Our standard non-directional matte finish looks great, and pre-conditions the surface of the stainless steel, allowing your countertop to mask and accept inevitable random scratches as they take place.
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Choose from stock or custom sizes and configurations of stainless steel sinks. We will precision weld your selected sink into a countertop creating a seamless integrated unit. You can even have a drain board added to any sink.
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The Liberty Draft Returns: Keeper Picks and Expansion Draft!
In today's flagship Lions of Liberty podcast, it's a special edition of "Libertarians in Living Rooms Drinking Liquor" featuring the return of The Liberty Draft! We revisit last year's draft results in our liberty fantasy league, choose keepers for this next draft, and JB and Howie partake in a supplemental draft featuring some surprising picks!
The Liberty Draft Part 1, Part 2 and the "One Year Later" update from last year!
Support this show on Patreon to hear the bonus segment of this program "Howie's Intervention" – as well as the full video for $10+ supporters – and receive access to ALL of our EXCLUSIVE bonus content, as well as all our other exclusive shows such as "League of Liberty", "Conspiracy Corner", "Degenerate Gamblers" , bonus editions of "Libertarians in Living Rooms Drinking Liquor" and so much more!


The Brewers Association released their list of Top 50 Breweries of 2014 today.
Every year, the not-for-profit Brewers Association rates the top 50 craft breweries from the previous year based on beer sales volume. Brewers and beer fans alike pore over the list to see how they and their favorite producers fared in last year's sales.
There were a handful of surprises in the list today. To start, Yuengling and Minhas Craft Brewery are now considered craft breweries by BA's definition. With this change, Yuengling took the number one spot, knocking Boston Beer Company out of the position they've held firmly, and Minhas made a debut at number 10. Stone Brewing Co. climbed up to the number nine slot. Together, those factors were enough to knock Brooklyn Brewery out of the Top 10.
The numbers demonstrate the increasing competitiveness of the craft beer industry as a whole. As the breweries represented in the top 50 continue to grow, we can expect to see fewer dramatic changes in rankings year by year.
The full press release from the Brewers Association is below.
Boulder, CO • March 31, 2015—The Brewers Association (BA)—the not-for-profit trade group representing small and independent craft brewers—today released its annual lists of the top 50 craft and overall brewing companies in the U.S., based on beer sales volume. Of the top 50 overall brewing companies, 42 were craft brewing companies1.
The Association's full 2014 industry analysis, which shows regional trends and sales by individual breweries, will be published in the May/June issue of The New Brewer, available in May 2015.
The Brewers Association is the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The Brewers Association (BA) represents more than 70 percent of the brewing industry, and its members make more than 99 percent of the beer brewed in the U.S. The BA organizes events including the World Beer Cup®, Great American Beer Festival®, Craft Brewers Conference & BrewExpo America®, SAVOR℠: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, AHA National Homebrewers Conference,National Homebrew Competition and American Craft Beer Week®. The BA publishes The New Brewer magazine and its Brewers Publications division is the largest publisher of contemporary and relevant brewing literature for today's craft brewers and homebrewers.


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By: Ariana Figueroa - January 14, 2022 5:00 pm
The free at-home testing is part of the administration's effort to curb the spike of the omicron coronavirus variant that has overwhelmed hospitals and schools. Getty Images
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Friday launched a new website for Americans to request up to four free COVID-19 tests per household.
The administration is buying 1 billion at-home rapid COVID-19 tests, and Americans will be able to begin ordering the tests online on Jan. 19 at COVIDtests.gov.
This is part of the administration's effort to curb the spike of the omicron coronavirus variant that has overwhelmed hospitals and schools.
Tests should ship via the U.S. Postal Service between seven and 12 days after they are ordered, senior administration officials said on a call with reporters.
"Testing is a critical tool to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19," a senior administration official said.
The White House said tests should be used by individuals who begin to have COVID-19 symptoms; after five days of coming into close contact with someone with COVID-19; or if gathering indoors with someone who is at risk for a severe disease or is unvaccinated. Children 4 and under are not eligible for vaccines.
The initial 500 million tests are expected to cost $4 billion, a senior administration official said.
The Biden administration also announced that starting Monday, private insurance providers will cover the cost of up to eight at-home COVID-19 tests per person per month.
On Thursday, Biden said that in addition to free tests, Americans would also get free high quality masks.
The administration also aims to make sure members of some communities the hardest hit by COVID-19 will have a hotline they can access if they do not have internet access or have difficulty ordering tests online. The number to call for help is not available yet.
Officials also urged Americans to seek out free testing centers on their own. There are about 20,000 free testing sites across the country.
by Ariana Figueroa, Georgia Recorder

Online orders for free at-home COVID tests to begin Jan. 19

by Ariana Figueroa, Georgia Recorder
January 14, 2022

Ariana Figueroa
Ariana covers the nation's capital for States Newsroom. Her areas of coverage include politics and policy, lobbying, elections and campaign finance.
Golden Ray wreck fished out of St. Simons Sound,… by Stanley Dunlap October 11, 2021
Golden Ray to weather third hurricane season since… by Stanley Dunlap April 12, 2021

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I am waiting for this huge storm but, so far, only a few inches compared to the 12 inches forecasted. I have my dyes mixed and am ready to try a limited amount of snow dyeing. I spent some time today dyeing some lovely threads. That is always fun.
I did have some time over the holiday break to make some plans for the next year. And start making a set of goals for the year. Are you ready? To be bored reading another list on someone's blog? All joking aside, I do think the list might push me along.
1. Complete 20 quilts 3×3 or larger by the end of the year. At least 5 of these quilts will be in a series investigating motifs and varying colors.
2. Investigate various surface design techniques including screen printing and deconstructed screen printing.
3. Continue fabric dyeing in the warm months.
The 20 quilts is very ambitious for me. 20 tops-yes but 20 done. Mmm….lots of focus will be required. In all reality, the next four months mean lots of quilts. (Once May hits our family with sports schedules, I fight a losing battle on getting much done in my studio. ) The overall goal of this year is to gain more exposure to surface design techniques and to investigate motifs within my quilts. Surface design techniques- I am not sure this is an avenue I want to use but I won't know until I try them.
Well there you have it. It did take me awhile to decide. I love the push that a workshop or class gives me. Maybe a workshop junkie. But a discerning one. I did say no to the Sketchbook Challenge and Jude Hill's last online class. But it's just about killing me not to do Jude's class:).
Off to finish dyeing some floss. It's getting late.
This entry was posted in goals, process, workshops on January 7, 2011 by Colleen Kole.
I am really not one for resolutions. I guess because they usually involve me losing some amount of weight. And it just comes back. I am more for making a list and getting it done. Setting goals. That feels better for me. It's probably all the same thing but just what motivates you to change , do something differently or accomplish something.
So, I felt like I should take a look at what I have learned in the past year. Since I am a newbie, maybe it would help me with what I need to do next.
1. I learned that even though I might not like the piece I am working on, I need to push through and finish it. It's the pushing through part where I usually learn things about design, color or the unpredictablity of a composition.
2. I learned that I have many friends, old and new, that I can ask for advice or critique. But in the end, I have to live with it.
3. I learned that by just reaching out a little bit online, there are some great friends to meet and enjoy this process with. Old friends and new friends have made it an enjoyable year. Thanks again- you are great.
4. I learned through and indepth "Artprize" experience(visited many times…) that I can find something to like in all different forms of art. Meeting Nellie was loads of fun, too. I have much to learn about art and art history.
5. I lack focus. I just get so excited about the possibilities that I need to just concentrate on the here and now. Making a list helps. I did it all the time when I worked as a physical therapist and do it now as a mom. So why would I function differently here?
6. I need to have a reliable and dependable machine. Not one that will just handle piecing but one that can repeatedly handle machine quilting. I am just going to keep trading then in until I find one that works as well as my first machine did 20 years ago. The feeling that me and my machine are one make it all worth it when I am doing a big piece.
7. And the biggest thing I learned- being a studio artist takes time and patience. You have to go through the steps. You can't just barge over top of them. You have to do the work. And then do more work. And then do it again. I only have a glimpse of what this takes.
I have made some workshop plans. No I am not going back to school. For today, I am going to do some machine quilting and try to finish up one of my pieces that I couldn't do last week. And make some dyes up for the snow we are supposed to get tomorrow. Snow dyeing!
Thanks for listening. Be creative, my friends!
This entry was posted in commission process, goals, on being a studio artist on January 6, 2011 by Colleen Kole.


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British recycling industry teams with government on fire prevention standards
Wikimedia Commons; Mark Buckawicki
The British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA) is working with the U.K.'s Environment Agency on new fire prevention guidelines, but has concerns about how some of the government's recommendations could affect businesses, as reported by LetsRecycle.com.
