The US military has shot down a drone belonging to Nato ally Turkey in northern Syria, as Ankara increases retaliation for a bombing in the Turkish capital claimed by Kurdish militants.
Turkey denied ownership of the drone, but Pentagon spokesman Brig Gen Pat Ryder said the armed aircraft was Turkish and was posing a threat to US forces.
Brig Gen Ryder said F-16s shot down the drone, which had been conducting air strikes, on Thursday morning after the US called Turkish military officials several times to warn them they were operating close to American ground troops.
He said Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler and “underscored the importance of close co-ordination between the United States and Turkey to prevent any risk to US forces”.
“This is certainly a regrettable incident,” he said, noting the drone came within 500 metres of US forces within a restricted zone, but there was no indication the drone was taking aim at US troops.
“US F-16 fighters subsequently shut down the [drone] in self-defence,” Brig Gen Ryder said.
The shoot-down highlights the crowded battle space in north-eastern Syria, where competing interests increase the risk of mishaps.
The US is supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces in their fight against ISIS, but Turkey views the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) that dominate the SDF as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
The PKK has been locked in a decades-long conflict with Ankara over Kurdish autonomy.
Washington sought to play down the incident's implications for its relations with Turkey at an awkward geopolitical moment.
Mr Austin and Mr Guler committed “to one another that the US and Turkey will continue to closely communicate and co-ordinate”, Brig Gen Ryder said.
“Turkey does remain a very important and valuable Nato ally and partner to the United States.”
The incident occurred in Tal Baydar in north-eastern Syria, where US troops are assisting the SDF.
Turkey is increasing its operations against PKK operations after the attack on the Interior Ministry in Ankara on Sunday and has carried out strikes in areas of north-east Syria and northern Iraq.
Kurdish militants launched a rocket attack on a Turkish military base in northern Syria on Thursday evening, wounding five police officers and three soldiers, Turkey's private DHA news agency reported.
It said Turkish forces retaliated with rocket fire after the attack from the countryside in north-west Syria's Tal Rifaat region struck the base in the Dabiq area.
The wounded personnel were taken to hospitals in Turkey, it said.
Earlier on Thursday, Turkish strikes killed at least seven people, a Kurdish official said.
Strikes on Hasakah province in Syria killed six workers at a brick factory and another worker in a separate factory, said SDF spokesman Farhad Shami.
One of the Turkish strikes in the Kurdish-controlled region hit a car, killing two people, said the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Mr Shami said Turkish drones had also attacked military positions, civilian infrastructure and a military vehicle since the morning.
He reported intensive overflights of areas controlled by the semi-autonomous Kurdish administration in north-eastern Syria “following Turkish threats”.
A Turkish Defence Ministry official said on Thursday that a ground operation in Syria was one option Ankara could consider.
“Our only goal is to eliminate the terrorist organisations that pose a threat to Turkey. A ground operation is one of the options to eliminate this threat, but it is not the only option for us,” the official said.
Trained in Syria
The US-backed SDF – the Kurds' de facto army in the area – led the battle that dislodged ISIS fighters from their last holdouts in Syrian territory in 2019.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan alleged the perpetrators of the bombing in Ankara had been trained in Syria and warned of reprisals against Kurdish fighters in north-eastern Syria.
“It has become clear that the two terrorists came from Syria and were trained there,” Mr Fidan said.
“From now on, all infrastructure, large facilities and energy facilities belonging to [armed Kurdish groups] in Iraq and Syria are legitimate targets for our security forces.”
SDF commander Mazloum Abdi denied on Wednesday that the two Ankara assailants had “passed through our region”.
“Turkey is looking for pretexts to legitimise its ongoing attacks on our region and to launch a new military aggression,” he said.
“The threat to target the region's infrastructure, economic resources and populated cities is a war crime – a thing we have witnessed before.”
The Democratic Union Party (PYD), whose armed wing led the fight against ISIS in northern Syria with US backing, said on Thursday that “the Turkish Foreign Minister's statements are tantamount to a declaration of war”.
The PYD called on the international anti-ISIS coalition to “take a stand” and be on its side.
Between 2016 and 2019, Turkey carried out three major operations in northern Syria against Kurdish forces.
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
MATCH INFO
Everton 2 Southampton 1
Everton: Walcott (15'), Richarlison (31' )
Southampton: Ings (54')
Man of the match: Theo Walcott (Everton)
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
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.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20SupplyVan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2029%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MRO%20and%20e-commerce%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
FULL%20FIGHT%20CARD
%3Cp%3EFeatherweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Abdullah%20Al%20Qahtani%20v%20Taha%20Bendaoud%0D%3Cbr%3EBantamweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Ali%20Taleb%20v%20Nawras%20Abzakh%0D%3Cbr%3EBantamweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Xavier%20Alaoui%20v%20Rachid%20El%20Hazoume%0D%3Cbr%3EFeatherweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Islam%20Reda%20v%20Adam%20Meskini%0D%3Cbr%3EBantamweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Tariq%20Ismail%20v%20Jalal%20Al%20Daaja%0D%3Cbr%3EBantamweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Elias%20Boudegzdame%20v%20Hassan%20Mandour%0D%3Cbr%3EAmateur%20Female%20Atomweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Hattan%20Al%20Saif%20v%20Nada%20Faheem%0D%3Cbr%3EFeatherweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Maraoune%20Bellagouit%20v%20Motaz%20Askar%0D%3Cbr%3EFeatherweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Ahmed%20Tarek%20v%20Abdelrahman%20Alhyasat%0D%3Cbr%3EShowcase%20Featherweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Mido%20Mohamed%20v%20Yazeed%20Hasanain%0D%3Cbr%3EShowcase%20Flyweight%20Bout%3A%0D%20Malik%20Basahel%20v%20Harsh%20Pandya%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
First-round leaderbaord
-5 C Conners (Can)
-3 B Koepka (US), K Bradley (US), V Hovland (Nor), A Wise (US), S Horsfield (Eng), C Davis (Aus);
-2 C Morikawa (US), M Laird (Sco), C Tringale (US)
Selected others: -1 P Casey (Eng), R Fowler (US), T Hatton (Eng)
Level B DeChambeau (US), J Rose (Eng)
1 L Westwood (Eng), J Spieth (US)
3 R McIlroy (NI)
4 D Johnson (US)
