What We're Watching: ISIS Attacks in Syria

Syria ISIS attack — A suicide bombing in Syria claimed by ISIS killed 14 people including four Americans this week. Two questions we'll be watching: Will this attack impact the pace of President Trump's ordered withdrawal of US troops from Syria, and is the bombing part of a broader ISIS strategy to launch a wave of new attacks as US troops depart?

DNA tests The airline Aeromexico wants more Americans to visit Mexico. So it's come up with an interesting promotion. Just click the link.

What We're Ignoring:

An End to World War II — Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet next week. On their agenda: an end to World War II. Russia and Japan have never signed a formal peace treaty to end the conflict, and many in Japan continue to hope that, as part of a peace deal, Russia will return a group of Pacific islands seized at the end of the war. Russians call them the Kuril Islands, and Japan still refers to them as the Northern Territories. We're ignoring this story, because we doubt Putin will ever willingly give away a single acre of Russian land.

North Korean beaches — Fans of Puppet Regime know all about those North Korean beaches that will "leave you speechless." Satellite photos suggest a giant beach resort in the Wonsan-Kalma Coastal Tourist Area, a strip of land once used for artillery drills and missile launches, is almost ready for summer fun. We'd love to sneak a peek at the new water slides, but we'll ignore this development until Kim Jong-un feels its fully ready for inspection.

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Founder and CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov delivers a keynote speech during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Feb. 23, 2016.​
Founder and CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov delivers a keynote speech during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on Feb. 23, 2016.
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Realistic, economic, sustainable, and secure. These are the factors driving the energy transition, and the reason it won’t happen overnight. “To get the transition right, we need to solve three things – energy affordability, reliability, and sustainability. That requires eggs in multiple baskets. Enbridge is investing in conventional, renewables and new energy technology to meet today’s energy demands and plan for the future.

Global energy investment continues to rise, with investment in low carbon fuels and renewables growing rapidly. Competing needs like affordability, energy security, and cleaner, more sustainable options make it hard to know what the future of energy will look like in the short or long term. In a rapidly changing world, the critical role of energy is constantly evolving as well. To explore the biggest ideas about the current energy transition, GZERO Media and Enbridge are partnering to bring you “Energized: The Future of Energy”, a new five-part podcast series premiering on Thursday, September 5th. Host JJ Ramberg will be joined by Enbridge CEO Greg Ebel along with some of the top experts in the industry to discuss where we’re going, and how it will impact geopolitics, the economy, and your bottom line. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes will be published every other Thursday. Learn more at gzeromedia.com/energized.

FILE PHOTO: A volunteer distributes food to people in Omdurman, Sudan, September 3, 2023.
REUTERS/El Tayeb Siddig/File Photo

The United Nations World Food Programme has reportedly launched an investigation into allegations of fraud and breaking rules around neutrality in war zones against two of its top officials in Sudan amid its ongoing civil war.

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron welcome Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he arrives to attend a reception for heads of state and government at the Elysee Palace before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, in Paris, France August 28, 2024.
REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier

The United Kingdom’s new Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised to “turn a corner on Brexit” ahead of his quick European tour this week.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) and Vice President Kamala Harris seen at a Harris/Walz campaign event at the Liacouras Center at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz will tape their first joint interview since their ticket was announced on Thursday with CNN’s Dana Bash. The sit-down will air later that night at 9 p.m. ET.