US to remove Syria's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham from list of foreign terrorist groups
In late June, Trump signed an executive order to formally end US sanctions against the country, with the White House saying the move was intended to support its "path to stability and peace".It added it would monitor the new Syrian government's actions including "taking concrete steps toward normalising ties with Israel" as well as "addressing foreign terrorists" and "banning Palestinian terrorist groups".Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said the move would "lift the obstacle" to economic recovery and open the country to the international community.On Friday, Syria said it was willing to cooperate with the US to reimplement a 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel.Over the weekend, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited Syria - the first government minister to do so in 14 years.He met with al-Sharaa and announced an additional £94.5m support package - aimed at supporting longer-term recovery and countries helping Syrian refugees.The UK earlier lifted sanctions on Syria's defence and interior ministries. Ninety percent of Syria's population were left under the poverty line when the Assad regime was ousted after 13 years of devastating civil war.Al-Sharaa has promised a new Syria, but there are concerns within the country about how the new government is operating - with some suspicious of his radical past. Only one female government minister has been appointed to date - and al-Sharaa has made almost every other appointment directly. There have also been multiple violent attacks against minority groups in recent months. In March, hundreds of civilians from the minority Alawite sect were killed during clashes between the new security forces and Assad-loyalists. In April there were deadly clashes between Islamist armed factions, security forces and fighters from the Druze religious minority. And in June at least 25 people were killed in a suicide attack on a church in Damascus.
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The Guardian
4 minutes ago
- The Guardian
UK condemns Israel for depriving Palestinians of ‘human dignity'
The UK has joined 30 other nations in condemning Israel for depriving Palestinians of 'human dignity' as they issued a call for an immediate end to the war in Gaza. David Lammy, the UK foreign secretary, joined ministers from countries including Australia, Canada and France to urge the Israeli government to lift restrictions on the flow of aid, arguing that the suffering of civilians had 'reached new depths'. They also described proposals from the Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, to move 600,000 Palestinians to a so-called 'humanitarian city' in Rafah, an area that has been heavily damaged by Israeli bombs, as 'completely unacceptable'. At the Commons liaison committee, the prime minister, Keir Starmer, said the situation in Gaza was 'intolerable' as he repeated the UK's commitment to recognising a Palestinian state 'at a time most conducive to the prospects of peace' in the region. Israel has launched substantial air raids and a ground operation in Gaza, targeting Deir al-Balah, the main hub for humanitarian efforts in the devastated Palestinian territory, amid warnings of widening starvation. The latest assault comes a day after the highest death toll in 21 months inflicted by the Israeli military on desperate Palestinians seeking food aid, with at least 85 killed in what has become a grim and almost daily slaughter. The UN food agency, the World Food Programme, said the majority of those killed on Sunday had gathered near the border fence with Israel in the hope of getting flour from a UN aid convoy when they were fired on by Israeli tanks and snipers. Starmer said: 'The situation on the ground in Gaza is intolerable on so many levels and we make that absolutely clear in all our exchanges with Israel and with other countries. Whether that's the deaths of those that are queuing for aid, whether it's the plans to force Palestinians to live in certain areas or be excluded from certain areas, they are all intolerable and absolutely wrong in principle.' Starmer has come under pressure from MPs, including Emily Thornberry, who heads the Commons foreign affairs committee, to recognise a Palestinian state as some western countries are due to press ahead with recognition plans this month. In a statement on Monday, the foreign ministers called for Israel to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their work. After a two-month blockade on most aid entering Gaza that has pushed the territory's 2.1 million residents to the verge of famine, the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has overseen a chaotic, and often deadly, operation. 'The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths,' the foreign ministers said. 'The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.' Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion They said it was 'horrifying' that hundreds of Palestinians had been killed while seeking aid, and that the Israeli government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population was unacceptable. 'We urge the parties and the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this terrible conflict to an end, through an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. Further bloodshed serves no purpose,' they said. Speaking in the Commons on Monday, Lammy told MPs he 'utterly condemned' the killing of civilians who were seeking to meet their basic needs. 'The Israeli government must answer, what possible military justification can there be for strikes that have killed desperate, starving children?' He criticised Katz's plan to move the entire population of Gaza to Rafah, saying it was a 'cruel vision which must never come to pass' and would be a violation of international humanitarian law. He told MPs there should be a 'viable pathway' to a Palestinian state that would have 'no role' for Hamas, which he said would use it as a 'launch pad' for terrorism.
