Afghans in UK and Ireland left in lurch as embassy closes in London

Thousands of Afghans across the UK and Ireland face losing a crucial layer of support as the country’s embassy in London shuts down – with staff having been told to apply for political asylum or prepare to leave Britain, The Independent understands.

The mission is closing at the end of the month “at the official request” of the British government after the Taliban government dismissed the embassy’s staff for refusing to represent it.

An eight months pregnant Afghan refugee in Dublin fears for her child’s future with the embassy closing. “My child is coming into a world where the mother’s documents are no longer valid and my infant’s nationality is in jeopardy now,” the woman, who asked not to be named, told The Independent.

“My passport has already expired and I will not be allowed to renew it. I cannot go back to Afghanistan, where they are disapproving of any working woman,” she said.

The embassy is staffed by representatives of Afghanistan’s previous regime, which was backed by the west before the Taliban regained power in 2021.

She had been invited to work at conferences in Spain, the woman claimed, but couldn’t travel without a passport.

“I cannot go back home until the Taliban is there and now I am not allowed to leave Ireland,” she said, adding that her family was scattered in Afghanistan and other countries.

The Taliban’s foreign ministry said in July it would no longer recognise papers issued by Afghan embassies in the UK and several other European countries due to a lack of “coordination”.

The UK, like the US and 13 other mostly European countries, does not recognise the Taliban and is thus unlikely to allow them to reopen the embassy anytime soon.

This means Afghans, including refugees, seeking to renew passports, get consular paperwork done or obtain travel documents, will be required to contact Kabul after 27 September.

The UK government evacuated some 25,000 Afghans in August 2021 before Nato forces left Afghanistan. Most, if not all, of them reportedly require documents of one type or another.

“The embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in London is scheduled to officially close and will cease its operations on 27 September 2024 at the official request of the host country,” Zalmai Rassoul, who represented the previous regime as ambassador to the UK and Ireland, said.

Mr Rassoul and his staff are said to have been told to apply for political asylum or prepare to leave the UK in 90 days, sources told The Independent.

This is not the first time that the Afghan embassy in London has closed its doors. It was previously shut down after the 1978 communist coup in Kabul because of its “anti-west bias and intimate relations with the former Soviet Union”, according to the embassy’s website. The mission was then closed again from 1996 to 2001, when the Taliban first ruled Afghanistan.

In the three years since they returned to power after overthrowing the Nato-backed regime in Kabul, the Taliban have fostered diplomatic relations with several major countries including China, Russia and Pakistan.

Man dies days after having 23 teeth extracted in one day

A Chinese man who had 23 teeth extracted and 12 implants put in during a single continuous procedure died two weeks later of a suspected heart attack, reports said.

The man, identified only by his surname Huang from Zhejiang Province, went in for the procedure on 14 August at the Yongkang Dewei Dental Hospital.

Thirteen days later, he died from a cardiac arrest, according to a social media post by his daughter, surnamed Shu, reported the South China Morning Post.

“I didn’t expect that my dad would pass away so fast and I didn’t even have time to drive the new car I bought him,” his daughter wrote.

She said Mr Huang suffered constant severe pain in his teeth after the surgery, which is also known as “immediate restoration”.

The Yongkang Municipal Health Bureau said it was investigating the case due to the nature of the surgery followed by Mr Huang’s death days after, according to local news reports.

“Since there was a 13-day gap between the procedure and Huang’s death, we are still investigating the cause,” the bureau said.

Staff at the Dewei hospital told local news agencies that in a surgery like this, the doctor decided how many teeth can be extracted in one go after an in-person consultation with the patient and after a close study of the patient’s medical history.

The staff explained that in the case of front teeth, they can be extracted and implanted the same day with no risk, but back teeth require at least three to four months of recovery between the extraction and implantation process.

Mr Huang’s consent form for the surgery allegedly showed that his molars were implanted on the same day they were extracted, which went against usual medical protocol.

