Demonstrators set fire to Almaty’s city hall and raided the government building in Aktobe during the ongoing protests in Kazakhstan’s various cities. Tear gas and stun grenades were used by police teams who intervened with over a thousand protesters.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Askar Mamin’s government and appointed Deputy Prime Minister Alihan Smailov as interim Prime Minister in a Presidential Decree issued today.
The US flag has been hoisted once more at the US Embassy in Damascus, Syria, for the first time since its closure in 2012.
US Special Representative for Syria Thomas Barrack made his first official visit to Damascus and personally raised the flag during a ceremony attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Hassan Shaybani. The embassy had suspended operations amid the outbreak of civil conflict following anti-government protests.
No official statement has been issued regarding the resumption of embassy operations.
The move follows a surprise meeting earlier this month between US President Donald Trump and Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara in Riyadh, where a decision was made to lift sanctions imposed during the Assad era, signaling a potential shift in Washington-Damascus relations.
TR