Representatives of the Arab League states attend an emergency meeting in Cairo on October 12, 2019. AFP
Representatives of the Arab League states attend an emergency meeting in Cairo on October 12, 2019. AFP
Representatives of the Arab League states attend an emergency meeting in Cairo on October 12, 2019. AFP
Representatives of the Arab League states attend an emergency meeting in Cairo on October 12, 2019. AFP

Arab League warns Turkey over Syrian 'aggression'


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The Arab League on Saturday condemned Turkey’s incursion in north-east Syria and warned of retaliatory measures unless Turkish troops withdrew from Syrian territory.

Ankara's offensive is a "direct threat to Arab national security", the bloc said in a statement issued after an emergency meeting of foreign ministers at its headquarters in Cairo.

The statement called for "ending the aggression and the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Turkey from all of Syria's land".

Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit slammed the Turkish attack launched on Wednesday as an "invasion of an Arab land".

The bloc is considering diplomatic and economic actions in response to Turkey’s move, as well as "military co-operation to confront the Turkish aggression", the statement said.

Qatar, a close ally of Turkey, and Somalia registered reservations over the joint statement.

Iraq and Lebanon called for the reinstatement of Syria's membership of the Arab League, which was suspended in 2011 over its violent crackdown on protests at the start of its civil war. Mr Aboul Gheit said this would require certain measures from the Syrian side.

Turkey has pressed its offensive despite international condemnation and the threat of sanctions, including from the United States and other Nato allies in Europe.

On Saturday its troops and allied Syrian rebel groups entered the border town of Ras Al Ain, one of two key objectives along with the town of Tel Abyad about 100 kilometres to the west.

Ankara says it wants to clear a 30km-deep strip along the border of US-supported Kurdish forces that it regards as terrorists and resettle some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees it hosting to this “safe zone”.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who were the main ground partner in the US-led campaign against ISIS in Syria, has called on the international community to establish a no-fly zone over the north-east.

"All we want from the international community is a no-fly zone so we can have a fair war with Turkey," SDF commander Redur Khalil said in a televised statement on Saturday.

Earlier on Saturday, Turkish troops moved to seize control of key highways in the region, the Turkish military said. Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency said that Turkey-backed Syrian opposition forces had taken control of the M-4 highway connecting the towns of Manbij and Qamishli. The SDF said that Turkish troops and their allies reached the highway briefly before being pushed back again.

Turkish troops also cut the route linking the north-eastern city of Hassakeh with Aleppo, Syria's largest city and once commercial center, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-aligned group monitoring the Syrian civil war.

The SDF have taken mounting losses against the vastly superior firepower of the Turkish army, losing 81 fighters since Wednesday, according to the Britain-based Observatory. Turkey's defence ministry said four of its soldiers had been killed.

Turkish air strikes on Kurdish-held towns and intense artillery exchanges have also caused civilian casualties on both sides of the border. On the Syrian side at least 28 people have been killed, according to the Observatory, and 17 are dead in Turkey, according to Turkish reports.

The Turkish campaign has raised fears of another humanitarian crisis, with about 100,000 civilians displaced by the fighting so far, according to the UN.

There are also fears that the conflict will allow a resurgence of ISIS and the escape of about 12,000 of the extremist group’s fighters who are being held in Kurdish-run prisons.

A car bomb exploded early on Saturday outside a prison where ISIS members are being held, but it was not immediately clear if there were any serious injuries or deaths. The Kurdish police police force known as Asayesh said the blast occurred outside the central prison in Hassakeh, much of which is controlled by Kurdish forces. The Observatory said after the blast, Kurdish fighters brought reinforcements to prevent prisoners from escaping.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned US President Donald Trump in a phone call that Turkey's military action in could lead to a resurgence of ISIS activity and "reiterated the need to make the Turkish offensive stop immediately," his office said in a statement Saturday.

