A Pakistani security official stands guard after a bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan. EPA
A Pakistani security official stands guard after a bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan. EPA
A Pakistani security official stands guard after a bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan. EPA
A Pakistani security official stands guard after a bomb blast in Quetta, Pakistan. EPA

Pakistan army launches operations targeting Taliban and separatists


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Pakistani soldiers were searching for members of the country's branch of the Taliban and Baloch separatists on Monday, after six soldiers died in attacks.

The operation comes five days after security forces freed hostages being held following a prison break. Pakistan is currently fighting against two insurgencies targeting Baloch separatists who are active in an area where a recent roadside bombing killed five soldiers.

Pakistan’s branch of the Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban-Pakistan, has been active since around 2007, often co-operating with its Afghan parent organisation across the border.

The group has been emboldened following the fall of the former Afghan government in August 2021.

Attacks against foreigners, including Chinese workers and diplomats, have increased in northern Pakistan, alongside an uptick in attacks against security forces.

Last week, 33 people died when an operation was launched to free security officials being held in a counterterrorism centre in Bannu, north-west Pakistan. Two of the dead were commandos involved in the rescue attempt.

Abdul Aziz Uqaili, the top government official in the south-western Balochistan province, said there were of nine attacks in the province on Sunday. No civilians were killed, he tweeted. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the violence.

Earlier, the military said five soldiers, including an army captain, were killed when a roadside bomb exploded near a security forces vehicle during a clearance operation in Kahan, a remote area in Balochistan bordering Afghanistan. No militant group has claimed responsibility for the bombing.

The sixth soldier was killed in a shoot-out with the Pakistani Taliban in the Sambaza area of Zhob district, said Azfar Mohesar, a senior police official. A militant was also killed in the shoot-out, he said.

In the provincial capital of Quetta, 12 people were wounded when assailants threw a grenade in a bazaar near a residential area, Mr Mohesar added. Elsewhere in Balochistan, five people were wounded in attacks in the towns of Kalat, Khuzdar and Hub.

Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5

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GIANT REVIEW

Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan

Director: Athale

Rating: 4/5

The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

Price: Dh133,900

On sale: now 

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
The specs

Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 400hp

Torque: 475Nm

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Price: From Dh215,900

On sale: Now

The Specs

Price, base Dh379,000
Engine 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 503bhp
Torque 443Nm
On sale now

The finalists

Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho

Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson

Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)

Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid

Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)

Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola

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Expert input

If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?

“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett

“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche

“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox

“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite

 “I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy

“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra

The specs: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Price, base / as tested: Dh101,140 / Dh113,800


Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder


Power: 148hp @ 5,500rpm


Torque: 250Nm @ 2,000rpm


Transmission: Eight-speed CVT


Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km

Brief scoreline:

Manchester United 0

Manchester City 2

Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'

Updated: December 26, 2022, 10:26 AM