Syrian children next to a shell hole, after Syrian government forces recently recaptured the village of Ghariyah ash Sharqiyah from the rebels, in the province of Deraa. AFP
Syrian children next to a shell hole, after Syrian government forces recently recaptured the village of Ghariyah ash Sharqiyah from the rebels, in the province of Deraa. AFP

Regime pounds south Syria after rebels say talks with Russia 'fail'



Syria's regime and its ally Russia resumed air strikes on the south of the country on Wednesday after rebels said talks over a government takeover had "failed".

Seven years into Syria's devastating civil war, President Bashar Al Assad has set his sights on retaking the southern region considered to be the cradle of the uprising against him.

Russia has been backing a two-week offensive by Mr Assad's forces against rebels in the southern provinces of Deraa and Quneitra, bordering Jordan and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

But it is simultaneously brokering talks with rebel towns for negotiated surrenders in a carrot-and-stick strategy that Russia and the regime have used in the past to retake large areas of rebel-held territory.

More than 30 towns have already agreed to return to regime control, and talks in recent days have focused on remaining rebel territory in Deraa province's western countryside and the southern half of the provincial capital.

On Wednesday afternoon, rebels met with a Russian delegation to deliver their decision on Moscow's proposal for a regime takeover of the rest of the south.

About 90 minutes after the meeting was set to begin, the joint rebel command for the south announced the talks had "failed".

"Negotiations with the Russian enemy in Busra Al Sham have failed, after they insisted on the surrender of heavy weapons," it said in an online statement.

"No negotiations under threat," it later added on Twitter, demanding talks "under the auspices of the United Nations".

Spokesman Ibrahim Jabbawi said the talks had not produced "any results" because Moscow had insisted rebels hand over their heavy arms in one go.

"The session ended. No future meetings have been set," Mr Jabbawi said.

After the talks collapsed, Russian and regime aircraft resumed strikes on several parts of the province for the first time in four days, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.

A source close to the talks said rebels would be willing to hand over their heavy weapons in several phases.

The meeting followed an hours-long session on Tuesday, in which rebels proposed that the army withdraw from recaptured towns, and grant fighters and civilians unwilling to live under regime control safe passage to rebel-held territory elsewhere.

Moscow had roundly rejected the terms and responded with a counter-proposal, the source said.

It told negotiators that population transfers were not on the table in the south, although it had agreed to them in other areas such as Eastern Ghouta and Aleppo.

Russia insisted the army would return to its pre-2011 positions and local police would take over towns in co-ordination with Russian military police.

The source had said before Wednesday's meeting that the rebels were expected to give their "final answer".

"Today will be the last round – either the rebels agree to these terms or the military operations resume," the source said.

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Read more

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WATCH: The devastation of Syria’ Deraa province

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Moscow has used tough deadlines in the past with rebels but has sometimes extended them.

That blend of military pressure and negotiated surrenders has expanded the regime's control of Deraa province to about 60 per cent – double what it held when it began operations on June 19.

The violence has displaced between 270,000 and 330,000 people, according to the UN, many south to the border with Jordan or west to near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Both countries have kept their borders closed, despite mounting calls by rights groups to let Syrians escape to safety.

On Wednesday, Human Rights Watch demanded both Jordan and Israel allow asylum seekers in.

"The abject refusal by Jordanian authorities to allow asylum seekers to seek protection not only goes against their international legal obligations, but against basic human decency," said HRW's Lama Fakih.

Some displaced families whose hometowns had fallen back under regime control have returned, but even that journey holds risks.

Eleven members of a single family were killed overnight in a landmine blast as they returned to Al Mseifra, which had "reconciled" with the government, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Wednesday.

More than 140 civilians have died since the assault began.

World powers have criticised the operation for violating a ceasefire announced last year by Washington, Amman and Moscow, but that has not halted the blitz.

The UN Security Council on Thursday will hold a closed-door emergency meeting on the offensive.

Residents and displaced Daraa natives gathered in front of UN offices in a rebel-held town in Quneitra province to protest global inaction.

They "ask the United Nations and the world for protection and international guarantees" for their lives, said opposition official Ali Salhadi.

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

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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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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

 

UAE group fixtures

Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran

Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait

Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi

 

UAE squad

Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed

The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut

Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”

The drill

Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.

Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”

Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”

Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.” 

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

The flights 

Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning. 

The trains

Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.

The hotels

Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.