auckland around Christmas with his wife, two sons and three daughters.

Associate immigration minister Phil Twyford confirmed that “Sarwar Danish and his family have been given safe haven in New Zealand”.

Danish, a member of Afghanistan’s ethnic Hazara minority, fled Kabul for Turkey along with other senior officials on August 16, shortly after the Taliban took control of the capital.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-ex-president-ashraf-ghani-is-in-uae-406635">Afghan ex-president Ashraf Ghani is in UAE</a>

New Zealand has granted 1,400 visas to Afghans after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in mid-August, the Guardian reported.

Out of those, only 800 were resettled in New Zealand, in part because New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) evacuation efforts from Kabul were halted after a suicide bomber attacked the Kabul airport in late August.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/i-have-been-made-a-scapegoat-ashraf-ghani-recalls-the-day-he-fled-afghanistan-denies-taking-money-441143">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/i-have-been-made-a-scapegoat-ashraf-ghani-recalls-the-day-he-fled-afghanistan-denies-taking-money-441143">'I have been made a scapegoat': Ashraf Ghani recalls the day he fled Afghanistan, denies taking money</a>

An Afghan member who was associated with the NZDF in Kabul from 2009-2012 told Stuff that the government should have prioritized those Afghans who worked the forces and “not people like Danish who shared responsibility for the collapse of Afghanistan’s government”.

“It’s very frustrating that someone from the corrupt leadership of Afghanistan – with zero connection to New Zealand – has been resettled in this country, when people who directly supported the New Zealand SAS have been left behind,” he said.

“He was already safe in Turkey, so it would be hard to understand if Kiwi taxpayers are paying for Danish and his family to start a new life in New Zealand,” he added.

(With inputs from agencies)

Jacinda Adern-led government in New Zealand is facing heat for resettling Afghanistan’s former vice president and his 13 family members in the country while hundreds of Afghans who helped New Zealand forces remain trapped abroad and in fear for their lives.

Jacinda Adern-led government in New Zealand is facing heat for resettling Afghanistan’s former vice president and his 13 family members in the country while hundreds of Afghans who helped New Zealand forces remain trapped abroad and in fear for their lives. According to NZ-based news website Stuff, Sarwar Danish– the second vice president of Afghanistan– flew into Auckland around Christmas with his wife, two sons and three daughters. Associate immigration minister Phil Twyford confirmed that “Sarwar Danish and his family have been given safe haven in New Zealand”. Danish, a member of Afghanistan’s ethnic Hazara minority, fled Kabul for Turkey along with other senior officials on August 16, shortly after the Taliban took control of the capital. Also read | Afghan ex-president Ashraf Ghani is in UAE New Zealand has granted 1,400 visas to Afghans after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in mid-August, the Guardian reported. Out of those, only 800 were resettled in New Zealand, in part because New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) evacuation efforts from Kabul were halted after a suicide bomber attacked the Kabul airport in late August. Also read | 'I have been made a scapegoat': Ashraf Ghani recalls the day he fled Afghanistan, denies taking money An Afghan member who was associated with the NZDF in Kabul from 2009-2012 told Stuff that the government should have prioritized those Afghans who worked the forces and “not people like Danish who shared responsibility for the collapse of Afghanistan’s government”. “It’s very frustrating that someone from the corrupt leadership of Afghanistan – with zero connection to New Zealand – has been resettled in this country, when people who directly supported the New Zealand SAS have been left behind,” he said. “He was already safe in Turkey, so it would be hard to understand if Kiwi taxpayers are paying for Danish and his family to start a new life in New Zealand,” he added. (With inputs from agencies)

NZ govt slammed for prioritising resettlement of Afghan ex-VP over others

Boris Johnson is being accused of putting pets over people during the Afghan evacuation. His aides are being investigated for hosting parties at Downing Street during the lockdown. Has BoJo become Britain's Prime Embarrassment? Palki Sharma tells you.

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As thousands of Afghans tried to flee the country after the Taliban took control of the nation, some women have opened up about forced marriages.<o:p></o:p>

US officials who have been processing Afghan refugees abroad have also alerted the State Department that many women and girls have been forced to get married to Afghan men in order to evacuate from the country.

