Turkey is stepping up a pressure campaign and military activities in northern Syria ahead of plans to launch a fourth incursion into the region, an alliance of Kurdish-led forces said.
On Thursday, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) showed footage of what it said were Turkish drone and artillery strikes that targeted the strategic cities of Qamishli and Manbij.
Turkey has not officially commented on the latest SDF claims, but its drones and artillery have frequently struck areas close to its borders and controlled by Syrian Kurdish fighters, according to reports by Turkish media.
Turkish official media outlets said on Thursday that a military incursion into northern Syria was “imminent” and showed a photo of a military parade by its chief Syrian allies, the self-declared Syrian National Army (SNA) , a coalition of factions opposing the regime of Bashar Al Assad.
The military parade is part of the SNA preparations to support the Turkish army in the anticipated incursion, the Arabic service of the official news agency Anadolu said.
The SDF military council and its allies in Manbij vowed to battle Turkey along the entire border and thwart a potential invasion.
For years, the SDF forces have worked with US troops on the ground and a US-led coalition until in 2019 they announced the end to the control exercised by ISIS militants in Syria on the borders with Iraq.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in recent speeches that his government is determined to push back Kurdish fighters who it sees as affiliates to the Kurdistan Workers Party, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the EU.
He also announced a plan to relocate about a million Syrian refugees of the more than four million hosted by Turkey, who have fled the civil war since 2011, to what he described as a safe zone in Syria near the Turkish border.
Turkey and its allies among Syrian forces in the targeted region have launched at least three incursions against Kurdish fighters in Syria since 2016.
‘Popular resistance first’
The Syrian president said on Thursday that Syria would resist any Turkish invasion of its land, saying if there is an invasion, there will be “popular resistance” in the first stage.
“When military conditions allow for direct confrontation, we will do this thing,” Mr Assad told Russia Today Arabic in an interview.
“Two and a half years ago, a confrontation occurred between the Syrian and Turkish [armies], and the Syrian army was able to destroy some Turkish targets that entered Syrian territory. The situation will be the same according to what the military capabilities allow. In addition, there will be popular resistance,” Mr Al Assad said.
There have been deadly encounters in recent years, including a series of clashes between Syrian government forces and Turkish troops in northern Syria.
Ankara blamed the Syrian regime for a deadly shelling in March 2020, which killed 34 Turkish troops, and responded with heavy air attacks against Syrian forces using drones.
On Tuesday, Syria’s defence ministry released footage of its airforce conducting a joint drill with Russia, the first since that country’s invasion of Ukraine began more than three months ago.
The ministry said two Russian SU-35 fighter jets and six Syrian MiG-23 and MiG-29 aircraft simulated facing “hostile” warplanes and drones.
It is a common practice that the foreign countries involved in Syria’s multisided conflict ― chiefly Russia, Turkey and the US ― notify one another beforehand through hotlines to avoid accidents in the country’s crowded airspace.
‘Respecting our legitimate concerns’
Meanwhile, Mr Erdogan said on Thursday that he hoped Ankara's allies would "understand and respect" the new military operation.
“We hope that none of our real allies will object to our legitimate concerns," he said in a televised address.
"We expect our allies and friends to understand and respect our legitimate concerns."
The comments come a day after Turkey's Nato ally the United States renewed warnings against the operation, which it believes risks destabilising the region.
Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf said Washington was "deeply concerned by recent increased rhetoric", and that diplomatic engagement was under way to stop a possible offensive.
“We are completely unstinting in our efforts with the Turkish government to back them off on this ill-considered venture,” Ms Leaf told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during a hearing on US policy on Syria.
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Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
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The five pillars of Islam
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
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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
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
MATCH INFO
Qalandars 109-3 (10ovs)
Salt 30, Malan 24, Trego 23, Jayasuriya 2-14
Bangla Tigers (9.4ovs)
Fletcher 52, Rossouw 31
Bangla Tigers win by six wickets
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Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
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Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
The years Ramadan fell in May
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.
MATCH INFO
Everton 2 Southampton 1
Everton: Walcott (15'), Richarlison (31' )
Southampton: Ings (54')
Man of the match: Theo Walcott (Everton)
Nick's journey in numbers
Countries so far: 85
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Donations: GPB37,300
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
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What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
GAC GS8 Specs
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
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SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
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Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics