The poles are the areas of the planet most seriously affected by global warming. We do not have good data on Antarctica, but we have good records of the Arctic. NASA has produced a video of how sea ice in the Arctic has been affected by global warming. Pay particular attention to what happens after 2007 when sea ice thinned out quite dramatically and has continued to thin out since. The video is narrated so be sure to turn on your sound. The New York Times has a very well-documented article on coal in the global economy and why it persists as the main source of energy for many countries in the world. As long as coal remains in the energy cycle, it is hard to see progress against climate change.
We still have no clear idea of the CIA assessment of the role of Saudi Crown Prince Salman in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. President Trump continues to insist that Prince Salman did not know about the murder. According to The Guardian:
“Trump has been sharply criticised for his passive response. The president said repeatedly on Thursday that, contrary to media reporting that cited senior intelligence officials, the CIA had not found Prince Mohammed responsible.
“’They didn’t conclude,’ Trump told reporters in Florida. ‘No, no, they didn’t conclude. I’m sorry. No, they didn’t conclude. They did not come to a conclusion. They have feelings certain ways. I have the report … they have not concluded, I don’t know if anyone’s going to be able to conclude the crown prince did it.’”
On the other hand, Congressman Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, and Senator Mike Lee all stated in press interviews that the CIA had concluded that the Crown Prince had authorized the assassination. I suspect that we will have to wait for Congressional hearings next year before we hear from the CIA directly.
Ukraine and Russia have escalated their confrontation in the Black Sea. Russia has closed the Kerch Strait, a narrow waterway that connects the Azov Sea with the Black Sea. The two states have a bilateral treaty that gives both countries the right of passage through the straits. But both sides have accused each other with aggressive military actions in the strait. Russia connected Crimea with Russia earlier this year by building a bridge that goes over the strait, and since the bridge opened in May, Russia has been aggressively asserting its control over the area. Ukraine has the weaker hand in this confrontation, but it remains to be seen whether the US will back up the Ukrainians in the Black Sea.
World Politics News 
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