DEIR EZZOR: After breaking a Daesh blockade, the Syrian regime’s army is seeking to encircle the remaining terrorist-held parts of Deir Ezzor city, a military source said Wednesday.
The city is the capital of oil-rich eastern Deir Ezzor province, regarded as a strategic prize by both Russian-backed Syrian regime troops and US-backed fighters.
In Damascus Wednesday, President Bashar Assad said the country was “advancing steadily toward victory thanks to the sacrifices of its army, the determination of its people and the support of its allies,” state news agency SANA said.
Last week, the Syrian regime army and allied fighters broke a yearslong Daesh siege of Deir Ezzor, entering two regime-held sections of the city that had been cut off from each other.
Since then, the army has brought reinforcements to the city and is seeking to oust Daesh from eastern neighborhoods that run along the Euphrates river, which slices diagonally through the province.
“The army is seeking to encircle Daesh from three sides by controlling the parts of the western bank of the Euphrates river,” the source told AFP.
Troops would target riverside territory on the city’s northwestern edges as well as strategic areas on its southern outskirts, including the key military airport and the village of Al-Jafra, on the banks of the Euphrates.
The operation seeks to “oust Daesh from the city and the province completely,” the military source said.
Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor, also reported that “fierce fighting has been ongoing since yesterday as the army seeks to expel the militants and reach the western bank of the Euphrates.”
If the army captures Al-Jafra, “Deir Ezzor will be encircled from three sides, so Daesh will have no way out except the Euphrates which is within firing range of regime artillery and Russian warplanes,” he added.
As the Syrian army backed by Russian air support battles Daesh in Deir Ezzor, a separate offensive by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces is under way on the eastern side of the province.
The operation by the alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters began over the weekend, but the SDF has said it was not coordinating the fight with the regime.
Airstrikes by Russian and US-led coalition warplanes in support of the separate offensives have killed dozens of civilians in recent days.
On Wednesday, the Observatory said suspected US-led coalition strikes on several parts of eastern Deir Ezzor province overnight and throughout the day killed 12 people.
On Tuesday, the monitor reported 35 people killed in Russian and US-led strikes on either side of the Euphrates.
More than 330,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-regime protests.
In a separate development, Tehran has signed several agreements with its ally Damascus to improve the production and distribution of electricity in war-ravaged Syria, officials in Iran and Syrian state media said Wednesday.
The deals were signed in Tehran by Syrian Electricity Minister Mohammed Zuhair Kharboutli and Sattar Mahmoudi, the acting head of Iran’s energy ministry, the sources said.
Mahmoudi, in statements published on the ministry’s website, said the deals to rebuild Syria’s electricity infrastructure damaged during the country’s six-year war were worth “several hundred million euros (dollars).”
Syrian troops try to encircle Daesh in Deir Ezzor
Syrian troops try to encircle Daesh in Deir Ezzor
Oil Updates – prices little changed as market weighs mixed drivers
SINGAPORE: Oil prices held steady for a second day on Wednesday as concerns about escalating hostilities in the Ukraine war potentially disrupting oil supply from Russia and signs of growing Chinese crude imports offset data showing US crude stocks rising.
Brent crude futures dipped 5 cents to $73.26 a barrel by 8:41 a.m. Saudi time. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures was flat at $69.39 per barrel.
The escalating war between major oil producer Russia and Ukraine has kept a floor under the market this week.
“We may expect (Brent) oil prices to stay supported above the $70 level for now, as market participants continue to monitor the geopolitical developments,” said Yeap Jun Rong, market strategist at IG.
On Tuesday, Ukraine used US ATACMS missiles to strike Russian territory for the first time, Moscow said. Russian President Vladimir Putin lowered the bar for a possible nuclear attack.
“This marks a renewed build up in tensions in the Russia-Ukraine war and brings back into focus the risk of supply disruptions in the oil market,” ANZ analysts said in a note to clients.
On the demand side, US crude oil stocks rose by 4.75 million barrels in the week ended Nov. 15, market sources said on Tuesday, citing American Petroleum Institute figures.
That was a bigger build than the 100,000 barrel increase analysts polled by Reuters were expecting.
Gasoline inventories, however, fell by 2.48 million barrels, compared with analysts’ expectations for a 900,000-barrel increase.
Distillate stocks also fell, shedding 688,000 barrels last week, the sources said.
Official government data is due later on Wednesday.
In a boost to oil price sentiment, there were signs that China, the world’s largest crude importer, may have stepped up oil purchases this month after a period of weak imports.
Data from vessel tracker Kpler showed China’s crude imports are on track to end November at or close to record highs, an analyst told Reuters.
Weak imports by China so far this year have pulled down oil prices, with Brent sinking 20 percent from its April peak of more than $92 a barrel.
6 things we learned from the latest 2026 World Cup Asian qualifiers
- We are bringing you instead of the usual five things we learned from a breathless eight hours or so of action across Asia, we are bringing you five
Tuesday saw a fitting end to this year’s 2026 World Cup qualification matches. It had everything — so much so, we are bringing you that instead of the usual five things we learned from a breathless eight hours or so of action across Asia, we are bringing you five.
