Taliban fighters control 65 per cent of Afghan territory and are threatening to seize 11 provincial capitals, the EU believes.
A Brussels official said the Taliban were trying to cut off Kabul from forces in the north of the country that support the Afghan government.
The official said at a briefing in the Belgian capital that increasing numbers of Afghans were fleeing their homes, with many heading to Iran.
Delivering humanitarian aid to Afghans is becoming more difficult owing to the fighting between the Taliban and government forces.
Some countries have told their citizens to leave Afghanistan as the fighting escalates following the departure of US and Nato troops.
Military insiders said foreign embassies were hurrying to destroy spare weapons to stop them falling into the hands of the Taliban.
Several provincial capitals have already been overrun by the militants, who ruled Afghanistan until the US-led invasion removed them from power in 2001.
After withdrawing ground troops, the US launched air strikes to support government troops but said it was up to Afghan forces to defend their country.
Europe’s estimate that the Taliban have seized about two thirds of the country comes after the militants claimed to control 85 per cent of its provinces.
Refugee fears
The EU official described the situation in Afghanistan as challenging but “not desperate”.
They said Brussels wanted to avoid Afghanistan from slipping into a state of civil war and triggering a “massive flow of migration” to Europe’s borders.
More than one million asylum seekers sought refuge in Europe during the 2015 migration crisis, many fleeing from Syria and Iraq.
Afghanistan’s situation was different to crises in Syria and Iraq because it has a solid government and recognised authorities, the official said.
But pressure is growing on EU governments to stop deporting people to Afghanistan because of the deteriorating situation.
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said there were reports of acts that could amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity.
These included what she said were "deeply disturbing reports" of the summary execution of surrendering government troops.
"People rightly fear that a seizure of power by the Taliban will erase the human rights gains of the past two decades,” she said.
About 400,000 Afghans are estimated to have been displaced from their homes this year.
The country also faces a drought and a third wave of Covid-19 infections, said Antonio Vitorino, head of the International Organisation for Migration.
He said fighters and neighbouring countries should do everything possible to keep border crossings open to enable humanitarian assistance.
“These factors leave almost half of Afghanistan’s population in need of emergency relief assistance, with needs expected to continue to rise,” he said.
“I also call on the international community and our donors to support our efforts and not abandon Afghanistan at this critical moment.”
Watch: US B-52 bombers strike Taliban
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Panipat
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Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
