Over the past few weeks, international media has been focused greatly on Afghanistan, as Nato forces, particularly American forces, prepared to meet their deadline of departure on August 31. Besides issues on the ground, much has been written about how the withdrawal is likely to impact other countries. The situation is in flux, and likely to remain so for a while.
Some of the commentary has been based on dubious frameworks, to perhaps propound certain narratives, and it is the people of Afghanistan who are likely to pay the price. That will continue for a long time.
The official ending of the evacuation effort, and the formal withdrawal of the US and Nato forces from Kabul’s airport, has now passed, despite numerous pleas from different European states to their American ally to delay the deadline, so that the evacuation could be completed more satisfactorily. Washington opted to override such concerns and there are now people left behind who will continue to seek to leave Afghanistan. There will be a price for that, too; and it will be paid by the people of Afghanistan.
A large part of the final activity of Nato forces and their allies in the past couple of weeks has been aimed at evacuations of citizens of Nato countries, and Afghans – disproportionately the Afghans who had helped the Nato effort in some way. This may have been well meaning, but it created an emphasis that is deeply problematic, especially as we move into the next phase post-Nato withdrawal.
The reference to evacuate Afghans who "helped us", or "served us" represents a view that those who helped the West in different ways are more valuable than those who did not. And thus, those who "served" us ought to be granted refugee status. The phrase has already been repeated multiple times by different western politicians, as more Afghans attempt to leave Afghanistan.
I supported wholeheartedly the effort to evacuate the people and their families who were at risk in Afghanistan during the final departure of Nato forces. Western powers such as the US, the UK and Germany that intervened in Afghanistan have a duty to evacuate Afghans and grant them refugee status. But "at-risk" should not equal "having served the West". Certainly, people who helped western efforts in Afghanistan are quite likely at risk; no one should take at face value the declared amnesty of the Taliban vis-a-vis the group’s former foes.
But as we have seen in recent days and weeks, there are many others who feel at risk, who were never involved with Nato forces; journalists, rights activists and many others who for a variety of reasons have legitimate cause to feel they may be targeted by the Taliban. All of them may be at risk because of the work they have done, and they have a sincere and reasonable basis for that concern. It is correct and right that they be given sanctuary in the wake of recent events. Indeed, it is disappointing that there are not more countries that are willing to take them in, even if temporarily, until the situation in their native land becomes clearer.
Afghans trying to leave the country may try to use means besides the airport to do so. While most eyes have been where the international media has been – that is, Kabul – the scenes at land border crossings have also been cause for much concern. As control over the airport in Kabul has naturally transferred to the Taliban, it is likely that many of those who are leaving will seek attempt to do so beyond the airport. Some may try to cross over into Pakistan, the country that shares Afghanistan’s largest border; and others to Iran, which already hosts many refugees. The Central Asian republics of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are also options, and there may be ethnic ties that direct those refugee flows. Where possible, it is important that states with more means attempt to provide assistance to these countries in hosting these refugees; and not on the basis of whether they “served the West”.
But regardless of how they try to leave, many Afghans are at risk, and they are not less deserving of consideration for refugee or asylum status, just because the evacuation effort is now officially over, or if they were not involved with Nato forces in some shape or form.
The end of this phase of western engagement in Afghanistan has been conducted in a fashion that has already raised numerous concerns. Policymakers must do what they can in order to ensure the part of the aftermath that relates to Afghan refugees does not worsen. On the contrary, if the concerns about Afghans really meant anything at all, this is the time to prove it.
What is a calorie?
A food calorie, or kilocalorie, is a measure of nutritional energy generated from what is consumed.
One calorie, is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C.
A kilocalorie represents a 1,000 true calories of energy.
Energy density figures are often quoted as calories per serving, with one gram of fat in food containing nine calories, and a gram of protein or carbohydrate providing about four.
Alcohol contains about seven calories a gram.
Correspondents
By Tim Murphy
(Grove Press)
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
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Cinco in numbers
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The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
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The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
The%20Color%20Purple
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What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away
It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.
The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.
But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.
At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.
The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.
After years of advances in education, health and political representation, women registered setbacks in all three areas this year, WEF said.
Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.
And the number of women in leadership roles has risen to 34 per cent globally, WEF said.
At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.
And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.
* Agence France Presse
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Schalke 1 (Caligiuri pen 51') Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Miranda og 81')
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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Norway
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Canada
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
