Russia sought to defuse a military escalation in southern Syria on Sunday, a day after brokering a 48-hour truce between resurgent rebels and Assad government forces.
A Russian military team negotiated with rebel representatives to find a way to avoid a confrontation, sources that oppose the regime said. The rebels are facing government forces and Iran-backed militia in the city of Daraa.
“The Assad regime demanded two rebel leaders would have to leave Daraa for the northern areas,” a senior rebel fighter said, referring to regions outside the regime’s control.
The government is demanding more control over the old city of Daraa than was allowed under a Russian-brokered deal in 2018, the rebel, who was familiar with the talks, told The National.
The confrontations over the past few days have eroded the control of the regime in large parts of Daraa governorate, which was retaken by the government forces three years ago. The area, the birthplace of the 2011 Syrian revolt against five decades of Assad family rule, is near Jordan and Israel’s Golan Heights.
The regime wants all light arms to be handed over and roadblocks erected in the old city, known as Daraa Al Balad, where rebels have held sway for most of the past decade. The Syrian military has been hitting Daraa city neighbourhoods with rocket-propelled grenades and tank shells for the past few days.
The two sides had reached a truce on July 30, but that was breached when the Syrian military and militias supported by Iran launched an operation on the city.
“We don’t trust the regime,” the rebel said. “They didn’t bring in all these reinforcements and emptied their checkpoints in rural Daraa for some demands. They want full control over all the regions in Daraa, no less.”
Meanwhile, Jordan has closed its Jaber crossing with Syria after a wave of rebel attacks on the Syrian side of the border.
The crossing closed to goods and passengers “as a result of developments in the security situation on the Syrian side”, Jordanian state news agency Petra said on Saturday, citing an Interior Ministry official.
The official said the crossing to Daraa governorate would be reopened “if the appropriate conditions are in place”.
Hurdle in talks
Although Russia had helped to impose a 48-hour truce, the regime’s demand for rebel commander Mohammed Al Masalmah to be expelled had been a hurdle, opposition sources said. A Daraa dignitary hoped the Russians will help the sides reach a second sustainable settlement.
“Daraa has been internationalised and Russia has made it clear it will not allow the regime to solve this by force,” said the rebel familiar with the negotiations.
“The economy of the regime area has collapsed and the people will keep on rising. The Russians know that only an international solution will lead to stability.”
The rebels launched what they described as a pre-emptive attack last week, capturing roadblocks put in place by the regime and Iran-backed militias. As many as 50 troops were killed in a co-ordinated offensive by rebels in several towns in Daraa governorate. They took up to 150 regime prisoners, opposition sources said.
Since the end of June, Syrian government forces and militias linked to Hezbollah have surrounded the old city of Daraa and other rebel strongholds in the countryside.
The rebels surrendered their heavy weapons to the regime in 2018 after a tacit deal between Russia, the US and Israel to hand back territory to the regime. Russia, which bombed Daraa province and other rebel regions in Syria, supervised the deal.
Unlike other so-called “de-escalation” deals under which rebels and most of the local Sunni population left their homes, most of the people in the former opposition regions in Daraa remained.
Diplomats in the region said Russia was wary of giving the regime and Hezbollah too much leeway in Daraa as it balanced its alliance with President Bashar Al Assad’s government with its ties with Israel and Jordan. The two countries have said they did not want Iranian proxies close to their borders.
Weapons surrendered
Under the 2018 deal, rebels surrendered their heavy weapons and the regime military did not enter the old city of Daraa or other areas the rebels had captured, including the towns of Busra Al Harir, Tafas, Yadoudeh and Nawa.
The deal stipulated the return of the Syrian government departments and the reopening of local police stations. The rebels were also allowed to make so-called settlement papers under which they were not supposed to be persecuted by the regime as long as they did not carry arms.
But dozens of former rebel commanders in Daraa have been assassinated since the 2018 deal. The killings have intensified in the past few weeks, opposition sources said.
Regime and Hezbollah operatives in Daraa have also been murdered, the sources said.
“The assassinations were another important factor behind the rebel offensive,” said one opposition source, who lives in Jordan.
Video footage taken by the rebels in Daraa last week showed several regime prisoners surrounded by rebels shouting slogans denouncing Bashar Al Assad.
In the latest talks, the main condition laid down by the Russians was for five of the main rebel commanders to leave Daraa and go to areas controlled by Turkish-backed opposition forces in northern Syria.
“If the Russians give assurances that the regime will stay away after they leave, then they will,” the opposition source said.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Tenet
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh
Rating: 5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20M3%2C%208-core%20CPU%2C%20up%20to%2010-core%20CPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2013.6-inch%20Liquid%20Retina%2C%202560%20x%201664%2C%20224ppi%2C%20500%20nits%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20wide%20colour%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%2F16%2F24GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201%2F2TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Thunderbolt%203%2FUSB-4%20(2)%2C%203.5mm%20audio%2C%20Touch%20ID%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Wi-Fi%206E%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2052.6Wh%20lithium-polymer%2C%20up%20to%2018%20hours%2C%20MagSafe%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201080p%20FaceTime%20HD%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Support%20for%20Apple%20ProRes%2C%20HDR%20with%20Dolby%20Vision%2C%20HDR10%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EAudio%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-speaker%20system%2C%20wide%20stereo%2C%20support%20for%20Dolby%20Atmos%2C%20Spatial%20Audio%20and%20dynamic%20head%20tracking%20(with%20AirPods)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Midnight%2C%20silver%2C%20space%20grey%2C%20starlight%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MacBook%20Air%2C%2030W%2F35W%20dual-port%2F70w%20power%20adapter%2C%20USB-C-to-MagSafe%20cable%2C%202%20Apple%20stickers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh4%2C599%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Teams in the EHL
White Bears, Al Ain Theebs, Dubai Mighty Camels, Abu Dhabi Storms, Abu Dhabi Scorpions and Vipers
