A picture of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad decorates the al-Buzuriya market in the Old City of the Syrian capital Damascus AFP
A picture of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad decorates the al-Buzuriya market in the Old City of the Syrian capital Damascus AFP
A picture of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad decorates the al-Buzuriya market in the Old City of the Syrian capital Damascus AFP
A picture of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad decorates the al-Buzuriya market in the Old City of the Syrian capital Damascus AFP

Syrian businessmen with links to Assad regime hit by European sanctions


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The EU and Britain have imposed sanctions on eight Syrian businessmen and two companies linked to the regime of President Bashar Al Assad.

On Monday the EU announced it would apply the sanctions on people who directly profited from Syria’s civil war.

Those sanctions brings the total list of people and companies hit with travel bans and assets freezes to 277 and 71.

The EU has also imposed an oil embargo, restrictions on certain investments, a freeze on assets of the Syrian central bank in the EU, and export restrictions on equipment and technology that might be used for repression.

The EU’s official journal says those hit include Yasser Abbas, a leading businessman who has benefited from fuel and weapons smuggling in Syria, Saqr Rustom, head of a pro-government militia in Homs, and Mahir Al Imam, general manager of the regime-backed Tesla Communication Group.

The two companies hit with the new sanctions are Al Qatarji and Damascus Cham Holding.

The EU said Al Qatarji enabled fuel, arms and ammunition trade between the regime and organisations including ISIS under the pretext of importing and exporting food.

It has supported militias fighting alongside the regime and taken advantage of the ties to expand its commercial activity.

Damascus Cham Holding was established by the regime as the investment arm of the Governorate of Damascus.

It has managed the properties of the governorate and implemented the Marota City project, a luxurious real estate scheme on expropriated land.

Under the terms its transition out of the EU, Britain has also adopted the sanctions.

“Syria’s appalling regime has unleashed unimaginable suffering upon its own people,” UK Middle East Minister James Cleverly said.

“The UK continues to work closely with European partners to sanction those profiting from the devastating Syrian war.

"We will also continue to champion the international rules that keep us safe, and which the Assad regime seeks to undermine."

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Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Key facilities
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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

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What can you do?

Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses

Seek professional advice from a legal expert

You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor

You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline

In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support

SQUADS

South Africa:
JP Duminy (capt), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wkt), AB de Villiers, Robbie Frylinck, Beuran Hendricks, David Miller, Mangaliso Mosehle (wkt), Dane Paterson, Aaron Phangiso, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi

Bangladesh
Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Imrul Kayes, Liton Das (wkt), Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (wkt), Nasir Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Shafiul Islam, Soumya Sarkar, Taskin Ahmed

Fixtures
Oct 26: Bloemfontein
Oct 29: Potchefstroom

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Wednesday and the pair embraced but he failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

 

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

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

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Company Fact Box

Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019

Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO

Based: Amman, Jordan

Sector: Education Technology

Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed

Stage: early-stage startup 

Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.

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F1 The Movie

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Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

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  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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THE SPECS

Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder

Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)

Power: 141bhp 

Torque: 250Nm 

Price: Dh64,500

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets