In a few weeks time, the Syrian revolution will have completed its fourth year, but there is no end in sight to the conflict there.
Khairallah Khairallah, a columnist with the Lebanese daily Al Mustaqbal, said that as the fighting rages on, it becomes increasingly unlikely that Syria would remain a united entity.
“The situation has deteriorated significantly in Syria, where the Assad regime has been wagering for some time on maintaining its authority over part of Syrian territory,” he wrote. “The regime has been striving to change the nature of the demographic composition in the region that it intends to keep under its control, which includes the Syrian coast, Damascus, Homs and all the way into Lebanon.
“The main focus has been to reconfigure the so-called ‘regime state’ in a way that excludes Sunni citizens. This explains the forced sectarian displacement in Homs and its surroundings.” He wrote: “The future looks bleak for Syria. It is past the stage of salvation by means of a scheme akin to the one that rescued Egypt from the Muslim Brotherhood.
“The Obama administration has left no viable option other than dismantling Syria,” he suggested.
Meanwhile, president Bashar Al Assad is as detached from reality as ever. This was demonstrated by his recent BBC interview, where the interviewer said Mr Al Assad came across as exceedingly cynical and in denial.
Hassan Haidar, writing in the pan-Arab daily Al Hayat, said that Mr Al Assad is truly uncaring about what happens to his people. He cares only about maintaining his territory, which he defends ruthlessly in the hope of deterring the opposition.
“Al Assad went past shame long ago. He doesn’t show any contrition about his crimes, even when the death toll has risen to over 200,000 people,” he wrote.
“Leaders that murder their people with such brutality don’t stop at numbers. In fact, the greater the number of casualties, the more hope he has for survival.”
Mr Al Assad spoke to the BBC’s Jeremy Bowen. He denied that Syria was a failed state “as long as the government and state institutions continue to carry out their duties towards the Syrian people”.
But what people does he speak of, the writer asked, and what duties? “If Syria isn’t a failed state, what are the militias of Hizbollah and the Iranian revolutionary guard doing in its territories? And why is Hizbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia, taking control of the regime’s war against opposition forces?”
The BBC interview was also the subject of an analytical piece by Abdul Rahman Al Rashed, a columnist in the London-based daily, Asharq Al Awsat.
“What we heard from Mr Al Assad in his last interview indicates that he is incapable of uttering the words ‘I admit’ and ‘I am sorry’,” he wrote.
“He refuses to admit his mistakes since the start of the revolution and he insists that he is protecting his people from terrorists.”
In truth, Mr Al Assad has never been able to see the error of his ways. His involvement in the assassination of Rafik Al Hariri, Lebanon’s former prime minister, and his mismanagement of Lebanese conflicts signalled the beginning of his isolation. The United Nations Security Council forced him to withdraw his forces from Lebanon and he lived the four years that followed fighting accusations and trying to overcome an international political siege.
“His disregard for human life and values, his indifference to regional and international powers led to his current situation: a hollow figure of a president, besieged in Damascus,” he concluded.
Translated by Racha Makarem
rmakarem@thenational.ae
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
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.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Blah
Started: 2018
Founder: Aliyah Al Abbar and Hend Al Marri
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and talent management
Initial investment: Dh20,000
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 40
The Transfiguration
Director: Michael O’Shea
Starring: Eric Ruffin, Chloe Levine
Three stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eco%20Way%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Kroshnyi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electric%20vehicles%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bootstrapped%20with%20undisclosed%20funding.%20Looking%20to%20raise%20funds%20from%20outside%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
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
The years Ramadan fell in May
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
T20 World Cup Qualifier fixtures
Tuesday, October 29
Qualifier one, 2.10pm – Netherlands v UAE
Qualifier two, 7.30pm – Namibia v Oman
Wednesday, October 30
Qualifier three, 2.10pm – Scotland v loser of qualifier one
Qualifier four, 7.30pm – Hong Kong v loser of qualifier two
Thursday, October 31
Fifth-place playoff, 2.10pm – winner of qualifier three v winner of qualifier four
Friday, November 1
Semi-final one, 2.10pm – Ireland v winner of qualifier one
Semi-final two, 7.30pm – PNG v winner of qualifier two
Saturday, November 2
Third-place playoff, 2.10pm
Final, 7.30pm
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
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
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
More on Quran memorisation:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
The five pillars of Islam