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<o:p></o:p>

Afghan men have been forcing women to pose as their wife so that they can flee the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. These men have, reportedly, forcefully asked women outside the Kabul airport to pose as their wife, but may now be taking undue advantage of these girls and women.<o:p></o:p>

As per officials, some reputed families also paid thousands of dollars to men, who were eligible for evacuation, to pose as husbands for these women and help them escape the Taliban rule.<o:p></o:p>

Following these warnings form the US diplomats in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the US State Department has vowed to work with the Department of Homeland Security and the Defense Department and identify such cases of human trafficking.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/taliban-takeover-rejuvenates-fear-of-terrorism-in-bangladesh-410363">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/taliban-takeover-rejuvenates-fear-of-terrorism-in-bangladesh-410363/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The US has been taking help of other countries who are acting as a stopover for Afghan refugees. The evacuees are first taken to other countries, such as the UAE, where the officials vet and process individuals and house them in local refugee centre for some time before flying them back to the US.<o:p></o:p>

While people have been desperately trying to flee the country to get away from the new Taliban regime, women and minority communities are in the most vulnerable spot right now.<o:p></o:p>

People were trying their best to send their daughters, wives and other female relatives out of Afghanistan after several initial reports claimed that the Taliban were collecting a list of all unmarried and widowed women and girls to make them ‘wives of Taliban’.<o:p></o:p>

As thousands of Afghans tried to flee the country after the Taliban took control of the nation, some women have opened up about forced marriages. US officials who have been processing Afghan refugees abroad have also alerted the State Department that many women and girls have been forced to get married to Afghan men in order to evacuate from the country.

As thousands of Afghans tried to flee the country after the Taliban took control of the nation, some women have opened up about forced marriages. US officials who have been processing Afghan refugees abroad have also alerted the State Department that many women and girls have been forced to get married to Afghan men in order to evacuate from the country. Also read | Taliban may announce new government after Friday afternoon prayers: Reports Afghan men have been forcing women to pose as their wife so that they can flee the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. These men have, reportedly, forcefully asked women outside the Kabul airport to pose as their wife, but may now be taking undue advantage of these girls and women. As per officials, some reputed families also paid thousands of dollars to men, who were eligible for evacuation, to pose as husbands for these women and help them escape the Taliban rule. Following these warnings form the US diplomats in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the US State Department has vowed to work with the Department of Homeland Security and the Defense Department and identify such cases of human trafficking. WATCH | The US has been taking help of other countries who are acting as a stopover for Afghan refugees. The evacuees are first taken to other countries, such as the UAE, where the officials vet and process individuals and house them in local refugee centre for some time before flying them back to the US. While people have been desperately trying to flee the country to get away from the new Taliban regime, women and minority communities are in the most vulnerable spot right now. People were trying their best to send their daughters, wives and other female relatives out of Afghanistan after several initial reports claimed that the Taliban were collecting a list of all unmarried and widowed women and girls to make them ‘wives of Taliban’.

Afghan women being forcefully married to flee the country: US officials

Afghanistan's 250 women judges fear for their lives, with men they once jailed now freed by the victorious Taliban to hunt them down.

While some female judges were able to flee in recent weeks, most were left behind and are still trying to get out, said judges and activists working around the clock to help them escape.

The Taliban, who swept into power last month as the United States withdrew its troops, banned women from most work when they last ruled the country 20 years ago. They have said women's rights will be protected, but have yet to provide details.

Women who work in justice have already been high profile targets. Two female Supreme Court justices were gunned down in January. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-women-being-forcefully-married-to-flee-the-country-us-officials-410371">Also read | Afghan women being forcefully married to flee the country: US officials</a> 
 
Now, the Taliban have released prisoners across the country, which "really puts the lives of women judges in danger," a high-level Afghan woman judge who fled to Europe said from an undisclosed location.

In Kabul, "four or five Taliban members came and asked people in my house: 'Where is this woman judge?' These were people who I had put in jail, " she told Reuters in an interview, asking not to be identified.

She was among a small group of Afghan women judges to have made it out in recent weeks with the help of a collective of human rights volunteers and foreign colleagues at the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ).

Since then, she has been in touch with colleagues back home: "Their messages are of fear and complete terror. They tell me if they do not get rescued their lives are in direct danger. " 
 
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In addition to the judges, there are around a thousand other women human rights defenders who could also be in the Taliban's cross hairs, said Horia Mosadiq, an Afghan human rights activist.

Freed prisoners "are calling with death threats to women judges, women prosecutors, and women police officers, saying 'we will come after you'," she said.

FEARFUL

British Justice Minister Robert Buckland said last week London had evacuated nine female judges and was working to provide safe passage for more of the "very vulnerable people".

"A lot of these judges were responsible for administering the rule of law and quite rightly they are fearful about the consequences that could now face them with the rise of the Taliban," he said.

