High-level US officials made a rare visit to Syria in August for talks over the release of US citizens held prisoner there, it was revealed on Monday – a high priority for the Trump administration that has seen little apparent progress so far.
The secret mission focused on freelance journalist Austin Tice, now 39, who was taken into custody in 2012 while reporting and has remained in Syria since.
Who is detained journalist Austin Tice?
A Marine Corps veteran, Mr Tice is from Westbury, in southwest Houston, and was on deployment in Afghanistan – while also attending law school at Georgetown University – when he decided to become a photojournalist and cover the war in Syria.
When he first landed in Syria in 2012, one year into the revolt, the country was one of the most dangerous in the world but had not yet descended into the chaos that was seen later. It was generally assumed that President Bashar Al Assad's regime would fall, like the earlier Arab Uprisings in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. The opposition was yet to splinter, US involvement still appeared a possibility, and ISIS did not yet exist.
Beginning with photojournalism but soon moving on to reporting, his work included front page stories in revered US newspaper The Washington Post. Mostly embedded with the opposition Free Syrian Army, he reported on the violence, as well as moments of calm and UN mediation efforts.
Travelling from the north of Syria and down to central Damascus over several months, against the advice of other journalists, he snuck into the capital with the help of the FSA wearing an ill-fitting abaya and niqab. Other journalists at that time had kept visits to a few days and primarily stayed near the borders with Turkey and Lebanon.
When questioned on his willingness to take risks, he wrote a long Facebook post where he said that the US had "lost its pioneering spirit".
“People keep telling me to be safe (as if that’s an option), keep asking me why I’m doing this crazy thing, keep asking what’s wrong with me for coming here," he wrote.
"Our grandad's stormed Normandy and Iwo Jima and defeated global fascism. Neil Armstrong flew to the Moon in a glorified trash can, doing math on a clipboard as he went. Before there were roads, the pioneers put one foot in front of the other until they walked across the entire continent. America lost that pioneering spirit. We became a fat, weak, complacent, coddled, unambitious and cowardly nation. So that’s why I came here to Syria."
In August 2012, after almost three months in Syria, his stream of tweets, Facebook posts and other communication with the outside world stopped as he was heading towards Lebanon to take a break from the civil war, which had begun to get under his skin.
He has been missing since, with little known of his whereabouts. He is not thought to be with ISIS or the rebels, but the Assad regime has never admitted involvement in Mr Tice’s disappearance.
Mr Tice's parents, who believe according to information they have received over the years that Austin is still alive, have dedicated themselves to campaigning for his release, remaining outspoken about maintaining interest in his case.
Senior officials involved in the current negotiations have cautioned, according the The New York Times, that the attempt is still in the early stages and that they do not have any recent proof that Mr Tice is still alive.
While previous attempts to free prisoners held by the Assad regime have fizzled out, US-imposed economic sanctions are making life hard for them, and they seek the withdrawal of US troops.
US President Donald Trump has made it his goal to secure the release of people held in several other countries in the Middle East.
The Laughing Apple
Yusuf/Cat Stevens
(Verve Decca Crossover)
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Mountain%20Boy
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How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
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Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
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Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
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iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
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iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
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Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
MATCH INFO
Everton v Tottenham, Sunday, 8.30pm (UAE)
Match is live on BeIN Sports
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
A German university was a good fit for the family budget
Annual fees for the Technical University of Munich - £600
Shared rental accommodation per month depending on the location ranges between £200-600
The family had budgeted for food, books, travel, living expenses - £20,000 annually
Overall costs in Germany are lower than the family estimated
As proof that the student has the ability to take care of expenses, international students must open a blocked account with about £8,640
Students are permitted to withdraw £720 per month
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
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.
