Afghans in Kabul are this week under total Taliban rule after the terrorist organisation stormed the country’s capital on Sunday in the absence of western armed forces.
The Taliban swept into Kabul unopposed and seized the presidential palace after the government in Afghanistan collapsed, and their US-backed president had fled, bringing a swift end to almost two decades of British and US protection in the region.
Many Afghans are now fearing for their lives as they face the realisation that a brutal regime is about to be actioned by Taliban leaders and their foot soldiers.
In the last 24 hours, videos and images of locals attempting to flee the country have circulated on social media – with much of this content being too graphic, or distressing, to show or even put into words.
Afghan people attempt to flee Kabul as a US Air Force cargo plane takes off
Currently, the UK and US governments are scrambling to evacuate their own nationals, while hundreds of thousands of Afghans are either stranded or attempting to flee their homeland, putting their lives at risk in the process.
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If what is happening is affecting you and you want to help, here are numerous charities and causes you can support to help in Afghanistan:
International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee is a not-for-profit organisation helps those facing the worst humanitarian crises. They estimate more than 18 million people need aid this year in Afghanistan and have been doing exactly that since 1988.
3. Call on the UK gov to reverse aid cuts, increase funding, push for a ceasefire, and welcome Afghan #refugees. https://t.co/DGWNQiVCkN
— International Rescue Committee – UK (@RESCUE_UK) August 17, 2021
In the last few days, the charity has urged world leaders to show support for civilians and humanitarian workers delivering aid – and have launched a £10 million appeal to raise funds so that their teams can deliver life-saving aid and provide emergency cash and protection for those displaced.
The one-off donations tell you what your money could go towards, including £40 to provide four tents for those displaced.
Mercy Corps is an active charity in over 40 countries worldwide. They work with people living in poverty, disaster and in the midst of violent conflict, and have been working in Afghanistan since the mid-1980s. They are currently urging the US government to continue aiding humanitarian work.
Afghanistan is on the brink of a massive humanitarian catastrophe. We are working quickly to get clean water and sanitation supplies to those families who recently fled to Kabul, and we will stay as long as we safely can. https://t.co/p0FvFG0l7j
The charity is currently working to provide clean water and sanitation for those fleeing Kabul, and will stay in Afghanistan as long as they possibly can.
Turquoise Mountain, set up by the Prince of Wales in Scotland back in 2006, is a charity focused on training artisans in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Jordan with an aim of reviving historic areas and traditional crafts.
Like many, I’m feeling horrified & helpless at the situation in #Afghanistan – but one thing I can do is support financially. The Turquoise Mountain Trust has been working in Afghanistan for 15 yrs & can provide swift & vital support during this emergency: https://t.co/UfTI0xwYBa
The foundation, which works to protect heritage and communities at risk around the world, has been treating thousands of patients at its health clinic in Kabul. Over the weekend, a Crowdfunder campaign has been set up to raise money for their artists, staff, students and all those who visit their health clinic.
Women for Afghan Women, also known as WAW, is the largest non-government Afghan women’s rights organization in the world, founded in April 2001. It is dedicated to protecting the rights of Afghan women and girls. The staff are mostly Afghans and WAW adopts a community-based approach.
Women and girls are said to be those who will be affected most by the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Before the conflict in the last week, the charity provided education to boys and girls and provided family counselling and vocational training for women and families.
@WAWHumanRights has been working 24/7 over the past few weeks to keep our clients, staff, and families alive and safe. We not only ask for your prayers but also your support to get us through this crisis.
However, in the last few weeks, they have been working to keep their clients, staff and families safe by evacuating shelters and providing resources and aid to women and their families.
The UN’s refugee agency is there to help refugees by raising funds to ensure humanitarian aid for displaced families. The charity’s team is already on the ground providing aid but still need supplies.
As part of their donation scheme, the charity lets you know what your money will provide; £35 could provide five sanitary kits. They are also trying to provide PPE to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Afghan Aid is responding with emergency assistance where needed and supporting families who have lost their homes and livelihoods as a result of the conflict.
Islamic relief: Afghanistan is assisting families forced to flee their homes as Afghanistan sits on the brink of famine. This June, Afghanistan officially fell into drought, making rough conditions even worse.