Human rights and legal activists said Western countries did not make the evacuation of women judges and human rights defenders a priority in the chaos after Kabul fell.

"Governments had zero interest in evacuating people that were not their own nationals," said Sarah Kay, a Belfast-based human rights lawyer and member of the Atlas Women network of international lawyers.

She is working with an online group of volunteer veterans known as the "digital Dunkirk," named for the World War Two evacuation of British troops from Nazi-occupied France. It has helped hundreds of people escape with the help of chat groups and personal contacts.

At the IAWJ, a team of six foreign judges has also been coordinating information, lobbying governments and arranging evacuations.

"The responsibility that we bear is almost unbearable at the moment because we are one of the few people taking responsibility for this group," one of the effort's leaders, Patricia Whalen, an American judge who helped train Afghan female judges in a 10-year programme, told Reuters.

"I am furious about that. None of us should be in this position."

Afghanistan's 250 women judges fear for their lives, with men they once jailed now freed by the victorious Taliban to hunt them down. While some female judges were able to flee in recent weeks, most were left behind and are still trying to get out, said judges and activists working around the clock to help them escape.

Afghanistan's 250 women judges fear for their lives, with men they once jailed now freed by the victorious Taliban to hunt them down. While some female judges were able to flee in recent weeks, most were left behind and are still trying to get out, said judges and activists working around the clock to help them escape. The Taliban, who swept into power last month as the United States withdrew its troops, banned women from most work when they last ruled the country 20 years ago. They have said women's rights will be protected, but have yet to provide details. Women who work in justice have already been high profile targets. Two female Supreme Court justices were gunned down in January. Also read | Afghan women being forcefully married to flee the country: US officials Now, the Taliban have released prisoners across the country, which "really puts the lives of women judges in danger," a high-level Afghan woman judge who fled to Europe said from an undisclosed location. In Kabul, "four or five Taliban members came and asked people in my house: 'Where is this woman judge?' These were people who I had put in jail, " she told Reuters in an interview, asking not to be identified. She was among a small group of Afghan women judges to have made it out in recent weeks with the help of a collective of human rights volunteers and foreign colleagues at the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ). Since then, she has been in touch with colleagues back home: "Their messages are of fear and complete terror. They tell me if they do not get rescued their lives are in direct danger. " Also read | India will be reliable partner of Russia in developing its Far East region: PM Modi In addition to the judges, there are around a thousand other women human rights defenders who could also be in the Taliban's cross hairs, said Horia Mosadiq, an Afghan human rights activist. Freed prisoners "are calling with death threats to women judges, women prosecutors, and women police officers, saying 'we will come after you'," she said. FEARFUL British Justice Minister Robert Buckland said last week London had evacuated nine female judges and was working to provide safe passage for more of the "very vulnerable people". "A lot of these judges were responsible for administering the rule of law and quite rightly they are fearful about the consequences that could now face them with the rise of the Taliban," he said. Human rights and legal activists said Western countries did not make the evacuation of women judges and human rights defenders a priority in the chaos after Kabul fell. "Governments had zero interest in evacuating people that were not their own nationals," said Sarah Kay, a Belfast-based human rights lawyer and member of the Atlas Women network of international lawyers. She is working with an online group of volunteer veterans known as the "digital Dunkirk," named for the World War Two evacuation of British troops from Nazi-occupied France. It has helped hundreds of people escape with the help of chat groups and personal contacts. At the IAWJ, a team of six foreign judges has also been coordinating information, lobbying governments and arranging evacuations. "The responsibility that we bear is almost unbearable at the moment because we are one of the few people taking responsibility for this group," one of the effort's leaders, Patricia Whalen, an American judge who helped train Afghan female judges in a 10-year programme, told Reuters. "I am furious about that. None of us should be in this position."

Hunted by the men they jailed, Afghanistan's women judges seek escape

According to reports, Afghan Hindus and Sikhs will be allowed to travel to India if they possess valid documents. WION's Anas Mallick brings you a report from Kabul airport.

Report: Afghan Hindus, Sikhs can travel to India with valid documents

Germany will continue to evacuate its own nationals from Afghanistan for 'as long as possible', says Chancellor Angela Merkel. She also added that the return of the Taliban to Afghanistan is bitter.

Angela Merkel: Germany to continue Afghanistan evacuations 'for as long as possible'

The US military will continue evacuating people from Kabul airport until an August 31 deadline if needed but will prioritise the removal of troops and military equipment in the last couple of days.

US to prioritize troop evacuation in last two days of Kabul operation