Photos in southern Syria after soldiers move in to quell sectarian violence
Government forces also clashed with Druze militias. The bodies of Druze fighters and their rocket launchers were left scattered along village roads, the day before a ceasefire was announced on Tuesday.
Israel launched airstrikes on convoys of Syrian security forces, saying it aimed to protect the Druze. In neighboring Israel, the Druze are seen as a loyal minority and often serve in the armed forces.
The Druze developed their own militias during Syria's nearly 14-year civil war, and some of them have had tense relations with Syria's new government after the fall of former President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive in December led by Sunni Islamist insurgent groups.
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
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San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Republicans declared it 'crypto' week in the House. It's not going as planned
WASHINGTON (AP) — A trio of cryptocurrency bills that had been expected to pass the House this week stalled on Tuesday after a bloc of Republicans unexpectedly joined with Democrats to prevent the legislation from coming up for debate and votes. The procedural snafu brought the House's so-called 'crypto week' to a standstill — and dealt a blow to President Donald Trump, who had strongly urged Republicans to pass the bills as part of his push to make the U.S. the ' crypto capital of the world.' A group of 13 Republicans joined all Democrats in opposition to a procedural vote needed to bring the crypto bills to the floor. Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters it was just part of 'legislative process' and that negotiations were underway between the House, Senate and White House. He suggested they could try again Tuesday evening. 'We expected there might be some 'no' votes, but we thought it was important to put it on the floor to advance it because time's of the essence on this,' Johnson said. 'So stay tuned. We'll have lots of discussions over the next few hours.' But just hours later, House leadership canceled votes for the remainder of the day, potentially throwing the crypto bills into limbo. The stalled legislation includes a Senate-passed bill to regulate a form of cryptocurrency known as stablecoins, along with far more sweeping measures aiming to address cryptocurrency market structure. Another bill would prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency. The disagreement blocking the bills from advancing centers on how the three bills would be passed. Johnson explained that 'some of these guys insist that it needs to be all in one package.' Packaging the bills would require them to be sent back to the Senate, since the chamber has only taken up one of the three bills so far. Rep. Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania, a Republican co-sponsor of one of the cryptocurrency bills, told reporters that some of the Republicans wanted to package the bills together due to them 'not having a lot of faith in the Senate moving our legislation.' Trump and Republican leaders have called on the House to pass the bills individually, so that the stablecoin legislation can get to Trump's desk for his signature before an August recess. The stablecoin legislation took the Senate nearly a month and half to pass, and the more sweeping market structure legislation is expected to take even longer. In a post Tuesday morning on social media, Trump called on Republicans to advance the crypto bills that afternoon, saying that 'all Republicans should vote 'yes.'' Asked Tuesday evening about the stalled legislation, Trump told reporters that Republicans who voted against it wanted it to be 'stronger.' Trump has pushed hard for the passage of the stablecoin legislation, with him and his family standing to profit from a boost to stablecoins. They hold a significant stake in World Liberty Financial, a crypto project that recently launched its own stablecoin, USD1. The stablecoin legislation passed by the Senate includes a provision that bars members of Congress and their families from profiting off stablecoins. But notably, that prohibition does not apply to the president or his family, even as Trump builds what some are calling a crypto empire from the White House. The cryptocurrency industry hopes the bills as a whole will aid in their push for legitimacy and increasing consumer trust. And road bumps like those seen Tuesday may not have been expected after spending heavily in the 2024 election to elect a large number of crypto-friendly lawmakers. Faryar Shirzad, chief policy officer of Coinbase, the nation's largest cryptocurrency exchange, said in a statement after the failed procedural vote that 'every few steps forward there's inevitably a step back.' 'It's in these moments we'll see who is trying to get pro-crypto legislation done and who is not,' Shirzad said on social media. Passage of the bills could have implications on the 2026 midterm races. Fairshake, a crypto super political action committee, said that it and its affiliated organizations already have more than $140 million in the bank ready to spend on midterm races. 'The voters last year were clear — Congress needs to stop playing politics with crypto and finally pass responsible regulation,' said Josh Vlasto, spokesperson for Fairshake. 'We are building an aggressive, targeted strategy for next year to ensure that pro-crypto voices are heard in key races across the country.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Israel bombs Syrian forces entering Druze city after sectarian clashes
