BEIRUT // Syrian president Bashar Al Assad led Eid Al Fitr prayers in the central city of Hama on Sunday, appearing in public outside the capital for the first time in a year.
It was the furthest he had travelled inside Syria in years – a sign of his growing confidence.
State television broadcast footage of Mr Al Assad standing to pray in a large mosque in Hama behind its imam, with other clerics standing alongside and a large crowd of worshippers.
His office published images of him greeting worshippers outside after praying inside the brightly lit Al Nuri mosque at dawn.
He was flanked by Islamic endowments minister Mohammad Abdel Sattar Sayyed and Syria’s top Muslim cleric Ahmad Badredine Hassoun.
State news agency Sana quoted the preacher as saying that Mr Al Assad’s presence in the city for Eid showed that victory and the return of security were only “a few steps” away.
Ahead of the holiday, Syria’s government released more than 670 detainees - including some children born to prisoners - from jails around Damascus on Saturday.
The embattled president’s last public appearance outside Damascus was during Eid Al Fitr in July 2016, which he spent in third city Homs.
Presidential trips outside the capital have become rare since Syria’s conflict broke out more than six years ago.
But the civil war turned to Mr Al Assad’s favour in 2015, when Russia sent its jets to help his army and allied Shiite militias backed by Iran turn back rebels and win new ground.
Since the war started in 2011, it has killed hundreds of thousands, driven millions more from their homes, sparked a global refugee crisis and drawn regional and world powers into the war.
The conflict is far from over. Rebels hold swathes of the country, including around Idlib province near Hama, and launched a new attack in Quneitra in the south-west on Saturday.
Rebels also hold the Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus, parts of the desert in the south-east and a large pocket south of Hama around the city of Rastan.
Hama city is the capital of the governorate by the same name, where Syrian government troops are battling extremists and their rebel allies.
* Agence France-Presse and Reuters
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Company%20Profile
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Profile of Hala Insurance
Date Started: September 2018
Founders: Walid and Karim Dib
Based: Abu Dhabi
Employees: Nine
Amount raised: $1.2 million
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, AB Accelerator, 500 Startups, private backers
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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Dir: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson
Four stars
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On Women's Day
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The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?
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Cryptocurrency Investing for Dummies – by Kiana Danial
There are several primers for investing in cryptocurrencies available online, including e-books written by people whose credentials fall apart on the second page of your preferred search engine.
Ms Danial is a finance coach and former currency analyst who writes for Nasdaq. Her broad-strokes primer (2019) breaks down investing in cryptocurrency into baby steps, while explaining the terms and technologies involved.
Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.
Begin your cryptocurrency journey here.
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
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What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
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World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region