Follow the latest updates on Afghanistan here
Evacuation flights have resumed from Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport, but thousands of people seeking to flee the Taliban remain waiting at the gates.
Some Kabul residents sought to leave after insurgents took control of Afghanistan's capital on Sunday. The insurgents had already taken most provinces.
“The Taliban are coming,” people desperate to get into Kabul airport were heard screaming.
Many held up signs in protest, and begged the soldiers guarding the airport to allow them in, usually without success.
Flights had been suspended after people rushed onto the runway, even clinging to taxiing aircraft. Up to four men died falling from aircraft after take-off.
Since flights resumed on Tuesday, up to 200 aircraft have taken off and landed at the airport, but many are reported to have left half empty, flight tracking websites say.
Safe Airspace conflict zone and risk database said international airlines have diverted flights crossing over Afghan airspace, warning that the area is “uncontrolled” and “nowhere is safe”.
Kabul residents reported seeing one aircraft after another taking off, as the evacuation effort was stepped up.
Reports from the US military say it has moved more than 3,200 so far.
But one of Germany’s first flights out – with a capacity of 145 – carried just seven people.
Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer blaming a “confused, dangerous and complex situation at the airport” for the country’s failure to evacuate more.
Ramin Rahman, an Afghan photographer evacuated to Qatar on a US C-17 transport aircraft on Sunday described the situation as frantic.
“A lot of people at the airport had visas and tickets, but there were no flights to take them out,” he told The National.
“Others didn’t have documents. At night, when less people were around, many just ran and jumped on to the plane. They saw an opportunity. A lot of them are here now, in Qatar,”
On Wednesday, many people who had confirmed places on evacuation flights were not even able to reach the tarmac.
“Today was worse than yesterday,” an Afghan government employee said, asking to remain anonymous.
“When we saw the crowds we turned around. It was impossible to even get near to the gate. The crowds are violent and gunshots have been fired.”
A woman with German citizenship has been trying to get to the airport since Sunday, but has been unable to enter.
She said she was offered no assistance and the German embassy advised her to make her way to the north gate of the military side of the airport, bringing enough water and food for at least 24 hours.
Journalist Farshad Usyan left on a flight to France on Wednesday. He had previously sheltered at the French embassy in Kabul’s heavily fortified Green Zone – now occupied by Taliban militants.
He said he took a minibus organised by EU countries to Kabul airport.
“You won’t be able to reach the airport unless your transportation is arranged.”
Another Kabul resident, who asked to remain anonymous, also secured a place on a minibus.
“The EU arranged a bus for my family and other families of Afghans who formerly worked with the EU missions. They will pick us up from a safe pre-designated location in Kabul and bring us to our flight.
“I am so sad. I never thought that one day, I would be looking for asylum.”
As the Taliban have moved into the city, setting up checkpoints, hundreds of people are camping outside the airport's perimeter. They are hopeful of making it on to a flight, even without a visa or a passport.
As evacuation lists circulate, containing the names of thousands of Afghans, an official familiar with US evacuation procedures said that the process will probably “take some time” – longer than a matter of days.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
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Power: 819hp
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The specs
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Transmission: CVT
Power: 170bhp
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
RESULT
Deportivo La Coruna 2 Barcelona 4
Deportivo: Perez (39'), Colak (63')
Barcelona: Coutinho (6'), Messi (37', 81', 84')
MATCH INFO
West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
LIGUE 1 FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Nice v Angers (9pm)
Lille v Monaco (10.45pm)
Saturday
Montpellier v Paris Saint-Germain (7pm)
Bordeaux v Guingamp (10pm)
Caen v Amiens (10pm)
Lyon v Dijon (10pm)
Metz v Troyes (10pm)
Sunday
Saint-Etienne v Rennes (5pm)
Strasbourg v Nantes (7pm)
Marseille v Toulouse (11pm)
'Project Power'
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominique Fishback
Director: Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman
Rating: 3.5/5
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Brief scores:
Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first
Kerala Knights 103-7 (10 ov)
Parnell 59 not out; Tambe 5-15
Sindhis 104-1 (7.4 ov)
Watson 50 not out, Devcich 49
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