The agency has put out updated guidance for recycling facility operators to create fire prevention plans (FPP) that will require government approval. Main recommendations include that waste shouldn't be stored for more than six months and stacks should be at least six meters apart and no more than four meters high.
Many operators represented by the BMRA say these requirements will make it more challenging to do business and are hoping to reach some type of compromise.
The Environment Agency recently agreed to coordinate with wood recyclers on similar FPP guidance and will do the same with the BMRA. Industry representatives have been meeting with government officials for months and will host their own meeting next month to reach an agreement on what type FPP details they could support.
Last year, the Chief Fire Officers' Association signed a memorandum of understanding with the Environment Agency to work on reducing fires at waste facilities and putting out the ones that do occur more quickly. This included plans to test the flammability of certain materials and offer guidance on details such as stack size and storage specifications. The organization says that the number of fires at U.K. waste facilities has remained consistent around 250 per year for the past 10 years.
Fires at waste facilities are an ongoing issue for the U.S. waste industry as well and no clear statistics have been maintained for how frequently they occur. Sometimes these incidents can be relatively minor, though if safety precautions haven't been followed they can quickly consume entire buildings. Striking a balance between following fire regulations and operating efficient businesses can be difficult, but is necessary to ensure that companies still have facilities to operate.
LetsRecycle.com Metal recyclers push for 'sector-specific' fire guidance
Filed Under: Collections & Transfer Policy
Photo illustration by Brian Tucker/Waste Dive/Waste Dive
Disposing 'forever' toxins: How the waste and recycling industry is tackling the PFAS chemicals crisis
Found everywhere from Arctic seawater to the blood of most humans, PFAS are inevitable in the waste stream. With the prospect of regulations and litigation mounting, the industry is figuring out how to handle one of its most difficult issues in years.
By E.A. Crunden • Oct. 19, 2020
Latest in Collections & Transfer
By Chris Teale • Jan. 20, 2021


Top prospects Christian Arroyo and Tyler Beede highlight an interesting mix of old and new faces en route to Richmond, Va. for the 2016 season. The pair make up two of the Giants' three most recent first-round selections, with Arroyo coming from high school in 2013 and Beede leaving Vanderbilt fresh off a NCAA championship in 2014.
After grinding through a tough 2014 campaign in Augusta, the 20-year-old shortstop from Florida was the offensive star of the San Jose Giants last year and received a well-earned bump to Double-A to begin his third full season. Beede will be making his return to the Eastern League after getting the call-up from San Jose in early June.
Thirteen of the 30 listed players have spent at least one full season with the Flying Squirrels already. Names like Kyle Crick, Mike Kickham, Adalberto Mejia, Angel Villalona, Ricky Oropesa, and Myles Schroder should be very familiar to the fans in RVA, including Oropesa who has 1,149 career plate appearances spanning three seasons for Richmond.
Considering Crick has not made a start since June 25 of 2015, making 25 consecutive relief appearances following a two-hit, four-walk outing that lasted just 0.2 innings, it's safe to guess he won't be back in the starting rotation. But you never know.
Beede, feeling fresh since re-introducing the four-seam fastball to his arsenal, should have last year's end-of-year struggles out of his mind to focus on a potential breakout season. With his continual addition of weight since his final year at Vanderbilt, Beede has built a potent mix of pitches that includes three types of fastballs, two types of changeups, and a power curve/slider.
Mejia and Gage make up two-thirds of the lefties in the rotation, welcoming back former prospect Kickham, who spent 2015 playing in the Pacific Coast League for two different major league affiliates — Round Rock (Texas) and Tacoma (Seattle). He made 12 appearances (5 starts) and logged a 7.00 ERA in 27 innings before being released by Texas in June. Now he'll be back in the Giants' organization after a minor league deal was agreed upon back in January.
Not a lot of lefties in that pen, with former starter Christian Jones being the only representative. Look for heavy innings between the seventh and ninth innings from Black, Mizenko, Smith, and Slania, who have all had impressive numbers in late game situations going back through the last two years. Three of the four were crucial for San Jose a year ago, with Black, Smith, and Slania all averaging more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings and combining for a 3.11 ERA. Black blew away the California League, striking out 18.4 batters per nine and continued the dominance into the Arizona Fall League, punching out 16 in nine innings of work for the Scottsdale Scorpions.
The sinkerbaler Mizenko (video here) is a surprise return to Richmond considering his 50-inning, 1.98 ERA performance out of the pen last season. A deserved call-up to Sacramento sometime this year could be in order.
The outfield is a precarious dilemma in Richmond, as it seems the roster is missing a true centerfielder. The four listed outfielders combine to 163 innings of experience in center, which amounts to about 18 games. Strangely enough, Schroder (listed as an infielder) has the most time under his belt in center field, logging 103 innings last season. Based on the recent workload of Slater at second base (96 games in 2015 split between San Jose and Richmond), I say he mans second base while Schroder moves to the outfield alongside Cole and Horan.
The group will have little trouble mixing it up though, as Slater, Cole, and Schroder all project as utility players moving forward. As a pro, Slater has played every non-catcher position except first and third while Cole has played everything but shortstop and center field. Schroder is the ultimate swiss army knife. The 28-year-old has played every position, including catcher, in his five pro seasons.
The bench is made up of catchers Eliezer Zambrano and Matt Winn, infielders Ali Castillo, Rando Moreno, and Angel Villalona, as well as veteran outfielder Carlos Moncrief.


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12 teenage philanthropist outlines steps to making a difference
Philantrophy
ByFarjana Rahman February 4, 2019
You would be forgotten for thinking we stay inside an enormous, actual sizzling load of garbage. The political landscape develops progressively terrifying each day as the world is compelled to react to an ever-increasing sequence of risks. So, it would be easy to step down yourself to this truth, especially if you're a teenager. We're made fun of for every part of how we stay. How could anyone really take us seriously if we tried to stand up for what we believe in? All it takes is one idea and the right kind of dedication and dedication to effect change at the local level. Start with a very important factor you're enthusiastic about and discover small, local ways to arrange and discover alternatives to the problem.
These 12 teenage philanthropist outlines steps to making a difference for is, for the world:
At 17, Yousafzai became the newest Nobel Prize laureate for her humanitarian initiatives. She has taken the world's interest after being taken by the Taliban in Pakistan on her way university because she was a suggestion for females seeking education and learning. She is currently operating towards her bachelor's degree at Oxford's Woman Margaret Hall while ongoing her charitable work through her organization, The Malala Fund.
Sophie Cruz
Cruz made a name for herself at 5 years of age when she visited Washington D.C. with her family members. As associates of an L.A.-based immigration advocacy group, they were there to provide a correspondence to Pope Francis encouraging him to talk out regarding undocumented employees and support the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans Act. The Pope mentioned the problem in a meeting with the Congress the following day. Cruz's activism obtained her an invite to fulfill President Obama in 2016 even though her parents could not go along with her because of their undocumented position. She took part in the Women's March in D.C.
Further evidence that the words of the teenager can make an enormous effect, Samantha Smith was only 10 when she reduced Cold War tensions between the United States and Russia with a single correspondence. She had written a note to CPSU General Secretary Yuri Andropov indicating that both countries could co-exist quietly, which finished up getting released in a Communist paper. Andropov reacted with an invite for Smith and her family members to visit his country. This encounter obtained her the function of "America's Youngest Ambassador" and she later introduced her letter of serenity to Japan. She also followed a television profession as a celebrity and as a special correspondent for the Disney channel in the 1984 presidential election.
Iqbal Masih
Masih was a Pakistani boy who runaway child slavery at 10 years old and became an innovator in the activity to put an end to it once and for all. He assisted over 3,000 kids to evade bondage and frequented the world talking against the problem. Masih was killed when he was 12 and approximately 800 individuals joined his memorial. However, his heritage endures well beyond his loss of life. During 2009, Congress started a yearly award in his name given to activists battling to end child labor.
Colvin was 15 when she became a major player in the Civil Rights Movement by declining to give up her bus chair to a white driver. This was nine months before Rosa Parks was captured for the same. She was one of the four litigants involved in the Superior Lawsuit that eventually banned segregation on Al vehicles. Colvin has said about her encounter, " I feel very, very proud of what I did. I do feel like what I did was a spark and it caught on."
Jazz Jennings
At 5 years of age, Jennings made headlines as one of the youngest publicly documented individuals to recognize as transgender. She has used her system to suggest for LGBTQIA issues, specifically regarding trans rights. With assist her parents, she established the TransKids Purple Rainbow Foundation to help transgender youngsters. Jennings also had written a kid's book and a precious moment about her expertise in addition to featuring in a TLC truth show recording her trip. She has been recognized by GLAAD, Out magazine, Advocate, Logo TV, and the Human Rights Campaign.
Bana al-Abed
Young people using social media may not seem life-changing, but one look at Abed's Tweets page will convince you. At just seven years of age, she used her little speech in a big way to call focus on the atrocities going on in war-torn Syria. With some the help of her mother, Abed has called upon world management to complete the task.
