Activists say IS prison riots

break out again in Syria

BEIRUT (AP) — Imprisoned Islamic State militants rioted again on Monday at a jail in northeastern Syria, hours after the Kurdish-led forces running the site said they had restored order, activists said.

Gunfire could be heard in the area as ambulances rushed the wounded from inside the prison to hospitals and clinics in the nearby city of Hassakeh, activists on the ground said. U.S.-led forces flew overhead dropping light bombs illuminate the area for the Kurdish forces while drones hovered over the facility, they added.

The prison riots first broke out Sunday night when former Islamic State members held there began knocking down doors and digging holes in walls between cells. It was one of the most serious uprisings by the prisoners since the Islamic State’s defeat a year ago.

Earlier on Monday, Kino Gabriel, a spokesman for the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, said the situation in the prison in Hassakeh was “fully under control.” He said their anti-terrorism force “ended the riots and secured the facility and all prisoners inside.”

It was not immediately clear if the riots were triggered by concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus.

Dubai’s Emaar posts $1.68B in

profit, but revenue slips

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Dubai’s premier developer Emaar Properties posted on Monday net profits of $1.68 billion for 2019, but revenue slightly dipped for the builder of the world’s tallest tower as it faces an even tougher year ahead due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Emaar said that in view of current circumstances, the company’s board did not recommend a dividend to shareholders for 2019. Dubai’s sovereign wealth fund owns about a third of the company, which is publicly traded.

Just as Emaar was releasing its financial results for 2019 and its outlook for this year, local organizers recommended on Monday pushing back Dubai’s Expo 2020 to next year due to the virus that’s halted travel around the world. Dubai had bet billions of dollars on the Expo to rejuvenate its troubled economy.