Rubio says Syria could be weeks away from ‘full-scale civil war’

Rubio says Syria could be weeks away from ‘full-scale civil war’
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani (L) shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the NEST International Convention Center, in Antalya, May 15, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 20 May 2025
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Rubio says Syria could be weeks away from ‘full-scale civil war’

Rubio says Syria could be weeks away from ‘full-scale civil war’
  • US Secretary of State says Syria is weeks away from a potential collapse and splitting up

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Tuesday that Syria could be weeks away from a fresh civil war of “epic proportions,” as he called for support to the transitional leadership.
“It is our assessment that, frankly, the transitional authority, given the challenges they’re facing, are maybe weeks — not many months — away from potential collapse and a full-scale civil war of epic proportions, basically the country splitting up,” Rubio told a US Senate hearing.
The top US diplomat spoke after a series of bloody attacks on the Alawite and Druze minorities in Syria, where Islamist-led fighters in December toppled Bashar Assad in a lightning offensive after a brutal civil war that began in 2011.
US President Donald Trump last week on a visit to Saudi Arabia announced a lifting of Assad-era sanctions and met with the guerrilla leader who is now Syria’s transitional president, Ahmed Al-Sharaa.
Sharaa, clad in a suit and complimented by Trump as a “young, attractive guy,” was until recently on a US wanted list over jihadist connections.
Rubio quipped: “The transitional authority figures, they didn’t pass their background check with the FBI.”
But he added: “If we engage them, it may work out, it may not work out. If we did not engage them, it was guaranteed to not work out.”
Rubio, who also met with Syria’s foreign minister in Turkiye on Thursday, blamed the renewed violence on the legacy of Assad, a largely secular leader who hailed from the Alawite sect.
“They are dealing with deep internal distrust in that country, because Assad deliberately pitted these groups against each other,” Rubio said.


Lines stretch outside the Louvre in Paris as opening delayed for undisclosed emergency meeting

Lines stretch outside the Louvre in Paris as opening delayed for undisclosed emergency meeting
Updated 2 min 22 sec ago
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Lines stretch outside the Louvre in Paris as opening delayed for undisclosed emergency meeting

Lines stretch outside the Louvre in Paris as opening delayed for undisclosed emergency meeting
  • The Louvre Museum delayed its opening on Monday morning, with staff citing an “emergency meeting” of senior officials about a subject they did not disclose
  • The hold-up left thousands of ticket-holders stuck in unmoving lines. Some visitors gave up and left, creating the illusion that lines were moving

PARIS:The Louvre Museum failed to open on time Monday, leaving thousands of visitors stuck in long, unmoving lines outside the iconic Paris institution as staff held a protest over working conditions.
According to union representative Sarah Sefian of the CGT-Culture, the disruption was caused by a spontaneous movement among front-of-house staff, including gallery attendants, reception, and security workers, who are protesting deteriorating labor conditions.
“It’s a movement led by reception agents who are suffering from the working conditions at the Louvre,” Sefian told The Associated Press.
“What began as a scheduled monthly information session turned into a mass expression of exasperation,” she said. “Staff decided to stay together until management arrived.”
Sefian said the agents gathered in the auditorium at 10:30 a.m. for talks with the museum’s leadership. “All roles related to visitor reception are affected,” she said. “Overcrowding and understaffing are the main issues being raised.”
As of midday, the museum remained closed, with lines snaking past I.M. Pei’s famous glass pyramid and deep into the underground shopping complex. Some ticket-holders gave up and left, creating the illusion of movement in the queues.
A message on the museum’s official website stated: “Due to strikes in France, the museum may open later and some exhibition rooms may remain closed. We thank you for your understanding.”
Union officials say the museum will reopen Monday afternoon.


