Until August 15, Afghanistan was officially an Islamic republic.
The situation changed almost overnight, as Taliban militants entered the presidential palace in Kabul and declared the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, reviving the title of the country when the group ruled most of its territory between 1996 and 2001.
Here are some quick facts about the mountainous Central Asian nation.
From monarchy to militias
Afghanistan became an independent country in 1919 after signing the Treaty of Rawalpindi with the British government. This allowed it to regain control over its foreign affairs under King Amanullah Khan's rule.
In 1973, Afghanistan took on the republic title after Mohammed Daoud Khan deposed his cousin, King Mohammad Zahir Shah, in a coup d'etat.
The official name changed slightly in 1978 when the Communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan took power and the country became the People's Democratic Republic of Afghanistan.
Russian forces invaded a year later to support an allied Communist faction amid growing public unrest – the beginnings of what would become a large-scale national uprising.
The situation descended into a decade of bloodshed where an internationally supported resistance force, the Afghan Mujahideen, fought the Soviets until they were forced to leave the country, amid an economic crisis in Russia.
That conflict would leave much of the country in ruins and claim an estimated one million lives.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia's Afghan ally President Mohammad Najibullah clung onto power, during a chaotic civil war which was exacerbated by ethnic and sectarian tensions.
The war settled into a stalemate with the Taliban – a movement dominated by ethnic Pashtuns, taking control of Kabul in 1996 and declaring the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Their reign was characterised by draconian rules on what people could do in society, for example, music and television were forbidden.
The Taliban rulers were toppled in 2001 by a US-led international coalition, backed by allies in the north of the country who, in the main, were not ethnically Pashtun. The Northern Alliance fighters were predominantly Uzbeks, Tajiks and the Hazara minority.
While the Western-backed Northern Alliance triumphed in 2001, it was not until 2004 when a new constitution was agreed upon that Afghanistan once more became an Islamic republic.
Terrain: Afghanistan is famous for its fearsome, rugged mountains that have provided refuge for rebels fighting foreign invaders for centuries. High altitudes and rocky terrain make it difficult for ground forces but the thin air even causes problems for helicopters.
Any soldiers who face this environment can expect bitter conditions in the winter.
In the country's east, dense pine forests cover the hills of Paktia, Paktika, Khost, Kunar and Nuristan.
But much of the south, including provinces such as Kandahar and Helmand, is very arid and temperatures in the summer can rise above 40°C. While the country is ringed by a massive highway built by the Soviets and Americans, known as Highway 1, many rural communities are unreachable due to poor road quality.
Taken together, these extreme terrain conditions help explain why the country has been known as "the Graveyard of Empires."
Population: Afghanistan is home to some 38 million people, according to the latest data. Children 14 years and younger make up just over 40 per cent of its population.
Education: Only about 10 per cent of those eligible make it to tertiary education, the majority of whom are men, UN statistics showed in 2018.
Ethnic diversity: Pashtuns make up the majority of Afghanistan's ethnic demographic followed by Tajiks, Hazaras, Aimaks, Turkmen and Balochs respectively.
Currency: Afghani (the people are Afghans). One Afghani is roughly 0.012 US Dollars.
Leadership: Up until Sunday, August 16, Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani ruled over the country. But, after the Taliban surrounded the capital, Kabul, the group said a "peaceful transition" of power would come within days.
Official language: Dari (Afghan Persian) and Pashtu
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Company profile
Company name: Dharma
Date started: 2018
Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: TravelTech
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs
You Were Never Really Here
Director: Lynne Ramsay
Starring: Joaquim Phoenix, Ekaterina Samsonov
Four stars
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
TALE OF THE TAPE
Floyd Mayweather
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Conor McGregor
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Thor%3A%20Love%20and%20Thunder%20
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Royal Birkdale Golf Course
Location: Southport, Merseyside, England
Established: 1889
Type: Private
Total holes: 18
'Joker'
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix
Rating: Five out of five stars
RACE CARD
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group 1 (PA) Dh119,373 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (D) 1,200m
7.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Turf) 1,800m
8.15pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial (TB) Dh183,650 (D) 1,400m
9.50pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m
Scoreline
Arsenal 3
Aubameyang (28'), Welbeck (38', 81')
Red cards: El Neny (90' 3)
Southampton 2
Long (17'), Austin (73')
Red cards: Stephens (90' 2)
ATP RANKINGS (NOVEMBER 4)
1. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 9,585 pts ( 1)
2. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 8,945 (-1)
3. Roger Federer (SUI) 6,190
4. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 5,705
5. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 5,025
6. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 4,000 ( 1)
7. Alexander Zverev (GER) 2,945 (-1)
8. Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 2,670 ( 1)
9. Roberto Bautista (ESP) 2,540 ( 1)
10. Gaël Monfils (FRA) 2,530 ( 3)
11. David Goffin (BEL) 2,335 ( 3)
12. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 2,290
13. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 2,180 (-2)
14. Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 2,125 ( 1)
15. Denis Shapovalov (CAN) 2,050 ( 13)
16. Stan Wawrinka (SUI) 2,000
17. Karen Khachanov (RUS) 1,840 (-9)
18. Alex De Minaur (AUS) 1,775
19. John Isner (USA) 1,770 (-2)
20. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 1,747 ( 7)
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
India cancels school-leaving examinations
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
