ANGOLAN GOVERNMENT

ANGOLAN GOVERNMENT SAYS IT WILL TAKE “SERIOUS MEASURES” AGAINST ANYONE SEEKING POWER THROUGH PROTESTS

WALDEMAR JANUSZCZAK

WALDEMAR JANUSZCZAK

Lionel Messi

Argentina native Lionel Messi has established records for goals scored and won individual awards en route to worldwide recognition as the best player in soccer.

  

• Argentinian soccer player Lionel Messi moved to Spain at the age of 13. Messi became a star in his new country and in 2012 set a record for most goals in a calendar year and was named FIFA's "Player of the Year" a record fourth time.
• 
  
• First name
        Lionel Andrés
• Last name             Messi Cuccittini
• Nationality             Argentina
• Date of birth          24 June 1987
• Age                       28
• Country of birth     Argentina
• Place of birth         Rosario
• Position                  Attacker
• Height                   170 cm
• Weight                   72 kg
• Foot                       Left

Synopsis

Born on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina, soccer player Lionel Messi moved to Spain at the age of 13, after the FC Barcelona club agreed to pay for hormone-deficiency treatments. Messi became a star in his new country, scoring at will while leading his club to championships. In 2012, he set a record for most goals in a calendar year, and afterward was named FIFA's "Player of the Year" a record fourth time.

Early Years

Lionel Messi was born Luis Lionel Andres Messi on June 24, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina. As a young boy, he tagged along when his two older brothers played soccer with their friends, unintimidated by the bigger boys. At the age of 8, he was recruited to join the youth system of Newell's Old Boys, a Rosario-based club. Recognizably smaller than most of the kids in his age group, Messi was eventually diagnosed by doctors as suffering from a hormone deficiency that restricted his growth.

Messi's parents, Jorge and Ceclia, decided on a regimen of nightly growth-hormone injections for their son, though it soon proved impossible to pay several hundred dollars per month for the medication. So, at the age of 13, when Messi was offered the chance to train at soccer powerhouse FC Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia, and have his medical bills covered by the team, Messi's family picked up and moved across the Atlantic to make a new home in Spain.

King of Spain: Soccer Career

Although he was often homesick in his new country, Messi moved quickly through the junior system ranks, and by the age of 16, he had made his first appearance for Barcelona. Messi put himself in the record books on May 1, 2005, as the youngest player to ever score a goal for the franchise. That same year, he led Argentina to the title in the under-20 World Cup, scoring on a pair of penalty kicks to propel the team over Nigeria.

Messi eventually grew to 5 feet and 7 inches, and with his short stature, speed and relentless attacking style, he drew comparisons to another famous Argentinean footballer: Diego Maradona. Messi steered Barcelona to a wealth of success, most notably in 2009, when the left-footer's team captured the Champions League, La Liga, and Spanish Super Cup titles. That same year, after two consecutive runner-up finishes, he took home his first FIFA "World Player of the Year" honor/Ballon d'Or award.

Even the great Maradona gushed about his fellow countryman. "I see him as very similar to me," the retired player told the BBC. "He's a leader and is offering lessons in beautiful football. He has something different to any other player in the world."

Amazingly, the diminutive soccer wizard continued to improve, discovering new ways to elude defenders while leading Barcelona to La Liga and Spanish Super Cup championships in 2010 and 2011, as well as the '11 Champions League title.

Messi embarked on an all-out assault on the record books in 2012. He became the first player to score five goals in a Champions League match in early March, and a few weeks later he surpassed Cesar Rodriguez's club-record 232 goals to become Barcelona's all-time leading scorer. By the end of 2012, Messi had accumulated an astounding 91 goals in club and international play, eclipsing the 85 netted in a single calendar year by Gerd Muller in 1972. Fittingly, he broke one more record when he was named the FIFA Ballon d'Or winner for the fourth time in January 2013. Messi led team Argentina to the finals of the 2014 World Cup. Although his team lost to Germany, he was named best player of the tournament.

