Trucks enter Syria through the Nassib/Jaber border post with Jordan on the day of its reopening, on September 29, 2021, after two months of closure due to fighting in southern Syria. AP
Trucks enter Syria through the Nassib/Jaber border post with Jordan on the day of its reopening, on September 29, 2021, after two months of closure due to fighting in southern Syria. AP
Trucks enter Syria through the Nassib/Jaber border post with Jordan on the day of its reopening, on September 29, 2021, after two months of closure due to fighting in southern Syria. AP
Trucks enter Syria through the Nassib/Jaber border post with Jordan on the day of its reopening, on September 29, 2021, after two months of closure due to fighting in southern Syria. AP

US will not 'normalise or upgrade' ties with Syria's Assad


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The United States has no plans to “normalise or upgrade” diplomatic relations with the government of Syrian President Bashar Al Assad and does not encourage others to do so, a State Department spokesperson has said.

The comments came in response to the rapprochement between Jordan and Syria after Jordan fully reopened its main border crossing with Syria on Wednesday.

“The United States will not normalise or upgrade our diplomatic relations with the Assad regime nor do we encourage others to do so, given the atrocities inflicted by the Assad regime on the Syrian people,” a State Department spokesperson said. “Assad has regained no legitimacy in our eyes, and there is no question of the US normalising relations with his government at this time.”

Officials in Jordan, a US ally, and Lebanon have urged Washington to ease sanctions on Syria.

“We believe that stability in Syria, and the greater region, can only be achieved through a political process that represents the will of all Syrians and we are committed to working with allies, partners, and the UN to ensure that a durable political solution remains within reach,” the State Department spokesperson said.

The US has suspended its diplomatic presence in Syria since 2012.

With other Middle Eastern countries as well as Russia having normalised relations with the Assad regime, Jordan has been driven to boost ties with the Syrian president, diplomats in Amman have said.

  • A Russian soldier uses binoculars during a patrol in the Syrian district of Deraa Al Balad in the southern province of Deraa. AFP
    A Russian soldier uses binoculars during a patrol in the Syrian district of Deraa Al Balad in the southern province of Deraa. AFP
  • Russian troops in the Syrian district of Deraa Al Balad. AFP
    Russian troops in the Syrian district of Deraa Al Balad. AFP
  • Three years after Syria's government retook control of the flashpoint southern province of Deraa, regime forces have clashed with rebels again, trapping thousands of civilians in the crossfire. AFP
    Three years after Syria's government retook control of the flashpoint southern province of Deraa, regime forces have clashed with rebels again, trapping thousands of civilians in the crossfire. AFP
  • Nearly half of the population of the rebel-held Deraa Al Balad district have fled heavy shelling and ground battles. AFP
    Nearly half of the population of the rebel-held Deraa Al Balad district have fled heavy shelling and ground battles. AFP
  • The United Nations warns that remaining civilians are cut off with dwindling supplies. AFP
    The United Nations warns that remaining civilians are cut off with dwindling supplies. AFP
  • A Russian flag on a Russian military vehicle in the Syrian district of Deraa Al Balad. AFP
    A Russian flag on a Russian military vehicle in the Syrian district of Deraa Al Balad. AFP

The softening of relations between Jordan and Syria was a move to boost the countries' struggling economies and reinforce a push by Arab states to reintegrate Syria after shunning it during its civil war.

Despite the relaxation of restrictions, the flow of traffic across the border was subdued, with only a small number of vehicles making the trip across the Jaber-Nassib crossing in Syria's south-west.

In related news, the Jordanian authorities on Tuesday announced the restart of direct flights to Syria.

The specs

Engine: 2x201bhp AC Permanent-magnetic electric

Transmission: n/a

Power: 402bhp

Torque: 659Nm

Price estimate: Dh200,000

On sale: Q3 2022 

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

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The Details

Kabir Singh

Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series

Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga

Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa

Rating: 2.5/5 

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SPEC%20SHEET
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The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi

Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem 

Rating: 4/5

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

David Haye record

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

Match info

Costa Rica 0

Serbia 1
Kolarov (56')

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:

Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE

Game is on BeIN Sports

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Jawan
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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
Kibsons%20Cares
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERecycling%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fstrong%3EAny%20time%20you%20receive%20a%20Kibsons%20order%2C%20you%20can%20return%20your%20cardboard%20box%20to%20the%20drivers.%20They%E2%80%99ll%20be%20happy%20to%20take%20it%20off%20your%20hands%20and%20ensure%20it%20gets%20reused%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EKind%20to%20health%20and%20planet%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESolar%20%E2%80%93%2025-50%25%20of%20electricity%20saved%3Cbr%3EWater%20%E2%80%93%2075%25%20of%20water%20reused%3Cbr%3EBiofuel%20%E2%80%93%20Kibsons%20fleet%20to%20get%2020%25%20more%20mileage%20per%20litre%20with%20biofuel%20additives%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESustainable%20grocery%20shopping%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ENo%20antibiotics%3Cbr%3ENo%20added%20hormones%3Cbr%3ENo%20GMO%3Cbr%3ENo%20preservatives%3Cbr%3EMSG%20free%3Cbr%3E100%25%20natural%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

Nepotism is the name of the game

Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad. 

Updated: September 30, 2021, 5:34 AM