Syrian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Walid Al Mualem addresses the United Nations General Assembly. Craig Ruttle/AP
Syrian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Walid Al Mualem addresses the United Nations General Assembly. Craig Ruttle/AP

Syria's foreign minister dismisses Syrian opposition at UN as 'not credible'



Jeers rang out as the Syrian foreign minister Walid Muallem left the podium of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday in a rare protest inside the world body.

Mr Muallem had used the platform to make remarks that appeared to undermine commitments to the UN’s Geneva negotiations with a claim that no opposition force existed that was a “credible partner” for peace.

The foreign minister’s address coincided with a meeting between Riad Hijab, the General Coordinator of the High Negotiations Committee, and Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations.

“What Muallem said is not just an attack on us, the opposition, but an attack on the entire international community,” said Bassam Barabandi, a spokesman for the opposition body. “We met this morning with Mr Guterres who said it is Geneva not Astana that is the process for negotiating peace and reconciliation and without that there can be no reconstruction.”

Just days after the opposition activist Orouba Barakat, 60, and her daughter Halla, 23, were found stabbed to death in an Istanbul flat, Mr Muallem warned the Turkish government that Damascus was ready to retaliate for its support for the opposition. “Turkey under Erdogan has taken aggressive policies as it labours under the illusion that it will serve Turkey’s agenda in Syria and the wider region,” he said. “Syria reserves the right to respond to any such aggression.”

While claiming Syria was ready to “scale up” internal reconciliation efforts, he said the deconfliction zones negotiated in Astana and elsewhere were a temporary standstill and not yet the basis of a lasting ceasefire.

Syria has been the subject of intense talks during the annual General Assembly. Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy met with Syrian opposition delegations as well as wider groups drawn from the community and with Mr Muallem.

Controversy dogged Mr Muallem too after he met with Jebran Bassil, the Lebanese foreign minister, triggering a row in Beirut that the encounter was normalising relations with the neighbouring regime.

“What we warned against — falling in the lap of the Syrian regime that is accused of the crime of eradication of its people — began to come to fruition,” said Akram Chehayeb, a Democratic Gathering MP in a statement.  “The photo that media outlets are circulating on the meeting with the foreign minister of the criminal regime in Damascus doesn’t align with working towards national unity, which we have called for and that we are working for.”

A joint delegation of civil society groups met with Mr De Mistura and warned against relying too much on the Astana talks to address the Syrian conflict, saying these had “hijacked” important issues like the release of detainees and the need for accountability on the forcibly disappeared.

“The delegation urged Mr De Mistura to reintegrate these issues into the Geneva process,” said a statement from the delegation, which included the Syrian Nonviolence Movement, the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations (UOSSM) and SAWA for Development and Aid. “De-escalation zones may provide hope for an end to violence. The Assad regime, and all those responsible for war crimes, should not be rewarded with funds for and control over reconstruction or early recovery.

The groups also called for the UN’s mechanism for consulting civil society — the Civil Society Support Room — to be restructured. The groups also called for the UN’s mechanism for consulting civil society — the Civil Society Support Room — to be restructured.

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Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Rating: 2/5
 
One in nine do not have enough to eat

Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.

One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.

The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.

Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.

It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.

On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.

Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.

 

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed 

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What is hepatitis?

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.

There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.

Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.

People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.

There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.

The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.

 

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
Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Cricket World Cup League 2

UAE squad

Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind

Fixtures

Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

The bio

Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.

Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.

Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.

Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.

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Directors: Raj & DK

Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon

Rating: 4/5