DAMASCUS // At least 32 people were killed by security forces across Syria yesterday, activists said, as tens of thousands demonstrated for the first Friday protests since the deployment of Arab League monitors.
Opposition groups reported members of the league's observer group in Harasta and Douma, areas on the outskirts of northern Damascus that have played a persistent role in the uprising.
In Harasta protesters held up olive branches while in Douma rights activists staged a sit-in, with footage aired on Al Jazeera showing them being addressed in a mosque by one of the monitors.
"Our goal is to observe ... it is not to remove the president, our aim is to return Syria to peace and security," the monitor said, before adding, "from what I have heard there is blood being shed".
Activists had called for mass gatherings after Friday prayers - a traditional time for demonstrations - to prove to the observers that the uprising was still underway and still being brutally suppressed by security forces, despite an Arab League plan agreed with Syria to end 10 months of violence.
Protesters answered that call with demonstrations taking place in the areas that have become synonymous with the uprising, among them Homs, Hama, Idlib, Deraa, Deir Ezzor and the Midan and Hajar Aswad neighbourhoods of Damascus.
There were also protests in places less commonly thought of as being involved in the uprising, such as Raqqa, Palmyria and the upmarket Mezze district of the capital.
The presence of the league's monitors, who carried out their first inspection mission to Homs on Tuesday, has done nothing to stop the bloodshed with dozens killed since then. More than 5,000 have been killed since March, the United Nations says.
Yesterday the Local Coordination Committees (LCC), a network of dissidents that tracks demonstrations nationwide put the day's death toll at 32 by late afternoon.
The LCC said security forces using live ammunition had killed nine people in Hama, six in the city of Deraa, four in Tal Kalakh, five in Homs, six in Idlib and one in each of the southern Damascus suburbs of Daraya and Moadamiyeh.
In Douma, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, dozens were wounded when nail bombs were fired into the crowd.
Syrian officials reject the death tolls given by human rights groups and the UN. State-run media yesterday mentioned one casualty, a man injured by unknown gunmen in the north-eastern city of Qamishli.
Sana, the official news agency, also made no reference to protests but did report "massive spontaneous gatherings" supporting President Bashar Al Assad in Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Latakia, Tartous, Sweida and Hasika.
It also said security forces defused two bombs in Hama, and that other explosives detonated in Deir Ezzor, in Aleppo province and in Hama, none causing any casualties.
The claims of activists and the authorities could not be independently verified.
Syrian officials say they are battling foreign-backed Islamist insurgents and are complying with an Arab League deal to free thousands of political prisoners, pull tanks out of urban centres and cease violence. Opposition groups, and leading international rights monitors, including the UN human rights council, say the regime is violently putting down a largely peaceful call for greater civil rights.
Also yesterday, the Free Syrian Army announced it would stop offensive operations against loyalist forces, and wanted to meet League observers, although it remains unclear how many of those taking up arms against the regime actually follow orders given by the FSA's exiled leadership.
Meanwhile, on Thursday the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that conditions in Syria had continued to deteriorate with fuel and food shortages mounting, and on-going concerns about the wounded being denied medical treatment.
"There have been repeated reports of lack of respect for medical staff and facilities," Béatrice Mégevand-Roggo, the ICRC's head of operations for the Near and Middle East, said.
The ICRC has distributed emergency food aid to 85,000 people in crisis-hit areas.
psands@thenational.ae
Company%20Profile
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
Company%20profile
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SPEC SHEET
Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core
Memory: 8/12GB RAM
Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB
Platform: Android 12
Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps
Front camera: 40MP f/2.2
Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
I/O: USB-C
SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE
SPECS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: N2 Technology
Founded: 2018
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Startups
Size: 14
Funding: $1.7m from HNIs
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Essentials
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes.
Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes.
In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes.
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
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 playoff
UAE v IRELAND
All matches start at 10am, and will be played in Abu Dhabi
1st ODI, Friday, January 8
2nd ODI, Sunday, January 10
3rd ODI, Tuesday, January 12
4th ODI, Thursday, January 14
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
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Spain drain
CONVICTED
Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.
Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.
Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.
SUSPECTED
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.
Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.
Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.
Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.
Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Company%20Profile
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
