Fighting has flared up between rebel brigades aligned with Ankara and a Kurdish militia in Aleppo governorate, a once sleepy front in the Syrian civil war that could be impacted by a Turkish drive to mend relations with President Bashar Al Assad.
At least one fighter from Tahrir Al Sham, an Al Qaeda offshoot that has channels with Turkey, has been killed in tit-for-tat attacks in the past 72 hours, with undetermined casualties from the SDF, a Kurdish-dominated militia, local sources said.
Tensions increased on the rebel-Kurdish militia front in Aleppo, which borders Turkey, after a car bomb at a roadblock near the rebel city of Azaz last week reportedly killed at least eight people. No one claimed responsibility, although many suspected the SDF.
A senior member of the Syrian opposition to Mr Assad told The National from Istanbul that half those dead were Turkish security personnel, although there was no announcement from Ankara.
Ensuing rebel attacks on the SDF constitute “Turkey's response to the Azaz car bomb”, the source said.
Turkey carved out a border zone in 2015 to check territorial gains by the Kurdish militias, who had managed to secure both US and Russian support, although Washington streamlined the militias under the SDF banner in 2015.
Failaq Al Sham, a Turkish-sponsored brigade linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, said it had foiled an SDF “infiltration attempt” on the Kabashin Axis on Sunday.
The axis is a military term for the front between the SDF enclave of Tal Rifat and the rebel-held area of Afrin, west of the provincial capital Aleppo city.
A “well-executed trap”, in which Failaq Al Sham used machine guns and artillery, caused “a number of deaths” among the SDF, Failaq Al Sham said.
Fighting also occurred overnight on Monday in Jibreen, near Azaz, but no casualties were reported, the sources said.
The Aleppo governorate is divided between Mr Assad's loyalists, the SDF, and rebel auxiliaries aligned with Turkey. Survival of the three sides has largely depended on the outside powers influencing the Syrian civil war: Iran, Russia, Turkey and the US.
Although the SDF was set up by Washington, Russian support enabled it to overrun rebel areas and establish a Kurdish-run enclave in Tal Rifat in 2016. Agreements between Moscow and Ankara ensured that hostilities involving the Tal Rifat Kurds remained at a relative minimum.
In the same year, the SDF helped Russian and regime forces, as well as pro-Iranian Shiite militias to capture the city of Aleppo. The SDF has safe passage through territory held by the regime to a larger zone it controls in eastern Syria, and which is also patrolled by US forces.
One opposition military source in Aleppo said Tahrir Al Sham and its allies “had little choice except to launch the operations” against the SDF, to maintain ties with Turkey.
This is despite positive Turkish moves in recent months responding to a Russian initiative to end hostilities between Damascus and Ankara.
On Monday, pressure from Turkey led to the reopening of a crossing in Aleppo, allowing goods to pass between rebel-held areas and territories under the authority of Damascus, according to several opposition members.
Crowds angry at the proposed rapprochement had overrun the rebel side of the crossing last month, forcing to close only days after it had opened.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
THREE
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How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
The biog
Name: Ayisha Abdulrahman Gareb
Age: 57
From: Kalba
Occupation: Mukrema, though she washes bodies without charge
Favourite things to do: Visiting patients at the hospital and give them the support they need.
Role model: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
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.
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
