There was a certain amount of weariness attending the preamble to United Nations peace talks on Syria, which began in Geneva today – a sort of been-there, seen-it-before sense of jadedness. Not simply because it was the eighth round of talks being held in a bid to end the nearly seven-year conflict but mainly because top of the agenda was whether Syrian government representatives would even bother turning up.
Yesterday the regime finally confirmed it would be coming tomorrow, a day after it was supposed to show. It demonstrates yet more contempt from Bashar Al Assad for his people, who are suffering intolerably while he holds sway over his country's future. All other parties are poised to reach a fair deal. Nasr Al Hariri, head of the Saudi-backed High Negotiation Committee umbrella opposition group, said it was "united and ready for real talks with the government". That is a tough pill to swallow for opposition leaders, who until recently were calling for Mr Al Assad's removal as non-negotiable. Up until they met in Riyadh a week ago, they could not see a way forward with the regime being involved in any way. Yet disparate opposition groups have managed to set aside their own differences to form a 36-member unified delegation and have come to the UN table without preconditions.
That is a huge conciliatory gesture, which has yet to be matched by the man responsible for untold suffering. The Syrian conflict has resulted in the deaths of more than 330,000 people, with millions being driven from their homes, equivalent to 40 per cent of the country. The UN has accused the Syrian government of launching sarin and chlorine attacks on its own people. The regime's barbarism has no place in the inclusive transitional government being proposed by the opposition. Yet despite their willingness to include him in talks and set aside their differences for a far more important cause – a fair deal for the Syrian people – he has not even bothered to turn up.
Mr Al Assad is not interested in looking after his people's best interests, only his own. Upholstered by Russian military enforcements and backed by the triumvirate of Russia, Iran and Turkey, which simultaneously held talks in Sochi last week attended by him, he is only interested in consolidating his power. His failure to even send representation on his behalf to the UN talks in Geneva yesterday demonstrates his sneering disregard for his critics. With 55 per cent of the country under his government's control once again, he is banking on a military solution to re-establish his regime's power, not one reached by delicate negotiations or any submission on his part. It is becoming increasingly clear that by pretending to engage in previous rounds of talks, he was giving them lip service alone.
The UN peace envoy helming the talks, Staffan de Mistura, said he suffered from chronic optimism. He is going to need it. It might be all the opposition has on its side.
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if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Seoul from Dh3,775 return, including taxes
The package
Ski Safari offers a seven-night ski package to Korea, including five nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong and two nights at Seoul CenterMark hotel, from £720 (Dh3,488) per person, including transfers, based on two travelling in January
The info
Visit www.gokorea.co.uk
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Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Company%20Profile
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
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- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
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- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Company%20profile
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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.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Everton%20Fixtures
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Fixtures
Opening day Premier League fixtures for August 9-11
August 9
Liverpool v Norwich 11pm
August 10
West Ham v Man City 3.30pm
Bournemouth v Sheffield Utd 6pm
Burnley v Southampton 6pm
C Palace v Everton 6pm
Leicester v Wolves 6pm
Watford v Brighton 6pm
Tottenham v Aston Villa 8.30pm
August 11
Newcastle v Arsenal 5pm
Man United v Chelsea 7.30pm
88 Video's most popular rentals
Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
Sholay: a 1975 Indian action-adventure film. It follows the adventures of two criminals hired by police to catch a vagabond. The film was panned on release but is now considered a classic.
Lucifer: is a 2019 Malayalam-language action film. It dives into the gritty world of Kerala’s politics and has become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
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In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
The specs: 2019 Jeep Wrangler
Price, base: Dh132,000
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 285hp @ 6,400rpm
Torque: 347Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.6L to 10.3L / 100km
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Kill%20
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
Price: from Dh547,600
On sale: now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
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