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Former British Army officer Capt James Cadbury has one distinct memory from his nine-month tour of Afghanistan, during which he was involved in heavy fighting.
In December 2007, his mobile brigade had been ordered to drive to Musa Qala, in southern province Helmand, to help recapture the area from the Taliban.
“During the battle, a man sauntered up to our line, and asked to speak to the commander,” recalled Capt Cadbury, who has lived in Dubai for 12 years, and works as a strategy consultant in the region.
“He smiled broadly, was oddly charming and clearly not a goat herder. He asked me plainly why we bothered to fight, 'because we are patient, and you will leave, some day'."
That day has now come. As the Taliban negotiate the surrender of Afghan capital Kabul and western forces evacuate their remaining citizens, Capt Cadbury is filled with bitter regret for the lives lost and ruined.
“Early on, it became clear we could not win 'the fight' in the long term,” said Capt Cadbury, who was in the King's Royal Hussars regiment and based in Helmand province.
“The Taliban blended into the community and no one was going to point them out. Because if the Taliban saw you working with their enemies, they didn't just kill you, they killed your family.
“We spoke to one village elder about delivering medical supplies. It took days before he would even speak to us.
“Finally, he accepted the supplies and the Taliban killed him the following week, as a lesson to the rest of the village.
“The message to locals was clear: 'Don't even talk to them, just ignore them, don't accept their help. We are your help, we are your salvation, we are here to stay and they will leave.'
“This is what was happening on a national level. It was soul destroying.”
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Afghan women, holding placards, gather to demand the protection of women's rights in front of the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan. -

A person holds the flag of Afghanistan during a protest against support for the Taliban, in Berlin, Germany. -

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid speaks at his first news conference in Kabul. -

Taliban fighters stand guard outside the Green Zone where most of the embassies are situated. -

Afghan security forces patrol on humvee vehicle along a road in Bazarak town of Panjshir province. -

Schoolgirls sit in a schoolyard in Herat. -

Afghans wait outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport to flee the country. -

A Taliban fighter raises their flag on a vehicle as they patrol in Kandahar. -

French citizens and their Afghan colleagues wait to board a French military transport plane at the airport in Kabul after the Taliban's stunning military takeover of the Afghanistan. -

French soldiers at the airport in Kabul as they arrive to help French citizens and their Afghan colleagues to flee after the Taliban takeover. -

A US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft filled with about 640 Afghans fleeing to Qatar from Kabul, Afghanistan. -

Crowds on the tarmac of Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan. Several people were reportedly killed at the airport on August 16 as Afghans tried to hang on to a moving US military plane leaving the airport. -

A satellite photo shows swarms of people on the tarmac at Kabul International Airport, also known as Hamid Karzai International Airport. Afghans rushed on to the tarmac of the capital's airport on Monday as thousands tried to flee the country after the Taliban seized power with stunning speed. -

A traffic jam outside Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan after Taliban co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar declared victory and an end to the decades-long war in the country. President Ashraf Ghani fled and conceded that the insurgents had won the 20-year war. -

Qari Muhammad Hanif, centre, director of the Taliban's cultural and Information department, talks to journalists in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. -

Humvee vehicles from the Afghan Security Forces in Panjshir province, Afghanistan. -

Thousands of Afghans rushed to Hamid Karzai International Airport in an attempt to flee the Afghan capital, Kabul. -

Afghans on the tarmac at Kabul airport in Kabul after a swift end to the 20-year war in the country. Thousands of people mobbed the city's airport trying to flee the group's rule. -

A US soldier keeps close watch on Afghan passengers at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul. Thousands of people packed the airport trying to flee Taliban rule. -

Passengers sit inside a plane as they wait to leave the runway of Kabul after the stunningly swift end of Afghanistan’s 20-year war. -

People climb on top of a plane in Kabul. -

People try to enter Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. -

People cross the boundary wall of Hamid Karzai International Airport to flee the country after rumours that foreign countries were removing people even without visas. -

Taliban fighters stand guard along a roadside near Zanbaq Square in Kabul. -

A Taliban fighter sits on his motorcycle by a road in Shahr-e Naw, Kabul. -

Talibs patrol the streets of Kabul as the militants take control of Afghanistan. after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. -

Afghans gather on the asphalt at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul. -

Afghans gather by the runway in Kabul as US soldiers stand guard. -

Taliban fighters on a police vehicle outside Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. -

Baradar Akhund, a senior official of the Taliban, with a group of men, makes a video statement. -

Taliban fighters take control of the presidential palace in Kabul, after Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. -

Passengers from Kabul arrive at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi, India. -

Families on a motorway trying to flee Kabul. -

Afghan security forces on patrol in Kabul. -

People line up outside Azizi Bank to withdraw cash during a run on deposits. -

Taliban fighters use a captured Afghan security forces vehicle at a checkpoint in Herat. -

Ahmadullah Muttaqi, centre left, the Taliban's director for information and culture, addresses journalists. -

Police officers conduct their duties after the Taliban took control of Kandahar. -

People prepare to cross into Afghanistan, at Pakistan's Chaman border. Pakistani authorities reopened the border with Afghanistan on August 13 after it had been closed for several days. -

Afghans wait in long lines for hours to get visas at the Iranian embassy, in Kabul. -

Taliban fighters patrol after taking control of Jalalabad. -

Smoke rises near the US embassy in Kabul. Taliban fighters reached the outskirts of the Afghan capital on Sunday. -

Anti-missile decoy flares are used by US Black Hawk military helicopters, while a surveillance blimp flies over Kabul. -

An Afghan soldier keeps watch on a street in Kabul. -

Taliban fighters and local people gather in Jalalabad province, east of Kabul. -

Taliban fighters sit on an Afghan Army Humvee in Jalalabad province. -

Taliban fighters travel along a street in Jalalabad province. -

A US Chinook military helicopter flies over the US embassy in Kabul. -

Heavily armed Taliban fighters gather in eastern Laghman province. -

Militants wave a Taliban flag from the back of a pickup truck in Jalalabad. -

Taliban fighters drive through the streets of Laghman province. -

People head to the departures area of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul as the Taliban approach the city. -

A man sells Taliban flags in western province Herat. -

Taliban fighters travel in an Afghan Army vehicle in Herat. -

Taliban forces patrol a street in Herat. -

Taliban militants raise their flag as they gather a day after taking control of key southern city Kandahar. -

Members of the Afghan security forces stand guard along the roadside in Panjshir province. -
Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani and acting defence minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi visit a military site in Kabul. -

Internally displaced families from northern provinces take shelter in a public park in Kabul. -

Families that fled their homes because of fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security forces take shelter in a public park in Kabul. -

Many of those seeking safety in Kabul have been sleeping on the streets. -

Thousands of those internally displaced have been arriving in Kabul. -

Afghans have been waiting for hours in long queues outside the passport office in Kabul, with many people desperate to leave the country.
In total, 457 British and 2,312 US military personnel were killed fighting against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Tens of thousands were injured, many losing limbs from roadside bombs.
The western coalition adapted to the threat, with the British using improved armoured personnel vehicles, including the Mastiff, that could absorb the blasts.
But forces suffered regular casualties, damaging morale and leaving personnel with deep, unseen trauma.
Remarkably, no one in Capt Cadbury's squadron of 40 men was killed, but several were wounded in a rocket attack early in their mission, suffering life-changing injuries.
As he watched American troops withdraw this year and the Taliban advance, Capt Cadbury felt a deep anger – and a deeper sorrow.
“It was an almost politically impossible position. Those who look at the larger strategic piece knew that it was something that couldn't carry on indefinitely,” he said.
“But tens of thousands of people have been lost, damaged, and mentally scarred – and the end result is this.”
His experience of the Taliban has left him in no doubt of what awaits the residents of newly occupied towns and cities.
“Millions of women will be at the mercy of the Taliban, who will remove many of their rights, and that is one of the greatest tragedies,” said Capt Cadbury, the father of twin girls, aged 6.
“There are teenagers who have never known Taliban rule, girls who have been educated, and now they are going to be dragged back to the Stone Age.
“There will be pockets of absolute savagery, and there's now nothing we can do now, but watch. And that is the single greatest tragedy.”
Seven tips from Emirates NBD
1. Never respond to e-mails, calls or messages asking for account, card or internet banking details
2. Never store a card PIN (personal identification number) in your mobile or in your wallet
3. Ensure online shopping websites are secure and verified before providing card details
4. Change passwords periodically as a precautionary measure
5. Never share authentication data such as passwords, card PINs and OTPs (one-time passwords) with third parties
6. Track bank notifications regarding transaction discrepancies
7. Report lost or stolen debit and credit cards immediately
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Sri Lanka World Cup squad
Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Isuru Udana, Milinda Siriwardana, Avishka Fernando, Jeevan Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal.
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
STAGE%201%20RESULTS
Test squad: Azhar Ali (captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan(wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah
Twenty20 squad: Babar Azam (captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir, Wahab Riaz
The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
Company%20profile
Primera Liga fixtures (all times UAE: 4 GMT)
Friday
Real Sociedad v Villarreal (10.15pm)
Real Betis v Celta Vigo (midnight)
Saturday
Alaves v Barcelona (8.15pm)
Levante v Deportivo La Coruna (10.15pm)
Girona v Malaga (10.15pm)
Las Palmas v Atletico Madrid (12.15am)
Sunday
Espanyol v Leganes (8.15pm)
Eibar v Athletic Bilbao (8.15pm)
Getafe v Sevilla (10.15pm)
Real Madrid v Valencia (10.15pm)
The biog
Marital status: Separated with two young daughters
Education: Master's degree from American Univeristy of Cairo
Favourite book: That Is How They Defeat Despair by Salwa Aladian
Favourite Motto: Their happiness is your happiness
Goal: For Nefsy to become his legacy long after he is gon
Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
SPECS
Company%20profile
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
Women's Prize for Fiction shortlist
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Milkman by Anna Burns
Ordinary People by Diana Evans
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Circe by Madeline Miller
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
The%20specs
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.
Barbie
Getting%20there%20and%20where%20to%20stay
While you're here
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Trump tests positive: everything we know so far
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
While you're here
Kareem Shaheen: Even a pandemic could not unite today's America
Michele Wucker: The difference between a black swan and a grey rhino
Robert Matthews: Has flawed science and rushed research failed us?
Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**
More on G20 meeting
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
THE%20SPECS
Poacher
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now



