Syrian troops try to encircle Daesh in Deir Ezzor

Smoke rises from buildings in the area of Bughayliyah, on the northern outskirts of Deir Ezzor on Wednesday, as Syrian forces advance during their ongoing battle against the Daesh group. (AFP)
Updated 14 September 2017
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Syrian troops try to encircle Daesh in Deir Ezzor

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).”


Mona Tougaard shines in new Versace campaign

Updated 11 min 28 sec ago
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Mona Tougaard shines in new Versace campaign

DUBAI: Model Mona Tougaard showed off the new Versace collection this week as she starred in the luxury fashion house’s latest campaign.

Tougaard, who has Danish, Turkish, Somali and Ethiopian ancestry, was seen on video reclining on a deep orange sofa, her hair styled in a sleek, straight look with blunt bangs.

She wore a two-piece ensemble combining various textures and patterns.

A lilac-toned sequined crop top featured delicate yellow floral embroidery, thin straps and a plunging neckline. The skirt, in rich brown satin, had an intricate overlay of cream floral lace.

Accessories include oversized engraved gold rings with motifs such as the Versace Medusa emblem and baroque-inspired designs. Others had sculpted leaves and swirling patterns.

Also highlighted was a bold red handbag with intricate silver embroidery and a gold medallion clasp, with the Versace logo prominently displayed.

Tougaard wore a rich navy look, featuring a shaggy-textured coat draped over matching velvet pants. (Supplied)

Tougaard’s footwear included a pair of sparkling crystal-embellished heels in a soft mint green shade, with a delicate ankle strap featuring a silver buckle and a sharply pointed toe.

Tougaard started her modeling career in 2017 after winning the Elite Model Look Denmark competition at the age of 15. Since then, she has become a well-known figure in the fashion industry, working with top designers and luxury brands including Prada, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Chanel and Valentino.

The catwalk star has had a whirlwind month, gracing the runway during New York Fashion Week in the Tory Burch Fall/Winter 2025 show.

She sported a look in rich navy, including a shaggy-textured coat draped over matching velvet pants.

A structured scarf was wrapped around her shoulders, secured with a gold pin. The look was completed with glossy pointed-toe shoes and she carried a slouchy black leather handbag with soft folds and a long strap.

In January, she was part of the Schiaparelli Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2025 show at Paris Fashion Week, when she wore a halter-neck dress with a sheer, form-fitting bodice that transitioned into a voluminous skirt with meticulously folded fabric. The gunmetal shade accentuated the texture of the design.

“This dress is a literal masterpiece,” she wrote on Instagram, sharing a video of herself on the runway. “I’m completely lost for words.”


Trump bashes Zelensky, ‘confident’ on Ukraine deal

Updated 16 min 35 sec ago
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Trump bashes Zelensky, ‘confident’ on Ukraine deal

  • Zelensky previously criticized the US-Russia talks for excluding Kyiv, saying efforts to end the war must be “fair and involve European countries

