No one can begrudge Syrians their moments of joy. And Tuesday was a joyous day for the country. Sports fans across the country assembled before televisions to watch their national football team take on Iran in a world cup qualifying match at Tehran's Azadi stadium. The match ended with Omar Al Somah scoring a dramatic goal to equalise, keeping alive Syria's hope of entering the Fifa World Cup for the first time. Hours after the match ended, Syria's armed forces, aided by Hizbollah fighters, broke ISIL's siege of Deir Azzor, Mr Al Somah's home city.
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Read more
Syria's improbable World Cup dream amid ongoing political turmoil
Divisions run deep among Syria football fans despite World Cup success
UN investigators say Assad carried out sarin gas attack on Khan Sheikhoun
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Some interpreted the jubilant celebrations brought on by these dual achievements as an outbreak of "unity" in a country riven by conflict. This proved to be a misreading. The following day, United Nations investigators revealed that Bashar Al Assad, Syria's president, had used a Russian-built plane to carry out a sarin gas attack in April on the town of Khan Sheikhoun that killed 83 Syrians, including 23 women and 28 children, and left thousands more traumatised.
The Syrian government had argued after the attack that it was targeting a chemical weapons facility, and not deliberately gassing its people. The United Nations categorically rejected this claim on Wednesday, saying that it was “extremely unlikely that an air strike would release sarin potentially stored inside such a structure in amounts sufficient to explain the number of casualties recorded”.This is the first time that the UN has directly condemned the Al Assad government. The United States retaliated to the killings in Khan Sheikhoun by bombing the Syrian government’s military assets. But it was at best a superficial punishment, causing more harm to civilians than to the government. In the months that followed, Mr Al Assad has been able to consolidate his authority and solidify his grip over the country.
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More from Opinion on Syria
Shadi Ghanim's cartoon about United Nations investigators confirming sarin gas attacks in Syria
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The world should not make the mistake of equating Mr Al Assad's suffocating control over the Syrian people with national unity. State control is imposed from above and demands conformity; national unity spreads from below and produces organic cohesion. As Stefan de Mistura, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, said in Geneva on Wednesday, Mr Al Assad's military triumphs do not mean that Syria now has alighted on a "sustainable political long-term solution". In other words, Mr Al Assad's power to coerce his people does not confer legitimacy on his rule. All it does is paper over the fissures that, if not addressed, will only prolong and even worsen the suffering of the Syrian people. Those fractures will not heal as long as Mr Al Assad, who caused them, presides over Syria. The fate of the Syrian people cannot be left in the hands of a man who gasses them to death. What the world witnessed on Tuesday was not an onset of "unity" in Syria. It was a momentary escape from terror.
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
RESULTS
2.15pm: Al Marwan Group Holding – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: SS Jalmod, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
2.45pm: Sharjah Equine Hospital – Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Ghallieah, Sebastien Martino, Jean-Claude Pecout
3.15pm: Al Marwan Group Holding – Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Inthar, Saif Al Balushi, Khalifa Al Neyadi
3.45pm: Al Ain Stud Emirates Breeders Trophy – Conditions (PA) Dh50,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: MH Rahal, Richard Mullen, Elise Jeanne
4.25pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Cup – Prestige Handicap (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: JAP Aneed, Ray Dawson, Irfan Ellahi
4.45pm: Sharjah Equine Hospital – Handicap (TB) Dh40,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Edaraat, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
TV:
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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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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Results
1. Mathieu van der Poel (NED) Alpecin-Fenix - 3:45:47
2. David Dekker (NED) Jumbo-Visma - same time
3. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
4. Emils Liepins (LAT) Trek-Segafredo
5. Elia Viviani (ITA) Cofidis
6. Tadej Pogacar (SLO UAE Team Emirates
7. Anthony Roux (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
8. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:00:03
9. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep
10. Fausto Masnada (ITA) Deceuninck-QuickStep