Anoyara Khatun
At 12 years of age, Khatun was a target of kid trafficking until she was saved by the Save the Children Organization. She came back to West Bengal and dedicated her life to putting an end to the exploitation and trafficking of children. Anoyara has saved thousands of children through her initiatives and avoided many others from having into the wedding.
Nkosi Johnson
Johnson put a face to the HIV/AIDS problems in Africa in the '90s. Born HIV-positive, he obtained group interest when he has rejected admittance to a public school in Johannesburg because of the disease. He distributed his tale when he was welcomed to be the keynote presenter at the 13th International AIDS Conference in 2000 when he was 11 years of age. Johnson lost his battle one year later but not before operating with his promote mother to make Nkosi's Haven, a sanctuary for HIV beneficial mother and their children. He was posthumously granted the International Children's Peace Prize in 2005.
Thandiwe Chama
Chama obtained the 2007 International Children's Peace Prize when she was 16 for her performance as an academic rights capitalist in Zambia. She has also been a crusader for the rights of individuals living with HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Mari Copeny
Copeny, AKA Little Miss Flint, taken President Obama's attention in 2016 after she had written him a correspondence encouraging him to discuss with her and her group members who were visiting Washington D.C. for the congressional conferences on the Flint water crisis. She carries on to combat for the individuals of her home town in any way that she can such as crowdfunding for contributions to buy backpacks for individuals in Flint. Mari is also a youngster's ambassador for the Women's March, the Climate March, and Equality for Her.
Mikaila Ulmer
Ulmer is another example of how a little lemonade can change the world. After learning about how much bees do for the surroundings and how they're passing away out, four-year-old Ulmer made a decision to complete the task by becoming a member of a local children's business competitors. Her product was a family lemonade recipe sweetened with locally-made honey with a part of the sales going to organization battling to avoid wasting the honeybee inhabitants. She offers her lemonade at group activities and has a collaboration with Whole Foods.
Tags: Anoyara KhatunBana al-Abedbeautifulbeautiful peoplechild laborFlint water crisisGLAADgoogleHuman Rights CampaignInternational AIDS ConferenceInternational Children's PeaceIqbal MasihJazz JenningsLittle Miss FlintLogo TvMagazinemaking a differenceMalala YousafzaiMari CopenyMikaila UlmerMy BillboardNkosi's HavenPresident ObamaSophie Cruzteenage philanthropistteenagerThandiwe ChamaThe Malala FundWhole FoodsWomen's March
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Go To Members Area
IHM Fellowship Programme
Home≫£5 million fund to develop support for unpaid carers
£5 million fund to develop support for unpaid carers
The Department of Health and Social Care has today release details of the £5 million Carers Innovation Fund which will invest in innovative ways of supporting unpaid carers, outside of mainstream health and care services.
This funding will be used to improve support across the country and help build more carer-friendly communities.
Examples of the kind of projects the fund would invest in include:
technology platforms – for example, to help carers to take a break from their caring responsibilities
support groups – like carers' cafes and Men's Sheds, which develop peer support groups and offer short courses to help reduce isolation
Projects will be expected to show a positive effect on:
carers' health and wellbeing
carers' ability to manage work alongside caring responsibilities
carers' ability to take a break from their caring role
reducing loneliness and social isolation
Applicants will need to demonstrate their idea is a fresh approach that is better than existing provision, will benefit the local community and can be expanded and replicated.
The voluntary sector, charities, SMEs and commercial organisations can all bid for funding to prove their concept, with the aim of securing longer term funding from other sources.
Carers and other experts will sit on the evaluation panel to make sure proposals are feasible.
The fund was first announced last year as part of the Carers Action Plan, a cross-government programme of targeted work to support unpaid carers over the next 2 years. Initially the fund was worth half a million pounds. However, funding was later increased to £5 million.
The NHS is also working to better identify and support carers across England, as part of the NHS Long Term Plan.
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8 Ball Pool Game Review
GamesArcadeBoard
8 BALL POOL, an Android game with Miniclip.com released on 01/23/2013. The genre of the game: Game of sport. In this review article, we have provided summed up suggestions about TOP players leveling, developers' answers to gamers' questions, instructions to official website novices, and our secrets about the game going on.
Please note: the website of Wise Geek is continually updated.
8 Ball Pool is a mobile billboard simulation game that is funded and controlled. Pool 8 is a real-life US billiard kind and one of the most popular games in the world. There will be professional championships and amateur championships. The game is played in the middle of the two long sides of the table and on the borders of the table, with a typical 6 packing table. 16 balls are on the ball, while the rest are chopped by a white ball (cue ball). The colors are stripped with 7 balls, 7 solid, and 1 black with 8 balls.
8 Ball Pool matches are held in game rooms, where users compete in multiplayer meetings to earn cash that may be spent on indicators and other equipment. Each chamber has its own set of rules, awards, and admission fees, many of which are comparable. Players can also gain experience points to level up and unlock additional tables, replicates (talking to the opponent while competing), and other features.
The competition's goal is for the player to pocket all of the balls in one group after breaking the pyramid (colored or striped). Finally, a black ball must be scored. The athlete who meets all of the standards of the room wins. If you score an "eight," and your opponent pockets the final ball in his group, he wins.
Read More: Rento – Play the Dice Board Game Online
The gameplay is ideal for a pool game. Simply tap where you want the white ball to go and then drag the marker right to where you want the ball to be. Taping the white ball in the lower right corner of the ball might have a big influence if the next shot is lined up. When you're ready to shoot, simply move the pool marker back into the lower portion of the screen to see how difficult your ball is to shoot. All of this adds up to a fantastic pool experience that is almost as exciting as the real thing.
How to earn currency for the game:
Daily Spin – You get up to 50 000 coins, scratch cards, and a happy 8 Cue with the 'Spin and Win' game. You must enter the roulette wheel and turn the wheel every day to do this.
Free Coins – Every 30 minutes you can collect 25 free coins by clicking a button on the home screen. Free coins are not restricted during the day.
Scratch cards are a sort of instant lottery where multiple places on the card need to be erased. The maximum payout is 250,000 coins.
Hi-Lo is a mini-game where bets from 2 to 8 bucks can be placed to win up to 1,000,000 coins. Matches for winning.
You can easily buy coins and dollars for real money at the shop. The costs of the package begin at $1.99.
Game Rank Classifications
8 ball pool ranks of the players have been classified 3 ways:
Points, levels, and grades of experience. How are they computed?
Experience Points – You play 1v1 for each match, as well as receive experience points at tournaments. You gain or lose, but winning gives you more experience than losing.
The number of experiential points you have is decided by the level and is represented in the star in the upper left corner of the screen.
Rank – Your rank is determined by the level. See the table below for the division of ranks.
As you level up, you'll open up additional tournaments and matches that players with higher ratings only have. In these events, there is an increase in stakes, an increase in the buy-in, a larger prize pool, and greater competition.
Click on your photo profile on the upper left corner to check all your statistics: experience, level, and rank, as well as some additional statistics about your game, like the number of games you played and won.
On the visuals, there is not much to say. Don't expect a comprehensive 3D experience, as I think the gameplay would be less fun and harder to play. The sound is similar in a pool game, with merely the ball's sounds and sometimes crowd cheer. In addition to internet play, the developer contains a few game types that you will open as you move through the stages. There is a practical mode right now but you will not have a local pass and play option until you reach level 5.
There are two sorts of timers on the scoreboard when you play a tournament:
Hit time – Hit time -Time and power of your cue are the time it takes to hit the cue ball. The hit timer also relies on how many balls you scored in the current meeting. This timepiece is positioned near your avatar's edge. If time runs out, your adversary's move is passed on.
Total time for match-This is the total time every player has to play the game and is located at the left-hand side of the XP bar. When your turn arrives, the timepiece in the circle begins to reckon down. Time stops when you hit the sword. If the time is running out, you will lose it, regardless of the number of balls you pocket.
Coin and dollar. Coins and dollars. As said, 8 ball pools have two currencies, coins and cash (dollars).
Coins are the main money of the game, with your coins used for matches, pool signals, conversation packs, and tabletops.
Cash – acquired mostly through shop purchases, for each new level and particular results.
I've just been playing the best pool game
Excellent gameplay
It is addictive to play online
In this game, I have nothing wrong to say
8 Ball Pool: Beginners Tips
Enter an original name for the account.
You should have seen and loved the game and should not use "Guest35245228" as the standard name for yourself. With time, you will be recognized by your original nickname when you level up to some heights. And no one will remember you if you stay under a guest account. Some players didn't receive a name for themselves instantly, and then they sought to transfer the process to another account when they found out that they had made a mistake. However, this cannot be done since both accounts are immediately deleted by the developer and nothing is left.
