New Year’s celebrations are a heady time – a powerful mix of collective hope and excitement at new beginnings. For the Syrians who packed the streets of Old Damascus and other cities as the clocks struck midnight yesterday, these new beginnings are not just about their own individual futures but those of the country as a whole.
This new national future is rapidly taking shape. This week, Mohammad Khaled, a political affairs representative of Syria’s interim government, told The National that a national dialogue conference will be held in Damascus this weekend. It will include “more than 1,000 people participating from every Syrian province” across “the spectrum of Syrian society and its sects”, he said.
Mr Khaled’s remarks chime with similar statements from the country’s interim leader, Ahmad Al Shara. Since the fall of the Bashar Al Assad government last month, Mr Al Shara has insisted that the new Syria will be just, pluralist and will not allow a return of the abuses of the past. These are important positions to take if the new authority is to retain the confidence of regional neighbours, the international community and – most importantly – the Syrian people.
But when it comes to the actions taken thus far by the Hayat Tahrir Al Sham-led authorities the picture is more mixed. On Tuesday, the interim government appointed Maysaa Sabrine as the first woman to lead the country's central bank. However, this historic decision was preceded by reports that Syria's newly appointed head of women's affairs told a Turkish broadcaster that women should "not to go beyond the priorities of their God-given nature".
Even more concerning is the appointment of Islamist militants to official security roles. The nearly 50 senior military appointments at the weekend included several foreign fighters, such as Abdulsalam Yasin Ahmad, deputy head of the Turkistan Islamic Party, a faction that called for global violence after the Assad government fell on December 8. Another appointment is that of Abdul Jashari, an Albanian who leads Xhemati Alban, a small group of militants from the Balkans.
The appointment of Islamist militants to official security roles is concerning
There may be sound, pragmatic reasons for integrating such figures and their militias into government structures. Law and order in Syria is precarious, and alienating armed rebel factions would create a serious security and political challenge for the new authority in Damascus. However, having militants in the ranks of the armed forces may do little to foster the kind of confidence Hayat Tahrir Al Sham requires if it is to meet the many challenges that lie ahead.
What everyone wants to see is a better Syria. To help this process, the interim government must do as much as it can to engender trust at home and abroad. So far, it has done a good job in committing itself to building a rights-based system and restoring the rule of law. It has also been careful to manage expectations and has avoided rash or unrealistic promises of sudden improvements. The coming national dialogue is a chance to build on the progress made so far, but this must not be undermined by decisions that could dash the hopes of the many excited Syrians who rang in the new year this week and seek new beginnings.
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Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
if you go
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Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
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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
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
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MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
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Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Adria Arjona, Dave Franco
2.5 / 5 stars
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West Indies v England ODI series:
West Indies squad: Jason Holder (c), Fabian Allen, Devendra Bishoo, Darren Bravo, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas.
Fixtures:
1st ODI - February 20, Bridgetown
2nd ODI - February 22, Bridgetown
3rd ODI - February 25, St George's
4th ODI - February 27, St George's
5th ODI - March 2, Gros Islet
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Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
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Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
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Stormy seas
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,100,000 (est)
Engine 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch
Power 630bhp @ 8,000rpm
Torque 600Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined 15.7L / 100km (est)
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
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Price: From Dh590,000