PALM BEACH: US President Donald Trump has effectively blamed Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky for Russia’s invasion, as French President Emmanuel Macron prepares for another round of talks with EU and non-European partners on Wednesday.
Zelensky previously criticized the US-Russia talks for excluding Kyiv, saying efforts to end the war must be “fair and involve European countries.
The Ukrainian leader’s comments appeared to incense Trump, who launched a series of verbal attacks on Zelensky.
“I’m very disappointed, I hear that they’re upset about not having a seat,” Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Tuesday.
“Today I heard, ‘oh, well, we weren’t invited.’ Well, you’ve been there for three years... You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.”
Trump also suggested he could meet Russian President Vladimir Putin before the end of the month in Saudi Arabia as he overhauls Washington’s stance toward Moscow — a shift that has alarmed European leaders.
Earlier Tuesday, Russia and the United States had agreed to establish teams to negotiate a path to ending the war in Ukraine after talks that drew a strong rebuke from Kyiv, with Zelensky postponing his own trip to Saudi Arabia.
France’s Macron announced another meeting in Paris on Ukraine after the US-Russia talks, adding that Trump “can restart a useful dialogue” with Putin.
Trump also increased pressure on Zelensky to hold elections — echoing one of Moscow’s key demands.
Trump wants Ukraine election
Asked whether the United States would support demands that Russia wanted to force Zelensky to hold new elections as part of any deal, Trump began by criticizing what he said were the Ukrainian’s approval ratings.
“They want a seat at the table, but you could say... wouldn’t the people of Ukraine have a say? It’s been a long time since we’ve had an election,” said Trump.
“That’s not a Russian thing, that’s something coming from me, from other countries.”
Zelensky was elected in 2019 for a five-year term, but has remained in office as Ukraine is still under martial law.
Trump’s latest remarks are unlikely to allay fears among some European leaders, already worried that Washington will make serious concessions to Moscow and re-write the continent’s security arrangement in a Cold War-style deal.
Washington noted European nations would have to have a seat at the negotiating table “at some point.”
The US-Russia talks — the first high-level official talks between the two countries since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine — drew a fiery response from Kyiv.
“This will only be feeding Putin’s appetite,” a Ukrainian senior official requesting anonymity told AFP, referring to the launch of talks without Ukraine.
Trump for his part said he was “much more confident” of a deal after the Riyadh talks, telling reporters Tuesday at his Mar-a-Lago estate: “I think I have the power to end this war.”
’Heard each other’
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed to “appoint respective high-level teams to begin working on a path to ending the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible,” the State Department said.
Washington added that the sides had also agreed to “establish a consultation mechanism” to address “irritants” to the US-Russia relationship, noting the sides would lay the groundwork for future cooperation.
Riyadh marks a diplomatic coup for Moscow, which had been isolated for three years under the previous US administration of Joe Biden.
Moscow’s economic negotiator, Kirill Dmitriev, said Western attempts to isolate Russia had “obviously failed.”
“We did not just listen but heard each other, and I have reason to believe the American side has better understood our position,” Lavrov told reporters.
The veteran diplomat noted that Russia opposed any deployment of NATO-nation troops to Ukraine as part of an eventual ceasefire.
European allies publicly diverged this week over whether they would be open to sending truce peacekeepers to Ukraine.
Macron, in an interview with French regional newspapers, appeared open to the idea of sending troops to Ukraine but only in the most limited fashion and away from conflict zones.
He said new talks would take place “with several European and non-European states,” after an emergency meeting on Monday in Paris which brought together a small number of key European countries.
Moscow has long called for the withdrawal of NATO forces from eastern Europe, viewing the alliance as an existential threat on its flank.
The Kremlin on Tuesday said Ukraine had the right to join the European Union, but not the NATO military alliance.
It also said Putin was “ready” to negotiate with Zelensky “if necessary.”


Qatar commits to investing $10bn in India

Updated 49 min 16 sec ago
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Qatar commits to investing $10bn in India

NEW DELHI: Qatar has committed to investing $10 billion in India across various sectors, the two nations said in a joint statement on Tuesday, after Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani visited New Delhi.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had a “very productive meeting” with Qatar’s Emir, who was on a two-day visit to New Delhi.

“Trade featured prominently in our talks. We want to increase and diversify India-Qatar trade linkages,” Modi said in a post on X. It was the first such visit by a Qatari Emir to the South Asian nation in 10 years.

According to the statement, Qatar will invest $10 billion in India in infrastructure, technology, manufacturing, food security, logistics, hospitality and other sectors.

The two countries will aim to double their annual trade to $28 billion in the next five years and are exploring the signing of a free trade agreement, the Indian foreign ministry said earlier in the day.

Bilateral trade between the two nations stood at $18.77 billion in the fiscal year that ended in March 2023, mainly comprising liquefied natural gas imports from Qatar.

Qatar accounted for more than 48 percent of India’s LNG imports that year.

The two sides said they would work to enhance bilateral energy cooperation, including mutual investments in energy infrastructure, as well as look at settlement of bilateral trade in their respective currencies. 


Bangladesh clashes leave nearly 150 students injured

Updated 50 min 57 sec ago
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Bangladesh clashes leave nearly 150 students injured

DHAKA: More than 150 students have been injured in Bangladesh during clashes at a university campus, a sign of serious discord between groups instrumental in fomenting a national revolution last year.
Tuesday afternoon’s clashes began after the youth wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) sought to recruit students at the Khulna University of Engineering and Technology in the country’s southwest.
That sparked a confrontation with campus members of Students Against Discrimination, a protest group that led the uprising that ousted autocratic ex-premier Sheikh Hasina last August.
At least 50 people were taken for treatment after the skirmish, Khulna police officer Kabir Hossain told AFP.
“The situation is now under control, and an extra contingent of police has been deployed,” he added.
Communications student Jahidur Rahman told AFP that those hospitalized had injuries from thrown bricks and “sharp weapons,” and that around 100 others had suffered minor injuries.
Footage of the violence showing rival groups wielding scythes and machetes, along with injured students being carted to hospital for treatment, was widely shared on Facebook.
Both groups blamed the other for starting the violence, with the BNP student wing chief Nasir Uddin Nasir accusing members of Islamist political party Jamaat of agitating the situation to force a confrontation.
Jamaat activists “created this unwarranted clash,” he told AFP.
Local student Obayed Ullah told AFP that the BNP had defied a decision by the campus to remain free of activities by established political parties.
He added that there was “no presence” of Jamaat on campus.
The incident provoked outrage among students elsewhere in the country, with a protest rally held late Tuesday night to condemn the BNP’s youth wing at Dhaka University.
Students Against Discrimination launched protests last year that toppled Bangladesh’s former government and chased ex-leader Hasina into exile after 15 years of iron-fisted rule.
Activists from the BNP joined with student protesters in the final days of Hasina’s tenure, defying a bloody crackdown by security forces that killed hundreds.
The BNP is widely expected to win fresh elections slated to be held by the middle of next year under the supervision of the South Asian country’s current caretaker administration.
Student leaders have meanwhile struggled to parley their success in engineering Hasina’s fall into a durable political force.


