Thousands of terrified families fear for their lives and no longer see Afghanistan as their home
The desperation of those in Afghanistan is heart-rending.
It’s in the faces of those who sit for hours with their children and their suitcases outside the building where one of the few airlifts is being organised.
It’s contained in the dozens of emails sent to me: “You are a journalist. I am too. Please help me. You are my only hope. If I die, tell the UK government that there was a girl that was killed by the Taliban just because of doing something for her people and her country.”
It’s in the multiple texts from human rights defenders who tell me the Taliban are knocking on their door and they don’t want to die.
“Please will anyone help us?”
It’s in the tears of a young journalist who silently shows us a video of himself where he’s being beaten by a Talib.
The Talib is using the butt of his weapon to hit his legs and back. He then ties the reporter’s hands and drags him along by rope that he’s attached to the back of his motorbike.
The torture and humiliation went on for two days before he escaped. The video is a few years old but the trauma is very present day – and back then, the Taliban were not in charge.
Now they are holding the guns and the levers of power. “If they catch me again, they will kill me,” the journalist says. This desperation is everywhere.
The Taliban claim they have changed
The state of Qatar is one of only two nations trying to operate airlifts. Pakistan is the other. But this involves careful and challenging negotiations with the Taliban who go through every flight list and examine every name on it.
The evacuation may be officially over. (It ended with the pull out of the foreign troops at the end of August).
But there are still thousands of terrified families who no longer see Afghanistan as their home and who fear for their lives.
Among them are those who have British and other foreign passports. We see them waving their red or new blue UK passports outside the barricaded building which is guarded by armed Talibs but which beyond, lies the route to safety and home.
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Afghanistan: Women living in fear
They’re struggling to get their names on the flight manifest and many tell us they feel abandoned by the British government.
Like many Afghans, they have large extended families often with multiple relatives employed in the same field – who once worked for the British embassy or British-funded charities or British-run projects rebuilding Afghanistan.
“My father worked for the British embassy”, one tells me. “He has a letter of commendation.” He does and it’s sent to me.
But the commendation once so proudly received is now tantamount to a Taliban death sentence.
The Taliban promised a general amnesty for those who worked with the former government they ousted and the foreign invaders they chased out – but on the ground, the reality is very different. There are scores being settled and revenge being sought.
Taliban fighters repeatedly try to stop us from filming the people trying to secure a ticket out of Afghanistan.
One keeps on hitting my colleague Richie Mockler’s camera, others put their hands in front of his lens. They pull and shove our Afghan colleague who tries to put himself between the Talibs and the Sky team.
The paperwork we have been issued by the Taliban themselves giving us permission to film in the country appears to be worthless at this point. We are repeatedly urged to show “the real image” of the Taliban – by the Taliban and constantly told they have “changed” and evolved.
But there is a real fear amongst those who worked alongside the foreigners and they are not reassured by these claims.
The Taliban don’t want people to leave the country. They don’t want images broadcast of people trying to get out. They want the foreign governments to return, set up their embassies and restart the aid which the bulk of the country has become so reliant on.
Because of this, there are strict rules about who gets on the flight list and it is restricted to those with foreign passports – not their dependants, not the Afghans who worked for the foreigners, not those now being targeted.
It’s tough for those trying to operate the flight lists and work with these conditions. We see the Qatari officials working through the night trying to juggle passports, IDs, and coordinate with multiple countries to verify people on the flight list.
“But you have no passport,” I overhear one say down the telephone. “You need to have a passport to travel – and a visa, only then we can help you.”
They are people with families themselves. They know how hard it must be to leave behind an elderly parent or a sister who is now a Taliban target – and the decision-making does not get any easier.
We meet three men in a Kabul cafe who all have British passports but large families with many relatives who do not.
“I’ve lived in Ilford for about 20 years,” one tells us. “I met Boris (Johnson) when I was a taxi driver. He asked me if he thought he could be Mayor of London. He was that uncertain. I said yes go for it. You can do it, Boris.
“But now, I’m very disappointed with him. He’s left us all here. We are British taxpayers. We don’t pay our taxes for the government to invade countries. We pay them to get their help but we aren’t getting any help for our families. My MP is trying to help us but the Foreign Office isn’t even replying to him. We are told just to wait.”
