Bombs planted on a military bus have killed 14 Syrian soldiers in the centre of Damascus, state media reported, denting the regime's claims of having secured the capital.
Hours later on Wednesday in north-western Syria, artillery shelling by forces loyal to President Bashar Al Assad killed 13 people in a town under Turkey’s sphere of influence, monitoring groups said.
The attack on the town of Ariha in Idlib governorate during school drop-off time resulted in the heaviest reported civilian death toll in one day since a proxy war between Russia and Turkey in the region renewed last month.
The two countries were on the verge of war over Idlib in February and March 2020, in a culmination of the internationalisation of the Syrian civil war, before Moscow and Ankara pulled back from the brink.
Russia's intervention in Syria in 2015 enabled the regime to overrun rebel areas in Damascus and its surrounding area. Russian firepower restored other cities and rural areas, mostly along an axis running north and south of Damascus, to the regime.
But Russian might has not been able to end the civil war, with Moscow becoming the main actor on the diplomatic arena regarding the situation as US attention turned elsewhere.
The civil war broke out after the regime cracked down on the revolt in March 2011 against five decades of Assad family rule over Syria.
The majority Sunni country has been dominated by members of its Alawite minority since mostly Alawite officers, among them Assad's father Hafez, took power in the 1963 coup.
The official Syrian news agency quoted a military source as saying that the two bombs went off at 6.45am while the military bus was near a main intersection during the morning rush hour in Damascus.
The bombs were "attached to the bus" before it neared the Hafez Al Assad Bridge, a main flyover in the centre of the city, the source said. A third device was dismantled on site where it fell off after the explosion.
The site is a few hundred metres away from the agency's offices, the Interior Ministry and the Four Season Hotel, one of the most expensive hotels in Damascus, where UN staff stay.
“We will chase these terrorists who committed this heinous crime wherever they are,” Interior Minister Mohammad Khaled Al Rahmoun said while inspecting the explosion site.
He said an investigation would be launched.
Pictures on state television, which described the blast as “terrorist bomb attack", showed the charred bus as medics were trying to remove bodies.
Loyalists forces and militias supported by Iran have been pushing troops and personnel from Damascus and other areas to the north-west for the last two months before an expected attack on Idlib, Syrian opposition figures in Amman and Istanbul say.
Child victims
The shelling that reportedly killed 13 people in Idlib on Wednesday was aimed at the town of Ariha. The governorate is home to the largest concentration of refugees in Syria.
They number around three million, with another one million in areas controlled by Turkey in the neighbouring province of Aleppo.
The Syrian Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, said one of the victims was an 8-year-old girl called Rimas who was holding her father's hand when the attack took place, killing them both.
Two White Helmet volunteers lost a family member during the shelling. Basil Hafez, whose sister Qamar Hafez, an Arabic teacher, was killed along with Muhammad Al Amin who lost his 14 year-old brother, Ibrahim.
Ariha lies on the M4, a major motorway patrolled by the Turkish Army. The M4 links the city of Aleppo to the Mediterranean coast, where the bulk of Russian forces in Syria are based.
Attacks by the regime and pro-Iranian militia in recent weeks, as well a Russian air bombing, were all thought to be with the aim of capturing the road.
The Idlib Media Group, run by citizen journalists opposed to Assad, said the shelling started at 7.55am on the town’s square and main market. Three schools are located in the vicinity.
“Most of those who died were on their way to the school,” the group said. Three children and one female teacher among the dead have been identified, it said.
Rami Al Sayyed, an opposition activist in Idlib, said the attack was a continuation of heavy targeting of frontline regions in recent weeks.
“We have seen the regime and its allies using field artillery and rocket launchers as a prelude to advancing on the ground,” he said by phone.
A Syrian opposition source in Amman said that at least three small Turkish bases around Ariha escaped the shelling.
Fears of wider conflict
Turkey has more than a dozen fortifications and observation posts along the M4. These are part of a military ring separating the Turkish sphere of influence in Idlib and Aleppo from regime areas.
In February 2020, a dispute between Ankara and Moscow almost led to war in north-western Syria, after an air strike in Idlib killed 34 Turkish soldiers.
Turkey retaliated by killing dozens of regime personnel in artillery and drone attacks, and destroying a significant portion of its heavy armour in Idlib, before a deal between Ankara and Moscow in March 2020.
Hostilities eased after the pact but low-intensity warfare in the north-west continued.
Among its participants is Russian-backed Kurdish People Protection Units (YPG) militia based in the pocket of Tal Rifaat north of the city of Aleppo, adding another layer of complexity to the conflict.
The deal in March 2020 gave the advantage at the front lines in north-west Syria to the regime and its militia allies.
Officials in Ankara say Turkey cannot afford to cede any more territory in Idlib, citing the possibility of refugees reaching the Turkish border if the regime and its allies push further into the region.
Idlib residents say the Turkish military has been sending reinforcements to the region since last month and setting up more small bases in the governorate.
But speculation has been mounting among members of the Syrian opposition to Assad that Turkey would swap areas in Idlib near the M4 for Tel Rifaat with the Russians, and possibly other areas captured in the last decade by Kurdish militia to the north-east.
With the civil war having tilted in favour of the regime, attacks in the Syrian capital have been rare in the past three years.
Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor based in Britain, said the bus bombing on Monday constitutes "a huge security breach".
“Whoever did this – whether it's ISIS or Al Nusra militant group or others – wanted to send a message to the regime that there is no safe place,” he said.
