UK foreign secretary visits Syria after easing sanctions
Syria has been improving relations with Western countries following the fall of President Bashar Assad in December in an offensive led by al-Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham Islamist group.
Al-Sharaa's office said Lammy and the president discussed mutual relations and ways of boosting cooperation and the latest regional and international developments. Lammy later met his Syrian counterpart, Asaad al-Shibani, state media reported.
In April, the British government lifted sanctions against a dozen Syrian entities, including government departments and media outlets, to help the country rebuild after Assad's ouster. Weeks earlier the U.K. had dropped sanctions against two dozen Syrian businesses, mostly banks and oil companies.
Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending many American economic sanctions on Syria, following through on a promise he made to al-Sharaa.
Syria's new leaders have been struggling to rebuild the country's decimated economy and infrastructure after nearly 14 years of civil war that has killed half a million people. In recent months, al-Sharaa visited oil-rich regional countries and France in May in his first visit to the Europe Union.
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USA Today
35 minutes ago
- USA Today
As a veteran, I used to be proud to be an American. I'm not sure anymore.
What does being an American mean at this moment in our story, and where do you think our country goes from here? Here's what readers told us. Are you proud to be an American? Many Americans aren't. Or at least, that's what a new poll from Gallup found. The survey, released June 30 before the Independence Day holiday, found 58% adults in the United States consider themselves "extremely" (41%) or "very" (17%) proud to be an American. That's a record low. Patriotism had a particularly steep decline among Democrats, with only 36% saying they are "extremely" or "very proud" – down from 62% a year ago. A similar drop has been reported among younger Americans, Generation Z and millennials. Less than half of Gen Z adults, 41%, describe themselves as "extremely" or "very proud" to be Americans, compared with 58% of millennials. That's a sentiment members of our USA TODAY Opinion staff share – though a number of our colleagues feel the opposite, and have said as much. But we wanted to know what you think. What does patriotism look and feel like to you in 2025? What does being an American mean at this moment in our story, and where do you think our country goes from here? We heard from readers all across the country and political spectrum for this installment of the Opinion Forum. Read a collection of their responses below. I'm a veteran. I'm not sure what being American means anymore. For me, patriotism meant serving as a Navy officer for over a decade. I used to be proud to be an American. After traveling to Europe since this administration started, it has become embarrassing. The Europeans I met now hate Americans for reelecting Donald Trump. After I explained that he didn't get my vote, they liked me much more. This president is destroying our democracy. Being an American used to mean pride in how this country works together to benefit all citizens and protect freedom, personal and otherwise. Now that we have a president who is a convicted felon and pardons other felons, who is rich and protects other White rich males, I'm not sure what being an American means. Our only hope is our balance of power, which now seems unbalanced. I'm not sure how so many Republican lawmakers can be so cowardly and demonstrate fear against one man they are supposed to keep in check. The Supreme Court actions have been disappointing, too. Our rights are being whittled away while we watch. — Debra Tinker, Springfield, Virginia Tell us: Is America's billionaire boom good for government, democracy? | Opinion Forum Please, let's go back to civility and respect for each other People cannot claim to be patriotic if they vehemently reject America any time their preferred party isn't ruling. Being a patriot is more than accepting only one's preferred leadership. Patriotism is the belief that in America, we work together regardless of temporary policies. Unfortunately, so many in government practice anti-patriotism when they viciously attack fully half of America, based on party lines. Patriotism cannot be disguised as hate, nor can it be merely internal feelings. We are civilized Americans who should respect our system no matter who wins what, but we are being plagued by political lifers who want to vilify you and me, depending on whom we vote for. As a nation, we have gone from being able to discuss and formulate our future to outlawing others' views. It is pitiful and anti-patriotic. Educated office-holders are supposed to avoid even the appearance of impropriety, but now they are specifically inserting suggestions of impropriety to both incite hate and violence, while claiming exemption from it. Please, let's get back to civilized patriotism and mutual respect as a nation. — Paul Thurman, Zeeland, Michigan I love America. But in all my 80 years, I've never seen this. I love America, not because my family fought in both world wars and Korea, but because of the freedom that those who have fought so bravely for, and some gave their lives for. There is no such thing as MAGA. America has always been great since the Mayflower landed. Sure, we have some problems, but we always find a way to correct them, and the life that we have today is proof that America is not only great but has never had to prove this. I am very much proud to be an American. America has been good to me and my family and to others who have worked hard to achieve their dream and make a good life for their family. I worked in health care as a registered nurse and have seen people at their lowest, but the health care that our country has provided to all has helped them through a lot and helped them return to their families. As to whether our country is headed in the right direction, it's a definite no. We are losing small pieces of our freedom every day. I am 80 years young and have never seen anything like what we see every day when we turn the news on or hear about some freedoms that are being removed as if there was never a thing called the Constitution of the United States of America. Americans and others need to protest peacefully, but let their voices be heard. That's patriotism. — Stella Searcy, Canton, North Carolina 'There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America' Patriotism means to love your country, along with its many traits like history, identity, culture and more. It means to stand by your country through thick and thin, and above all other entities. But it also necessitates us to look at both the strong points and shortcomings in order to make our country better every day. To quote former President Bill Clinton, 