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Hospitals struggle under Taliban rule
There’s a sudden rush after waiting all day to board the convoy the Qataris have organised to take hundreds of “approved” refugees to the airport. But the Taliban have disputed the flight list that had been drawn up.
The bulk of people who were on it are now NOT on it. Only three coaches carrying about 40 people set off for the heavily guarded airport. There are dozens of armed Taliban around the perimeter wearing army fatigues and special ops goggles, flak jackets, helmets and ammunition belts, carrying brand new American weapons.
They wave the convoy through and the families heave their suitcases out of the coaches and move quickly towards the airport entrance. Qatari officials are trying to rush them through. The deadline is dusk. The plane cannot fly after dark because of security and more practically because there are no lights on the runway.
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The young mother of two toddlers weeps next to me as she lines up waiting to be patted down at airport security. But there are no women to do the physical security checks for the line of females right now. The new Taliban-controlled Afghanistan doesn’t see much of a role for females.
They’ve been told not to report for work unless they are health workers and girls have been told not to return to school “for the time being”.
“My country is gone,” the young mother tells me as she’s cradling her baby girl. “We cannot live here anymore. I don’t know if I will ever return. Everything is broken.”
A short time later, exasperated Qatari officials are returning to the queues of waiting refugees with handfuls of passports.
“The flight has been cancelled,” they say. “There’s no one at immigration.”
We hear the plane taking off – empty – and the refugees turn around to spend another night wondering if they’re going to be allowed to leave this country they don’t recognise anymore.
The Qataris again work throughout the night trying to hammer out an agreement with the Taliban to allow the plane to land in Kabul, and to decide on a flight list that is acceptable to everybody.
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How popular is the Taliban in Afghanistan?
By mid-afternoon the following day, it seems there is. Two hundred and thirty-six people are taken in a convoy to the airport this time after an official called “extensive consultation with parties on the ground”.
It’s the fourth flight Qatar has managed to organise and by far the largest passenger evacuation since 31 August when the foreign troops were still in Afghanistan and the airlifts were in full flow.
This time, the Taliban have called back the former airport staff and there are two women security workers. They tell me how their lives have changed so dramatically in such a short time.
“They tell us to wear long dresses (abaya), to cover our heads. They even tell me I must cut my nails, that they are too long.” She pulls off her plastic gloves to show me beautifully manicured nails now forbidden under the new Taliban rules.
The refugees take final pictures of their country as they board the flight to safety and a new, uncertain life. Few think they’ll be back soon – and they leave behind thousands still fearing for their lives who are trapped.
Alex Crawford reports from Kabul with cameraman Richie Mockler and producers Chris Cunningham and Mark Grant.
Additional pictures by Chris Cunningham.
World
Trump 2.0, conflict in Ukraine to end and China challenging global world order – what can we expect in 2025?
What will 2025 mean for Gaza, Ukraine, trade wars and African tech? Our foreign correspondents set the scene for trends that will shape their region.
From elections in the EU to a bombastic Trump presidency to climate disruption, 2025 is shaping up to be a bumpy year.
But it’s not all bad news…
Immediate, dramatic change promised for the United States
by Mark Stone, US correspondent
Never mind the coming year, the coming month could be extremely consequential.
Donald Trump will become America’s 47th president on 20 January – Inauguration Day – and he has pledged immediate, dramatic change.
A year ago, I had lunch with a senior Trump adviser. We pondered a Trump victory.
The adviser projected that a victorious Mr Trump would sign numerous presidential “executive orders” on Inauguration Day.
With a sweep of the presidential pen on a pile of papers on the balcony of the Capitol building literally moments after he takes the oath of office, Mr Trump would, the adviser predicted, undo as much of Biden’s legacy as possible and set the direction of America for the four years ahead.
Whether he signs orders at that moment or in the days after, Mr Trump has said he will “make heads spin”.
Donald Trump has his eye on fresh tariffs and radical immigration policies. Pic: AP
Even before inauguration, Congress will confirm or reject Mr Trump’s administration picks. We’ll discover if controversial choices like Pete Hegseth for defense secretary or Kash Patel to head the FBI make the cut.