Make sure you generate an ID for Miniclip –
Go to miniclip.com's official website, to do this. Then you must log in, select a nickname, an avatar, and connect the gaming account to that account. It's a warning. The website has a wide range and you need to choose your cartoon avatars. But it can be tailored to your needs.
Facebook Registration –
The system often asks for permission to send a message to a messenger about your triumph, achievement, and other events, allows you to create a temporary Facebook account, especially for your game. The messenger can provide you with a complete picture of the avatar.
This is as near as you get to the real thing for everyone who loves a good pool game now and then. Online mode is addictive and the pass and play option is ideal for a game between you and a friend. The graphics and sound are nothing extraordinary, but it keeps the playing pure. The app has a capacity of just over 50 MB, for both iPad, iPhone & android.
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Fantasian Game Review
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8 Ball Pool Game Review8 BALL POOL, an Android game with Miniclip.com released on 01/23/2013. The genre of the game: Game of sport. In this review article, we have provided summed up suggestions about TOP players leveling, developers' answers to gamers' questions, instructions to official website novices, and...


text:
News|Taliban
Ghani defends departure amid anti-Taliban protests in Jalalabad
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani says he did not run away and denies taking large sums of money in his first comments since leaving Afghanistan – updates as they happened.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani makes an address about the latest developments in the country from exile in United Arab Emirates, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video on August 18, 2021 [Facebook/Ashraf Ghani/via Reuters]
By Zaheena Rasheed, Tamila Varshalomidze and Usaid Siddiqui
Published On 18 Aug 202118 Aug 2021
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, speaking from exile in the United Arab Emirates, said on Wednesday that he had left Kabul to prevent bloodshed and denied reports he took large sums of money with him as he left the presidential palace.
Protests in the eastern city of Jalalabad against the Taliban replacing the Afghan flag with the group's have now spread elsewhere in Afghanistan.
In Jalalabad, at least three people have been reportedly killed and a dozen others wounded after shots were fired at protesters.
Meanwhile, at least 5,000 diplomats, security staff, aid workers and Afghans were evacuated from the capital, according to a Western security official, as countries sought to step up evacuation efforts.
This blog is now closed. Below are the key developments from Wednesday, August 18 – as they happened:
18 Aug 2021 - 23:08 GMT
UK announces doubling humanitarian aid to Afghanistan
The UK will double its humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan this year, bringing it to 286 million British pounds ($393m), Foreign Minister Dominic Raab announced on Wednesday.
"The UK will double its humanitarian and development aid to Afghanistan to £286m this year," Raab wrote on Twitter. "We call on others to follow our lead to ensure the most vulnerable Afghans receive the humanitarian assistance they need."
He did not elaborate on how the aid will be delivered after the Taliban takeover of the country.
The UK will double its humanitarian and development aid to Afghanistan to £286m this year. We call on others to follow our lead to ensure the most vulnerable Afghans receive the humanitarian assistance they need.
— Dominic Raab (@DominicRaab) August 18, 2021
US forces could stay beyond August 31 to evacuate all Americans
US forces could stay beyond the August 31 deadline for troop withdrawal to get all American citizens out of Afghanistan, President Joe Biden said on Wednesday.
In an interview with ABC News TV network, Biden said the military is looking to evacuate US citizens before the end of the month but US forces would stay longer if the mission is not finished.
"Americans should understand that we're going to try to get it done before August 31 … And if there's American citizens left, we're going to stay to get them all out," he said.
Biden did not extend the pledge to Afghans who worked with the US and are looking to flee.
US President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the worsening crisis in Afghanistan from the White House, August 16 [Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images via AFP]
Chaos at Kabul airport was unavoidable, Biden says
President Joe Biden has denied that the United States committed mistakes in the handling of the withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan, saying that the panic that unfolded at the Kabul airport on Monday was unavoidable.
Quizzed on the situation during an ABC News TV network interview, parts of which were released on Wednesday, Biden said the situation could not have been handled better to prevent the chaos at the Kabul airport after the sudden collapse of the Afghan government.
"We're going to go back in hindsight and look but the idea that somehow there's a way to have gotten out without chaos ensuing – I don't know how that happens," the US president said.
UK PM rejects Afghanistan inquiry as MPs debate Taliban takeover
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson rules out an inquiry into the United Kingdom's involvement in Afghanistan, disappointing legislators who have called for one following the Taliban's rapid seizure of power in the country.
Addressing Parliament, Johnson dismissed pleas from across the political spectrum for a public hearing into the part played by the UK in the years-long intervention in Afghanistan headed by the US in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a debate in Parliament on the situation in Afghanistan in London, UK, August 18, 2021 [UK Parliament/Roger Harris/Handout via Reuters]
China seeks stability in Afghanistan before economic dialogue
Shenzhen, China – In the coming weeks and months, if not years, China will need to walk a tightrope related to economic and security engagements in Afghanistan or risk the fate other major powers have suffered by engaging in conflicts that drained them financially and at the cost of many lives.
China's concerns over stability in the region and the potential for a security vacuum that emboldens militants there outweigh a desire to tap into Afghanistan's mineral wealth and further advance regional infrastructure connections through the area in the near term.
Top general says US military did not foresee dangerous Afghan 'collapse'
Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley, the top US military officer said on Wednesday that Pentagon decision-makers did not anticipate the rapid collapse of the US-trained Afghan military.
"There was nothing that I or anyone else saw that indicated a collapse of this army in this government in 11 days," General Milley told reporters at the Pentagon, adding the military is focused on securing the Kabul airport and there will be time for reviews of the events later.
The US presently has 4,500 Marines at the airport in a "volatile" situation that is presently secure but could change rapidly, Milley said. More troops from the US Army's 82nd Airborne and 10th Mountain divisions are flowing in bringing the total force up to 6,000.
"The situation is still very dangerous, very dynamic and very fluid," Milley said at a news briefing.
US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley [File: Erin Scott/Reuters]
Raisi calls Putin, Xi on Afghanistan
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi called his Russian and Chinese counterparts on the phone about Afghanistan which shares a border with his country, his website said.
He told Russian President Vladimir Putin that establishing peace and stability in Afghanistan has always been a priority for Iran, and "all active Afghan groups" must work together to turn the US exit into an opportunity towards that goal. He also said Iran and Russia's history of cooperating in Syria can help them work together on Afghanistan.
Raisi also told Chinese President Xi Jinping that Iran is ready to work with China on Afghanistan. Xi reportedly told him that the two countries have similar demands and interests when it comes to Afghanistan, adding, "We are ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation under the new circumstances".
President Ghani 'no longer a figure' in Afghanistan
A top US diplomat has dismissed the significance of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani emerging in the United Arab Emirates, saying that Ghani, who fled the capital Kabul amid the Taliban takeover, is "no longer a figure" in the country.
"We saw the announcement by the UAE this morning that Ghani had been welcomed by the government, and that is that … He is no longer a figure in Afghanistan," Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said on Wednesday.
She suggested that the UAE hosting Ghani will not affect Abu Dhabi's ties with Washington.
"We have a fine relationship with the UAE," Sherman told reporters at a news briefing.
Members of Taliban forces sit at a checkpost in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 17, 2021 [Reuters]
Erdoğan says Turkey still willing to protect Kabul airport
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday said Turkey was still prepared to protect Kabul airport following the Taliban takeover, and Ankara was talking with all concerned parties.
"We aimed at ensuring the security of the airport and contributing to the security of this country after the withdrawal of American (troops). We still maintain this intention," Erdoğan said in a televised interview.
Ankara has negotiated with US defence officials since offering to help secure and run Kabul airport, which is key to allowing countries to retain a diplomatic presence in Afghanistan after the US troop withdrawal.
US evacuated 2,000 people from Kabul over past day
The United States has evacuated around 2,000 people from Afghanistan on military flights over the past 24 hours, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said.
US officials have also processed more than 4,800 visas for Afghans looking to flee the country and are continuing to work on the applications for "thousands and thousands" of people, Sherman added.
US officials said on Tuesday that the Taliban had agreed to allow a "safe passage" to the airport, but Sherman said the State Department is receiving reports that the Afghan group is already violating that pledge.
"Our team in Doha and our military partners on the ground in Kabul are engaging directly with the Taliban to make clear that we expect them to allow all American citizens, all third-country nationals and all Afghans, who wish to leave, to do so safely and without harassment," Sherman told reporters.
Afghans gather outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport to flee the country, after Taliban took control of Kabul, Afghanistan, August 17, 2021 [EPA]
Taliban are supporting UK evacuation plans: UK ambassador in Kabul
The United Kingdom is working with the Taliban in Kabul on a "tactical, practical level" to evacuate citizens and eligible Afghans, the UK's ambassador to Afghanistan said, adding that the evacuation programme would last days, not weeks.
Western nations are scrambling to get diplomats, civilians and eligible Afghans out of Kabul as the Taliban make their first efforts to set up a government after their lightning sweep into the capital.
