Djibo is the centre of Burkina Faso’s conflict. AP
Djibo is the centre of Burkina Faso’s conflict. AP
Djibo is the centre of Burkina Faso’s conflict. AP
Djibo is the centre of Burkina Faso’s conflict. AP

At least 100 killed in terrorist raids on villages in Burkina Faso


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Roving groups of terrorists killed at least 100 civilians in an overnight attack on a village in northern Burkina Faso, the government said.

The attackers struck during the night on Friday, killing residents of the village of Solhan, burning homes and the market, said the government statement, which was released on Saturday. It described them as terrorists.

President Roch Marc Christian Kabore denounced the attack near the borders with Mali and Niger, where militants linked to Al Qaeda and ISIS have been targeting civilians and soldiers.

"We must remain united and solid against these obscurantist forces," Mr Kabore said, condemning the massacre at Solhan as "barbaric" and "despicable".

"The toll, which is still provisional, is about about 100 dead, men and woman of different ages," a security source told AFP.

Assailants struck at around 2am against a position of the Volunteers for the Defence of the Motherland (VDP), a civilian defence force, before attacking homes and carrying out killings, a local source said.

"In addition to the heavy human toll, the worst recorded to date, homes and the market were set on fire," another security source said, voicing concern that the "still temporary toll of 100 dead may increase".

Early on Saturday, locals told AFP that at least 14 people had been killed in a raid on another village, Tadaryat.

“The attackers carried off several things belonging to the local people including motorbikes and livestock,” a local source said.

Burkina Faso, a poor, landlocked country in the heart of the Sahel, has been fighting an insurgency linked to ISIS and Al Qaeda.

The VDP was set up in December 2019 to help the poorly equipped military fight extremist groups.

Tadaryat is part of the Markoye commune in Oudalan province, near the border with Mali to the north, and Niger to the east.

Another security source said a military convoy and members of the VDP civilian auxiliary had clashed with forces at Katia, in the same zone as on Friday, but there had been no casualties.

The same source also referred to another attack, overnight from Friday to Saturday, against a VDP base.

The VDP volunteers are given two weeks’ military training, then work alongside the security forces, typically carrying out surveillance, information-gathering or escort duties. The force has suffered more than 200 deaths, according to an AFP tally.

Since 2015, Burkina Faso has struggled to fight back against increasingly frequent and deadly attacks from extremist groups, including the Group to Support Islam and Muslims and ISIS in the Greater Sahara.

The attacks first started in the north near the Mali border, but have since spread to other regions, particularly in the east.

About 1,400 people have died and more than a million have fled their homes.

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Power: 360bhp

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Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019

Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO

Based: Amman, Jordan

Sector: Education Technology

Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed

Stage: early-stage startup 

Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.

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Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

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Company name: Dharma

Date started: 2018

Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: TravelTech

Funding stage: Pre-series A 

Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs

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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.

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  • Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
  • Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.

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Spare

Profile

Company name: Spare

Started: March 2018

Co-founders: Dalal Alrayes and Saurabh Shah

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Sector: FinTech

Investment: Own savings. Going for first round of fund-raising in March 2019

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FFP EXPLAINED

What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.

What the rules dictate? 
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.

What are the penalties? 
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.

Tips to avoid getting scammed

1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday

2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment

3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone

4) Try not to close the sale at night

5) Don't be rushed into a sale 

6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy

Director: Shahad Ameen

Rating: 3/5

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