French President Emmanuel Macron, right, attends the virtual G7 meeting on the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, August 24, 2021. AP
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, attends the virtual G7 meeting on the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, August 24, 2021. AP
French President Emmanuel Macron, right, attends the virtual G7 meeting on the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, August 24, 2021. AP
Insight and opinion from The National’s editorial leadership
August 25, 2021
The G7 – the group of industrialised nations that includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and US – held an emergency meeting on Tuesday. At the top of the agenda was the ongoing efforts to evacuate foreign citizens and at-risk locals from Afghanistan, which fell to the Taliban militant group last week.
The situation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, currently the only airport in Afghanistan operating evacuation flights, has grown increasingly desperate. The interior of the airport is under the control of US soldiers. Just metres away, Taliban soldiers patrol the vicinity.
Together, the two forces have had to form an unlikely alliance in order to manage the thousands of panicked civilians – including many Afghans with foreign passports, visas or active visa applications – who attempt every day to enter the airport in order to get a seat on one of the limited evacuation planes. At least 19 civilians, including a young girl, have died, either by gunshots or in the crush, since the mayhem began on August 15.
The evacuation is expected to last until August 31, the deadline Washington had agreed to previously with the Taliban for a full withdrawal of US forces from Afghan territory. This is despite US President Joe Biden coming under unrelenting pressure from activists, members of Congress and some of America’s closest allies, including many G7 nations, to sue for an extension.
At least 19 civilians, including a young girl, have died since the mayhem began
The disastrous situation unfolding at Kabul’s airport is a direct consequence of the deadline itself. When US administrations – first that of Donald Trump, and now Mr Biden’s – gave American operations in Afghanistan a firm date of departure, without involving or consulting the now-fallen Afghan government, they gave the Taliban months to marshal the resources and political support from local power-brokers outside of Kabul to mount their takeover of the country. It was so successful, however, that the speed with which it was achieved came as a surprise even to the Taliban.
With no joint plan agreed for an orderly transition to a different kind of Afghan government that would include the Taliban, the group's military victory resulted in a calamitous political vacuum. While the streets of Kabul are relatively calm, the flight of the country’s top bureaucrats has crippled the institutions responsible for maintaining its economic health and infrastructure. Meanwhile, armed resistance groups, centred primarily in the Panjshir Valley, north-east of Kabul, are preparing for a protracted armed conflict, suggesting that the new order in Afghanistan may not be a peaceful one.
All of this raises alarm bells about what what some G7 nations, particularly Britain and Canada, have already advocated: the prospect of imposing sanctions on the new Taliban government in Kabul. The International Monetary Fund, based in Washington, has already frozen Afghanistan’s access to foreign currency reserves in its custody. A G7 "roadmap" for relations with the Taliban government is expected to be released at a later date.
While the Taliban will no doubt bristle at the thought of having Afghanistan’s economic prospects snatched away so quickly after taking power, however, the group thus far has managed to succeed without any access to legitimate funds, from Afghanistan or abroad. Sanctions at this moment in Afghanistan’s history would only hurt innocent Afghan civilians who are already suffering. G7 nations, most acutely the US, bear responsibility for the present chaos. They must not make it worse.
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
Grade 9 = above an A*
Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
Grade 7 = grade A
Grade 6 = just above a grade B
Grade 5 = between grades B and C
Grade 4 = grade C
Grade 3 = between grades D and E
Grade 2 = between grades E and F
Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened. He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia. Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”. Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Mountain Classification Tour de France after Stage 8 on Saturday:
1. Lilian Calmejane (France / Direct Energie) 11
2. Fabio Aru (Italy / Astana) 10
3. Daniel Martin (Ireland / Quick-Step) 8
4. Robert Gesink (Netherlands / LottoNL) 8
5. Warren Barguil (France / Sunweb) 7
6. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 6
7. Guillaume Martin (France / Wanty) 6
8. Jan Bakelants (Belgium / AG2R) 5
9. Serge Pauwels (Belgium / Dimension Data) 5
10. Richie Porte (Australia / BMC Racing) 4
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.
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)
Tips to keep your car cool
Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
Park in shaded or covered areas
Add tint to windows
Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.
Essentials
The flights Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur,Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang,Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes. 23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi,Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
