To describe Syria as a land of nothing but "sand and death" is such a contemptuous mischaracterisation that anyone voicing it could normally be dismissed as a fool. But when such words are uttered by the US president, the world must react with alarm and despair. Syria is the cradle in which much of human history was nurtured. There, great city states left their mark on the landscape. The ruins of Tell Brak, Mari, Ebla, Palmyra, and the ancient port of Ugarit all bear witness to the passing of great empires, from the Hittites, Assyrians and Babylonians to the Persians, Greeks and Romans. Of this, President Trump appears ignorant. Instead, he weighs the value of such a place on a much cruder scale.
The decision to pull US troops out of Syria is a policy U-turn that has prompted widespread concern. Syria is to be abandoned to the ambitions of Russia, Iran and Turkey. Dangerous non-state actors are also eager to exploit the vacuum. Now Mr Trump has sought to justify the US disengagement because he regards Syria as a land that, because it lacks "vast wealth", is of no interest. It is clear that the reality TV host and author of The Art of the Deal is a man incapable of viewing complex international relations through anything but the grimy lens of commerce.
Mr Trump also held forth on the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, which he praised as a righteous response to entirely fictional Afghan terror attacks on Russia. If he ever knew, he also appeared to have forgotten that America armed and funded Russia's opponents during that war. This is a man who only last year described developing nations as "s***holes". He knows the price of everything, but the value of nothing, and his ignorance of history is breathtaking.
Mr Trump is correct in his view that the US should hang up its badge as the world’s sheriff. America forced itself upon the Middle East after 9/11 with chaotic and tragic consequences. The past two decades are evidence enough that it is time for the Arab world to start solving its own problems, without outside interference. But, having barged in, it would be irresponsible for the US suddenly to withdraw before Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq are fully able to stand again on their own feet. Until then, it must hold the line, resisting the obvious ambitions of other powers, most notably Russia, to take its place. The fate of Syria and the wider region is not a deal to be struck in the boardroom of Trump Towers. Neither is it the subject of a gameshow in which contestants must vie for the host’s approval. This is the real world, with real lives at stake, and President Trump must respect the responsibilities of his great office.
Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
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Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
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Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive
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Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
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Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 180hp at 5,500rpm
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On sale: now
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
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Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
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Business Insights
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In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
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Famous left-handers
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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No Shame
Lily Allen
(Parlophone)
Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
Racecard
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah Group Two (PA) US$55,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Trophy (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,900m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,200m
8.15pm: Balanchine Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,000m
9.25pm: Firebreak Stakes Group Three (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections: 6.30pm: RM Lam Tara, 7.05pm: Al Mukhtar Star, 7.40pm: Bochart, 8.15pm: Magic Lily, 8.50pm: Roulston Scar, 9.25pm: Quip, 10pm: Jalmoud
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.