ASIA AFGHANISTAN Multiple Taliban attacks across three different provinces on Sunday and Monday killed at least 27 Afghan security personnel. A series of attacks beginning Sunday night in Farah province and left 17 security forces dead, while a Monday morning attack in Badghis province killed five and another Monday attack in Baghlan province killed another five. Increasingly, … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: September 17 2018

SYRIA Astoundingly, Monday's meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi appears to have produced a tangible, potentially huge result. The two leaders pledged to establish a 15-20 kilometer wide "demilitarized zone" in Idlib province that will separate rebel and government lines and will be patrolled by Russian and Turkish … Continue reading Middle East update: September 17 2018

EUROPE ROMANIA A group of hundreds of Romanian judges held a silent protest outside Bucharest’s Court of Appeals on Sunday to call for preserving judicial independence. The Romanian government has been on a months' long quest to undermine the judiciary and decriminalize corruption on account of the fact that ruling party boss Liviu Dragnea is currently barred … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: September 15-16 2018

ASIA KASHMIR Indian soldiers killed five Kashmiri rebels in a gun battle on Saturday, then killed at least one Kashmiri civilian when they fired on a crowd of people gathered to protest those deaths. Meanwhile, Indian forces in Kashmir are facing a good deal of public anger as well as criticism from international human rights … Continue reading Asia/Oceania/Africa update: September 15-16 2018

SYRIA While everybody waits to see what happens in Idlib, the most active front in Syria at the moment is around the town of Hajin in Deir Ezzor province. The Syrian Democratic Forces moved into the village of Bagouz on Saturday as they advance toward the town, which is the last significant ISIS-controlled pocket of territory … Continue reading Middle East update: September 15-16 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN It was another violent night across Afghanistan as at least 37 people were killed in a series of Taliban attacks. One incident, in Farah province, left at least 29 police officers dead, while another in Samangan province saw at least six security officers killed. At least two civilians were reportedly killed by the Taliban … Continue reading World update: September 14 2018

SYRIA Thousands of people reportedly turned out on Friday in towns and villages across Idlib province to protest against a still-expected-but-now-delayed Syrian offensive against the rebel-held province. An estimated 25,000 protested in the city of Maʿarrat al-Nuʿman, perhaps best known as the place where we know the First Crusade turned to cannibalism, though of course that's … Continue reading Middle East update: September 14 2018

EUROPERUSSIA Energy Secretary Rick Perry visited Moscow on Thursday and said that the US may impose sanctions over the Russia-to-Germany Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline but stressed that no decision has been made on that point. The pipeline still has some legal hurdles to clear before it can be completed but the Trump administration has … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: September 13 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN Two Taliban attacks on checkpoints in Farah province on Thursday killed at least 13 Afghan police officers. MYANMAR Speaking at the World Economic Forum on Thursday, Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi allowed as to how that whole "genociding the Rohingya" business probably could have been handled better. Which is big of her. … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: September 13 2018

SYRIA News out of Idlib appears to have dramatically slowed down over the past couple of days, which suggests (though doesn't prove, to be sure) that the steps Turkey has taken to reinforce its outposts in the province and to arm its rebel proxies really have caused the Syrian government to rethink its plans. In … Continue reading Middle East update: September 13 2018