World roundup: February 24 2023

Stories from Pakistan, South Africa, Russia, and elsewhere

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

An apparent US drone strike in northwestern Syria’s Idlib province killed two suspected members of Hurras al-Din on Friday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Syrian Civil Defense confirmed the strike but said the two victims were “unidentified.” Hurras al-Din debuted in February 2018, comprised of former Jabhat al-Nusra/Hayat Tahrir al-Sham operatives who rejected that organization’s decision to cut ties with al-Qaeda. The US government continues to regard it as a threat to carry out terrorist attacks in the West even though as best as I can tell it’s barely even active inside Syria.

The Turkish government, meanwhile, says it carried out a drone strike near the town of Qamishli this week (it seems they didn’t go into specifics) that killed Halil Menci, a suspect in November’s bombing in Istanbul. According to the Turks Menci was “under the protection” of the Kurdish YPG militia.