No “new manager bounce” and no complaints for Saudi Arabia
Indonesia’s 2-0 win over the Green Falcons — their first — came as no big surprise, given the 1-1 draw in Jeddah back in September. But the fact this was a deserved victory for the hosts was worrying.
When Herve Renard was brought back last month, it was hoped he’d bring with him some of the old magic from the 2022 tournament qualifiers. But it there was a sign of it in last week’s 0-0 draw in Australia, there was none in Jakarta.
Indonesia hit the post in the opening minute and seemed more energetic, more determined and more prepared for the following 90 or so. There were queries about a few refereeing decisions, but that is not why Indonesia won. They were the better team.
No Al-Dawsari — no creativity, no goals
The defeat means there have been three goals scored in six games, two from the head of Hassan Kadesh in China. There have been none in the last four and little threat of any.
The injury to Salem Al-Dawsari, whose status as the country’s best player is reinforced in his absence, was felt deeply. There was nobody to get their foot on the ball, nobody able to run at the defense and nobody who could find that killer pass. There were far too many aimless crosses into the area.
Saudi Arabia perhaps underestimated Indonesia, who were much improved and had a clear game plan.
Luck still on the Saudi side
At this stage in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Saudi Arabia had 16 points. They currently have six. Last time, there was a sense they were on the march to Qatar. That’s not the case now. Such results four years ago would have meant that famous win against Argentina never happened.
But it is not over by a long shot. The bright spot is that with Japan running away with one of the top two automatic qualification places, no other team is managing to win much either.
Renard will have been relieved Australia did not taste victory in Bahrain to go three points clear in second; their 2-2 draw means the Socceroos have seven points and the rest — Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, China and Bahrain — are all on six.
The group could not be tighter and, while exciting for the neutral, Saudi Arabian fans will be expecting an improvement in 2025.
Bahrain in late drama again
In a dramatic encounter, Bahrain drew 2-2 with Australia. It is hard to say how the two teams will feel about the result but, for the third time in four home games, there was huge excitement late on. The Reds left it until deep into injury time to get a point against Indonesia in October, and had a late goal disallowed against China only to lose in added time.
This was even more exciting. When Kusini Yengi put Australia ahead in the opening minute, it looked as if the Socceroos would get revenge for their home defeat in September. But then came two goals in three second-half minutes from Mahdi Abduljabbar, putting Bahrain on the brink of a famous victory and into second place in the group. However, Yengi struck again, 95 minutes after his first. The spoils were shared and a tight group got tighter still.
Five-star UAE dash Qatar’s automatic dreams
Two teams with seven points apiece met in Abu Dhabi. Both expected a tight encounter but it proved anything but — the UAE thrashed Qatar, the Asian champions, 5-0. It was a stunning victory and a stunning performance from Fabio Lima, who scored all but one against a hapless Qatari defense.
The signs were there, with 12 goals conceded from the first five games, but there were huge gaps for the hosts to enjoy themselves just as they did with that 3-1 away win on the opening day.
With three away games to come for the UAE this was a must win, keeping them in the hunt for second, three points behind Uzbekistan who beat North Korea 1-0. Qatar are surely out of the running as they trail by six points with just four games remaining. If the 2022 World Cup hosts are going to qualify, they will have to do it the hard way.
Palestine frustrate the stars of Korea, Iraq moving smoothly
For the second time in two months, Palestine held the mighty South Korea to a draw. It was 0-0 in Seoul and 1-1 in Amman, and both results were a credit to their spirit, determination and skill.
Zaid Al Qunbar opened the scoring after 12 minutes, capitalizing on a mistake from Bayern Munich’s Kim Min-jae. Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min soon equalized, but that was that. This was not one-way traffic; Palestine, playing in front of a largely empty stadium, gave as good as they got and are just three points off fourth.
Iraq, meanwhile, picked up a 1-0 win in Oman to move two points clear of Jordan in third. It is the kind of quiet victory that takes teams to the World Cup. There is still work to do — but the same can be said of all but two or three teams out of the 18.
2025 will be unmissable.
Kerry Washington hits the red carpet in Elie Saab
DUBAI: US actress Kerry Washington showed off a gown by Elie Saab in Hollywood this week, while Jennifer Lopez opted for a look by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad.
Washington and Lopez attended the 2024 Governors Awards in Los Angeles in their chosen Lebanese designs, with the former opting for an off-white gown from Saab’s Spring/ Summer 2024 Couture line and the latter showing off a beaded number from Murad’s Fall/Winter 2024 Couture collection.
Lopez accessorized with a Tyler Ellis bag, while Washington went for jewelry by British label Anabela Chan to complement the gem-encrusted neckline of her gown.
Lopez made the red carpet appearance fresh off a stint in Riyadh, where she performed at Elie Saab’s 45th anniversary show.
