The UN on Friday warned of the “catastrophic” prospect of pitched battles on the streets of Kabul as Taliban fighters pushed towards the capital city after making lightning gains across Afghanistan.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric described the “horrendous prospect” of fighting in and around the government-held Afghan capital, where some 120,000 civilians had fled so far this year as the Taliban made gains elsewhere in rural areas and provincial capitals.
The hard-line Islamist group has in recent days seized Afghanistan’s second- and third-largest cities, Kandahar and Herat, as government forces melted away, stoking fears that an assault on Kabul could be days away.
“Urban warfare in Kabul will be catastrophic,” Mr Dujarric told reporters.
“The mission has already pointed out the horrendous impact on civilians of urban warfare in Kandahar, in Lashkar Gah. One can only imagine with horror what it would look like in Kabul, a city whose population is increasing on a regular basis because of the fighting going on outside.”
UN secretary general Antonio Guterres meanwhile said fighting in Afghanistan was “spinning out of control”, and warned that attacks on civilians, which have claimed some 1,000 lives this past month, may amount to war crimes.
He criticised “indiscriminate” strikes on civilians during recent Taliban offensives in Helmand, Kandahar and Herat provinces, warning the hardliners that military conquest would earn the group a global pariah status.
“The message from the international community to those on the warpath must be clear: seizing power through military force is a losing proposition,” Mr Guterres told reporters.
The UN is evaluating the security situation in Afghanistan on “an hour-by-hour basis” but has not yet begun removing any staff from the country, said Mr Dujarric. The UN has had a “light footprint” in Taliban-held areas and is relocating some staff to Kabul from elsewhere in the country.
Meanwhile, UN secretary general Antonio Guterres said fighting in Afghanistan was “spinning out of control”, and warned that attacks on civilians, which have claimed some 1,000 lives this past month, may amount to war crimes.
He criticised “indiscriminate” strikes on civilians during recent Taliban offensives in Helmand, Kandahar and Herat provinces, warning the hardliners that military conquest would earn the group a global pariah status.
“The message from the international community to those on the warpath must be clear: seizing power through military force is a losing proposition,” Mr Guterres told reporters.
“That can only lead to prolonged civil war or to the complete isolation of Afghanistan.”
The head of the UN’s political unit, Rosemary DiCarlo, said on social media that civilians were “bearing the brunt of the violence” and urged central government and Taliban negotiators to work harder on a peace deal.
“One thing is clear from the country’s recent history: durable peace and development will not be achieved militarily,” Ms DiCarlo posted on Twitter.
“We're ready to contribute to a negotiated settlement.”
UN agencies on Friday warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in Afghanistan as Taliban advances continued to drive tens of thousands of people from their homes, driving up the possibility of widespread hunger.
“We fear the worst is yet to come and the larger tide of hunger is fast approaching … The situation has all the hallmarks of a humanitarian catastrophe,” the World Food Programme's Tomson Phiri told a UN briefing.
At least 18 million Afghans are facing hunger because of the recent wave of violence, Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar said on Wednesday at an event hosted by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute think tank.
“We expect more from our regional and international partners,” he said.
Department of State spokesman Ned Price told MSNBC that the US is prepared to help Afghanistan's most vulnerable who are reportedly being targeted by the Taliban.
As the hardliners close in on Kabul, Mr Price said the Taliban has “no intention of targeting diplomatic facilities,” responding to reports the US is asking the Taliban to spare the embassy.
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
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
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
INFO
Everton 0
Arsenal 0
Man of the Match: Djibril Sidibe (Everton)
HEADLINE HERE
- I would recommend writing out the text in the body
- And then copy into this box
- It can be as long as you link
- But I recommend you use the bullet point function (see red square)
- Or try to keep the word count down
- Be wary of other embeds lengthy fact boxes could crash into
- That's about it
The biog
Family: Parents and four sisters
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing at American University of Sharjah
A self-confessed foodie, she enjoys trying out new cuisines, her current favourite is the poke superfood bowls
Likes reading: autobiographies and fiction
Favourite holiday destination: Italy
Posts information about challenges, events, runs in other emirates on the group's Instagram account @Anagowrunning
Has created a database of Emirati and GCC sportspeople on Instagram @abeermk, highlight: Athletes
Apart from training, also talks to women about nutrition, healthy lifestyle, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure
The biog
Name: Gul Raziq
From: Charsadda, Pakistan
Family: Wife and six children
Favourite holes at Al Ghazal: 15 and 8
Golf Handicap: 6
Childhood sport: cricket
'The%20Alchemist's%20Euphoria'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Kasabian%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EColumbia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
GROUP RESULTS
Group A
Results
Ireland beat UAE by 226 runs
West Indies beat Netherlands by 54 runs
Group B
Results
Zimbabwe tied with Scotland
Nepal beat Hong Kong by five wickets
Virtuzone GCC Sixes
Date and venue Friday and Saturday, ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City
Time Matches start at 9am
Groups
A Blighty Ducks, Darjeeling Colts, Darjeeling Social, Dubai Wombats; B Darjeeling Veterans, Kuwait Casuals, Loose Cannons, Savannah Lions; C Awali Taverners, Darjeeling, Dromedary, Darjeeling Good Eggs
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE finals day
Friday, April 13
Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
match info
Manchester United 3 (Martial 7', 44', 74')
Sheffield United 0
Scoreline
Swansea 2
Grimes 20' (pen), Celina, 29'
Man City 3
Silva 69', Nordfeldt 78' (og), Aguero 88'
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Premier League results
Saturday
Crystal Palace 1 Brighton & Hove Albion 2
Cardiff City 2 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Bournemouth 2
Leicester City 3 Fulham 1
Newcastle United 3 Everton 2
Southampton 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Manchester City 3 Watford 1
Sunday
Liverpool 4 Burnley 2
Chelsea 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1
Arsenal 2 Manchester United 0
MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Marseille 0
Atletico Madrid 3
Greizmann (21', 49'), Gabi (89')
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
