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Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Syria's Sharaa: from jihadist to statesman
Syria's Sharaa: from jihadist to statesman (Image: AP) DAMASCUS: From wanted jihadist to statesman embraced by world leaders, Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has undergone a stunning transformation in just six months since ousting long time strongman Bashar al-Assad. Born in 1982, Sharaa abandoned his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, trimmed his thick beard and swapped fatigues for a suit and tie since his Islamist coalition of forces seized Damascus on December 8. He was proclaimed interim president the following month, and later tasked with leading his country through a five-year transitional period under a temporary constitution that experts and rights groups said concentrates power in his hands. Appearing calm and soft-spoken, Sharaa has sought to shed many of the attributes that once defined him. Gone is the shadowy persona associated with a single mugshot released at the height of the US-led war in Iraq following his capture there by American forces. Videos posted online in recent weeks have shown him, a tall man, playing basketball in a shirt and tie alongside his foreign minister. Others show him driving his car in Damascus, or eating in a working-class restaurant to cheers from passers-by. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Esta pastilla olvidada limpia las venas a un ritmo impresionante NEWSCASA Undo "I think he has succeeded in his transformation," said Jerome Drevon, a specialist in Islamist militancy at the International Crisis Group. In a matter of months, Sharaa has visited Europe and been "accepted on the whole in the (Middle East) region -- even by countries like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia that are not at all supporters of Islamists, much less jihadists", he added. The reception Sharaa has received demonstrates "a real recognition of the new authorities", he told AFP. No alternative On Sharaa's first trip to the West last month, he met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. Just a week later during a trip to Riyadh, he shook hands with US President Donald Trump who announced Washington would lift sanctions on Syria, a triumph for the new authorities. Trump described Sharaa as a "young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter." Sharaa remains under United Nations sanctions and a travel ban, and must request an exemption for all foreign trips. Drevon said that Arab and Western countries had made a pragmatic choice by supporting the young leader. "There are still security problems, there are tensions inside the country, but I think that most foreign countries recognise that right now, there is no alternative," he said. Sharaa has set up in what was once Assad's presidential palace overlooking Damascus, receiving a steady stream of senior foreign officials. During a Muslim holiday around two months ago, he and his wife Latifa al-Droubi, who now appears with him in public on occasion, welcomed Syrian orphans there. While seeking to distance himself from his guerrilla past, he has sought to extract political capital from his rebel roots. Last week, he presided over a cabinet meeting, saying: "We came to power through revolution -- we aren't used to luxurious palaces." "Until two years ago, I didn't even have an office. We used to meet in the car, on the street, under an olive tree," he added, referring to his time in the former rebel bastion of Idlib in northwestern Syria. Pragmatic radical In January, authorities announced the dissolution of all armed groups, including Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which led the lightning offensive that toppled Assad. HTS was known as the Al-Nusra Front before it broke ties with the Al-Qaeda jihadist network in 2016. Sharaa is "a pragmatic radical", said Thomas Pierret, a specialist in political Islam. Born in Saudi Arabia, Sharaa is from a well-to-do Syrian family and was raised in Damascus's upscale Mazzeh district. He started studying medicine but then became associated with underground Islamist circles. Following the US-led invasion of neighbouring Iraq in 2003, he and other Syrians crossed the border to join what they saw as a resistance to foreign occupation. He joined Al-Qaeda there, and was subsequently detained for five years. In March 2011, when the revolt against Assad's rule erupted in Syria, Sharaa returned home and founded the Al-Nusra Front. A realist in his partisans' eyes, an opportunist to his adversaries, Sharaa said in May 2015 that he had no intention of launching attacks against the West -- unlike his adversaries in the Islamic State jihadist group. In 2017, Sharaa imposed a merger with HTS on rival Islamist groups in northwestern Syria, claiming control of swathes of Idlib province. HTS went on to develop a civil administration in the area, amid accusations of brutal abuses against those who dared dissent.
Time of India
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai: Armaan returns to Udaipur; will Abhira meet him?
