If Plan A fails in Syria, what is Plan B? The question was raised last week by Kofi Annan, the sponsor of the UN and Arab League "ceasefire" plan, when he asked the General Assembly: "What other options exist to address the crisis?" The question must be answered. With another UN official declaring this week that Syria is already in a state of civil war, attention must turn to possible alternatives to the Annan plan.
This does not mean the time for talking is over. Diplomatic and economic pressure can still bite; Russia might yet be persuaded, by appealing to its interests, to pressure President Bashar Al Assad to step down - while he still can. Elements within the regime might do the same.
But the window for a negotiated solution is closing; reports that Russia is supplying the regime with attack helicopters is a grim portent for the violence ahead.
The best chance for an end to the bloodshed remains defections from Mr Al Assad's inner circle or from the armed forces. If the merchant class in Aleppo and Damascus can be persuaded to come out openly against Mr Al Assad, as some are increasingly doing, that could swiftly end his regime.
Continued pressure on the economy could prove decisive. Syria released new banknotes into circulation yesterday, potentially increasing inflation rates already running at 30 per cent. And yet the massacres - in Houla, in Al Qubair, in Al Haffeh and elsewhere - mean that simply biding time will soon cease to be an option. The international community must begin to prepare for that eventuality.
Military escalation is fraught with dangers. The rebels lack the training and weaponry to fight the regime's planes and tanks. But arming them could set up an insurgency that could last years, with no definitive result. Moreover, intervention, such as in Libya, could provoke a regional conflict. Groups in Syria would likely splinter and Lebanon might be drawn in; the Assads are well known for stoking regional tensions for domestic gain.
Another solution might be humanitarian buffer zones on the border with Turkey, as advocated by France and others. But this option would require an international commitment - and a military component - that entails many of the same risks.
Every military solution is bad. A civil war under the current circumstances would be long, bloody and regionally destructive. The best hope is that Syrians will force a solution - the decision is in the hands of the opposition and, unfortunately, the remaining regime loyalists. The Assad regime will fall. When and how remain open questions.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
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Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Company%20Profile
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THE SPECS
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: Automatic
Power: 530bhp
Torque: 750Nm
Price: Dh535,000
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
The specs: 2018 Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic HSE
Price, base / as tested: Dh263,235 / Dh420,000
Engine: 3.0-litre supercharged V6
Power 375hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque: 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.4L / 100kms
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
SHAITTAN
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KINGDOM%20OF%20THE%20PLANET%20OF%20THE%20APES
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
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