UAE to hit $1tn non-oil trade target 4 years ahead of schedule, says official

UAE to hit $1tn non-oil trade target 4 years ahead of schedule, says official
Updated 5 min 34 sec ago
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UAE to hit $1tn non-oil trade target 4 years ahead of schedule, says official

UAE to hit $1tn non-oil trade target 4 years ahead of schedule, says official

RIYADH: The UAE is set to achieve its 4 trillion dirhams ($1.089 trillion) target for non-oil foreign trade within two years and ahead of the original 2031 goal, according to the country’s vice president.

In a post on X, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum highlighted the country’s rapid economic progress, stating that key indicators have surpassed global benchmarks.

This acceleration in trade is mirrored in other areas of the economy. The UAE reported a 4 percent growth in gross domestic product in 2024, with non-oil sectors contributing 75.5 percent of the overall output as diversification efforts gained momentum.

“Our non-oil foreign trade increased by 18.6 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of this year (global average 2-3 percent) — Its volume in the first quarter of this year amounted to 835 billion dirhams. Our non-oil exports grew exceptionally by 41 percent on an annual basis,” Al-Maktoum stated.

He continued: “Our goal is to achieve non-oil foreign trade for the UAE amounting to 4 trillion dirhams by 2031 ... We will reach it within two years ... (four years before the scheduled date).”

Al-Maktoum, who also serves as prime minister, noted that non-oil exports recorded an exceptional year-on-year growth of 41 percent, signaling the country’s strengthening role in international trade.

He further noted that the non-oil sector now contributes 75.5 percent to the national economy, highlighting the country’s successful diversification strategy.

“These are new development indicators for the UAE,” he said, reflecting on the resilience and dynamism of the country’s economy despite global challenges.

Al-Maktoum credited UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan for leading the country’s transformative economic journey, which he described as achieving “exceptional milestones in the history of the UAE.”


Sri Lanka’s Mathews hails ‘dream run’ in final Test against Bangladesh

Sri Lanka’s Mathews hails ‘dream run’ in final Test against Bangladesh
Updated 7 min 18 sec ago
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Sri Lanka’s Mathews hails ‘dream run’ in final Test against Bangladesh

Sri Lanka’s Mathews hails ‘dream run’ in final Test against Bangladesh

GALLE: Sri Lanka are set to begin a two-Test series against Bangladesh in Galle on Tuesday that will mark the end of Angelo Mathews’s “dream run” in the game’s longest format, as the cricket season resumed following South Africa’s World Test Championship triumph at Lord’s.
The red-ball matches between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be followed by a white-ball series of three one-day internationals and three T20s.
Hosts Sri Lanka begin the contest as firm favorites, eager to turn a fresh page after a stuttering end to the previous WTC cycle.
Sri Lanka were firmly in the mix for a place in the WTC final until December before the wheels came off spectacularly.
Two defeats in South Africa followed by a twin collapse at Galle against Australia saw them tumble down the rankings.
“We had one hand on a spot in the final but a few brain fades at crunch moments cost us dearly,” Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva told reporters on Monday.
“We’ve learnt our lessons. A strong home start lays the foundation for success on the road.”


Sri Lanka’s squad includes six uncapped players, with at least one debut cap set to be handed out.
Spin remains Sri Lanka’s strength, with Prabath Jayasuriya the key and selectors also calling up off-spinner Akila Dananjaya.
Bangladesh enter the series without stalwarts Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan, and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto is realistic about the challenge.
“Tamim and Shakib — those are massive boots to fill,” he said. “But this is a chance for the young guys to put their hands up.”
Shanto, who is playing in Galle for the first time, said the team have “prepped well and we’re ready for the challenge.”
The Test will also be the swansong of Sri Lanka’s veteran Angelo Mathews, who is retiring after 118 Tests.
The former skipper also played his first Test on the famous pitch perched beneath the fortress in Galle in 2009.
“It’s been a dream run,” said 38-year-old Mathews.
“The wins in England in 2014 and whitewashing the Aussies in 2016 stand out. I’ve seen so many youngsters come through the ranks,” he said.
“I truly believe Sri Lanka’s future is in good hands.”
Sri Lanka have won 20 of the 26 Tests they have played against Bangladesh, who have only managed a solitary win along with five draws.
The second Test will begin in Colombo on June 25.


German regulator pushes for more fan control of soccer clubs like Bayer Leverkusen

German regulator pushes for more fan control of soccer clubs like Bayer Leverkusen
Updated 13 min 29 sec ago
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German regulator pushes for more fan control of soccer clubs like Bayer Leverkusen

German regulator pushes for more fan control of soccer clubs like Bayer Leverkusen
  • Top German soccer clubs including Bayer Leverkusen and Leipzig face the prospect of handing over more control to fans after a regulator intervened

BONN: Top German soccer clubs including Bayer Leverkusen and Leipzig face the prospect of handing over more control to fans after a regulator intervened.
A statement Monday from Germany’s antitrust regulator, the Federal Cartel Office, said it wants to see tighter enforcement of the rule known as 50-plus-1 which requires a soccer club’s membership to have majority voting rights over how the team is run.
The regulator said recent European court rulings suggest permanent exemptions from 50-plus-1 for last year’s champion Leverkusen and fellow top-tier club Wolfsburg seem “no longer possible.”
It said efforts should be made in the future to ensure the club’s professional soccer operations come under the control of membership organizations, but didn’t name any deadline.
Leverkusen and Wolfsburg were founded as workers’ teams at major companies which own the clubs, with pharmaceutical giant Bayer at Leverkusen, and car manufacturer Volkswagen at Wolfsburg. Their long-term involvement led to the clubs getting exemptions from 50-plus-1.
The regulator also said the German men’s soccer league needs to ensure the clubs it oversees “offer their fans the opportunity to become a new full member with voting rights.”
That appears to affect Leipzig and its relationship with drinks giant Red Bull, though they weren’t directly named by the regulator in Tuesday’s statement.
The club was founded by Red Bull in 2009 and is part of its international network of soccer clubs. It grants voting rights to far fewer people than most German clubs. Local media reported that only 23 members had the right to vote at Leipzig as of last year.


German court sentences Syrian doctor to life in prison for torture and war crimes in his homeland

German court sentences Syrian doctor to life in prison for torture and war crimes in his homeland
Updated 22 min ago
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German court sentences Syrian doctor to life in prison for torture and war crimes in his homeland

German court sentences Syrian doctor to life in prison for torture and war crimes in his homeland
  • German news agency dpa reported that the 40-year-old Syrian, who was identified as Alaa M. in line with German privacy rules, was placed in preventive detention

BERLIN: A German court sentenced a Syrian doctor to life imprisonment for torture and war crimes in his Syrian homeland on Monday for killing two people and torturing nine in Syria between 2011 and 2012.
The Frankfurt Higher Regional Court also established the particular gravity of the guilt, which in practice virtually rules out early release after 15 years — as is often the case in Germany when people are sentenced to life imprisonment. The 40-year-old Syrian, who was identified as Alaa M. in line with German privacy rules, was placed in preventive detention, German news agency dpa reported.
In his verdict, presiding judge Christoph Koller described the actions of the accused in the military hospital in the Syrian city of Homs in the early stages of the civil war that began in 2011. He said the doctor had sadistic tendencies and acted them out during the torture.
“Above all, the accused enjoyed harming people that seemed inferior and low-value to him,” Koller said, according to dpa.
During the trial, which lasted almost three and a half years, victims had described the most severe abuse, including beatings, kicks and the setting of wounds and body parts on fire, dpa reported.
Koller emphasized that without the willingness and courage of witnesses to share the details of their suffering the facts of the case could not have been clarified.
M. had lived in Germany for ten years and had worked as an orthopedic surgeon in several clinics, most recently in Bad Wildungen in northern Hesse. In summer 2020, he was arrested after some of his victims had recognized him from a TV documentary about Homs, dpa reported.
The doctor supposedly tortured prisoners who were considered part of the opposition to former Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. The trial against him began in January 2022.
Alaa M. described himself as not guilty during the trial, alleging that he was the victim of a conspiracy, dpa wrote. The verdict is not yet final.