Syrian President Bashar Assad meets with Russian politicians, in Damascus, Syria, to complain of a campaign of 'lies' by Western powers. (SANA via AP)
Syrian President Bashar Assad meets with Russian politicians, in Damascus, Syria, to complain of a campaign of 'lies' by Western powers. (SANA via AP)

Ambassador Haley: US will stay in Syria until it secures goals



The United States cooled expectations of an early pull out of 2,000 troops from Syria saying they would remain until key strategic goals were secured.

Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said troops would not be removed until ISIS was defeated, chemical weapons no longer threatened US interests and it could ensure the monitoring of Iranian activity.

It is our goal “to see American troops come home, but we are not going to leave until we know we have accomplished those things”, she told the Fox network.

President Trump surprised members of his administration last month when he publicly expressed his determination to remove US forces from Syria.

He repeated his claims before the chemical weapons attack on the former rebel-held town of Douma on April 7 that sparked the reprisal attacks by the US, France and Britain. He told reporters then that “sometimes it's time to come back home and we're thinking about that very seriously”.

Ms Haley’s latest comments came after contradictions appeared within the US position on Syria. She reported Mr Trump telling her on Saturday that the US was “locked and loaded” and prepared for a sustained military effort against Syria, while his Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said it was a ‘one-time’ shot.

A bullish Bashar Al Assad was in a good mood when he met a group of visiting Russian lawmakers after the attacks were more limited than predicted following Mr Trump’s initially aggressive response to the Douma attack.

He told the visiting delegation that the Western airstrikes against his country were accompanied by a campaign of "lies and misinformation” in the UN Security Council, according to comments carried by state media.

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Action to tackle the seven-year war and the use of chemical weapons has been stymied at the United Nations because of the veto-power wielded by Syria ally, Russia.

Mr Assad said that he believed that the airstrikes would unify the country, according to Dmitry Sablin who was one of his visitors. His comments came as the regime regained full control of Douma and deployed thousands more security forces there following a surrender deal with the rebels after a months-long government offensive that left hundreds dead.

European leaders sought to capitalise on the attention on Syria Sunday with attempts to co-opt Russia into a fresh diplomatic push to end seven years of fighting. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned against demonising Russia and said the air strikes raised the risk of a direct confrontation between US and Russian forces in Syria for the first time.

Germany, which relies on Russia for about a third of its gas, has long taken a careful line with Moscow.

“The galloping alienation between Russia and the West must also concern us, with consequences that will go far beyond this case. There is practically no basis of trust any more,” he told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

French leader Emmanuel Macron and his foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also both reached out to Russia calling for “joint efforts” to work their way out of the crisis.

Meanwhile in Britain, opposition lawmakers were set to confront premier Theresa May in parliament on Monday over the lack of a parliamentary vote before joining the US and France in launching airstrikes.

Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, who has opposed British military action throughout his career, described the Syrian attack as “legally questionable.”

He called for a new law to stop governments launching military action in most circumstances without the backing of MPs. The prime minister “should have sought parliamentary approval, not trailed after Donald Trump,” he said.

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Results

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (Turf) 1,400m. Winner: Al Ajeeb W’Rsan, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Jaci Wickham (trainer).

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 80,000 (T) 1,400m racing. Winner: Mujeeb, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.

6pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 90,000 (T) 2,200m. Winner: Onward, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi.

6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown Prep Rated Conditions (PA) Dh 125,000 (T) 2,200m. Winner: Somoud, Richard Mullen, Jean de Roualle.

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (T) 1,600m. Winner: AF Arrab, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel.

7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 90,000 (T) 1,400m. Winner: Irish Freedom, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

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65
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Bob%20Marley%3A%20One%20Love
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Indika
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SPECS

Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR

Engine: 5.7-litre V8

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 362hp

Torque: 530Nm

Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)

Coming soon

Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura

When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Akira Back Dubai

Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as,  “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems. 

Business Insights
  • Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
  • The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
  • US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP

Men’s: 
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)

Women's: 
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)

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. 
  • SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income. 
  • Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

Company%20Profile
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MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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The specs

  Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Disclaimer

Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville 

Rating: 4/5

 

 

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
SPECS

Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now

SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net

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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Company%20Profile
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Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Rating: 2/5
 

Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar