Taliban takeover in Afghanistan continues as US and UK deploy troops to evacuate embassy staff

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani defied expectations and remained in post today, telling Afghans he is holding urgent talks with local and international leaders to find a way to halt the Taliban offensive across Afghanistan.

The relentless push by the Taliban to capture more territory is intensifying with most of the country now under the fighters’ control, as seen here in red,  as they close in on the key city of Mazar-i-Sharif in the north and inch closer to the capital, Kabul.

While the US and UK have begun rushing in troops to evacuate embassy staff.