INFO
What: DP World Tour Championship
When: November 21-24
Where: Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae.
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: 2018 Audi R8 V10 RWS
Price: base / as tested: From Dh632,225
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 540hp @ 8,250rpm
Torque: 540Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L / 100km
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Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
The six points:
1. Ministers should be in the field, instead of always at conferences
2. Foreign diplomacy must be left to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
3. Emiratisation is a top priority that will have a renewed push behind it
4. The UAE's economy must continue to thrive and grow
5. Complaints from the public must be addressed, not avoided
6. Have hope for the future, what is yet to come is bigger and better than before
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
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MATCH INFO
South Africa 66 (Tries: De Allende, Nkosi, Reinach (3), Gelant, Steyn, Brits, Willemse; Cons: Jantjies 8)
Canada 7 (Tries: Heaton; Cons: Nelson)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
RESULTS: 2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING - EUROPE
Albania 0 Italy 1
Finland 2 Turkey 2
Macedonia 4 Liechtenstein
Iceland 2 Kosovo 0
Israel 0 Spain 1
Moldova 0 Austria 1
Serbia 1 Georgia 0
Ukraine 0 Croatia 2
Wales 0 Ireland 1
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
Try out the test yourself
Q1 Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2 per cent per year. After five years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
a) More than $102
b) Exactly $102
c) Less than $102
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q2 Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1 per cent per year and inflation was 2 per cent per year. After one year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
a) More than today
b) Exactly the same as today
c) Less than today
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q4 Do you think that the following statement is true or false? “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.”
a) True
b) False
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
The “Big Three” financial literacy questions were created by Professors Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington School of Business and Olivia Mitchell, of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Answers: Q1 More than $102 (compound interest). Q2 Less than today (inflation). Q3 False (diversification).
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
UAE WARRIORS RESULTS
Featherweight
Azouz Anwar (EGY) beat Marcelo Pontes (BRA)
TKO round 2
Catchweight 90kg
Moustafa Rashid Nada (KSA) beat Imad Al Howayeck (LEB)
Split points decision
Welterweight
Gimbat Ismailov (RUS) beat Mohammed Al Khatib (JOR)
TKO round 1
Flyweight (women)
Lucie Bertaud (FRA) beat Kelig Pinson (BEL)
Unanimous points decision
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) beat Regelo Enumerables Jr (PHI)
TKO round 1
Catchweight 100kg
Marc Vleiger (NED) beat Mohamed Ali (EGY)
Rear neck choke round 1
Featherweight
James Bishop (NZ) beat Mark Valerio (PHI)
TKO round 2
Welterweight
Abdelghani Saber (EGY) beat Gerson Carvalho (BRA)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Bakhtiyar Abbasov (AZE) beat Igor Litoshik (BLR)
Unanimous points decision
Bantamweight
Fabio Mello (BRA) beat Mark Alcoba (PHI)
Unanimous points decision
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Magomedsultan Magomedsultanov (RUS)
TKO round 1
Bantamweight
Trent Girdham (AUS) beat Jayson Margallo (PHI)
TKO round 3
Lightweight
Usman Nurmagomedov (RUS) beat Roman Golovinov (UKR)
TKO round 1
Middleweight
Tarek Suleiman (SYR) beat Steve Kennedy (AUS)
Submission round 2
Lightweight
Dan Moret (USA) v Anton Kuivanen (FIN)
TKO round 2
It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
Afghanistan Premier League - at a glance
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Fixtures:
Tue, Oct 16, 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Kabul Zwanan; Wed, Oct 17, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Nangarhar Leopards; 8pm: Kandahar Knights v Paktia Panthers; Thu, Oct 18, 4pm: Balkh Legends v Kandahar Knights; 8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers; Fri, Oct 19, 8pm: First semi-final; Sat, Oct 20, 8pm: Second semi-final; Sun, Oct 21, 8pm: final
Table:
1. Balkh Legends 6 5 1 10
2. Paktia Panthers 6 4 2 8
3. Kabul Zwanan 6 3 3 6
4. Nagarhar Leopards 7 2 5 4
5. Kandahar Knights 5 1 4 2
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
A Prayer Before Dawn
Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai
Three stars
NYBL PROFILE
Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
How being social media savvy can improve your well being
Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.
As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.
Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.
Norlyn Torrena, a clinical nutritionist from Burjeel Hospital advises her clients to be more technologically active “most of my clients are so engaged with their phones that I advise them to download applications that offer health related services”.
Torrena said that “most people believe that dieting and keeping fit is boring”.
However, by using social media apps keeping fit means that people are “modern and are kept up to date with the latest heath tips and trends”.
“It can be a guide to a healthy lifestyle and exercise if used in the correct way, so I really encourage my clients to download health applications” said Mrs Torrena.
People can also connect with each other and exchange “tips and notes, it’s extremely healthy and fun”.
Racecard
6pm: Mina Hamriya – Handicap (TB) $75,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
6.35pm: Al Wasl Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.10pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,900m
7.45pm: Blue Point Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,000m
8.20pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (T) 2,810m
8.55pm: Mina Rashid – Handicap (TB) $80,000 (T) 1,600m
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
Spare
Profile
Company name: Spare
Started: March 2018
Co-founders: Dalal Alrayes and Saurabh Shah
Based: UAE
Sector: FinTech
Investment: Own savings. Going for first round of fund-raising in March 2019
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
