US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West attends a meeting in Pakistan last year. EPA
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West attends a meeting in Pakistan last year. EPA
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West attends a meeting in Pakistan last year. EPA
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West attends a meeting in Pakistan last year. EPA

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US

US special representative for Afghanistan to travel to UAE, India and Japan

Afghanistan suffered a deadly attack on Wednesday amid ongoing humanitarian and economic chaos

Ellie Sennett
Ellie Sennett
Washington

November 30, 2022

  • English
  • Arabic

US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West will travel to the UAE, India and Japan next week to consult on the Central Asian country's ongoing humanitarian and economic crises.

Mr West will speak with world leaders on the “protection of Afghans’ rights and shared security concerns”, the State Department said on Wednesday.

The department did not provide details on which officials Mr West will meet during his travels.

The trip was announced on the heels of an explosion in northern Afghanistan that killed at least 15 people, with officials reporting that all victims were “children and ordinary people”.

Such attacks have become commonplace in Afghanistan since the Taliban's takeover following the hasty US withdraw from the country last year. The attacks have been compounded by skyrocketing poverty amid an economic meltdown.

Preliminary World Bank statistics show that Afghanistan's gross domestic product contracted by 20.7 per cent in 2021.

Taliban fighters and supporters celebrate at Ahmad Shah Massoud square in Kabul on August 31, 2022. AFP
Taliban fighters and supporters celebrate at Ahmad Shah Massoud square in Kabul on August 31, 2022. AFP
A banner hung in Kabul by Taliban authorities to mark the first anniversary of the departure of US-led foreign forces from Afghanistan. AFP
A banner hung in Kabul by Taliban authorities to mark the first anniversary of the departure of US-led foreign forces from Afghanistan. AFP
Taliban fighters set off fireworks near the former US embassy in Kabul to celebrate the anniversary. AFP
Taliban fighters set off fireworks near the former US embassy in Kabul to celebrate the anniversary. AFP
The Taliban government declared August 31 a national holiday in Afghanistan, as part of the celebrations marking the first anniversary of the end of two decades of foreign presence. EPA
The Taliban government declared August 31 a national holiday in Afghanistan, as part of the celebrations marking the first anniversary of the end of two decades of foreign presence. EPA
Taliban fighters take to the streets to celebrate. AFP
Taliban fighters take to the streets to celebrate. AFP
Taliban fighters in front of the US embassy in Kabul. AP Photo
Taliban fighters in front of the US embassy in Kabul. AP Photo
Children with Taliban flags celebrate the anniversary. AP Photo
Children with Taliban flags celebrate the anniversary. AP Photo
A Taliban convoy in Kabul on Wednesday. Reuters
A Taliban convoy in Kabul on Wednesday. Reuters
The Taliban celebrate the first anniversary of the US withdrawal outside the former US embassy in Kabul. EPA
The Taliban celebrate the first anniversary of the US withdrawal outside the former US embassy in Kabul. EPA
Taliban fighters celebrate the anniversary of the US withdrawal. EPA
Taliban fighters celebrate the anniversary of the US withdrawal. EPA
Celebrations in Kandahar. EPA
Celebrations in Kandahar. EPA
A celebratory parade in Kandahar. EPA
A celebratory parade in Kandahar. EPA
Taliban fighters and supporters during a parade in Kandahar. AFP
Taliban fighters and supporters during a parade in Kandahar. AFP
Taliban fighters and supporters in Kabul. AP Photo
Taliban fighters and supporters in Kabul. AP Photo
A Taliban fighter during the anniversary parade in Kandahar. AFP
A Taliban fighter during the anniversary parade in Kandahar. AFP

The cessation of aid as a result of the Taliban takeover “led to a dramatic drop in public spending and aggregate demand, shrinking household incomes and reducing consumption”, the World Bank said.

About 24 million Afghans are in dire need of humanitarian aid and are considered food-insecure as a harsh winter approaches, a leading Red Cross official told The National on Wednesday.

Last week, Russia's presidential envoy to Afghanistan announced Moscow would host a regional summit on the crisis.

“It is important that the world should not forget the situation in Afghanistan because today it’s not getting the attention that it deserves,” JP Singh, India's joint secretary in charge of the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division of the Ministry of External Affairs, said of the Moscow talks.

Washington officials said that the US special representative will also engage with the Afghan diaspora, including human rights, business, political and media leaders, on how to address challenges.

The US is among the countries grappling with how to best address the status of Afghans who fled the Taliban takeover.

The number of children put to work in Afghanistan, already high, is growing, fuelled by the collapse of the economy after the Taliban took over the country and the world cut off financial aid just over a year ago. All photos: AP Photo
The number of children put to work in Afghanistan, already high, is growing, fuelled by the collapse of the economy after the Taliban took over the country and the world cut off financial aid just over a year ago. All photos: AP Photo
A recent survey by Save the Children estimated that half of Afghanistan’s families send children out to work to keep food on the table as livelihoods crumble.
A recent survey by Save the Children estimated that half of Afghanistan’s families send children out to work to keep food on the table as livelihoods crumble.
Nowhere is the malaise clearer than in the many brick factories on the motorway north out of the capital, Kabul.
Nowhere is the malaise clearer than in the many brick factories on the motorway north out of the capital, Kabul.
Conditions in the furnaces are tough even for adults. But in almost all of them, children as young as four or five toil alongside their families from early in the morning until dark in the heat of summer.
Conditions in the furnaces are tough even for adults. But in almost all of them, children as young as four or five toil alongside their families from early in the morning until dark in the heat of summer.
Children are involved in every step of the brickmaking process.
Children are involved in every step of the brickmaking process.
They haul cannisters of water and carry the wooden brick moulds filled with mud to put in the sun to dry.
They haul cannisters of water and carry the wooden brick moulds filled with mud to put in the sun to dry.
They load and push wheelbarrows full of dried bricks to the kiln for firing, then push back wheelbarrows full of fired bricks.
They load and push wheelbarrows full of dried bricks to the kiln for firing, then push back wheelbarrows full of fired bricks.
Everywhere they are lifting, stacking, sorting bricks.
Everywhere they are lifting, stacking, sorting bricks.
They pick through the smouldering charcoal from the kilns for pieces that can still be used, inhaling the soot and singeing their fingers.
They pick through the smouldering charcoal from the kilns for pieces that can still be used, inhaling the soot and singeing their fingers.
The children work with a determination and a grim sense of responsibility beyond their years, borne out of knowing little else but their families’ need.
The children work with a determination and a grim sense of responsibility beyond their years, borne out of knowing little else but their families’ need.
When asked about toys or play, they smile and shrug. Only a few have been to school.
When asked about toys or play, they smile and shrug. Only a few have been to school.
Nabila, 12, has been working in brick factories since she was five or six. Like many other brick workers, her family works part of the year at a kiln near Kabul, the other part at one outside Jalalabad, near the Pakistan border.
Nabila, 12, has been working in brick factories since she was five or six. Like many other brick workers, her family works part of the year at a kiln near Kabul, the other part at one outside Jalalabad, near the Pakistan border.
A few years ago, she got to go to school a little in Jalalabad. She would like to go back to school but her family needs her work to survive, she said with a soft smile. 'We can’t think about anything else but work,' she said.
A few years ago, she got to go to school a little in Jalalabad. She would like to go back to school but her family needs her work to survive, she said with a soft smile. 'We can’t think about anything else but work,' she said.
The landscape around the factories is bleak and barren, with the kilns’ smokestacks pumping out black, sooty smoke. Families live in dilapidated mud houses next to furnaces, each with a corner where they make their bricks. For most, a day’s meal is bread soaked in tea.
The landscape around the factories is bleak and barren, with the kilns’ smokestacks pumping out black, sooty smoke. Families live in dilapidated mud houses next to furnaces, each with a corner where they make their bricks. For most, a day’s meal is bread soaked in tea.
Rahim has three children working with him at a brick kiln, ranging in age from 5 to 12. The children had been in school, and Rahim, who goes by one name, said he had long resisted putting them to work. But even before the Taliban came to power, as the war went on and the economy worsened, he said he had no choice.
Rahim has three children working with him at a brick kiln, ranging in age from 5 to 12. The children had been in school, and Rahim, who goes by one name, said he had long resisted putting them to work. But even before the Taliban came to power, as the war went on and the economy worsened, he said he had no choice.
'There’s no other way,' Rahim said. 'How can they study when we don’t have bread to eat? Survival is more important.'
'There’s no other way,' Rahim said. 'How can they study when we don’t have bread to eat? Survival is more important.'
Workers get the equivalent of $4 for every 1,000 bricks they make. One adult working alone is unable to make that amount in a day, but if the children help, they can make 1,500 bricks a day, workers said.
Workers get the equivalent of $4 for every 1,000 bricks they make. One adult working alone is unable to make that amount in a day, but if the children help, they can make 1,500 bricks a day, workers said.
According to surveys by Save the Children, the percentage of families saying they had a child working outside the home grew from 18 per cent to 22 per cent from December to June. That would suggest more than a million children nationwide were working. Another 22 per cent of children said they were asked to work on the family business or farm.
According to surveys by Save the Children, the percentage of families saying they had a child working outside the home grew from 18 per cent to 22 per cent from December to June. That would suggest more than a million children nationwide were working. Another 22 per cent of children said they were asked to work on the family business or farm.
The surveys covered more than 1,400 children and more than 1,400 caregivers in seven provinces. They also pointed to the swift collapse in Afghans’ livelihoods. In June, 77 per cent of the surveyed families said they had lost half their income or more compared with a year ago, up from 61 per cent in December.
The surveys covered more than 1,400 children and more than 1,400 caregivers in seven provinces. They also pointed to the swift collapse in Afghans’ livelihoods. In June, 77 per cent of the surveyed families said they had lost half their income or more compared with a year ago, up from 61 per cent in December.