France has pressed for the European Union to announce sanctions on Turkey at summit this week, but diplomats have said an arms embargo was more likely.

On Saturday, Germany joined fellow Nato members the Netherlands and Norway, along with Finland, in suspending arms sales to Turkey.

The US has also threatened Turkey with sanctions after Mr Trump faced a backlash from allies and opponents over his decision last week to pull back US forces from the Syria-Turkey border, which was seen as paving the way for the Turkish incursion.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced on Friday Mr Trump had authorised the passing of "significant new sanctions" against Turkey.

The president "has authorised and will be signing a new executive order" giving the Treasury Department, in consultation with himself and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the power to impose "significant new sanctions" targeting "any person associated with the government of Turkey”, Mr Mnuchin said.

The Treasury Department said the order aims to “dissuade Turkey from any further offensive military action in north-east Syria, including but not limited to indiscriminate targeting of civilians, targeting of civilian infrastructure, targeting of ethnic or religious minorities, or targeting or other actions that undermine the continued counter-terrorism activities of the Syrian Democratic Forces".

On Thursday night US defence chief Mark Esper called his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar, to urge Turkey to discontinue its military incursion into Syria, and warn of "serious consequences" on Ankara.

"Secretary Esper made it clear that the United States opposes Turkey's uncoordinated actions as they place at risk the progress made by the Defeat-ISIS Coalition," a readout from the Pentagon said.

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It Was Just an Accident

Director: Jafar Panahi

Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr

Rating: 4/5

THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go...

Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.

Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50

UAE v Gibraltar

What: International friendly

When: 7pm kick off

Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City

Admission: Free

Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page

UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)

Rankings

ATP: 1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 10,955 pts; 2. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 8,320; 3. Alexander Zverev (GER) 6,475 ( 1); 5. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) 5,060 ( 1); 6. Kevin Anderson (RSA) 4,845 ( 1); 6. Roger Federer (SUI) 4,600 (-3); 7. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 4,110 ( 2); 8. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 3,960; 9. John Isner (USA) 3,155 ( 1); 10. Marin Cilic (CRO) 3,140 (-3)

WTA: 1. Naomi Osaka (JPN) 7,030 pts ( 3); 2. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 6,290 ( 4); 3. Simona Halep (ROM) 5,582 (-2); 4. Sloane Stephens (USA) 5,307 ( 1); 5. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 5,100 ( 3); 6. Angelique Kerber (GER) 4,965 (-4); 7. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 4,940; 8. Kiki Bertens (NED) 4,430 ( 1); 9. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 3,566 (-6); 10. Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) 3,485 ( 1)

Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier

Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman

The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August

 

Group A

Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar

 

Group B

UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia

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The distance learning plan

Spring break will be from March 8 - 19

Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm

Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19

Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning

Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5

Company%20profile
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ALL THE RESULTS

Bantamweight

Siyovush Gulmomdov (TJK) bt Rey Nacionales (PHI) by decision.

Lightweight

Alexandru Chitoran (ROU) bt Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR) by submission.

Catch 74kg

Omar Hussein (JOR) bt Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) by decision.

Strawweight (Female)

Seo Ye-dam (KOR) bt Weronika Zygmunt (POL) by decision.

Featherweight

Kaan Ofli (TUR) bt Walid Laidi (ALG) by TKO.

Lightweight

Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW) bt Leandro Martins (BRA) by TKO.

Welterweight

Ahmad Labban (LEB) bt Sofiane Benchohra (ALG) by TKO.

Bantamweight

Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR) no contest.

Lightweight

Mohammed Yahya (UAE) bt Glen Ranillo (PHI) by TKO round 1.

Lightweight

Alan Omer (GER) bt Aidan Aguilera (AUS) by TKO round 1.

Welterweight

Mounir Lazzez (TUN) bt Sasha Palatkinov (HKG) by TKO round 1.

Featherweight title bout

Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) by KO round 1.

DIVINE%20INTERVENTOIN
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Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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 
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets