Category World News

The killing of a Bedouin couple south of Homs, Syria’s third-largest city, was expected to cause yet another week of sectarian hostility there.

The couple, who was discovered dead on Sunday, were a well-known Sunni Bani Khaled tribe. Their alleged murderers had scrawled sectarian slogans on the walls next to their bodies.

Homs, a city known for having a diverse religious makeup, was furious. Tribal members called for the start of shootings at homes with Alawite majority in the neighborhoods where they lived. Additionally, on Tuesday, a religious leader from the Alawite community called for significant demonstrations in Latakia and Tartous, both of which were held in the religious minority’s traditional heartlands.

However, in the almost one year since Bashar al-Assad’s fall, Syria has yet to experience another outbreak of sectarian violence, unlike on a number of occasions, such as in the coastal areas in March and again in Suwayda in July. The Minister of Interior and Defense sent security forces to the area, which helped bring the situation under control. The Syrian government imposed a curfew.

How perilous is Syria’s potential for sectarian violence? What steps is the government taking to stop it? And why are some Syrian minority communities concerned about their future?

What was the government’s response to the violence?

After some violent protests against the killing of some tribal members in Homs’ Alawite neighbourhoods, the government appears to have acted quickly to calm the conflict. Although monitoring organizations claimed dozens of injuries, no casualties were officially reported.

Working with tribal leaders, government security forces eased tensions and detained 120 of the violence’s perpetrators.

In contrast to earlier this year’s incidents along the Syrian coast and in Suwayda, when tribes reportedly affiliated with the government mobilized and reportedly contributed to widespread violence alongside armed fighters from minority groups, reports from the ground indicate that the deployment has had a positive effect in preventing violent clashes.

Even as it opened inquiries, the new Syrian government has received criticism internationally for failing to stop those attacks. The government has taken immediate action to prevent further clashes because international legitimacy is one of President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s top priorities.

The Syrian government, whose Sunni Muslim majority is in charge, has also questioned whether sectarianism was a factor in the killing of the Bedouin couple. Nour al-Din al-Baba, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, claimed that the sectarian messages found next to the bodies were intended to “mislead investigators and incite strife.”

Brigadier General Marhaf al-Naasan, the Homs Internal Security Commander, stated in a statement on Facebook that the government “strongly condemns this heinous crime and affirms that its goal is unmistakable sectarian rhetoric and stir up division within our community.”

What’s happening in Homs right now?

The curfew was lifted by Tuesday morning, but the sectarian tension persists.

Homs was credited by some activists as the savior of the revolution during the Syrian uprising that ultimately ended with al-Assad. The al-Assad regime, which was led by Alawite, had long been a source of oppression for members of its Sunni Muslim community.

Homs still has Sunni, Alawite, and Christian communities, despite being a multifaith, multiethnic and multicultural city.

Alawite in Homs have reported instances of discrimination, violence, and home eviction since al-Assad’s ouster in December 2024. Some Alawite emigrated from Syria to villages in the Akkar region of Lebanon after the coastal violence in March.

Since the Homs violence, what has happened elsewhere in Syria?

Homs was the site of protests along the coast, which is well known for its large Alawite communities, particularly in Latakia, where hundreds of people gathered.

The al-Azhari Roundabout, al-Hammam Square, and the agriculture roundabout in Latakia were the locations of protests. According to Enab Baladi, a local media outlet in Syria, there were also sit-ins in the city of Baniyas’ al-Qusur neighborhood.

Sit-ins in the Latakia or Tartous regions, including those in Jableh, Qardaha, Safita, Dreikish, Sheikh Badr, and others, demanded “the human right to live in safety and dignity” and opposed to the “killing of Alawites,” according to Enab Baladi.

Some protesters chanted “the Syrian people are one,” according to reports, while others called for federalism. Additionally, the new government’s plan to release Alawite prisoners was called.

The Supreme Alawite Islamic Council’s Ghazal Ghazal made the demand on Monday. Ghazal emailed his neighborhood to express his peaceful protests.

In Jableh and Banias, there was also a pro-government counterprotest. Security forces opened up two rival demonstrations, according to a report from Reuters. The government claimed that “unknown assailants also opened fire on security forces and civilians” according to Reuters.

