Registering recreational drones; Iran in Syria; and changes in Canada

RECREATIONAL DRONE REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Want to experiment with an unmanned drone? You’ll likely have to register it first. Federal regulators announced the new policy Monday, The Washington Post reports, as a means of controlling these remote-piloted robots, which are complicating flight safety and crashing into buildings – not to mention, occasionally, people.

Regulators hope to have rules written and in force within two months, and are expected to apply not just to new drone buyers but current owners and operators. Yet thus far, there are no guidelines on what size and type of drones will require registration, or how the authorities plan to go after people who don’t follow the rules on when and where drones can be flown.

IRAN IN SYRIA? While all eyes have been on the Russian planes in the skies, Iranian troops have been spreading their influence on the ground, the BBC reports. Iranian and Syrian media have even published photos suggesting that Major General Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Quds Forces, is in Syria. Thus far the Iranian government is only acknowledging that “volunteers” are fighting in Syria.

Meanwhile, the fighting is worsening. Via FP, take a look at this drone footage of destruction in a Damascus suburb of Jobar. And the Telegraph is reporting that the latest offensive around Aleppo – where Russian planes are buttressing Syrian forces – has displaced another 70,000. Meanwhile the U.S. Army general who presided over the failed train-and-equip program for Syrian rebels is returning to the United States in a the next few weeks, likely for a promotion, the New York Times reports.

CHANGES IN CANADA. There’s a new party in charge in Canada, after elections that delivered over half of the parliament’s seats to the Liberals, establishing Justin Trudeau as the new prime minister and ending the Conservative reign of Stephen Harper. What does this mean for the United States? Well, the Associated Press reports that a Canada under Trudeau will likely have fewer tensions with the Obama White House, especially over issues like the Keystone pipeline. The BBC points out that Trudeau is also in favor of tackling climate change and bringing in more Syrian refugees, but may pull Canada out of the U.S. coalition fighting the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq – and reestablish diplomatic relations with Iran.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2015/10/20/registering-recreational-drones-iran-in-syria-and-changes-in-canada/