麻豆影视

World

    • 43 Canadians among those on board Qatari commercial flight out of Afghanistan

    Share
    OTTAWA -

    Forty-three Canadians were among around 200 foreigners on board a civilian flight out of Afghanistan on Thursday -- the first such large-scale departure since U.S. forces completed their frantic withdrawal over a week ago.

    Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau confirmed the departure and number in a statement as he thanked Qatar for facilitating the special flight from Kabul to Doha, which also contained U.S., German and Hungarian citizens.

    "We can confirm that today 43 Canadian citizens were on board a special flight organized by the government of Qatar," Garneau said in a statement. "Canada has been working closely with Qatar to ensure safe passage for Canadian citizens still in Afghanistan who are seeking to leave, and we thank them for their continued support."

    The 43 were among 1,250 Canadian citizens, permanent residents and family members stranded in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of all U.S. military forces from the country on Aug. 30.

    "We are working tirelessly, including through close co-operation with our international partners, to bring home remaining Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their families and the vulnerable Afghans who have supported Canada's work in Afghanistan," Garneau said.

    A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to talk to the media, said the Taliban's new foreign minister and deputy prime minister helped facilitate the departure.

    A senior Canadian official had previously confirmed those on board did not include any former interpreters and other Afghans who previously worked with Canada in the country and are now desperate to escape for fear of Taliban retribution.

    The official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said the best avenue for escape for those people remains the overland route to Pakistan.

    Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has deployed more staff to bolster the Canadian High Commission in Islamabad, the official added, and more people are being sent to help there and at the border with Afghanistan.

    Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who is running for re-election as the Liberal candidate for University-Rosedale, said during a virtual news conference that Canadian officials "are working on having more people be able to come home through a variety of different routes."

    Retired major-general Denis Thompson, one of several Canadian veterans working to get Afghans who previously worked with the Canadian military mission in Afghanistan out of the country, said the Qatar Airways flight was encouraging.

    Thousands of former interpreters, cultural advisers, drivers, cleaners and other locally engaged staff with links to Canada remain trapped in Afghanistan, and Thompson said reopening the Kabul airport is the best way to get them out of the country.

    Qatari envoy Mutlaq bin Majed al-Qahtani said another 200 passengers will leave Afghanistan on Friday. A diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said foreigners, including Americans, will depart in the next couple of days.

    The Taliban have repeatedly said foreigners and Afghans with proper travel documents could leave. But their assurances have been met with skepticism, even with the departure of the Qatar flight.

    As Taliban authorities patrolled the tarmac Thursday, passengers presented their documents for inspection and dogs sniffed luggage laid on the ground. Some veteran airport employees had returned to their jobs after fleeing during the harrowing chaos of the U.S.-led airlift.

    Irfan Popalzai, 12, boarded the flight with his mother and five brothers and sisters. He said his family lives in Maryland.

    "I am an Afghan, but you know I am from America and I am so excited" to leave, he said.

    Before the flight took off, Qatari officials gathered on the tarmac to announce the airport was ready for the resumption of international commercial flights after days of repairs.

    Extensive damage in the frenzied final days of the U.S. airlift that evacuated over 100,000 people had raised questions about how soon regular commercial service could resume. Experts from Qatar and Turkey have been racing to restore operations.

    "I can clearly say that this is a historic day in the history of Afghanistan as Kabul airport is now operational," said al-Qahtani, the Qatari envoy.

    "Call it what you want, a charter or a commercial flight, everyone has tickets and boarding passes," he added. "Hopefully, life is becoming normal in Afghanistan."

    The flight was the first to take off from the Kabul airport since American forces left the country at the end of August. The accompanying scenes of chaos, including Afghans plunging to their deaths from the sides of military aircraft on takeoff and a suicide bombing that killed 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members, came to define the end of America's two-decade war.

    Al-Qahtani said the airport's radar is now active and covering some 112 kilometres after U.S. forces left it inoperable. Authorities co-ordinated with Pakistan as they tried to fix control over the airspace, he added. Flights are restricted to daytime hours.

    The airport is also no longer the Hamid Karzai International Airport, but rather simply Kabul International Airport, with the name of the country's former president removed. Several Taliban white flags flew from the terminal, which was emblazoned "The Islamic Emirate seeks peaceful and positive relations with the world."

    Hundreds of other Afghans who say they are at risk for helping the Americans have gathered for more than a week in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, waiting for permission to board chartered evacuation flights. Many of them are believed not to have the necessary travel documents.

