In a region still divided on how to deal with Syria, Jordan has emerged as a keen advocate for Arab engagement with President Bashar Al Assad.
The kingdom is among nine Arab countries meeting in Jeddah on Friday to narrow differences on whether to restore Damascus's Arab League membership.
It could be a major symbolic breakthrough for Mr Al Assad and for Russia, his most powerful supporter.
Syria’s membership was suspended in 2011 over its violent suppression of peaceful demonstrations against five decades of Assad family rule.
One consequence of the ensuing civil war has been Syria’s fragmentation into Turkish, Russian, Iranian and US spheres of influence, but none for Arab powers.
The country has also become the theatre for a low-intensity war of attrition between Iran and Israel.
Captagon crisis
The south became a launch pad for the export of the amphetamine Captagon into Jordan, with the kingdom's officials saying the Syrian military and militias teamed up with Iran to sponsor the trade.
“Jordan's policy is gradual. It aims to break the wall of Syria’s isolation while extracting concessions from the regime,” said Prof Hasan Al Momani from the University of Jordan.
“Alone, Jordan cannot make a difference,” said Prof Al Momani, who teaches international relations, as he referred to the kingdom's need to co-ordinate with Arab heavyweights, as well as with the US.
He said that even if Damascus returned to the Arab League, the US and Europe would remain opposed to the rapprochement.
Saud Sharafat, a veteran security specialist who runs a research centre in Amman, said the Jordanian initiative did not appear to have US support as a result of Iran's presence in Syria.
Tehran calls the shots in Syria, Mr Sharafat said, and Washington did not seem convinced that “the regime’s rehabilitation is useful”.
The Captagon flows began in 2018 after a deal was reached by Russia, the US and Israel to hand back most of southern Syria to the Assad government, with Arab and western countries abandoning support for rebel areas.
Moscow also wants Arab states to pour in money to fund reconstruction as the civil war grinds on.
Meanwhile, Kurdish militia allied with Washington control the country’s oilfields.
In the past several months, Jordan has circulated a “step-by-step” plan to its allies in the region and abroad.
Jordanian officials have suggested that any diplomatic and monetary gains for Damascus from rehabilitation would need to be met by the Assad government moving to curb drug smuggling and pro-Iranian militia activity.
Damascus will also be required to give guarantees for the safe return of refugees, including allowing Arab nations to establish their presence in areas where the refugees would go.
Mr Momani says the Jordanian initiative received a boost from an Arab humanitarian drive after an earthquake in February killed 7,000 people in Syria, as well as subsequent trips to Damascus by senior Arab officials for the first time in more than a decade.
“Jordan wants Arab support for the initiative to become a basis for a peace process in Syria,” said Mr Momani. “It will not be cost-free for the regime.”
Diplomatic push
Two years ago, Jordan pushed, with the support of the US, for a cross-border deal that would result in Damascus supplying Lebanon with power and gas.
The deal would have put Damascus on the regional economic map and strengthened its influence in Lebanon, from where Syrian troops pulled out after a 29-year presence.
It did not take off, partly because of financial reasons and because Washington became wary about the potential rewards for Damascus after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
The biog
Place of birth: Kalba
Family: Mother of eight children and has 10 grandchildren
Favourite traditional dish: Al Harees, a slow cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled cracked or coarsely ground wheat mixed with meat or chicken
Favourite book: My early life by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah
Favourite quote: By Sheikh Zayed, the UAE's Founding Father, “Those who have no past will have no present or future.”
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
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
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
THE%20SPECS
%3Cp%3EBattery%3A%2060kW%20lithium-ion%20phosphate%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20Up%20to%20201bhp%3Cbr%3E0%20to%20100kph%3A%207.3%20seconds%3Cbr%3ERange%3A%20418km%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh149%2C900%3Cbr%3EAvailable%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Brolliology: A History of the Umbrella in Life and Literature
By Marion Rankine
Melville House
Company%20profile
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Have you been targeted?
Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:
1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.
2. The money has been transferred into a structured note. These products have high upfront, recurring commission and should never be in a pension account.
3. You have also been sold investment funds with an upfront initial charge of around 5 per cent. ETFs, for example, have no upfront charges.
4. The adviser charges a 1 per cent charge for managing your assets. They are being paid for doing nothing. They have already claimed massive amounts in hidden upfront commission.
5. Total annual management cost for your pension account is 2 per cent or more, including platform, underlying fund and advice charges.
BLACK%20ADAM
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