They are uncomfortable partners who do not always see eye to eye. But German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin will soon have a permanent link via the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Co-operation between the two, whether in Eastern Europe or further afield, has taken on new significance, most recently when they met on Saturday to discuss who will fund Syria's reconstruction.
Mr Putin was keen to play the refugee card, claiming EU funding to rebuild Syria will displace the issue as they return home. But the real question remains: to what will they be returning? Syrian civilians have no guarantees of safety while their future lies in the hands of self-serving regional and international players.
Even as the Syrian regime has begun issuing death certificates for the missing and imprisoned – many supposedly killed by heart attacks – airstrikes are still raining barrel bombs on terrified civilians in the last rebel stronghold of Idlib. Yet the slow creep of political transition is already in the air and as Mr Putin further entrenches himself as Mr Al Assad’s main sponsor, it seems inevitable that whatever solution is reached in next month’s four-way summit, he will sit at its heart.
After calling for his removal, European powers and the US seem resigned to accepting a role for Mr Al Assad in Syria’s transition. That is a tragedy for the Syrian people, who have endured countless assaults for seven years from regime bombs and chemical weapons.
Whatever the future holds, the stabilisation and reconstruction of Syria will require enormous investment. The UN’s Arab agency ESCWA has put the cost of damage to infrastructure at $388 billion. Last weekend the US cancelled plans to spend $200 million on stabilisation of areas cleared of ISIS militants, a sum that has been met by other countries, among them Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Nevertheless, America’s retreat from Syria will further empower the likes of Russia and Turkey. From here, it is not clear what the political endgame in Syria will look like. One can only hope fervently that it places ordinary Syrians at its very heart.
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Company Profile
Founders: Tamara Hachem and Yazid Erman
Based: Dubai
Launched: September 2019
Sector: health technology
Stage: seed
Investors: Oman Technology Fund, angel investor and grants from Sharjah's Sheraa and Ma'an Abu Dhabi
Dubai World Cup factbox
Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)
Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)
Bullet%20Train
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The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Six tips to secure your smart home
Most smart home devices are controlled via the owner's smartphone. Therefore, if you are using public wi-fi on your phone, always use a VPN (virtual private network) that offers strong security features and anonymises your internet connection.
Keep your smart home devices’ software up-to-date. Device makers often send regular updates - follow them without fail as they could provide protection from a new security risk.
Use two-factor authentication so that in addition to a password, your identity is authenticated by a second sign-in step like a code sent to your mobile number.
Set up a separate guest network for acquaintances and visitors to ensure the privacy of your IoT devices’ network.
Change the default privacy and security settings of your IoT devices to take extra steps to secure yourself and your home.
Always give your router a unique name, replacing the one generated by the manufacturer, to ensure a hacker cannot ascertain its make or model number.
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Price: from Dh498,542
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
