Perched in the family home of Omar Ismail is a photo of one of his sons, Dimokrat, wielding a heavy machinegun during the war against ISIS in northern Iraq in 2014.
Dimokrat volunteered with the Peshmerga, the armed forces of Iraq's Kurdish region, as the extremist group rapidly gained territory throughout the country and Syria. He survived the war to liberate Iraqi territory from ISIS and returned to civilian life, only to be killed in 2020 by a Turkish drone strike in his hometown of Sheladiz, in the mountainous far north of the Kurdish region, close to the border with Turkey.
He is one of many civilian casualties in the decades-long conflict between Turkey – one of Nato's most powerful members – and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an armed rebel group established in 1978 that says it seeks the independence of Kurds but is designated a terrorist organisation by Ankara, the EU, and the US.
The PKK has waged an armed insurgency against Ankara since 1984, largely from the mountains of Iraq's Kurdish region and south-eastern Turkey. After the collapse of numerous ceasefires between Turkey and the PKK, Ankara has increased the intensity of the war in recent years. Turkish outposts and bases dot the country's border with Iraq and the PKK has been pushed further underground due to increased bombardment.
The conflict has hit several towns hard, including Sheladiz, which is hemmed in by mountains. The PKK is believed to be in the valleys on one side of the town, its members using a series of tunnels and caves they have operated in for years, while Turkish military positions overlook the other side.
Dimokrat's father, Omar Ismail, and his eldest brother, Farsat Omar, also served in the Peshmerga.
“He came and joined the Peshmerga voluntarily,” says Mr Omar, who is still a force member.
Mr Ismail, now retired, has 10 sons and three daughters and lives with his wife, Gorch Ahmed. Joining the Peshmerga is one of the few ways for people in the economically deprived region to make a living and support a family.
About 30 million Kurds live in the Middle East, mainly in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. They are one of the world’s largest peoples without a state.
A town held captive
Dimokrat's hometown of Sheladiz is not the only town at the forefront of the conflict.
Mohammad Taha, a retired Peshmerga member who lives in Deraluk, a town about 15km west of Sheladiz, is among those affected by the conflict. Initially calm, it does not take much for Mr Taha to break down as he talks about the disappearance of his son, Redar.
Redar planned a fishing trip with three friends at a nearby gorge, “despite me telling him before not to go there”, Mr Taha says. The area was hit by an air strike, and family members who travelled to the site were told by the PKK that two people were killed and two injured. But only two bodies were found: Redar and one of his friends are still missing.
“Until now, we cannot find them,” Mr Taha says. “The KDP [ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party] is saying they were injured and taken by the PKK, but we have spoken to the PKK and they say they are not with them. They are missing.”
Mr Taha, a father of seven, says “we have a funeral every day at home”.
“Every time I remember him, me and my wife start to cry.”
As he spoke, smoke spiralled upwards from a rugged, vegetated slope near the town, marking the location of another drone strike by Turkey.
On top of the string of peaks closest to Deraluk, locals point to what they say are relatively new outposts erected by Turkey's military. Stuck in between are the residents of Deraluk who witness the daily air strikes. They have few economic opportunities and can no longer visit the mountains, where they once loved to spend time.
“Now we can’t even get out of the streets and go to the mountains,” says Barzan Jalal Nooraldin, 30, from his family home in the town.
Mr Nooraldin says the informal “green zone” areas, where civilians should theoretically be safe from Turkish areas of operation, are getting “smaller and smaller". He adds that “it's all because of Turkey and the PKK. Before, it was much better; people were much happier, and they could go to the mountains. Now, we are very restricted”.
“The atmosphere in the town makes people feel they cannot breathe, they cannot go anywhere, like they are in a prison. Especially in this area, the situation is very tense; it’s every day that they bomb the PKK,” explains Mr Nooraldin.
Displaced for decades
Grasping his staff, Sheikh Tahir Mohammad Hashim points to the mountains facing Deraluk, naming each village and the tribes that once lived there. The 81-year-old mosque imam comes from Rashava, a village directly behind the peaks he was gesturing at.
“We are all from the villages behind there,” he says, surrounded by fellow worshippers after leaving Deraluk's mosque.
“We can see every day air strikes hitting this mountain. Behind this mountain are all the villages of the different tribes,” he adds as he traces a line with his cane at the peaks only a few kilometres away.
He has seen a lot over the years, but not in his own village. His is one of about 200 villages in the border region to have been evacuated. He left Rashava in 1979 and has only been back twice since.
“Last time I went there, I cried because I couldn’t recognise anywhere in my village. It was all destroyed. I love my village,” he explains. “Kurdistan is gold, but it is not secure. We Kurds have been through a lot of bad times, from the past regime until now, we are suffering.”
A complicated relationship with the PKK
The impact of the conflict has hardened local attitudes towards the PKK.
While many expressed sympathy for Turkish Kurds and criticised the Turkish military strikes, they decried the PKK for bringing with it what they see as a foreign conflict that has forced them from their homes.
