German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle warned Syria yesterday that it would face tighter EU sanctions if it continues its brutal crackdown against anti-government protests.
“The sanctions decided [by the EU] are a first step. If Damascus continues its crackdown, we will step up the pressure and we will tighten the sanctions,” he said in a statement.
Earlier yesterday, the EU published a list of 13 Syrian officials, including the younger brother of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, subject to sanctions for their involvement in repression.
Maher al-Assad, 43, head of the Republican Guard, was described as the prime mover of the crackdown on anti--government protestors.
The names of the officials hit by visa bans and assets freezes were published after the EU formally adopted the sanctions on Monday to punish the regime for a crackdown that rights groups say has left hundreds dead.
Meanwhile, Syrian troops backed by tanks entered several southern villages near the flashpoint city of Daraa yesterday as the government pressed its efforts to end a nationwide uprising, an activist said.
The activist said heavy gunfire was heard when the troops entered Inkhil, Dael, Jassem, Sanamein and Nawa after midnight. It was not clear if there were casualties, he said. He spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of government reprisals.
Human rights activist Mustafa Osso said some of the most intense operations were taking place in the Damascus suburb of Maadamiyeh, which has been sealed for days. He said telecommunications have been cut and checkpoints were preventing anyone from entering or leaving the area.
Also yesterday, a religious leader who resigned last month in disgust over the killings of protesters in Daraa withdrew his resignation. Sheikh Rizq Abdul-Rahim Abazeid, mufti of the Daraa region, resigned on April 23 after shootings by security forces killed scores of people.
In an interview with a Syrian satellite TV channel, Abazeid said his resignation was a result of “severe pressure and intimidation,” including death threats.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
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