'There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.' It does not mean believing that one's nation or state is perfect, free from any flaws. We see it through every element of our history, where brave men and women died on foreign lands to defend the very freedoms and way of life we cherish so dear. To me, being an American means working hard for what you believe in and chasing your dreams to make them come true in an environment where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. It means to champion freedom of choice and self-determination. It also implies the courage to defend one's convictions and country, and do what is morally just. If our armed forces aren't an example of this, I don't know what is! I am proud to be an American and believe that, despite some of the reputational decline seen recently, being a U.S. citizen is still a net benefit. The United States is going through a lot of rough waters. But make no mistake: Recent events have made us less complacent about protecting what we love. — Jay Deshpande, Buffalo Grove, Illinois Many days, this isn't the America I love. But we must keep fighting. The America I know and love cares for its people. It is inclusive and believes in the rights of its citizens. It is a long-standing republic that, like all nations, goes through times of trial and inward search of its convictions. This process of rediscovering our ideology and values is necessary. It brings issues to debate. It leads people to deeply consider what they want our country to represent. Being a patriot means contributing to this process. Whether it's by voting, writing your elected leaders, protesting, talking to your neighbors or just having a bumper sticker. It's our America. We determine what it is and what it isn't. Do I wear red, white and blue on the Fourth of July? You bet! I may not like where our country is headed in this short span of time, but I know that in the end our country will slingshot back, not because of its elected officials, but because of its people. WE THE PEOPLE. If I meet someone from Canada, Greenland, Ukraine, Europe or frankly anywhere else in the world, I feel I must apologize and let them know that not all Americans believe in what is happening in our politics. The constitutional rights of all American citizens are slowly being taken away under this administration. It is imperative that we realize what is happening. When you are afraid to go to the Capitol or on campus to protest U.S. actions, when you feel you have to take bumper stickers off your car, when you can no longer wear rainbow clothing, when people are being rounded up off the streets because of their skin color or looks or religion, this is no longer the America I know and love. WE THE PEOPLE must not let our constitutional rights be eliminated or subdued. We must stand up to do what we can before it's too late. — Lisa Helt, Apache Junction, Arizona I don't feel proud of my country. We're a laughingstock. Patriotism meant being proud of your country and welcoming to others. I never believed in "American exceptionalism." Now, I am not proud of my country, nor is it welcoming to others. I fear that all of my friends we've made in Europe will not come to visit us again because of the political climate here. And that makes us sad. My mother and father both gave up the best years of their lives to serve in World War II. This is not the country that they served for. I fear they are rolling over in their graves now. We are not headed in the right direction. This administration is nothing but chaos, day after day. Congress is feckless and unable to do its job. Some courts are rolling back years of gains made for everybody and following extreme interpretations of the law. Our economy is a house of cards and could collapse at any time. Guns are out of control. We are the laughingstock of the world. We are taking a step back in time instead of being progressive. We are not evolving with the changing of the times. — Brent Morrison, Columbus, Indiana I'm proud to be an American, even as it feels we're on the brink of ruin Patriotism to me means striving to make the United States live up to its promise of liberty and justice for all. The U.S. is currently in dire straits after decades of right-wing takeover of the government, the founding of right-wing think tanks and their calculated takeover of the judiciary, among other things. I am proud to be an American, but I am dismayed and embarrassed by millions of mean, stupid and/or ignorant people who blindly support the dismantling of anything good in the USA. It's mindboggling. Being an American used to mean something worldwide, but we are now the laughing stock. Trump has ruined so many things in such a short period, it's truly shocking. I am related to Nathan Hale, and people who fought for the Union in the Civil War, some of whom died on hospital barges on the Mississippi River. I'm also the daughter of a Marine who fought in the Korean War. I feel a responsibility to make this country what they fought and died for. — Kelley Snider, Urbana, Illinois
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
The Dollar Is Sinking: Here's Why
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The U.S. dollar is tumbling as President Donald Trump's economic agenda—at the executive and legislative level—takes full shape. Economists told Newsweek this could advance Trump's goal of promoting American goods in foreign markets and strengthening exports, but warn that a weakened dollar comes with significant downsides, including the jeopardization of its status as the world's reserve currency. The U.S. Dollar Index—which tracks its value relative to a basket of major foreign currencies—has declined by more than 10 percent over the past six months. This marks the steepest first-half slump, and the worst beginning for a presidential term, since its creation in 1973. Achieving this milestone comes amid a period of flux for the U.S. economy. On Friday, Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which had been narrowly passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives the day before. The sweeping budget reconciliation package contains new spending measures and an extension of Trump's 2017 tax cuts, which, together, budget watchdogs believe could inflate the nation's already-sizable national deficit. President Donald Trump, joined by Republican lawmakers, signs the One, Big Beautiful Bill Act into law during an Independence Day military family picnic on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2025... President Donald Trump, joined by Republican lawmakers, signs the One, Big Beautiful Bill Act into law during an Independence Day military family picnic on the South Lawn of the White House on July 4, 2025 in Washington, DC. MoreThis week will also see the expiry of the 90-day pause placed on Trump's reciprocal tariffs in April. While a handful of countries have secured trade deals, the president has suggested that nations who were unable to do so during the three-month window could be subject to even higher rates than those announced on "Liberation Day." Experts who spoke to Newsweek emphasized a confluence of these economic factors, and their combined impact on America's fiscal outlook, in the dollar's recent decline. "The dollar is depreciating because global investors are less confident in the United States providing stable policies geared toward macroeconomic growth and a strong financial system," said Ryan Monarch, a professor of economics at Syracuse University. "Recent policies such as extremely high tariffs, increased government debt, and worries about inflation have all contributed to the falling dollar." Monarch, a former principal economist at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors' International Finance Division, added that the prospect of the central bank lowering interest rates to stimulate economic growth prospects, "has led to weaker demand for dollar-denominated assets, and thus further dollar depreciation." Ryan Sweet, chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, similarly noted that investors were "reassessing the outlook for the US economy" as a result of the tariffs. "Tariffs will slow the U.S. economy and reduce the expected return on investment for investors, pushing some away from the dollar," he told Newsweek. Last month, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) cut its growth outlook for the U.S. economy to 1.6 percent from 2.2 percent in March; it said this reflected the "substantial increase" in import taxes, as well as "high economic policy uncertainty," declines in net immigration and reductions to the federal workforce. "The strength of any currency depends on people's willingness to hold it, and the world now is skeptical of the future of the U.S., especially with the passage of the budget bill," said Peter Simon, a professor at Northeastern University's Department of Economics. "So people around the world are selling their dollars for other currencies: euro, pound sterling, yen, and yuan for more stability." Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty What Are the Consequences of a Falling Dollar? A sharp decline in a currency's relative value carries with it a host of economic effects. These impacts are especially pronounced for the dollar, given its status as the world's primary reserve currency and the trillions held in dollar-denominated assets abroad. For Americans at home, a weakened dollar can increase the cost of imports, resulting in price inflation and the erosion of consumers' purchasing power. A declining dollar also makes it more expensive for Americans to travel abroad, where their dollars will translate into smaller sums of the local currency. "A depreciation in the U.S. dollar is inflationary as it will, over time, increase nonfuel import prices," Sweet said. "The depreciation in the dollar increases the risks that tariffs boost consumer prices more than anticipated this summer and into the fall." A falling dollar would also damage the national balance sheet of those countries who hoard stockpile it in reserves, while hurting foreign investors holding dollar-denominated assets such as Treasury bonds. However, it could make America a more affordable, and attractive, location for international tourists. Sweet added that a declining dollar can also prove a "tail wind" for exporters, by making their goods more affordable in the global market. This dual impact on imports and exports—reducing one while boosting the other—appears to align with one of Trump's stated tariff purposes: the reduction of trade deficits. His tariff announcements and their impact on the currency even led to speculation that deliberately "crashing" the dollar was a purposeful choice by the administration. Many in Trump's cabinet have previously expressed concern over the implications of an overly strong dollar, and skepticism regarding its status as the world's reserve currency. Vice President JD Vance, while still serving as an Ohio senator in 2023, said that the dollar's strength and centrality arguably represented "a massive subsidy to American consumers but a massive tax on American producers," given this resulted in floods of "mostly useless imports." Stephen Miran—now chair of Trump's Council of Economic Advisers—wrote in November that trade imbalances and the handicaps faced by domestic industry were rooted in "persistent dollar overvaluation." In April, Miran said that a strong dollar had placed "undue burdens on our firms and workers, making their products and labor uncompetitive on the global stage." However, others within his administration, notably Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, have voiced their support for a strong dollar policy and safeguarding its dominant global position. Trump has consistently expressed similar support. In nominating the Treasury secretary in November, the president-elect said Bessent would help him "fortify our position as the World's leading economy, center of innovation and entrepreneurialism, destination for capital, while always, and without question, maintaining the U.S. Dollar as the reserve currency of the world." Amid talk of the BRICS economic alliance considering introducing an alternative reserve currency, the president also threatened each of the members with "100-percent tariffs" should they moved forward with this plan. However, Monarch said that the dollar's 2025 decline could make such a change more likely. "In the long run, the weakening dollar and less desire to hold U.S.-backed assets may strengthen efforts to design an international reserve system that is not just tied to the U.S. currency, but to other currencies around the world, including the Chinese renminbi," he added. Simon added that, while no single national currency has the power and geopolitical backing to lead to full de-dollarization, "a reserve currency basket" made up of several could rival its dominance in the future. The French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS) found that the dollar still accounts for roughly 60 percent of global foreign exchange reserves, compared with around 20 percent for the euro, 5 percent for the Japanese yen, 4 percent for the pound, and only 2 to 3 percent for the yuan. Regardless of its longer-term fate, experts said that the dollar will continue to feel downward pressure in 2025 and beyond. Sweet said he expects the dollar to "stabilize in the second half of this year but resume its depreciation next year," given America's weakened growth outlook and persistent "fiscal sustainability concerns." Monarch added that none of the factors that has contributed to its decline shows signs of reversing in the near future. He said: "Trade deals to potentially lower tariffs have been delayed or underwhelming, recent fiscal policy moves appear likely to add significantly to U.S. government debt, and the effects of already-imposed tariffs on inflation are still uncertain."
