Live updates: Follow the latest on Trump's Gulf trip
US President Donald Trump met Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara in Riyadh on Wednesday and discussed counter-terrorism co-operation, the two sides said, in a crucial boost to the fledging order in Damascus and efforts to halt Iranian expansionism in the Middle East.
The meeting, a day after Mr Trump lifted sanctions on Syria, ushers in the prospect of ties resuming between Washington and Damascus, after years of discord under former president Bashar Al Assad, who was toppled last year by rebels led by Mr Al Shara.
Mr Trump said Mr Al Shara "has a tremendous opportunity to do something historic in his country" and that he should rid Syria of terrorism, according to the White House.
Syria, a strategic country with a collapsed economy and deep wounds from a 14-year civil war, is now ruled by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a religious group formerly linked with Al Qaeda, and led by Mr Al Shara.
Unlike European powers, Washington had previously baulked at recognising the new Syrian regime, giving as reasons its links with foreign militants and the killing of minorities in sectarian violence.
The Trump-Al Shara meeting opens up the possibility of Syria securing US funding for reconstruction. Such cash flows could shore up Mr Al Shara's domestic position as he seeks to strengthen control.
Mr Trump described him as a “real leader”, adding that "he's got the potential", and said that the meeting with Mr Al Shara, who he called a young, attractive guy with a very strong past, was "great".
"He's got a real shot at holding it together."
In a televised speech after the meeting, Mr Shara said he expected Syria to recover, but that the process will take time.
"The road is still long in front of us. The serious work has started today, and with it the renaissance of modern Syria," Mr Al Shara said, adding that the government is committed to attracting foreign investment.
In his youth, the new Syrian president was a prisoner of US forces in Iraq. He was one of thousands of foreign fighters who travelled to the country after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein. American troops arrested him in 2005 and he was released about six years later. He then returned to Syria and formed an Al Qaeda-affiliated rebel group fighting against Mr Al Assad. He broke ties with Al Qaeda in 2016 and formed HTS.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry described the meeting, which was arranged by Saudi Arabia and Turkey, as historic. It said the two men discussed forming a partnership against terrorism, including against ISIS and other foreign extremist groups.
Mr Trump is looking to reshape the Middle East into an economic-centric bloc that is at peace with Israel and shuns influence from Iran, which wields power through allied armed groups across the region.
Mr Al Shara, a hardened fighter who has proven to be ultra-pragmatic both as President and in the past, in his dealings with numerous militant organisations, has avoided hostile action against Israel since taking power. This is despite Israeli bombing of targets in Syria in support of the minority Druze community.
'Major players'
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mr Trump urged Mr Al Shara to "tell all foreign terrorists to leave Syria and to sign on to the Abraham Accords with Israel".
The meeting was the first between a US president and a Syrian leader since a failed encounter in 2000 between Bill Clinton and Hafez Al Assad that ended the prospects for a historic peace between Syria and Israel, who have technically been at war since 1967.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also attended the meeting, as did President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, who was online. A European diplomat said their presence showed US recognition of the two countries as "major players in Syria".
"This is not good news for the Kurds in particular," the diplomat said, referring to Kurdish militias in control of swathes of eastern Syria, a legacy of the fragmentation of the country under Mr Al Assad.
The mostly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces has been a thorn in Turkey’s side since the US founded the militia in 2015 as the ground component in its fight against ISIS. US support has prevented Turkey from realising its goal of diminishing the SDF, which Ankara sees as an offshoot of Kurdish secessionists.
The diplomat said the potential for a new alliance with Damascus would render the SDF less useful to Washington and make the US more responsive to Turkish demands to dissolve the group, a goal also shared by Mr Al Shara.
'Chance at greatness'
On Tuesday, Mr Trump announced in Riyadh that the US would be lifting sanctions on Syria “in order to give them a chance at greatness”. The US President said he was looking to offer Syria “a chance at peace” under Mr Al Shara.
But Murat Yesiltas, a member of a security and foreign policy advisory board to Mr Erdogan, cautioned that American support for Mr Al Shara would be conditional.
He predicted a step-by-step approach to lifting sanctions. “They can offer some sort of conditions to Al Shara’s government to maintain the US, or Trump’s, decisiveness,” Mr Yesiltas said.
Fawaz Tello, a former Syrian political prisoner who led a non-violent opposition movement against Bashar Al Assad in the 2000s, said the Trump-Al Shara meeting constitutes "full-US recognition of the new order" that will help mould Syria into a modern nation.
Mr Tello said it could usher in a "strategic Syrian-American partnership".
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?
Some facts about bees:
The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer
The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days
A queen bee lives for 3-5 years
This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony
About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive
Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.
Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen
Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids
Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments
Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts
Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain
Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities
The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes
Is beekeeping dangerous?
As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.
“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”
Poacher
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Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
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
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
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.
Band Aid
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.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Overall head-to-head
Federer 6-1 Cilic
Head-to-head at Wimbledon
Federer 1-0 Cilic
Grand Slams titles
Federer 18-1 Cilic
Best Wimbledon performance
Federer: Winner (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012)
Cilic: Final (2017*)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Honeymoonish
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
The specs: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
Price, base / as tested: Dh101,140 / Dh113,800
Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 148hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm @ 2,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed CVT
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
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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.