Enabled Children Initiative runs Window of Hope private care home in Kabul, which provides care to Afghan children and youths with disabilities from around the country
Write to your MP and use social media
If you can’t afford to donate, you can still enact change by writing to your MP. You can also use your social media profiles to call on the UK gov to reverse aid cuts, increase funding, push for a ceasefire, and welcome Afghan refugees.
Plans to transform Chorlton’s old shopping centre have been green-lit
Danny Jones
Yes, after a prolonged period of uncertainty, the plans put together for redeveloping Chorlton Cross Shopping Centre are now moving forward.
Following an extensive consultation period back in 2023 and planning permission having now been approved by Manchester City Council, the transformation of the long-neglected retail complex has been green-lit, and the project will be moving forward even sooner than you think.
As confirmed earlier this week, Stretford-based construction company PJ Livesey will be working in tandem with the Greater Manchester Pension Fund to deliver the major regeneration, which will see even more living spaces and leisure facilities arrive in the already thriving suburb.
Following an official press release on Thursday, 18 December, we’ve now been given a latest glimpse at what the developers are hoping the new Chorlton Cross district will look like.
Credit: Font Communications (supplied)
Plans for the transformation of both the high street and the old Leisure Centre date back to 2023 and even further when taking into account the Council asking the public for their thoughts on what should happen with the area, but Chorlton Cross, specifically, has been the subject of debate for some time.
The bulk of units in and around the largely forgotten shopping centre are now empty, with just a few hold-outs still clinging on to their space.
Now, following extensive feedback from native Mancs and those who have flooded into the South Manchester town over the past decade, the approved plans have now been revealed.
They include:
A mix of 262 one, two and three-bed apartments, all with access to outdoor space through balconies and gardens
20% affordable homes available through a mix of tenures, with 18.5% of these being available for social rent
Around 3,500 sq metres of public open space, including a fully walkable route through Manchester Rd and outdoor seating areas to encourage people to stop and dwell
A mix of flexible retail spaces, such as a new ‘Makers Yard’ suitable for smaller, start-up businesses
Up to 60 new trees across the site with maximised retention of existing trees
Manc filmmaker, Bernard Leach – who has been making videos about the region since 2007 – shared a longer look at how the vision for this next chapter in Chorlton‘s residential and retail history is currently shaping up earlier this month.
As you can see, some sections of the old Lancashire village and ‘cum-Hardy’ parish could look rather unrecognisable sooner than you think.
Should everything go ahead as scheduled, those involved are hoping to get work underway in the New Year, with the ‘decommissioning’ of all existing buildings, including Graeme House, undergoing demolition by early 2026.
With the majority vacating their premises in recent years, it’s fair to say that it’s been vastly underutilised for far too long.
Posting on social media back in September last year, nearby resident Nigel Woodcock wrote: “Serious question, not just councillor-baiting, but can anyone explain why the retail businesses in Chorlton Precinct were booted out before any decisions were made about what’s going to happen to it?
“It makes no sense to me. No plans have even been submitted, so far as I’m aware, so why kick out those businesses and leave it derelict for so long? The land and buildings are actually owned by the combined GM Local Authorities, so one might expect a modicum of political and business nous to be applied.”
Similar to the new plans being put together for the stretch of land between Castlefield and Salford, most are just glad something is finally happening with the space.
Commenting on the plans progressing, PJ Livesey’s Managing Director, Georgina Lynch, said in an official statement: “This is a landmark moment for Chorlton, marking the transformation of the former shopping centre into a vibrant new hub for the community.
“Working closely with Manchester City Council, we’ve carefully balanced the delivery of much-needed new homes – including 20% affordable – with the creation of lively, welcoming spaces to shop, relax, and spend time.
“This site is at the heart of Chorlton, and we’re bringing it back to life, cementing the area’s reputation as a truly great place to live.”
What do you make of the Chorlton Cross Shopping Centre regeneration plans?
Featured Images — Nigel Woodcock (via Facebook)/CGI (supplied via Font Comms)
UK News
Manchester has been ranked one of the ‘most influential cities’ in Europe
Danny Jones
As per a development that we’d consider so obvious it’s barely worth writing about (even though we are), Manchester has been ranked one of the most influential cities in Europe.
In other news, water is still very much wet.
While there’s plenty of it here in Greater Manchester, given our standard rainy forecasts, when it comes to anything besides the weather, we deliver in spades.
Let’s be honest: we know it, you do too, and apparently so do plenty of other folks – and there’s some concrete statistics to back it up.
