ASIA AFGHANISTAN Taliban representatives met with negotiators from the US, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates in the UAE on Monday. Which was nice. But they refused to meet with representatives of the Afghan government. Which was not so nice. These negotiations between the Taliban and the US are a welcome development, and … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: December 17 2018

SYRIA Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan says that his country's planned offensive in northern Syria could begin "at any moment," and while Erdoğan tends to, let's say, exaggerate from time to time, if this offensive is coming it's going to come soon. Turkey's going to lose a lot of leverage with the US if it waits to … Continue reading Middle East update: December 17 2018

CLIMATE CHANGE The COP24 climate summit in Poland ended on Saturday with an agreement on implementing the Paris Climate Accord's carbon emission pledges. But the process was not smooth and the outcome not without its issues: After fraught and much-delayed talks at the COP24 climate change conference here in Polish coal country, more than 190 … Continue reading World update: December 15-16 2018

SYRIA A US-led coalition airstrike on Saturday destroyed a mosque in the town of Hajin that was reportedly being used as an ISIS command center. The Syrian Democratic Forces say they expect to have full control of the town "soon." A car bombing in the city of Afrin killed at least nine people on Monday. … Continue reading Middle East update: December 15-16 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN A joint Afghan-US offensive in Kunar province late Thursday killed 20 Taliban fighters and/or 60 civilians, depending on whose story you believe. The Taliban are obviously pushing the latter scenario, while Kabul is obviously pushing the former. The savvy reader will note that they're not mutually exclusive. Elsewhere, a drone strike in Helmand … Continue reading World update: December 14 2018

SYRIA A spokesperson for the Syrian Democratic Forces reported on Friday that the SDF is close to driving ISIS out of the town of Hajin in Deir Ezzor province. That would deprive ISIS of its last town of any significant size and reduce it to a small enclave along the eastern bank of the Euphrates … Continue reading Middle East update: December 14 2018

EUROPE RUSSIA The Russian government has expelled a "military attache" from the Slovak embassy in Moscow. This is in retaliation for the Slovakian government's decision to expel a Russian diplomat last month on espionage allegations. The captains of at least two of the three Ukrainian naval vessels seized by Russia last month say they're refusing … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: December 13 2018

ASIA SRI LANKA Sri Lanka's Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that President Maithripala Sirisena violated the country's constitution when he attempted to dissolve parliament last month so as to install Mahinda Rajapaksa as prime minister. At this point, it's hard to see what legal choice Sirisena has left but to return Ranil Wickremesinghe to the PM job and … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: December 13 2018