Qatar hopeful Hamas-Israel indirect ceasefire talks will resume soon
The Qatari Prime Minister says indirect talks could resume in the next two days. Middle East analyst Hasan Alhasan joins CNN's Becky Anderson to discuss.
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News24
19 minutes ago
- News24
Trump lifts sanctions on Syria to create ‘new relationship', normalise ties with Israel
The Trump administration dismantled sanctions targeting Syria. Israel is interested in normalising ties with Syria. Syria celebrated the US position. US President Donald Trump on Monday formally dismantled US sanctions against Syria, hoping to reintegrate the war-battered country into the global economy as Israel eyes ties with its new leadership. Trump lifted most sanctions against Syria in May, responding to appeals from Saudi Arabia and Turkey after former Islamist guerrilla Ahmed al-Sharaa ended a half-century of rule by the Assad family. In an executive order, Trump terminated the 'national emergency' in place since 2004 that imposed far-reaching sanctions on Syria, affecting most state-run institutions including the central bank. 'These actions reflect the president's vision of fostering a new relationship between the United States and a Syria that is stable, unified and at peace with itself and its neighbours,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. READ | 'It was a mafia': Details emerge on how Bashar al-Assad family sucked Syria dry Rubio said he would start the potentially lengthy process of examining whether to delist Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism, a designation dating from 1979 that has severely discouraged investment. He also said he would look at removing the terrorist classification of Sharaa and his movement Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was once linked to al-Qaeda. The US already removed a bounty on Sharaa's head after he came to power. Brad Smith, the Treasury Department official in charge of sanctions, said the new actions 'will end the country's isolation from the international financial system'. Syria recently carried out its first electronic transfer through the international banking system since around the time it descended into a brutal civil war in 2011. The orders still maintain sanctions on elements of the former government, including Bashar al-Assad, who fled to Russia late in 2024. Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shibani hailed the US move as a 'major turning point'. 'With the lifting of this major obstacle to economic recovery, the long-awaited doors are opening for reconstruction and development' as are the conditions 'for the dignified return of displaced Syrians to their homeland', he wrote on X. Israel kept pounding military sites in its historic adversary after the fall of Assad and initially voiced scepticism over the trajectory of its neighbour under Sharaa, who has swapped jihadist attire for a business suit. But Israel said earlier on Monday that it was interested in normalising ties with Syria as well as Lebanon in an expansion of the so-called 'Abraham Accords', in what would mark a major transformation of the Middle East. Iran's clerical state's once-strong influence in Syria and Lebanon has declined sharply under pressure from Israeli military strikes since the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas. Trump administration officials argued that lifting the sanctions on Syria would better integrate the country into the region and incentivise it to open up to Israel. Omar Zaghloul/Anadolu via Getty Images Israel's intensive attacks on Iran in June opened a 'window that has never existed', said Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey who serves as Trump's point man on Syria. 'It's an opportunity that we have never, ever seen, and this president's put together a team that can actually get it done,' Barrack told reporters. Despite his upbeat picture of the new Syrian leader, the country has seen a series of major attacks against minorities since the fall of Assad, a largely secular leader from the Alawite minority sect. At least 25 people were killed and dozens more wounded in a suspected Islamist attack against a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus on 22 June. Until Trump's surprise announcement of sanctions relief during a trip to Saudi Arabia, the US had insisted on progress first in key areas including protection of minorities.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dozens killed in Israeli airstrike on seaside cafe in Gaza City
Israeli forces killed at least 74 people in Gaza on Monday with airstrikes that left 30 dead at a seaside cafe, witnesses and health officials said. (AP production: Wafaa Shurafa)
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
5 things to know for July 1: Trump megabill, Israel-Gaza, ‘Alligator Alcatraz,' Idaho shooting, Hurricane data
5 Things Gun violence Donald Trump The Middle EastFacebookTweetLink Follow (CNN) — Turkish police have detained four cartoonists for drawing a cartoon that was published in the political satire magazine LeMan. The image shows what appears to be a Muslim man and a Jewish man, both with wings and halos, shaking hands as bombs fall below them. