Raab warned in July of ‘rapid’ Afghan collapse

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View online September 02, 2021   1 / Report warned foreign secretary in July of fast advance of Taliban Dominic Raab has been accused of being "asleep at the wheel" over Afghanistan, after a leaked report revealed he was warned more than three weeks before the fall of Kabul of the danger a swift Taliban advance would cause the collapse of the Afghan security forces and a major humanitarian crisis. The foreign secretary appeared wrong-footed when confronted with the internal Foreign Office (FCDO) report during an appearance before a parliamentary committee, where he had assured MPs the central assessment produced by the government's Joint Intelligence Committee was that the Taliban takeover would be slow and the Afghan capital would not fall into the militant group's hands until next year. Mr Raab, who has headed to the "region" around Afghanistan for talks with neighbouring countries about the rescue of those left behind in Kabul, admitted events had shown the official intelligence assessment to be incorrect and promised an internal probe to find out why.   2 / Third vaccine dose for 500,000 vulnerable Britons after JCVI advice But there is still no word on Covid jabs for school pupils aged 12-15 or the autumn booster programme   3 / UK sees 207 Covid deaths in 24 hours — highest daily number for six months Fatalities have been rising steadily since mid-June but remain far lower than during winter wave   4 / Government bars unions from 'seat at the table' in trade talks Exclusion from sensitive discussions comes despite promises to the contrary over the past year   5 / Matt Hancock spotted on Swiss Alps break with lover Gina Coladangelo Tory MP has tried to keep a low profile in recent months since stepping down as health secretary The Big Question     Will climate change increase the chance of tsunamis? The north western American state of Alaska faced a tsunami warning and mass evacuations this summer after a massive 8.2-magnitude earthquake struck off its coast, another weather event to underscore the need for global action to tackle the climate emergency.   Rising sea levels as a result of the melting of the polar ice caps promises to further extend the reach of such giant waves smashing towards coastal settlements in the aftermath of quakes, meaning the threat posed by any individual tsunami could be greatly enhanced by climate change should it be allowed to proceed unchecked.   Inland, the greenhouse effect meanwhile poses a threat to mountainous northern hemisphere environments like Alaska in a number of ways, not least by rising temperatures prompting the permafrost to thaw and causing glaciers to retreat, occurrences that in turn conspire to destabilise once-dependable rocky slopes.   Such events of course require a trigger and a tsunami caused by a sub-sea earthquake would deliver precisely that - and potentially devastating consequences for inhabitants of the local vicinity. Read the full story >   Watch/Sharks filmed lurking around divers off Wales coast NUMBER OF THE DAY £256,000  The UK's average house price increased by 13.2% over the year to June 2021, up from 9.8% in the year to May, which is the strongest annual growth since November 2004. The UK average house price for June 2021 was £266,000, which surpassed the previous record seen in March 2021 (£256,000). Office for National Statistics QUOTE OF THE DAY "To me it is worrying that we are exposing children to a virus which has long-term neurological effects while their brains are developing," – Epidemiologist Dr Deepti Gurdasani, of Queen Mary University London   Other stories you might like Ministers' plans for voter ID risk breaching human rights law, warns report New six-week abortion ban comes into effect in Texas 'Let it Go' was about pressure on women: Frozen's songwriters on redefining Disney If you can spare a minute we'd love your feedback on our newsletters.     Join the conversation or follow us Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter. Add us to your safe list of senders.   If you do not want to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter, please unsubscribe.   If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe here.   This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our privacy notice and cookie policy.