Is Syria’s government at a turning point now?

Although it is still too early to say whether the government has been completely able to stop a new wave of sectarian violence, it is crucial that Homs’ situation do not turn into days of widespread violence in order to regain the trust of many people.

Lina Ghoutouk, a researcher and human rights expert in Syria, told Al Jazeera, “The communication from the government side was good.” It was obvious that this kind of violence, aggression, or sectarianism was completely unacceptable.

Ghoutouk argued that more work must be done to bring the tribes under the control of the state security forces.

She claimed that the root cause is unknown, which is the issue.

The most recent budget, which was released on Wednesday, was unveiled by British Chancellor Rachel Reeves, which included significant tax increases projected to increase the public purse’s $ 36.4% by 2030.

The budget had been highly anticipated as a “make or break” moment for the UK’s governing Labour party, which has grappled with poor polling over the past year. The far-right Reform UK Party, which opposes immigration, would win control of the country if an election were to be held earlier this year, according to an opinion poll conducted by YouGov earlier this year.

The nation’s Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) released its economic outlook as a result of the budget on its website two hours before the announcement, which is unusual for the country until afterward. Reeves called the blunder “deeply disappointing” and a “serious error”.

Reeves acknowledged that working people would suffer as a result of the tax increases, which are largely offset by the freezing of existing income tax thresholds, which means that more people will pay higher taxes as their incomes rise with inflation. This contradicts a fundamental commitment made by Labour’s manifesto prior to the general election last year.

“We are asking everyone to make a contribution”, Reeves told parliament.

She claimed, however, that the tax increases would help pay for the 28.9 billion pounds of fiscal headroom needed in five years. Reeves added that annual government borrowing would decrease. Borrowing in 2025-26 is expected to be 138.3bn pounds ($183bn), falling to 112.1 billion pounds ($148.3bn) the year after and to 67.2 billion pounds ($88.9bn) by 2031.

Reeves predicted a 20. 8 billion pounds ($28. 8 billion) surplus for the UK budget deficit for the fiscal year 2026/2027, while Reeves predicted a 24.6 billion pounds ($32.55) surplus for the year 2030/2031.

Reeves claimed that that will cover welfare expenditures and that there won’t be a “return to austerity measures.”

“I said there would be no return to austerity, and I meant it. Our investment in our economy and our national health service will continue with this budget. I promised to lower my monthly rent, and I did so. This budget will bring down inflation and provide immediate relief for families. Reeves remarked, “I committed to reducing debt and borrowing, and I did so.

What can we learn from this budget in five key ways.

1. Labor broke its promise to pay off the income of working people.

Reeves announced a one-time increase in taxes needed to keep the government’s finances on an even keel in the last year’s budget, which she claimed would be the biggest increase in revenue-raising measures in decades.

This time around, while she did not increase income tax or National Insurance Contributions for working people, she did extend a freeze on the income thresholds at which tax must be paid.

As inflation increases, more people will be pushed into higher tax brackets. By the 2029-2030 fiscal year, the move will encourage 780, 000 more people to pay basic income tax for the first time, along with 920, 000 more higher-rate taxpayers and 4, 000 additional-rate payers.

“This ‘ fiscal drag ‘ means that hundreds of thousands will start paying income tax for the first time, and all existing taxpayers will face higher liabilities”, Irem Guceri, associate professor of economics and public policy at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government, said.

These thresholds had already been frozen until 2028 by the previous Conservative government. Reeves, who was initially extremely critical of that decision and claimed it hurt employees, has now made plans to extend that until 2031.

“I know that maintaining these thresholds is a decision that will affect working people”, she said. “I said that last year, and I won’t pretend otherwise now.”

The chancellor added, “I can confirm that I won’t be raising national insurance, the basic, higher, or additional rates of income tax or VAT],” adding.

Reeves said she will also target wealthier people via a “mansion tax” on those who own property worth more than 2 million pounds ($2.65m) and is reducing the amount of tax relief some higher earners can obtain on pension contributions. Additionally, she made an additional 2 percentage point increase in the tax rate for capital gains, dividends, and rental income.

DeVere’s CEO, Nigel Green, predicted that these actions will have broader “behavioural effects.” “People make long-term decisions about where to work, where to build wealth and where to retire”, he said.

“When pensions regulations are tightened severely, it undermines confidence in the system as a whole. He continued, “Wealth moves where governments maintain stability over decades rather than with impulsive extractions.”

Following the announcement, Kemi Badenoch, leader of the opposition Conservative party, described Reeves decision to raise taxes, despite promising not to do so again, as “a total humiliation”.

2. Labor will spend money on welfare

One of the highly anticipated announcements of the budget was the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap from April 2026. Parents can only currently claim special tax credits worth 3,455 pounds (4,571) per child for their first two children. The previous Conservative government imposed the cap. Reeves said this would lift thousands of children out of poverty.

According to Guceri, “the elimination of the two-child benefit cap” is likely to provide significant support to families currently living in poverty.

According to experts, the move will be particularly popular with Labour Party supporters. “The two-child benefit cap is widely despised among rebellious Labour MPs as a major contributor to child poverty”, said Colm Murphy, senior lecturer in British politics at Queen Mary University, London. Reeves needed to have a chance of remaining politically successful, Reeves said.

The move, according to Gregory Thwaites, research director at Resolution Foundation (RF), a British think tank that focuses on raising living standards.

“That’s something that we’ve been campaigning for RF for some time, and we’re very pleased to see that. Additionally, the tax system has some beneficial changes. So, for instance, giving those who own very expensive properties a little more money would be very welcome, Thwaites said.

“Ultimately, budgetary responsibility should not just be seen in terms of fiscal balance but also measures of broader wellbeing”, said professor Jasper Kenter, professorial research fellow at Aberystwyth Business School. In this regard, lifting the two-child benefit cap is crucial.

Reeves’ decision to tax wealth and increase welfare spending was welcomed by GMB workers’ union General Secretary Gary Smith, who described this budget as the “final nail in the coffin for the Conservatives’ failed austerity project.”

“Key public services, essential national infrastructure, and communities across the UK suffered deep wounds because the Tories made the wrong economic choices – we must never go back to those dark days”, a statement from Smith read.

The statement continued, “The challenge for Labour is to get to grips with rebuilding our economy and country, lock in significant investment to create growth, and start bringing a little hope to people.”

3. UK’s hated ‘ rape clause ‘ will be scrapped

Reeves said she would repeal the so-called “rape clause,” which exempts women from the two-child benefit cap policy if they can demonstrate that their child was born without consent.

She called the exemption rule “vile, grotesque, dehumanizing, and cruel.”

“I’m proud to be Britain’s first female chancellor”, Reeves told parliament. I am aware of the responsibilities that come with that. I will not tolerate the grotesque indignity of the rape clause for any longer.

4. Economic growth forecasts that are less than expected

The OBR’s forecast for this year’s economic growth increased from 1% to 1.5 percent in response to the budget.

However, it downgraded economic growth for the following four years. The OBR’s forecast for each of 2027, 2028, and 2029 has been downgraded from roughly 1.8 percent to 1.5 percent, while GDP growth for 2026 is currently projected to be 1.4 percent (down from 1.9%).

The downgrade is largely due to less optimistic expectations for productivity growth. Reeves insisted the sluggish outlook was the legacy of the previous Conservative government, however.

Reeves also announced a freeze on fuel taxes and rail fares, as well as support for energy bills, which Guceri said caused the OBR to lower inflation by 0.4 percentage points for the year ahead. The OBR increased its forecast for this year, she continued, “in response to stronger real wage growth and persistent food price pressures.”

5. The pound and the financial markets both had positive reactions.

Prior to the budget announcement, the price of the euro increased by 0.3 percent to reach $ 1.3213, before returning to roughly where it was at the beginning.

London’s blue-chip FTSE index and the FTSE 250 index rose by about 0.6 percent each in the wake of the budget.

At least 14 people were killed and dozens hurt in a massive fire that was burning through several high-rise buildings in Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court, according to video. While firefighters battled the flames, some residents remained trapped. The cause is being investigated by authorities.