US legislators urge Biden administration to evacuate journalists from Kabul
Two leading members of the US House of Representatives have joined calls on the Biden administration to evacuate Afghan journalists from Kabul in addition to US media.
Representatives Adam Schiff, a Democrat, and Steve Chabot, a Republican, co-chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Freedom of the Press Caucus, sent a letter to President Joe Biden demanding the US offer safe passage and transport out of Afghanistan for journalists and media staff at risk of violence or death under Taliban rule.
"Journalists and media support staff who assisted media organizations are in imminent danger as Afghanistan continues to deteriorate," Schiff and Chabot wrote.
"These courageous individuals should receive safe passage to Hamid Karzai International Airport, and be transported to safety outside of the country if they request it," they said.
People wait to be evacuated from Afghanistan at the airport in Kabul on August 18, 2021, following the Taliban stunning takeover of the country [AFP]
Ghani says allegations he left with cash 'baseless'
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani president has said allegations that he escaped with suitcases of cash were "completely baseless", saying it was all "political and personality assassination".
"You can find out from custom officials and other authorities that they (allegations) were baseless," he added.
Afghan President Ghani says he left to prevent bloodshed
Speaking from exile in the United Arab Emirates, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he had to leave Afghanistan in order to prevent bloodshed and to make sure a huge disaster was prevented.
Ghani said he had to leave because he was forced by his security, leaving behind his main assets and "confidential documents".
"My mission was going to be that for power seeking Kabul should not be turned into another Yemen or Syria," he added in a video streamed on Facebook, his first public comments since it was confirmed he was in the UAE.
Ghani has been bitterly criticised by former ministers for leaving the country suddenly as Taliban forces entered Kabul on Sunday.
President Ghani to make statement from exile
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who is currently in the United Arab Emirates, is set to give a live speech via Facebook, he posted on social media.
Former Afghan women's captain tells players to burn kits, delete photos
The former captain of the Afghan women's soccer team has urged players to delete social media, erase public identities and burn their kits for safety's sake now that the country is again under Taliban rule.
Copenhagen-based Khalida Popal told the Reuters news agency in a video interview said that the Taliban had killed, raped and stoned women in the past and female footballers were scared of what the future might hold.
"Today, I'm calling them and telling them, take down their names, remove their identities, take down their photos for their safety. Even I'm telling them to burn down or get rid of your national team uniform," she said.
Taliban should explain Islamic law it wants to apply: NGO
The chairperson of the Afghanistan Women's Council has asked the Taliban to explain the interpretation of Islamic law the group is hoping to apply as soon as possible.
"I am not afraid from the Taliban, but I want from the Taliban … is security, to stop the war in Afghanistan … for the Afghan woman this is very, very important," Fatana Gailani told Al Jazeera from Kabul.
"Second, the Taliban should explain which kind of Sharia they are bringing … we are not afraid from but by the name of Sharia, but we want to be sure what they say about women's rights. Right now they are talking very nicely about women's rights … but we want to know what is the future for Afghan women."
Situation for women, children in Afghanistan 'very concerning': aid organisation
Save the Children is warning that the unfolding crisis in Afghanistan is exacerbating what was already an extremely dire situation in the country.
The aid organisation's regional director for Asia, Hassan Noor, says the aid group paused its Afghanistan operations and closed its offices as of Sunday, pending an assessment of the security situation.
Speaking to journalists at an online press briefing, Noor said the future of Afghanistan's population, particularly women and children, was "very concerning," particularly with regards to how their humanitarian needs will be met.
Afghan envoy says hold-out Panjshir province can resist Taliban rule
The Afghan ambassador to Tajikistan rejected Taliban rule of his country and said hold-out Panjshir province, north of Kabul, would serve as a stronghold for resistance led by Amrullah Saleh, who has proclaimed himself acting president.
Lieutenant General Zahir Aghbar, who held senior positions in Afghan state security including chief of police before becoming ambassador, said Ghani was a traitor.
"I cannot say that the Taliban have won the war. No, it was just Dr Ashraf Ghani who gave up power after treacherous talks with the Taliban," he told the Reuters news agency in an interview.
Protests in London to speed up Afghan evacuations
Protesters gathered outside the UK Parliament calling on the country's government to do more to evacuate residents in Afghanistan.
The demonstrators, many of whom have family members living in Afghanistan, held signs with images of those who were stranded in the country.
In recent days, the UK government has deployed around 900 troops to help evacuate UK nationals and Afghan troops who helped UK forces during their time there.
Demonstrators hold Afghanistan flags, during a protest in Parliament Square, London, Wednesday, August 18, 2021 [Alberto Pezzali/AP Photo]
Millions of Afghans 'starving': Norwegian Refugee Council
The head of the Norwegian Refugee Council has raised the alarm about the number of displaced people in Afghanistan, warning that "millions" in the country were "starving".
"Our (NRC) concern are the millions and millions who are now starving … who are very afraid of their existence in the future," Jan Egeland of the NRC told Al Jazeera from Oslo, Norway.
"There is also remember, millions of refugees in Iran and Pakistan, that are also watching the drama of Afghanistan," he added.
However, Egeland said the end of fighting between the Taliban and the Afghan forces was now over, that should "enable people to return to their homes".
Where does the world stand on Afghan refugees?
The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan is raising fears of a possible humanitarian crisis that could see huge numbers of people try to flee the country.
The group, which took control of Kabul on Sunday following a rapid nationwide offensive, has pledged not to seek retribution against officials who served in the now-deposed government headed by Ashraf Ghani.
A family walks with their bags upon arrival at Frankfurt Airport, Germany, August 18, 2021, after being evacuated from Kabul, Afghanistan [Thilo Schmuelgen/Reuters]
Taliban soldiers 'firing into air' at Kabul airport to disperse crowds
Taliban commanders and soldiers were firing into the air to disperse crowds at Kabul airport, a Taliban official said.
"We have no intention to injure anyone," he told the Reuters news agency.
Massive chaos continued outside the airport, the official said, adding that the Western forces' "chaotic evacuation plan" from Afghanistan was to blame.
UAE says hosting Afghan president 'on humanitarian grounds'
The United Arab Emirates said that it is hosting Afghan President Ashraf Ghani "on humanitarian grounds", after he fled his country amid a Taliban takeover.
"The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation can confirm that the UAE has welcomed President Ashraf Ghani and his family into the country on humanitarian grounds," it said in a brief statement.
Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani [File: Reuters]
The Take: Watching the Taliban take over, one woman's story
On August 15, the Taliban took over the Afghan capital of Kabul, entered the presidential palace, and declared an end to the 20-year war.
It took the group fewer than 10 days to sweep every province.
About 5,000 evacuated from Kabul in last 24 hours
About 5,000 diplomats, security staff, aid workers and Afghans have been evacuated from the capital Kabul in the last 24 hours, a Western official told the Reuters news agency.
The evacuations by military flights will continue around the clock, he said, adding that clearing the chaos outside the airport was a challenge.
Dutch get 35 citizens out of Afghanistan in slow start
The Netherlands has managed to get 35 of its citizens out of Afghanistan in a slow start to its evacuation operation amid chaos outside Kabul airport, Defence Minister Ank Bijleveld says.
The 35 Dutch were flown to Tbilisi in Georgia along with 16 Belgians, two Germans and two British citizens, Bijleveld said, on a Boeing C-17 plane operated jointly by NATO countries.
Anti-Taliban protests spread beyond Jalalabad
Al Jazeera's Charlotte Bellis, reporting from Kabul, says that the anti-Taliban protests have expanded beyond Jalalabad to several other provinces.
"People are very upset that the national flag was taken down and that the Taliban flag has been raised," said Bellis.
She added, "That isn't the only flashpoint in Afghanistan today. There is ongoing chaos at the airport where the Taliban is still trying to hold people off from reaching the airport, breaching the security perimeter and having a repeat of what happened on Monday when thousands of people made their way onto the tarmac and disrupted evacuation flights."
The Taliban flag flies at the Ghazni provincial governor's house [Gulabuddin Amiri/AP]
EU, US 'deeply worried about Afghan women and girls'
The US, UK and 18 other countries, as well as the EU, issued a joint statement, saying they were "deeply worried about Afghan women and girls" and urging the Taliban to ensure their safety.
The statement was released as concerns soared about the Taliban's return to power after their 1996-2001 rule was characterised by a strict interpretation of Islam that prevented Afghan women from working or studying, or travelling without a male "guardian".
"We are deeply worried about Afghan women and girls, their rights to education, work and freedom of movement. We call on those in positions of power and authority across Afghanistan to guarantee their protection," said the statement, whose other co-signatories included Australia, Brazil, Canada, Guatemala, New Zealand, Senegal and Switzerland.
