Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Al Assad exchanged sporadic artillery and mortar fire on Sunday with Islamic militants in the north-western governorate of Idlib. Dozens of people have been killed in the last two weeks there.
The latest round of fighting started after two brigades allied with the militant Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (Al Hayat), one of the most powerful militias in the civil war, captured a strategic hill called Milaja from loyalist forces at the end of last month.
"The fighting lessened considerably today but the regime is randomly targeting Jabal Zawya," Ali Birakdar, an aid worker in the area, told The National.
The rugged rebel area of Jabal Zawya, situated near Milaja, forms a main part of the front lines in Idlib. The lines separate anti-Assad units dominated by Al Hayat and loyalist forces comprised of regular troops and pro-Iranian Shiite militias
The separation lines in Idlib had largely held since a deal in March 2020 between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Erdogan, which avoided war between the two countries over the area. It forms a main part of the Turkish zone of influence in the country.
Mr Birakdar said that hundreds of civilians in Jabal Zawya have fled the bombings to areas closer to the Turkish border in the north.
Several regime attempts to regain Milaja and advance into Jabal Zawya, and other areas of Idlib over the last week, under Russian air cover, were repelled, he said.
The White Helmets, a rescue group operating in north-west Syria, said eight civilians have been killed in the area so far in September. Other sources say that a similar number of anti-Assad fighters have been also killed.
Russia is the most powerful backer of Mr Assad. Its 2015 military intervention, which has been reliant on air power, allowed the president and pro-Iranian forces to recapture large swathes of Syria from Sunni rebels.
The Syrian Defence Ministry said in a statement on the weekend that the military "with cooperation from the friendly Russian air force," has mounted over the last several days "quality operations in response to the blatant violation by the terrorist organisations on the Milaja axis in Idlib's countryside."
The armed conflict in Syria started in late 2011, after authorities used force to put down the peaceful protest movement against the president. The rebellion was eventually taken over by religious militants.
Among them was the Al Qaeda linked Al Nusra Front, a forerunner of Al Hayat. The group, which is led by Abu Mohammed A Jolani, a former Al Nusra commander, has channels with Turkey.
An opposition figure in the Syrian opposition based in Istanbul said that the capture of Milaja has exposed significant regime areas in a plan for a potential attack.
He said the attack was launched because Mr Assad's forces are seen as having lost some of the Russian support since the Ukraine war last year, as well as sharp retreats in the Syrian economy that have undermined loyalist morale.
"Al Golani is taking advantage of Assad's weakness," said the opposition figure, who did not want to be named.
The capture of Milaja also is related to domestic politics in the areas ruled by Al Golani in Idlib, he said, pointing out that Al Golani moved last month against one of his old comrades, the Iraqi militant Abu Maria Al Qahtani, whose power base in Idlib has been seen as a threat to Al Golani.
"Abu Maria is in jail now, but he remains popular," the opposition figure said. "A new round of hostilities with the regime helps deflect attention from his arrest."
Result
Arsenal 4
Monreal (51'), Ramsey (82'), Lacazette 85', 89')
West Ham United 1
Arnautovic (64')
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHigh%20fever%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIntense%20pain%20behind%20your%20eyes%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESevere%20headache%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENausea%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EVomiting%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESwollen%20glands%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ERash%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIf%20symptoms%20occur%2C%20they%20usually%20last%20for%20two-seven%20days%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
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.
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
RESULTS
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EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
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
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The biog
Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology
Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India
Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur
How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993
Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters
Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo
More coverage from the Future Forum
