How does Hizbollah imagine its Syrian adventure will end? By so explicitly coming out in favour of the Syrian regime, Hizbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah has tied the fate of his group to that of Bashar Al Assad. Moreover, he has tied his credibility to that of a man, and a regime, with none. Every time a new atrocity is committed, whether it is the horrifying deployment of chemical weapons- as alleged yesterday - or the daily grind of murder, rape and displacement that still continues, Mr Nasrallah's group shares some of the blame, and has some of the blood on its hands.
Regional powers have made clear that Hizbollah must step out of the Syrian conflict. Hizbollah's weapons have been used, in the past, to safeguard Lebanese territory from Israel's relentless incursions. Indeed, many in the Arab world who were not pleased with Hizbollah's creation of a state-within-a-state in Lebanon were still buoyed by its "divine victory" against Israel in 2006, when the militia group fought Israel's army to a standstill. Yet the entrance of the Shia militia into Syria on the side of the Assad regime, and its use of its weapons against the mainly Sunni rebels and population, has drained Hizbollah of all that support.
Abdullatif Al Zayani, the secretary-general of the GCC, was explicit on Tuesday when he called Hizbollah's fighting in Syria "flagrant meddling in [Syria's] internal affairs". The GCC have taken action in the past, agreeing to sanction the group's interests in the Gulf, but the statement was the most explicit against Mr Nasrallah by the regional body.
Some might ask why Hizbollah have been targeted thus. They are not, after all, the only outsiders meddling in Syria's civil war. Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United States and others have all been involved in various ways. Yet there is a crucial difference, which bears explaining.
The Syrian conflict, even if it is now a civil war, did not begin that way: it began as a peaceful uprising. Only after repeated and brutal retaliation by the regime were civilians forced to pick up guns and seek the assistance of anyone who might offer protection against Mr Assad's brutality. Their involvement has only been in service of the end of the conflict.
Hizbollah, by contrast, and Iran as well, have an interest in widening the conflict. As with Iran's involvement in Iraq, they intend to stay beyond the end of the conflict. The GCC would like to see all foreign groups leave Syria, so that Syrians can build a peaceful society. Hizbollah has no intention of leaving, which means that they, and the Iranians, will have to be forced out.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
PRISCILLA
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Hidden killer
Sepsis arises when the body tries to fight an infection but damages its own tissue and organs in the process.
The World Health Organisation estimates it affects about 30 million people each year and that about six million die.
Of those about three million are newborns and 1.2 are young children.
Patients with septic shock must often have limbs amputated if clots in their limbs prevent blood flow, causing the limbs to die.
Campaigners say the condition is often diagnosed far too late by medical professionals and that many patients wait too long to seek treatment, confusing the symptoms with flu.
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Sukuk explained
Sukuk are Sharia-compliant financial certificates issued by governments, corporates and other entities. While as an asset class they resemble conventional bonds, there are some significant differences. As interest is prohibited under Sharia, sukuk must contain an underlying transaction, for example a leaseback agreement, and the income that is paid to investors is generated by the underlying asset. Investors must also be prepared to share in both the profits and losses of an enterprise. Nevertheless, sukuk are similar to conventional bonds in that they provide regular payments, and are considered less risky than equities. Most investors would not buy sukuk directly due to high minimum subscriptions, but invest via funds.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded