At a large checkpoint on the outskirts of Kabul connecting the capital to the eastern city of Jalalabad, Abdul Hasrat and his platoon keep watch. Their job, they say, is to defend the city from the Taliban.
The uniformed 38-year-old army lieutenant, clad with a matching camouflage baseball cap, and his soldiers are heavily armoured with tanks, machine guns and sandbag carriers. They are trying to prevent militants from entering the city, and hoping not to be attacked themselves. The lieutenant seemed cheerful regardless of what might be at stake.
“The Taliban is about 20 kilometres away,” the lieutenant said.
It is a gloomy day in the eastern Kabul suburb of Pul-e-Charkhi, with the onset of a heavy thunderstorm brewing over the soldiers. In the evenings, when most traffic has passed, it becomes a lonely place. “I lost a good friend last year,” Lt Hasrat said. “It can be a dangerous job.”
His 28-year-old colleague, officer Safi Ullah, said that he feels safe in Kabul, but hesitated when asked about his family. “They are in my village in Kapisa Province because the situation is not good here.”
Both men are part of a special division responsible to ensure that Kabul – and its citizens – are kept safe. “We check cars, licenses and weapons and if there’s any doubt, we won’t allow people to proceed into the city,” the officer said.
In Afghanistan’s war, Kabul is just one of the cities that is surrounded by rural areas held by the Taliban.
Whether in urban centres or rural provinces, it is the army’s job to ensure no place falls to “the enemy,” as the Ministry of Defence spokesperson Zubair Arif referred to them.
“It’s no easy task,” he said, because “they are a master of disguise. But whether it’s in Badghis [referring to the northwestern Afghan province] or Kabul, it is our job to save our country and people”.
As a Taliban delegation and Afghan opposition figures meet in Moscow this week for another round of talks with Russian politicians, the group has appeared to gain more ground, surrounding cities and posing an increased threat to both soldiers and civilians. The US military announced in May that it has stopped counting how much of Afghanistan the group controls.
In Badghis, a province that dipped into severe drought last year, two things have visibly changed. Its rolling hills are once again green, but it is not only crop production that has increased. At a closer look, Badghis has become gun-land. Weapons and guns have multiplied throughout its towns and villages, with armed boys protecting the odd remote checkpoint. Here, reminders of an old war are still present. Rusty Soviet tanks are scattered throughout the hills, but new remnants have been added.
The Taliban says it now controls up to 70 per cent of the province, a ten per cent increase from last year, a statement the government is refuting. In his office in Qala-e-Naw – Newcastle in English – Dr Abdul Malekzay, the governor of Badghis’s state-controlled provincial capital, says the Taliban is weak but its operations remain mobile, without a specific base.
“I am not afraid of them,” he said, sat on a thick-cushioned chair. He now wants at least another 1,000 soldiers deployed to his province, estimating that there are around 4,000 troops stationed there at present.
But to the Taliban, which largely surrounds Qala-e-Naw, this mobility might come at an advantage.
Miles away, in the rural district of Bala Murghab, a Taliban spokesperson in the province said that the group is “looking to take Badghis”, He explained that recruitment in recent months has gone well. “We encourage both the Afghan military and local communities to join us,” he said. Yet according to Ministry of Defence spokesperson Zubair Arif, the situation in Bala Murghab is “back to normal, with lots of Taliban killed and the area cleared”.
Regardless of the discrepancies between the two parties, it is civilians who often come under crossfire or attacks, and protecting a province like Badghis – or further, a capital like Kabul – is no easy task.
The United Nations says that 37 per cent of civilian casualties can be attributed to the Taliban, while pro-government forces caused another 24 per cent, including six per cent by the international military forces in the country. In numbers, this means that at least 32,000 people lost their lives to the war in the last decade.
After two of her children were killed by gunfire, Gul Hassiba, a 45-year-old widowed mother decided to move to Qala-e-Naw, packing just a few clothes and kitchen supplies. Living in a camp with thousands of other displaced people – both due to drought and war –she is still afraid because the Taliban is just “at the doorstep”. She is originally from nearby Ab Kamari district – a few hours walk away – and now lives in a small tent on top of a hill with her four children, overlooking a sea of white tents.
