The UN's Afghanistan rapporteur will tell the Human Rights Council on Monday that the international community's efforts to engage with the Taliban and supply humanitarian aid have emboldened Afghanistan's hard-line rulers.
UN human rights envoy to the country Richard Bennett has said more pressure was needed on Kabul as the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan had continued to deteriorate “incrementally”.
Weeks after a third round of UN-led peace talks with the Taliban in Doha, the UN's special rapporteur to Afghanistan described a hardening of rhetoric leading to tougher conditions in Kabul.
“It's step by step, tightening the grip,” he told a meeting of South Asians for Human Rights, a Colombo-based network. “When it first started, we thought that their rhetoric, that there was a gap between their words and their actions. There's not so much of a gap now, actually, and that's not a positive thing.
Their words have become more harsh, more exclusive, more based around national sovereignty. This is probably in line with the trend internationally, but particularly noticeable in Afghanistan” he said.
When Mr Bennett presents his findings at the UN Human Rights Council meeting, he said he will also call for more international pressure on the Taliban in a three-step plan. “I am in favour of dialogue with the Taliban, but not without a real plan and unity,” he said.
The group who had been fighting a US-led coalition for over 20 years took over the country in 2021, banning girls from attending secondary schools, and women from universities.
Though the Taliban had promised in the early days of its rule not to close schools and issue a general amnesty towards those who were fighting against them, these promises had been overturned. Their attempts to erase women and girls from public arenas have been described as a “gender apartheid”, which activists say should be considered a war crime.
Yet lack of “unity” or “cohesive plan” in the international community meant the Taliban's hardline positions could become further entrenched, Mr Bennett warned.
“The (Taliban's) strengths are the international community's weaknesses. They have an ideology. They have been successful in implementing it. They believe in themselves,” he said.
“The international community has none of those things. It doesn't have a plan, it doesn't have coherence, and it has no confidence in what it's doing either.”
The Security Council Resolution 2721 to appoint a Special envoy in Afghanistan had been a step in the right direction. But the meetings in Doha, from which Afghan civil society was excluded, sent the wrong message.
“A message was sent to the Taliban that they can continue to crack down on human rights and the rights of women and girls especially, and there will be no consequences,” he said.
Humanitarian aid, which many say has been misused by the Taliban, could be restricted as a form of pressure. “I'm not against providing humanitarian support to the people of Afghanistan, but at the moment, we are also emboldening the Taliban with it,” he said.
Afghan women living under Taliban rule – in pictures
The US-led coalition in Afghanistan also needed to acknowledge its detrimental role in Afghanistan, with the UN introducing accountability processes that pre-date the Taliban's takeover in 2021.
“There is little or no admission of the by the international community of the its responsibility for the situation that Afghans find themselves in,” he said.
The Taliban needed to be pressured to improve the human rights situation in Afghanistan. “Any normalisation of engagement with the de facto authorities must be based on demonstrable, measurable and independently verifiable, verified improvements and human rights,” he said.
An “all tools” approach to assess the human rights situation in Afghanistan would include the international courts, and an assessment of whether “gender apartheid” was being committed against women and girls.
Transitional justice and accountability shouldn’t start from August 2021, but look at the “root causes”. The International Criminal Court's case on Afghanistan was rightly focused on the Taliban, Mr Bennett said, but did not look at crimes committed by the US-led coalition.
“Afghanistan, suffered four and a half decades of conflict. Some people would say that is not over yet. There have been human rights violations committed by all parties to the conflict over decades. That should be addressed,” he said.
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Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
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Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The five pillars of Islam
The five pillars of Islam
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Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The five pillars of Islam
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
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Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
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6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group One (PA) US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
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The National selections:
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
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Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
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The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
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8.55pm Downtown Dubai Cup – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 1,400m
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How it works
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The specs: 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman
Price, base / as tested Dh222,500 / Dh296,870
Engine 2.0L, flat four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed PDK
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Torque 380hp @ 1,950rpm
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km
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