Qamishli, Syria // US-backed fighters battled ISIL on Thursday as they tried to push further into the extremists’ Syrian bastion Raqqa, two days after finally entering the northern city.
The Syrian Democratic Forces alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters began the battle for the city this week after seven months of fighting to surround ISIL’sstronghold.
On Wednesday, as SDF fighters entered the city, they witnessed heavy clashes in the Al Meshleb neighbourhood, with ISIL firing multiple mortar rounds towards the advancing forces.
Part of the neighbourhood was under SDF control but US-led coalition planes were still carrying out strikes against ISIL fighters elsewhere in the district, one of the largest in Raqqa.
SDF fighters were armed mostly with light weapons including Kalashnikovs, and were also returning mortar fire on ISIL positions.
The SDF did not allow journalists to return to the city on Thursday where fighting was continuing.
"Our troops are advancing in Al Meshleb and control parts of it," SDF spokesman Talal Sello said.
"The international coalition forces are working with us on the ground in the battle for Raqqa in a highly effective manner," he added.
The US-led coalition said it had carried out 22 strikes near Raqqa on Wednesday, hitting ISIL fighting positions and vehicles as well as a weapons cache and a training camp.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the SDF now controlled around two-thirds of Al Meshleb and was some 400 metres from the neighbouring Al Senaa district.
"IS has snipers monitoring Al Meshleb neighbourhood and has laid mines extensively throughout it," the Observatory said.
The group said the district had been emptied of its civilian population before the SDF entered, and ISIL had dug defensive trenches and tunnels in the area in a bid to hold off attacking forces.
Fighting was also continuing on the western outskirts of the city, the monitor said, adding that US special forces were actively participating in battles on several fronts.
Around 500 US military personnel, not all of them special forces, are believed to be participating in the battle for Raqqa.
* Agence France-Presse
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FIXTURES
Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup
Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.
Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place play-off
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$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
