Ben Wallace, the British defence secretary, arrives at 10 Downing Street in London. Bloomberg
Ben Wallace, the British defence secretary, arrives at 10 Downing Street in London. Bloomberg
Ben Wallace, the British defence secretary, arrives at 10 Downing Street in London. Bloomberg
Ben Wallace, the British defence secretary, arrives at 10 Downing Street in London. Bloomberg

UK minister says he's aware of intelligence claims about Russia paying Taliban to kill US troops


  • English
  • Arabic

Britain's defence secretary on Tuesday said he was aware of intelligence relating to claims that Russia paid the Taliban to kill US troops, but declined to comment further.

"On the issue of the reports, which I think were in The New York Times, all I can say is: I'm aware of the intelligence," Ben Wallace told a parliamentary committee.

“But I can’t comment on intelligence matters other than to say we take lots of measures to defend and make sure our soldiers are kept safe when deployed."

Mr Wallace said he would not comment on whether the intelligence was true.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump had been briefed on the allegations, a day after saying he had not because the claims had not been verified.

"The president has been briefed on what is unfortunately in the public domain because of The New York Times and the irresponsible leaks," Ms McEnany said.

"Yes, he has been briefed, but that does not change the fact that there is no consensus on this intelligence that still has yet to be verified."

Mr Trump came under growing pressure to respond to the claims, with Democrats demanding answers and accusing him of bowing to Russia at the risk of soldiers’ lives.

Frustrated House Democrats returning from a briefing at the White House said they learnt nothing new about American intelligence assessments about Russian overtures to militants as the US and the Taliban held talks to end the war in Afghanistan.

Senate Republicans, who attended a separate briefing, largely defended the president, arguing along with the White House that the intelligence was unverified.

The intelligence assessments were first reported by The New York Times, then confirmed to the Associated Press by US intelligence officials and others.

Which honey takes your fancy?

Al Ghaf Honey

The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year

Sidr Honey

The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest

Samar Honey

The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments

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WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

UAE v Ireland

1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets

2nd ODI, January 12

3rd ODI, January 14

4th ODI, January 16

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Company%20profile
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Results

2.30pm: Dubai Creek Tower – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: Marmara Xm, Gary Sanchez (jockey), Abdelkhir Adam (trainer)

3pm: Al Yasmeen – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: AS Hajez, Jesus Rosales, Khalifa Al Neyadi

3.30pm: Al Ferdous – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m; Winner: Soukainah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout

4pm: The Crown Prince Of Sharjah – Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: AF Thayer, Ray Dawson, Ernst Oertel

4.30pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup – Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: George Villiers, Antonio Fresu, Bhupat Seemar

5pm: Palma Spring – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Es Abu Mousa, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud

RACE SCHEDULE

All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Friday, September 29
First practice: 7am - 8.30am
Second practice: 11am - 12.30pm

Saturday, September 30
Qualifying: 1pm - 2pm

Sunday, October 1
Race: 11am - 1pm

APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)

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Price: From Dh2,099

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