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Executions in Saudi Arabia reach a record high mostly over drug cases, Amnesty says
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Executions in Saudi Arabia surged last year to a record high, Amnesty International said Monday, as activists increasingly warn about the kingdom's use of the death penalty in nonviolent drug cases. Saudi Arabia executed 345 people last year, the highest number ever recorded by Amnesty in over three decades of reporting. In the first six months of this year alone, 180 people have been put to death, the group said, signaling that record likely will again be broken. This year, about two-thirds of those executed were convicted on non-lethal drug charges, the activist group Reprieve said separately. Amnesty also has raised similar concerns about executions in drug cases. Saudi Arabia has not offered any comment on why it increasingly employs the death penalty in the kingdom. Saudi officials did not respond to detailed questions from The Associated Press about the executions and why it is using the death penalty for nonviolent drug cases. However, it conflicts with comments from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's day-to-day ruler, who in 2022 highlighted he limited its use to just homicide cases. 'Well about the death penalty, we got rid of all of it, except for one category, and this one is written in the Quran, and we cannot do anything about it, even if we wished to do something, because it is clear teaching in the Quran,' the prince told The Atlantic. Drug cases become a prime driver in Saudi executions Saudi Arabia is one of several countries in the Middle East, including Iran, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, that can levy the death penalty on drug-related charges. But the kingdom remains one of the world's top executioners behind only China and Iran — and its use of executions in drug cases appear to be fueling that. Amnesty documented the cases of 25 foreign nationals who are currently on death row, or were recently executed, for drug-related offenses. In those cases, Amnesty said the inmates on death row were not familiar with the legal system nor their rights, and had limited to no legal representation. Foreign nationals faced additional challenges when trying to secure a fair trial, Amnesty said. One such national, Egyptian Essam Ahmed, disappeared in 2021 while working on a fishing boat in Sinai. A month later, his family received word he had been detained in Saudi Arabia and sentenced to death for drug trafficking. Ahmed claims he was forced by the boat's owner to carry a package for him at gunpoint. 'We're living in terror, we're scared every morning,' said a family member of Ahmed's, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity fearing his comments could impact the case. 'Every morning until 9 a.m., we're afraid that they took one of them for execution without us knowing.' The family member added: 'We don't have feelings. We're dead. Death would be easier. … They didn't even give me a chance to defend him and I don't know what to do.' Executions come amid 'Vision 2030' plan Human rights groups for years have been critical of Saudi Arabia's human rights record. There also have been rapid societal changes in Saudi Arabia under King Salman and the crown prince. While pushing for women to drive, the kingdom has overseen the arrest of women's rights activists. While calling for foreign investment, Saudi Arabia also has imprisoned businessmen, royals and others in a crackdown on corruption that soon resembled a shakedown of the kingdom's most powerful people. In 2021, as part of the crown prince's criminal justice overhaul, Saudi Arabia's Human Rights Commission announced a moratorium on drug-related executions. The moratorium, however, remained in place for just under three years, before it was scrapped without an explanation. The executions also come as the kingdom continues to undertake bold reforms to diversify its economy as part of its 'Vision 2030' initiative. Jeed Basyouni, who directs Britain-based legal nonprofit Reprieve's Middle East and North Africa program, insisted Prince Mohammed could change Saudi Arabia's execution policy rapidly if he wanted. 'He could do mass pardons. He could insist on rewriting laws so that they are in line with international law," Basyouni said. 'The billions spent on so-called reforms, designed to promote a more tolerant and inclusive kingdom under the crown prince's rule, mask an authoritarian state where daily executions for drug crimes are now the norm."
