Afghanistan's Taliban on Wednesday introduced new uniforms for their reconstituted police force, as the de facto government attempts to shift away from using its insurgent military forces to handle law and order.
When the US and other international troops withdrew from Afghanistan last August, after 20 years of war, security forces collapsed and were overrun by the extremist group. World governments do not recognise the new Taliban set-up.
The interior ministry, led by Taliban officials, announced at a press conference that a new uniform had been designed for the police force.
The main changes, observed on the new uniforms worn by some officers at the briefing, were in terms of colour, now dark blue instead of lighter grey-blue, and the replacing of Afghanistan's tri-coloured republican flag with the Taliban's Islamic Emirate flag on the sleeve.
The Taliban does not recognise the traditional republican flag, used by the western-backed governments that came to power after foreign forces toppled the Taliban government in 2001.
The Taliban had also used the Islamic Emirate flag ― white with black Arabic lettering displaying Islam's main tenet ― when they ruled from 1996 to 2001.
Acting Deputy Interior Minister Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali said a police force with new uniforms had been a top priority since taking over, but did not give details on its size.
Interior ministry spokesman Abdul Nafi Takor said 20,000 uniforms were prepared under contract from a local company and 100,000 more would be made in coming weeks.
The new uniformed police force will be used first in the provinces of Kabul and Kandahar and will largely consist of Taliban fighters.
The hardline Taliban are looking to transition away from an insurgent force, but have used their widely feared and largely untrained fighters to impose law and order after the previous police force disbanded with the fall of the government.
Mr Jalali said more than 50,000 personnel had undergone short training courses and 400 officers had graduated the long course.
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THE SPECS
GMC Sierra Denali 1500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Price: Dh232,500
The specs
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
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Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
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- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
War on waste
Her most famous song
Aghadan Alqak (Would I Ever Find You Again)?
Would I ever find you again
You, the heaven of my love, my yearning and madness;
You, the kiss to my soul, my cheer and
sadness?
Would your lights ever break the night of my eyes again?
Would I ever find you again?
This world is volume and you're the notion,
This world is night and you're the lifetime,
This world is eyes and you're the vision,
This world is sky and you're the moon time,
Have mercy on the heart that belongs to you.
Lyrics: Al Hadi Adam; Composer: Mohammed Abdel Wahab
The five pillars of Islam
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
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Director: Ed Perkins
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Four stars
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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
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Super lightweight:
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Super lightweight:
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Bantamweight:
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Abdullatip Magomedov (RUS) bt Sulaiman Al Modhyan (KUW)
Middleweight:
Mohammad Fakhreddine (LEB) bt Christofer Silva (BRA)
Middleweight:
Rustam Chsiev (RUS) bt Tarek Suleiman (SYR)
Welterweight:
Khamzat Chimaev (SWE) bt Mzwandile Hlongwa (RSA)
Lightweight:
Alex Martinez (CAN) bt Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR)
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HAJJAN
Plastic tipping point
Tomorrow 2021
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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The Scale for Clinical Actionability of Molecular Targets
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bundesliga results
Mainz 0 Augsburg 1 (Niederlechner 1')
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
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- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
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5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige Dh 110,000 1.400m | Winner: AF Mouthirah, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
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6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 1,600m | Winner: Majd Al Gharbia, Saif Al Balushi, Ridha ben Attia
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed Dh 180,000 1,600m | Winner: RB Money To Burn, Pat Cosgrave, Eric Lemartinel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap Dh 70,000 2,200m | Winner: AF Kafu, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 2,400m | Winner: Brass Ring, Fabrice Veron, Ismail Mohammed
Honeymoonish
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National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
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Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
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Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Bib%20Gourmand%20restaurants
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• Architecture is over - here's cybertecture
• The National announces Future of News journalism competition
• Round up: Experts share their visions of the world to come
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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THE%20SWIMMERS
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National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
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Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
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The burning issue
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Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
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While you're here
The National Editorial: The fragile future of jobs in the Middle East
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Alice Haine: Sunak urged to rescue ailing car industry as production slumps
