Smoke rises from the site of a car bombing on an Afghan police headquarters in Feroz Kho, the capital of Ghor province. AFP
Smoke rises from the site of a car bombing on an Afghan police headquarters in Feroz Kho, the capital of Ghor province. AFP
Smoke rises from the site of a car bombing on an Afghan police headquarters in Feroz Kho, the capital of Ghor province. AFP
Smoke rises from the site of a car bombing on an Afghan police headquarters in Feroz Kho, the capital of Ghor province. AFP

Car bomb targeting Afghan police kills at least 13


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A car bombing at the police headquarters in the western Afghan province of Ghor killed at least 13 people and wounded about 120 others on Sunday.

The attack took place in Feroz Koh, the capital of the province, where there has been less violence than other regions of the country.

The head of a hospital in Ghor, Mohammad Omer Lalzad, said emergency staff were treating dozens of people with both serious and light injuries from the bombing. He expected the death toll to rise.

Juma Gul Yakoobi, a health official in Ghor, said victims included members of the security forces.

The Ministry of Interior said the car bomb detonated near the entrance of the provincial police chief's office and other nearby government buildings in the area at about 11am local time.

"The explosion was very powerful," said Aref Abir, spokesman for the Ghor governor.

He said the sound of the blast could heard across the capital city.

“It damaged and partially destroyed a few government buildings, including the police chief's office, the women's affairs department and the provincial office for refugees,” Mr Abir said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes amid an increase in attacks by the Taliban insurgents as representatives of the group and Afghan government officials hold their first-ever face-to-face talks in Qatar, where the Taliban have had a political office for many years. The negotiations are meant to end decades of war in Afghanistan.

On Friday, the Taliban agreed to suspend attacks in the southern province of Helmand, which displaced thousands of residents last week, in exchange for the US halting all air strikes and night raids in keeping with the peace agreement the US signed with the Taliban in February.

The US had been conducting air strikes in support of Afghan forces trying to repel Taliban assaults in Helmand province.

The peace talks in Qatar began in September, but appear to be stalled as the Taliban and government have struggled to establish a basic framework for negotiations.

While successful negotiations are seen as critical to ending the fighting, the withdrawal of American troops relies on the Taliban honouring their commitments from the February accord to not support terror groups and fight all militants, most specifically the region’s ISIS affiliate.

Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net

Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.

Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.

A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.

Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.

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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
UAE jiu-jitsu squad

Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)

Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh122,745

On sale: now

THE SPECS

Engine: 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 626bhp

Torque: 900Nm

Price: Dh1,050,000

On sale: now