A Pakistani military cargo plane carrying relief goods for the homeless and injured of Afghanistan’s earthquake landed at the Khost airport on Saturday, bringing tents, food and medical supplies for the mountainous region.
Thousands were left affected by this week’s powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, which state media said killed 1,150 people. An aftershock on Friday claimed five more lives.
Mansoor Ahmad Khan, Pakistan’s ambassador in Kabul, said the relief goods sent by Pakistan on Saturday were given to Taliban officials.
“It was our duty to help our Afghan brethren at this difficult time,” he said.
Neighbouring Pakistan was often accused of harbouring Afghanistan’s Taliban fighters before they assumed power last August as US-led international forces withdrew from the country after 20 years.
Since the takeover, Islamabad has led the way in pressing the world to engage with the Taliban government.
Earlier, Pakistan’s government and a Pakistani charity had sent 13 lorries carrying food, tents, medicines and other essential items to Afghanistan.
A 19-member team from Pakistan comprised physicians and paramedics has been helping Afghanistan’s Taliban-run government in Khost.
The quake struck a remote, deeply impoverished region of small towns and villages tucked among rough mountains near the Pakistani border, collapsing stone and mud-brick homes and in some cases killing entire families.
Nearly 3,000 homes were destroyed or badly damaged in Paktika and Khost provinces, state media reported.
Officials said Saturday that Pakistan has opened its border in the north-west to transport critically injured Afghans to hospitals in Pakistan. The number of Afghans who arrived for medical treatment is not known.
Among the dead from Wednesday’s magnitude 6.1 quake were 121 children, and that figure is expected to climb, according to the Afghanistan representative of Unicef, the UN children’s agency. He said about 70 children were injured.
Dawlat Khan in the district of Gayan in Paktika province said five members of his family were injured and his house destroyed by the earthquake.
“We are facing many problems. We need all kind of support, and we request the international community and Afghans who can help to come forward and help us,” he told the Associated Press.
Rutted roads through the mountains, already slow to drive on, were made worse by damage from the earthquake and rain.
The International Red Cross has five hospitals in the region, but damage to the roads made it difficult for those in the worse-hit areas to reach them, said Lucien Christen, ICRC spokesman in Afghanistan.
An Afghan military helicopter delivered food and other necessities to people in Gayan on Saturday. Dozens of men and children gathered in an open area under the hot sun to wait for food, water and tents from the Afghan Red Crescent.
The aid organisation said it would distribute relief items to about 1,000 families in the district.
At Urgan, the main city in Paktika province, medical supplies from the World Health Organisation were delivered to the main hospital.
Unicef delivered blankets and basic supplies to quake-hit villages, as well as tarpaulins for the homeless to use as tents.
In the district of Spera in Khost province, Unicef sent water purification tablets along with soap and other hygiene products.
Aid groups said they feared cholera could break out after damage to water and sewerage systems.
Fight card
- Aliu Bamidele Lasisi (Nigeria) beat Artid Vamrungauea (Thailand) POINTS
- Julaidah Abdulfatah (Saudi Arabia) beat Martin Kabrhel (Czech Rep) POINTS
- Kem Ljungquist (Denmark) beat Mourad Omar (Egypt) TKO
- Michael Lawal (UK) beat Tamas Kozma (Hungary) KO
- Zuhayr Al Qahtani (Saudi Arabia) beat Mohammed Mahmoud (UK) POINTS
- Darren Surtees (UK) beat Kane Baker (UK) KO
- Chris Eubank Jr (UK) beat JJ McDonagh (Ireland) TKO
- Callum Smith (UK) beat George Groves (UK) KO
The%20National%20selections
%3Cp%3E%3Cspan%20style%3D%22font-size%3A%2014px%3B%22%3E6pm%3A%20Go%20Soldier%20Go%3Cbr%3E6.35pm%3A%20Man%20Of%20Promise%3Cbr%3E7.10pm%3A%20Withering%3Cbr%3E7.45pm%3A%20Mawj%3Cbr%3E8.20pm%3A%20Falling%20Shadow%3Cbr%3E8.55pm%3A%20Law%20Of%20Peace%3Cbr%3E9.30pm%3A%20Naval%20Power%3Cbr%3E10.05pm%3A%20The%20Attorney%3C%2Fspan%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
- It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
- Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
- Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour Calendar 2018/19
July 29: OTA Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan
Sep 22-23: LA Convention Centre in Los Angeles, US
Nov 16-18: Carioca Arena Centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Feb 7-9: Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE
Mar 9-10: Copper Box Arena in London, UK
Naga
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EMeshal%20Al%20Jaser%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EAdwa%20Bader%2C%20Yazeed%20Almajyul%2C%20Khalid%20Bin%20Shaddad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
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Rating: 3/5
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Tabby%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%20August%202019%3B%20platform%20went%20live%20in%20February%202020%3Cbr%3EFounder%2FCEO%3A%20Hosam%20Arab%2C%20co-founder%3A%20Daniil%20Barkalov%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Payments%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2040-50%20employees%3Cbr%3EStage%3A%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Arbor%20Ventures%2C%20Mubadala%20Capital%2C%20Wamda%20Capital%2C%20STV%2C%20Raed%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Founders%20Capital%2C%20JIMCO%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20Venture%20Souq%2C%20Outliers%20VC%2C%20MSA%20Capital%2C%20HOF%20and%20AB%20Accelerator.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A