EUROPE EUROPEAN UNION European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker delivered his State of the Union address to the European Parliament on Wednesday with a focus on global leadership. Oh good, this kind of thing always works out well in the end. Juncker called for European unity so that the EU might "impose our position on others," an … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: September 12 2018

ASIAAFGHANISTAN The death toll from Tuesday's suicide bombing in Nangarhar province has shot up to 68 and may climb still higher. Another 165 people were wounded in the blast. MALAYSIA Likely future Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will reenter parliament in what amounts to an arranged by-election sometime in the next two months. The relatively … Continue reading Asia/Oceania/Africa update: September 12 2018

ISIS The pace of ISIS attacks in the West seems to be on the decline, but according to the New York Times' Rukmini Callimachi that's not for lack of trying. ISIS is still attempting attacks in the West at relatively the same pace, it's just not succeeding at as many of them: Since the lightning rise of … Continue reading Middle East update: September 12 2018

This evening marks the Islamic New Year so Happy New Year to readers who are celebrating it. I'm going to be out a good chunk of the day so this early/condensed update will have to hold you until tomorrow. ASIAAFGHANISTAN At least 32 people were killed and another 120 wounded Tuesday when a suicide bomber … Continue reading World update: September 11 2018

This evening marks the Islamic New Year so Happy New Year to readers who are celebrating it. I'm going to be out a good chunk of the day so this early/condensed update will have to hold you until tomorrow. AL-QAEDA Hey, Ayman al-Zawahiri (apparently) popped up out of his hole long enough to record a 30 … Continue reading Middle East update: September 11 2018

9/11 Tuesday is obviously the 17th anniversary of 9/11, and while some of you may be wondering if we're ever going to stop noting that anniversary, I would submit to you that we can't even stop fighting the war 9/11 started, so we're not going to stop commemorating 9/11 anytime soon. Here, in what I … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: September 10 2018

AL-QAEDA Almost 17 years later, LA Times correspondent Nabih Boulos argues that al-Qaeda's adaptations may have brought it to a stronger position today than the one it was in prior to the 9/11 attacks: What U.S. officials didn’t grasp, said Rita Katz, director of the SITE Intelligence Group, in a recent phone interview, is that Al Qaeda … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: September 10 2018

SYRIA United Nations Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock said in Geneva on Friday that the forthcoming Syrian offensive against Idlib could cause "the worst humanitarian catastrophe, with the biggest loss of life, of the 21st century." And while the 21st century isn't even a full 18 years old at this point, that's already a pretty … Continue reading Middle East update: September 10 2018

Shanah Tovah to any readers celebrating the Jewish New Year this evening. EUROPE KOSOVO Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić visited Kosovo on Sunday to a decidedly mixed reception. Predominantly Serbian crowds greeted him warmly in Mitrovica, but Kosovar Albanians blocked roads in an effort to prevent him from visiting other parts of the country. On Saturday, Vučić told … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: September 8-9 2018

Shanah Tovah to any readers celebrating the Jewish New Year this evening. ASIA AFGHANISTAN Dozens of people were killed in multiple attacks across Afghanistan over the weekend. In one attack, Taliban fighters overran a military installation in Baghlan province, killing as many as 40 Afghan security officers. Another Taliban attack killed 10 Afghan police officers … Continue reading Asia/Oceania/Africa update: September 8-9 2018