SYRIA As the fighting in Eastern Ghouta continues, the situation in the city of Douma in particular seems to be reaching an even more critical level. People displaced by the fighting elsewhere in the enclave have fled to Douma for safety, but now they're cramped in a city that's being constantly bombarded and is surrounded … Continue reading Middle East update: March 12 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN At least 24 Afghan soldiers were killed on Saturday in Farah province when, while assembling for an operation, they were attacked by the Taliban. In related news, the Taliban have apparently been telling religious scholars not to attend a conference later this month in Indonesia that is supposed to build momentum for negotiations … Continue reading World update: March 10-11 2018

SYRIA After several days full of conflicting reports, it seems everybody finally got on the same page with respect to Eastern Ghouta, and by that I mean everybody seems to be in agreement that pro-government forces have cut the territory into (at least) two sections and possibly three. Over the weekend they captured the towns of … Continue reading Middle East update: March 10-11 2018

MIDDLE EAST SYRIA A United Nations official named Sajjad Malik, who has been involved with trying to get relief convoys into Eastern Ghouta this week, has apparently confirmed, at least to some extent, Russian claims that rebels are trying to prevent civilians from leaving via the "humanitarian corridor" Russia says it's opening up during the … Continue reading World update: March 9 2018

AFGHANISTAN At least 30 people were killed on Friday in a number of attacks around Afghanistan. In the largest, at least 10 people were killed and at least 20 more injured when a suicide bomber targeted a Hazara communal ceremony in Kabul. Overnight, the Taliban struck twice in Takhar province, killing 10 police officers in … Continue reading Asia (i.e., North Korea) update: March 9 2018

EUROPE RUSSIA Al-Monitor's Laura Rozen is reporting that one of the newest characters in Robert Mueller's cast of crazies helped broker a $4.2 billion arms deal between Iraq and Russia back in 2012: George Nader, 58, traveled to Moscow in 2012, telling Russian interlocutors that he represented Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the deal should … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: March 8 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN An airstrike probably from a US drone hit a Pakistani Taliban (TTP) training camp in Saresha Sultan Shah village, in Afghanistan's Kunar province, on Thursday. At least 20 TTP fighters are believed to have been killed, including two senior figures and the son of the TTP's top leader, Mullah Fazlullah. PAKISTAN Meanwhile, the US … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: March 8 2018

SYRIA Yesterday the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that pro-government forces had split Eastern Ghouta in two, but today the word is they're only "poised" to split it in two, so I guess the SOHR jumped the gun a bit. On the other hand this new report is coming from the rebels, so they … Continue reading Middle East update: March 8 2018

EUROPE POLAND The Polish government's new "solution in search of a problem" Holocaust law may affect its ties with the United States. There have been reports in the Polish media that the law, which criminalizes the suggestion that Poland participated in the Holocaust, may lead to a suspension in meetings between top Polish leaders and … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: March 7 2018