Domestically, prepare for radical new immigration policies. The mass deportations he has promised will be subject to legal battles but expect Team Trump to fight hard.
There’ll be mass pardons for those involved in the Jan 6th protests / insurrection / riots – divided Americans choose their descriptor dependent on their politics, and he’ll probably go after those who tried to take him down.
Then, the international ramifications of Trump 2.0: Ukraine, the Middle East, the climate agenda, trade tariffs.
On climate – the expectation is that Trump will (again) withdraw the US from the Paris climate commitments, thus rendering America no longer beholden to carbon emissions reductions targets.
On Ukraine, he has said he could bring peace in 24 hours. We will, finally, see what that looks like and the extent to which it benefits one side or the other.
On the Middle East, Mr Trump has said there will be “all hell to pay” if the hostages are not released from Gaza by the time he takes office. How does that threat play out? No one knows.
There’s a chance that the combination of traits which define Donald Trump – unpredictable, transactional, threatening, spontaneous – will produce outcomes that look attractive at least in the short term; deals that Biden couldn’t get or wouldn’t take.
Brace for a month and a year of huge consequence.
Europe: Big beast elections, while some cosy up to Trump / political turmoil and turnover
by Adam Parsons, Europe correspondent
The year will start with both France and Germany, Europe’s two biggest beasts, facing political uncertainty.
The focus will first be on Berlin – Friedrich Merz is likely to end up as Germany’s chancellor, moving his country more to the right.
He, like a growing number of European politicians, will say his priority is controlling migration. The far-right AfD could well ride that same wave to come second.
France’s parliamentary gridlock means the country’s politicians will stumble on in a constant foul mood. Another election looks certain.
Edouard Philippe, who served as French prime minister under Macron, will start positioning himself to replace Emmanuel Macron as president.
Look out for Giorgia Meloni to grow from “just” being Italy’s leader to becoming Europe’s conduit with Donald Trump. Another person on the up is Kaja Kallas, the former Estonian PM who is now head of foreign affairs for the EU.
Italian leader Giorgia Meloni may be further on the up. Pic: AP
Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo will remain high, and look out for flashpoints in Moldova and Nagorno-Karabakh. Hungary will cause more diplomatic mischief.
Bulgaria will adopt the Euro, Romania will finally elect a president. Oh, and journeys between the UK and the EU will become clunkier as the new ETIAS travel permit scheme is launched.
The Middle East: anything but predictable
by Alistair Bunkall, Middle East correspondent
If the extraordinary events of 2024 taught or reminded us of anything, it was that the Middle East is anything but predictable.
2025 is likely to be a year of consolidation for Israeli PM Benyamin Netanyahu and Israel after the military gains of the past twelve months and unexpected downfall of Bashar al Assad over the border in Syria.
But the hostage situation remains an unresolved and deeply painful situation for Israelis, and time is running out if Donald Trump’s reported demand for a Gaza ceasefire is to be realised before his inauguration on 20 January.
Despite recent optimism around negotiations, differences remain between Hamas and Israel. But a ceasefire remains likely and the best way to release the 100 hostages that remain in captivity.
Any truce will probably be temporary, however, and there is every indication Israeli forces will remain in Gaza for the foreseeable with calls for a permanent occupation growing amongst far-right Israeli politicians.
There is little hope of imminent respite for the Gazan people with no “day-after” plan proposed. And unless the humanitarian situation in Gaza improves dramatically and rapidly, Israel’s international reputation will continue to suffer as the International Court of Justice considers accusations of genocide.
The recent escalation in attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen have caused little material damage to Israel but have created new uncertainty on another front.
Netanyahu is surely tempted to strike a weakened Iran, both to deter the Houthis and degrade the country’s nuclear programme, but might be dissuaded if he doesn’t get support from the incoming US president.
That temptation might become too great however if Tehran attempts to accelerate its nuclear programme as a way of making up for the loss of its ally Assad in Syria and the degradation of Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The elderly Iranian Supreme Leader’s health and authority has been the source of much speculation in recent months so that will be something to keep a close eye on.
