BEIRUT // The little Syrian boy whose image has reverberated around the globe as a symbol of the suffering in Syria has not spoken a word since he was rescued from a collapsed building in Aleppo.
The doctor who treated Omran Daqneesh’s head wound said the child had been reunited with his parents and siblings but after more than 48 hours he had still not said a word.
“Omran was afraid but he didn’t cry because he was in shock,” said the doctor, identified only as Dr Mohammad.
The five-year-old was pulled from the rubble after his home was hit by an air raid. Though his head was bleeding, he suffered no brain injury.
The image of the bewildered boy, covered in dust and blood and staring blankly, has captured hearts around the world.
A US state department official expressed his shock at seeing Omran’s photograph, calling him “the real face” of the country’s war.
“That little boy has never had a day in his life where there hasn’t been war, death, destruction, poverty in his own country,” state department spokesman John Kirby told reporters during his daily press briefing.
Departing from his usual diplomatic talking points, Kirby asked the reporters how many among them had seen photos of the child.
“You don’t have to be a dad, but I am. You can’t but help look at that and see that that’s the real face of what’s going on in Syria,” said Mr Kirby. His boss, secretary of state John Kerry has spent months trying to forge a pathway with Russia to end the war. In July, Washington and Moscow agreed to cooperate more closely in an attempt to salvage a failing truce and focus on battling ISIL extremists.
”And he continues to urge Russia to work with him on a set of proposals that we agreed to in Moscow and teams are still trying to work out, try to get the cessation of hostilities to be more enforceable across the wide expanse of Syria in an enduring way,”said Mr Kirby.
That seemed a remote possibility on Friday, however, as the Russian military said two of its ships had launched cruise missiles at targets in Syria from the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the Serpukhov and the Zeleny Dol corvettes launched three long-range Kalibr cruise missiles at the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda, formerly known as the Nusra Front. The ministry said the missiles destroyed a command facility and a militant camp near the town of Daret Azzeh — held by extremists — along with a mine-making facility and a weapons facility in the province of Aleppo.
Russian warships in the past have launched cruise missiles at targets in Syria from both the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean, a show of the navy’s long-range precision strike capability.
The cruise missile strikes have added an extra punch to the aerial campaign Russia has conducted since September in support of President Bashar Assad’s military.
The development comes after Russia this week began using Iranian territory to launch air strikes in Syria, with Moscow’s bombers flying out of the Islamic Republic for three straight days to hit targets in the war-ravaged country
Syrian and Russian aircraft have been carrying out intense air strikes this week on opposition strongholds across northern Syria to prevent rebels sending reinforcements to the city.
Aleppo — Omran’s hometown — has been the scene of intense fighting since July 31, when the “Army of Conquest” alliance of rebels and fanatics launched a major offensive to break a regime siege of opposition-controlled districts. But neither side has achieved a decisive victory despite hundreds dead on both sides.
In Geneva, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura cut short the weekly meeting of the humanitarian task force headed by the United States and Russia, in protest at the failure of warring parties to allow aid to reach civilians.
“Not one single convoy in one month has reached any of the humanitarian besieged areas,” he told reporters.
Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov later announced that Moscow was “ready to implement the first 48-hour ‘humanitarian pause’ to deliver humanitarian aid to Aleppo residents” next week.
De Mistura welcomed the move and said the UN was counting on Moscow’s help to ensure “the adherence of the Syrian armed forces to the pause, once it comes into effect”.
The Syrian conflict has left more than 290,000 people dead and displaced millions since it began in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government demonstrations.
Amnesty International said Thursday that Syrian authorities were committing torture on a “massive scale” in government prisons including beatings, electric shocks, rape and psychological abuse that amount to crimes against humanity.
More than 17,700 people are estimated to have died in custody since the conflict began, an average of more than 300 each month, the watchdog said in a report.
The American road map to end the war includes a national ceasefire, opening up of humanitarian aid, and the resumption of political negotiations between the Syrian regime and opposition in Geneva.
Under a cessation of hostilities, Kirby said, people would hopefully be spared “any more images like the one of that young boy today in Aleppo.”
* Associated Press
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MATCH INFO
England 19 (Try: Tuilagi; Cons: Farrell; Pens: Ford (4)
New Zealand 7 (Try: Savea; Con: Mo'unga)
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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UJDA CHAMAN
Produced: Panorama Studios International
Directed: Abhishek Pathak
Cast: Sunny Singh, Maanvi Gagroo, Grusha Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla
Rating: 3.5 /5 stars
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
And%20Just%20Like%20That...
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Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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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.
More on Quran memorisation:
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
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Spain drain
CONVICTED
Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.
Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.
Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.
SUSPECTED
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.
Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.
Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.
Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.
Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now