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

SYRIA The Syrian Democratic Forces reportedly advanced deeper into Hajin on Thursday, putting additional pressure on ISIS's last Syrian outpost, while also warning that a renewed Turkish offensive in northern Syria would interfere with the Hajin operation. The SDF even reported that it's captured Hajin's town center, though that's unconfirmed and probably pending the outcome … Continue reading Middle East update: December 13 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN Under heavy pressure from the Taliban, Afghan forces have abandoned the Shebkoh district in Farah province and retreated to Farah city. The Taliban has focused a good deal of effort on Farah province this year, both because it's remote from Kabul and therefore hard for the Afghans to defend, and because it's home to … Continue reading World update: December 12 2018

SYRIA Syrians who participated in the Arab Spring protests against Bashar al-Assad's government back in 2011 say that the Syrian government is using an obscure anti-terrorism law to seize their property even though they played no role in the rebellion that cropped up after Assad tried to violently suppress the demonstrations. Damascus insists that it … Continue reading Middle East update: December 12 2018

ASIA ARMENIA The International Crisis Group's Olesya Vartanyan says that Nikol Pashinyan's landslide electoral win on Sunday could improve the prospects for peace with Azerbaijan. Pashinyan is in no position to make dramatic concessions to Azerbaijan on the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, but now that he's broken the long-time ruling Republican Party there is an opportunity for … Continue reading World update: December 11 2018