A displaced Syrian girl from the south of Aleppo province carries a baby outside their wet tent due to rain at a camp in Kafr Dariyan situated at a short distance from Syria's border with Turkey, in Idlib. AFP
A displaced Syrian girl from the south of Aleppo province carries a baby outside their wet tent due to rain at a camp in Kafr Dariyan situated at a short distance from Syria's border with Turkey, in IShow more

US Envoy to Syria: Political solution is the only way to end conflict



The United States Special Envoy for Syria called on Friday for continued political efforts, both inside the country and internationally, to end the conflict.

Washington's top priorities in Syria are to achieve an enduring defeat of ISIS, the withdrawal of all forces commanded by Iran and political resolution of conflict, Joel Rayburn said in Manama,Bahrain.

“There is a window of opportunity not to be missed, the end of ISIS territory control, the opportunity to take the focus from the battlefield to the political track,” the special envoy said.

Mr Rayburn stressed that there will be no military solution in Syria, adding that a continuation of President Bashar Al Assad’s regime will never produce a political settlement.

"As long as Assad does not participate in political process then Syria will remain a hot bed of terrorism and instability, they will continue to face political isolation around the world and economic pressure," he added.

By the end of a political settlement, Syria will need to behave differently in the region, the envoy said.

“The Government will need to meet six conditions if it to have relations with the United States, it must sever its ties with the Iranian regime, it must not be a safe haven for terrorism, must not threaten its neighbouring states and must dismantle and hand over its chemical weapons,” he said.

The Syrian government must foster the safe and dignified return of Syrian refugees and it should establish a safe and neutral environment for its citizens, he said.

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But above all it is imperative that the international community takes this opportunity on the ground.

"We are working very closely with the US team in Washington to continue to find ways to put pressure on the Iranian regime to remove all Iranian forces from Syria," Mr Rayburn said.

Economic US Sanctions are currently being reactivated on the Iranian regime.

Washington and Tehran have been increasingly at odds over Iran’s growing political and military influence in the Middle East since US President Donald Trump took office in January 2017.

The renewed sanctions were among those lifted under a 2015 deal between world powers and Tehran on curbing Iran’s nuclear program.

“We will continue to work through our UN venues to highlight Iranian activity in Syria, and to apply economic and political pressure,” he said.

Mr Rayburn also highlighted the atrocities that the Iranian regime has taken part in the conflict.

"They have brought child soldiers inside Syria, and are attempting to establish a military base to threaten its neighbours, not just Israel but Jordan and other states," he said.

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Normcore explained

Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.

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The Sand Castle

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Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
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  • November 2021: First 17 volumes launched 
  • November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
  • October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
  • November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
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Keep it fun and engaging

Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.

“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.

His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.

He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.

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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. 

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