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Boris Johnson is urging President Joe Biden and other world leaders to stand by the Afghan people and not walk away, amid fears that the Taliban is plotting vicious reprisals.

The prime minister is chairing a video-link summit of G7 leaders and calling for a boost in international support for refugees and humanitarian aid after the withdrawal of US troops.

It comes as the Ministry of Defence said the UK has evacuated more than 7,000 people from Afghanistan as part of its rescue mission.

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‘Special relationship’ under strain

The total of 7,109 includes embassy staff, British nationals, those eligible under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) programme, and a number of nationals from partner nations.

The summit – just a week before Mr Biden’s controversial 31 August pull-out deadline – is being seen as the last hope of persuading the president to back down and allow more evacuations.

“Our first priority is to complete the evacuation of our citizens and those Afghans who have assisted our efforts over the last 20 years,” Mr Johnson said ahead of the summit.

“But as we look ahead to the next phase, it’s vital we come together as an international community and agree a joint approach for the longer term.

More on Afghanistan

“That’s why I’ve called an emergency meeting of the G7 – to coordinate our response to the immediate crisis, to reaffirm our commitment to the Afghan people and to ask our international partners to match the UK’s commitments to support those in need.

“Together with our partners and allies, we will continue to use every humanitarian and diplomatic lever to safeguard human rights and protect the gains made over the last two decades.”

And after the Taliban told Sky News delaying the withdrawal of US troops beyond 31 August would “provoke a reaction”, Mr Johnson added: “The Taliban will be judged by their deeds and not their words.”

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US wants Afghan withdrawal done ‘as fast as possible’

In a Sky News interview earlier, Taliban spokesman Dr Suhail Shaheen said: “It’s a red line. If the US or UK were to seek additional time to continue evacuations, the answer is no. Or there would be consequences.”

After chairing a meeting of COBRA on Monday afternoon, at which ministers discussed the latest situation on the ground, the prime minister spoke again to the president ahead of the G7 summit.

Downing Street said they spoke of co-ordinating the “rapid and safe evacuation” from Kabul International Airport of UK and US nationals and those who worked with the two governments.

And in a signal that the 31 August deadline will not be extended, they spoke about continuing to work together to ensures those eligible to leave are able to, “including after the initial phase of the evacuation has ended”.

Downing Street also said the PM will urge G7 leaders to match the UK’s commitments on aid and the resettlement of those most in need, in order to protect human rights and contribute to the stability of the region.

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Evacuation ‘down to hours, not weeks’

Number 10 said the leaders will reiterate their commitment to safeguarding the gains made in Afghanistan over the last 20 years, in particular on girls’ education and the rights of women and minorities.

As well as evacuation, the agenda will also include longer-term work to secure a more stable future for Afghanistan and ensure any new government is inclusive and abides by its international obligations, No 10 added.

As well as the leaders of the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan, the NATO and UN secretaries-general have also been invited to join the discussion, Downing Street said.

The prime minister has already set out a five point plan for addressing the risk of humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan:

• Immediately helping those to whom the UK has direct obligations
• Protecting ourselves against any threat from terrorism
• Supporting Afghan people in the region through humanitarian and development assistance
• Creating safe and legal routes to resettle Afghans in need
• Developing a clear plan for dealing with the new Afghan regime in a unified and concerted way

Meanwhile, Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, the minister of state directly responsible for South Asia, will virtually address the UN Human Rights Council and will hold talks with humanitarian partners about Afghanistan.

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Afghan interpreters urge UK government to save families

But Labour’s shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said ahead of the meeting: “This virtual G7 meeting is a make or break test of the prime minister’s ability to bring together international partners, rise to the occasion and show leadership.

“The UK must step up and demand three crucial outcomes. First, that as many people as possible have safe passage out of Afghanistan by prioritising efforts to extend the air bridge out of Kabul beyond 31 August.

“Second, global agreement to deal with the unfolding refugee crisis by working with neighbouring countries to keep land borders open.

“And third, a strategy for supporting those who will be left behind.

“The G7 must agree a joint strategy to safeguard our collective security and guarantee Afghanistan does not become a safe haven for terrorist organisations that pose a threat to the UK.

“The prime minister has had eighteen months to plan for this – the world’s eyes are on tomorrow’s meeting to make the next seven days count.”

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Donations for refugees flood in across the UK

The Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Our brave soldiers at Kabul airport are protecting Afghans and UK nationals from not just the Taliban, but the threat of terrorist attacks too.

“So at the G7, the challenge for the prime minister is this: will the United Kingdom be at the forefront of a concerted global effort to keep our citizens safe and stop a new terror threat from reaching our shores?

“It is also vital that those Afghans who cannot make it to Kabul airport are nonetheless supported in their attempts to leave the country.

“The prime minister has the opportunity to put safe passage for refugees on the global agenda.