With a seven-year leap, the TV series Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai has rekindled public enthusiasm. The storyline of the program, which stars Rohit Purohit and Samridhii Shukla, has undergone significant modifications following the leap. Armaan and Abhira are since split. Armaan separated from everyone and relocated to Mount Abu with daughter Maira. However, he has kept Abhira in the dark, as she is ignorant of her daughter's location. However, it appears that Armaan and Abhira will soon meet. Today's episode of Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai features big turmoil in the Poddar household as Krish taunts Kaveri (Anita Raj), Abhira (Samridhii Shukla), and Vidya. Sanjay and Kajal insisted that the trio attend his engagement ceremony. Krish, on the other hand, takes advantage of the situation to disrespect them by offering Abhira a position at his company. Krish's fiancée turns out to be Anshuman's sister, which surprises them even more. He is the new addition to the show. Anshuman is going to support Abhira, Kaveri, and Vidya's new venture. Abhira is surprised to see him at the event. Later, Vidya approaches Anshuman and asks him to give them an opportunity to deliver their proposal. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like ¡Solo 1 cucharada de este remedio antes de acostarte a reducir la barriga NEWSCASA Undo However, she rejects the concept, citing that he does not discuss work at family gatherings. Meanwhile, Armaan watches clips of Krish's engagement ceremony on television. He notices Abhira being cheerful and smiling. This results in a significant misunderstanding. Armaan now believes that Abhira is content without him and their daughter. He believes she does not need them in her life. In the upcoming episode of Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Armaan returns to Udaipur. Maira has entered a dancing competition and will need to fly to Udaipur for it. Despite Armaan's refusal to grant her permission, she goes without properly alerting him. She writes on paper that she is heading to Udaipur. Armaan then resolves to visit the city he left seven years ago. In the meantime, Kaveri and Vidya will be seen discussing Anshuman, implying that he could be a good fit for Abhira.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Pre-monsoon showers cause widespread damage in Goa
Panaji: The prevailing cyclonic conditions continued to tear up the state, uprooting large trees, destroying electrical infrastructure, and damaging roads and homes across the state. In the state capital, a portion of a road caved in at the La Campala Colony, here, due to the heavy rain and ongoing construction for a high-rise. At St Inez, a newly paved footpath gave way as the soil underneath settled due to the heavy showers. The directorate of fire and emergency services recorded 50 emergency incidents, with the losses estimated at Rs 4.6 lakh. The emergency services personnel also said that it managed to save assets worth Rs 10 lakh. Two coconut trees and a branch of a banyan tree came crashing down on a house at Cavelossim, causing a loss of Rs 2.5 lakh to the owners of the house. The continuous downpour and strong winds brought down 60 trees across the state in a 12-hour period. At Succoro, a huge tree came crashing down on several parked cars. 'A tree fell on five cars because of the rain. Four cars suffered minor damages, but the fifth one's windshield was damaged,' said Ramakant Tamoskar. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like ¡Solo 1 cucharada de este remedio antes de acostarte a reducir la barriga NEWSCASA Undo At Pernem, continuous showers caused waterlogging, with farmers saying that their crops were damaged. Fields at Casarvane, Chandel and Dhargal were damaged, and several places witnessed waterlogging. Roads in Pernem taluka were covered with silt, which was brought down from the hills, clogging drains and depositing debris on the roads. The North Goa District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) held a review of tree trimming and cutting of dangerous trees identified in each taluka. North Goa collector Yashaswini B emphasised that trimming and cutting of dangerous trees must be taken up on a war footing. Special emphasis was placed on monsoon preparedness, flood mitigation, cyclone response planning, and early warning dissemination. At Volvoi's Fondchebhat, Pratiksha Naik was injured when roof tiles fell on her head after a tree near her house fell. The house also suffered structural damage. 'We were going to sleep when we heard a loud crash. My wife and I rushed out of the house, and we saw the tree branch falling on us. It hit my wife on her head, and I got hit on my legs,' said Pramod Naik. The couple suffered a loss of approximately Rs 40,000-50,000. At Arpora, a plastic overhead water tank was blown away by the strong wind onto the adjacent house, destroying the roof.
