Syrian authorities arrest two prominent Assad-era gang leaders in Homs

Syrian authorities arrest two prominent Assad-era gang leaders in Homs
The Maroufs are accused of involvement in grave violations against Syrian civilians in Homs during the rule of the bygone regime. (SANA)
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Syrian authorities arrest two prominent Assad-era gang leaders in Homs

Syrian authorities arrest two prominent Assad-era gang leaders in Homs
  • Former Assad regime relied on militarized criminal gangs to suppress civilian uprisings, alongside official forces and paramilitary groups
  • The Maroufs are accused of serious offences against civilians in Homs under previous regime

LONDON: Syrian authorities announced the arrest of two prominent gang leaders in the northern region of Homs, who are accused of crimes against civilians during Bashar Assad’s regime.

The ministry of interior said on Wednesday that forces from the counter-terrorism branch and the directorate of internal security had captured Faisal Ahmed Marouf and his son, Ahmed Faisal Marouf, in the eastern province of Homs Governorate, in western Syria.

The former Assad regime, which fell in December last year, relied on militarized criminal gangs known as Shabiha to suppress civilian uprisings, alongside official forces and paramilitary groups, including the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

The ministry said that the Maroufs are accused of involvement in grave violations against Syrian civilians in Homs during the rule of the bygone regime.

“Investigations revealed that the criminals held leadership positions in groups responsible for killings, armed robberies, and unlawful arrests against people in peaceful areas and Abu Hakfa during the rule of the defunct regime,” the ministry of interior announced on Telegram.

Last week, Syrian authorities arrested a former military official accused of executing detainees at Saydnaya prison during the former regime.

Since December, the new government in Damascus has arrested several suspects, including Assad-era army officers, for crimes committed against Syrians during the country’s civil conflict.


Syria nets $28bn in investments this year, president tells FII

Updated 4 sec ago

Syria nets $28bn in investments this year, president tells FII

Syria nets $28bn in investments this year, president tells FII
  • Ahmad Al-Sharaa tells session in Riyadh he wants to rebuild Syria by investments
  • Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attended the talk
RIYADH: Syria has attracted overseas investment totaling around $28 billion so far this year, President Ahmad Al-Sharaa said on Wednesday at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh.
Sharaa said in a session attended by ’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that Syrian laws have been amended to allow foreign investors to transfer funds out of the country.
“We want to rebuild Syria via investments,” Al-Sharaa said, adding the world can benefit from it as a “trade corridor.”
Al-Sharaa led opposition fighters to overthrow Bashar Al-Assad late last year, bringing an end to 14 years of civil war.
Al-Sharaa has conducted a series of foreign trips as his transitional government seeks to re-establish Syria’s ties with world powers that shunned Damascus during Assad’s rule.
In May, Riyadh hosted a historic meeting between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Al-Sharaa and US President Donald Trump, who praised Al-Sharaa and said Washington would lift all sanctions on Syria to help give the country a chance to rebuild.
Despite Trump’s pledge and widespread exemptions now granted to Syria, the toughest sanctions — known as the Caesar sanctions — require a repeal from the US Congress.
US lawmakers have been divided on the issue, but are expected to make a decision by the end of the year.
While Syria has already drawn international interest in major development projects, a full repeal is expected to trigger increased appetite for investments.
In August, Syria signed 12 investment deals worth $14 billion, including infrastructure, transportation and real estate projects aimed at reviving the war-damaged economy.
A World Bank report predicted the cost of Syria’s reconstruction at $216 billion, saying the figure was a “conservative best estimate.”

Libya’s Sirte Co. restarts methanol II plant after more than 7 years, NOC says

Libya’s Sirte Co. restarts methanol II plant after more than 7 years, NOC says
Updated 12 min 14 sec ago

Libya’s Sirte Co. restarts methanol II plant after more than 7 years, NOC says

Libya’s Sirte Co. restarts methanol II plant after more than 7 years, NOC says
  • The plant can produce 670 metric tons of methanol a day
  • Sirte is a subsidiary of NOC

TRIPOLI: Libya’s Sirte Oil and Gas Company has restarted its second methanol plant after more than seven years, the country’s National Oil Corp. (NOC) said in a statement on Wednesday.
The plant can produce 670 metric tons of methanol a day, an oil sector source told Reuters by phone.
Sirte is a subsidiary of NOC. Its first methanol plant, which was reopened in 2023 after years of shutdown, has a production capacity of 600 metric tons a day, according to the NOC website.
NOC said the second plant’s resumption was a “significant step” that enhances Sirte’s production capabilities and diversifies its products.
It added that the company’s oil production has reached 114,000 barrels per day.