At least three dead after anti-Taliban protests in Jalalabad
At least three people were killed and more than a dozen wounded after Taliban fighters opened fire during protests against the group in the Afghan city of Jalalabad, two witnesses and a former police official told the Reuters news agency.
The witnesses said the deaths took place when local residents tried to install Afghanistan's national flag at a square in the city, about 150km (90 miles) to the east of Kabul.
Aim should be to keep most Afghan refugees in the region: Austria
The European Union should aim to keep most of people fleeing Afghanistan in the region, Austria's interior minister says, adding that failing to do so would be "very dangerous" for Europe.
"The aim must be to keep the bulk of people in the region," Interior Minister Karl Nehammer told a news conference before a video conference with his EU counterparts, adding that countries near Afghanistan that take in Afghans should be provided with financial and other support.
Poland gets 50 people out of Afghanistan, offers to bring out more
Poland has evacuated about 50 people from Afghanistan, a deputy foreign minister says.
Poland said on Tuesday it had around 100 people on an evacuation list. It has pledged offer places on its planes to other people trying to leave Afghanistan from Kabul airport, where chaotic scenes have caused problems for some evacuation efforts.
"About 50 people were evacuated from Afghanistan, they are now safe in the care of the Polish consulate in Uzbekistan," Marcin Przydacz told reporters. "A civilian plane is waiting for them that will soon transport them to Poland."
Przydacz said that one Polish citizen was among those evacuated, while the others were people who had worked with the Polish military and diplomatic missions.
Poland is sending more planes to help evacuate people, he said.
Merkel speaks to Pakistan's PM, Qatar's emir on Afghanistan
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Kahn, the emir of Qatar and the head of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), her spokesman says.
"The chancellor spoke yesterday, in the early evening, with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Kahn as well as with the emir of Qatar," spokesman Steffen Seibert told a regular news conference.
Merkel also spoke with Filippo Grandi, head of the UNHCR refugee agency, Seibert said, adding that the biggest flows of Afghans at the moment were within the country.
US agencies scrub websites in bid to protect Afghans
Multiple United States agencies that operated in Afghanistan and worked with Afghan citizens have been hastily purging their websites, removing articles and photos that could endanger the Afghan civilians who interacted with them and now fear retribution from the Taliban.
The online scrubbing campaign appeared to begin late last week when it became clear that the Afghan security forces had completely collapsed and the Taliban would take over the country far faster than even the most alarmist official predictions.
Taliban fighters sit on a vehicle along the street in Jalalabad province [AFP]
UK to take 5,000 Afghan refugees this year: Johnson
The British government says it will take in 5,000 Afghan refugees this year, primarily women and children, as lawmakers pack Parliament for a heated emergency debate on the UK response to the Taliban's seizure of power in Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has come under fire for the chaotic turn of events in Afghanistan, said a new "generous" refugee settlement programme would allow up to 20,000 vulnerable Afghans to seek sanctuary in the UK in the coming years.
That number is over and above the 5,000 or so Afghan allies the UK is trying to evacuate from Kabul's international airport.
Pakistan issuing visas upon arrival to all foreigners leaving Kabul
Pakistan is issuing visas upon arrival to all diplomats, foreigners and journalists who want to leave Kabul over security concerns.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that since Sunday, 900 foreigners including diplomats and staff working for international organisations have arrived in Pakistan from Kabul via air travel.
He said transit visas were also being issued to foreigners upon arrival from Afghanistan at airports and land crossings so that they could travel on to their home countries.
Ahmed said hundreds of Pakistanis and Afghans crossed into Pakistan from two key land border crossings in recent days.
He said all Pakistanis who want to leave Afghanistan will be brought back over the coming two days.
A Pakistani newspaper displaying front page news about Afghanistan [Aamir Qureshi/AFP]
Afghan refugees cross into Turkey from Iran
Fearing a new refugee crisis, Turkey is reinforcing its border with Iran to stop a potential influx of Afghans fleeing the Taliban.
Irregular arrivals are already up as Afghans who fled weeks and months ago show up at the rugged border area after a long trek across Iran.
A group of Afghans encountered by The Associated Press news agency near the border said they had deserted the Afghan military and fled the country as the Taliban offensive accelerated.
Afghan women await Taliban's definition of women's rights: Gailani
Fatana Gailani, chairperson for the Afghanistan Women Council, told Al Jazeera the Taliban should unveil "the programme for the future of the Afghan women".
"I have worked for Afghan women's rights for four decades and more than three decades for peace and security for my country. I am not afraid of the Taliban. … The Taliban should explain which kind of Shariah they are bringing in Afghanistan."
"Afghan people, Afghan women are Muslims, we are not afraid by the name of Shariah, but we want to be sure what they say about women's rights. Up until now, they are just talking about women's rights, very nicely, very kindly, but we want to see what is the programme for the future of the Afghan women."
Schoolgirls sit at the schoolyard in Herat [Aref Karimi/AFP]
"I urge the international community, the Western countries and the United States … and Mr Joe Biden, not to leave Afghanistan's people alone. Come back, because many diplomats closed their embassies in Afghanistan. Why? They should stay with Afghan people. We are of course working for women for the future. I hope that they understand us, that they should be nice and friendly with Afghan women, they will not leave Afghanistan alone. They should to work with Taliban for peace and for security."
"I think the Taliban now say they are nice [to Afghan] women. I try to believe, I still hope. We are working and we are just waiting for a few more days."
EU must take in Afghans: European Parliament chief
The European Union has a responsibility to accept Afghan refugees and cannot leave people who worked for the bloc in Afghanistan to "face revenge", European Parliament President David Sassoli says.
He said refugees arriving from Afghanistan should be distributed evenly among EU member states.
"We must protect those who worked and cooperated with us, we cannot allow them to be left to face revenge", Sassoli, an Italian, told reporters during a visit to the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius.
"We have a responsibility. I think that European Commission can authorise even distribution of them among the member states to keep a parity, and this can be done quickly."
People sit near the French embassy in Kabul [Wakil Kohsar/AFP]
Swiss will not accept large groups of Afghan refugees directly
Switzerland will not accept large groups of Afghan refugees arriving directly from the country, the government says, but instead will review asylum applications on a case-by-case basis.
Humanitarian visas will be considered for people facing an "immediate, concrete, serious and directly life-threatening threat", the government said, as it worked to evacuate local workers who aided the Swiss development office in Kabul.
Applicants for visa must also have a close and current connection to Switzerland, it added.
Stampede at gate of airport in Kabul injures 17: NATO official
Seventeen people were injured in a stampede at a gate to the airport in the Afghan capital, Kabul, a NATO security official says, as Western countries stepped up the evacuation of their diplomats and others.
Afghan civilians seeking to leave after the Taliban seized the capital on Sunday had been told not to gather around the airport unless they had a passport and visa to travel, said the official, who was working at the airport.
The official, who declined to be identified, said he had not heard any reports of violence by Taliban fighters outside the airport.
Russian and Turkish foreign ministers discuss Afghanistan
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu discussed the situation in Afghanistan and called on key players to ensure security there, Russia's foreign ministry says in a statement.
Lavrov and Cavusoglu discussed Afghanistan in detail, the foreign ministry said, and expressed a mutual interest in stabilising the situation.
Afghan girls return to school in Herat after Taliban takeover
Girls wearing white hijabs and black tunics are streaming into classrooms in the western Afghan city of Herat just days after the Taliban's takeover.
As the school opened its doors, the students scurried down corridors and chatted in courtyards, seemingly oblivious to the turmoil that has engulfed the country in the past two weeks.
Schoolgirls attend class in Herat [Aref Karimi/AFP]
The history of the Taliban
On Sunday, the Taliban swept to power in Afghanistan after a few weeks of stunning military victories.
The armed group had been toppled in a US-led invasion in 2001 following the September 11 attacks on US soil, but it gradually regained strength, carrying out numerous attacks on foreign as well as Afghan forces in the past 20 years.
Taliban fighters stand on a vehicle along the roadside in Herat [AFP]
The Taliban could be different this time: UK's army chief
Nick Carter, the UK's chief of the defence staff, told the BBC, "We have to be patient, we have to hold our nerve and we have to give them the space to form a government and we have to give them the space to show their credentials."
"It may be that this Taliban is a different Taliban to the one that people remember from the 1990s."
"We may well discover, if we give them the space, that this Taliban is of course more reasonable but what we absolutely have to remember is that they are not a homogenous organisation – the Taliban is a group of disparate tribal figures that come from all over rural Afghanistan."
Carter said the Taliban were essentially "country boys" who lived by the so-called "Pashtunwali", the traditional tribal way of life and code of conduct of the Pashtun people.
"It may well be a Taliban that is more reasonable," Carter said. "It's less repressive. And indeed, if you look at the way it is governing Kabul at the moment, there are some indications that it is more reasonable."
