The Taliban's senior leaders were set to gather in Kabul on Saturday to discuss the establishment of an "inclusive" government, as desperation deepened for thousands of people still trying to leave Afghanistan amid a chaotic evacuation operation.
A senior Taliban official told AFP Abdul Ghani Baradar, who co-founded the hardline group, would meet "leaders and politicians for an inclusive government set-up".
Taliban officials said the meeting would include a senior official from the Haqqani Network, which has been designated a terrorist organisation by the US, with million-dollar bounties on its leadership.
The western-backed government of President Ashraf Ghani collapsed after the Taliban entered Kabul on Sunday, retaking control of Afghanistan two decades after the 2001 US-led invasion toppled their regime because they were sheltering Al Qaeda.
The Taliban have promised a "positively different" rule to their reign between 1996 and 2001, when they imposed a harsh interpretation of Islamic law that excluded women from public life.
They have vowed not to seek revenge against their opponents, promising a general amnesty for anyone who worked with the US-backed government.
But reports of Taliban fighters going door-to-door to hunt down former government officials, journalists and people who worked with US and Nato forces have increased fears about retribution from the group.
On Saturday, an unnamed militant confirmed to Reuters that foreigners were being "interrogated" before leaving the country. It was not specified what such interrogations might entail.
Following reports that some US citizens had been violently assaulted in Kabul, the militant said "we are questioning some of them before they exit the country."
US warns citizens
The US State Department issued new instructions to Americans still in the country on Saturday.
"Because of potential security threats outside the gates at the Kabul airport, we are advising US citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and to avoid airport gates at this time unless you receive individual instructions from a US government representative to do so," read a travel advisory update.
On Friday it became clear that the US was working on other methods of evacuating US citizens and a select number of Afghan allies, other than allowing them to travel by road through a security cordon around the airport.
Former foes, Taliban fighters and international coalition forces have had to coordinate to stop crowds of desperate Afghans over-running the airport.
As tensions rose outside the airport's gates, the US military has sent helicopters to rescue over 150 Americans and 96 Afghan allies unable to reach the airport gates, an official said.
Senior American military officials confirmed on Saturday that an American CH-47 Chinook helicopter picked up Afghans, mostly women and children, and ferried them to the airport on Friday. The US Army’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division airlifted the Afghans from Camp Sullivan, a small outpost several hundred metres from the airport.
The officials say sorties like this one have been underway for days as Afghans seek to flee the country taken over by the Taliban.
American officials earlier confirmed that evacuation operations from Afghanistan had stalled for about seven hours Friday, because the receiving base in Qatar was overflowing.
On Saturday, the Pentagon gave a more detailed update on the crisis. The US has evacuated 2,500 Americans from Kabul over the past week, senior officials said, adding that Washington is fighting against "time and space" to evacuate people from Afghanistan.
During the briefing, Major General William Taylor said a total of 17,000 people have so far been evacuated.
As evacuation efforts continued, in the capital the security situation was deteriorating.
Last week, Women for Afghan Women (WAW), the largest non-governmental organisation in the country supporting women's rights, said it was monitoring reports of kidnappings being carried out by suspected Taliban militants. Fear has gripped the city.
"Please, please, please help me ... where should I go, what should I do?" one man, who said he worked for the US embassy in the mid-2000s, wrote on a WhatsApp group set up for people to share information on how to leave the country.
"I have tried to get there [to the airport] for some days, but I cannot reach. Please save me."
Six days after the Taliban took back power, the flow of people trying to flee the group continues to overwhelm the international community.
Traffic, people and checkpoints choked roads to Kabul airport, while families hoping for a miracle escape crowded between the barbed-wire surrounds of an unofficial no-man's land separating the Taliban from US-troops and remnants of an Afghan special forces brigade.
Thousands of US soldiers are at the airport trying to shepherd foreigners and Afghans on to flights, but President Joe Biden admitted the presence of troops offered no guarantees of safe passage.
"This is one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history. I cannot promise what the final outcome will be," Mr Biden said on Friday.
On Saturday, Bahrain joined the UAE in offering to assist the evacuation effort, saying it was “allowing flights to make use of Bahrain’s transit facilities”.
On Friday, the UAE said it would host up to 5,000 Afghans before they depart for a third country, following a request by the US after its Al Udeid Airbase in Qatar filled up with those fleeing the Taliban takeover.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said so far 13 countries agreed to host at-risk Afghans, at least temporarily, while another 12 agreed to serve as transit points for people fleeing Afghanistan, including US citizens.
Honeymoonish
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The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
The specs
Common to all models unless otherwise stated
Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi
0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)
Power: 276hp
Torque: 392Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD
Price: TBC
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
Defending champions
World Series: South Africa
Women’s World Series: Australia
Gulf Men’s League: Dubai Exiles
Gulf Men’s Social: Mediclinic Barrelhouse Warriors
Gulf Vets: Jebel Ali Dragons Veterans
Gulf Women: Dubai Sports City Eagles
Gulf Under 19: British School Al Khubairat
Gulf Under 19 Girls: Dubai Exiles
UAE National Schools: Al Safa School
International Invitational: Speranza 22
International Vets: Joining Jack
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
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.
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
Score
Third Test, Day 1
New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
'Shakuntala Devi'
Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