Activism and Fatherhood

Almost universally regarded as the best player in the game, the boyish Messi has become the commercial face of soccer with endorsements from Adidas, Pepsi, EA Sports and Turkish Airways, among other companies. Having signed an extension with Barcelona that guarantees him a base salary of approximately $21 million per year through 2018, he is one of the world's highest-paid athletes.

Although he is famously quiet and private off the field, Messi has found ways to help out others in need. In 2007, he formed the Leo Messi Foundation to provide opportunities for disadvantaged youths. In early 2010, UNICEF named him a goodwill ambassador, with a focus on fighting for children's rights across the globe.

Andorra i la Unió Europea signen l’acord d’intercanvi automàtic d’informació fiscal

Escrit per: 

Agències/ Fotografia: UE

El ministre de Finances, Jordi Cinca, el ministre de Finances dels Països Baixos i president del Consell de la Unió Europea, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, i el comissari europeu d’Economia i Finances, Fiscalitat i Duanes, Pierre Moscovici, han signat, aquest divendres a Brussel·les, l’acord entre la Unió Europea i Andorra en matèria d’intercanvi automàtic d’informació sobre els comptes financers dels seus residents respectius. Aquesta signatura dóna continuïtat a la rúbrica de l'acord que va tenir lloc el mes de novembre, i un cop l'hagin ratificat totes les parts, suposarà que Andorra hagi d'intercanviar informació dels comptes bancaris amb els estats membres de manera automàtica a partir del 2018, i en base a les dades del 2017. Jordi Cinca s'ha mostrat convençut que aquest nou escenari no ha de debilitar el sector financer perquè ja era una situació coneguda des de feia molts anys, i ha destacat que s'ha de saber-hi veure els factors positius, com és el fet de situar la plaça financera en disposició de poder competir en el mercat internacional.

L'acord d'intercanvi automàtic d'informació fiscal estableix que Andorra compartirà, a partir del 2018 i en base a les dades del 2017, informació amb els estats membres de la UE en relació als actius financers i el saldo dels comptes dels residents europeus al Principat, així com dels andorrans que viuen a la Unió Europea, amb l'objectiu d'evitar l'evasió fiscal.  Amb aquest nou text, Andorra s'adapta a les noves legislacions comunitàries en matèria de fiscalitat de l’estalvi en forma de pagament d’interessos. A més, el nou conveni té en compte els avanços fets en el marc de la UE i de l’OCDE en relació amb l’assistència administrativa mútua en matèria fiscal. El ministre de Finances, Jordi Cina, ha destacat que es tracta d'un pas ja llargament anunciat, i que s'ha fet conjuntament amb Liechtenstein, San Marino, Mònaco i Suissa. Així, considera que el client habitual de jurisdiccions amb secret bancari "fa molt de temps que sap que aquest és un camí de no retorn", no només per Andorra sinó per la resta de jurisdiccions europees d'aquest tipus.  Per tant, el ministre de Finances s'ha mostrat convençut que aquest nou escenari no ha de debilitar la plaça financera andorrana perquè els bancs ja el van anticipar fa molt temps diversificant el seu negoci i els clients no residents ja han anat normalitzant la seva situació. A més, ha remarcat que la part positiva és que l'acord permet homologar la jurisdicció andorrana per tal que la seva plaça financera pugui aspirar a ser operativa en el mercat internacional i a competir en igualtat de condicions. Els comptes anteriors al 2017 inferiors a 250.000 dòlars no s'hauran de declarar Tot i que encara resten alguns terminis pendents d'ajustar, Cinca ha explicat que l'acord diferencia entre els comptes preexistents abans del 31 de desembre del 2016 i els que es puguin obrir posteriorment. Així, pel que fa als primers, els que no arribin al llindar dels 250.000 dòlars "ara per ara no entren dins de les obligacions del conveni". Pel que fa a quantitats superiors, s'estableixen uns períodes per tal de poder identificar els comptes, els titulars, les quantitats i els rendiments que estiguin obtenint.  Un cop signat, l'acord haurà de ser ratificat per totes les parts -els estats membres de la UE i Andorra. Segons Cinca, es preveu que aquest últim pas es pugui dur a terme durant aquest mateix any, tenint en compte que la Unió Europea ha fixat aquesta qüestió com una prioritat. Camí cap a l'acord d'associació Per la seva banda, tal com ha informat el Govern en un comunicat, el ministre de Finances dels Països Baixos i president del Consell de la Unió Europea, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, ha destacat la importància de la signatura d’aquest protocol que reforça la lluita de la UE i de la comunitat internacional contra el frau fiscal i s’ha felicitat que Andorra participi d’aquest compromís.  Així mateix, el comissari europeu d’Economia i Finances, Fiscalitat i Duanes, Pierre Moscovici, també ha indicat que la UE realitza aquest pas decisiu en partenariat amb Andorra, "país amic que sempre ha manifestat una forta voluntat política per anar en aquest sentit". Finalment, ha destacat que aquest acord reforça la cooperació i confiança entre la UE i Andorra, en particular de cara a l’objectiu ambiciós d’assolir un acord d’associació.  L’acord amb la UE sobre intercanvi automàtic d’informació en relació a dades fiscals ha estat signat també per Suïssa el 27 de maig de 2015, el 28 d’octubre de 2015 amb Liechtenstein i el 8 de desembre de 2015 amb San Marino. En el cas de Liechtenstein i San Marino són early adopters, pel que tal intercanvi es produirà a partir del 2017, i en el cas de Mònaco, Suïssa i Andorra serà a partir de 2018