Carnival of cricket awaits as ICC Champions Trophy 2025 kicks off in Karachi

Updated 52 min 12 sec ago
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Carnival of cricket awaits as ICC Champions Trophy 2025 kicks off in Karachi

  • Pakistan ends 30 year wait for an international team with home team taking on New Zealand at the National Stadium

KARACHI: Landing in Karachi yesterday morning, the excitement was palpable. The city has been transformed into a carnival of cricket, with banners on buildings and faces beaming with anticipation.

There were concerns about the readiness of the venues, but the National Stadium has been renovated in a short space of time. It stands ready for its moment in the spotlight.

Today, when Pakistan faces New Zealand in the tournament opener, it will be more than just another cricket match. It will be the end of a 30-year wait to host a major tournament. A generation of cricket fans can finally get behind their stars on the big stage at home.

The lead up to the tournament has involved many challenges, not least India’s unwillingness to travel to Pakistan. Eventually, the parties compromised and settled on a hybrid option. But even this does not seem to have dampened the spirit in Pakistan.

Praise is due to Wasim Khan, a man who will be at the stadium for the opening match in his current role with the ICC. As CEO of the Pakistan Cricket Board until September 2021, he laid the foundation for the country to host this trophy. His advocacy and relationships were vital in the convincing the world Pakistan could step up as host, and the next few weeks will be a statement that it is back and ready.

Turning to matters on the pitch, who are the favorites and which players will shine? In my opinion, this is one of the most open tournaments in recent memory. Over 19 action-packed days, eight of cricket's finest men’s teams will battle it out in what promises to be a fascinating sprint format which leaves little room for error.

The tournament’s compact nature is its secret weapon. Unlike the marathon of a World Cup, the 19day timeframe means teams need to hit the ground running. One bad day could spell a disastrous exit from the competition; a moment of brilliance could change fortunes. 

The eight teams are split into two groups. Group A features Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and New Zealand, whilst Group B throws together Australia, England, Afghanistan and South Africa. Each team faces their group opponents once, with the top two from each advancing to the semifinals.

What makes this edition particularly compelling is the level playing field. Australia, typically a powerhouse, enters the tournament without their first-choice pace attack — Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are managing injuries, while Mitchell Starc has withdrawn. Add to this the loss of Mitch Marsh with a back issue and, suddenly, the defending ODI world champions look vulnerable, although they should never be ruled out.

The tournament’s split hosting between Pakistan and Dubai adds another fascinating layer. India’s matches are all scheduled for Dubai, creating an interesting dynamic where they will enjoy significant support without the pressure of home conditions. The Dubai International Cricket Stadium has become something of a second home for Indian cricket, potentially giving them a subtle edge. This, coupled with their depth and spinning options, makes them slight favorites.

England’s aggressive brand of cricket makes them dangerous but unpredictable in this format, while New Zealand can never be discounted. Pakistan, playing mostly at home, will be formidable, and South Africa’s bowling attack makes them serious contenders. Afghanistan, with their spin-heavy attack, feel ever closer to a big moment.

Only Bangladesh, struggling to find consistency at the top level, seem out of their depth. Nevertheless, in a 19-day tournament where momentum is everything, even they could string together three good days and find themselves in a semifinal.

In terms of players to look out for, I expect Jake Fraser-McGurk to announce himself as cricket’s next superstar. The tournament format suits his aggressive style perfectly. Noor Ahmed, well-travelled in the franchise leagues at 20 years of age, might finally make his mark in this format.

The injury-hit Australian pace attack opens the door for their next generation. I will be watching to see if Spencer Johnson becomes this tournament’s surprise package. Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi, especially in home conditions, could make the difference in tight matches.

This Champions Trophy feels different. The compressed schedule, the split venues and no standout team has created perfect conditions for drama. On March 9, we will have the answer. As of now, any of seven teams could realistically lift the trophy.

Holders Pakistan have a team with determination in their eyes and can feel the energy of a nation willing them on.

When the first ball is bowled at the National Stadium, it will not just be about cricket. It will be about redemption, coming home, a nation’s love affair with a sport that never wavered, even in the darkest times. As the sun set over Karachi last night, casting long shadows across the practice nets where a few children still played, it was difficult not to feel that something magical was about to unfold.

For now, though, the city holds its breath, waiting for the start. Cricket is coming home and Karachi is ready to welcome it with open arms.