Israeli missiles hit the northern Syrian city of Aleppo on Monday night, killing a soldier and wounding seven, including two civilians, state media has reported.
The strike put the city's airport out of service and resulted in material losses, state news agency Sana reported, citing a military source.
“At around 11.35pm (8.35pm GMT) … the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack with several missiles … targeting Aleppo international airport and a number of sites in the vicinity of Aleppo,” Sana said.
“A soldier was killed and seven people were wounded, including two civilians.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported a number of explosions “in the area of Aleppo International Airport and the Nayrab military airfield in Aleppo province”.
The explosions caused a fire at a munitions depot and led to heavy damage at both airports, the UK-based observatory said.
It also said Israeli missiles fell on defence factories in the Safireh area of Aleppo province, causing material damage.
During more than a decade of war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its territory, with its primary targets being Iran-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, as well as Syrian army positions.
While Israel rarely comments on the strikes it carries out on Syria, it has previously said it would stand against Iran's expanding footprint in the region.
Iran-backed militias have had a heavy presence in the Aleppo region after providing key ground support to the army in its recapture of rebel-held districts in the city in 2016.
On March 22, an Israeli missile strike reportedly aimed at an Iran-linked weapons depot also put Aleppo's airport out of service, the observatory said.
Earlier that same month, Syria said an Israeli attack killed three people.
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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BMW M5 specs
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Transmission: 8-speed auto
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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
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Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
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If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The biog
Hobby: "It is not really a hobby but I am very curious person. I love reading and spend hours on research."
Favourite author: Malcom Gladwell
Favourite travel destination: "Antigua in the Caribbean because I have emotional attachment to it. It is where I got married."
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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.
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Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
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Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
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