Public records accessed by local media show that the dentist who performed the surgery has five years of experience and specialises in root canals, impacted wisdom tooth removal, and full dentures.

The SCMP quoted a clinic staff member as saying: “We will not be responding to this matter now as it has been handed over to our lawyer. If there are any updates, we will issue a statement; however, the investigation is ongoing.”

Xiang Guolin, head of the Dental Center at Wuhan Fourth Hospital, told Jimu news that it was unusual for a single surgery to extract 23 in one procedure when the norm is to do no more than 10-12.

Penguin that made dash for freedom into open sea found safe

A penguin that escaped from captivity and paddled to freedom two weeks ago was found safe and sound, despite its keeper insisting the bird had no survival skills to navigate wild waters.

The return of Pen-chan, a female Cape penguin, was a “miracle”, said Ryosuke Imai, its keeper at Gekidan Penters, a group that organises animal encounters.

The rebellious penguin escaped on 25 August from an event on the Himaka Island in Tokoname in Aichi prefecture in Japan.

It had never swum in the open sea before, its keeper said, and never fended for itself given a life in captivity.

The penguin reportedly escaped after being put in the shallows for visitors, enclosed by a net. It appeared to have swum through a gap in the enclosure after reportedly becoming startled.

The keeper assumed that it would not survive for long. But the fugitive penguin did. It was found nearly two weeks later, happily bobbing in the beach waters almost 45km from where it had gone absconding.

The keeper said the bird possibly caught fish and crabs to survive.

“I’m surprised at the penguin’s physical ability and adaptability,” Mr Ryosuke was quoted as saying by the Kyoto News.

Mr Ryosuke, 29, had sent out a search team after the six-year-old bird swam away.

The team was hampered due to a typhoon and heavy rains in the region.

Mr Ryosuke said he felt “desperate” for the bird. On 8 September, Pen-chan was spotted cheerfully floating on the water.

The bird was recaptured.

“I thought she would look exhausted, but she was swimming as usual,” the keeper said.

“It was beyond my surprise. It’s a miracle.”

“I think she got there by stopping at various places for a break, but it’s still unbelievable. She lost her weight slightly, but she’s doing great.”

It was unclear if Pen-chan was happy to be back in captivity.

Pet-friendly restaurant panned for ‘discriminating against mongrels’

A popular “pet-friendly” restaurant in the Philippines was criticised for allegedly discriminating against mongrels after a woman claimed they denied entry to her mixed-breed rescue dog.

In a Facebook post on 8 September, Lara Antonio described visiting the Balay Dako restaurant, meaning “big house” in the local dialect, and allegedly being turned away by the staff because she had brought along her Aspin, Yoda.

Aspin comes from the words “asong Pinoy”, which translates to Filipino dog but is commonly used to refer to mongrels – when a dog is of mixed breed.

Ms Antonio said she had eaten before at Balay Dako with Yoda. However, this time she was allegedly cited guidelines stating that “small-medium sized dogs only and big dogs are not allowed”.

She claimed the staff told her Yoda didn’t fit the “medium-sized” requirement and asked her what breed he was, leading her to suspect the dog wasn’t being allowed because of his mongrel status.

“I have a weird gut feeling immediately, so instead of Aspin, I said ‘mixed breed’,” she wrote.

As Ms Antonio continued to push for clarity, she was allegedly told that only dogs under 15kg were allowed in after she said Yoda weighed about 18kg.

Continuing to push for answers, Ms Antonio asked to see the guidelines in writing.

Unable to find anything about weight in their guidelines, she said the manager showed her pictures of permitted dogs. They included golden retrievers she claimed were bigger than Yoda.

Finally, she claimed the manager told her the only dogs allowed were shih tzus and labradors.

“So don’t say you’re pet friendly and let labradors in but not my aspin. I’m asking where it is in the website that says up to 15kg only. And there’s none. she can’t show me because it doesn’t exist,” she wrote.