North Wales Chronicle
6 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Officers considering legal action against Police Scotland over Trump visit plans
The Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents 98% of all police officers in Scotland, said the force has already breached health and safety standards in the run up to the visit by the US president. Thousands of officers are expected to be involved in what Police Scotland has described as a 'significant policing operation'. The White House confirmed Mr Trump will visit his golf courses in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire between July 25 and 29. He will meet the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the First Minister John Swinney during his private trip. The visit is likely to result in widespread protests, following similar demonstrations during his last visit to Scotland. David Kennedy, general secretary of the SPF, suggested planning for the visit has already put officers at risk. He said: 'We currently have workforce agreements in place to protect police officers and provide minimum standards of Health and Safety at work. 'Sadly, we have seen these agreements breached in the days leading to the arrival of Potus (President of the United States) and as such we are seeking legal advice regarding potential legal action against the service.' Speaking to STV News, Mr Kennedy said he had 'major concerns' about the plans to police Mr Trump's trip. He told the broadcaster: 'We do not have enough police officers in Scotland. 'Anyone that says we do, I don't know where they get those figures from. 'We know what police officers have to do day in, day out and we need more officers in Scotland. 'When these events come along that puts those officers that are here under so much pressure.' Police Scotland said earlier this month it would seek help from the Scottish and UK Governments over the 'considerable' cost of policing the visit. It has also asked for support from Northern Ireland's police force, the PSNI. There had been speculation the King would host the American leader in Scotland after a meeting was suggested at Balmoral or Dumfries House, in a letter he wrote to Mr Trump in February inviting him to make the state visit. But it is understood that both sides will wait until the president's official state visit later this year. Police Scotland's Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond said: 'We are working closely with the Scottish Police Federation to address any concerns they may have.' A spokesperson for the PSNI said: 'There are well established processes for any UK-based police services to request support from other services at times of peak demand. 'These requests are managed via the National Police Co-ordination Centre (NPoCC) and we can confirm that PSNI have received a request to provide mutual aid to Police Scotland which we are currently assessing. 'The decision to provide officers under the mutual aid process will be considered against our own demands, ensuring that we retain the capacity to respond effectively to local issues and maintain our own operational competence.'
The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
MTG says Trump will lose his MAGA base if Epstein files are not released: ‘There's no going back'
Marjorie Taylor Greene hinted that if the Department of Justice does not release more information about convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the president's MAGA base will turn on him. Without naming Epstein, the Georgia Republican Representative seemed to issue a warning to Trump, who has recently attempted to dismiss the so-called Epstein files as a Democratic 'hoax,' drawing criticism from his supporters, many of whom believe the government is hiding information about Epstein's associates. 'If you tell the base of people, who support you, of deep state treasonous crimes, election interference, blackmail, and rich powerful elite evil cabals, then you must take down every enemy of The People,' Taylor Greene wrote on social media. 'If not. The base will turn and there's no going back,' she warned. 'Dangling bits of red meat no longer satisfies. They want the whole steal dinner and will accept nothing else,' she added. Greene's comments about 'dangling bits of red meat' come as Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek an order to unseal the grand jury transcripts in Epstein's criminal case. The wealthy financier was charged by federal prosecutors in 2019 with sex trafficking underage girls in both New York and Florida. He died by suicide in his Manhattan jail cell later that year while awaiting trial. On Friday, the Justice Department sought court approval for that public release, though it may fall short of what many of Trump's supporters are seeking as much will remain under seal. Meanwhile, Trump has tried to downplay his close friendship with the convicted sex offender. A recent memo from the Trump administration and FBI claimed there was 'no incriminating client list' or any evidence of blackmail. The memo also reiterated the FBI's previous investigation that concluded Epstein died by suicide, and was not murdered in his jail cell as some conspiracy theorists have speculated. After the memo from Trump's administration and the FBI, the Wall Street Journal published an alleged birthday card from Trump to Epstein that was described as including a sexually suggestive drawing and a birthday wish that says, 'may every day be another wonderful secret.' In response, Trump filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against right-wing media mogul Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal 's parent companies, News Corp and Dow Jones. The president claims the newspaper 'failed to attach the letter, failed to attach the alleged drawing, failed to show proof that President Trump authored or signed any such letter, and failed to explain how this purported letter was obtained,' according to the lawsuit. 'The reason for those failures is because no authentic letter or drawing exists,' the complaint claims. "We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit,' a spokesperson for Dow Jones said in a statement.