Syria’s new leaders will need to stabilise the country and bring together the various religious and militant factions otherwise the euphoric optimism seen after Assad’s overthrowing risks a new civil war.
And finally, both Trump and Netanyahu have expressed their hopes for a Saudi-Israel normalisation deal and it would certainly be a huge boon to the latter as he eyes re-election in 2026.
But as long as the war in Gaza continues, Riyadh is unlikely to gift Bibi that historic agreement, certainly not without considerable concessions for the Palestinian people, which Netanyahu is unlikely to concede.
Trump will challenge China and China will challenge global world order
by Nicole Johnston, Asia correspondent in Beijing
The momentum in China-US competition could really pick up the pace next year if Donald Trump puts his trade threats into action.
Before Americans went to the polls, Trump threatened to impose a 60% tariff on all Chinese goods, which could spark a global trade war and economic meltdown.
Since the election, he has said he’s planning an extra 10% on top of existing tariffs on Chinese products.
Beijing is bracing for trouble and is already engaged in retaliatory trade action with the US. Watch this issue heat up next year.
The US is expected to increase tariffs on Chinese chips next year as competition heats up. Pic: FeatureChina via AP
Diplomatically, while there are efforts to turn the fraught UK-China relationship around, it’s likely spying allegations and accusations of Chinese political interference – which Beijing vehemently denies – will continue to test both countries.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited Beijing in 2024 and Chancellor Rachael Reeves is expected to come in January.
In Asia and around the world, the growing power of China remains a major issue. Its influence is reaching deep into “Global South” countries. Many are open to Chinese overtures for trade, tech and diplomatic support.
In the middle of this great global reshaping, China, Russia, North Korea and Iran are challenging the US-led “rules-based” global order.
Keep an eye on how these countries help each other, diplomatically, militarily and economically.
They may have little in common. But they all have a desire to see an alternative to the hegemony of the West.
Fighting in Ukraine will finally cease next year
by Ivor Bennett, Moscow correspondent
I predict the war in Ukraine will end in 2025. Or perhaps more accurately: the fighting will stop and the conflict will be frozen.
Both sides have recently indicated a willingness to make concessions in order to achieve a peace agreement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Sky News he’d be willing to cede territory, while Vladimir Putin said Russia was ready to compromise.
It’s a dramatic shift in tone, brought about by the election of Donald Trump. Talks and a deal feel inevitable.
Whatever the outcome, Russia will present it as a win.
Pic: Reuters
I think the Kremlin will hope to conclude negotiations before 9 May, which marks the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany. The aim will be for a double celebration.
But the problems won’t end there for Vladimir Putin. With surging inflation, a sliding rouble and weak productivity, the economy will be the next battle.
In Africa, more protests, more climate disasters and more tech
by Yousra Elbagir, Africa correspondent
The year is ending with building protest movements in Mozambique, Angola and Kenya. Crackdowns on anti-government demonstrators have led to deaths that are fuelling further dissent.
The El Nino weather phenomenon drove drought to new levels in southern Africa this year and propelled a cyclone season that started early with the deadly Chido in Mayotte.
Although El Nino dissipated in the summer, many countries will continue to suffer its impacts next year due, including in the form of severe food shortages.
Africa already bears the brunt of climate change, and with the planet getting hotter still, cruelly more extreme weather is on the way to batter homes, health and livelihoods.
Not all news is negative, though.
Tech innovation in Africa is expected to continue as young people find ways to survive and thrive in tough job markets and rising costs of living.
Riverdance is marking 30 years with a new generation of dancers who were not born when the show made its debut.
The interval act from the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest became a global phenomenon and continues to inspire Irish dancers worldwide.
The Riverdance opening night in February 1995. Pic: Riverdance
Lead dancers, Anna Mai and Fergus Fitzpatrick, are siblings from County Meath who grew up dreaming of touring with Riverdance.
Fergus said: “It’s a dream come true to be able to be a lead dancer in Riverdance.
“It’s even more special to be able to have family on the road with you.
“Travelling, getting to do what you love and to see these amazing places, while taking care of the iconic show that is Riverdance.”
They are deeply conscious of the show’s legacy and take pride in following in the footsteps of Irish dancing giants.
Anna Mai said: “We absolutely feel the responsibility and we take that challenge completely positively, and we see it a bit more as an honour, rather than a heavy weight.
“Riverdance was here before either of us were born, so we know that the legacy was created, we’ve never known life without Riverdance, and we take it on as a responsibility, as something to pass through to new generations.”
Fergus Fitzpatrick leads the thunderstorm. Pic: Riverdance
Lorcan Murphy was one of the original cast, propelled to unexpected stardom when the show hit the road in 1995.
“When people say what’s your best memory, I say the All Blacks asked me for my autograph,” he recalled.
“I think it’s meant to be the other way around!”
He has never forgotten the moment Riverdance took the world by storm, with a spellbinding fusion of music and dance.
He said: “It broke rules. I think the thing about Riverdance is that it doesn’t have to conform to the rules and balances that were in place beforehand.
“Everything carried a purpose to it, culminating in that incredible night where it was nothing but electricity from start to finish.”
To date, the various casts have produced 70 marriages, and 130 “Riverdance babies”, three of whom have now performed themselves.
The new generation will take Riverdance to new audiences, with an anniversary tour opening in the United States in January.
Riverdance will come to the UK in August, performing across 30 venues until the end of the year.
Have you ever dreamed of flying in an unmanned drone, from city to city?
It sounds like the stuff of fantasy, but in China pilotless passenger drones are a reality.
You can’t catch them like a taxi just yet. But a company called EHang is waiting for the government to approve a commercial licence to start operating short flights around the city of Guangzhou.
EHang’s vice president, He Tianxing, says: “We believe the future must be an era of low altitude, and every city will gradually develop into a city in the sky.
“All human beings aspire to have a pair of wings, and everyone wants to fly freely like a bird.”
Currently, the battery of the two-seater EH216-S allows it to fly for about 25 minutes.
There is no pilot and the craft follows a pre-programmed route.
Sky News watched it take off from the company’s headquarters in Guangzhou, fly over a port and land again.
Its blades whizzed noisily, but it appeared to fly effortlessly, leaving those on the ground itching for a ride on board.
EHang’s first model was called EH184. “It looked like an octopus, very cool, but more importantly people saw a drone that could carry people,” Mr He says.
He Tianxing, vice president of EHang
This is part of what China calls its “low-altitude economy”. This refers to making money from passenger and delivery drones at an airspace of elevations of up to 1,000 metres.
The government is handing out financial incentives and licences to develop the sector.
Inside a driverless taxi in Wuhan
Wuhan’s different vision for public transport
More than 600 miles away from Guangzhou, the city of Wuhan has a different vision for its public transport.
It’s betting on driverless taxis and has a pilot programme operating around 400 in the city, reportedly aiming to reach upwards of 1000.
The process goes like this: order the car with an app on your phone, it shows up within minutes, you punch in a pin and away you go.
A driverless taxi on the road in Wuhan
US fears over Chinese technology
With no driver at the wheel, it veers seamlessly through the traffic. Occasionally it was a bit jerky. But overall, it was a relaxed novelty drive through the city.
But the technology behind it is so intelligent and sophisticated that the US is moving to ban Chinese and Russian driverless technology from the country.
The US says it is necessary for national security, because the censors and cameras inside the cars can collect critical information.
China though is not worried. It has millions of customers at home.
Speaking earlier this year, Chinese premier Li Qiang said: “We will consolidate and enhance our leading position in industries like intelligent connected new-energy vehicles… and the low altitude economy.”
Read more: ‘World first’ driverless bus service in Scotland axed
On the streets of Wuhan, Mr Kim is catching a driverless taxi for the first time with his young daughter and believes in its reliability.
“We don’t worry because we trust it. It can show how high-tech our city has become,” he says. “We are proud of it.”
But taxi driver Mr Deng is less convinced.
“It’s certainly not as convenient as cars operated by people, because we can react on site,” he says. “If there’s no driver, the roads will be paralysed.”
China is steering its high-tech industries into a bold new world and pushing the boundaries of how we travel.
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