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Istanbul, claiming the cartoon was a depiction of the Prophet Mohammed and Moses. Some even kicked down the doors of the magazine's office. Although LeMan said the cartoon did not depict the Islamic prophet, it apologized to readers who may have been offended. Here's what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day. The Senate spent all day and night in a marathon voting session on President Donald Trump's sweeping domestic agenda bill. The vote-a-rama, which is still ongoing this morning, has provided an opportunity for Republicans to make adjustments to the package — and for Democrats to put the GOP on notice about certain aspects of the bill that are unpopular with voters. Trump's so-called 'One Big Beautiful Bill' would lower federal taxes and infuse more money into the Pentagon and border security agencies. It would also downsize safety-net programs, like Medicaid and food stamps, and according to the Congressional Budget Office, add nearly $3.3 trillion to the deficit over a decade. President Trump wants to sign the bill by July 4, but it still needs to receive approval in the Senate before passing through the House again. Monday was another deadly day in Gaza. At least 41 people were killed and 75 others injured when an Israeli airstrike hit a seaside cafe in Gaza City. The Al-Baqa cafe was a popular spot for students, journalists and remote workers to hang out because it offered views of the Mediterranean coast and internet access. Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, the director of Al-Shifa hospital, said most of the casualties were women and children. Journalists on the scene said freelance journalist Ismail Abu Hatab was also among the dead. The Israel Defense Forces told CNN that the incident was 'under review.' President Trump plans to fly to Florida today to visit the site of the state's forthcoming ICE detention center. Nicknamed 'Alligator Alcatraz,' the temporary camp will soon house 5,000 migrants in tents on a little-used airstrip in the Everglades. Plans to build the facility have been met with fierce criticism from immigrant and environmental advocacy groups, many of whom took part in a protest over the weekend. 'It's just not going to work, especially in the middle of summer, in the Everglades,' said Thomas Kennedy, spokesman for the Florida Immigrant Coalition. 'It's actually quite cruel and inhumane, and I think it's designed that way.' CNN previously reported that fewer than 10% of migrants booked into ICE custody since October have been convicted of serious crimes like murder, assault, rape or robbery. More than 75% had no conviction other than an immigration or traffic-related offense. Several migrants have also died in ICE custody this year. The two firefighters who were fatally shot on Sunday while responding to a brush fire in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, have been identified. Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42, worked for the Kootenai County Fire and Rescue for 17 years. Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52, served with the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department for more than 28 years. Dave Tysdal, 47, an engineer with the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department, was also injured in the shooting. He's currently in critical condition after undergoing two surgeries. Authorities also confirmed the identity of the suspect in the firefighter ambush. Wess Roley, 20, allegedly set a brush fire on Canfield Mountain before opening fire on first responders. Roley had no criminal history and his motive remains unknown. He was found dead at the scene and appears to have shot himself. The Department of Defense plans to cease sharing satellite data that is crucial for hurricane forecasting on July 31, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. The data comes from a tool that examines tropical storms and hurricanes and reveals where the strongest rain bands and winds are likely to be and how they are shifting. The Defense Department's rationale for cutting off this service reportedly has to do with cybersecurity concerns about the way the data is transmitted to NOAA and NASA. However, the decision has caused an uproar among meteorologists and public officials. The Atlantic hurricane season, which is forecast to be an unusually active one, lasts until November 30. GET '5 THINGS' IN YOUR INBOX If your day doesn't start until you're up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to your new favorite morning fix. Sign up here for the '5 Things' newsletter. No longer welcomeMembers of the British rap punk duo Bob Vylan will not be able to visit the US anytime soon following their controversial performance at a UK music festival this past weekend. Who's calling, please?Researchers have been trying to determine the source of a strange radio signal that astronomers in Australia picked up last year. Harried by fameActress Olivia Munn ('X-Men: Apocalypse') recently revealed she suffers from a health condition that not many people know about. Celebrating 50 years of musicLynyrd Skynyrd has released a double live album and concert film that features the last performance of founder Gary Rossington 'Let's have some fun'Comedian Adam Sandler plans to kick off a new comedy tour in more than 30 cities this fall. 154 millionThat's about how many children's deaths have been prevented by routine vaccines over the past 50 years, a new study shows. 'Hell has frozen over a second time. Look, but Elon Musk is right about this. He's got it exactly right. The idea of borrowing $3.5 trillion on the nation's credit card in order to be able to give tax breaks to the likes of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg is financially nuts. It's terrible for our country.' — Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, on finding common ground with billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk about their shared objections to President Trump's megabill. Check your local forecast here>>> Craving a 'third place?'Starbucks is redesigning its stores to encourage customers to sit and stay for a while. Will it work? Today's edition of 5 Things AM was edited and produced by CNN's Andrew Torgan.
