Afghanistan: Taliban take control of presidential palace, says war is over

9 am: Emirates has suspended flights to Afghanistan’s capital Kabul until further notice, the airline says on its website.

“Customers holding tickets with final destination to Kabul will not be accepted for travel at their point of origin,” the airline adds.

8.55 am: A State Department official tells AP that the American flag is no longer flying at the United States Embassy in Kabul as the military races to evacuate diplomats and civilians from the Afghanistan capital.

8.40 am: Videos show chaos at Kabul airport as the Taliban seize control of Afghan capital.

Crowds packed the international airport in Kabul in a chaotic scene after Taliban insurgents entered the Afghan capital and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, saying he wanted to avoid bloodshed https://t.co/neLGwErN3a pic.twitter.com/hmZqmMy90t

— Reuters (@Reuters) August 16, 2021

Footage shows people crowding the airport tarmac in Kabul after the Taliban entered the Afghan capital. https://t.co/zyaDykV2Ey pic.twitter.com/esjNeK9nwu

— ABC News (@ABC) August 15, 2021

8.35 am: Former United States President Donald Trump calls for his successor Joe Biden to resign after the Taliban quickly seized control of Afghanistan, reports AFP.

“It is time for Joe Biden to resign in disgrace for what he has allowed to happen to Afghanistan,” Trump says in a statement.

In another statement, the former president added, “What Joe Biden has done with Afghanistan is…

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