Iran said yesterday that its support for Syria was "unchangeable" despite mounting international pressure on the country's president, Bashar Al Assad, to step down.
Comments from several top Iranian officials reinforced Tehran's backing for its main Middle East ally and countered speculation that Iran's leadership was facing internal battles over whether to change its approach to Mr Al Assad.
"The Iranian people have an unchangeable stance on Syrians and will always stand by them," Iran's Press TV quoted first Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi as saying.
The secretary of Iran's National Security Council, Saeed Jalili, said Tehran would back Damascus "more than before in the face of foreign pressure", the official IRNA news agency reported.
Despite lauding political upheaval in other Arab countries, Iran has dismissed the uprising against Mr Al Assad's rule as a foreign conspiracy.
Iran's vice president in charge of international affairs, Ali Saeedlou, described the two countries as powerful nations able to influence regional and global stability.
"Tehran is ready to give its experience and capabilities to its friend and brother nation of Syria," Mr Saeedlou said in a meeting with Syria's deputy prime minister, Omar Ghalawanji, who is in Tehran with a Syrian delegation.
Mr Saeedlou did not elaborate about which experience or capabilities he had in mind.
In a concrete sign of support for the Syrian regime, the delegation of Syrian ministers agreed a deal on importing Iranian electricity via Iraq.
In Syria itself, the battle for Aleppo continued yesterday as troops and rebels prepared for a head-on confrontation. Pro-regime media warned of a looming "mother of all battles".
"The army's reinforcements have arrived in Aleppo," said Colonel Abdel Jabbar Al Okaidi, a spokesman for the rebel Free Syrian Army.
"We expect a major offensive at any time, specifically on areas across the southern belt, from east to west."
Mr Okaidi added that 100 regime tanks and a large number of military vehicles had arrived in Aleppo.
The US state department said that credible reports of tank columns moving on Aleppo along with air strikes by helicopters and planes represented a "serious escalation" of the government's efforts to crush the rebellion.
"This is the concern: that we will see a massacre in Aleppo and that's what the regime appears to be lining up for," the state department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
"Our hearts are with the people of Aleppo, and again this is another desperate attempt by a regime that is going down to maintain control, and we are greatly concerned about what they are capable of in Aleppo."
Intermittent clashes were also reported in southern Damascus, with seven people killed there and 16 others, including five children, killed in shelling on Yalda village just south of the capital, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said yesterday.
Across Syria, at least 114 people were killed yesterday, including 61 civilians, 32 regime troops and 21 rebels, said the Observatory.
With the violence showing no signs of abating, the Obama administration is weighing its options for more direct involvement if the rebels can wrest enough control to create a safe haven for themselves.
US secretary of state Hillary Clinton says it is only a matter of time before the rebels have enough territory to create such areas.
"More and more territory is being taken," Mrs Clinton said this week. "It will eventually result in a safe haven inside Syria, which will then provide a base for further actions by the opposition."
The Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on yesterday that Turkey could act against a "terrorist" organisation in northern Syria if it sees it as a threat, in a warning to Kurdish militants believed to be active in the region.
"We will not allow a terrorist group to establish camps in northern Syria and threaten Turkey," Mr Erdogan told a news conference before travelling to London. "If there is a step which needs to be taken against the terrorist group, we will definitely take this step," he said.
His comments were Ankara's first acknowledgement of concern about the growing influence of Syria's Democratic Union Party - linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party that has fought a 28-year separatist conflict in Turkey.
Israel increased security yesterday along its ceasefire line with Syria in the occupied Golan Heights.
With the clashes spreading across the Syrian side of the strategic plateau, Israeli troops were put on "very high" alert.
Without giving numbers,an Israeli source said a large number of soldiers had been transferred to the plateau to be on hand if the situation took a turn for the worse.
The most prominent defector from the regime said yesterday he would "help as much as I can to unite all the honourable people inside and outside Syria to put together a road map to get us out of this crisis, whether there is a role for me or not".
Brig Gen Manaf Tlass, a commander in the powerful Republican Guard and the son of a former defence minister who was the most trusted lieutenant of the president's father, defected this month and flew to Paris.
He is now in Saudi Arabia, a key financial backer of the rebellion. Mr Tlass he told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that he does not see a future for Syria with his former friend at the helm.
But a meeting in Rome yesterday offered further evidence of the fractured nature of Syrian opposition groups. Dissidents signed a joint appeal for a political solution to the conflict, calling for a ceasefire, the release of detainees and national reconciliation.
"We cannot accept Syria being transformed into a theatre of regional and international conflict," said the 17 signatories of the appeal, including leaders of the National Coordination Body and the Democratic Forum.
The main exiled opposition group, the Syrian National Council, was excluded because "they are calling for violence", according to the charity.
*Reporting by Reuters, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse
Al Jazira's foreign quartet for 2017/18
Romarinho, Brazil
Lassana Diarra, France
Sardor Rashidov, Uzbekistan
Mbark Boussoufa, Morocco
WHAT%20START-UPS%20IS%20VISA%20SEEKING%3F
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)
Saturday
Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Sunday
Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)
Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEjari%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERiyadh%2C%20Saudi%20Arabia%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EYazeed%20Al%20Shamsi%2C%20Fahad%20Albedah%2C%20Mohammed%20Alkhelewy%20and%20Khalid%20Almunif%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPropTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%241%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESanabil%20500%20Mena%2C%20Hambro%20Perks'%20Oryx%20Fund%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Herc's Adventures
Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5
ARGYLLE
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Matthew%20Vaughn%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Bryce%20Dallas%20Howard%2C%20Sam%20Rockwell%2C%20John%20Cena%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WTL%20SCHEDULE
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MATCH INFO
Manchester United 6 (McTominay 2', 3'; Fernandes 20', 70' pen; Lindelof 37'; James 65')
Leeds United 2 (Cooper 41'; Dallas 73')
Man of the match: Scott McTominay (Manchester United)
If you go
The flights
Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad (www.etihad.com) both fly direct to Bengaluru, with return fares from Dh 1240. From Bengaluru airport, Coorg is a five-hour drive by car.
The hotels
The Tamara (www.thetamara.com) is located inside a working coffee plantation and offers individual villas with sprawling views of the hills (tariff from Dh1,300, including taxes and breakfast).
When to go
Coorg is an all-year destination, with the peak season for travel extending from the cooler months between October and March.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft Toronto
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: Playstation 4, Xbox One, Windows
Release Date: April 10
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
The years Ramadan fell in May
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Match info
Manchester City 3 (Jesus 22', 50', Sterling 69')
Everton 1 (Calvert-Lewin 65')
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Try out the test yourself
Q1 Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2 per cent per year. After five years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
a) More than $102
b) Exactly $102
c) Less than $102
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q2 Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1 per cent per year and inflation was 2 per cent per year. After one year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
a) More than today
b) Exactly the same as today
c) Less than today
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q4 Do you think that the following statement is true or false? “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.”
a) True
b) False
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
The “Big Three” financial literacy questions were created by Professors Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington School of Business and Olivia Mitchell, of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Answers: Q1 More than $102 (compound interest). Q2 Less than today (inflation). Q3 False (diversification).
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner Canvassed, Par Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
Winner Dubai Future, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Mouheeb, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
8.15pm Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
9.50pm Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Topper Bill, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Man Of Promise, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Company%20profile
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