- See more at: http://www.bondia.ad/politica/andorra-i-la-unio-europea-signen-lacord-dintercanvi-automatic-dinformacio-fiscal#sthash.YtdsHGxL.dpuf

Muslim Nazem Kadri is emerging from the background as one of the best

a story that Sam Kadri has told countless times before, but he is telling it again because 22 years later he still cannot believe it.

The night that his wife went into labour with their second child, Kadri was stuck at work and got a call from his brother asking him to get to the hospital immediately. So he got into his car and drove as fast as he could. And as he did, Tom Cochrane's Big League, a song about a father who hopes his son will some day play in the National Hockey League, played on the car radio.

"Honest to God, that's the truth," he said. "I knew right then it was going to happen. Like it was a sign."

That paternal optimism is not exactly unique. Nearly every Canadian — whether they are from the beaches of British Columbia or the fishing villages of Prince Edward Island — dreams that his son is going to play in the NHL. What makes this one special is that Sam Kadri was born in Lebanon and his son, the Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri, is a practising Muslim.

"It's typically an Anglo-Saxon game," says Sam Kadri, whose parents immigrated to London, Ontario, about an hour's drive west of Toronto, when he was four years old. "That stigma of being Muslim is always going to be with him."

That perceived "stigma" might be changing. And it might be because of Nazem Kadri. The 22-year-old Lebanese-Canadian is not just the best Muslim hockey player. He is also one of the best hockey players. Period.

In 37 games, he has 17 goals and 39 points, placing him first in scoring on his team and among the top 10 in the NHL. Slowly, people are starting to notice the fresh face in today's game, even though some announcers are still having difficulty pronouncing his name.

"It's one of the things I take pride in," Nazem Kadri says of being Muslim. "I know there's not a lot of guys with the same background as me. It's already become such a diverse sport, I just think years down the road with more guys being shown in the media there's going to be even more guys with different backgrounds.

"I take pride in being a role model and attaining a certain reputation that everyone can base their lives on. I'm sure there's a lot of little kids out there who are pretty happy to watch me play. I think it just gives them a little boost of confidence, because it doesn't matter where they come from or how they were raised. If you're good enough, you're good enough."

From a young age, he was always good enough. Too good, jokes his father, who steered his son towards hockey by building an ice rink in their backyard and letting his son practice his slap shot indoors on their hardwood floors.

For Sam Kadri, the sacrifice was worth it. Hockey was the ultimate Canadian passport to acceptance. When he arrived to Canada, in 1968, hockey was all his friends at school talked about. So, naturally, he became a fan, playing street hockey with a tennis ball and watching his beloved Montreal Canadiens on television. He never played organized ice hockey because, as one of seven children, his parents could not afford the high costs of the sport. It was one of his regrets.

