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British troops withdrawal from Afghanistan exposes weakness in UK's ties with Western allies

The Xinhua reported, a British lawmaker on Wednesday blasted the withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan, saying it "exposed a weakness" in Britain's relationship with Western allies.
Tom Tugendhat, a Conservative member of parliament (MP) and chairman of parliament's foreign affairs committee said, the withdrawal from Afghanistan has been the "single biggest foreign policy disaster" Britain has faced since the Suez crisis in the 1950s.
According to the Xinhua, Tugendhat made the remarks as the committee grilled British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Afghanistan withdrawal in a two-hour session.
Raab said that he knows the committee will want to understand more about the lessons to be learned from Afghanistan.
Questioned by Tugendhat on intelligence about the situation in Afghanistan, Raab replied that the central assessment had been that it was likely to be "a steady deterioration" in the security situation after U.S. troops pulled out in August, but that Kabul was "unlikely to fall this year."
Asked by committee member Alicia Kearns why Britain didn't form an alternative coalition in Afghanistan once the United States announced its pull-out plan, Raab said there was no viable alternative coalition once the United States decided to withdraw.

The Xinhua said, the United States on Monday announced the completion of the chaotic, bloody withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan, ending 20 years of the U.S.-led invasion into the Asian country.
It mentioned, Britain concluded its evacuation operation from Afghanistan Saturday night.
Downing Street said Tuesday night that British officials had travelled to Qatar and were in talks with senior Taliban representatives over how to secure "safe passage" out of Afghanistan for British nationals and Afghan allies that remained there.
During Wednesday's session, Raab was repeatedly questioned over how many British citizens have been left behind in Afghanistan, but he didn't give an exact number and only said it was in the "low hundreds."
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Raab told MPs that he would be leaving "to go to the region (around Afghanistan)" after his appearance before the committee.
The foreign secretary also argued that Britain can't deal with the refugee crisis alone and key regional players, Western countries and Gulf nations need to get involved to exercise an influence over the Taliban.
The latest development came as the rift between Washington and its European allies seemed to have widened over the Afghan crisis.
The Financial Times has reported that Britain's foreign policy, heavily dependent on the United States, has been "shaken" by the crisis. The BBC said the U.S. decision to withdraw troops lays bare "a not so special relationship".
Source: xinhua
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Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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