US, Syria Will Soon Be Only Holdouts on Paris Accord

When President Trump announced earlier this year that the US would pull out of the Paris climate accord, much of the coverage pointed out that only Nicaragua and Syria were also in the "no" camp. That group just got a little smaller: Nicaragua plans to sign the accord, leaving the US and Syria as the only holdouts, reports Mashable. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega told state media Wednesday that he would sign the pact soon, per Bloomberg.

Nicaragua initially opposed the agreement because it said it wasn't strong enough, particularly in what it asked of wealthy nations. Trump opposes the deal because he says it would impose too many restrictions on American companies. However, reports have surfaced of late that the US may be softening its position and will strike some kind of compromise in order to sign the deal. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson seemed to confirm the possibility over the weekend, reports CBS News. (More climate change stories.)