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Riyadh: Dismantling years of US government policy of treating Syria like a pariah, President Donald Trump on Wednesday met Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa-- former leader of a rebel group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was an offshoot of al-Qaeda and designated as a terrorist organisation by the American government. The meeting was held in Riyadh at the request of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a day after President Trump lifted sweeping sanctions against Syria, which the US began imposing in 1979.

After the meeting, Trump, who often judges people based on how they look, suggested that al-Sharaa has a "real shot at doing a good job" with war-torn Syria. He also called the former terrorist a "young, attractive, tough guy" with a "very strong" past. 

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, he said al-Sharaa is a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.”

“He's got a real shot at holding it together."

Trump said he spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, "who is very friendly with him. He feels he's got a shot of doing a good job. It's a torn-up country.”

Trump is the first US president to meet a Syrian leader in a quarter of a century, and urged the onetime jihadist to normalise ties with Israel. He, however, gave no indication that the United States would remove Syria from its blacklist of state sponsors of terrorism -- a designation dating back to 1979 over support to Palestinian militants that severely impedes investment.

But the US president's offer to lift sanctions on Syria, mostly imposed during the repressive rule of ousted president Bashar al-Assad, comes as a major boost to the war-ravaged country, still getting to grips with Sharaa's December toppling of Assad.

Why Meeting Raised Eyebrows?

The meeting between the two leaders raised eyebrows globally due to al-Sharaa's murky past. Previously known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, al-Sharaa was linked to the terror group al-Qaeda and fought against US forces in Iraq, and had even spent years in American custody. However, the former jihadist has abandoned his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, trimmed his beard and donned a suit and tie to receive foreign dignitaries since ousting Assad from power on December 8, 2024.

He was later appointed to lead Syria for an unspecified transitional period, and has been tasked with forming an interim legislature after the dissolution of the Assad era parliament and the suspension of the 2012 constitution.

Bengaluru, May 15: The Karnataka Lokayukta police on Thursday conducted simultaneous raids across multiple districts, including Bengaluru and Mangaluru, targeting government officials suspected of possessing disproportionate assets (DA).

According to Lokayukta police, the raids were carried out on properties linked to seven government officials in Bengaluru city, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru, Yadgir, Mangaluru, and Vijayapura districts.

The officials under the scanner are:

Murali T.V., Additional Director, Directorate of Urban and Rural Planning

H.R. Nataraj, Inspector, Legal Metrology, Bengaluru

Anant Kumar, Second Division Assistant, Taluk Office, Hoskote (Bengaluru Rural)

Rajshekar, Project Director, Nirmiti Kendra, Tumakuru

Manjunath, Survey Supervisor, Dakshina Kannada (Mangaluru)

Renuka Satarle, Officer, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Abhivrudhi Nigama, Vijayapura

Umakanth, Officer, Shahpur Taluk, Yadgir district

Raids were conducted at 12 locations in Bengaluru city, eight in Bengaluru Rural, seven in Tumakuru, five in Yadgir, four in Mangaluru, and four in Vijayapura.

The raids followed complaints alleging corruption and accumulation of assets disproportionate to known sources of income. A preliminary investigation was carried out into the assets of the officials, their families, and close relatives, after which separate DA cases were registered at respective Lokayukta police stations.

The coordinated operation began at 6 a.m. and was conducted under the supervision of superintendents of police from the respective districts. Deputy superintendents, police inspectors, and other staff were also involved in the raids.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the details of movable and immovable assets seized during the operation. Further information is expected following the completion of assessments at the raided sites.

Udupi, May 12: A tragic incident unfolded at a wedding in Nandikur, Udupi district, when a four-year-old boy, Vasudeva, drowned in a temple pond near the venue.

According to a police complaint filed by Satyanarayana, 38, a resident of Kurkalu village in Kaup, the child had accompanied his mother, Soumya, and siblings—Vaishnavi (10) and Vishnu Priya (1)—to attend a wedding at the Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple Hall in Nandikur.

At approximately 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, Soumya was feeding her infant daughter inside the hall while Vasudeva remained nearby. After tending to the baby, she stepped away briefly to wash her hands, during which time she noticed that Vasudeva was missing.

A frantic search ensued involving family members and others at the venue. About 15 minutes later, at around 2:15 p.m., Vasudeva was found unresponsive in the temple pond adjacent to the hall. Bystanders pulled him from the water and attempted resuscitation.

He was immediately rushed to a private hospital in Udupi, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Despite this, the family sought further medical assistance at a hospital in Manipal, but physicians there also confirmed that he had passed away.

The Padubidri police have registered a case and are investigating the incident.