World roundup: August 12 2022

Stories from Myanmar, Kenya, Colombia, and more

INTERNATIONAL

In today’s global news:

• Worldometer is tracking COVID-19 cases and fatalities.

• The New York Times is tracking global vaccine distribution.

MIDDLE EAST

SYRIA

Protests, some apparently pretty large, broke out in rebel-controlled parts of northern Syria on Friday in response to a comment the previous day from Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu that has been interpreted as a sign that Turkish policy in Syria is about to shift. Çavuşoğlu reportedly told a group of diplomats that “we have to somehow get the opposition and the regime to reconcile in Syria. Otherwise, there will be no lasting peace, we always say this.” That’s…not wrong, but for people who still regard themselves as rebels under Turkish protection I think the concern is that what they regard as reasonable terms for reconciliation with Damascus might not align with Ankara’s vision. At least some of Friday’s demonstrations seem to have been organized by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which is perpetually jockeying for influence with Turkey and Turkish-backed rebels in Idlib province and presumably saw Çavuşoğlu’s remark as something they could exploit.