Before it was ravaged by war, Raqqa, the capital of the Syrian province bearing the same name, was a vibrant city of 400,000 people. It changed hands three times in the course of a war that has now claimed half a million lives and reduced 10 times as many Syrians to the status of refugees, driven out of their homeland. The site of one of the earliest rebel victories against Bashar Al Assad's regime, Raqqa rapidly yielded to the advancing troops of ISIS, who anointed the city the capital of its so-called caliphate, before a four-month long siege in October 2017 by US-backed Kurdish forces drove them out.
The last of these battles was apocalyptic: almost every building in the city was reduced to rubble. Today, as The National reports, Raqqa epitomises the extraordinary challenges of post-ISIS Syria, a fractured land that is still a warzone. ISIS has been defeated but the fear of its re-emergence continues to haunt the people who have trickled back into Raqqa. Even if ISIS were stamped out, the city's mostly Arab population has other existential threats to worry about: the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, their de facto rulers, are embroiled in conflict with Turkey on Syria's northern border while Mr Al Assad is coiled in the wings, waiting for an opportunity to reassert his regime's authority there. As the recent battle for Yarmouk – decimated by the regime's barrel bombs – demonstrated yet again, ordinary Syrians and their property are viewed as expendable by Mr Al Assad. His sole obsession is territory and in his push for absolute control, he is as unsparing as ISIS. Few will regard the flag planted by his government in Yarmouk as a symbol of their liberation. To most, it heralds the continuation in a different guise of the savagery which they endured over the past years under the rule of militants.
Given the absence of a global will to effect political change in Syria, it is hardly an exaggeration to say that the worst is far from over for the people of Raqqa. Currently, there is no effective administration to speak of. Its people live in isolation, constantly on alert for threats while the most rudimentary communication requires them to travel for hours through perilous territory to Ain Assa, the seat that passes for government. Raqqa been reduced to a primitive state where death lingers in the air and the only signs of modernity are the weapons wielded by the Kurdish fighters stationed there. Rebuilding it will take years and require a financial commitment that no party – especially in a time of war – is likely to make. Raqqa in its current state will be a shattered reliquary of the Syrian civil war for the foreseeable future. The tragedy is that even that might not remain by the time Mr Al Assad is done with it.
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Champions League Last 16
Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) v Bayern Munich (GER)
Sporting Lisbon (POR) v Manchester City (ENG)
Benfica (POR) v Ajax (NED)
Chelsea (ENG) v Lille (FRA)
Atletico Madrid (ESP) v Manchester United (ENG)
Villarreal (ESP) v Juventus (ITA)
Inter Milan (ITA) v Liverpool (ENG)
Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid (ESP)
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Cologne v Union Berlin (5.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Hertha Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Freiburg (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach (8.30pm)
Sunday
Mainz v Augsburg (5.30pm)
Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen (8pm)
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
More on animal trafficking
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
