ISIS A new statement from ISIS's official spokesman suggests that the group is shifting its focus away from the West and on to governments in the Middle East: The remarks were a departure from the last pronouncement issued by the spokesman, Abu Hassan al-Muhajir, which aimed to incite attacks against Europe and North America. It … Continue reading Middle East update: April 21-22 2018

EUROPE SLOVAKIA World War II is back in the news this week, and good for it I guess. Not only was there that massive unexploded bomb discovered in Berlin, which was disarmed on Friday after forcing a major evacuation of part of the city, but four smaller unexploded Soviet bombs were discovered in a field … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: April 20 2018

ASIA ARMENIA Anti-Serzh Sargsyan protests hit Yerevan yet again on Friday. A week into these demonstrations, their momentum behind them seems to be growing, not lagging: With larger rallies, spontaneous acts of civil disobedience, escalating numbers of arrests, and nonstop honking, the protests in Armenia’s capital continued to metastasize throughout the city on April 20. … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: April 20 2018

SYRIA The Syrian military continues to pound away at Yarmouk and the surrounding areas in an effort to clear out the last area near Damascus that remains out of its control. Insurgents there--including ISIS, which has controlled most of Yarmouk since 2015--have reportedly agreed in principle to be relocated (ISIS fighters to the east, everybody … Continue reading Middle East update: April 20 2018

ASIA KYRGYZSTAN The government of Kyrgyz Prime Minister Sapar Isakov lost a very lopsided confidence vote in parliament on Thursday. The move is less about his government's performance, though it's hit a couple of rough patches, than about the fact that Isakov is a close ally of former President Almazbek Atambayev. This made him unpalatable to current President … Continue reading World update: April 19 2018

SYRIA The Syrian military turned its focus to Yarmouk on Thursday, striking the ISIS-controlled area from the air and via artillery. Yarmouk seems to be Bashar al-Assad's next target, as he looks to secure the area around Damascus. ISIS also took a pounding on Thursday in eastern Syria, near the Iraqi border, from the Iraqi … Continue reading Middle East update: April 19 2018

OK, so. WordPress has been down most of the day so I prepared a short update in case it came back online at some point. As you can undoubtedly tell, it is back, but it's too late and I'm too fried to write anything else today so this will have to do. MIDDLE EAST SYRIA … Continue reading World update: April 18 2018

ASIA ARMENIA Protests continued in Yerevan on Tuesday against the installation of former President Serzh Sargsyan as the country's new prime minister. Speaking to the crowd, opposition legislator Nikol Pashinyan declared "the start of a peaceful, people’s velvet revolution." He's got quite an uphill battle in front of him if he's planning to take on Sargsyan. … Continue reading World update: April 17 2018

SYRIA So that report yesterday that somebody had fired missiles at a Syrian airbase near Homs? False alarm, according to the Syrian government. Perhaps even a cyber attack staged by the US and/or Israel, according to one anonymous "commander" of pro-government forces in Syria. Pro-government forces are reportedly gearing up for a move against Yarmouk, … Continue reading Middle East update: April 17 2018

ASIA ARMENIA About 10,000 protesters hit the streets of Yerevan on Monday and were greeted with tear gas and stun grenades from police. They are, of course, unhappy that former President Serzh Sargsyan isn't going into retirement despite having been term-limited out of office. Sargsyan will instead be named the country's new prime minister on Tuesday. Before … Continue reading World update: April 16 2018