Turkiye: Israeli strikes on Damascus 'act of sabotage'
"Israel's attacks on Damascus, following its military interventions in the south of Syria, constitute an act of sabotage against Syria's efforts to secure peace, stability, and security," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told his Syrian counterpart, Asaad al-Shaibani, that Israel's strikes in southern Syria and Damascus were "alarming", a Turkish diplomatic source said.
Israel bombed the Syrian army headquarters in Damascus on Wednesday after warning the government to leave the Druze minority alone in its Sweida heartland.
Israel has presented itself as a defender of the Druze, although some analysts say that is a pretext for pursuing its own military goal of keeping Syrian government forces as far from the border as possible.--AFP
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New Straits Times
a few seconds ago
- New Straits Times
Druze regain control of Sweida city after Syria announces ceasefire
SWEIDA, Syria: Druze fighters pushed out rival armed factions from Syria's southern city of Sweida on Saturday, a monitor said, after the government ordered a ceasefire following a US-brokered deal to avert further Israeli military intervention. Fighting nonetheless persisted in other parts of Sweida province, even as the Druze regained control of their city following days of fierce battle with armed Bedouin supported by tribal gunmen from other parts of Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said that "tribal fighters withdrew from Sweida city on Saturday evening" after Druze fighters launched a large-scale attack. Israel had bombed government forces in both Sweida and Damascus earlier this week to force their withdrawal after they were accused of summary executions and other abuses against Druze civilians during their brief deployment in the southern province. More than 900 people have been killed in Sweida since Sunday as sectarian clashes between the Druze and Bedouin drew in the Islamist-led government, Israel and armed tribes from other parts of Syria. Earlier Saturday, an AFP correspondent saw dozens of torched homes and vehicles and armed men setting fire to shops after looting them. But in the evening, Bassem Fakhr, spokesman for the Men of Dignity, one of the two largest Druze armed groups, told AFP there was "no Bedouin presence in the city". The deal between the Islamist-government and Israel was announced by Washington early on Saturday Damascus time. US pointman on Syria, Tom Barrack, said interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "have agreed to a ceasefire" negotiated by the United States. Barrack, who is the US ambassador to Ankara, said the deal had the backing of Turkey, a key supporter of Sharaa, as well as neighbouring Jordan. "We call upon Druze, Bedouins and Sunnis to put down their weapons and together with other minorities build a new and united Syrian identity in peace and prosperity with its neighbours," he wrote on X. Barrack later held a meeting in Amman with the Syrian and Jordanian top diplomats, during which they "agreed on practical steps to support Syria in implementing the agreement", the US envoy said in a later post on X. The US administration, which alongside Turkey and Saudi Arabia has forged ties with the Islamist president despite his past links with Al-Qaeda, was critical of its Israeli ally's recent air strikes on Syria and had sought a way out for Sharaa's government. Sharaa followed up on the US announcement with a televised speech in which he announced an immediate ceasefire in Sweida and renewed his pledge to protect Syria's ethnic and religious minorities. "The Syrian state is committed to protecting all minorities and communities in the country... We condemn all crimes committed" in Sweida, he said. The president paid tribute to the "important role played by the United States, which again showed its support for Syria in these difficult circumstances and its concern for the country's stability". The European Union welcomed the deal between Syria and Israel, saying it had been "appalled" by the deadly sectarian violence of recent days. France urged all parties to "strictly adhere" to the ceasefire. But Israel expressed deep scepticism about Sharaa's renewed pledge to protect minorities, pointing to deadly violence against Alawites as well as Druze since he led the overthrow of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad in December. In Sharaa's Syria "it is very dangerous to be a member of a minority -- Kurd, Druze, Alawite or Christian", Foreign Minister Gideon Saar posted on X. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said at least 940 people had been killed in the violence since Sunday. They included 326 Druze fighters and 262 Druze civilians, 165 of whom were summarily executed, according to the Observatory. They also included 312 government security personnel and 21 Sunni Bedouin, three of them civilians who were "summarily executed by Druze fighters". Another 15 government troops were killed in Israeli strikes, the Observatory said. Syria's Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa on Saturday evening said that after the first phase of the ceasefire, which began on Saturday and involved the deployment of security forces to the province, a second phase would see the opening of humanitarian corridors. Raed al-Saleh, Syria's minister for emergencies and disaster management, told state television that "the humanitarian situation is bad" and that convoys were waiting to enter Sweida when "the appropriate conditions" present themselves.
