Paul Adams
BBC diplomatic correspondent

After days of desperate scenes at Kabul airport, many will be looking to G7 leaders for some sign that the evacuation effort can be extended beyond the end of the month, even if only for a few days.

It’s not clear if Joe Biden is ready to make that commitment. At the Pentagon, officials have made it clear that if there is a military assessment that an extension is required, that discussion will be had with the president. They say they’re not there yet.

But having blindsided his allies with a decision to withdraw US troops by 11 September (a deadline later brought forward to 31 August), does he feel a political, even a moral obligation to listen to their pleas now?

Today’s meeting will discuss longer-term objectives: How to support refugees in the future, resettlement schemes, aid, and efforts aimed at what Downing Street optimistically calls “securing a more stable future for Afghanistan”.

Can any of the gains of the past 20 years – girls’ education, the rights of minorities - be safeguarded?

And what new security dangers do Western countries face in the wake of the Taliban’s lightning takeover?

Image source, PA Media

Tom Tugendhat, who served as an Army officer in Afghanistan, says it's not just the US that has to agree on an extension of the 31 August deadline, but also the Taliban.

"We're all asking for the same thing," the Conservative MP tells the BBC. "I support the Prime Minister completely on this, but let's recognise what we're asking - we're not just asking the Americans, although clearly they'll have a major role, we're actually asking the Taliban. And that's a really difficult thing because, bluntly, they're not exactly trustworthy."

He says that there's little allies can do without the US staying in the country.

"We can ask the Americans if they're willing to stand with us," he says. "If they're not, then we can't secure the perimeter [of the airport] and we can't manage air traffic control. So if the Americans decide to go now I'm afraid that is it."

He adds that many families are struggling to get out of the country.

"A day, maybe two days longer, would help just a few more."

UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is asked whether the country's military relationship with the US will now change.

"We would always want to do these things with the US. They are the biggest military force in the West and share our values," he says "It is in our interest for Europe and the Atlantic to have a strong link."

"But we must have a force which is able to be interoperable as opposed to dependant [on one nation]. We must have a force that is skilled, not just for war fighting, but for post-conflict reconstruction and conflict prevention."

"A lesson of Afghanistan is that if you go in when it's... collapsed and failed as a state, then your task is very much harder. You should have some forces to enable and improve the resilience of existing forces on the ground."

"That's actually the lesson of Afghanistan."

Responding to criticism that the UK could do more to hold and protect Kabul's airport, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace tells the BBC: "We could send in our brigades and hold the airport."

"This is not about the size of the British armed forces. This is about whether the international community wants to re-engage in a military fight," he says.

"I could fly in thousands of troops and secure the airport. But for what purpose? For them to be shot at, attacked and trigger a permanent fight."

"I don't think that is a solution."

"We have taken out 2,000 people in the last 24 hours and 10,000 since April," UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace tells the BBC.

"Our focus is to get as many people out."

"But the scale of the challenge means that not everyone will get out. We are ruthlessly prioritising people."

"We want to stay longer [than 31 August] if it is possible to do so. The two people with the biggest vote in the room are the US... and the Taliban.

"[The Taliban] could make life incredibly difficult. It will be a discussion between the US government and the Taliban."

"If America makes a decision that it doesn't want to extend, then we will be out by 31 August."

Thousands of people seeking to flee Afghanistan remain crammed in or near the international airport in the capital, Kabul.

At least 20 have been killed in shootings and stampedes there since last week. More than 10,000 were evacuated on Monday, but time is running out as that 31 August deadline nears.

Evacuations are being conducted on a "war footing" as foreign forces try to meet the deadline agreed earlier with the Taliban, a NATO diplomat told Reuters news agency.

But the diplomat also said thousands of people had returned to their homes after learning that the situation outside the capital was "relatively calm".

The BBC's Secunder Kermani, meanwhile, says many of those gathered at the airport remain desperate for information that could help them leave the country.

Image source, Reuters

The UK is hosting a virtual summit of G-7 leaders today to discuss the evacuation effort in Afghanistan.

The countries in the G-7 are the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

Foreign forces are facing a looming 31 August deadline to get all troops out of the country - including the remaining US forces that are currently controlling Kabul airport.

This date was previously agreed in a deal with the Taliban, before the militant group gained near-complete control of the country.

Now, with an intense evacuation effort ongoing, the US is being pressed by allies to delay its withdrawal from the country. US President Joe Biden will decide in the next 24 hours whether to extend the troops' stay, an official told Reuters news agency.

But the Taliban have warned of consequences if foreign forces remain in the country after 31 August.

The G7 are also expected to discuss the crucial issue of recognition of any Taliban government.

