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Boris Johnson will tell MPs that he will use “every economic, political and diplomatic lever” to help Afghans left behind by the British as he looks to defend his handling of the withdrawal from the country.

The prime minister will reiterate the pledge in the House of Commons on Monday, when parliament returns from its summer recess to examine the crisis in Afghanistan.

Both Mr Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab have faced criticism over the withdrawal of British forces from the country following the rapid takeover by the Taliban.

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Fears of civil war in Afghanistan

Thousands of Afghans who worked with or assisted foreign forces, their families and other vulnerable groups are thought to have been left behind when troops left the country for good last month.

There are also warnings that the UK could be facing a raised terror threat if extremism is allowed to grow again under the Taliban.

In a week marking the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in New York, which was one of the turning points in the war on terror, and led to troops entering Afghanistan, Mr Johnson will say he will “use every economic, political and diplomatic lever to protect our country from harm and help the Afghan people”.

He is also expected to reveal details about the new resettlement programme for Afghans coming to the UK in the coming years.

More on Afghanistan

As well as that, he will also use his speech to thank the 150,000 British servicemen and women for their work in Afghanistan over the past 20 years.

Downing Street has said that prime minister will also announce £5 million more in funds to help military charities support veterans’ mental health, with the aim of ensuring that “no veteran’s request for help will go unanswered”.

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Mr Johnson will be facing MPs for the first time since parliament was recalled to debate for the day on 18 August in the wake of Kabul’s fall.

Head of the armed forces Sir Nick Carter said on Sunday that “everybody got it wrong about the pace of the Taliban’s march recapture of Afghanistan” but added there was not a failure in military intelligence.

Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, he said: “The first scenario I think also would’ve said is it was entirely possible that the (Afghan) government wouldn’t hold on that much longer.

“Indeed, many of the assessments suggested it wouldn’t last the course of the year and, of course, that’s proven to be correct.”

Mr Raab was holidaying in Crete when Kabul fell, and previously argued that it was the assessment of the military and the wider intelligence community that it was “unlikely” that “Kabul would fall this year”.

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‘Serious mistakes’ made in Afghanistan

Sir Nick said “there’s been a lot of talk about a failure of intelligence” but that he said back in July that “there are a number of scenarios that could play out and one of them certainly would be a collapse and state fracture”.

Among those evacuated from Kabul by the British forces include more than 8,000 former Afghan staff and their families.

However, around 1,100 Afghans that were deemed eligible to leave were thought to be left behind – but that figure will fall short of the actual number the UK wants to help.

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Crypto industry, trade unions clash over multi-trillion dollar retirement funds

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Crypto industry, trade unions clash over multi-trillion dollar retirement funds

A growing rift has emerged in Washington, D.C., between the cryptocurrency industry and labor unions as lawmakers debate whether to ease rules allowing cryptocurrencies in 401(k) retirement accounts.

The dispute centers on proposed market structure legislation that would allow retirement accounts to gain exposure to crypto, a move labor groups say could expose workers to speculative risk. In a letter sent on Wednesday to the US Senate Banking Committee, the American Federation of Teachers argued that cryptocurrencies are too volatile for pension and retirement savings, warning that workers could face significant losses.

The letter drew immediate pushback from crypto investors and industry figures. “The American Federation of Teachers has somehow developed the most logically incoherent, least educated take one could possibly author on the matter of crypto market structure regulation,” a crypto investor said on X. 

Retirement, Pensions
The AFT letter to Congress opposes regulatory changes that would allow 401(k) retirement accounts to hold alternative assets, including cryptocurrency. Source: CNBC

In response to the letter, Castle Island Ventures partner Sean Judge said the bill would improve oversight and reduce systemic risk, while enabling pension funds to access an asset class that has delivered strong long-term returns.

Consensys attorney Bill Hughes said the AFT’s opposition to the crypto market structure bill was politically motivated, accusing the group of acting as an extension of Democratic lawmakers.

Retirement, Pensions
Funds held in US retirement accounts by type of account plan. Source: ICI

Related: Atkins says SEC has ‘enough authority’ to drive crypto rules forward in 2026

Opposition to crypto in retirement and pension funds mounts

Proponents of allowing crypto in retirement portfolios, on the other hand, argue that it democratizes finance, while trade unions have voiced strong opposition to relaxing current regulations, claiming that crypto is too risky for traditional retirement plans.

“Unregulated, risky currencies and investments are not where we should put pensions and retirement savings. The wild, wild west is not what we need, whether it’s crypto, AI, or social media,” AFT president Randi Weingarten said on Thursday. 

The AFT represents 1.8 million teachers and educational professionals in the US and is one of the largest teachers’ unions in the country.

According to Better Markets, a nonprofit and nonpartisan advocacy organization, cryptocurrencies are too volatile for traditional retirement portfolios, and their high volatility can create time-horizon mismatches for pension investors seeking a predictable, low-volatility retirement plan.

Retirement, Pensions
Bitcoin and Ether volatility compared to other asset classes and stock indexes. Source: US Federal Reserve

In October, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) also wrote to Congress opposing provisions within the crypto market structure regulatory bill.

The AFL-CIO, the largest federation of trade unions in the US, wrote that cryptocurrencies are volatile and pose a systemic risk to pension funds and the broader financial system.

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