    Despite skepticism around the world, the Taliban have promised that Afghans who worked for the Americans will not be targeted.

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2021.

    With files from The Associated Press.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    LIVE

    LIVE

    Murray Sinclair鈥檚 family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale鈥擫angley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.

    As the possibility of mass deportations looms following Donald Trump's re-election on Tuesday, border towns like the City of Cornwall are preparing for a potential influx of asylum seekers.

    On Friday, the Sarnia Police Service (SPS) received a report of an alleged abduction in the area of Kathleen Avenue and Walnut Avenue.

    It's been a trip to cherish for a group of Canadians visiting Belgium this week to honour the legacy of Indigenous soldiers.

    Canada

    • Nova Scotia's New Democratic Party says a candidate criticized by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs for "troubling" and "damaging" social media posts is no longer running for the party in the Nov. 26 general election.

    • On Friday, the Sarnia Police Service (SPS) received a report of an alleged abduction in the area of Kathleen Avenue and Walnut Avenue.

    • It's been a trip to cherish for a group of Canadians visiting Belgium this week to honour the legacy of Indigenous soldiers.

    • Winnipeg firefighters rescued and reunited a cat with its owners Saturday after a house fire in the city鈥檚 Burrows neighbourhood.

    World

    Politics

    • LIVE

      LIVE

      Murray Sinclair鈥檚 family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.

    • Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced voters in Cloverdale鈥擫angley City will pick their next member of Parliament on Dec. 16.

    Health

    • Researchers say taking a peek inside a person's brain is as difficult as understanding the universe or discovering the ocean in its entirety.

    • B.C. health officials say they have detected Canada's first-ever case of H5 avian influenza in a human.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    • Bitcoin hits US$80K. Why Trump is boosting crypto

      Bitcoin on Sunday hit a new record above US$80,000. The world鈥檚 largest cryptocurrency surged in the run-up to Tuesday鈥檚 US presidential election, rose sharply immediately on election night after it became clear Donald Trump would win and has continued rising in the days since his victory.

    • Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia's ports since Monday.

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    For the second year in a row, the 鈥楪ift-a-Family鈥 campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.

    Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.

    A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.

    As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.

    A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts 鈥 not for themselves, but for those in need.

    A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.

    Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.

    A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.

    • Environment Canada says heavy rain and winds could cause power outages on Vancouver Island as an "intense" storm system is set to hit the B.C. coast Sunday.

    • The union for locked-out port workers in British Columbia says the BC Maritime Employers Association cut off talks in less than an hour Saturday, refusing to budge on a final offer that the union has so far rejected.

    • Thousands of people are expected to gather in downtown Vancouver on Monday to observe the city鈥檚 100th Remembrance Day ceremony.

    • Taylor Swift鈥檚 Eras Tour is coming to Toronto this month and will likely be the most commercially successful concert series the city has ever seen.

    • Patrons were inside a movie theatre when a suspect fired bullets at the business鈥 doors on Saturday night, before the cinema was shot at again hours later in a second incident, police say.

    • A weapon that posed a 鈥渟ignificant concern鈥 for public safety, with photos allegedly shared across social media, has been confiscated from a Hamilton encampment.

    • A pair of 105-mm howitzers bark constantly as they turn plywood tank targets into kindling kilometres away on the windswept landscape of one of Canada's largest military bases.

    • Over 700 people danced, ate, sang and celebrated Diwali Saturday night at the Genesis Centre in northeast Calgary.

    • On Saturday the City of Calgary held the first of three open houses seeking public input regarding the the intersection and roadways of Sarcee Trail and Bow Trail S.W.

    • Three people, including an eight-month-old have died after a two-vehicle collision on Highway 401 in eastern Ontario Saturday afternoon, according to the Ontario provincial Police (OPP).

    • With CTV broadcasting NFL football games on Sundays this season, 麻豆影视 at Six will be broadcasting live on our website and the 麻豆影视 App.

    • CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at what's open and closed in Ottawa on Remembrance Day.

    • Despite some opposition, a motion was passed at the party鈥檚 convention in Levis, Que. over the weekend to create a Quebec constitution.

    • The West Island Mission hosted its second food drive Sunday amid increasing demand.

    • Three people from Laval, Que. are dead after an accident on the Ontario highway.

    • The Edmonton Oilers may have found the break they were looking for.

    • A woman is dead after a driver crashed a truck through a Boston Pizza in Fort McMurray late Saturday morning.

