As 2017 comes to a close, Syria remains traumatised by a seven-year war and a legacy of brutal political repression, terrorist violence and excruciating human misery. The loud claims by Bashar Al Assad's regime and its foreign backers that the country is back on the path to normality were again contradicted over the weekend when Iraq was compelled to scramble its Popular Mobilisation Forces after its army was repeatedly targeted by gunfire emanating from the Syrian side of the border. For all Mr Al Assad's boasts, large parts of his country are still overrun by militants, vulnerable to pockets of insurgency from within and the influence of imposters from without. The only victims in this battle for power are the long-suffering Syrian people, whose wounds run deep, whether they have lost loved ones, their homes, are living in abject misery or dislocated thousands of miles from their homeland. Those stranded in this never-ending crisis are facing yet another harsh winter without the promise of either peace or stability.
The human catastrophe created within Syria by Mr Al Assad and armed groups, far from abating, continues to intensify. Some 400,000 people, besieged by his regime, are starving in the Eastern Ghouta suburbs outside Damascus. There was some hope that the most recent UN-mediated peace talks this month might result in progress – but the regime did everything it could to sabotage them, resulting in spent efforts. Another round of talks is likely to take place in January, but no one should underestimate the regime's determination to undermine them, or make the mistake of treating Mr Al Assad as a good faith negotiator. His sole objective is to preserve his own hold on power; the welfare of Syrians is not a factor in his cold calculations.
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Read more:
US envoy lays ground for potentially long term US presence in Syria, hails progress between Saudi and Iraq
Syria war winds down but tangled map belies conflict ahead
In Syria, the hard part may be about to begin as Assad, Russia and Iran eye each other warily
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Syrians must, however, remain the chief priority for the rest of the world as an attempt is made to forge a post-war future for the country. Last week Brett McGurk, the US special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL, presented a potential roadmap for the future, which would either see the US maintain a long-term military presence or a political settlement agreed with Russia. While Moscow remains fixated on "terrorists", excluding armed groups fighting on behalf of the Syrian regime, Washington signals that extremists and Iranian-backed militias must be driven out and kept out for good, and the world's population of Syrians must be allowed to vote on their future in UN-monitored elections. "The only way to bring an end to this conflict is through Geneva," Mr McGurk said.
Putting any plan into action will take time – and time is something Mr Al Assad is adept at exploiting to his advantage. Syrians, meanwhile, are facing another miserable winter while world powers determine their fate. As millions of families around the world come together for the holiday season, let us spare a thought for those caught up in Mr Al Assad's nightmare.
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
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
SPECS
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
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.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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
THE%20SPECS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