Egyptian and Sudanese foreign ministers discuss security developments in El-Fasher

Egyptian and Sudanese foreign ministers discuss security developments in El-Fasher
Updated 21 min 44 sec ago

Egyptian and Sudanese foreign ministers discuss security developments in El-Fasher

Egyptian and Sudanese foreign ministers discuss security developments in El-Fasher
  • Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty highlighted that Sudan’s security is crucial for the region’s overall stability
  • The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have recently captured the key city of El-Fasher, which the EU has accused of targeting civilians

LONDON: Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed recent developments in the Sudanese city of El-Fasher, focusing on humanitarian and security issues, with his Sudanese counterpart Mohieddin Salem on Wednesday.

Abdelatty emphasized Egypt’s strong support for the Sudanese people and its commitment to achieving stability and peace in Sudan. He noted Egypt’s active role in efforts to secure a ceasefire and establish a humanitarian truce to provide assistance and reduce civilian suffering.

He highlighted that Sudan’s security is crucial for the region’s overall stability, and Egypt is committed to Sudan’s unity, sovereignty and stability.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have recently captured El-Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur, which the EU has accused of targeting civilians and aid workers in the region. The RSF has been engaged in a deadly conflict with the army since April 2023.

The two ministers also discussed commercial and investment cooperation, as well as infrastructure rehabilitation. Egypt is prepared to enhance support in the electricity, water, health and education sectors for the Sudanese people, Abdelatty said.

The meeting highlighted water security, focusing on the need for unity between the two Nile estuary countries and full compliance with international law in the eastern Nile basin.


UN says deaths in fresh strikes on Gaza ‘appalling’

UN says deaths in fresh strikes on Gaza ‘appalling’
Updated 27 min 59 sec ago

UN says deaths in fresh strikes on Gaza ‘appalling’

UN says deaths in fresh strikes on Gaza ‘appalling’
  • Rights chief Volker Turk says attacks reportedly hit schools, homes and tents for housing displaced people
  • More than 100 Palestinians killed overnight in wave of Israeli airstrikes

GENEVA: The United Nations on Wednesday called the deaths in Israel’s new military strikes on Gaza “appalling,” as it urged all sides not to let peace “slip from our grasp.”
Israel said it had carried out strikes on dozens of Hamas targets following the death of a soldier, with the Gaza Strip experiencing its deadliest night of bombing since a US-brokered truce went into effect earlier in October.
UN rights chief Volker Turk said the attacks had reportedly hit schools, homes and tents for internally displaced people within the Palestinian territory.
“Reports that over 100 Palestinians were killed overnight in a wave of Israeli airstrikes mainly on residential buildings, IDP tents and schools across the Gaza Strip, following the death of an Israeli soldier, are appalling,” he said in a statement.
“The laws of war are very clear on the paramount importance of protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure.”
Turk said Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law, and would be accountable for any violations.
“It is distressing that these killings occurred just as the long-suffering population of Gaza started to feel there was hope that the unrelenting barrage of violence may be at an end,” he said.
Turk called for all parties in the conflict to act in good faith and implement the ceasefire, and urged other countries, particularly those with influence in the region, to do everything in their power to ensure compliance.
“The past two years have brought untold suffering and misery, and the near wholesale destruction of Gaza,” he said.
“We must not allow this opportunity for peace and a path toward a more just and secure future to slip from our grasp.”


MSF ordered to leave Libya by November 9

MSF ordered to leave Libya by November 9
Updated 28 min 33 sec ago

MSF ordered to leave Libya by November 9

MSF ordered to leave Libya by November 9
  • MSF had already been forced to suspend its activities in the country in March
  • “No reason has been given to justify our expulsion and the process remains unclear,” Purbrick said

GENEVA: The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said Wednesday it had been ordered to leave Libya by November 9, with no reason given for its expulsion.
MSF had already been forced to suspend its activities in the country in March, and said it was told to leave in a recent letter from the Libyan foreign ministry.
“No reason has been given to justify our expulsion and the process remains unclear,” Steve Purbrick, who heads MSF’s programs in Libya, said in a statement.
“We believe that MSF still has an important role to play in Libya, particularly in the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis, in supporting the Libyan health system, but also in providing access to health care for refugees and migrants who are excluded from care and subject to arbitrary detention and serious violence,” he said.
Purbrick said MSF’s registration with the UN-recognized government remained valid, and the Geneva-based organization still hoped to find a “positive solution” to the situation.
MSF said that in collaboration with the Libyan health authorities, it had carried out more than 15,000 medical consultations last year.
In 2023 it provided emergency medical aid following flash floods in the coastal city of Derna that killed thousands of people.
Libya is split between the UN-recognized government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east.
The north African country has remained divided since a NATO-backed revolt toppled and killed longtime leader Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.
In March, MSF’s premises were closed by Libya’s Internal Security Agency, and several of its staff faced “interrogation,” it said.
“This wave of repression also affected nine other humanitarian organizations operating in the west of the country,” said MSF.
“In a context of increasing obstruction of NGO intervention, drastic cuts in international aid funding, and the reinforcement of European border policies in collaboration with the Libyan authorities, there are now no international NGOs providing medical care to refugees and migrants in western Libya,” it said.
Founded in 1971, MSF says it has more than 67,000 staff working in more than 70 countries.