AL ALAM, IRAQ // Iraqi troops and militias drove ISIL militants out of the town of Al Alam on Tuesday, clearing the way for an offensive to retake the nearby city of Tikrit from the radical group.
Dozens of families, who had earlier fled Al Alam to escape ISIL control, returned to the town celebrating and slaughtering sheep for the victorious fighters.
“I announce officially that the town is under the total control of security forces,” said local mayor Laith Al Jubouri.
“We rejoice in this victory and we want Al Alam to be the launchpad for the liberation of Tikrit and Mosul,” he said.
The assault on Tikrit could start as early as Wednesday, security officials said. The 10-day campaign has so far been marked by gradual and steady advances rather than rapid attacks.
Tikrit, the home city of executed former president Saddam Hussein, is the focus of an offensive by the army and Shiite militias known as Hashid Shaabi, backed by local Sunni forces.
The army and militias now control the two towns to the north and south of Tikrit along the Tigris river valley and appear ready to move on the city itself.
There have been fears that the Shiite-dominated security forces and militia would seek revenge on local Sunni residents for killings carried out under the ISIL control of the area. In the nearby village of Albu Ajil, local officials said houses had been set on fire by the militia, but there was no sign of revenge attacks in Al Alam.
Also on Tuesday, the militant group reportedly beheaded three men in northern Iraq – two of them for allegedly engaging in homosexual acts and the third for blasphemy.
A series of photographs on social media showed the blindfolded men kneeling in the centre of what appears to be a traffic circle with a crowd looking on as a masked, black-clad executioner stood by with a long, rusty blade.
Accompanying captions said the trio were executed.
The photos were said to have been taken in Nineveh province but the exact location was not specified.
In northern Syria, about 95 captives escaped from an ISIL-run prison but most were recaptured, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Tuesday.
The jailbreak took place in the town of Al Bab, 30 km south of the Turkish frontier.
The escapees included Syrian civilians, Kurdish fighters and members of battalions opposed to the hardline ISIL, the Observatory said.
ISIL put the town on high alert and used loudspeakers to tell citizens to capture the escapees, the Observatory said. About two thirds have since been caught.
Meanwhile, the US-led coalition forces conducted eight airstrikes against ISIL fighters in Iraq during a 24-hour period, while US forces led four airstrikes in Syria, the US military said on Tuesday.
* Reuters
The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)
Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),
Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),
Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm)
Benevento v Napoli (6pm)
Parma v Spezia (6pm)
Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)
Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
Janet Yellen's Firsts
- In 2014, she became the first woman to lead the US Federal Reserve
- In 1999, she became the first female chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers
The bio
Favourite vegetable: Broccoli
Favourite food: Seafood
Favourite thing to cook: Duck l'orange
Favourite book: Give and Take by Adam Grant, one of his professors at University of Pennsylvania
Favourite place to travel: Home in Kuwait.
Favourite place in the UAE: Al Qudra lakes
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
