At least 16 people were killed when suicide bombs were detonated and gunmen stormed a construction company in the Afghan city of Jalalabad on Wednesday, Afghan officials said.
Two suicide bombers set off blasts near the office of a construction company near the city's airport before militants stormed the company.
The 16 people were employees of an Afghan company working at the construction site, an official told Reuters. Four militants were also killed.
Some five people were wounded when the bombers, who were on foot, detonated their explosives at the gate of the company on Wednesday morning, Nangarhar province's police chief, Gen. Ghulam Sanayee Stanikzai, told Associated Press.
Several more gunmen stormed inside the company leading to a gun battle.
"Two attackers detonated their vests, and two more were gunned down by security forces," provincial spokesman Attaullah Khogyani told Agence France-Presse, adding that a clearance operation was ongoing.
US forces have arrived at the scene, the Nangarhar police chief said, and the area has been cordoned off.
The was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but both the Taliban and ISIS operate in Afghanistan, including in Nangarhar province.
The combination of bombs and an armed assault is a common tactic used by the Taliban to maximise casualties.
The Taliban are currently in peace talks with US Special Envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad in Doha, attempting to reach an end to the nearly 18-year war.
Reports from the talk indicate progress is being made, despite a two-day hiatus over the weekend.
"These discussions are ongoing and what we're focusing on are the four interconnected issues that are going to compose any future agreement," US State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said on Tuesday.
Mr Palladino listed the four issues as "terrorism," "troop withdrawal," "intra-Afghan dialogue" and "ceasefire".
Intra-Afghan dialogue appears to be the hardest to achieve. The Taliban refuses to meet with the internationally recognised Afghan government, who they see as a prop of the United States and the true enemy.
A meeting took place in Moscow last month between some members of the Taliban and some Afghan politicians, but not officials from the incumbent Afghan administration, who face a presidential election later this year.
Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province, Afghanistan's most eastern area, which has a porous border with Pakistan.
Company%C2%A0profile
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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ENGLAND SQUAD
Joe Root (captain), Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Moeen Ali, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad
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THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth
The struggle is on for active managers
David Einhorn closed out 2018 with his biggest annual loss ever for the 22-year-old Greenlight Capital.
The firm’s main hedge fund fell 9 per cent in December, extending this year’s decline to 34 percent, according to an investor update viewed by Bloomberg.
Greenlight posted some of the industry’s best returns in its early years, but has stumbled since losing more than 20 per cent in 2015.
Other value-investing managers have also struggled, as a decade of historically low interest rates and the rise of passive investing and quant trading pushed growth stocks past their inexpensive brethren. Three Bays Capital and SPO Partners & Co., which sought to make wagers on undervalued stocks, closed in 2018. Mr Einhorn has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the poor performance this year, while remaining steadfast in his commitment to value investing.
Greenlight, which posted gains only in May and October, underperformed both the broader market and its peers in 2018. The S&P 500 Index dropped 4.4 per cent, including dividends, while the HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index, an early indicator of industry performance, fell 7 per cent through December. 28.
At the start of the year, Greenlight managed $6.3 billion in assets, according to a regulatory filing. By May, the firm was down to $5.5bn.
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
Most F1 world titles
7 — Michael Schumacher (1994, ’95, 2000, ’01 ’02, ’03, ’04)
7 — Lewis Hamilton (2008, ’14,’15, ’17, ’18, ’19, ’20)
5 — Juan Manuel Fangio (1951, ’54, ’55, ’56, ’57)
4 — Alain Prost (1985, ’86, ’89, ’93)
4 — Sebastian Vettel (2010, ’11, ’12, ’13)
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
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More on animal trafficking
The Dictionary of Animal Languages
Heidi Sopinka
Scribe
Five expert hiking tips
- Always check the weather forecast before setting off
- Make sure you have plenty of water
- Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
- Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
- Take your litter home with you
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet