US conducts 'self-defence' strike on Iran-backed base in Syria

A pair of US F-15 fighter jets struck an Iran-supported weapons storage facility in north-eastern Syria, the Pentagon said late on Wednesday, in what it described as a “self-defence” action that follows near-daily attacks on US and coalition personnel stationed in the Middle East.

The Pentagon said the facility destroyed in the strike in Maysulun in Deir Ezzor province was being used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The strike resulted in secondary explosions from whatever was being stored inside, a senior military official said.

This is the second such strike carried out by the US since the Israel-Gaza war began.

Iranian proxies have conducted several attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria since shortly after Hamas launched attacks on Israel on October 7.

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The US, which is trying to contain the Israel-Gaza war, has been reluctant to draw a connection between Israel's military assault on the Gaza Strip and the increased hostilities from Iran-backed groups.

But since mid-October, there have been more than 40 attacks in Iraq and Syria on American and coalition forces.

“There has been an increase in Iran and Iran-backed attacks against US forces since October 17, which is why you've seen us use precise, deliberate and targeted self-defence force to make it clear that we will not tolerate it, we will respond and we want Iran's leaders to stop,” a senior defence official told reporters.

Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin confirmed in a statement that the strike was ordered by President Joe Biden.

The Pentagon said Russia, which has operated in Syria since 2015, was notified of the strike through a deconfliction channel.

On October 27, US fighter jets conducted precision strikes on two Syria munitions sites also used by the IRGC and other groups it supports.

Separately on Wednesday, a US drone was shot down over the Red Sea by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, the Pentagon confirmed, further complicating the American presence in the Middle East.

Two US officials earlier confirmed to AP that a drone had been brought down but agencies were analysing whether it was shot down over Yemeni airspace or international waters.

The Houthis in Yemen have carried out a number of attacks against Israel after its bombardment of Gaza began, but Wednesday's drone strike was the Houthis' first against a US asset since October 7.

Mr Biden in October warned Iran against widening the conflict in the region, advising Iranians to “be careful”.

Mr Austin said the US would take other measures if needed in the future.

“The United States is fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and our facilities,” he said.

“We urge against any escalation.”

CHINESE GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID

1st row
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

2nd row
Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)

3rd row
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing)

4th row
Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
Sergio Perez (Force India)

5th row
Carlos Sainz Jr (Renault)
Romain Grosjean (Haas)

6th row
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Esteban Ocon (Force India)

7th row
Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren)

8th row
Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)

9th row
Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
Lance Stroll (Williams)

10th row
Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
arcus Ericsson (Sauber)

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.

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Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.

Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.

Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

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

Temple numbers

Expected completion: 2022

Height: 24 meters

Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people

Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people

First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time

First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres

Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres

Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor

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
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Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani

Director: Rajkumar Hirani

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani

Rating: 3.5 stars

RESULT

Leeds United 1 Manchester City 1
Leeds: Rodrigo (59')
Man City: Sterling (17')

Man of the Match: Rodrigo Moreno (Leeds)

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How the bonus system works

The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.

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There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).

All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.

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Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.

It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.

Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.

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