“There has to be clear guidelines. But don’t look at my dog, ask what her breed is and then tell me there’s a 15kg rule and then say, ‘The only dogs we allow are shih tzus and labradors?????’ Labradors are literally 20kg and above.

“TLDR: Balay Dako is not pet friendly to big dogs or Aspins. Don’t bother going.”

After Ms Antonia’s post generated attention, Balay Dako released a statement saying: “We sincerely apologise for the recent misunderstanding regarding our pet policy. As a company that loves animals, we understand the importance of accommodating pets. However, we must also consider factors such as spacing and the safety of all our guests. We are currently reviewing our policy to ensure it is clear, fair, and balances the needs of both pet owners and non-pet owners.”

The restaurant said that it would take further steps to “ensure that our staff are being trained and guided to understand and implement our policies effectively”.

Balay Dako’s statement was met with criticism, as people said the language was vague and accused them of not addressing the discrimination against Yoda’s mixed breed status.

“This needs to be cleared up because it is equal parts disappointing and ironic that a Filipino restaurant with a Filipino name is seemingly pet friendly to breeds like Shih Tzus and Labradors but not to Asong Pinoys,” said Inka Magnaye, a content creator.

“Don’t call it an apology when they didn’t apologise at all. They even made it worse by insinuating that aspins are unsafe. This is a PR strategy, not an authentic apology,” said another.

The Philippine Animal Welfare Society, Paws, in a comment on Balay Dako’s apology, said: “You still did not directly address the issue about Yoda, the Aspin. In your apology letter, you specifically stated ‘However, we must also consider factors such as spacing and the safety of all our guests’. Can you enlighten us then, what factors were considered why Yoda was not allowed entry to your premises.

“Spacing and safety, what about these two factors apply to Yoda?

“This issue is about Yoda, the Aspin. It would be clearer if you could address your apology letter to the furparents if indeed you are apologetic about this ‘misunderstanding’ as you have stated.”

As the incident continued to get more attention, Ms Antonio made a further two posts on her social media and claimed Balay Dako had not reached out to her to offer any sort of apology, although she said the intent behind her original post was to “warn anyone who wanted to bring their dogs to this establishment that they’re not as pet-friendly as they advertise they are”.

Ms Antonio described her relationship with Yoda and how adopting her got her more involved in animal welfare.

“I found Yoda when I was in my early 20s – she’s the first dog I raised as a ‘young adult’ with my own ‘working girl’ money. She’s my first rescue and her love is actually what made me so much more active with animal welfare groups,” she wrote on Facebook.

“She has taught me so much about life and love. And for her whole life, and for the rest of her life (except maybe the first four months when we didn’t have her), she has only known love and will only know love.

“I wrote that post about that restaurant last Sunday out of frustration – out of anger, knowing in my heart that she was sent away because she’s an Aspin, using some arbitrary rule they couldn’t even defend.”

The Independent has reached out to Ms Antonio and Balay Dako for comments.

New ‘bone-crushing’ Tasmanian tiger ancestor discovered

A newly discovered ancestor of the extinct Tasmanian tiger had “extremely thick” jawbones to pick clean their prey, including bones and teeth.

This is according to a new study published on Saturday in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. It describes three ancient species of the modern Thylacines, commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger that went extinct 88 years ago.

The research was published on the ocassion of Australia’s National Threatened Species Day, which marks the death of the very last Tasmanian tiger on 7 September 1936.

Researchers said the newly discovered species were the “undoubted oldest members” of the Tasmanian tiger and roamed Australia 23-25 million years ago, during the late Oligocene.

Their fossils were unearthed in Riversleigh World Heritage Area.

The study sheds more light on the ecology of the region millions of years ago, changing previously held ideas.

“The once suggested idea that Australia was dominated by reptilian carnivores during these 25 million-year intervals is steadily being dismantled as the fossil record of marsupial carnivores, like these new thylacinids, increases with each new discovery,” study lead author Timothy Churchill said.

