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.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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RESULTS
Argentina 4 Haiti 0
Peru 2 Scotland 0
Panama 0 Northern Ireland 0
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
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'Shakuntala Devi'
Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
RESULTS
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200
Winner: Miqyaas, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Untold Secret, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Shanty Star, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Alkaamel, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
8.50pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Speedy Move, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Quartier Francois, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
MATCH INFO
World Cup qualifier
Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')
UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Zayed Sustainability Prize
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
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Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km