Those subjected to napalm attacks liken the ordeal to being suspended in hell.
Napalm, which consumes oxygen in the air and converts carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide, can generate such intense heat that people have been known to be boiled to death when entering rivers into which it was dropped.
White phosphorous is another incendiary material that can torch people and has been described as the "new napalm".
Both substances, used to devastating effect during the Second World War, are banned by the UN from being used against civilians – yet they are being used with impunity by Bashar Al Assad in southern Syria, as he and his allies seek to wrest control of Deraa from opposition forces.
At least a dozen barrel bombs were dropped on the city over the weekend while napalm and phosphorous were used against civilians in the towns of Busr Al Harir and Musaifra.
The surrounding province is home to an estimated 750,000 people; more than 20,000 have already fled the offensive against Deraa, which sits a short distance from the border with Jordan and sections of which are part of the de-confliction agreement between the US and Russia.
The regime has sent reinforcements to Sweida, where rebel shells landed for the first time in three years; its sizeable Druze community, which has so far remained largely untouched, is suddenly exposed to war, caught up between rebels and Mr Al Assad.
Washington, which in the past reacted with limited airstrikes in retaliation for the regime's use of chemical weapons, has chosen this time to look the other way.
It has informed rebels corralled in Deraa not to “base your decisions on the assumption or expectation of a military intervention” by the US.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who emphatically stated that chemical weapons constituted a "red line" did not follow up his warning with meaningful action. Is it any surprise that Mr Al Assad last week dismissed the idea of talks as an "empty waste of time"?
The draft report of a United Nations commission investigating war crimes in Syria, leaked earlier this month, details the staggering scale of chemical weapons use by the regime. “Government forces”, it says, “continued to use chemical weapons in eastern Ghouta”, a suburb of Damascus, despite denials from Damascus and Moscow and repeated warnings from the international community. The rockets used to deliver fatal nerve agents originated, according to the report, in Iran.
Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary general, has called for an end to military escalation in southern Syria.
And the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, described the operations as an unambiguous violation of the de-escalation agreement.
Yet these words can scarcely make a difference if they are not backed by action to uphold the agreement. No amount of verbal condemnation can make up for what is effectively an wholesale abandonment of Syria’s civilian population and opposition forces by the world.
The failure of the international community to mobilise against the regime has been interpreted by Mr Al Assad as a licence to repeat the savagery that has served him so well. And he is doing just that, unhindered, in Deraa.
The%20specs
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh359,000
On sale: now
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Tickets
Tickets for the 2019 Asian Cup are available online, via www.asiancup2019.com
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1. |
United States |
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2. |
China |
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3. |
UAE |
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4. |
Japan |
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5 |
Norway |
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Canada |
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Singapore |
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Australia |
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Saudi Arabia |
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South Korea |
Crazy Rich Asians
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeon, Gemma Chan
Four stars
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Tomorrow 2021
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NYBL PROFILE
Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.4-inch IPS LCD, 400 nits, toughened glass
CPU: Unisoc T610; Mali G52 GPU
Memory: 4GB
Storage: 64GB, up to 512GB microSD
Camera: 8MP rear, 5MP front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5mm audio
Battery: 8200mAh, up to 10 hours video
Platform: Android 11
Audio: Stereo speakers, 2 mics
Durability: IP52
Biometrics: Face unlock
Price: Dh849
Read
Transgender report
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
MEFCC information
Tickets range from Dh110 for an advance single-day pass to Dh300 for a weekend pass at the door. VIP tickets have sold out. Visit www.mefcc.com to purchase tickets in advance.
MATCH INFO
Southampton 0
Manchester City 1 (Sterling 16')
Man of the match: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
Stamp%20duty%20timeline
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FLIP%204
On Women's Day
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
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
The biog
Born November 11, 1948
Education: BA, English Language and Literature, Cairo University
Family: Four brothers, seven sisters, two daughters, 42 and 39, two sons, 43 and 35, and 15 grandchildren
Hobbies: Reading and traveling
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Kareem Shaheen on Canada
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
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EMIRATES'S%20REVISED%20A350%20DEPLOYMENT%20SCHEDULE
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: 3.0L twin-turbo V6
Gearbox: 10-speed automatic
Power: 405hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 562Nm at 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 11.2L/100km
Price: From Dh292,845 (Reserve); from Dh320,145 (Presidential)
On sale: Now
