US President Joe Biden breaks his silence and confirms he stands 'squarely behind my decision' to pull US troops from Afghanistan. Peter Dutton has said Australia's rescue plane woon't land at Kabul Airport amid the chaos. Thousands of people are stranded at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul as they attempt to flee the country amid the Taliban takeover. US Army Major General William Taylor said that the speed of evacuations "will pick up" at the Kabul airport to about 5000 per day as 40,000 Americans remain stranded. Kramp-Karrenbauer said she hoped the Kabul airport could be kept open for several days so as many people as possible could be evacuated.

Source: New Zealand Herald August 17, 2021 22:07 UTC