KABUL // Afghan president Ashraf Ghani vowed on Saturday to crack down on corruption and ensure security in his nation, even as insurgent attacks in an eastern province killed at least 12 local troops.
Speaking after returning from a four-day visit to China, Mr Ghani said that those who embezzled almost $1 billion from the Kabul Bank in 2010 would face justice in the courts. The incident decimated investor confidence in the country’s already anaemic financial sector.
Mr Ghani has made the battle against endemic graft a key policy initiative. One of his first actions after taking office was to reopen the Kabul Bank case and begin proceedings against the high-profile figures who have been accused of using the bank as personal slush funds.
On security, the president said that Beijing was committed to helping bring peace to Afghanistan after more than 30 years of war and that Afghan territory never again would be used as a base for insurgents to launch attacks on other countries.
While in China, he invited the Taliban to join in a peace process backed by the international community, his first direct reference to the insurgents who have stepped up attacks aimed at bringing down his 1-month-old government.
“Peace is not easy, but it is compulsory,” he told a news conference broadcast live yesterday on national television. “If bringing peace was easy, we would have had peace earlier.”
Mr Ghani has made no specific proposals for peace talks with the Taliban. Meanwhile, violence Saturday killed at least 12 members of the country’s security forces in eastern Logar province.
Din Mohammad Darwesh, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said a suicide car bomber killed six police officers and three soldiers in Logar’s Azra district. He said the blast wounded some 20 civilians and destroyed buildings. The Taliban later claimed responsibility for the attack.
Soon after, a roadside bomb killed three police officers and wounded three in the province’s Baraki Barak district, Mr Darwesh said. No one immediately claimed that attack.
Insurgents have intensified attacks against both Afghan and Nato security forces across the country following a fierce summer of fighting. Most international security forces are preparing to withdraw by the end of the year.
* Associated Press
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
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The specs
A4 35 TFSI
Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed S-tronic automatic
Power: 150bhp
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Price: Dh150,000 (estimate)
On sale: First Q 2020
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Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel
Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic
Power: 350bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh165,000 (estimate)
On sale: First Q 2020
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Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
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Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
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Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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