ASIA ARMENIA Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resigned on Tuesday in order to trigger an early election that will probably be held in December. Pashinyan became PM at the head of a wave of popular support in May but the opposition Republican Party still controls a majority of seats in parliament. Pashinyan wants a new … Continue reading World update: October 16 2018

SYRIA The Syrian Democratic Forces say they're having a tough time defeating ISIS in Hajin and that their operation there "will take much longer than expected." Meanwhile, the United Nations says the operation is having a "devastating" impact on civilians in Deir Ezzor province, displacing at least 7000 of them and leaving thousands more at … Continue reading Middle East update: October 16 2018

ASIA MYANMAR It's been pretty well established by now that the Rohingya genocide was fueled in part by a massive Facebook campaign, but the New York Times reported Monday on just now much of that campaign was run directly by the Myanmar military: Members of the Myanmar military were the prime operatives behind a systematic campaign … Continue reading World update: October 15 2018

SYRIA Well, as we noted last night, the deadline for Idlib's rebels to have evacuated the demilitarized zone negotiated by Russia and Turkey arrived on Monday, and nobody really seems to have moved. The Syrian government says it's ready for a fight in Idlib but seems to be leaving the decision about what to do … Continue reading Middle East update: October 15 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN The Taliban killed at least 22 Afghan security forces in multiple attacks over the weekend. They killed 21 in attacks on two checkpoints in Farah province on Sunday and killed the police chief of a district in Zabul province late Saturday night. Also on Saturday, at least 22 people were killed when a … Continue reading World update: October 13-14 2018

SYRIA The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that late Saturday rebels located inside the supposed demilitarized zone in Idlib province killed two Syrian soldiers when they fired mortars into neighboring Hama province, and also fired some other mortars into neighboring Aleppo province. Government forces then apparently returned fire. Obviously this is a pretty big problem. … Continue reading Middle East update: October 13-14 2018

EUROPE UKRAINE RFE/RL reports on naval tensions between Russia and Ukraine in the Sea of Azov. Ukrainian officials say that commercial ships there are being shadowed and/or harassed by Russian coast guard vessels, and the US has provided Kiev with two patrol boats to enhance its naval presence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-ir3I1kgXU Be sure to stick around for … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: October 12 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN US Afghan envoy Zalmay Khalilzad did, as some had speculated, meet with Taliban representatives during his stop in Qatar on Friday. Nobody is saying what they talked about but presumably it was more talking about holding talks. Khalilzad is headed back to Kabul to brief the Afghan government before he returns to the … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: October 12 2018

SYRIA The Israeli and Syrian governments, plus the United Nations, agreed on Friday to reopen the Quneitra border crossing in the Golan. This should allow UN peacekeepers back into the area to hopefully, you know, keep Israel and Syria from going to war with one another. Amnesty International on Friday heavily criticized the joint US-Syrian Democratic … Continue reading Middle East update: October 12 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN At least 15 Afghan police officers were killed Thursday in a Taliban attack in Kunduz province, while at least 21 Taliban fighters were killed in an Afghan attack in Wardak province. Elsewhere, Afghan forces are reportedly chasing a Hazara warlord named Alipur. After they tried and failed to capture him in a gun battle … Continue reading World update: October 11 2018