Iran's President Hassan Rouhani together with his counterparts Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan following a meeting in Sochi, Russia last November. Mikhail Klimentyev / Sputnik / Reuters
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani together with his counterparts Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan following a meeting in Sochi, Russia last November. Mikhail Klimentyev / SputniShow more

Troika summit raises concerns for Syrian peace



In 2015, Turkey was a leading exponent of regime change in Syria, in opposition to Russia and Iran, powerful backers of Bashar Al Assad. That November, Moscow reacted with fury when a Russian jet was shot down by Turkey over the Syrian-Turkish border. Today, as Russian President Vladimir Putin sits down for talks with his Turkish and Iranian counterparts in Ankara, the world looks a very different place and the alliances that buttress it have changed  dramatically. Relations between Turkey and its Nato allies are at an all-time low, thanks to Turkey's undue aggression in Syria and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's delusional authoritarianism. Meanwhile relations between Russia and the West are at their lowest ebb post-Cold War, following the poisoning of a former Russian spy in the English town of Salisbury. Isolation has driven the two volatile aggressors closer together. And Iran joining them at the table is a worrying sign of murky alliances being forged on the anvil of Syrians' despair.

Yesterday Mr Putin and Mr Erdogan discussed bilateral trade and economic co-operation and officially opened Turkey’s first nuclear power station, Akkuyu, built by Russia’s Atomic Energy Agency. Its first reactor will be completed in 2023 to coincide with the centennial of Ataturk’s modern republic. Meanwhile, Turkey is defying Nato allies by buying Russian S-400 missile systems. Ultimately, all eyes will be on today’s summit in Ankara, where the two leaders will be joined by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to discuss the seven-year Syrian conflict. All are invaders, using a catastrophic war which has claimed more than 500,000 lives to settle old scores and carve out regional hegemony. Their backroom alliance, buoyed by Russia's veto powers at the UN Security Council, derails any hopes of a durable peace. Previously at odds in Syria, the three countries look increasingly united. As recent history shows, when they work together, death and violence abound.

Ankara has been unrestrained in its offensive against Kurdish YPG rebels near its southern border. But to take the YPG-dominated city of Afrin last month, it needed Russian permission to hit rebel strongholds from the sky. Mr Erdogan may now shift his ruinous offensive to Manbij and even into Iraq, another country where his invasion is completely unjustified. Mediation efforts by the US – which supported the YGP after 2014 – and France have fallen on deaf ears. Meanwhile, Ankara has remained somewhat quiet as the Syrian regime and Russia have obliterated the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Eastern Ghouta, slaughtering civilians and rebels officially allied to Turkey. Both powers have been muted in the face of the Iranian regime's regional meddling. Last week US President Donald Trump announced that American soldiers would leave Syria "very soon". If so, the influence of these three powers will be amplified. As the US's global influence has waned, the unholy troika of Turkey, Russia and Iran have lurched into the power vacuum. With carnage supreme in Syria, their self-serving interests and aggression have crossed purposes for now but like all fragile coalitions, it could just as easily implode. For Syria and the region, that is of grave concern.

UAE players with central contracts

Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.

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The Kingfisher Secret
Anonymous, Penguin Books

Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
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What is type-1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is a genetic and unavoidable condition, rather than the lifestyle-related type 2 diabetes.

It occurs mostly in people under 40 and a result of the pancreas failing to produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugars.

Too much or too little blood sugar can result in an attack where sufferers lose consciousness in serious cases.

Being overweight or obese increases the chances of developing the more common type 2 diabetes.

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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.

Financial considerations before buying a property

Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.

“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says. 

Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.

Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier. 

How Sputnik V works
Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL

Al Nasr 2

(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)

Shabab Al Ahli 1

(Jaber 13)

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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2019 ASIA CUP POTS

Pot 1
UAE, Iran, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia

Pot 2
China, Syria, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Qatar, Thailand

Pot 3
Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Palestine, Oman, India, Vietnam

Pot 4
North Korea, Philippines, Bahrain, Jordan, Yemen, Turkmenistan

FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
If you go

The flights 

Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.

The trip

The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore  offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.

The hotel

There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.

 

 

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Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23

UAE fixtures:
Men

Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final

Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final

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Company%20Profile
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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
Soldier F

“I was in complete disgust at the fact that only one person was to be charged for Bloody Sunday.

“Somebody later said to me, 'you just watch - they'll drop the charge against him'. And sure enough, the charges against Soldier F would go on to be dropped.

“It's pretty hard to think that 50 years on, the State is still covering up for what happened on Bloody Sunday.”

Jimmy Duddy, nephew of John Johnson

SPECS

Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now