Trials have begun for 14 of several hundred men accused of killings or other wrongdoing during a Syrian state campaign in March to quell opposition among coastal Alawite communities.
Seven men faced three judges in Aleppo, accused of “stirring sectarian strife”, assaulting security forces and theft, state news agency Sana said. Another seven “undisciplined elements” of government forces went on trial later in the day for murder and theft. The two trials were adjourned until next month.
Jumaa Al Anzi, head of a government committee investigating the violence, said the trials “lay the foundations for justice and transparency” and will “deter criminals”. They will also “provide the accused of their rights”, he said.
As part of the push for accountability, Syria is also set to try perpetrators of mass killings and other transgressions carried out during the era of former dictator Bashar Al Assad, who was toppled in a rebel offensive last year. However, a Syrian official told The National that these trials are unrelated to Tuesday's proceedings and will be held under a separate legal framework.
Footage on state television of the trials appeared to show the three judges listening to initial statements by the accused and questioning one about the location of an attack against state security forces.
In early March, Syria's central government launched an offensive in the coastal heartland of Syria's Alawite sect to stop what it described as a nascent insurgency by those loyal to the former regime. Mr Al Assad was an Alawite and the community largely underpinned his government.
At least 1,300 Alawite civilians were killed in the March offensive, while dozens of government troops also perished, mostly in ambushes by remnants of security forces from the old order.
Mohammad Al Zuaiter, an Alawite civil leader who was a political prisoner for a decade under the Assad regime, said that killings and kidnappings by government militias continue in Alawite areas eight months after the offensive, although at much lower rates than during the peak in March.
“The judiciary is the right way to pursue those who committed the violence, but is it really independent?” Mr Zuaiter asked. “Without monitoring mechanisms to guarantee fair trials and the rights of the accused, I am afraid that these could turn out to be show trials.”
A government inquiry found that Syrian military commanders had given orders not to attack civilians in the offensive. However, the committee investigating has compiled a list of 565 men it said were involved in killings and other crimes on both sides.
Syria has been run by senior members of Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a former Al Qaeda affiliate, since they toppled Mr Al Assad last December. President Ahmad Al Shara, who led HTS as a rebel outfit but officially disbanded all non-state groups in January, sought on a trip to Washington this month to assure US officials that Alawites will be part of Syria's recovery from almost 14 years of civil war.
Mr Al Shara told a group of Syrian expats in the US that the former regime sought to keep coastal Alawite areas dependent on it by encouraging them to join state security forces and not pursue any other avenues to make a living.
He singled out the port cities of Latakia and Tartous as “one of the most qualified areas in Syria” to become a modern economy, pointing out the potential for tourism, agriculture, industry and transit activities.
“A large number of people during the past era did not benefit from their location,” added Mr Al Shara, saying there was a need for a “cultural” shift away from state-provided jobs as well as investment.
During his trip to Washington, Mr Al Shara met US President Donald Trump and Brian Mast, a congressional leader who is a crucial figure in efforts to lift a US law imposed in 2019 that placed sanctions on Syria. Some American lawmakers are hesitant to remove the sanctions due to concerns over protections for minorities.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Britain's travel restrictions
- A negative test 2 days before flying
- Complete passenger locator form
- Book a post-arrival PCR test
- Double-vaccinated must self-isolate
- 11 countries on red list quarantine
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Honeymoonish
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The%20specs
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Mobile phone packages comparison
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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
A Dog's Journey
Directed by: Gail Mancuso
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Josh Gad, Marg Helgenberger, Betty Gilpin, Kathryn Prescott
3 out of 5 stars
ABU DHABI T10: DAY TWO
Bangla Tigers v Deccan Gladiators (3.30pm)
Delhi Bulls v Karnataka Tuskers (5.45pm)
Northern Warriors v Qalandars (8.00pm)
Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
Cheeseburger%20ingredients
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
CABINET%20OF%20CURIOSITIES%20EPISODE%201%3A%20LOT%2036
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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