More than 78,000 Afghans came to the US under “Operation Allies Welcome” through a special process called “humanitarian parole”.

This allowed fleeing Afghans to be admitted to the US quickly, allowing them to stay for up to two years — though it does not guarantee a path to lawful permanent residency or citizenship.

Leaders in Congress introduced the Afghan Adjustment Act in an effort to bring those Afghans out of legal limbo and provide a path for some to obtain a more long-term status.

The bill has racked up significant endorsements both on and off Capitol Hill.

The US Chamber of Commerce, Airbnb, DoorDash, and several other leading American employers have urged Congress to pass the bipartisan bill before congressional budget talks this December, but the legislation's movement has stalled following the midterm elections.

Who was Alfred Nobel?

The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.

  • In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
  • Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
  • Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.

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EA Sports FC 26

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Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S

Rating: 3/5

UPI facts

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More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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On Women's Day

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Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

Fund-raising tips for start-ups

Develop an innovative business concept

Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors

Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19

Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.) 

Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months

Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses

Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business

* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna

The Dark Blue Winter Overcoat & Other Stories From the North
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ALL THE RESULTS

Bantamweight

Siyovush Gulmomdov (TJK) bt Rey Nacionales (PHI) by decision.

Lightweight

Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) bt Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR) by submission.

Catch 74kg

Omar Hussein (JOR) bt Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) by decision.

Strawweight (Female)

Seo Ye-dam (KOR) bt Weronika Zygmunt (POL) by decision.

Featherweight

Kaan Ofli (TUR) bt Walid Laidi (ALG) by TKO.

Lightweight

Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW) bt Leandro Martins (BRA) by TKO.

Welterweight

Ahmad Labban (LEB) bt Sofiane Benchohra (ALG) by TKO.

Bantamweight

Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR) no contest.

Lightweight

Mohammed Yahya (UAE) bt Glen Ranillo (PHI) by TKO round 1.

Lightweight

Alan Omer (GER) bt Aidan Aguilera (AUS) by TKO round 1.

Welterweight

Mounir Lazzez (TUN) bt Sasha Palatkinov (HKG) by TKO round 1.

Featherweight title bout

Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) by KO round 1.

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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)

Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm) 
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm) 
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm) 
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn  (4.30pm) 
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm) 
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)

Sunday, May 17

Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)

Monday, May 18

Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)

RESULTS

6.30pm: Longines Conquest Classic Dh150,000 Maiden 1,200m.
Winner: Halima Hatun, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer).

7.05pm: Longines Gents La Grande Classique Dh155,000 Handicap 1,200m.
Winner: Moosir, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.

7.40pm: Longines Equestrian Collection Dh150,000 Maiden 1,600m.
Winner: Mazeed, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

8.15pm: Longines Gents Master Collection Dh175,000 Handicap.
Winner: Thegreatcollection, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

8.50pm: Longines Ladies Master Collection Dh225,000 Conditions 1,600m.
Winner: Cosmo Charlie, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

9.25pm: Longines Ladies La Grande Classique Dh155,000 Handicap 1,600m.
Winner: Secret Trade, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.

10pm: Longines Moon Phase Master Collection Dh170,000 Handicap 2,000m.
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The biog

Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.

Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books

Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella

Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"

LAST-16 FIXTURES

Sunday, January 20
3pm: Jordan v Vietnam at Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
6pm: Thailand v China at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: Iran v Oman at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Monday, January 21
3pm: Japan v Saudi Arabia at Sharjah Stadium
6pm: Australia v Uzbekistan at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: UAE v Kyrgyzstan at Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Tuesday, January 22
5pm: South Korea v Bahrain at Rashid Stadium, Dubai
8pm: Qatar v Iraq at Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi

UAE currency
The Abu Dhabi Awards explained:

What are the awards? They honour anyone who has made a contribution to life in Abu Dhabi.

Are they open to only Emiratis? The awards are open to anyone, regardless of age or nationality, living anywhere in the world.

When do nominations close? The process concludes on December 31.

How do I nominate someone? Through the website.

When is the ceremony? The awards event will take place early next year.

If you go

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Seattle from Dh5,555 return, including taxes. Portland is a 260 km drive from Seattle and Emirates offers codeshare flights to Portland with its partner Alaska Airlines.

The car

Hertz (www.hertz.ae) offers compact car rental from about $300 per week, including taxes. Emirates Skywards members can earn points on their car hire through Hertz.

Parks and accommodation

For information on Crater Lake National Park, visit www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm . Because of the altitude, large parts of the park are closed in winter due to snow. While the park’s summer season is May 22-October 31, typically, the full loop of the Rim Drive is only possible from late July until the end of October. Entry costs $25 per car for a day. For accommodation, see www.travelcraterlake.com. For information on Umpqua Hot Springs, see www.fs.usda.gov and https://soakoregon.com/umpqua-hot-springs/. For Bend, see https://www.visitbend.com/.

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The biog

Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages

Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”  

Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”

Favourite film:  “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”

Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”

Updated: November 30, 2022, 10:25 PM
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