ASIA AFGHANISTAN The Taliban issued a statement on Tuesday warning that it will withdraw from peace talks with the US unless Washington commits to the talks with "sincere intentions." I'm going to be honest here and say I have no idea what they're talking about and in fact it's beginning to seem like the Taliban … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: January 15 2019

SYRIA A cold winter is making life hell for displaced Syrians in camps in Lebanon and inside Syria: At least 15 children have died in Syria because of a lack of medical care and inadequate living conditions for displaced people amid freezing temperatures, the UN has said, warning that more deaths are likely to follow. … Continue reading Middle East update: January 15 2019

ASIA AFGHANISTAN A car bombing near the international area of Kabul killed at least four people and wounded another 90 on Monday. There's been no claim of responsibility. The Taliban later claimed responsibility. Further talks between US and Taliban representatives are now at risk over the site of the negotiations. The Taliban, which has a diplomatic … Continue reading World update: January 14 2019

SYRIA Turkish officials spent the day responding to At Real Donald Trump's threat to crater their economy if they attack the Kurdish YPG militia after the US leaves Syria (assuming it does in fact leave). For example, here's a close adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: https://twitter.com/ikalin1/status/1084600728512016386 Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu criticized Trump's … Continue reading Middle East update: January 14 2019

EUROPE SERBIA Thousands of people took to the streets of Belgrade to protest against Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić for the sixth Saturday in a row this weekend. Demonstrators are demanding that Vučić and his Serbian Progressive Party stop stifling press freedoms and attacking opposition leaders, and they're preemptively expressing opposition to any deal Vučić might … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: January 12-13 2019

ASIA AFGHANISTAN The Taliban killed at least five Afghan police officers in an attack on a checkpoint in Kandahar province on Saturday. In Herat province, a suspected Taliban attack on a police station left at least five more people dead. The New York Times reports on one of the many problems facing the Afghan government if … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: January 12-13 2019

SYRIA Winter weather is battering Syrian refugees in Lebanon, many of whom live in ramshackle camps in the flood-prone Bekaa Valley. More than 1500 refugees had to be resettled on Friday after rain and snow earlier in the week caused their camps to flood, and many more were bracing for another storm over the weekend. … Continue reading Middle East update: January 12-13 2019

EUROPE ESTONIA The Estonian government has for some time been concerned about the possibility that Vladimir Putin might make a move against its predominantly Russian east a la Crimea. In order to help develop that part of the country and keep the people there happy, the Estonian government has begun investing in the arts in … Continue reading Europe/Americas: January 11 2019

ASIA AFGHANISTAN Ashraf Ghani made wholesale changes in his national security cabinet last month, installing former intelligence boss Amrullah Saleh as interior minister and putting new people in charge of the defense ministry and the High Peace Council. The point, with momentum building behind peace talks between the Taliban and US that threaten to leave … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: January 11 2019

SYRIA We'll start with the story that came out late in the day, which is that Syrian air defenses have once again fired on targets over Damascus. The Syrian government later identified them as Israeli missiles, some of which struck a warehouse at Damascus International Airport. Syrian authorities did not announce any casualties. But reports … Continue reading Middle East update: January 11 2019