"I was always envious of my friends," Sam Kadri says. "I said in my head that when I get a son, I'd make sure he plays."

Australia have dropped the case

Prosecutors in Australia have dropped the case against 92-year-old Victor Twartz, labelled the world’s oldest drug smuggler after he was apparently duped into importing £490,000 worth of cocaine from India.

The retired oral surgeon, who lives in a nursing home, was arrested in Sydney in July after smuggling 10lb (4.5 kg) of cocaine hidden in 27 packets of soap on a flight from New Delhi.

He denied any knowledge of the drugs, which he apparently received from a person he met during a trip to India.

“I looked carefully what was in the soap," he told Fairfax Media last year.

"I scraped it and it was certainly soap but there were these streaks of white stuff in between. I thought it was additional perfume or that was the style of Indian soap."

Mr Twartz said he was the victim of a scam and that he travelled abroad after being approached by a man claiming to be from a bank in Switzerland who asked him to fly to London and then to India and paid for his flights.

The criminal case was due to be heard later this month. Mr Twartz faced life imprisonment.

However, prosecutors on Friday told a court in Sydney they were dropping the charges.

Bars of soap filled with cocaine seized from 91-year-old retired surgeon Victor Twartz, as he returned home from India.   Photo: Australian Federal Police via AP

"The Crown has determined to discontinue proceedings," prosecutors told the court. "The trial date of February 22 should be vacated."

Mr Twartz did not attend court.

His lawyers reportedly applied to have the case discontinued last month due to his age and health.

The 92-year-old, who was 91 when arrested, is believed to be one of the world’s oldest people to face serious drug charges.

Ola Mae Agee, who was imprisoned aged 87 for dealing crack from her house in Florida in 2010, has been labelled the world’s oldest drug dealer and may not retain her title.

In 2012, Francis Cook was labelled Britain’s oldest drug dealer after he was convicted at age 83 for growing almost 200 cannabis plants.

The case against Mr Twartz prompted Australian police to warn travellers to be careful when packing luggage. Police said smugglers may be charged even if they did not know they were carrying drugs.

Australian police drop charges against 'world's oldest drug trafficker

Prosecutors dropped the case against Victor Twartz, 92, a retired oral surgeon who was arrested in Sydney after importing cocaine from India but insisted he was the victim of a scam

Prosecutors in Australia have dropped the case against 92-year-old Victor Twartz, labelled the world’s oldest drug smuggler after he was apparently duped into importing £490,000 worth of cocaine from India.

The retired oral surgeon, who lives in a nursing home, was arrested in Sydney in July after smuggling 10lb (4.5 kg) of cocaine hidden in 27 packets of soap on a flight from New Delhi.

He denied any knowledge of the drugs, which he apparently received from a person he met during a trip to India.

“I looked carefully what was in the soap," he told Fairfax Media last year.

"I scraped it and it was certainly soap but there were these streaks of white stuff in between. I thought it was additional perfume or that was the style of Indian soap."

Mr Twartz said he was the victim of a scam and that he travelled abroad after being approached by a man claiming to be from a bank in Switzerland who asked him to fly to London and then to India and paid for his flights.

The criminal case was due to be heard later this month. Mr Twartz faced life imprisonment.

However, prosecutors on Friday told a court in Sydney they were dropping the charges.

Bars of soap filled with cocaine seized from 91-year-old retired surgeon Victor Twartz, as he returned home from India.   Photo: Australian Federal Police via AP

"The Crown has determined to discontinue proceedings," prosecutors told the court. "The trial date of February 22 should be vacated."

Mr Twartz did not attend court.

His lawyers reportedly applied to have the case discontinued last month due to his age and health.

The 92-year-old, who was 91 when arrested, is believed to be one of the world’s oldest people to face serious drug charges.

Ola Mae Agee, who was imprisoned aged 87 for dealing crack from her house in Florida in 2010, has been labelled the world’s oldest drug dealer and may not retain her title.

