Sergey Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, struck all the right notes about finding a political settlement in Syria during his press conference in Abu Dhabi with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed. Both men agreed that more time was needed to see progress on peace talks, but that for this to happen, there would need to be an end to the terrorism inflicted on the people of Syria.
UN Security Council resolution 2254 from 2015 was invoked as a road map to peace. It remains the guiding document for a potential peace process. However, facts on the ground have changed since then and Bashar Al Assad is playing by his own, warped rules. At this point, it might be worth heeding the warning from Robert Ford that Mr Assad has already won.
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This pronouncement might seem bizarre given that Syria remains wracked by conflict, with control of its lands splintered and ISIL still at large, half of its population displaced and historic monuments in Palmyra, Aleppo and Homs lost forever.
However, the former US ambassador to Syria's larger point, as told to The National's Joyce Karam in an interview in Washington on Monday, holds true; that there are certain realities on the ground that have become permanent. Chiefly, Mr Ford is referring to Iran's entrenchment and the unlikelihood of Mr Assad ever being held accountable for his crimes against his own people and the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives in a conflict that he escalated.
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LISTEN Why do white supremacists support Bashar Al Assad?
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The forces supporting Mr Assad – his own army, in addition to Hizbollah and Iranian-led militias – could regain control of the remaining parts of the country, as the regime continues to ignore Russian de-escalation zones. Rebel opposition groups in Homs and Jobar are already being bombed and sooner or later, Deraa or Idlib will be retaken, says Mr Ford.
Also likely is that Mr Assad’s regime will never accept any kind of power share or decentralisation of control. The state of affairs in Syria has potentially grave implications for the wider region, from Israel’s growing nervousness about Iran’s influence in an already antagonistic neighbouring country, to Kurdish ambitions for independence. All the while, the children of Syria have little hope of any kind of victory. In Raqqa, they are likely to bear the mental scars of life under ISIL for decades even once the brutal extremist group is driven out by US-backed forces.
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According to Save the Children, families in Raqqa are facing an impossible decision to stay amid the threat of being bombed or leave and risk deadly ISIL reprisals. Time may well have run out and even as the conflict begins to wind down, there is little hope of any kind of real change in the country. This is the urgent challenge facing all parties with an interest in resolving the crisis in Syria.
Ambassador Ford’s statement that Mr Assad “has won” implies mere survival, while handing over sovereign-decision making about the use of arms and the killing of over half a million of his own citizens to Iran. The international community has a closing window of opportunity to remind Mr Assad that successful leadership means protecting your country and people and taking them forward, not holding them hostage to the barrel of a gun.
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What are the influencer academy modules?
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
More on animal trafficking
If you go...
Flying
There is no simple way to get to Punta Arenas from the UAE, with flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi requiring at least two connections to reach this part of Patagonia. Flights start from about Dh6,250.
Touring
Chile Nativo offers the amended Los Dientes trek with expert guides and porters who are met in Puerto Williams on Isla Navarino. The trip starts and ends in Punta Arenas and lasts for six days in total. Prices start from Dh8,795.
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The team
Videographer: Jear Velasquez
Photography: Romeo Perez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Models: Meti and Clinton at MMG
Video assistant: Zanong Maget
Social media: Fatima Al Mahmoud
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5