The coronavirus pandemic has taken over our screens and news feeds for months, but here in the Middle East another insidious threat has taken advantage of the crisis to grow in the shadows. Security experts have warned that ISIS is regrouping in Syria and Iraq, where the terror organisation once ruled over vast swathes of land, and that it is preparing for a resurgence.
The group has ramped up attacks in the past couple of months. Earlier this month, ISIS killed 10 Iraqi militiamen, making the most out of the confusion created by the coronavirus pandemic and the country’s volatile political situation, attempting to slowly regroup and rearm.
In addition to ramping up recruitment, especially within Syria and Iraq’s camps for internally displaced persons, ISIS is now using cryptocurrency platforms to hide their capital. The group’s digital stash includes illegal donations and possibly $300 million worth of war profits, according to security experts.
Cryptocurrency was used to fund ISIS’s 2019 Sri Lanka Easter Sunday attacks, which killed more than 250 people. If it is not tracked down and confiscated, this money could be used to fund more attacks in the future.
When the US decided to cut down on troop presence in Syria late last year, the symbolic gesture was seen to take pressure off extremist groups. Today, this tendency to disengage is only likely to increase. The world continues to look inward as each country struggles to cope with its own coronavirus health crisis and the economic downturn of the pandemic.
Despite these setbacks, there have been some victories in the fight against a resurgent ISIS. Iraq’s new Prime Minister, Mustafa Al Kadhimi, has announced that the army, aided by a number of militia groups, is set to launch an offensive against the extremists. In the last month, several ISIS targets were also struck down, including the killing of the group’s so-called “governor of Iraq” in a US-led coalition raid in Syria. And the leader of ISIS in South Asia and the Far East has been arrested in Kabul along with two other senior figures.
"They are resurgent. They're not at their high point by any means, but their trajectory is going up," a western security source recently told The National. While ISIS represents a threat that should not be minimised, the group is still weak, suffering from past defeats that destroyed its territorial caliphate. In the words of Yehia Rasool, military spokesperson for Mr Al Kadhimi, "ISIS is attempting a media comeback" but in reality its forces have largely been depleted. From this perspective, increased attacks are a desperate attempt to remain relevant, project strength and attract more recruits.
ISIS is attempting a media comeback" but in reality its forces have largely been depleted
Where civilian lives are at risk, it is the international community's responsibility to take steps to save them. Local authorities must be able to count on international support to curb extremist threats. The coronavirus pandemic is likely to create even more economic distress in already-fragile nations, a factor that could push disenfranchised, financially struggling youth into the arms of extremists. We cannot afford to let our collective guard down at a time of global crisis. Extremism is a worldwide problem, and ISIS has already proven it will not remain within the borders of both Iraq and Syria. ISIS must be dealt with by maintaining the global coalition to counter it and strengthening international resolve against all forms of terrorism.
Company%20Profile
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
BLACK%20ADAM
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The Porpoise
By Mark Haddon
(Penguin Random House)
