At least five people died, including four Syrian soldiers and a 15-year-old Lebanese boy, as Syrian troops exchanged fire on Monday with Lebanese soldiers and armed groups in clashes along the border.
The teenager was killed by retaliatory Syrian bombing on the Syrian border village of Qasr, which also destroyed several homes.
The fighting on the border between the Syrian governorate of Homs and Hermel, in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, was sparked by the killing of three members of the new Syrian Defence Ministry force in a border ambush on Sunday, the sources said. Hermel is a Hezbollah stronghold in the Bekaa Valley, where clans involved in illicit activity also operate.
The escalation has marred recent efforts by the two governments to improve relations since the fall of former Syrian dictator Bashar Al Assad. The clashes pit fighters led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) against forces aligned with Hezbollah, as well as the Lebanese army, whom the authorities in Beirut say has been instructed to respond. HTS, a group formerly linked with Al Qaeda, took power in Damascus after fall of the Assad regime in December.
Lebanon has been among a constellation of Arab countries that have been engaged in diplomacy with the new order in Damascus, in a bid to establish new ground rules between Syria and its neighbours, after decades of volatile relations under the Iran-backed former regime.
An HTS official told The National that the four Syrian soldiers killed on Sunday were on an anti-narcotics mission in Hermel when they were apparently captured by members of one of the many drug groups in the area. A video on social media purportedly showed one of the three soldiers sitting on the ground and being struck by stones, with one hitting him in the head. The HTS official confirmed the authenticity of the footage and said another four soldiers were killed in the border clashes on Monday.
A Hezbollah source told The National that a 15-year-old Lebanese boy was killed by retaliatory Syrian bombing in the border village of Qasr that also destroyed several homes. The clashes began on Sunday when three Syrians crossed the border, the Hezbollah source said. “Lebanese villagers opened fire on them and captured them. The three men died. The villagers are defending their land and this has nothing to do with Hezbollah.”
Footage on pro-Syrian government channels purportedly showed HTS led troops firing rockets at Hezbollah positions. One Syrian tank was hit in the clashes, according to the channels.
The border clashes have prompted the Lebanese army to fire back and “respond to the sources of fire”, Lebanon's presidency said on Monday in a statement on X. It added that the clashes "cannot go on, and we will not accept its continuation". The Lebanese army said it has responded using “appropriate weapons” to the shelling of Lebanese villages and towns, coming from Syria.
Hussein Al Hajj Hassan, a member of Hezbollah and a Lebanese MP, said the group “has no relation to what happened on the border”.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah is the only non-state group allowed to carry arms in Lebanon, a legacy of previous support from Syria's former Assad regime, when it was the dominant power in Lebanon after the end of the civil war in 1990.
Hezbollah and other Shiite militias provided support for Mr Al Assad, which enabled him to crush a 2011 uprising against his rule and survive the ensuing civil war until he was deposed last year. An offensive by the Assad regime in 2020, with backing from Hezbollah and Russia, attempted to dislodge HTS from its rebel base in northern Syria but failed. Mr Al Assad's eventual toppling in December during an 11-day advance led by HTS prompted the withdrawal of Iran and its allies from Syria.
The fall of the Assad regime ended Syria's sway over Lebanese affairs, a hallmark of ties between the two countries since the late Syrian president Hafez Al Assad sent troops into Lebanon shortly after the outbreak of the 1975-1990 civil war. Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said this month that discussions have begun with Damascus on scrapping a joint council viewed as a control mechanism over Lebanon and on demarcating the shared border.
HTS and Hezbollah have clashed several times at the border since Mr Al Assad's downfall, with the authorities in Damascus saying some smuggling rings Hezbollah used to supply weapons from Iran still operate in the area.
However, the killing of the three four and the manner in which their lives ended have fuelled a more forceful reaction this time.
A Lebanese official said the roots of the escalation were unclear. Either fighters from the Syrian side crossed into Lebanon and were killed by local tribes, or Hezbollah fighters may have entered Syria, he said.
According to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Lebanese groups linked to HTS have the capacity to launch attacks on Hezbollah inside Lebanese territory and further escalate the situation.
Another Lebanese political source blamed HTS for the escalation, calling it a border infiltration by HTS that aims to put pressure on Hezbollah and aligns with US and Israeli goals for the disarmament of the group. "Syrian allegations that Lebanese [forces] had entered the Syrian side are completely untrue," the source said.
The Saudi-owned Al Arabiya Television said two of its reporting crew had been injured by a Hezbollah rocket while covering the clashes.
HTS has been also engaged in a campaign to spread government control over coastal areas near the border with Lebanon that constitute a reservoir of support for the Assad regime, particularly among the Alawite minority to which Mr Al Assad belongs.
At least 1,400 Alawites, the vast majority civilians, have been killed in the campaign over the past two weeks, prompting 10,000 members of the sect to cross into Lebanon, looking for safety.
They have settled in northern towns and areas. Lebanon now fears that sectarian violence from Syria’s coast could spill over into its volatile north in the adjacent Bab Al Tebbaneh and Jabal Mohsen districts of Tripoli, where Sunni and Alawite gunmen have engaged in deadly clashes several times in the past 15 years.
Saturday's results
Brighton 1-1 Leicester City
Everton 1-0 Cardiff City
Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace
Watford 0-3 Liverpool
West Ham United 0-4 Manchester City
KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
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Empty Words
By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 4 (Suarez 27', Vidal 32', Dembele 35', Messi 78')
Sevilla 0
Red cards: Ronald Araujo, Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
If you go
The Flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Johannesburg from Dubai and Abu Dhabi respectively. Economy return tickets cost from Dh2,650, including taxes.
The trip
Worldwide Motorhoming Holidays (worldwidemotorhomingholidays.co.uk) operates fly-drive motorhome holidays in eight destinations, including South Africa. Its 14-day Kruger and the Battlefields itinerary starts from Dh17,500, including campgrounds, excursions, unit hire and flights. Bobo Campers has a range of RVs for hire, including the 4-berth Discoverer 4 from Dh600 per day.
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
Trolls World Tour
Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake
Rating: 4 stars
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
The finalists
Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho
Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson
Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)
Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid
Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola
Specs
Engine: 2-litre
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 255hp
Torque: 273Nm
Price: Dh240,000
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
Day 2, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Pakistan’s effort in the field had hints of shambles about it. The wheels were officially off when Wahab Riaz lost his run up and aborted the delivery four times in a row. He re-measured his run, jogged in for two practice goes. Then, when he was finally ready to go, he bailed out again. It was a total cringefest.
Stat of the day – 139.5 Yasir Shah has bowled 139.5 overs in three innings so far in this Test series. Judged by his returns, the workload has not withered him. He has 14 wickets so far, and became history’s first spinner to take five-wickets in an innings in five consecutive Tests. Not bad for someone whose fitness was in question before the series.
The verdict Stranger things have happened, but it is going to take something extraordinary for Pakistan to keep their undefeated record in Test series in the UAE in tact from this position. At least Shan Masood and Sami Aslam have made a positive start to the salvage effort.
MATCH INFO
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)
Company profile
Name: Oulo.com
Founder: Kamal Nazha
Based: Dubai
Founded: 2020
Number of employees: 5
Sector: Technology
Funding: $450,000
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
Company%20profile
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HAJJAN
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It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
