So how are world leaders and other nations responding to this ongoing crisis in Afghanistan?
Let’s break it down…
US
The United States is leading the charge when it comes to communication and negotiation with the Taliban, but it’s believed that government will not recognise the Taliban as the official head of state.
Biden has made it clear he is firm on his decision to remove troops from Afghanistan.
We have also learned that the US is urgently pushing to ramp up its evacuation efforts, with the nation’s Commander General ensuring the safe passage of troops, civilians and diplomats.
In a statement, the General says the airfield remains secure and open to air traffic, and the General has made it clear to the Taliban that “any attack would be met with overwhelming force in the defence of American forces”.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the US will help Australia evacuate its citizens from Afghanistan
The statement continues, saying “the protection of US civilians and our partners is the highest priority and we will take all necessary action to ensure a safe and efficient withdrawal.”
“We do take some responsibility for our allies and partners in Afghanistan,” Mr Sullivan said.”We will be eager to work with Australia to help get out Australian citizens and other individuals who the Australians would like to see get out.”
AUS
Australia has commenced its rescue mission from Afghanistan’s capital
“I want you to know that we will continue to do everything we can for those who have stood with us, as we have to this day,” Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday.
“But … despite our best efforts, I know that support won’t reach all that it should. On-the-ground events have overtaken many efforts. We wish it were different.”
EU
The European Union has neither confirmed whether or not it will support a Taliban regime… but member nations will work with the militants and provide necessary support to Afghan citizens.
Meanwhile, Britain’s Foreign Secretary says aid to Afghanistan will increase but there is still no word from the UK as to whether they will support a Taliban-led government.
However, Canada’s President Justin Trudeau is standing firm, calling the Taliban a terrorist organisation and his country will not recognise their rule.
NATO has temporarily suspended all support for Afghanistan, but this will resume if NATO leaders are convinced that the Taliban has established an inclusive government.
Biden and Boris agree to hold G7 summit in response to Taliban takeover
US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have agreed to hold a virtual G7 summit on the unfolding situation in Afghanistan
According to read outs from the White House and Downing Street, the leaders “discussed the need for continued close coordination among allies and democratic partners on Afghanistan policy going forward.”
William is an Executive News Producer at TICKER NEWS, responsible for the production and direction of news bulletins. William is also the presenter of the hourly Weather + Climate segment.
With qualifications in Journalism and Law (LLB), William previously worked at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) before moving to TICKER NEWS. He was also an intern at the Seven Network's 'Sunrise'.
A creative-minded individual, William has a passion for broadcast journalism and reporting on global politics and international affairs.
In Short:
– A fourth death is confirmed due to an Optus network failure affecting emergency calls for 13 hours.
– Optus CEO announced an investigation after communication failures and criticism from politicians and emergency services.
A fourth death has been confirmed following an Optus network failure that prevented emergency calls to Triple Zero for 13 hours.
Initially, Optus reported three fatalities, including an infant and two elderly individuals from South Australia and Western Australia. The latest victim is a 49-year-old man from Perth.Optus CEO Stephen Rue expressed deep sorrow over the incident and announced a full investigation into the network update that caused the outage.
He stated that approximately 600 calls to emergency services were disrupted, impacting residents across South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.
Rue confirmed that the outage stemmed from a problematic firewall upgrade and revealed details of communication failures within the company. Politicians and emergency services expressed anger at the lack of timely information during the crisis.
System Failure
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas criticised Optus for their incompetence in handling the situation.
The federal communications minister also condemned the company, highlighting that such failures are unacceptable.
The incident follows a previous outage for which Optus was fined $12 million, raising serious concerns about their emergency service handling.
Israel’s new “Iron Beam” laser defense system to deploy by year-end, promising cost-effective missile interception.
Israel’s Defence Ministry says its new “Iron Beam” laser system will be deployed by year’s end. The technology is designed to destroy incoming missiles, rockets, drones and mortars with precision.
Developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in partnership with Elbit Systems, Iron Beam will sit alongside existing defences such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow. Unlike traditional interceptors which can cost tens of thousands of dollars per shot, the laser comes at negligible expense.
Officials call it the world’s first high-power laser interception system to achieve operational maturity, hailing it as a game-changer for modern warfare. Military leaders expect the system to reshape air defence capabilities and cut costs dramatically.
Stephen Colbert condemns censorship and calls out Trump in powerful monologue dedicated to Jimmy Kimmel’s suspended show.
Stephen Colbert’s opening monologue is being hailed as one of the most powerful moments in modern late-night history. Standing on stage at the Ed Sullivan Theatre, Colbert dedicated his show to Jimmy Kimmel and his team after ABC suspended Kimmel’s programme under pressure from Washington.
Colbert called the move “blatant censorship” and directly accused President Trump of acting like an autocrat. “With an autocrat, you cannot give an inch,” he warned, making clear that the stakes reach far beyond late-night comedy.