Western countries are unlikely to extend the 31 August withdrawal deadline to allow their citizens and Afghans more time to evacuate Afghanistan, UK Defence Minister Ben Wallace has told Sky News.

US troops controlling Kabul airport - the only one in the country functioning - are scheduled to leave by that date.

But Washington has been pressed by allies to delay the withdrawal to allow more time for evacuating those who want to flee.

On Monday, the Taliban said any extension would cross a "red line".

Image source, Reuters

Thanks for joining our live coverage of developments in Afghanistan this morning. Here are the latest updates.

• The US is being urged by allies to delay its withdrawal from Afghanistan to allow more time to evacuate people who want to flee the country. All US troops, who are currently controlling Kabul airport, are scheduled to leave by 31 August in a deadline previously agreed with the Taliban
• The US has so far evacuated, and facilitated the evacuation of, around 48,000 people since an intense airlift started on 14 August, the White House says
• But the Taliban said yesterday they would not extend the current 31 August deadline. A spokesman for the group said yesterday that there would be “consequences” if foreign forces stayed for longer
• A virtual G-7 summit is being hosted by the UK today to discuss the issue, starting at 14:30 UK time
• At the summit, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is going to urge world leaders to increase their support for Afghan refugees, and will call for an increase in aid. He will also promise “to use every humanitarian and diplomatic lever” to protect human rights in Afghanistan
• Thousands remain camped outside Kabul airport hoping to leave. A Nato official has told Reuters the operation is being conducted on a "war footing"

Image source, Getty Images

We're pausing our live coverage of developments in Afghanistan for now. Here's the latest:

• The Taliban have said they will not extend the 31 August deadline for the current evacuation mission
• A spokesman for the group stressed there will be "consequences" if foreign forces stay beyond that date
• The White House said that the US was in talks with Taliban leaders "on a daily basis", but did not say whether it would extend the leaving date
• The UK is expected to urge President Biden to delay the withdrawal of US forces beyond that date at Tuesday's G7 talks. France is also calling for the US military presence to be extended
• An anti-Taliban resistance group, the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), says it has thousands of people ready to fight the Taliban
• Western military officials say that a member of the Afghan security forces was killed and several others were injured in a gunfight with "unknown attackers" at the north gate of Kabul airport on Monday morning.

Image source, AFP

The Taliban have appointed the new head of Afghanistan's central bank.

Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told the Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) that Haji Mohammad Idris had been appointed as the new governor of Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB).

This comes after Finance Ministry officials announced that the central bank would resume operations soon.

Deposits at Afghanistan's central bank have been frozen since the Taliban took control, as a result of which the bank was closed as well.

A senior Taliban official told Reuters news agency that Idris, from the northern province of Jawzjan, had extensive experience working on financial issues with the previous leader of the movement, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, who was killed in a drone strike in 2016.

While Idris had no public profile outside the Taliban and no formal financial training or higher education, he was head of the movement's finance section and respected for his expertise, a senior Taliban leader said.

Daniel Sandford
Home Affairs Correspondent

One of the people flown by military plane into the UK from Kabul was on the UK no-fly watchlist, government officials have confirmed.

The watchlist is used to stop people coming to the UK who are thought to be a security threat, though this can be because of serious criminality as well as terrorism. At this stage it is not clear whether the person was detained.

A government spokesperson said: “There are people in Afghanistan who represent a serious threat to national security and public safety.

“That is why thorough checks are taking place by government, our world-class intelligence agencies and others.

“If someone is assessed as presenting a risk to our country, we will take action.”

The British team at Kabul airport led by the British Ambassador are under huge pressure to get as many people out of Afghanistan as quickly as they can, and it is accepted that there may be mistakes made at that end.

The individual was identified as being on the watchlist on arrival at Birmingham airport. Because of the current situation in Afghanistan it is unlikely that they could be deported.

UPDATE 9.18PM: The person who was on the watch list who was stopped at Birmingham airport after arriving on a flight from Kabul is now no longer considered a risk.

A Home Office spokesman said “An individual was flagged to the Home Office as part of the rigorous checks process, involving the police, security services and others. However, upon further investigation, they are not a person of interest to the security agencies or law enforcement.”

Image source, Reuters

Spain has agreed to temporarily host 4,000 Afghans who worked for the US at two military bases in the southern part of the country.

The agreement between US President Joe Biden and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez allows the Afghans to stay in Spain for up to two weeks.

In a separate development, a plane carrying 260 Afghan refugees arrived on Monday at an EU military base in Spain. The base, which is outside Madrid, is being used to host Afghan refugees and their families as they await settlement in another EU country.

More than 800 Afghans have arrived in Spain since last week.

Earlier today, US officials said they were setting up eight transit hubs across six countries.

