Syrian American Man Among Members of Druze Community Killed in Sectarian Clashes in Syria
The U.S. State Department confirmed the death of U.S citizen Hossam Soraya in the city of Sweida and extended its condolences to his family. His relatives and friends told The Associated Press that Saraya, in his mid-30s from Oklahoma, was killed in an attack on July 16.
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The Hill
13 minutes ago
- The Hill
Khanna: ‘Time has come' to recognize Palestinian state
At least 11 progressive House Democrats, including Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), have signed onto a letter calling for the U.S. to recognize a Palestinian state in the wake of moves by several American allies to do so before the United Nations convenes in September. 'Recognizing a Palestinian state is an idea whose time has come. The response of my colleagues has been overwhelming,' Khanna wrote on X. 'We will build support and release prior to the UN convening.' The letter was first reported by Jewish Insider. In the same post, Khanna charged that someone had leaked the letter to the paper in order to 'sabotage' the effort. Signatories, Jewish Insider reported, include Texas Democrats Reps. Greg Casar, Veronica Escobar, Lloyd Doggett and Al Green, alongside Reps. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.). Prominent progressives Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) also signed on. Rep. Jim McGovern (Mass.), the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, has also signed the letter, Khanna's office confirmed to The Hill. The letter follows announcements from France, Canada and the United Kingdom that they would move towards recognizing a Palestinian state. France plans to do so at the U.N. in September, while Canada said recognition was contingent on demilitarization and holding democratic elections without Hamas. The U.K. plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September if a ceasefire is not reached by then. The moves by the members of the Group of Seven are largely symbolic, but they signal growing diplomatic pressure on Israel over a worsening hunger and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. A draft of the letter from Democratic lawmakers circulated July 31 states that recognition by the U.S. — an unlikely prospect regardless — would be contingent on a Palestinian state recognizing Israel and adopting 'a framework to guarantee Israel's security, including the disarmament of and relinquishing of power by Hamas.' 'We believe recognizing Palestinian statehood and obligating Palestinian leaders to abide by the international law binding on states and their governments will make that far more achievable and sustainable than decades of statelessness and repression have,' the draft letter reads. The Palestinian Authority is currently an observer state at the United Nations, meaning it cannot vote (the Vatican holds the same status). There have been efforts to make the Palestinian Authority a full member state, which requires the assent of the U.N. Security Council, where the U.S. holds veto power, alongside a two-thirds vote from the U.N. general assembly. The United States blocked a move for full Palestinian membership in April 2024.
Buzz Feed
13 minutes ago
- Buzz Feed
Best Political Tweets 8-1-2025
American politics — well, frankly, global politics — is chaos right now, but I find it comforting to know I'm not alone in thinking the world has gone bananas. So, here are 25 of the best, most relatable, and sometimes funny political tweets from the last week: Note: The image of Omar Fateh in the original tweet was replaced here due to photo rights. Note: The image of Trump in the original tweet was replaced here due to photo rights. Note: The image of Trump in the original tweet was replaced here due to photo rights. See you next week!
Hamilton Spectator
13 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Lawyer says he's not been allowed to see 5 immigrants deported by the US to a prison in Eswatini
MANZINI, Eswatini (AP) — Five immigrants deported by the United States to Eswatini in a secret deal last month had served their criminal sentences before they were sent to be held in a prison in the African country, a lawyer working on their cases said Friday. The Eswatini lawyer also said the men from Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, Yemen and Vietnam sent to southern Africa under President Donald Trump's third-country deportation program have been denied access to legal representation while being held in Eswatini's main maximum-security prison. The lawyer, Sibusiso Nhlabatsi, said he hasn't been allowed to see the men and that he filed court papers Thursday against the head of Eswatini's correctional services department and the country's attorney general, demanding access to them. He said he is representing them on behalf of lawyers in the U.S. and was prevented from seeing them by Eswatini prison officials on July 25. It's unlawful for the men, who have been in Eswatini for around two weeks, to be denied access to a lawyer, he added. The Eswatini government has said the men will be held in solitary confinement until they can be deported to their home countries, which could take up to a year. 'They have served their sentences,' Nhlabatsi told The Associated Press. 'If a person has committed a crime and they have served a sentence, why are you then keeping them in a prison?' Nhlabatsi said the men have not been able to communicate with their families or receive visitors since arriving in Eswatini, although prison officials said they were in the process of setting up devices to allow them to speak with their families. He alleged their ongoing detention could have legal implications for Eswatini, a small country bordering South Africa and one of the world's last absolute monarchies , ruled by a king accused of cracking down on dissent. The Trump administration has come under scrutiny for its choice of African countries to strike deportation deals with. It deported eight immigrants described as violent criminals to South Sudan in early July in an operation that was halted by a legal challenge in the U.S. The eight were held for weeks in a converted shipping container at an American military base in nearby Djibouti while the case was decided. A Supreme Court ruling eventually cleared the way for them to be sent to South Sudan. Both South Sudan, which is in danger of tipping into civil war, and Eswatini have poor rights records and governments accused of being repressive. Critics say the deportees, who the administration says were in the U.S. illegally, will likely be denied due process in those countries. The five sent to Eswatini were also described by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as serious criminals. Their convictions included murder and child rape, the department said in social media posts, calling them 'uniquely barbaric.' The department, which did not say if they had completed their sentences, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. An Eswatini government spokesman also declined to comment on Nhlabatsi's allegations, saying it was now a matter for the courts. Nhlabatsi said the deportees are being held at the Matsapha Correctional Complex near the administrative capital, Mbabane, the same prison said to hold pro-democracy activists on trumped up charges. The government has declined to say where the five men are being held, citing security concerns. Eswatini's statement about the five men ultimately being deported to their home countries appears to contradict claims by the U.S. that their home countries refused to take the men back. Activists in Eswatini have demanded that the details of the agreement with the U.S. be made public but the government has said they are 'classified.' South Sudan has also declined to give details of its agreement to take deportees from the U.S. ___ AP news on the Trump administration: Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
