DAMASCUS // An anticipated military assault on Jisr al Shughour began yesterday with army units coming under sniper fire as they approached the entrance to the northern border town, according to Syrian officials.
Video: Syrian refugee numbers grow
Last Updated: June 12, 2011 UAE
Increasing numbers of Syrians flee to Turkey as more reports emerge of tanks storming another town overnight
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A force of thousands of soldiers, backed by tanks and helicopters, has been operating in the area for days, staging what appeared to have been preliminary raids in surrounding villages, before moving into the town itself yesterday.
Many of its 40,000-plus residents have already fled, about 4,500 of them crossing into Turkey as refugees, amid widespread fears a bloody crackdown is imminent.
Damascus has been promising a powerful military response since last Monday. State-run media claimed last week that 120 security personnel were "massacred" in Jisr al Shughour by insurgents.
Syrian authorities say they are facing an uprising by Islamist militants, which they say has already necessitated army operations across the country, including Deraa, Homs, Hama as well as suburbs around the capital.
That narrative has been dismissed by Syrian opposition activists, human rights monitors, aid agencies and the United Nations. Critics have accused Damascus of violently suppressing a popular, and overwhelmingly peaceful, democratic uprising.
Turkey, a major Syrian ally, has also heavily criticised its neighbour for "savagery" against its own people.
A dissident in Damascus said the army had been forced to delay its operations on Jisr al Shughour because it knew it would face armed resistance.
"It is not militant Islamic groups, as the government says, but people who have had family members killed by the security services so some of them will fight," he said. "It is a tough area and some of the people there will want to get revenge."
Activists have urged all anti-government protesters to remain unarmed. They said taking up weapons would play into the authorities' hands and only result in a futile bloodbath.
According to dissidents, security services killed dozens of civilians at a protest in Jisr al Shughour a week ago. The reports surfaced a few days before the 120 security personnel were reportedly killed.
Syrian refugees who fled into Turkey, as well as testimonies collected by civil rights groups, suggested that the members of security units who died were gunned down by their own side after refusing orders to open fire on civilians.
The authorities have explained away various eyewitness reports of security personnel fighting against each other. They have said militants in Jisr al Shughour obtained army uniforms and government cars and then attacked the police in a deliberate ploy to incite sedition and further rebellion.
Most of the rank-and-file soldiers in the Syrian army are poorly trained and poorly equipped conscripts drawn from the working-class majority. There are indications these soldiers have no appetite to act as enforcers for the government against civilian protesters.
Security operations have therefore been in large part left to elite ultra-loyalist army units - the 4th Division and the Republican Guard - and the various branches of the secret police.
The situation in Jisr al Shughour has evolved in a similar fashion to a previous uprising and subsequent military crackdown in Deraa, 100km south of Damascus, where Syria's revolt began in March.
In response to growing protests, the Syrian military was sent in to crush dissent. In Deraa, as in Jisr al Shughour, the government insists "terrorised" residents requested help from the military to save them from "armed gangs".
Reports of army desertions and clashes between loyalist troops and those refusing orders also surfaced during the Deraa operations.
Rights groups say more than 400 civilians were killed in Deraa, but there has been no independent investigation into what happened there. A UN human-rights assessment team has been denied access by the Syrian authorities.
International condemnation of Syria has been growing. The European Union and United States have imposed sanctions against senior regime officials and are supporting efforts to pass a UN Security Council resolution condemning violence that is widely believed to have killed more than 1,000 protesters.
Syria has said passing any resolution would "aid terrorists", and is banking on ally Russia to veto the proposal.
It is the hardening stance by Turkey that has touched a raw nerve in Syria. The two countries are key allies and their respective leaders, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Bashar al Assad, are friends.
That friendship appears to have frayed. Mr Erdogan criticised Mr Assad on Thursday for failing to push through meaningful political reforms and for unleashing "inhumane" levels of violence against protesters.
An anti-Turkey backlash is now underway in Syria, with state-controlled media accusing Ankara of trying to resurrect the Ottoman Empire and re-establish control over the Middle East.
Hard-line supporters of Mr al Assad see Turkey's turnabout as part of a wider conspiracy involving Washington, Brussels and Syria's decades-old enemy, Israel.
"The West wants to put the region under Turkish control, like in the Ottoman days," said one pro-regime figure in Damascus. "Turkey is a Nato member and embodies a safe kind of Islam for the West, so they have made a deal to give everything to Ankara."
The official maintained that Damascus was far from alone and remained a powerful regional political player.
"The plot will not work in the end," he said. "Syria still has some cards. It has Iran and Hizbollah."
Syria and Iran have been allies since the late 1970s. Both support Hizbollah, the Lebanese Islamist resistance movement. Washington has accused Tehran of helping suppress anti-government demonstrations in Syria. Opposition activists have claimed that highly trained Hizbollah fighters have been helping Damascus put down the uprising.
psands@thenational.ae
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Jiu-jitsu calendar of events for 2017-2018:
August 5:
Round-1 of the President’s Cup in Al Ain.
August 11-13:
Asian Championship in Vietnam.
September 8-9:
Ajman International.
September 16-17
Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, Ashgabat.
September 22-24:
IJJF Balkan Junior Open, Montenegro.
September 23-24:
Grand Slam Los Angeles.
September 29:
Round-1 Mother of The Nation Cup.
October 13-14:
Al Ain U18 International.
September 20-21:
Al Ain International.
November 3:
Round-2 Mother of The National Cup.
November 4:
Round-2 President’s Cup.
November 10-12:
Grand Slam Rio de Janeiro.
November 24-26:
World Championship, Columbia.
November 30:
World Beach Championship, Columbia.
December 8-9:
Dubai International.
December 23:
Round-3 President’s Cup, Sharjah.
January 12-13:
Grand Slam Abu Dhabi.
January 26-27:
Fujairah International.
February 3:
Round-4 President’s Cup, Al Dhafra.
February 16-17:
Ras Al Khaimah International.
February 23-24:
The Challenge Championship.
March 10-11:
Grand Slam London.
March 16:
Final Round – Mother of The Nation.
March 17:
Final Round – President’s Cup.
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Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV
Power: 360bhp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh282,870
On sale: now
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MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
What is the definition of an SME?
SMEs in the UAE are defined by the number of employees, annual turnover and sector. For example, a “small company” in the services industry has six to 50 employees with a turnover of more than Dh2 million up to Dh20m, while in the manufacturing industry the requirements are 10 to 100 employees with a turnover of more than Dh3m up to Dh50m, according to Dubai SME, an agency of the Department of Economic Development.
A “medium-sized company” can either have staff of 51 to 200 employees or 101 to 250 employees, and a turnover less than or equal to Dh200m or Dh250m, again depending on whether the business is in the trading, manufacturing or services sectors.
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Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
If you go…
Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.
Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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F1 line ups in 2018
Mercedes-GP Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas; Ferrari Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen; Red Bull Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen; Force India Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez; Renault Nico Hülkenberg and Carlos Sainz Jr; Williams Lance Stroll and Felipe Massa / Robert Kubica / Paul di Resta; McLaren Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne; Toro Rosso TBA; Haas F1 Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen; Sauber TBA
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now