Ousted Afghan President Karzai meets Taliban faction chief
A Taliban commander and senior leader of the Haqqani Network armed group, Anas Haqqani, has met former Afghan President Hamid Karzai for talks, a Taliban official says, amid efforts by the Taliban to set up a government.
Karzai was accompanied by the old government's main peace envoy, Abdullah Abdullah, in the meeting, said the Taliban official, who declined to be identified. He gave no more details.
The Haqqani Network is an important faction of the Taliban, who captured the capital, Kabul, on Sunday.
The network, based on the border with Pakistan, was accused over recent years of some of the most deadly attacks in Afghanistan.
Karzai, centre left, Haqqani, right, meet in Kabul [Taliban handout via AP]
Taliban will be judged on actions, not words: British PM
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the Taliban will be judged on their actions, not their words.
The Taliban has said they want peace, will not take revenge against old enemies and would respect the rights of women within the framework of Islamic law. But thousands of Afghans, many of whom helped foreign forces, are desperate to leave.
"We will judge this regime based on the choices it makes, and by its actions rather than by its words, on its attitude to terrorism, to crime and narcotics, as well as humanitarian access, and the rights of girls to receive an education," Johnson told parliament, which was recalled from its summer break to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.
Taliban delegation in Pakistan for high-level talks
Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder, reporting from the Torkham border crossing in Pakistan, says the Taliban is in talks with the Pakistani government.
"A delegation comprising of senior Afghan officials are in Pakistan at the moment. They have already held a round of talks with the country's military leadership and the prime minister. Pakistan is stressing that the new Afghan government has to be an inclusive one. The Taliban have already signaled that they will tolerate other religious minorities as well as ethnicities within Afghanistan to form an inclusive government."
[Al Jazeera]
India's right commission urged to grant Afghans refugee status
The Rights and Risk Analysis Group (RRAG) has urged the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to protect the Afghan nationals who have fled to India in the wake of the Taliban takeover of the country by granting them refugee status.
Suhas Chakma, director of the RRAG, said: "It would be a historic blunder if India fails to grant refugee status and protection to the Afghan nationals who have fled to India irrespective of their religion. The Afghans who fled to India including the members of parliament had worked with the Government of India in the last 20 years, which makes them special targets of the Taliban, and therefore, India cannot abandon them by granting only e-visas."
Statue of Shia leader from 1990s civil war destroyed
The statue of a Shia leader, who had fought against the Taliban during Afghanistan's civil war in the 1990s, has been blown up in central Bamiyan province, according to photos circulating on social media.
Abdul Ali Mazari, a champion of Afghanistan's ethnic Hazara minority, was killed by the Taliban in 1996, when the armed group seized power from rival militias.
The statue stood in the central Bamiyan province, where the Taliban infamously blew up 1,500-year-old massive Buddha statues in 2001, shortly before the US-led invasion that drove them from power.
Abdul Ali Mazari in Taliban captivity before he was executed [File: Stringer/AFP]
Deadly clashes reported in Jalalabad over national flag
Al Jazeera's Rob McBride, reporting from Kabul, says the situation is still volatile in Afghanistan.
"We are getting reports of very serious disturbances in Jalalabad. This is a very important city, east of Kabul, towards the border with Pakistan. It's a very important trading city and so on. There has been protests there about the national flag," he said.
"Since we have seen the arrival of the Taliban, they have gradually been removing Afghanistan's national flag and replacing them with the Taliban flag. We have seen that in Kabul. A lot of people are not happy with that, but by and large they had to put up with that."
Residents in Jalalabad took down the Taliban flag and replaced it with red, black and green flag. pic.twitter.com/AEQA8gjG3u
— BILAL SARWARY (@bsarwary) August 18, 2021
"In Jalalabad, they have not put up with that. There have been resistance to that by a fairly sizable part of the community there. We have seen uploaded on social media, protests in the streets of hundreds if not thousands of people waving the national flag."
"We know that they have put the flag back up again in an important square in Jalalabad and that there have been clashes with the Taliban with reports of gunfire and also that a number of people have been both killed and injured."
Al Jazeera's Ali M Latifi, also reporting from Kabul, said later that at least two people were killed and 12 injured in the Jalalabad clashes.
Central bank reserves not compromised: Governor
Afghanistan's currency reserves are mostly held in foreign accounts and have not been compromised since the Taliban captured Kabul, the head of the central bank says.
Da Afghanistan Bank controlled about $9bn in reserves, about $7bn of which was held as a mixture of cash, gold US bonds and other paper at the Federal Reserve, Ajmal Ahmaty, the acting governor who has now fled Kabul, said on Twitter.
"In no way were Afghanistan's international reserves ever compromised," he said.
"No money was stolen from any reserve account … I can't imagine a scenario where Treasury/OFAC would given Taliban access to such funds."
US freezes Afghan central bank's assets of $9.5bn
The US has frozen nearly $9.5bn in assets belonging to the Afghan central bank and stopped shipments of cash to the nation as it tries to keep a Taliban-led government from accessing the money, an administration official confirmed Tuesday.
The official said that any central bank assets that the Afghan government has in the US will not be available to the Taliban, which remains on the Treasury Department's sanctions designation list.
[File: Victor J Blue/Bloomberg]
Minister: 25 French nationals and 184 Afghans evacuated
Twenty-five French nationals and 184 Afghans were evacuated from Afghanistan overnight and have just landed in Abu Dhabi, French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian says.
More than 2,200 diplomats and other civilians have been evacuated from Afghanistan on military flights, a Western security official told the Reuters news agency, as efforts gathered pace to get people out after the Taliban seized the capital.
Mayhem at Kabul Airport (Day 4) https://t.co/7tQxpymS0O
— Saad Mohseni (@saadmohseni) August 18, 2021
India's midnight evacuation from Afghanistan, escorted by Taliban
Outside the main iron gate of the Indian embassy in Kabul, a group of Taliban fighters waited, armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
Inside the compound were 150 Indian diplomats and nationals, growing increasingly nervous as they watched news of the Taliban tightening their grip on the capital, which they took a day earlier without a fight.
Indian nationals sit aboard an Indian military aircraft at the airport in Kabul [Stringer/AFP]
Exiled Taliban co-founder returns from exile
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the co-founder and deputy leader of the Taliban, arrives back in Afghanistan.
He chose to touch down on Tuesday night in Afghanistan's second-biggest city Kandahar – the Taliban's spiritual birthplace and capital during their first time in power.
He arrived from Qatar, where he has spent months leading talks with the United States and then Afghan peace negotiators.
Footage released by pro-Taliban media showed crowds gathering around Baradar at the airport, pumping their fists in the air and chanting in celebration.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban group's top political leader [File: Hussein Sayed/AP]
Thousands of Afghans enter Pakistan via Chaman crossing
Thousands of Afghans have entered Pakistan through the Spin Boldak/Chaman border crossing in Afghanistan's southeast after the Afghan Taliban's takeover of the country earlier this week, including patients seeking medical attention and freed Afghan Taliban prisoners.
On Tuesday, the border remained open for all Afghans carrying valid Afghan identity documents or proof of being a registered Afghan refugee resident in Pakistan, Afghan travellers and authorities told Al Jazeera.
UK getting 1,000 out a day from Afghanistan: Patel
The United Kingdom has managed to evacuate about 1,000 people a day from Afghanistan after the Taliban seized control of the country, Home Secretary Priti Patel says.
"We have been getting out approximately 1,000 people, so far, a day," she told BBC TV.
"We're still bringing out British nationals … and those Afghan nationals who are part of our locally employed scheme."
Dutch efforts to evacuate Afghan staff fails
Dutch Foreign Minister Sigrid Kaag says Dutch evacuation efforts in Afghanistan were unsuccessful on Tuesday night as chaos outside Kabul airport made it impossible to get eligible people on a plane.
The Netherlands aims to get up to 1,000 local embassy workers, translators and their families out of the country.
US armed forces securing the airport did not allow any Afghans to enter the gates even if they had the right credentials, and the plane was only on the ground in Kabul for about half an hour, Kaag said.
"It's awful. Many were there at the gates of the airport with their families," Kaag told Dutch news agency ANP.
People wait to be evacuated from Afghanistan at the airport in Kabul [AFP]
Taliban leaders will not stay in 'shadow of secrecy': group official
The leaders of Afghanistan's Taliban will show themselves to the world, an official of the group says, unlike during the past 20 years, when its leaders have lived largely in secret.
"Slowly, gradually, the world will see all our leaders, there will be no shadow of secrecy," the senior Taliban official, who declined to be identified, told Reuters news agency.
The official said Taliban members had been ordered not to celebrate their recent sweep of the country, which brought them to the capital, Kabul, and added that civilians should hand over weapons and ammunition.
Hello and welcome to the live updates. This is Tamila Varshalomidze, taking over from my colleague Zaheena Rasheed.
More than 2,200 people evacuated from Afghanistan
A Western security official has told the Reuters news agency that more than 2,200 diplomats and other civilians have been evacuated from Afghanistan so far.