In 2012, Francis Cook was labelled Britain’s oldest drug dealer after he was convicted at age 83 for growing almost 200 cannabis plants.

The case against Mr Twartz prompted Australian police to warn travellers to be careful when packing luggage. Police said smugglers may be charged even if they did not know they were carrying drugs.

Hundreds of Moroccans detained at Algiers airport after 'trying to reach Libya'

Algerian government says there is an "unusual" increase in Moroccans travelling to Libya, where Islamic State militants have been gaining ground

A huge fire in the port of Ras Lanuf, Libya, this week, after IS militants attacked oil storage tankers

More than 200 Moroccans have been detained at Algeria's main airport after trying to travel to Libya, where Islamic State militants are building a new caliphate.

The men were stopped at Algiers airport on Saturday night and were considered suspicious because they did not have legal residence in Libya.

Smoke billows from a huge fire in the port of Ras Lanuf

Algeria's government said it had also summoned the Moroccan envoy to explain a "sudden increase" in people attempting the journey.

It comes as the Islamic State of the Iraq and the Levant (Isil) announced it was trying to recruit more jihadists from North African countries to extend its influence over the continent.

Smoke billows from a huge fire in the port of Ras Lanuf

"The question about the massive and unusual flow of Moroccans from Casablanca heading for Libya through Algeria in the last weeks was the reason for discussions with the ambassador," a spokesman for Algeria's foreign ministry said.

The ministry said it was facing a “particularly delicate” situation which needed better vigilance and cooperation from its neighbouring countries.

Isil has been steadily in increasing its presence in Libya, prompting neighbouring Tunisia to build a security wall across its border in the hopes ofstemming the flow of new IS recruits.

Bravery in Zakynthos recalled

• Jewish communal leaders with their Greek counterparts were joined by state parliamentarians at the event.

AROUND 320 people gathered last Sunday to pay tribute to the leaders and residents of the Greek island of Zakynthos for their bravery during the Holocaust.

Among the hundreds in attendance were Jewish and Greek religious and lay leaders, state Labor parliamentarians Sophie Cotsis, Courtney Houssos and Stephen Kamper, as well as local councillors.

The event — organised by the National Council of Jewish Women of Australia (NCJWA) NSW division and the Zakynthian Association of Sydney and NSW — remembered in particular the actions of the island’s Metropolitan Bishop Chrysostomos Demetriou and Mayor Loukas Karrer.

Both men refused to hand over the details of Jewish residents of Zakynthos to Nazi officials who came to the island in 1943 with orders to round up and deport all Jews to camps on mainland Europe.

As a result of their efforts and the Zakynthian families who hid and protected the Jews, not one of the 275 Jews on Zakynthos perished in the Shoah.

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Vic Alhadeff, who lost 151 members of his paternal family from the Greek island of Rhodes in the Holocaust, gave the keynote address on the evening.

Speaking of the honour he felt standing before descendants of Zakynthos residents, Alhadeff thanked them on behalf of the Jewish community for their ancestors’ courage.

“In a world in which there is so much bigotry and tragedy, it is people like Loukas Karrer and Chrysostomos Demetriou who restore our faith in humanity,” Alhadeff said.

“It is people like these two extraordinary, courageous and righteous individuals and every inhabitant of the island of Zakynthos — the men, the women, the families, the ordinary people — who make it possible for us to have faith and hope in the future.”

John Koutsis, secretary and founder of the Zakynthian Association of Sydney and NSW, spoke of the importance of both communities coming together.

“Greeks and Jews have lived together since time immemorial and it is wonderful to see that this coexistence continues today as clearly indicated by this gathering tonight,” Koutsis said.

The evening also featured a screening of The Song of Life, a documentary about what happened on Zakynthos during World War II.

“The Song of Life documentary is a piece of history Greeks and Jews should know and be proud of,” NCJWA NSW immediate past president Victoria Nadel told The AJN.

Negri brothers collect four gold medals at Victorian sprint titles

Benno Negri, who won a gold medal, in action.

JEWISH swimmers won four gold, one silver and two bronze medals at the 2016 Victorian State Sprint Championships on the weekend.