The songstress hit the stage in Saudi Arabia on Nov. 13 alongside Celine Dion, Halle Berry, Camila Cabello, Nancy Ajram and Amr Diab.
Opening the show was none other than Hollywood actress Berry wearing the same Elie Saab gown she wore when she won her first Oscar in 2002, making her the first Black woman to win the award for Best Actress.
Prior to the show, Berry was seen on the red carpet talking about how this was her first time meeting Saab in person, “That was the highlight of this trip for me to finally meet this man who I have been inextricably connected to for 22 years, and to give him a hug and tell him thank you.”
Celebrity stylist Law Roach, known for styling Hollywood A-listers like Zendaya, Anya Taylor Joy, Bella Hadid, and Celine Dion, talked to Arab News about Elie Saab’s ability to transcend eras.
“Elie Saab is one of the few couturiers whose clothes can be passed down to generations and generations and be reinterpreted.”
“Maybe someone got married in it (a dress), and maybe generations down the granddaughter of someone gets married in the same dress, it has that possibility of just being timeless and forever,” he said.
The evening was attended by more than 1,000 guests, including Egyptian actress Youssra; Italian star Monica Bellucci; British models Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Poppy Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn; supermodels Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel and Helena Christensen; and Arab actresses Nadine Njeim, Cyrine Abdel Nour, and Tara Emad.
Washington says working with Pakistan to enhance civilian and military anti-terror capabilities
- Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has seen surge in militant attacks in recent months
- Southwestern province of Balochistan has also seen increase in strikes by separatist ethnic militants this year
ISLAMABAD: US State Department Spokesman Matthew Miller said this week Washington was working closely with Pakistan to enhance the counterterrorism capabilities of its civilian and military agencies, amid a rise in militancy in the South Asian nation.
Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province has seen a surge in militant attacks in recent months, which Islamabad says are mostly carried out by Afghan nationals and their facilitators and by Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups who cross over into Pakistan using safe haven in Afghanistan. The Taliban government in Kabul denies the charges, saying Pakistan’s security challenges are a domestic issue.
The remote southwestern province of Balochistan has also seen an increase in strikes by separatist ethnic militants this year.
“We continue to have an important bilateral counterterrorism partnership with the Government of Pakistan, and it includes regular high-level dialogues and working level consultations dedicated to enhancing both civilian and military capabilities to detect and counter these type of threats,” Miller said at a press briefing on Tuesday evening.
Responding to a question about media reports that eight Pakistani soldiers had been killed in the country’s northwest, and seven police officers abducted near the Afghan border, Miller said the US “condemned these and all terrorist attacks.”
“I would just say, as these horrific attacks against the Pakistani people continue, we remain committed to engaging with government leaders and civilian institutions to identify opportunities to build capacity in detecting, preventing, and responding to threats posed by militant terrorist groups,” the spokesman added.
On Tuesday, Pakistan said it had approved a “comprehensive military operation” against separatist militant groups operating in Balochistan. The government did not provide any details of the military operation such as when it would be launched and in which parts of the province and which security agencies would participate.
Saudi Arabia raises $910m in November sukuk offering
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s National Debt Management Center has completed its riyal-denominated sukuk issuance for November, raising SR3.41 billion ($910 million), a 28.19 percent year-on-year increase.
In October, the Kingdom issued sukuk worth SR7.83 billion, while the figures for September and August were SR2.6 billion and SR6.01 billion, respectively.
Sukuk, also known as Islamic bonds, are Shariah-compliant debt products that allow investors to gain partial ownership of an issuer’s assets until maturity.
Saudi Arabia’s consistent sukuk issuances align with a report released by Moody’s in September, which stated that the global markets for these Islamic bonds are expected to remain strong in 2024.
The report also projected that the issuance of Shariah-compliant bonds could reach between $200 billion and $210 billion this year, up from just under $200 billion in 2023.
According to a statement by the NDMC, the November sukuk issuance was divided into five tranches. The first tranche, valued at SR2.52 billion, is set to mature in 2029.
The second tranche was valued at SR434 million and will mature in 2031, while the third tranche amounted to SR137 million, with a maturity date in 2034.
NDMC stated that the fourth tranche, sized at SR10 million, is scheduled to mature in 2036. The fifth tranche, valued at SR310 million, will mature in 2039.
A report by Fitch Ratings in October highlighted that sukuk issuances are on the rise, driven by improving financing conditions following the US Federal Reserve’s rate cuts to 5 percent in September.
Fitch noted that global sukuk outstanding reached $900 billion by the end of the third quarter of 2024, an 8.5 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023.
The report further projected that interest rates could decline to 4.5 percent by the end of 2024 and 3.5 percent in 2025, likely boosting sukuk issuances in the short term.
In August, Fitch reported that the UK remains a significant hub for Islamic finance, with the London Stock Exchange ranking as the third-largest listing venue for US dollar sukuk globally.
Saudi Arabia’s continued momentum in sukuk issuances reflects its commitment to developing the Islamic finance market as a core component of its Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy.
