John Yang:
Bolsonaro also told the Reuters news agency that he thinks the court orders are in response to President Trump’s criticism of his trial. Both men have called it a witch-hunt and last week Mr. Trump said he would impose a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian goods, tying them directly to Bolsonaro’s legal problems.
At the White House today, President Trump signed into law the first major legislation aimed at regulating cryptocurrencies. During an event in the East Room, Mr. Trump signed the GENIUS Act, which sets initial guardrails and consumer protections for stablecoins. These are a type of cryptocurrency that are tied to assets like the U.S. dollar.
As such, they are meant to be less volatile than other forms of crypto. Its passage by Congress this week was seen as a major step forward for the industry’s efforts toward mainstream usage and acceptance.
Venezuela released a group of jailed Americans today in a three-nation deal that also included El Salvador. Under the agreement, 10 Americans who had been seized by Venezuelan authorities will be freed. In exchange, El Salvador was sent back some 300 migrants to Venezuela who had been deported from the United States and were being housed in a notorious Salvadoran prison.
The Trump administration had paid El Salvador $6 million in march to take those Venezuelans, accusing them without evidence of belonging to the Tren de Aragua gang.
In Syria, violence between Druze militias and bedouin clans has returned to the southern Suwayda province. Clashes erupted overnight after a brief period of relative calm following a cease-fire agreement. Today, smoke rose over buildings and Syrian government forces rolled back in and tried to restore stability.
The conflict between the Druze and the bedouin tribes broke out Sunday. Fighting has already killed hundreds of people and displaced nearly 80,000 others. Government-linked forces are accused of siding with the bedouins, executing Druze civilians and burning their homes.
Health officials in the Gaza Strip say overnight Israeli airstrikes killed at least 18 people, including children. Morgue records show that one strike in the southern city of Khan Yunis killed four members of the same family. People there dug through the rubble looking for the remains of their relatives.