Bothers Benno and Dante Negri impressed those in attendance with two gold medals each.

Benno won the 17-18 years 50-metre freestyle and 50m backstroke, and reached the finals in the butterfly and breaststroke events, while Dante collected his gold in the 15 years 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly, while also collecting a silver in the 50m breaststroke and bronze in the 50m ­backstroke.

Dante was also a part of the relay team that broke the meet record, which was set last year when Benno was in the relay team.

The pair’s mother Simonne told The AJN that Benno will now set his sights on the National Age Championships in March and then the Olympic Trials in early April.

“The trials are just about getting the experience and being able to compete with the best swimmers in the country,” Simonne said.

“He is doing well enough to earn a spot at the trials and it will be an amazing opportunity for him, but he is realistic.”

Simonne said that the best part of the Victorian State Sprint Championships was actually watching her youngest son, 11-year-old Seba, finish fourth in the 50m butterfly event.

“It was the first time he has been in the mix in the final of a race and it was very exciting,” she said.

“Obviously he has big shoes to fill because of his older brothers, but it was great to see all three competing at the same event together.”

Julian Kowal rounded out the medals for the Jewish swimmers with a bronze in the open 50m freestyle event.

Maccabi Australian National Swimming Council chairman Mark Roseman said that it’s exciting to see so many great swimmers in action only 18 months out from the Maccabiah Games.

“With preparations in full swing for the 2017 Maccabiah Games in Israel, everyone is swimming well and it’s great to have swimmers participating at the Australian Olympic trials in April.”

One of the highlights of the event was 46-year-old swimmer Michael Carp, who competed against athletes half his age.

While Carp didn’t reach the finals he swam personal-best times in the 50m freestyle, 50m backstroke and 50m breaststroke events.

“It was great to get in the pool because this has been a 12-18 month process,” Carp, who stopped ­swimming competitively when he was 14 years old said.

“My daughters swim competitively and they have inspired me to get back in the water and target Maccabiah 2017 as a masters ­swimmer.”

He told The AJN that this event was open to all swimmers over the age of 18, so his aim was to qualify and then swim personal-best times.

“I think it’s a fantastic sport for health and fitness, but perhaps you don’t need to be as meshuganah about it as I am,” he said.

Kellerman’s tough run at the Australian Open

WHEELCHAIR tennis player Adam Kellerman had a tough time at the Australian Open and lost both his singles and doubles matches in straight sets.

Kellerman, who is ranked 11th in the world, lost to the sixth best player in the world, Argentinian Gustavo Fernandez 6-2, 6-4 in the singles draw.

He then teamed up with Maikel Scheffers from the Netherlands in the doubles competition but went lost to eventual winners Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer from France 6-0, 6-1.

But the Australian Open is only the first tournament of many this year for Kellerman on the way to his dream of representing Australia at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in September.

Qualyfication for the Paralympics is based on world rankings and the points earned by players throughout the year.

Points stay with the player for 12 months and Kellerman said that because he had a slow start to 2015, he is in good shape to qualify for Rio.

“I got all of my points from June onwards becasue I didn’t play well at the start of last year so I don’t have any points to defend,” Kellerman told The AJN.

“I’m inside the qualifying rankings at the moment and I’m pretty confident that I will stay there but I won’t know for sure for a few months.”

Ahmad Zahir

Ahmad Zahir 

(In the words of his own son – Rishad Zahir)