"We are continuing at a very fast momentum, logistics show no glitches as of now and we have been able to remove a little over 2,200 diplomatic staff, foreign security staff and Afghans who worked for embassies," the official said.
It was unclear when civilian flights would resume, he said.
The official did not give a breakdown of how many Afghans were among the more than 2,200 people to leave nor was it clear if that tally included the more than 600 Afghan men, women and children who flew out on Sunday, crammed into a US military C-17 cargo aircraft.
Germans fear refugee influx after Taliban takeover – poll
Almost two-thirds of Germans fear an influx of refugees following recent developments in Afghanistan, according to a new survey.
Some 62.9 percent of people surveyed said they are worried about refugees arriving in the country like in 2015, according to the poll by the Civey polling institute for the daily Augsburger Allgemeine.
Some 30 percent think differently, the poll found. The rest were undecided.
Japan seeks to secure safety of its nationals
A government spokesman has said Japan is in close contact with a "small number" of its nationals still in Afghanistan and is seeking to ensure their safety.
Japan had closed its embassy after the Taliban took over Kabul and had evacuated the last 12 personnel there. The Japanese foreign ministry said an unspecified number of Japanese nationals, many who work with international organisations, remain in Afghanistan.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a news conference that none of the Japanese still remaining in Afghanistan had been reported to have suffered injuries, but declined to give details, citing security concerns.
Canada to resume flights to aid evacuations
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has said it plans to resume military flights to Afghanistan to evacuate civilians.
"CAF flights will support ongoing operations and will evacuate as many Afghans, who are at risk due to their close and enduring relationship with Canada, as possible," a CAF spokeswoman said in an emailed statement to Reuters.
Chartered flights carrying fleeing Afghans have arrived in Canada from Monday evening and additional flights will be sent on Tuesday night, according to the statement.
Australia evacuates 26 people in first rescue flight
Scott Morrison, the prime minister of Australia, said the first Australian rescue flight has flown 26 people out of Afghanistan.
"This was the first of what will be many flights, subject to and weather and we do note that over the back end of this week, there is some not too favourable weather forecast," Morrison told reporters in Canberra.
Australia said on Monday it would send 250 military personnel to Kabul to evacuate it citizens and an unspecified number of Afghans who had been given visas after working for Australia. The country's goal is to evacuate 600 people, according to media reports.
Morrison did not provide a number. "Our goal is as many as we can, as safely and as quickly as we can," he said.
Planes with Afghan evacuees arrive in UK, Germany
Planes carrying evacuees from Kabul have landed in the UK and in Germany.
A British Royal Air Force plane carrying British nationals and embassy staff arrived at an air base in Oxfordshire in the UK early on Wednesday morning. It is not clear how many people were on board the British plane.
The German government-chartered Lufthansa flight was carrying 130 evacuees from Kabul, according to DPA news agency. It had taken off from the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, and landed in Frankfurt in Germany early on Wednesday morning.
A spokesman for Lufthansa told DPA that the airline, in consultation with the German government, will also offer evacuation flights from Doha in Qatar and possibly from other countries bordering Afghanistan
UN refugee agency wants to keep working in Afghanistan
The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) says it wants to continue working in Afghanistan.
"We want to stay in the country because the people there need help now more than ever," said Katharina Lumpp, the UNHCR representative in Germany.
"Most of the Afghans who have been displaced in the past few months are currently internally displaced in their own country," she told the German daily Die Welt. "They now urgently need support and humanitarian aid."
UK to resettle 20,000 Afghan refugees
The United Kingdom is set to announce a plan to welcome as many as 20,000 Afghans under a new resettlement programme that will give priority to women, girls and religious and other minorities, according to British news outlets.
The scheme aimed at those seen "most at risk of human rights abuses and dehumanising treatment by the Taliban" will offer a safe and legal route to Britain, the Times newspaper reported on Tuesday.
About 5,000 people are expected to arrive in the UK in its first year.
White House: 1,100 citizens, permanent residents evacuated on Tuesday
The White House says about 1,100 Americans, permanent residents and their families were evacuated by military aircraft from Afghanistan on Tuesday.
"Now that we have established the flow, we expect those numbers to escalate," a White House official said in a statement.
The US has evacuated 3,200 people in total, it added.
Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera's continuing coverage of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. I'm Zaheena Rasheed in Male, Maldives.
For key developments from yesterday, August 17, go here.
China seeks stability in Afghanistan before economic dialogue
For now, China will be watching to see what form of government emerges and in what manner the Taliban wields power.
Afghans desperate to leave country remain stuck at Kabul airport
In chaotic scenes outside shuttered airport, hundreds of families gather as Taliban tries to disperse crowds.
Some countries have offered Afghans safe haven, but others are intent on fortifying borders.
Taliban says will respect women's rights, press freedom
The group says it will allow Afghan women to work and study, assures media workers they will be protected.


In 2012, I was six months pregnant, sitting on a couch at work, reading a self-help book. I was so fired up about my dreams and knew I wanted use to my knowledge to create something great.
I had created a vision for my family: I saw us retired and traveling the world together, and I was mapping out how we would pay off debt and how much income I could be making every month outside of my corporate job. I only needed to take the steps and to follow my dreams by taking my love of business a step further.
I worked through different versions of finding my passion and purpose. I created business plans on how I would succeed, and I shared this new reality with absolutely no one.
In fact, just two days ago I was sharing this story with my husband. I laughed because I knew he didn't know about this journey. He thought this journey started in 2015 once I became a work-at-home mom. He didn't realize I was trying to start a side business and using my thesis for my master of business administration as cover.
I let fear stand in my way. Fear was showing up in different ways, such as time and money. I knew if I shared my vision with my husband, he would support me, so I kept it to myself. This may be confusing for some people. Who wouldn't want a partner standing in their corner, pushing them forward no matter the financial or time cost? For me, I wasn't ready to hold that commitment for myself, so I kept my dreams a secret.
Funny enough, instead of following that path, I paid (a lot) more money and spent (a lot) more time focusing on a graduate degree. I love my graduate degree, but looking back, I can see that I did have the time and I did have the money to go after my dreams. Fear held me back. I was using that degree as a cover. If my business failed, it would be OK. It was just a project for school, I thought, and I could still be promoted in my corporate field.
I got my MBA because I love business, and having a graduate degree could be a win-win situation. I wanted to build my own brand, but I also wanted to be promoted at my current job. I wanted that higher-paying job, and I wanted the status of growing within a corporate environment. When I started reaching those levels, I realized I wasn't any happier. In fact, once I stepped foot into my own business, I started to feel an internal struggle.
I started looking at what I was chasing — freedom and financial security — and found myself right back where I was in 2012. I was creating that vision all over again. The universe was knocking, and I had to answer the door this time. My internal struggle between corporate and entrepreneurship was also at a peak. I had to make a choice.
As soon as I started to share my dreams, they started to become my reality. The universe started working for me. It always was, but now I could see it. My husband and I reached a new level of communication because he could see the fire in me. I could now reach out and ask for his support in reaching my biggest goals, and I knew he would support me no matter what.
I found that I would never truly be ready to branch out into owning a small business, but sharing my dreams pushed me into taking action. If you are dreaming it, you are ready.
The vision of what I would share with the world only got clearer with time. I had basic ideas in 2012, and instead of a side hustle, I have taken it full time. I now have the opportunity to collaborate with some of the best in the business, and I want to share that with you.
If you are ready to start shifting your dreams into reality, then join us here at The 6 Figure Mom and find out how you can take those next steps in business.


On behalf of Ben Sissman of Ben Sissman, Attorney at Law posted in Credit Card Debt on Wednesday, March 25, 2015.
For some Tennessee residents, using credit cards can be a source of convenience. Instead of digging out cash or worrying about debt card balances, swiping a credit card can allow an individual to move through a purchase more quickly. However, thinking of credit as a convenience could cause some individuals to lose track of their spending and end up facing considerable credit card debt.
One source of credit card debt is coming from gas station purchases. When gas prices were painfully high, many stations offered promotions and discounts for when their credit card was used at the pump. Many individuals took advantage of these discounts in hopes that they could save money while filling their tanks with the necessary fuel.
Though these discounts and promotions seemed helpful, it is important to understand how fluctuating gas prices could affect them. Many parties continue to swipe their cards at the pump out of convenience and possibly habit without thinking about how their credit use is truly affecting their purchase. As a result, consumers are continuing to have credit balances, and the interest rates on gas station cards may only contribute to the possibility of amassing burdening debt.
Credit card debt can quickly spin out of control if consumers are not vigilant about keeping up with their spending. It is important to understand when promotions may be helpful and when using a credit card may only drive an individual further into debt. If a Tennessee resident feels that his or her spending has created a debt burden, information on relief options such as bankruptcy may be able to help a party get back on track.