Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army fighters are seen in Qastal village in east Afrin, Syria on January 30, 2018. Khalil Ashawi / Reuters
Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army fighters are seen in Qastal village in east Afrin, Syria on January 30, 2018. Khalil Ashawi / Reuters

Turkey prepares border camps in Syria for civilians fleeing assault on Kurdish militias



Turkey is drawing up contingency plans to cope with any movement of Syrian civilians towards the north of the country to flee Ankara's air and ground offensive against a Kurdish militia.

The campaign unleashed on January 20 targets the US-backed People's Protection Units (YPG), considered a terrorist organisation by Ankara and based in the border enclave of Afrin.

The Turkish army and authorities say the utmost care is taken not to harm civilians in the operation dubbed Olive Branch.

But the country's humanitarian agencies are scouting for camp areas around Azaz as well as Idlib if large numbers of civilians head for the border seeking safety from the bombardment.

"We are ready to provide shelter for a maximum number of 50,000 civilians both in Azaz and in Idlib," Kerem Kinik, head of the Turkish Red Crescent, said.

Turkey, which hosts more than three million refugees from the nearly seven-year Syria conflict, has increasingly helped the displaced in camps on the other side of the border.

The Syrian town of Azaz was liberated from ISIL in the early stages of Turkey's Euphrates Shield operation between August 2016 and March 2017.

And Idlib was declared one of Syria's de-escalation zones after a ceasefire deal brokered by opposition backer Turkey and government supporter Russia.

Turkey's AFAD emergencies agency head Mehmet Gulluoglu said they were working on a "worst-case scenario".

"It is hard to make a precise prediction of how many civilians would come because there's an ongoing operation," he said at Oncupinar border crossing near Azaz, where his agency carried out field work for potential camp sites last week.

There is growing concern that a sustained military campaign could spark a "humanitarian tragedy" for civilians in the Afrin region.

_______________

Read more

Sochi meeting struggles to find peace for Syria

Kurds in Afrin seek Assad's help, but not at any cost

As Turkey fights in Afrin, a different battle is unfolding at home

_______________

Over the past week, villages and towns around Afrin have been under intense bombardment.

According to the United Nations, Afrin has an estimated population of 324,000 people, with about 5,000 displaced by the offensive so far.

The UN warned last week that the clashes, as well as a decision by Kurdish authorities to close exit points between Afrin and government-held areas of Aleppo province, were restricting civilian movement.

Turkey reported that seven soldiers have been killed since the start of the offensive, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group claimed at least 67 civilians were killed, a figure Turkey rejected.

At least 85 YPG militiamen were killed, the Observatory said, as were 81 fighters from the rebel groups fighting with Turkish support.

Mr Kinik said his agency was working to provide humanitarian aid but he said: "YPG forces blocked roads to Azaz and Aleppo barring civilians from leaving Afrin".

"There is no exit from Afrin right now," he added.

Mr Kinik said Turkey could expand its camps in Azaz and Idlib in case of mass displacement.

"We have already spotted three campsites in the east of Azaz," he said.

The Turkish operation has forced a pause in cross-border UN humanitarian deliveries inside Syria, a UN official said.

The bulk of assistance into Idlib passes through the crossings from Turkey to aid tens of thousands of newly displaced people.

"The UN will resume cross border shipments as soon as the security situation allows," the official said.

Analysts said that as long as the fighting rages, civilians — mainly those who are not ethnic Kurds — will seek safety elsewhere.

"I suspect only the non-Kurdish parts of the population will flee," Heiko Wimmen, International Crisis Group project director for Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, said, noting that many Kurds would not feel safe in areas controlled by Turkey and its allies.

"They won't believe that Turkey will make a difference between the YPG and the local population."

On Wednesday rockets fired from northern Syria into a Turkish border town killed a teenage girl and wounded another person, Turkey's state-run news agency reported.

It was the latest in a string of rocket attacks on the border towns of Reyhanli and Kilis. Turkey's Anadolu Agency said Syrian Kurdish fighters in Afrin fired two rockets on Wednesday, hitting a house and a garden wall in Reyhanli.

Two people were hospitalized after the attack and one, 17-year-old Fatma Avlar, died from her wounds, the agency said.

The attacks inside Turkey have so far killed four people, including Ms Avlar. Two of the victims were Syrian refugees.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Olive Branch sought to hand Afrin back to "its rightful owners", while Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said it aimed to replace terrorism with peace.

"The rhetoric of the leadership does not help," Mr Wimmen said.

"Saying that Afrin will be returned to its rightful owners will leave many people wondering if they can return after the fighting is over."

Mr Kinik, however, said civilians would feel safe at Turkish camps on the Syrian side.

"Azaz is a region of Euphrates Shield and Idlib is a de-escalation zone. The region is under Turkish security," he said.

PROFILE OF SWVL

Started: April 2017

Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport

Size: 450 employees

Investment: approximately $80 million

Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani

Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

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

Rating: 4/5

 

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
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
The specs

Engine: 3.5-litre V6

Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm

Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km

On sale: now

Price: Dh149,000

 

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

Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps

Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID

Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight

In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter

Price: From Dh2,099

Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
  • Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
  • Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
  • Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
 
 
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Scream%20VI
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The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition and Experience

by David Gilmour

Allen Lane

Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

CABINET%20OF%20CURIOSITIES%20EPISODE%201%3A%20LOT%2036
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MATCH INFO

Serie A

Juventus v Fiorentina, Saturday, 8pm (UAE)

Match is on BeIN Sports

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.

Charlotte Gainsbourg

Rest

(Because Music)

Essentials

The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours 
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.

PAST 10 BRITISH GRAND PRIX WINNERS

2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2015 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
2013 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes-GP)
2012 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2011 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
2010 - Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2008 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2007 - Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)

Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.

Based: Riyadh

Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany

Founded: September, 2020

Number of employees: 70

Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions

Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds  

Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices

The specs: 2019 GMC Yukon Denali

Price, base: Dh306,500
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Power: 420hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 621Nm @ 4,100rpm​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​Fuel economy, combined: 12.9L / 100km

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
MATCH INFO

World Cup qualifier

Thailand 2 (Dangda 26', Panya 51')

UAE 1 (Mabkhout 45 2')

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners

Graduated from the American University of Sharjah

She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters

Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks

Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding

 

Our legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League final:

Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports

Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance

Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.

Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.

The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.

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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

Five films to watch

Castle in the Sky (1986)

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Only Yesterday (1991)

Pom Poki (1994)

The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)

When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi

  

 

 

 

Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.