Humam Husari reported from Ghouta, the site of chemical weapons attacks. AP
Humam Husari reported from Ghouta, the site of chemical weapons attacks. AP

Assad is emboldened to kill by his backers



Exactly a year ago, the Syrian government dropped missiles loaded with sarin gas on Khan Sheikhoun, a town just south of the rebel-run Idlib province. A total of 80 people were killed. Among the dead were those who had come out of their shelters to aid the wounded. The poison gas killed them instantly. There was, at the time, global outrage. The United States responded to that atrocity by launching airstrikes against a Syrian base. The missile attack was meant to send a message: the use of chemical weapons would not be tolerated.

A year on, however, Bashar Al Assad has once again made a mockery of Washington’s “red line” by launching yet another chemical weapons attack on Eastern Ghouta, already decimated by the regime's relentless bombardment and siege. On Saturday at least 49 people in Douma were killed as their town was bombarded with bombs loaded with chlorine gas. Rebels leading the insurgency had already left Eastern Ghouta. So what was the aim of the chemical weapons? The answer is clear: for Mr Al Assad to strike terror into the hearts of the civilians and to crush any hopes they might nurture of political reform. Chemical warfare is the weapon of choice for Mr Al Assad. As horrifying details and images emerge of men, women and children choking and foaming at the mouths as they die in the most excruciating of circumstances, Mr Al Assad's barbarism cannot be allowed to carry on unchecked.

It cannot be coincidence that the attack comes just days after the triumvirate of his backers – Iran, Turkey and Russia – met in Ankara, giving him the authority to stamp his brutality on what is left of his opposition. As US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauret said, the regime and its backers must be held accountable and any further attacks prevented immediately.

Mr Al Assad has been emboldened by the world's apathy to expand his killing spree. The first chemical attack took place in 2012 in Idlib; in the years since, multiple provinces of Syria have been attacked with chemicals. French President Emmanuel Macron threatened to strike Syria if evidence of the use of chemical weapons was proven. But as Syrians bury the men, women and children killed in yet another chemical weapons attack, his promise seems hollow. The funerals of the victims of Mr Al Assad's latest chemical weapons attack coincide with recent statements by US president Donald Trump that he is considering withdrawing troops from Syria. There could not be a clearer signal to Mr Al Assad to continue the carnage. He has driven his opponents to Idlib and will no doubt turn his attention there once he has obliterated Eastern Ghouta. The rebels there are strongly armed, but they stand no chance against chemical attacks. And it is chemical weapons Mr Al Assad will deploy as he destroys every last remnant of opposition to him. The world, he knows, will look the other way.

Series info

Test series schedule 1st Test, Abu Dhabi: Sri Lanka won by 21 runs; 2nd Test, Dubai: Play starts at 2pm, Friday-Tuesday

ODI series schedule 1st ODI, Dubai: October 13; 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 16; 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi: October 18; 4th ODI, Sharjah: October 20; 5th ODI, Sharjah: October 23

T20 series schedule 1st T20, Abu Dhabi: October 26; 2nd T20, Abu Dhabi: October 27; 3rd T20, Lahore: October 29

Tickets Available at www.q-tickets.com

Stat Fourteen Fourteen of the past 15 Test matches in the UAE have been decided on the final day. Both of the previous two Tests at Dubai International Stadium have been settled in the last session. Pakistan won with less than an hour to go against West Indies last year. Against England in 2015, there were just three balls left.

Key battle - Azhar Ali v Rangana Herath Herath may not quite be as flash as Muttiah Muralitharan, his former spin-twin who ended his career by taking his 800th wicket with his final delivery in Tests. He still has a decent sense of an ending, though. He won the Abu Dhabi match for his side with 11 wickets, the last of which was his 400th in Tests. It was not the first time he has owned Pakistan, either. A quarter of all his Test victims have been Pakistani. If Pakistan are going to avoid a first ever series defeat in the UAE, Azhar, their senior batsman, needs to stand up and show the way to blunt Herath.

EMIRATES'S REVISED A350 DEPLOYMENT SCHEDULE

Edinburgh: November 4 (unchanged)

Bahrain: November 15 (from September 15); second daily service from January 1

Kuwait: November 15 (from September 16)

Mumbai: January 1 (from October 27)

Ahmedabad: January 1 (from October 27)

Colombo: January 2 (from January 1)

Muscat: March 1 (from December 1)

Lyon: March 1 (from December 1)

Bologna: March 1 (from December 1)

Source: Emirates

The Case For Trump

By Victor Davis Hanson
 

Du Football Champions

The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.

Company Profile

Name: Direct Debit System
Started: Sept 2017
Based: UAE with a subsidiary in the UK
Industry: FinTech
Funding: Undisclosed
Investors: Elaine Jones
Number of employees: 8

The Facility’s Versatility

Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
 
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
 
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
 
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
 
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
 
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya

Directors: Amit Joshi and Aradhana Sah

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Dharmendra, Dimple Kapadia, Rakesh Bedi

Rating: 4/5

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Haltia.ai
Started: 2023
Co-founders: Arto Bendiken and Talal Thabet
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: AI
Number of employees: 41
Funding: About $1.7 million
Investors: Self, family and friends

Gulf rugby

Who’s won what so far in 2018/19

Western Clubs Champions League: Bahrain
Dubai Rugby Sevens: Dubai Hurricanes
West Asia Premiership: Bahrain

What’s left

UAE Conference

March 22, play-offs:
Dubai Hurricanes II v Al Ain Amblers, Jebel Ali Dragons II v Dubai Tigers

March 29, final

UAE Premiership

March 22, play-offs: 
Dubai Exiles v Jebel Ali Dragons, Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Dubai Hurricanes

March 29, final

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat

ROUTE TO TITLE

Round 1: Beat Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2
Round 2: Beat Naomi Osaka 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Round 3: Beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2
Round 4: Beat Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0
Quarter-final: Beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4
Final: Beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2

SPECS

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now