The Syrian president has skilfully exploited the rifts among the opposition while ruthlessly bombing his people into submission. EPA / Sana
The Syrian president has skilfully exploited the rifts among the opposition while ruthlessly bombing his people into submission. EPA / Sana
The Syrian president has skilfully exploited the rifts among the opposition while ruthlessly bombing his people into submission. EPA / Sana
The Syrian president has skilfully exploited the rifts among the opposition while ruthlessly bombing his people into submission. EPA / Sana

Astana can bring temporary relief for Syria


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On Sunday, Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, held talks in Jeddah with his Saudi counterpart Adel Al Jubeir. The focus of the meeting was the conflict in Syria, specifically the sixth round of talks in Astana that will begin this week and the Geneva talks that will follow them. The last round of talks in Kazakhstan drew representatives from Iran and Russia, which both back the government of Bashar Al Assad, and Turkey, which supports the rebel groups opposing it.

Despite the progress made there, peace has continued to elude Syria. The principal reason for this, as The National has repeatedly pointed out, is Mr Al Assad. He has skilfully exploited the rifts among the opposition groupings while ruthlessly bombing his people into submission. At the same time, he and his foreign backers have sought to equate the Syrian government's consolidation of authority with peace and stability.

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Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront of efforts to forge a united front under the umbrella of Syrian opposition's High Negotiations Council. Riyadh will host a meeting next month of the various competing factions. Mr Lavrov said on Thursday that Moscow supports Saudi Arabia's work in this regard and expressed the hope that the talks in Astana may result in the creation of a de-escalation zone in Idlib, which is currently held by rebels. The prospect of a new war-free zone in addition to the three that currently exist should be welcomed.

Anything that reduces the suffering of Syrians deserves the fullest support of the international community. Yet the world must not lose sight of the fact that de-escalation zones are a palliative, not a cure. Their creation must not distract from the fundamental source of strife in Syria: Mr Al Assad. There is a concerted effort underway by Mr Al Assad’s foreign sponsors to portray the question of his own future as a settled issue. Claims that Saudi Arabia has agreed that Mr Al Assad should continue to rule over Syria are being energetically circulated. This is a misrepresentation of facts.

The idea that a man who has brought so much misery to Syrians should remain a permanent fixture in Syria's future government is morally unpalatable even to contemplate. But in the interests of ending the conflict, and in the hope of accelerating the onset of peace, many in the region have taken the view that Mr Al Assad may stay on temporarily. Once Syria has transitioned to the post-war phase, Mr Al Assad can play no role. The failure of talks to achieve results has taught us to temper our expectations. Nonetheless we must look to the Astana talks, which are aimed at alleviating the agony of the Syrian people, with hope.

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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

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Singapore

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Australia

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Saudi Arabia

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South Korea

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May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China

The five types of long-term residential visas

Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:

Investors:

A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.

Entrepreneurs:

A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.  

Specialists

Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.

Outstanding students:

A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university. 

Retirees:

Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.

The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

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Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000

Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000

Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000

Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent

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Organic Foods & Café

Bulletproof coffee

Wild & The Moon

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Comptoir 102

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Charcoal drinks and dishes

Various juice bars, including Comptoir 102

Bridgewater Tavern

3 Fils

Jackfruit

Supermarkets across the UAE

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Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder

Power: 220 and 280 horsepower

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Transmission: eight-speed automatic

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

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Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

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Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

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Everton v Liverpool (10pm)

Monday

Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)

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Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5