Russia's ambassador to the UN suggested on Monday that Moscow could drop sanctions against the Taliban, as the militant group met for the first time with members of the international community in Doha.
Before Vasily Nebenzya's comments at the UN in New York, international envoys to Afghanistan, including Russia's, gathered for a two-day summit in Qatar, where the Taliban pressed for sanctions to be dropped.
Afghanistan's hardline rulers, who seized power in Afghanistan in 2021, were also told they needed to include women in public life.
Mr Nebenzya told reporters that the Taliban “are the de facto authorities” of Afghanistan.
They “are not going to stop, and we've been saying consistently that you have to recognise this fact and deal with them as such because, whether you like it or not, this movement is running the country now. You cannot simply ignore that", he said.
“On how far we are from removing them from the sanctions list on which they are now with Russia, I cannot tell you the definite answer but I heard some talks about it.”
The Taliban government in Kabul has not been officially recognised by any other government since it took power in 2021.
Like many countries and groupings, including the US and EU, Russia maintains sanctions on the Taliban, designating it a terrorist group.
The Doha summit began on Sunday and is the third such meeting to be held in Qatar in a little over a year – but the first to include the Taliban.
The two-day summit drew intense backlash because UN organisers agreed to exclude women's rights activists to ensure the Taliban's participation.
Taliban authorities “will not sit across the table with Afghan civil society in this format, but they have heard very clearly the need to include women and civil society in all aspects of public life”, Ms DiCarlo told reporters in Doha.
Zakir Jalaly, a senior Taliban Foreign Ministry official, said on X that the delegation would use Monday's meetings to address “financial and banking sanctions” and the challenges they pose to Afghanistan's economy.
His statement followed the opening remarks by the head of the Taliban delegation, spokesman said Zabihullah Mujahid, late on Sunday as he addressed more than 20 envoys and UN officials.
“Afghans are asking why they are being ganged up on, on the basis of unilateral and multilateral sanctions,” Mr Mujahid said as he questioned whether the international measures were “fair practice” after “wars and insecurity for almost half a century as a result of foreign invasions and interference”.
The talks were held to discuss the possibility of increasing engagement with the impoverished country of more than 40 million and a more co-ordinated response, for example on economic issues and counter-narcotics efforts.
After the Taliban's return to power, the international community has wrestled with its approach to Afghanistan's new rulers.
The Taliban have imposed a strict interpretation of Islam, with women subjected to laws described by the UN as “gender apartheid”.
After the meeting, UN Under Secretary General Rosemary DiCarlo described talks as “frank” and “useful”, and said concerns and perspectives of Afghan women and civil society were central to discussions.
But she said that organisers faced a tough choice because they had to meet directly with Afghanistan's “de facto” rulers and international envoys.
She also said engagement with the Taliban authorities did not equate to recognising their government.
Instead, it was part of a broader international effort to address the issues affecting millions of Afghans.
Referring to the Taliban’s policies towards women, Amnesty International's secretary general Agnes Callamard said the international community must adopt a “clear and united stance” and asserted that the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan are “non-negotiable.”
Taliban authorities have repeatedly said the rights of all citizens are guaranteed under Islamic law.
Mr Mujahid said diplomats should “find ways of interaction and understanding rather than confrontation”, despite “natural” differences in policy.
“The Islamic emirate of Afghanistan is keen on engaging constructively with western nations as well,” he said.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
Fresh faces in UAE side
Khalifa Mubarak (24) An accomplished centre-back, the Al Nasr defender’s progress has been hampered in the past by injury. With not many options in central defence, he would bolster what can be a problem area.
Ali Salmeen (22) Has been superb at the heart of Al Wasl’s midfield these past two seasons, with the Dubai club flourishing under manager Rodolfo Arrubarrena. Would add workrate and composure to the centre of the park.
Mohammed Jamal (23) Enjoyed a stellar 2016/17 Arabian Gulf League campaign, proving integral to Al Jazira as the capital club sealed the championship for only a second time. A tenacious and disciplined central midfielder.
Khalfan Mubarak (22) One of the most exciting players in the UAE, the Al Jazira playmaker has been likened in style to Omar Abdulrahman. Has minimal international experience already, but there should be much more to come.
Jassim Yaqoub (20) Another incredibly exciting prospect, the Al Nasr winger is becoming a regular contributor at club level. Pacey, direct and with an eye for goal, he would provide the team’s attack an extra dimension.
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You may remember …
Robbie Keane (Atletico de Kolkata) The Irish striker is, along with his former Spurs teammate Dimitar Berbatov, the headline figure in this season’s ISL, having joined defending champions ATK. His grand entrance after arrival from Major League Soccer in the US will be delayed by three games, though, due to a knee injury.
Dimitar Berbatov (Kerala Blasters) Word has it that Rene Meulensteen, the Kerala manager, plans to deploy his Bulgarian star in central midfield. The idea of Berbatov as an all-action, box-to-box midfielder, might jar with Spurs and Manchester United supporters, who more likely recall an always-languid, often-lazy striker.
Wes Brown (Kerala Blasters) Revived his playing career last season to help out at Blackburn Rovers, where he was also a coach. Since then, the 23-cap England centre back, who is now 38, has been reunited with the former Manchester United assistant coach Meulensteen, after signing for Kerala.
Andre Bikey (Jamshedpur) The Cameroonian defender is onto the 17th club of a career has taken him to Spain, Portugal, Russia, the UK, Greece, and now India. He is still only 32, so there is plenty of time to add to that tally, too. Scored goals against Liverpool and Chelsea during his time with Reading in England.
Emiliano Alfaro (Pune City) The Uruguayan striker has played for Liverpool – the Montevideo one, rather than the better-known side in England – and Lazio in Italy. He was prolific for a season at Al Wasl in the Arabian Gulf League in 2012/13. He returned for one season with Fujairah, whom he left to join Pune.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Brackets denote aggregate score
Tuesday:
Roma (1) v Shakhtar Donetsk (2), 11.45pm
Manchester United (0) v Sevilla (0), 11.45pm
Wednesday:
Besiktas (0) v Bayern Munich (5), 9pm
Barcelona (1) v Chelsea (1), 11.45pm
Abandon
Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay
Translated by Arunava Sinha
Tilted Axis Press
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
SUZUME
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What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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