"The transit hubs that we have arranged in Germany, Italy and Spain will have the combined capacity to process approximately 15,000 people on a rolling basis, which in turn will enable us to keep evacuating people continuously from Kabul," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Where will refugees go after Taliban takeover?

At a White House briefing, President Biden's National Security Advisor dodged a question from reporters about whether Biden will extend the 31 August leaving date.

Asked whether Biden had chosen to extend the deadline, Jake Sullivan instead pivoted, saying that the US was in talks with Taliban leaders "on a daily basis".

The Taliban said earlier on Monday that they were against extending the deadline, which was announced by Biden in April.

"We believe that we have time between now and the 31st to get out any American who wants to get out," Sullivan told reporters.

He added that the US believed there to be "thousands" of Americans left in Kabul. He declined to give a more precise number.

US President Joe Biden has spoken to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson about evacuation efforts in Afghanistan, the White House has said.

“They discussed the ongoing efforts by our diplomatic and military personnel to evacuate their citizens, local staff and other vulnerable Afghans,” a statement said.

“They also discussed plans for the G7 virtual leaders' meeting tomorrow, underscoring the importance of close coordination with allies and partners in managing the current situation and forging a common approach to Afghanistan policy.”

Woman's Hour

Alice Bromage, who served as a British army major during two tours of Afghanistan, says it’s “heart-rending” to see the current situation in the country.

She is part of the “Sandhurst Sisterhood”, which is trying to help the women she trained and worked alongside get to safety. She has been telling BBC Woman’s Hour presenter Emma Barnett about their efforts.

A former UK ambassador to Afghanistan has told the BBC's PM programme that there is still time to negotiate with the Taliban for a plan to continue evacuating Afghans beyond the 31 August deadline.

"You can easily see that a very tight deadline is only going to increase the panic and the chaos and ultimately death. So something has to be done," said Sir Nicholas Kay, who served as ambassador from 2017-2018.

"I think there is still, even at this late stage, scope to engage with the Taliban on this particular interest and reframe the problem as to how to agree with the Taliban a plan for an organised operation, evacuation, relocation of these people."

Sir Nicholas also called for G7 leaders meeting tomorrow to agree to "a certain set of principles" in order to continue engaging with Afghanistan for humanitarian reasons.

"We do need to engage with what are now the de facto authorities, the de facto administration," he told presenter Evan Davis.

"That isn't the same as recognising a government. It is dealing with people we need to deal with, in order to serve our own interests."

Image source, Reuters

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called on the EU to help countries neighbouring Afghanistan to stop a new influx of migrants into Europe.

Mitsotakis said: "It is important for the European Union to support the countries close to Afghanistan, in order to make sure that we won't have additional flows in Europe."

Mitsotakis told European Parliament Vice-President Roberta Metsola that Greece has managed to stop mass migration in the past and will do so "with the same policy" this time.

Government spokesman Yannis Oikonomou said Greece would not "take lightly any possible escalation of the immigration and refugee issue".

Greece has installed a 40km (25-mile) fence and surveillance system on its border with Turkey amid concern over a surge of migrants from Afghanistan.

A plane carrying Afghan citizens seeking US "special immigration visas" has departed the US airbase in Ramstein, Germany, en route to the US.

A senior US State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters that this was the first onward flight of Afghan migrants to the US to depart a host country.

The official added that the US expected these flights to ramp up as they open eight transit hubs. Here the Afghan evacuees will be temporarily housed as they are screened and prepared to be taken to the US.

The official also denied reports that only Americans were being allowed through checkpoints outside Kabul airport.

The World at One
BBC Radio 4

A former senior State Department official in the Obama administration has told the BBC "there's a good chance" Joe Biden will extend evacuation deadline out of Afghanistan beyond 31 August.

James Steinberg, who has worked with and knows Biden, said: "I think that he recognises that, of the many challenges that have come about about the way this evacuation has been handled, failure to consult with the allies has been a big problem.

"I think the president probably feels a significant obligation now to try to accommodate the concerns that you've heard from the British and others, to facilitate getting people out."

Asked whether extending the deadline depends on Taliban consent, Steinberg said, "I don't think so. I think the president needs to decide whether this is the right thing to do and make clear that we will take the steps we need and put the forces in we need to protect our own people.

"I wouldn't give the Taliban a veto and I suspect the president wouldn't as well."

He added: "I think the president will take very seriously the request of allies to make sure that this done in a way that doesn't just protect the Americans and the Afghans who worked with the Americans, but also the partners who shared this difficult experience over 20 years.

"I can't speak for the president but I think he will be very conscious of the responsibility to do that when he hears from other G7 leaders."