As Afghans prepare for the much-delayed parliamentary elections, one province in Afghanistan will not be going to polls. The southern province of Ghazni, the provincial capital of which briefly fell to the Taliban in August this year, will not be polled on October 20.
“The elections won’t happen in Ghazni this week due to various complications,” said Mirza Mohammad Haqparast, the Deputy Spokesperson of the Independent Election Commission (IEC). "There were issues with security as well as voter registrations in many parts of the province.”
Ghazni has had a difficult year with a five-day long siege by the Taliban that resulted in many casualties, and collapse of a functioning government. In August residents of Ghazni found themselves cut off from the rest of the country as Afghan forces battled several hundred Taliban fighters to retake the provincial centre.
“We made a proposal to the national security office to look over the matter and took the decision to postpone the elections temporarily,” Mr Haqparast explained.
Despite the government regaining control of the province, the security situation in Ghazni remains volatile. "Just last week I was in Ghazni city, one kilometre from the governor's office, but the whole night we were up because of constant fighting and bombing," a local resident, who did not wish to be identified owing to the sensitive situation, told The National.
Security matters aside, Ghazni already faced an ongoing dispute over the elections earlier this year. Residents from various ethnic backgrounds raised concerns over equal representation, and demanded that the constituencies be divided to ensure a balanced electorate. Eventually the IEC did split the province in three separate constituencies, however counter protests continued, a result of which IEC offices remain closed.
The vote would be delayed, rather than cancelled, Mr Haqparast said. “Ideally the election should happen in four months, as per the law.”
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However, owing to the complex situation, IEC officials plan to hold the parliamentary vote alongside presidential elections scheduled for April 2019. Meanwhile, the current members of parliament for Ghanzi will continue to represent the province until new ones are elected.
The postponement has not been welcomed. Ali Yawar Adili, a researcher with the Afghanistan Analysts Network, claimed that legal procedures were not followed in postponing the elections. During his investigation, Mr Adili found that the request for delay was still pending a final decision by the committee authorised by electoral law. “A special committee of senior government officials had been tasked in early August to rule on an IEC proposal to delay both elections. It has not done so,” he wrote. “This failure to observe the legal procedures… undermines the credibility of the election management bodies and the electoral process [and] undermines the principle that countrywide elections should be held on one day.”
He also pointed out that the IEC plan to hold multiple elections in Ghazni alongside countrywide elections at the same time could further complicate preparations and procedures. “International donors, in particular, have repeatedly argued that Afghan voters, many of them illiterate, are likely be overburdened by multiple ballot papers,” he added.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
