ASIA GEORGIA Sunday's Georgian presidential election looks likely to prove indecisive, which means that the top two finishers, Salome Zurabishvili and Grigol Vashadze, will meet in a runoff sometime next month. Zurabishvili is supported by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, the wealthiest man in Georgia and the man generally believed to be running the country behind the scenes. … Continue reading World update: October 27-28 2018

SYRIA ISIS killed more than 40 Syrian Democratic Forces fighters, captured several more, and retook the town of Sousa in a battle that began late Friday and continued into Saturday morning. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights is citing a higher casualty figure of more than 60. The SDF had taken about half of Sousa … Continue reading Middle East update: October 27-28 2018

EUROPE CYPRUS Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akıncı met on Friday for the first time in six months and agreed to open two additional border crossings between the two halves of the country. The goodwill gesture is meant to build momentum toward possibly giving peace talks another crack. RUSSIA Donald Trump has … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: October 26 2018

ASIA PAKISTAN The Pakistani navy says that China has not asked for military access to its Gwadar port. Developing Gwadar is one of the centerpieces of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor project, AKA Pakistan's leg of the Belt and Road Initiative. The large Chinese commitment to the port has raised concerns in the US and India … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: October 26 2018

SYRIA An exchange of artillery fire in southeastern Idlib province killed at least seven people on Friday in the biggest single violation of the Russian-Turkish deescalation agreement there since it came into effect in September. Smaller scale violations have occurred here and there with occasional casualties, but Friday was a much bigger event than those … Continue reading Middle East update: October 26 2018

ASIAARMENIA US National Security Advisor John Bolton visited Armenia on Thursday and blamed Russian arms sales for exacerbating the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan. Moscow is the main weapons supplier to both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Lest you think this was some high-minded and wholly out of character exercise in pacifism, Bolton also added a sales pitch … Continue reading World update: October 25 2018

SYRIA The Russian government says that it has evidence that a January drone strike on its Hmeimim air base in Syria was orchestrated by the US. Or at least it was guided by a US "spy plane." The Russians are apparently "very alarmed" over this. The Wall Street Journal published a story last week about a … Continue reading Middle East update: October 25 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN Residents of the Rodat district of Nangarhar province are saying that Afghan forces killed at least 14 civilians in an operation there on Wednesday. It's unclear whether the Afghans were targeting the Taliban or ISIS, both of which are operating in that province. Afghan authorities say they're investigating the reports. The early reviews of … Continue reading World update: October 24 2018

SYRIA Syrian state media and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights both say that a US airstrike in the vicinity of the town of Sousa on Wednesday killed multiple civilians. The SOHR cited a death toll of 16 while Syrian media didn't get into specifics. The US has been pummeling civilians in Sousa for days … Continue reading Middle East update: October 24 2018