Human Rights

19 May 2020; MEMO: The Syrian government ordered the seizure of assets belonging to President Bashar Al-Assad’s cousin Rami Makhlouf, one of Syria’s richest men, as well as his wife and children, according to a government document reviewed by Reuters.

The document, stamped 19 May and signed by the Syrian finance minister, said the “precautionary seizure” aimed to guarantee payment of sums owned to the Syrian telecom regulatory authority.

19 May 2020; MEMO: Hatice Cengiz, fiancée of the late Saudi journalist and writer, Jamal Khashoggi, called for the English Premier League not to allow the completion of the sale of

Kabul, May 19 (AP) The United Nations on Tuesday called for an immediate reduction of violence in Afghanistan, warning that civilian deaths by both the Taliban and Afghan security forces are on the increase.

The UN mission also expressed concern about stepped-up attacks and brutality of the Islamic State group.

Ahmedabad, May 18 (PTI) The Congress on Monday slammed the Karnataka government's decision to let in people from Gujarat in a staggered manner, alleging the BJP-led dispensation in the southern state is increasing the hardships of its own people settled in the western state.

In a counter, the ruling BJP in Gujarat asked the opposition party in the state not to politicise health-related decisions.

Bhagalpur, May 19 (PTI) Nine migrant labourers were killed on Tuesday when the truck carrying them overturned in an attempt to avert a head-on collision with a bus in Bihar's Bhagalpur district, police said.

The incident took place around 6 am on National Highway-31 near Ambho Chowk, Naugachhia Superintendent of Police Nidhi Rani said.

The workers, all males, had started their journey on bicycles six days ago from Kolkata and they might have boarded the truck somewhere en route, the officer said.

18 May 2020; MEMO: A confidential United Nations report revealed that the UAE is operating an air bridge to supply weapons to Brigadier General Khalifa Haftar in Libya, violating the UN arms embargo imposed on the oil-rich country, according to US news agency Bloomberg.

The news agency pointed out that a United Nations expert committee tasked with monitoring compliance with the sanctions imposed on Libya had conducted an investigation into 37 flights.

Lucknow, May 17 (PTI) Hundreds of migrants were stopped on Sunday by police in border districts of Uttar Pradesh from travelling to their native places by unauthorised vehicles and on foot during the ongoing coronavirus lockdown, leading to protests in some areas.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had on Saturday directed district authorities not to allow migrants to travel by unsafe means and to ensure that they are transported in buses after 26 workers who were returning to their homes died in a truck-trailer collision in Auraiya.

TEHRAN, May 18 (NNN-IRNA) – Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Sunday that, the United States will no longer remain in Syria and Iraq, according to the leader’s official website.

“For sure, Americans will not remain in Iraq and Syria, and they will be expelled” from those countries, as the Americans “have supported terrorism” and “are abhorred” by the regional nations, he said.

Khamenei made the remarks in a video-conference meeting, with Iranian students on Sunday.

BEIRUT, May 18 (NNN-NNA) – An Israeli patrol opened fire, on Sunday, in southeastern Lebanon, along the border line, injuring a Syrian shepherd, and then kidnapped him to one of its locations, in the occupied Shebaa Farms.

A Lebanese military source and citizens from the border town of Kfarchouba, said that, Israeli soldiers opened fire towards Mohamed Nour El-Din Abdel-Azim, while he was grazing a herd of cattle near the Shebaa Farms.

DAMASCUS, May 18 (NNN-SANA) – A U.S. aircraft dropped thermal balloons over agricultural lands in Syria’s northeastern province of Hasakah on Sunday, setting fire to wheat crops.

The targeted area was in agricultural lands, in the countryside of Shaddadi city, in the southern countryside of Hasakah.

The fire gutted 200 dunums (0.2 square km) of wheat fields.