A celebrity of enduring popularity almost three decades after his death, Ahmad Zahir is considered as a legend and an icon of Afghan music. Born on June 14, 1946, he was the son of late Dr. Abdul Zahir (born 1910, in Laghman), who was an influential Afghan politician and a one time Afghan Prime Minister (1971-1972) during the reign of King Zahir Shah. Ahmad Zahir attended Habibia High School in the early 1960s and his interest in music developed during this period where he often sang in his school concerts, accompanied by his band that was made up of mainly his friends and classmates: Nabil Miskinyar on drums, Omar Sultan on guitar, Farid Zaland on congas and Kabir Howaida on piano, as well as other talented musicians who would accompany him from time to time. He himself would mainly play the accordion as he sang. In one particular concert, during his school days, he sang so beautifully that his schoolmates declared him “Bulbul-e Habibia”. The band, which later became known as the Amateur Band of Habibia High School, gained popularity with their performances in local concerts during celebratory occasions such as Nouroz, Eid, and Afghan Independence Day. After his graduation from high school he attended and graduated from Darul Malimeen (Teachers’ College) in Kabul. He continued his higher education for two more years in India to get his degree as an English instructor. But his true calling, of course, was to sing. With the approval and encouragement of his family he was able to pursue his true love of music. Rising from the acclaim of the band, Ahmad Zahir branched onto his solo career. Carrying his musical instincts to new heights, he began composing songs based on well-recognized Dari poems. The meaning and depth of his songs quickly garnered him national attention as did the tenor voice that was complementary to a wide range of musical notes. His first recorded song, gar kuni yak nizara, was also his own composition, sung in the pilo raga, which he had not been taught by anyone at that time. With this song he proved his God-given talent and true genius, at an early age, which the Almighty blessed him with. He continued composing and recording his future songs such as azeezam ba yaadat, ahista-ahista, akhir ay darya, hama yaranam, agar sabza boodam, guftam ke mekhwaham tura, shabe ze shabha, parween-e man and many more.

After a couple of years Ahmad Zahir married and his first and only son, Rishad was born. By this time he had already decided that he was simply not made for teaching, but that music was his true destiny. Besides teaching and his musical interests, at that time, he also held a job at Kabul Times as a journalist. But by this time his popularity had reached such a height that it was pretty clear to him and his family that he was born to sing. Unfortunately, as his popularity grew, his marriage was starting to fail and it resulted in a divorce. Later on, he married his second wife, from whom he was expecting his second child. He had chosen the name Shabnam should it be a girl. By this stage in his life he was on top of the world. He had already been chosen singer of the year several times and he had recorded over 19 albums, each containing 12-16 new songs. Aside from his albums, he also had many hits on the national radio, not to mention a vast collection of his wonderful majlisi recordings. But his voice recordings were not the only means through which his vast pool of fans was able to listen to his enchanting voice. He also organized huge concerts in Kabul and other major cities of Afghanistan, leaving the most memorable impressions in the hearts of his fans. Throughout this adventurous journey of his life, he was able to make many friends and countless fans because of his great charisma, charm, and friendly personality. With the changes in the political landscape of Afghanistan, Ahmad Zahir became conscious of the socio-political transformation of his homeland. He adjusted his tone and the contents of his music to reflect his feelings through his songs, such as zindagi akhir sar Ayed, bigzarad bigzarard, and safar bee roshenAyee. Such songs, which carried revolutionary lyrics and reflected the feelings of a patriotic artist, stirred enough controversy in the political realms, which would later cost him his life. On his 33h birthday (June 14, 1979) he was assassinated by the order of a communist general named Daud Taroon who used one of Ahmad Zahir’s best friends as an accomplice to carry out his orders. Taroon was not only an envious and jealous enemy of Ahmad Zahir, but also because Ahmad Zahir’s political stance was at odds with the communist government of the time. Sadly, his precious Shabnam, whom he was eagerly looking forward to, would come into the world on the same day of his passing. More than a quarter of a century after his death, his popularity remains strong among his fans. Many Afghans truly love him from the heart, whether it is the younger generation, born outside of Afghanistan, who can barely understand the lyrics of his music; or those who grew up during the heydays of Ahmad Zahir; or those who saw him live in-concert and in person; or whether it is the much older generation who are now more understanding and appreciative of his legendary work. Ahmad Zahir will continue to live in the hearts of his fans. In the past 28 years, many talented artists and musicians have come and gone, but Ahmad Zahir’s voice, talent, fame, and charisma, has remained unrivaled. He remains a source of inspiration for new and aspiring artists and has rightfully earned the title of Afghanistan’s Nightingale. His legacy as the most celebrated musical phenomenon in Afghanistan and the embodiment of modern Afghan music goes on. May Allah bless his martyred soul!