Mr Taha, the former Peshmerga soldier whose son disappeared after a Turkish drone strike in January 2019, says that “at the beginning we saw the PKK as Kurds, as friends, as Kurds from Turkey. But now they basically came, brought their fight to our villages, to our areas, to our land. Now I cannot go to my village”.
According to Farhad Mahmoud, the mayor of the border town of Batifa, it is particularly dangerous at night because this is when the PKK is most active. While Turkey has advanced technology, the darkness still makes it comparatively easy for the armed organisation to make moves.
“We ask for people to take their fight out of our land and homes. We feel humiliated; we are the only ones who are suffering the real harm. Our people cannot go back to their villages, and it is affecting our people a lot,” says Mr Mahmoud.
He comes from the Kurdistan Democratic Party, the autonomous region's largest party and the senior partner in the local government. It is known for holding much stronger anti-PKK views.
“The PKK would serve Kurdish interests if they went far from civilians, went far from our homes and villages, so people can go back. This is how they can serve the Kurds' interests. But now I don't THINK they are serving our interests,” says Mr Mahmoud.
This sentiment is echoed by Mr Tahir.
“At the beginning, when the PKK came, we didn’t have any problem with them because they are also Kurds," he says. "But now it’s not like before. As you see people are getting harmed because of the PKK.”
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Grand slam winners since July 2003
Who has won major titles since Wimbledon 2003 when Roger Federer won his first grand slam
Roger Federer 19 (8 Wimbledon, 5 Australian Open, 5 US Open, 1 French Open)
Rafael Nadal 16 (10 French Open, 3 US Open, 2 Wimbledon, 1 Australian Open)
Novak Djokovic 12 (6 Australian Open, 3 Wimbledon, 2 US Open, 1 French Open)
Andy Murray 3 (2 Wimbledon, 1 US Open)
Stan Wawrinka 3 (1 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 1 US Open)
Andy Roddick 1 (1 US Open)
Gaston Gaudio 1 (1 French Open)
Marat Safin 1 (1 Australian Open)
Juan Martin del Potro 1 (1 US Open)
Marin Cilic 1 (1 US Open)
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Handicap | US$135,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres
7.05pm: Handicap | $135,000 (Turf) | 1,200m
7.40pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes | Group 3 | $200,000 (T) | 2,000m
8.15pm: UAE Oaks | Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,900m
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile | Group 2 | $250,000 (T) | 1,600m
9.20pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
Medicus AI
Started: 2016
Founder(s): Dr Baher Al Hakim, Dr Nadine Nehme and Makram Saleh
Based: Vienna, Austria; started in Dubai
Sector: Health Tech
Staff: 119
Funding: €7.7 million (Dh31m)
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Favourite things
Luxury: Enjoys window shopping for high-end bags and jewellery
Discount: She works in luxury retail, but is careful about spending, waits for sales, festivals and only buys on discount
University: The only person in her family to go to college, Jiang secured a bachelor’s degree in business management in China
Masters: Studying part-time for a master’s degree in international business marketing in Dubai
Vacation: Heads back home to see family in China
Community work: Member of the Chinese Business Women’s Association of the UAE to encourage other women entrepreneurs
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Maestro
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBradley%20Cooper%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBradley%20Cooper%2C%20Carey%20Mulligan%2C%20Maya%20Hawke%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
%3Cp%3EThe%20Department%20of%20Culture%20and%20Tourism%20-%20Abu%20Dhabi%E2%80%99s%20Arabic%20Language%20Centre%20will%20mark%20International%20Women%E2%80%99s%20Day%20at%20the%20Bologna%20Children's%20Book%20Fair%20with%20the%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Translation%20Conference.%20Prolific%20Emirati%20author%20Noora%20Al%20Shammari%2C%20who%20has%20written%20eight%20books%20that%20%20feature%20in%20the%20Ministry%20of%20Education's%20curriculum%2C%20will%20appear%20in%20a%20session%20on%20Wednesday%20to%20discuss%20the%20challenges%20women%20face%20in%20getting%20their%20works%20translated.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
'Hocus%20Pocus%202'
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
SCORES
Yorkshire Vikings 144-1 in 12.5 overs
(Tom Kohler 72 not out, Harry Broook 42 not out)
bt Hobart Hurricanes 140-7 in 20 overs
(Caleb Jewell 38, Sean Willis 35, Karl Carver 2-29, Josh Shaw 2-39)
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
HOW TO WATCH
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The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
Points about the fast fashion industry Celine Hajjar wants everyone to know
- Fast fashion is responsible for up to 10 per cent of global carbon emissions
- Fast fashion is responsible for 24 per cent of the world's insecticides
- Synthetic fibres that make up the average garment can take hundreds of years to biodegrade
- Fast fashion labour workers make 80 per cent less than the required salary to live
- 27 million fast fashion workers worldwide suffer from work-related illnesses and diseases
- Hundreds of thousands of fast fashion labourers work without rights or protection and 80 per cent of them are women
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