Scientists now believe the diversity of mammalian carnivores in the Riversleigh area during this period rivals that of any other ecosystem in the world.

The largest of the newly discovered species, Badjcinus timfaulkneri, weighed upto 11 kg, about the same as a large Tasmanian Devil.

It possessed an extremely thick jawbone which enabled it to crush even the bones and teeth of its prey. This species was related to the far smaller, previously discovered B turnbulli, which was the only other thylacinid known from this period.

Another species found in recent excavations is Nimbacinus peterbridgei, which was about the size of a Maltese Terrier, researchers said.

Scientists identified and labelled the species based on near-complete teeth fossils, and believe it was a predator that fed on small mammals and other diverse prey species living with it in the ancient forests.

Researchers suspect N peterbridgei could be the oldest direct ancestor of the Tasmanian tiger yet known.

The last of the three species identified in the new study is Ngamalacinus nigelmarveni, which was about the size of a Red fox, weighing close to 5.1 kg.

Molar fossils of this species suggest it was highly carnivorous, “more so than any of the other thylacinids of similar size”.

“These thylacinids exhibit very different dental adaptations, suggesting there were several unique carnivorous niches available during this period. All but one of these lineages, the one that led to the modern Thylacine, became extinct around 8 million years ago,” study co-author Michael Archer said.

“That lineage of these creatures that survived for more than 25 million years ended with the death of Benjamin, the last Tasmanian tiger in Hobart’s Beaumaris Zoo on 7 September 1936.”

Typhoon Yagi death toll soars as whole village swallowed by landslide

Thousands of residents in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi were evacuated on Wednesday as floodwaters from the swollen Red River inundated streets, days after Typhoon Yagi struck the north of the country, causing widespread devastation.

Floods and landslides triggered by the powerful typhoon, which made landfall on Saturday, claimed at least 143 lives so far, with 69 still missing.

The torrent of water gushing down a mountainside in Lao Cai province on Tuesday buried the Lang Nu hamlet with 35 families in mud and debris, Vietnamese state broadcaster VTV said. Only about a dozen people are known so far to have survived. Rescuers have recovered 16 bodies and are continuing the search for about 40 others.

Yagi, the strongest typhoon to hit Asia this year, unleashed torrential rain and strong winds across northern Vietnam, including Hanoi.

The storm caused a bridge collapse on Monday and severe flooding across the Red River Delta, the region’s largest river system.

“This is the worst flood I have seen in 30 years,” said Tran Le Quyen, a 42-year-old Hanoi resident.

“It was dry yesterday morning. Now the entire street is flooded. We couldn’t sleep last night.”

Even after four days, the rainfall continued in Hanoi and as floodwaters continued to rise thousands of residents in low-lying areas were forced to leave their homes.

Some schools in Hanoi have closed for the rest of the week amid safety concerns. The floods have severely impacted communities, particularly those living near the Red River.

“My home is now part of the river,” said Nguyen Van Hung, 56, who lives near the riverbank.

Floods and landslides in other provinces have compounded the disaster’s toll. On Saturday when Yagi made landfall, it killed nine people. But landslides, floods and related incidents have since killed over a hundred people.

Factories and warehouses in northern Vietnam’s industrial hubs were also damaged, disrupting operations. With many multinational companies relying on these facilities, the impact could ripple through global supply chains.

Charity organisations have mobilised to assist affected residents.

“People were moving frantically,” said Carlota Torres Lliro, press officer for the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, which evacuated its office after receiving flood warnings.

She expressed concern for “dozens of kids and families who live in slum areas and makeshift houses by the river.”

Before lashing Vietnam, Yagi churned through southwest China and Philippines, where it killed at least 24 people and left the streets inundated for days.

Yagi was the most powerful storm of the year, which reached the strength of a Category 5 hurricane before making landfall in China.

Additional reporting by agencies.

China mulls delaying retirement age amid shrinking working population

Chinese policymakers are reviewing plans to delay the retirement age of state employees as the urgency grows over a shrinking workforce within a rapidly ageing population.

