Advertise with us
DOWNUNDERVOICESAustralia · New Zealand · World
Back to World
World

19 August 2026

Former US official calls shift in relations with Syria ‘surreal’

Downunder Voices Newsroom

Source reporting: Al Jazeera English

FacebookEmail
Former US official calls shift in relations with Syria ‘surreal’

A former US State Department advisor on Syria tells Al Jazeera’s ‘This is America’ the improved relationship

About this report

Downunder Voices provides an independently written summary and community perspective based on information published by the original source. The original publisher remains responsible for its reporting.

Join our community

Follow Downunder Voices

Join thousands of readers following news and community stories from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.

Follow on FacebookSubmit your story

More from World

View category
In cutting joint drills, Trump has given South Korea’s president what he wants. So why does Seoul look so uneasy?World

19 August 2026

In cutting joint drills, Trump has given South Korea’s president what he wants. So why does Seoul look so uneasy?

President Lee Jae Myung has long pushed for stronger homegrown defences, yet Donald Trump’s move has sparked alarm in some quarters At their first summit , in August last year, South Korean president Lee Jae Myung told Donald Trump: “If you, Mr President, become the peacemaker, then I will assist you as the pacemaker.” The remark at the Oval Office captured the thrust of Lee’s approach to the North: dial down the military posturing and make repeated peace overtures to revive dialogue, even if they have been consistently rejected by Pyongyang largely over Seoul’s insistence on denuclearisation.

Source: The Guardian WorldOriginal source

Read Next

View latest
Catholic schools chief denies wiping critical evidence after performing factory reset on phone, Icac hearsAustralia

19 August 2026

Catholic schools chief denies wiping critical evidence after performing factory reset on phone, Icac hears

Dallas McInerney tells inquiry he wiped data from his devices over the weekend after receiving a security warning from his bank Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates On Wednesday, Dallas McInerney revealed he had performed the factory reset over the weekend after giving evidence to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) last week.

Source: The Guardian WorldOriginal source
SpaceX Starship the talk of remote Australian island as Elon Musk’s engineers sent to retrieve itAustralia

19 August 2026

SpaceX Starship the talk of remote Australian island as Elon Musk’s engineers sent to retrieve it

Christmas Island locals who woke to see the spacecraft floating off the coast hope global attention will encourage tourists Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates The spacecraft – now floating off the coast of Christmas Island – was launched in Texas on 24 July, in the 13th test of the technology. After reaching orbit and releasing 20 non-functioning satellites, the upper stage of the rocket re-entered the atmosphere, landing in the ocean.

Source: The Guardian WorldOriginal source
Red dots flash warning for Panama Canal shippingTrade & Logistics

19 August 2026

Red dots flash warning for Panama Canal shipping

The Panama Canal is starting to ration capacity and draft before an expected El Niño-driven drought bites, with forecasts for Gatun Lake providing an ominous warning for shipping heading into the final months of the year. Data from the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), charted by Braemar, shows Gatun Lake levels falling steadily through August, September …

Source: Splash247Original source