    • A national program has been using several methods of investigation since 2007 to identify the skeletal remains of unknown Canadian armed-forces members.

    • Here鈥檚 what鈥檚 opened and closed across the Maritimes on Remembrance Day.

    • Nova Scotia's New Democratic Party says a candidate criticized by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs for "troubling" and "damaging" social media posts is no longer running for the party in the Nov. 26 general election.

    • LIVE

      LIVE

      Murray Sinclair鈥檚 family members say the late justice and senator has been laid to rest according to his wishes.

    • Winnipeg police have identified two men involved in a stabbing incident earlier this week.

    • The Winnipeg Blue Bombers whipped the Saskatchewan Roughriders 38-22 in Saturday's CFL West Division final to earn their fifth consecutive trip to the Grey Cup.

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • Urban municipalities across southern Saskatchewan are preparing for their civic elections on November 13.

    • 麻豆影视 Regina will be airing special coverage of Regina鈥檚 municipal election on Wednesday evening beginning at 9:30 p.m.

    • A man has been charged after a stabbing at an apartment building in Kitchener.

    • The Guelph Police Service is putting out a warning after two deaths in the downtown area.

    • Two new tributes to Canada鈥檚 veterans have been unveiled at the Elmira Cenotaph.

    • It was a somber day at Mosaic Stadium as members of the Saskatchewan Roughriders officially cleaned out their stalls and closed the book on the 2024 season.

    • The Regina Rams claimed the Hardy Cup after a hard fought battle against the Saskatoon Huskies 19-14 on Saturday in the first all Saskatchewan U-Sports western conference final since 2002.

    • Elections Saskatchewan completed the final step in the vote counting process from the provincial election on Saturday.

    • CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca is livestreaming the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the Sudbury Community Arena starting Monday at 10:30 a.m.

    • Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with a break-in and $50,000 in damage done to the Centennial Arena in Elliot Lake in September.

    • On Friday, the Sarnia Police Service (SPS) received a report of an alleged abduction in the area of Kathleen Avenue and Walnut Avenue.

    • Three people were taken to hospital after a plane crashed in the Municipality of Southwest Middlesex.

    • London Knights Logan Hawery and Caleb Mitchell are returning from the U17 World Hockey Challenge with gold medals around their necks.

    • Crews responded to an overnight porch fire at a residence in Orillia, where all occupants managed to escape without injury.

    • A driver is facing multiple charges after a multi-vehicle collision on Highway 400 early Sunday morning.

    • OPP are investigating a Saturday evening incident in Caledon that resulted in one death.

    • For Gene Lotz, the spark of curiosity to delve into the history of those who served in war only began when the answers became difficult to find.

    • One person has been arrested after Chatham-Kent Police Service (CKPS) received multiple complaints about an alleged drunk driver.

    • An individual is dead following a collision involving a motorcycle in Kingsville.

    • Environment Canada says heavy rain and winds could cause power outages on Vancouver Island as an "intense" storm system is set to hit the B.C. coast Sunday.

    • The union for locked-out port workers in British Columbia says the BC Maritime Employers Association cut off talks in less than an hour Saturday, refusing to budge on a final offer that the union has so far rejected.

    • Mounties on Vancouver Island are out with a warning about a "concerning" scam that has recently targeted several victims.

    • The emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, B.C., will be closed for 31 hours this weekend, the second such closure in a week and the third since the start of November.

    • Police in Kamloops, B.C., are reminding parents and guardians to check their children's Halloween candy after receiving a report of a mother finding a razor blade in one of her daughter's treats.

    • More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.

    • The Southern Alberta Recreation Association is officially announcing the Town of Taber as next year鈥檚 host for the Southern Alberta Summer Games.

    • The Lethbridge Hurricanes broke open a close game with three goals in the first two minutes of the third period as they defeated the Warriors 7-3 in a game played Friday night in Moose Jaw.

    • There might not a lot snow just yet, but many southern Albertans are still itching to get outdoors.

    • Police have arrested a 15-year-old in connection with a break-in and $50,000 in damage done to the Centennial Arena in Elliot Lake in September.

    • Mayors of the five largest cities in northern Ontario met in North Bay the last two days to discuss a range of critical issues impacting their cities and the region.

    • Residents in the Sault expressed concerns ranging from vandalism to privacy invasions during recent consultations on the city's plan to install automated speed enforcement cameras.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆影视. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 麻豆影视