China has one of the world’s lowest retirement ages among major economies at 60 for men, 55 for white-collar women, and 50 for women who work in factories. The policy has remained unchanged since the 1950s.

On Tuesday, the National People’s Congress discussed a draft law to “gradually raise the statutory retirement age”, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The review of the draft law was held at the 11th meeting of China‘s Standing Committee in Beijing after a resolution was adopted in the third plenary session of the Communist Party in July to tackle the ageing population and a declining birth rate.

The government has long pushed its citizens to work longer but has refrained from policy implementation fearing a pushback from people.

However, the urgency to tackle the early retirement age – six years below men in most developed economies – has increased as the median age in China has risen to almost 40, making a gradual rise in the last 54 years when it was still 20.

The country’s working-age population – the number of people between the ages 16 and 59 – plunged to 865 million last year, 61 per cent of the total population, according to official statistics.

It has marked a five per cent downfall from 2016 when it was 907 million or 66 per cent of the total population.

Meanwhile, the life expectancy in China has also almost doubled, rising to 78 years by 2021 from about 44 years in 1960, and is projected to exceed 80 years by 2050.

According to the UN estimates, China is projected to have 31 per cent of its population to be 65 years or older by 2050. By 2100, the country would have almost half of its population, 46 per cent older than 65.

“Gradual implementation of the policy means that the scale of the labor force released to society in the short term will not be too large, and the overall impact on the job market will be limited,” Yuan Xin, vice president of the China Population Association was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

Once the most populated country in the world, China has grappled with its falling population for two consecutive years and is expected to continue falling for decades, piling pressure on a rapidly ageing population.

“It is an inevitable choice for China to adapt to the new normal of population development,” Mo Rong, Director of the Chinese Academy of Labour and Social Sciences told the People’s Daily.

The move is also expected to abate pressure on pension budgets with many provinces already reeling from large deficits. The country has already cut down on medical benefits for some pensioners.

Eleven of China’s 31 provincial-level jurisdictions are running pension budget deficits, according to finance ministry data. The state-run Chinese Academy of Sciences sees the pension system running out of money by 2035.

The country where dog strollers now outsell prams for babies

The sale of pet carriers in South Korea has surpassed that of baby strollers for the first time, underlining the country’s worryingly low fertility rate.

The East Asian country’s fertility rate declined to a historic low of 0.78 in 2022, the lowest globally and well below the replacement rate.

The trend is reflected in stroller sales.

According to Gmarket, an e-commerce platform operator, 57 per cent of the strollers sold in 2023 were for pets compared to 43 per cent for babies, the Korea Times reported. The corresponding figures were 33 per cent and 67 per cent, respectively, in 2021.

As fewer children are born in the country, the newspaper noted, more people are opting to raise pets. More than six million households in South Korea had pets in 2022, up from 3.6 million in 2012.

President Yoon Suk Yeol has called the plummeting birth rate a “national emergency” and announced the creation of a “Ministry of Low Birth Rate Counterplanning”.

“We will mobilise all of the nation’s capabilities to overcome the low birth rate, which can be considered a national emergency,” he said in May.

“I think the important thing going forward is indeed the economy. Corporate growth and job creation are important too but what I think is more important is to try harder to look for what is inconvenient in the life of each and every person and to resolve them.”

South Korea’s demographic crisis is blamed on a number of factors, but frustration with the rising cost of living and declining quality of life is considered to be the primary reason.

The federal government offers financial incentives to encourage couples to have children, paying 35m to 50m won (£20,566 to £29,380) from birth until the child turns seven.

It was reported in March that the number of marriages had dropped by 40 per cent over the past decade. The number of marriages recorded in 2023 was 193,673 as against 322,807 in 2013.

According to the Population Trends Survey by Statistics Korea, South Korea last year experienced significant demographic shifts characterised by declines in marriage and birth rates.