Syrian government forces were on the brink of all-out warfare with the SDF militia in Aleppo last week. AP
Syrian government forces were on the brink of all-out warfare with the SDF militia in Aleppo last week. AP
Syrian government forces were on the brink of all-out warfare with the SDF militia in Aleppo last week. AP
Syrian government forces were on the brink of all-out warfare with the SDF militia in Aleppo last week. AP

Kurdish militia leader pledges to join Syrian army as pressure on his forces mounts


Khaled Yacoub Oweis
  • English
  • Arabic

The Kurdish leader of a Syrian militia has renewed a commitment to join forces with the new state, after US intervention averted a full-scale conflict with Damascus.

Mazloum Abdi, commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces, said the group will become “a small but essential part of Syria’s new army”. He stopped short of saying the SDF would disband, according to excerpts from a speech in the eastern city of Hasakah which marked 10 years since the group's founding.

Integration talks will begin in Damascus in the coming days, Mr Abdi said. He added that the SDF, which controls large parts of northern and eastern Syria, “will continue its leading role in the fight against ISIS”. The SDF was founded with US backing in 2015 as a ground component of the war against ISIS in Syria.

The Kurdish issue has been a major sticking point since the new government took over in December, after ousting the Assad regime. The old system fell to forces led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS), a splinter group from Al Qaeda, whose former commanders now comprise the ruling elite.

The Kurdish issue has hampered Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara's efforts to consolidate control of the country. AFP
The Kurdish issue has hampered Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara's efforts to consolidate control of the country. AFP

The new authorities have secured regional backing but failed to find an accommodation with minorities in the majority Sunni Muslim country. Last week, the SDF and Syrian security forces came to the verge of major urban warfare in Aleppo, and hostilities intensified on other fronts in central and eastern Syria.

On Tuesday, the government announced a truce, after US envoy Tom Barrack met Mr Abdi in eastern Syria, followed by a meeting with Mr Ahmad Al Shara in Damascus.

The SDF had channels with the former regime and helped it capture the eastern part of Aleppo, Syria’s business capital, from rebels in 2016.

A security official based in the Middle East, who did not want to be named, said that in recent weeks the Syrian Defence Ministry has moved armour from Damascus and the central city of Palmyra to Aleppo and to other fronts with the SDF in Raqqa and Deir Ezzor governorates.

Turkey, the most powerful backer of Mr Al Shara, is also a major player regarding the Kurdish issue in Syria. Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler said on Saturday that the SDF “must surrender their weapons as soon as possible and unconditionally.”

A Syrian security delegation travelled to Ankara on Sunday to discuss with Turkish officials “counter-terrorism co-operation”, Syria’s official news agency reported. Turkey regards the SDF as a terrorist organisation and part of the disbanding Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Turkey.

The areas under SDF control comprise the centre of Syria’s commodities, energy and power output. In recent weeks, Syrian officials have accused the SDF of inaction to implement a March 10 merger agreement. The SDF accused the government of solely focusing on disbanding the SDF, without acting on other parts of the deal, concerning Kurdish rights and a non-sectarian political system.

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

Queen

Nicki Minaj

(Young Money/Cash Money)

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%C2%A0profile
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WIDE%20VIEW
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The bio

Date of Birth: April 25, 1993
Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE
Marital Status: Single
School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai
University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University
Job Title: Pilot, First Officer
Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200
Number of flights: Approximately 300
Hobbies: Exercising
Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping
Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been
Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home

INFO

What: DP World Tour Championship
When: November 21-24
Where: Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae.

The Vile

Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah

Director: Majid Al Ansari

Rating: 4/5

ASSASSIN'S%20CREED%20MIRAGE
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2024%20Dubai%20Marathon%20Results
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWomen%E2%80%99s%20race%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Tigist%20Ketema%20(ETH)%202hrs%2016min%207sec%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Ruti%20Aga%20(ETH)%202%3A18%3A09%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Dera%20Dida%20(ETH)%202%3A19%3A29%0D%3Cbr%3EMen's%20race%3A%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Addisu%20Gobena%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A01%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Lemi%20Dumicha%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A20%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20DejeneMegersa%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A42%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The drill

Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.

Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”

Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”

Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.” 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Kill%20
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How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
'The worst thing you can eat'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Reputation

Taylor Swift

(Big Machine Records)

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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Mountain%20Boy
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1971: The Year The Music Changed Everything

Director: Asif Kapadia

4/5

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

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

Updated: October 12, 2025, 1:51 PM