Syria's President Ahmad Al Shara has distanced himself from one of his four brothers after a public outcry over the sibling's involvement with a tribal figure who supported the previous Assad regime.
The episode illustrates the limits to Mr Al Shara's policy of accommodating elements of the former regime in his efforts to consolidate control of Syria since his rebel allies made him President on January 31. This month, Mr Al Shara's ruling Hayat Tahrir Al Sham group overcame a rival militia leader in southern Syria, helped by an alliance with a warlord who was loyal to former president Bashar Al Assad.
A statement by the presidency late on Sunday admitted a “controversy” had arisen after Jamal Al Shara, an elder brother of Mr Al Shara, last week visited Farhan Al Marsoumy in Damascus. During the civil war, Mr Al Marsoumy built a fief in his home region of Albu Kamal with the help of the former regime and Iran.
Albu Kamal is near the Iraqi border in eastern Syria, an area that was crucial for Iranian-supplied weapons, smuggled through Iraq and Syria, to the Lebanese Shiite guerrilla group Hezbollah.
Although the influence of Iran has all but ended in Syria, many of its former allies, such as Mr Marsoumy, have survived, either because they have sought accommodation with the new regime through deals in which they have surrendered assets, or because the authorities have found them politically useful.
“Mr Jamal Al Shara does not occupy any position in the institutions of the state and does not have any official privileges,” the presidency's statement said. The visit was made in a “personal capacity”, it added.
Culture Minister Mohammad Saleh, who is also from the east, accompanied Jamal Al Shara on the trip. The two men were filmed being given an abaya, or Bedouin gown, and wearing it. They also ate from a huge tray of mansaf, a traditional meal of rice and lamb in a yoghurt sauce.
In an attempt to explain the footage of the encounter, Mr Saleh said that “every day I am asked for hundreds of photos” with people he does not know. “I want to apologise to the great Syrian people for any unintended photo with anyone belonging to the bygone regime.”
The two men came in for widespread criticism, particularly on social media, even from people supportive of the new President. Firas Andeen, a human rights lawyer, said “floating the symbols and criminals of the former regime is shameful”.
Muhannad Al Katee, a Syrian researcher who specialises in the east of the country, said Mr Saleh “should resign today and not tomorrow”. He said the visit was motivated by “errors that cannot be justified”.
Little is known about Jamal Al Shara except that he previously worked in the IT education sector and left for Egypt around 2013. This month, the President appointed Maher Al Shara, another brother, as Secretary General of the Presidency, a position similar to chief of staff. The President, who was born in 1982, has four brothers, all of whom are his elders.
An offensive led by Ahmad Al Shara and HTS, a group formerly linked with al Qaeda, ended 54 years of Al Assad family rule over Syria in December. The Al Assads belong to the country's Alawite minority but their dominance was partly underpinned by alliances with Sunni tribes.
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
Brief scores:
Huesca 0
Real Madrid 1
Bale 8'
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
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AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
Astroworld
Travis Scott
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JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
Directed by: Shaka King
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons
Four stars
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
AUSTRALIA SQUAD v SOUTH AFRICA
Aaron Finch (capt), Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Qualifier A, Muscat
(All matches to be streamed live on icc.tv)
Fixtures
Friday, February 18: 10am Oman v Nepal, Canada v Philippines; 2pm Ireland v UAE, Germany v Bahrain
Saturday, February 19: 10am Oman v Canada, Nepal v Philippines; 2pm UAE v Germany, Ireland v Bahrain
Monday, February 21: 10am Ireland v Germany, UAE v Bahrain; 2pm Nepal v Canada, Oman v Philippines
Tuesday, February 22: 2pm Semi-finals
Thursday, February 24: 2pm Final
UAE squad:Ahmed Raza(captain), Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Rahul Bhatia
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