Five civilians died on Monday in Idlib as Syrian regime forces chip away at the country's last major rebel bastion, a war monitor said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the deaths occurred in Jabal Al Zawiya, in the south of the rebel-dominated north-western stronghold of Idlib.
The monitor said from Britain that regime forces had rapidly gained ground in the southern part of Idlib in the past 24 hours.
They seized "several towns and villages" south of the M4 motorway linking the coastal regime stronghold of Latakia to government-held second city Aleppo, it said.
The fighting is coming "dangerously close" to encampments with about a million displaced people, risking an imminent "bloodbath", the UN said on Monday.
Mark Cutts, the UN's deputy humanitarian co-ordinator for the Syria crisis, said the UN was trying to double aid deliveries through a border crossing from Turkey to 100 lorries a day.
A months-long offensive by Syrian troops and their allies against rebels backed by Turkey in north-west Idlib has led hundreds of thousands of people to flee the violence.
As a result of the escalation, Mr Cutts said the UN was revising up its funding appeal for the crisis from $330 million (Dh1.21 billion) to $500m, and there was a shortfall of about $370m.
The UN sent 1,200 aid lorries into the area in January and 700 more so far in February, Mr Cutts said.
"The reality is, it is simply not enough," he said. "We're barely able to meet the needs of the people for the most urgent food rations and tents and blankets and winter items."
Mr Cutts said aid workers were "overwhelmed", some warehouses had been looted and fighting had damaged 77 hospitals and other medical centres.
State news agency Sana said "units of the Syrian army continued to progress in the south of Idlib" province.
Observatory chief Rami Abdulrahman said the regime's ultimate aim was to wrest back parts of the M4 still under control of the rebels.
That would require operations against the towns of Ariha and Jisr Al Shughour, which are both along the M4.
Analysts expect a tough battle for Jisr Al Shughour, held by the Turkestan Islamic Party whose fighters mainly hail from China's Uighur minority.
They are allied to Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a group led by Syria's former Al Qaeda affiliate, which dominates the Idlib region.
In recent weeks, pro-Damascus forces have taken back control of another key commercial artery running through north-western Syria – the M5, which connects the capital with Aleppo.
They have also secured the region around the northern city, a major pre-war industrial centre.
Regime forces have since December clawed back large parts of the Idlib region, forcing close to a million people to flee their homes and shelters amid bitter cold.
Syria's war has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced millions since starting in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The%20specs
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Results
4pm: Maiden; Dh165,000 (Dirt); 1,400m
Winner: Solar Shower; William Lee (jockey); Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
4.35pm: Handicap; Dh165,000 (D); 2,000m
Winner: Thaaqib; Antonio Fresu; Erwan Charpy.
5.10pm: Maiden; Dh165,000 (Turf); 1,800m
Winner: Bila Shak; Adrie de Vries; Fawzi Nass
5.45pm: Handicap; Dh175,000 (D); 1,200m
Winner: Beachcomber Bay; Richard Mullen; Satish Seemar
6.20pm: Handicap; Dh205,000 (T); 1,800m
Winner: Muzdawaj; Jim Crowley; Musabah Al Muhairi
6.55pm: Handicap; Dh185,000 (D); 1,600m
Winner: Mazeed; Tadhg O’Shea; Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Handicap; Dh205,000 (T); 1,200m
Winner: Riflescope; Tadhg O’Shea; Satish Seemar.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
Liverpool’s fixtures until end of 2019
Saturday, November 30, Brighton (h)
Wednesday, December 4, Everton (h)
Saturday, December 7, Bournemouth (a)
Tuesday, December 10, Salzburg (a) CL
Saturday, December 14, Watford (h)
Tuesday, December 17, Aston Villa (a) League Cup
Wednesday, December 18, Club World Cup in Qatar
Saturday, December 21, Club World Cup in Qatar
Thursday, December 26, Leicester (a)
Sunday, December 29, Wolves (h)