The Star
14 minutes ago
- The Star
A golden visa rescue plan
Needing a boost: Thailand's Tourism Authority lowered its forecast for foreign tourist arrivals in 2025 to 35 million from 40 million, with Chinese visitors falling short of projections due to safety concerns. — AFP Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra suggested the country create a golden visa scheme for wealthy foreigners to become long-term residents to boost the kingdom's sluggish economy. The golden visa scheme could potentially bring in the equivalent of Thailand's US$500bil (RM2.12 trillion) economy, Thaksin said in a speech at the 'Unlocking Thailand's Future' conference in Bangkok. He suggested the country could attract 600,000 people who would deposit US$1mil (RM4.24mil) apiece for the visa. In return, they'd get rights to buy property in Thailand, helping the real estate sector, with the proceeds to fund education for Thai people. 'It will drive GDP growth, reduce public debt, spur domestic consumption,' Thaksin said. 'It's new, fresh money, and so worth pursuing.' Thaksin retains significant influence with policymakers through the ruling Pheu Thai party, helmed by his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra, despite having no formal title in the government. His speech to business people on how to invigorate growth comes after the Constitutional Court recently suspended Paetongtarn as prime minister while it deliberates on an alleged ethics violation case involving her handling of a border dispute. Thaksin has his own legal troubles, including a decade-old royal defamation case that is due to be ruled on next month. He remains confident he will be found innocent, he told the seminar. Thailand's economy, which relies heavily on exports and tourism, has expanded at an average of under 2% over the past decade, trailing other major South-East Asian economies. Gross domestic product will likely grow 1.3% to 2.3% in 2025, constrained by high household debt and slowing tourist arrivals, while the economy is also at risk of a 36% tariff from the United States, its largest export market. Earlier this week, Thailand's Tourism Authority lowered its forecast for foreign tourist arrivals in 2025 to 35 million from 40 million, with Chinese visitors falling short of projections. Only 2.3 million Chinese visitors came to Thailand in the first half of 2025, compared with 3.4 million a year earlier, according to government data. News of a Chinese actor's kidnapping to Myanmar through Thailand increased safety concerns, said Thaksin, who suggested that he would personally insure any Chinese travellers to Thailand in order to win their confidence. — Bloomberg
The Star
14 minutes ago
- The Star
Junta chief attends event honouring Suu Kyi's father
Watchful eye: Policemen patrolling a street in Yangon on the 78th Martyrs' Day. — AFP The head of the military government made a rare appearance at a ceremony honouring Gen Aung San, an independence hero and father of jailed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Yesterday was the first time 69-year-old Senior Gen Min Aung Hlaing attended the Martyrs' Day wreath-laying since the army ousted Suu Kyi and seized power in February 2021. Martyrs' Day was an important event in Myanmar's calendar for decades. However, the military has downplayed the holiday in recent years. It commemorates the assassination of Aung San, a former prime minister who was gunned down at the age of 32 along with six Cabinet colleagues and two other officials in 1947, just months before the country – then called Burma – achieved freedom from British colonial rule. A political rival, former prime minister U Saw, was tried and hanged for plotting the attack. Suu Kyi, who was detained when the army took over in 2021, was absent from the event for a fifth consecutive year. She is currently serving a 27-year prison term on what are widely regarded as contrived charges meant to keep her from political activity. She has not been seen in public since her arrest. Ye Aung Than, a son of Suu Kyi's estranged older brother, was seen laying a wreath in front of his grandfather's tomb during the main ceremony at the Martyrs' Mausoleum near the foot of the towering Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. With Myanmar national flags flying at half-staff, members of the ruling military council and Cabinet as well as high-ranking military generals joined Hlaing in placing a basket of flowers in front of the tombs of the nine martyrs. As the ceremony was held, people in Yangon paid tribute to independence leaders by blaring car horns and sirens at 10.37am, the time of the 1947 attack. The event comes five months before elections that the military has promised to hold by the end of this year. The poll is widely seen as an attempt to legitimise the military's seizure of power through the ballot box and is expected to deliver a result that ensures the generals retain control. The 2021 military takeover was met with widespread nonviolent protests, but after peaceful demonstrations were put down with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms, and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict. — AP