“If we cannot evacuate Afghans, the least we can do is work with the international community – especially neighbouring countries such as Pakistan – and use every diplomatic lever possible to try and secure a safe route out of the country for those who wish to flee the Taliban.”

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Thodex CEO found dead: How this $2B crypto scam changed Turkish law

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Thodex CEO found dead: How this B crypto scam changed Turkish law

Faruk Fatih Özer was found dead in his prison cell on Nov. 1. The former CEO of now-defunct crypto exchange Thodex was serving an 11,000-year sentence for running one of the largest crypto scams in history.

His death marks the latest turn in the Thodex saga, with ripple effects so significant they altered Turkish cryptocurrency laws.

The initial details of Özer’s death point to suicide, but the investigation is still ongoing. It has once more brought Thodex back into the spotlight.

Here’s a look back at Özer’s story, how the crypto exchange impacted Turkish law and how it may have contributed to the country’s increased crypto adoption.

$2-billion Thodex scam sees raids, arrest and CEO out on the lam

On April 21, 2021, Thodex cryptocurrency exchange suddenly shut down trading and withdrawals. The initial announcement read that this could continue for four to five days. As Cointelegraph Turkey reported at the time, the exchange claimed that this was to improve its operations with the help of “world-renowned banks and funding companies.”

But local media reported that Özer had fled to Thailand with over $2 billion in funds as part of an exit scam. There were also reports that police had raided the exchange’s offices in Istanbul.

Istanbul’s chief prosecutor’s office corroborated the reports the following day. It announced a probe into Thodex and said police had arrested 62 people allegedly involved in the scam. Özer denied the accusations, claiming his trip abroad was to meet foreign investors.

As of April 30, 2021, a Turkish court decided to jail six suspects, including family members of the missing CEO and senior company employees, pending trial. Interpol also issued a red notice for Özer.

“When he is caught with the red notice, we have extradition agreements with a large part of these countries. God willing he will be caught and he will be returned,” said Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu.

Özer managed to evade capture for over a year. Albanian authorities eventually detained him on Aug. 30, 2022. He attempted to appeal extradition in court, but the decision was upheld, and Özer was in Turkish custody by April 30, 2023, two years after the scandal began.

Özer was detained by Turkish authorities after being extradited from Albania. Source: AA

The case against Özer was swift. In July 2023, just three months after arriving in Turkey, he was sentenced to seven months and 15 days in prison for failing to submit certain documents requested by the Tax Inspection Board during the trial.

On Sept. 8, 2023, the Anatolian 9th High Criminal Court sentenced Özer, along with two of his siblings, to 11,196 years, 10 months and 15 days in prison, along with a $5-million fine.

In court, Özer claimed that he and his family were facing false accusations. He said, “I am smart enough to manage all institutions in the world. This is evident from the company I founded at the age of 22. If I were to establish a criminal organization, I would not act so amateurishly. … It is clear that the suspects in the file have been victims for more than 2 years.”

Related: Turkey to empower watchdog to freeze crypto accounts in AML crackdown: Report

Özer was serving his sentence at the Tekirdağ No. 1 F-Type High Security Closed Penal Institution when he died. F-Type prisons are high-security institutions reserved for political prisoners, members of organized crime syndicates and other armed groups serving an aggravated life sentence.

Human rights advocates have repeatedly raised concerns about the conditions at F-Type prisons. In 2007, Amnesty International noted “harsh and arbitrary” disciplinary treatments, as well as isolation.

Turkey changes its laws to protect investors

The Thomex scandal and its ensuing fallout were so significant that they drove the Turkish government to change its policies toward cryptocurrencies.

Immediately following news of Özer fleeing the country, the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey banned crypto payments and prohibited payment providers from offering fiat on-ramps for crypto exchanges. The official notice outlawed “any direct or indirect usage of crypto assets in payment services and electronic money issuance.” Notably, the ban excluded banks, meaning that users can still deposit lira onto crypto exchange accounts using bank transfers.

The ban aimed to ensure financial stability, while other agencies like the Capital Markets Board (CMB) and the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) moved to legitimize trading activities. In May 2021, MASAK amended money laundering and terrorism financing laws to include provisions for cryptocurrency.

By 2024, the “Law on Amendments to the Capital Markets Law” came into effect. This built on the initial changes in 2021, which included extensive consumer protection measures in addition to provisions on licensing and reporting.

These new measures, which also aimed to move Turkey off the Financial Action Task Force’s “gray list” of countries with inadequate Anti-Money Laundering measures, have in turn helped spur the local crypto industry.

Chainalysis’ “2025 Geography of Crypto Report” found that Turkey led the Middle East and North Africa in value received in crypto. Trading activity also spiked last year.

In the long term, the Thodex scandal may have led to increased crypto adoption in the country, but only after it rocked the Turkish crypto industry and left many investors out to dry. It also resulted in the imprisonment and death of its orchestrator and CEO.

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