Case in point – First Chanel, now Vogue… (Credit: The Manc Group)
You’ll find all manner of surveys, polls and studies diving into how Manchester ranks across various categories, but knowing we boast nods such as ‘the original industrial city’, the place that helped split the atom and the place that the first modern computer was born, we know all about our global impact.
With that in mind, when we saw that Sixt had recently named us as one of the most influential cities in all of Europe, we couldn’t ignore the well-deserved pat on the back.
That’s right, although you might not associate the car rental company with this sort of stuff, as part of their new exclusive ‘Sixt Ride’ offering (think a posh taxi service), they looked into which cities have the most luxuries, tourist attractions and other cultural bonuses to their name.
Per their recent research, Manchester city centre didn’t just break into the top 100 but found itself among the 30 most influential cities in Europe.
You can see the full rankings table down below.
#
City
Country
*Fortune 500 Companies
Fashion weeks
Film Festivals
International Airports
5-Star Hotels
High End/Luxury Shopping areas
Michelin Restaurants
1
Paris
France
10
6
77
2
122
11
134
2
London
United Kingdom
12
3
241
3
182
5
81
3
Milan
Italy
1
4
52
3
29
5
22
4
Rome
Italy
2
0
97
2
65
4
21
5
Stockholm
Sweden
0
3
14
2
12
2
13
6
Madrid
Spain
5
0
38
1
42
2
29
7
Zurich
Switzerland
6
0
10
1
12
4
18
8
Munich
Germany
5
0
10
1
16
4
17
9
Berlin
Germany
1
1
76
1
40
2
21
10
Hamburg
Germany
1
0
16
2
17
3
16
11
Amsterdam
Netherlands
4
0
24
1
29
1
30
12
Copenhagen
Denmark
1
2
12
1
12
2
20
13
Barcelona
Spain
0
0
45
1
47
1
31
14
Lisbon
Portugal
1
0
38
1
49
1
20
15
Athens
Greece
0
0
41
1
52
2
12
16
Vienna
Austria
1
0
24
1
24
3
14
17
Bucharest
Romania
0
0
22
2
12
2
0
18
Warsaw
Poland
0
0
22
2
17
1
3
19
Glasgow
United Kingdom
0
0
17
2
4
2
2
20
Lyon
France
0
0
9
2
7
0
16
21
Prague
Czechia
0
0
16
1
60
1
2
22
Brussels
Belgium
0
0
18
1
14
1
29
23
Oslo
Norway
0
1
8
1
6
1
11
24
Manchester
United Kingdom
0
0
20
1
7
3
2
25
Budapest
Hungary
0
0
16
1
24
1
7
26
Dublin
Ireland
2
0
16
1
11
0
6
27
Naples
Italy
0
0
34
1
5
0
22
28
Porto
Portugal
0
0
8
1
28
0
10
29
Turin
Italy
1
0
21
1
4
0
10
30
Sofia
Bulgaria
0
0
22
1
14
1
0
31
Helsinki
Finland
0
0
5
1
10
1
5
32
Belgrade
Serbia
0
0
32
1
9
0
1
33
Marseille
France
0
0
5
1
4
0
12
34
Birmingham
United Kingdom
0
0
12
1
4
0
6
35
Minsk
Belarus
0
0
11
1
0
0
0
Read it and weep; we Mancs landed 24th on the leaderboard, just behind Norway’s capital, Oslo, and ever so slightly ahead of Budapest in Hungary.
As you can see, to identify the ‘most influential European cities’, they broke down how the 35 most populous cities on the continent and here UK (barring Russia and Ukraine) and what noteworthy cultural touchstones they possess.
For instance, did you hear that our very own Warehouse Project recently found itself breaking into the top half of the best nightclubs on the entire planet?
Going on to analyse everything from the number of Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the city, their connections to film, fashion, fine-dining and more, they found that Paris, London and Milan were the most influential (no surprises there), but we’re glad to be keeping such good company.
After all, in the last couple of years alone, Manchester city centre has welcomed the Metiers D’art fashion show, opened one of the biggest indoor entertainment venues in all of Europe, and still takes eternal credit for giving the world Oasis and, therefore, the Live ’25 reunion. Again, you’re welcome.
What do you make of Sixt’s study, and do you agree with their findings on the whole?
It goes without saying that we’d probably put ourselves higher on the list if anything, but then again, maybe we’re getting too used to being told how brilliant it is to live in this region.
The Manc -
17th August 2021 
