BBC New
By Caroline Hawley
Diplomatic Correspondent
November 18, 2021
A group of Afghan girl footballers have flown into the UK, the culmination of an extraordinary rescue effort that began after the Taliban seized power.
The costly operation brought together an unlikely cast of characters, from Muslim sports-people to spies, philanthropists, and a Hasidic rabbi.
The girls – aged between 13 and 19 – arrived from Pakistan overnight.
Their flight was chartered by a Jewish aid organisation and was paid for by the US star, Kim Kardashian-West.