Live updates: Follow the latest on Syria
The Syrian crisis is now entering its 14th year, with devastating consequences for millions. More than 231,000 civilians have been killed, and 130,000 reported as missing or forcibly disappeared, according to data from the Syrian Network for Human Rights and the International Commission on Missing Persons. Among the victims were 15,334 who died due to torture, including 199 children and 115 women.
Our latest Chart of the Week underscores the immense human cost of the conflict, illustrating the civilian death toll over the past 13 years. Based on data from SNHR and Statista, calculated as deaths per calendar year and published starting from 2012, the deadliest period was between 2012 and 2014, when fatalities exceeded 120,000 - more than half of the total deaths recorded throughout the conflict. In 2012, 66,046 civilians lost their lives, followed by 61,063 in 2013. The Syrian regime was responsible for 201,260 of the total 231,278 civilian deaths - 87 per cent, according to SNHR.
The impact on children and women has been particularly harrowing. Of all documented civilian deaths, 13 per cent - 30,193 - were children, while 7 per cent - 16,451 -were women. Chemical weapon attacks, predominantly carried out by the Syrian regime, claimed 1,514 lives, including 214 children and 262 women. These attacks are among 222 documented uses of chemical weapons during the conflict, a stark reminder of the indiscriminate brutality endured by civilians.
Beyond fatalities, the conflict has caused an unparalleled displacement crisis. More than 13.4 million Syrians - more than half the population - have been forcibly displaced, including 6.7 million refugees and 6.7 million internally displaced persons. Meanwhile, key infrastructure has been damaged, with nearly 1,700 schools, more than 890 medical facilities, and 1,450 places of worship targeted in attacks.
Although civilian deaths have declined in recent years, the figures remain sobering. By 2024, annual fatalities had dropped to 1,054. Still, women and children continued to represent a significant portion of the victims, accounting for 12.6 per cent (133 women) and 17.7 per cent (186 children) of the total deaths, respectively.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Group B
Bayern Munich v Tottenham, midnight (Thursday)
THE SPECS
Engine: AMG-enhanced 3.0L inline-6 turbo with EQ Boost and electric auxiliary compressor
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 429hp
Torque: 520Nm
Price: Dh360,200 (starting)
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
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
End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
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