Taliban prisoners wait to be released from the Bagram prison, next to the US military base in Bagram on May 26. AFP
Taliban prisoners wait to be released from the Bagram prison, next to the US military base in Bagram on May 26. AFP
Taliban prisoners wait to be released from the Bagram prison, next to the US military base in Bagram on May 26. AFP
Taliban prisoners wait to be released from the Bagram prison, next to the US military base in Bagram on May 26. AFP

Asia

Taliban prisoner release to be completed shortly, Ghani says

Kabul has pledged to free 5,000 Taliban prisoners under the terms of a US-Taliban deal signed in February,

AFP

June 11, 2020

  • English
  • Arabic

Afghanistan's government will soon complete a Taliban prisoner release that is vital to peace talks with the insurgents getting underway, President Ashraf Ghani said on Thursday.

Under the terms of a US-Taliban deal signed in February, Kabul has pledged to free 5,000 Taliban prisoners in a swap that would see the insurgents release 1,000 Afghan security force captives.

Once the swap is done, the two sides have pledged to begin peace talks that could end nearly 19 years of war.

Kabul has already released 3,000 prisoners, with the remainder due to come out shortly, Mr Ghani said.

"The remaining commitment, my colleagues and I have made the decision to release an additional 2,000 prisoners within a very short period. We will announce the date soon," the President said in a video interview with a Washington think tank.

Mr Ghani, who this year started his second term after a bitterly contested election that was marred with fraud claims, complained that the Taliban had not been transparent about how many Afghan soldiers they still hold.

"The number keeps shifting. We need clarity regarding the fate of those that are with them and assurance that the last person remaining with them is released," Mr Ghani told the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center and the US Institute for Peace.

Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen said on Twitter the prisoner release so far was "a positive step" and marked "good progress".

The Taliban and Afghan security forces observed a three-day ceasefire last month and have generally reduced violence across Afghanistan since then in an attempt to set the conditions for peace talks.

Mr Ghani said he would elaborate next steps in the peace process next week and called for a "humanitarian ceasefire" to provide food and medical assistance during the coronavirus crisis.

"In terms of reduction of violence, there has been (one) but the casualty figures still average around 60-70 a day. The number of fatalities unfortunately are averaging 30," he said.

Mr Ghani did not say if the casualties were civilians, fighters or a combination.

He said women would form an important part of eventual peace talk negotiating teams.

Under the US-Taliban deal, American and foreign forces are slated to leave Afghanistan over the coming months.

While you're here
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Five expert hiking tips
    Always check the weather forecast before setting off Make sure you have plenty of water Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon Wear appropriate clothing and footwear Take your litter home with you
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1. Marcel Kittel (Germany / Quick-Step) 63

2. Arnaud Demare (France / FDJ) 38

3. Andre Greipel (Germany / Lotto) 25

4. Sonny Colbrelli (Italy / Bahrain) 24

5. Mark Cavendish (Britain / Dimension Data) 22

6. Taylor Phinney (U.S. / Cannondale) 21

7. Geraint Thomas (Britain / Team Sky) 20

8. Thomas Boudat (France / Direct Energie) 20

9. Stefan Kueng (Switzerland / BMC Racing) 17

10. Michael Matthews (Australia / Sunweb) 17

ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY

Starting at 10am:

Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang

Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)

Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)

Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera 

Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas

Results

Stage three:

1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-43

2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s

3. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s

4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s

5. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s

6. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN) UAE-Team Emirates, at 24s

General Classification:

1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-13-02

2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s

3. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin Fenix, at 12s

4. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s

5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s

6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s

Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 
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Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

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UFC Fight Night 2

1am – Early prelims

2am – Prelims

4am-7am – Main card

7:30am-9am – press cons

The Breadwinner

Director: Nora Twomey

Starring: Saara Chaudry,  Soma Chhaya,  Laara Sadiq 

Three stars

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

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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
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  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
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  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)

Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)

Saturday

Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)

Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)

Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)

Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)

Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)

Sunday

Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)

Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)

Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)

 

 

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final:

First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2

Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)