May 30, 2017

U.S. begins arming Kurdish forces in Syria

YPG fighter standing guards as U.S. forces take up positions in the northern village of Darbasiyah, Syria / AP

The U.S. is now providing arms to Kurdish forces in Syria, NBC News reports, citing U.S. defense officials.

The move to arm the forces, known as the Y.P.G., was approved earlier this month against opposition from Turkey, which considers the militia a terrorist group. The U.S. began providing arms and heavy equipment over the past 24 hours.

What's next: The Pentagon says the Kurdish militia will be a key player in efforts to re-take Raqqa. Providing heavy equipment is intended as a step toward an offensive on the de facto ISIS capital.

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World coronavirus updates

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Axios Visuals

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By the numbers: Brazil on Monday recorded for the first time more deaths from the novel coronavirus in a single day than the United States, Reuters notes. Brazil reported 807 deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, compared to 620 in the U.S. for the same period.

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