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UK Foreign Secretary's delegated phone call to Afghanistan did not take place

According to the BBC, a phone call that Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was advised to make but which was given to a junior minister to handle did not happen, it has emerged. UK
The government had said the call to get help evacuating interpreters from Afghanistan had been delegated as Mr Raab was busy on other calls.
However, a spokesman now says it "was not possible to arrange a call" before the Afghan government collapsed.
Mr Raab faces increasing pressure over his handling of the Afghanistan crisis.
Opposition parties called for him to resign after it was revealed he was unavailable to make the phone call last Friday while he was on holiday, as the Taliban advanced towards Kabul, Afghanistan's capital.

It followed newspaper reports suggesting the foreign secretary was seen relaxing on a beach on the Greek island of Crete on Sunday - the day Kabul was captured.
Cabinet colleagues have defended Mr Raab, who has rejected calls to quit, but some Conservative MPs remain unhappy with how he has dealt with the UK response to the escalating crisis.
Read more: UK foreign secretary accused of putting Afghan interpreters’ lives at risk
On Thursday, it was reported he was advised by senior Foreign Office officials last week that he should make contact with Afghan Foreign Minister Hanif Atmar to get urgent assistance in rescuing Afghan interpreters who had worked for the British military.
Officials said it was important the call was made by Mr Raab rather than a junior minister - but they were told he was unavailable. The Afghan foreign ministry reportedly refused to arrange a call with a junior minister, pushing it back to the next day.
And, as reported in the Daily Mail, the Foreign Office has now confirmed the call did not take place.
Read more: UK Defence Secretary: No plane from Kabul has left empty
It should be noted that a spokesman told the BBC: "Given the rapidly changing situation it was not possible to arrange a call before the Afghan government collapsed."
Mr Raab earlier this week insisted he was "engaged in Cobra, talking to foreign counterparts" and speaking to his team in London "on an hour-by-hour basis" while he was away and he left "as soon as the situation deteriorated and demanded it".
Meanwhile, the Times has reported that the permanent secretaries - the top civil servants - at the Home Office, Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence are currently on holiday.
In response, a government spokesman said that "departments across Whitehall have been working intensively" on the situation in Afghanistan.
The BBC has been told that the civil servants in question are continuing to work while on holiday, and that the Ministry of Defence and Home Office have two permanent secretaries each, which ensures one is at work when the other is on leave.
Source: BBC
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
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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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