Israel says it has bombed Syrian government forces around Suweida, as they entered the predominantly Druze city following two days of deadly sectarian clashes. At least 200 people have been killed since the fighting between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes erupted on Sunday, UK-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), reported. Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered strikes on forces and weapons in the Suweida area because the government "intended to use [them] against the Druze". Syria has condemned Israel's involvement and said the strikes had resulted in the deaths of members of the armed forces and civilians. This is the first time that Syrian government forces have been deployed to Suweida since Islamist-led rebels overthrew President Bashar al-Assad in December. Many minority communities - including the Druze, whose religion is an offshoot of Shia Islam with its own unique identity and beliefs - are suspicious of interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government despite his pledges to protect them. Until now, the province of Suweida had remained largely under the control of Druze militias which resisted calls to join the security forces. Netanyahu has said he is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria because of their deep ties to those living in Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Syria's foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that Israel holds full responsibility for the latest attacks on southern Syria and the consequences. The Trump administration has now asked Israel to cease its strikes on Syrian military forces, US news outlet Axios reported, citing a US official. Israel reportedly said it would stop the attacks on Tuesday evening. Earlier on Tuesday, Syria's defence minister announced a ceasefire in Suweida, saying an agreement had been reached with local dignitaries for security forces to deploy there. However, one Druze spiritual leader urged local fighters to resist. Following the deployment of Syrian forces, SOHR accused government forces and their allies of the summary executions of at least 19 Druze civilians, including 12 at a family guest house. The SOHR further said members of the ministry of defence had carried out "systematic acts of vandalism targeting civilian homes and property" including "stealing the contents of homes, smashing doors and windows, and then setting fire to some of them". Men in military uniform were seen burning and looting homes and shops, Reuters news agency reported. Syrian authorities did not immediately responded to the allegations. A Suweida resident told BBC Arabic the situation in Suweida was "catastrophic", with indiscriminate shooting prompting people to "flee towards the countryside" despite a curfew declared by Syrian authorities. Dozens killed in clashes between Druze and Bedouin in southern Syria Deadly clashes in Syria's Druze areas raise fears of widening unrest 'We're not safe here anymore' - Syria's Christians fear for future after devastating church attack The fighting between Bedouin tribes and Druze militias in Suweida was reportedly sparked by the robbery and abduction of a Druze merchant on the highway to Damascus last Friday. On Sunday, armed Druze fighters reportedly encircled and later seized the city's al-Maqwas neighbourhood, which is inhabited by Bedouin. The clashes soon spread into other parts of Suweida province, with tribesmen reportedly launching attacks on Druze towns and villages on the city's outskirts. As the death toll reached 30, Syria's interior ministry announced that its forces and those of the defence ministry would intervene and impose order, saying the "dangerous escalation comes in light of the absence of relevant official institutions". There was a brief period of calm on Sunday night, after mediation between Bedouin and Druze leaders resulted in the release of people kidnapped by both sides, according to activist-run news outlet Suwayda 24. But on Monday, it said the fighting had resumed in the countryside west of the city after drones attacked villages at the same time as government forces deployed in nearby areas of eastern Deraa province. Later, Suwayda 24 reported that villages in the area were also hit by mortar fire and that dozens of dead and wounded had been brought to local hospitals. Meanwhile, the Israeli military said it had struck several government tanks to prevent them advancing towards Suweida city. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the strikes were a "clear warning to the Syrian regime". Among those killed in the fighting are children, Druze, Bedouin and Syrian security forces personnel, according to the SOHR. The BBC has been unable to independently verify casualty figures. On Tuesday morning, the Druze spiritual leadership said they had agreed to allow government forces to enter Suweida province in order to end the bloodshed and called on all armed groups there to co-operate and hand over their weapons. But hours later, influential Druze Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajri posted a video calling on Druze fighters to "resis[t] this brutal campaign by all available means", accusing government forces of bombarding Suweida city in violation of a ceasefire agreement. As security forces entered the city, Defence Minister Maj Gen Murhaf Abu Qasra announced a "complete ceasefire", saying an agreement had been reached with "notables and dignitaries". "Suweida neighbourhoods will be under the control of Internal Security Forces as soon as combing operations are completed in order to control the chaos, secure return of residents to their houses," he added. Early on Tuesday afternoon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said they had directed the Israeli military to immediately attack Syrian forces and weaponry sent to the Suweida area "that the regime intended to use against the Druze". They accused the Syrian government of contravening "the demilitarisation policy they decided on" and of endangering Israel by deploying forces there. The Syrian Observatory shared a video that it said showed at least one member of the security forces who was killed in an Israeli strike on a convoy. There was no immediate response from the Syrian government. Earlier this year, Netanyahu warned that he would not "tolerate any threat" to Syria's Druze and demanded the complete demilitarisation of Suweida and two other southern provinces. He said Israel saw interim President Sharaa's Sunni Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), as a threat. HTS is a former al-Qaeda affiliate that is still designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN and UK, but no longer the US. The Israeli military has already carried out hundreds of strikes across Syria to destroy the country's military assets since the fall of the Assad regime. And it has sent troops into the UN-monitored demilitarised buffer zone between the occupied Golan Heights and Syria, as well as several adjoining areas and the summit of Mount Hermon.
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Global views of China and Xi improve, while they decline about the US and Trump, survey says
WASHINGTON (AP) — Views of China and its leader, Xi Jinping, have improved in many countries worldwide, while those of the U.S. and President Donald Trump have deteriorated, according to a new survey of about two dozen countries by the Pew Research Center. Released Tuesday, the survey shows that international views of the two superpowers and their leaders are closer than ever. The results are a drastic departure from those in the past several years when the U.S. and its leader — then-President Joe Biden — enjoyed more favorable international views than China and its president. In its latest survey of 24 countries, Pew found that the U.S. was viewed more favorably than China in eight countries, China was viewed more favorably in seven, and the two were viewed about equally in the remainder. Pew did not provide definitive explanations for the shifts, but Laura Silver, associate director of research, said it's possible that views of a country may change when those of another superpower shift. 'As the U.S. potentially looks like a less reliable partner and people have limited confidence, for example, in Trump to lead the global economy, China may look different in some people's eyes,' Silver said. Also, China's human rights policies and its handling of the pandemic — which were related to negative views of the country in the past — may not weigh as much this time, she said. A group of Democratic senators this week accused the Trump administration of ceding global influence to China by shuttering foreign aid programs, imposing tariffs on allies, cracking down on elite universities and restricting visas for international students. In the Pew findings, 35% of those in 10 high-income countries surveyed consistently — including Canada, France, Germany and Italy — have favorable opinions of the U.S., down from 51% from last year. By comparison, 32% of them have positive views of China, up from last year's 23%. And 24% of them say they have confidence in Trump, compared with 53% last year for Biden. Xi scored a slight improvement: 22% of those in these rich countries say they have confidence in the Chinese president, up from last year's 17%. However, people in Israel have far more favorable views of the U.S. than of China: 83% of Israelis like the U.S., compared with 33% who say they have positive views of China. And 69% of them say they have confidence in Trump, while only 9% express confidence in Xi. Pew surveyed more than 30,000 people across 25 countries — including the U.S., which was excluded from the comparison — from Jan. 8 to April 26. The margins of error for each country ranged from plus or minus 2.5 to plus or minus 4.7.
