As-salamu alaykum - Al Shara to meet Putin in Moscow, plus regional and travel snippets
As-salamu alaykum - quick roundup and a few thoughts, keeping it simple.
Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday, Syria’s state news agency says. This will be his first trip to Russia since his forces helped remove Bashar Al Assad last year. There was supposed to be a Russian-Arab summit this week, but Mr Putin said it would be pushed back because of urgent events after a ceasefire in Gaza took effect. Syrian state TV said Mr Al Shara will still go ahead with the visit even though the summit is delayed.
They’re expected to talk about regional and global developments and ways Syria and Russia can work together, according to Sana and the Syrian president’s office. Besides that, Russia’s bases in Syria and the fact that Moscow has hosted members of the old ruling family will likely come up. Russia was a major backer of Assad, who left for Moscow after being ousted in December, and it has big military interests in Syria. The Russian navy base at Tartous and the air base at Hmeimim outside Latakia are important for Moscow’s operations, including missions farther away in places like Africa.
Since Mr Assad’s departure, protecting those bases is now a key part of Russia’s Syria policy. In January, Russia even floated the idea of turning them into “humanitarian hubs.” Moscow has tried to keep ties with the new Syrian authorities despite Mr Al Shara leading the offensive that toppled the old regime. Russia has already offered diplomatic support to Damascus over Israeli strikes and internal tensions. Russian FM Sergey Lavrov recently said Moscow wants to keep its presence in Syria and that his role there may need “reconfiguring” now that they’re not providing direct military support against the opposition. One other big point is the question of Mr Assad’s stay in Russia - Syrian authorities issued an arrest warrant accusing him of murder and torture, but it’s unclear how effective that will be, since many senior figures from the old regime remain in Russia.
Switching topics - India’s RuPay card scheme, backed by the Reserve Bank of India, connects banks and merchants for card payments. It’s grown fast in India and competes with global networks like MasterCard and Visa. People use it at ATMs, online, and for transit or tolls in some places. The name mixes rupee and payment, and one benefit is generally lower processing fees.
Film note: Starring Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla. Director Raed Zeno. Rating: 4/5.
Car bits: A 2.0-litre 4‑cyl turbo with 261hp at 5,500rpm, 405Nm torque from 1,750–3,500rpm, 9-speed auto, fuel use about 6.9L/100km, on sale now from Dh117,059. Also the Nissan 370Z Nismo: 3.7‑litre V6, seven-speed auto, 363hp, torque 560Nm, price around Dh184,500.
UAE currency notes and coins mentioned are Dh5, Dh10, Dh20, Dh50 and the usual coins.
Youth football: Under‑12 – Minerva Academy, Under‑14 – Unam Pumas, Under‑16 – Fursan Hispania, Under‑18 – Madenat.
Travel info: Emirates fly direct from Dubai to Houston, where United connect on to Managua. From October, Iberia will have Madrid–Managua links; Madrid is reachable from Abu Dhabi with Etihad or from Dubai with Emirates. Geodyssey’s 15-night Nicaragua trip visits Leon, Granada, villages, Ometepe island and varied scenery - wildlife, history, crafts and more. Price example from Dh18,500 per person sharing, including transfers and tours but not international flights. If you travel from the Gulf, look for halal meal options and prayer facilities at airports and on some airlines.
Expo 2020 Dubai was the first World Expo in the MEASA region, running from Oct 20, 2020 to Apr 10, 2021, expecting about 25 million visits and many international guests. The site covered roughly 4.38 sq km near Al Maktoum International Airport and required a large volunteer force.
Another trip note: There are direct Dubai–Sofia flights with FlyDubai and Wizz Air (prices varied). Plovdiv is about 150km from Sofia, with hourly buses taking ~2 hours. The Rhodope mountains are reachable in 2–4 hours. Guided mountain trips that include guiding, lodging and food can cost around $170 for four days.
On the pandemic and politics: Some countries face tough choices with lockdowns, and leaders have to bring people along to new policies. There were various op-eds and commentary pieces on vaccine science, policy and social issues - think pieces on climate leadership, women on the frontlines, fair compensation for spouses doing housework, and social attitudes that affect public health.
Other items: Falcon demand is driving illegal bird smuggling in the region; customs have found smuggling vests used to hide ivory on planes. Several editorials and columnists have written about science, vaccines and how countries are faring in the pandemic. Bahrain approved Pfizer‑BioNTech vaccine use; Abu Dhabi relaxed 14‑day quarantine rules for vaccinated flyers. General safety tips: use only regulated platforms, stop dealings if you suspect fraud, keep evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs), report to local authorities and warn others.
A quick history note: the Nobel Prize was established by Alfred Nobel, a Swedish chemist and industrialist.
Sports: UEFA Champions League final listed as Real Madrid v Liverpool at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev (May 26, timed for UAE viewers). Match score snippets from other games showed Bournemouth 2 (Wilson 70', Ibe 74') and Arsenal 1 (Bellerin 52').
May Allah make things easy for those affected by conflict and travel, and guide leaders to seek justice and peace. If you want any one of these items expanded into a short post or local-friendly blurb (e.g., travel tips with prayer times and halal food pointers), tell me which and I’ll write it up.
https://www.thenationalnews.co