The United States said on Thursday that while there were no signs that the Syrian government was preparing to launch a chemical weapons attack, they could still launch limited assaults in the future.
“They do retain a residual capability. It is probably spread throughout the country at a variety of sites,” said Lt Gen Kenneth McKenzie, joint staff director at the Pentagon.
“I would not rule that out. However, as they contemplate the dynamics of conducting those attacks, they have got to look over their shoulder and be worried that we’re looking at them and we’ll have the ability to strike them again, should it be necessary.
The US, France and Britain launched strikes on Syrian chemical weapons plants on April 14 after a chemical weapons attack in the rebel-held town of Douma on April 7 that killed scores of civilians, according to rescuers and activists.
Inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons were still not able to reach the scene, 12 days after the suspected attack.
A UN spokesman said on Thursday that discussions were taking place in Syria’s capital with all key parties on security arrangements for inspectors from the UN chemical weapons watchdog to visit Douma.
Stephane Dujarric said at the UN headquarters that “due to the volatility” of the situation in Douma the UN did not want “to telegraph” when a security team would return to to see if conditions were safe for the inspectors to visit.
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Read more:
There's only one winner from missile strikes in Damascus
Syria’s chemical attacks: A timeline of the war's confirmed cases
US delays Russia sanctions and floats new UN draft resolution on Syria
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A UN team touring the sites of the attack on Tuesday was shot at and subjected to a blast, but returned safely to Damascus, Mr Dujarric said.
Amid heightened concerns about Syria’s chemical weapons, three Belgian companies are set to be prosecuted for exporting chemicals to Syria, including a common substance that can also be used in the production of sarin nerve gas.
The case is due to commence on May 15 and will focus on the export of chemical substances between 2014 and 2016 to Lebanon and Syria.
“The companies had no export licence for these products,” a spokesman for the court said, referring to chemical group AAE Chemie and two handling agents, Danmar Logistics and Anex Customs.
The companies said they were unaware of the licence requirements they were claimed to have lacked.
Widely used as an industrial solvent and also in some medical products, isopropanol, or rubbing alcohol, is one of two key ingredients for sarin. Since 2013, companies need a licence to export chemicals to Syria.
Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has been accused of using chemical weapons, including sarin, against his citizens.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Syrian rebels in a town north-east of Damascus handed in their weapons and boarded buses to leave under an evacuation deal, state media reported on Thursday.
Fighters were to relocate with their families to opposition-held areas in northern Syria, effectively surrendering their town of Dumayr to the Syrian government.
The departure was likely to involve 1,500 fighters from the Jaish Al Islam rebel faction with 3,500 of their family members, said the state-run Sana news agency.
Their destination was Jarablus, a town under shared Turkish and Syrian opposition control near the Syria-Turkey border.
Dumayr, in the Qalamoun mountains, is minutes away from the Eastern Ghouta region, a former rebel enclave that came under full government control last week after a driving offensive that culminated in the chemical weapons attack.
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Read more:
Life in the slow lane of isolated Aleppo
An eerie silence prevails in Assad's 'reconstructed' Homs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
THREE
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How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
The biog
Name: Ayisha Abdulrahman Gareb
Age: 57
From: Kalba
Occupation: Mukrema, though she washes bodies without charge
Favourite things to do: Visiting patients at the hospital and give them the support they need.
Role model: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
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 Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
