London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 31, 2025

Dominic Raab was ON HOLIDAY as Taliban encircled Afghan capital, reports say, while UK Ambassador said to be remaining in Kabul

Dominic Raab was ON HOLIDAY as Taliban encircled Afghan capital, reports say, while UK Ambassador said to be remaining in Kabul

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was on vacation as the Taliban closed in on Kabul, British media reports. Raab has been forced to wrap up his holidays, as PM Boris Johnson has called an urgent meeting on events in Afghanistan.
Raab flew back to Britain on Sunday, days after it became clear that the situation on the ground in Afghanistan was rapidly evolving and the fall of Kabul was only a matter of time. Taliban militants entered the country’s capital on Sunday, while Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country.

It was not immediately clear where the top UK diplomat was vacationing while the pro-Western Afghan government effectively fell apart. The Foreign Office refused to disclose the minister’s holiday destination to media.

At the same time, the diplomatic service said that the British envoy in Afghanistan was at his working place and the mission continues to operate.

“We have reduced our diplomatic presence in response to the situation on the ground, but our Ambassador remains in Kabul and UK Government staff continue to work to provide assistance to British nationals and to our Afghan staff,” a Foreign Office spokesperson said.

The mission was said to be staying put at its Kabul compound, even as the US embassy staff had already been airlifted to the city’s airport. The French foreign ministry said that its mission will be relocated closer to the airport as well.

The Taliban’s flash offensive has apparently spoiled vacations not just for Raab; the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has scrambled an urgent COBRA meeting to assess the Afghanistan situation. The Civil Contingencies Committee is usually convened over matters of national security or major disruptions, with ministers and senior officials from various government bodies in attendance.

Johnson also asked UK lawmakers to cut short their vacations, recalling Parliament from its summer recess over the Afghan crisis.

Speaking later on Sunday, Johnson said that it was very clear that a “new government” will emerge in Kabul shortly. At the same time, he urged other countries to abstain from recognising the Taliban as the new rulers of Afghanistan.

“We don’t want anybody bilaterally recognising the Taliban,” Johnson stated. “We want a united position amongst all the like-minded, as far as we can get one.”

The PM also said the UK government is working to get British nationals out of Afghanistan as soon as possible. London has means to do so over the next few days, Johnson said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US and China Agree One-Year Trade Truce After Trump-Xi Talks
BYD Profit Falls 33 % as Chinese EV Maker Doubles Down on Overseas Markets
US Philanthropists Shift Hundreds of Millions to UK to Evade Regulatory Uncertainty in Trump Era
Israeli Energy Minister Delays $35 Billion Gas Export Agreement with Egypt
King Charles Strips Prince Andrew of Titles and Royal Residence
Trump–Putin Budapest Summit Cancelled After Moscow Memo Raises Conditions for Ukraine Talks
Amazon Shares Soar 11% as Cloud Business Hits Fastest Growth Since 2022
Credit Markets Flooded with More Than $200 Billion of AI-Linked Debt Issuance
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Says China Made 'a Real Mistake' by Threatening Rare-Earth Exports
Report Claims Nearly Two Billion Dollars in Foreign Charity Funds Flowed into U.S. Advocacy Groups
White House Refutes Reports That US Targeting Military Sites in Venezuela
Meta Seeks Dismissal of Strike 3’s $350 Million Copyright Lawsuit
Apple Exceeds Forecasts With $102.5 Billion Q3 Revenue Despite iPhone Miss
Israel's IDF Major General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi Admits to Act Amounting to Aiding Hamas During Wartime (Treason)
Shawbrook IPO Marks London’s Biggest UK Listing in Two Years
UK Government Split Over Backing Brazil’s $125 Billion Tropical Forest Fund Ahead of COP30
J.K. Rowling Condemns Glamour UK Feature of Nine Trans Women as 'Men Better at Being Women'
King Charles III Removes Prince Andrew’s Titles and Orders His Departure from Royal Lodge
UK Finance Minister Reeves Releases Email Correspondence to Clarify Rental-Licence Breach
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
×