“We were caught between [government] air strikes and gunfire from both sides,” Ms Hassiba said. “We don’t want this war, but we find ourselves in the middle of it.” The Afghan mother is not necessarily afraid of the Taliban as a group, she said, but of becoming an accidental casualty when in close proximity to the fighting.
With tens of thousands of soldiers and police deployed, the threat throughout the country of Taliban attacks is still ever-present. The group’s assaults have increased since April, when it proclaimed the start of its annual fighting season. The Islamic holy month of Ramadan has been especially bloody in the capital, with daylight murders, an attack on a police iftar dinner, magnetic car bombs and a complex attack on US-funded aid agency Counterpart International that left nine people dead.
While the Taliban is part of the local community in some parts of Badghis, leaving civilians largely out and determined to fight the government, the threat in Kabul is different, with civilians bearing the brunt of the conflict.
Sitting in his taxi during Kabul’s heavily-polluted rush-hour, Ramin Ali, in his early 40s, admitted that not a day goes by when he is not scared.
“Every morning when I leave my house, I realise that I might not be coming back,” he said hesitantly, trying to navigate through the narrow traffic-jammed roads. Earlier that day, a minibus bombing wounded ten people on a road that Ali said he takes daily.
“I’m afraid of these terrorists,” he said, explaining that most of his family have already left Afghanistan to seek refuge overseas.
“We can’t win either way and I don’t see much improvement. If I could, I’d leave, too.”
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Liverpool’s fixtures until end of 2019
Saturday, November 30, Brighton (h)
Wednesday, December 4, Everton (h)
Saturday, December 7, Bournemouth (a)
Tuesday, December 10, Salzburg (a) CL
Saturday, December 14, Watford (h)
Tuesday, December 17, Aston Villa (a) League Cup
Wednesday, December 18, Club World Cup in Qatar
Saturday, December 21, Club World Cup in Qatar
Thursday, December 26, Leicester (a)
Sunday, December 29, Wolves (h)
At a glance - Zayed Sustainability Prize 2020
Launched: 2008
Categories: Health, energy, water, food, global high schools
Prize: Dh2.2 million (Dh360,000 for global high schools category)
Winners’ announcement: Monday, January 13
Impact in numbers
335 million people positively impacted by projects
430,000 jobs created
10 million people given access to clean and affordable drinking water
50 million homes powered by renewable energy
6.5 billion litres of water saved
26 million school children given solar lighting
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The lowdown
Bohemian Rhapsody
Director: Bryan Singer
Starring: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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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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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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
Naga
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About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
WITHIN%20SAND
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POSSIBLE ENGLAND EURO 2020 SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Dean Henderson.
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, Joe Gomez, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Ben Chilwell, Fabian Delph.
Midfielders: Declan Rice, Harry Winks, Jordan Henderson, Ross Barkley, Mason Mount, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Forwards: Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Championship play-offs, second legs:
Aston Villa 0
Middlesbrough 0
(Aston Villa advance 1-0 on aggregate)
Fulham 2
Sessegnon (47'), Odoi (66')
Derby County 0
(Fulham advance 2-1 on aggregate)
Final
Saturday, May 26, Wembley. Kick off 8pm (UAE)
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Ain Issa camp:
- Established in 2016
- Houses 13,309 people, 2,092 families, 62 per cent children
- Of the adult population, 49 per cent men, 51 per cent women (not including foreigners annexe)
- Most from Deir Ezzor and Raqqa
- 950 foreigners linked to ISIS and their families
- NGO Blumont runs camp management for the UN
- One of the nine official (UN recognised) camps in the region
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
Volunteers offer workers a lifeline
Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.
When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.
Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.
Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.
“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.
Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.
“More than daily food, they are worried about not sending money home for their family,” said Kusum Dutta, a volunteer who works with the Indian consulate.
Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time
Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.
Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.
The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.
The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.
Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.
The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.
• Bloomberg
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Story%20behind%20the%20UAE%20flag
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
THE BIO
Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
Astroworld
Travis Scott
Grand Hustle/Epic/Cactus Jack
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
RIDE%20ON
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Kandahar%20
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