Afghanistan in Taliban hands, panic in Kabul

Afghanistan was in the hands of the Taliban on Monday after the collapse of government forces and the flight abroad of President Ashraf Ghani, who recognized their victory at the end of a war of nearly 20 years. "The Taliban have won," the president, who is now reportedly in Tajikistan, acknowledged on Sunday evening, as the insurgents celebrated a military victory as swift as it was total by taking over the presidential palace in Kabul. The feared entry of the fighters caused a wind of panic in the capital, where thousands of residents were trying to flee, especially at the airport where scenes of chaos were reported. The American flag was removed early Monday from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and "secured with the embassy staff" gathered at the airport.The U.S. flag was removed early Monday from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and "secured with embassy staff" gathered at the airport pending evacuation, the State Department and the Pentagon announced from Washington. Many other diplomats and foreign nationals were also hastily evacuated from Kabul on Sunday. The UN Security Council is due to meet on Monday at 14:00 GMT to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. France announced on Sunday the deployment of military reinforcements in the United Arab Emirates to facilitate the evacuation of French nationals, whose safety has been made an "absolute priority" by the Elysée.

Earthquake in Haiti: nearly 1,300 dead, more than 5,700 injured

The powerful earthquake that hit Haiti on Saturday has left nearly 1,300 people dead and 5,700 injured, leaving thousands homeless in the southwest of the country or looking for relatives missing or trapped under the rubble. While suffering aftershocks from the 7.2 magnitude earthquake, residents and rescue workers were working Sunday with limited resources to find survivors. Many heavy machinery, trucks and backhoes were working to move concrete slabs from collapsed buildings in the city of Les Cayes near the epicenter of the earthquake.s of the epicenter of the earthquake, some 160 km from the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, noted AFP on site. The earthquake struck southwestern Haiti on Saturday at 08:29 (12:29 GMT). On Sunday evening, the toll drawn by the Haitian civil protection was precisely 1,297 dead. Nearly 30,000 houses have been destroyed or damaged.

IN BRIEF

In Zambia, the opponent Hakainde Hichilema, a 59-year-old self-made businessman, won the presidential election against the outgoing head of state Edgar Lungu.

The Russian Daniil Medvedev won Sunday the ATP Masters 1000 in Toronto by defeating the American Reilly Opelka, 32nd world, (6-4, 6-3), after a one-sided match.