BEIRUT // Regime forces shelled the Damascus neighbourhood of Tadamon today, hours after the most violent battles in the capital since the outbreak of the Syrian revolt, activist said.
"Mortar shelling resumed in the early morning," said the Local Coordination Committees, a grassroots network of activists.
The LCC added that regime troops and rebel fighters of the Free Syrian Army also clashed in the Damascus district of Kfar Sousa.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported "dawn battles on the road south of Kfar Sousa, between rebel fighters and soldiers who were in a convoy passing through the area".
"I did not sleep all night," a resident of nearby Jaramana said. "It was a real war zone."
Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said he heard "rockets and shooting until the early hours of the morning," and that he saw four armoured vehicles heading towards the embattled areas.
One Tadamon resident said he did not leave the neighbourhood despite Sunday's violence.
According to the Observatory, unprecedentedly violent clashes broke out in Damascus on Sunday between rebels and regime troops. Amid army shelling, the bloodiest battles took place in the south of the capital.
Activists reported "tanks entering Tadamon and ensuing clashes."
Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said: "The most violent clashes took place in Tadamon, Kfar Sousa, Nahr Aisha and Sidi Qadad. The security forces are trying to reclaim these neighbourhoods but they have failed so far."
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
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Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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