Foreign Digest Updates: Algeria, United Kingdom, Syria, Ukraine and Italy

Algeria

            Algeria's old and ailing president, who had announced recently that he will not seek a fifth term, is nominating a new government amidst apparent preparations to remove him from office in the face of massive protests against him.

United Kingdom

            After the rejection for a third time of Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May’s negotiated exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union, although by a closer vote than the first two times, a customs union will next be considered by the British Parliament.  The EU had extended the deadline from March 29 to April 11 for the UK to decide whether to accept the deal with the EU, leave without any deal or decide not to leave.

Syria

            The last territory of the “Islamic State” caliphate has been liberated by the Syrian Democratic Forces, backed by the United States.  Tens of thousands of IS fighters remain in Syria, as well is in Iraq and scattered throughout the Islamic world, in addition to al-Qaeda.

Ukraine

            Ukraine held its presidential elections yesterday while Russian Federation forces continued to attack Ukrainians in eastern Ukraine, in support of separatist ethnic Russians.  Russia, under tyrant Vladimir Putin, had already annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, despite a treaty recognizing Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity.  In the elections, one of the challengers received the most votes, but not a majority, which would have been enough to avoid a run-off election with the incumbent.

Italy

           The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development blames Italy’s recession on its populist government’s spending spree, particularly its pension benefits and new welfare benefit.