Coronavirus kills businessman uncle of Syria’s Assad

DAMASCUS: Syrian businessman Mohamad Makhlouf, uncle of President Bashar Assad and father of top tycoon Rami Makhlouf, died on Saturday from Covid-19, two sources close to his family told AFP.
Makhlouf, 88, the maternal uncle of Assad, was once seen as a pillar of the regime of Hafez Assad, the late father of the current president.
His grandson, also called Mohamad Makhlouf, mourned his death in a message posted on Instagram.