ASIA AZERBAIJAN Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev should win another seven year term on Wednesday, particularly given that his opposition is boycotting the election. Aliyev, who is amazingly only 56 even though it seems like he's been in power in Azerbaijan since the late Middle Ages (it's been 15 years) is running against seven other candidates … Continue reading World update: April 9 2018

SYRIA It took a little while, but both Russia and the Syrian government dropped their accusations that the United States was behind this morning's (local time) attack on Syria's T4 airbase near Homs and came around to the consensus view that it was an Israeli strike. So that appears to be settled. There are lingering … Continue reading Middle East update: April 9 2018

INEQUALITY If you're worried about dying in a climate change-induced future hellscape, I have good news--unchecked inequality might tear us all apart before we can get there: World leaders are being warned that the continued accumulation of wealth at the top will fuel growing distrust and anger over the coming decade unless action is taken … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: April 7-8 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN Operating under the belief that the Taliban is increasingly reliant for revenue on its control over Afghanistan's opium trade, the US is taking drastic measures: it's rethinking decades of utterly failed drug policy bombing more shit in Afghanistan. US and Afghan forces have stepped up airstrikes in western Afghanistan targeting drug labs, the … Continue reading Asia/Oceania/Africa update: April 7-8 2018

SYRIA BREAKING: Just before I was ready to hit post, reports began coming in that Syria's T4 airbase near Homs has come under attack. Syrian state media is blaming the US, but the Pentagon has flatly denied responsibility and this does seem a little too soon for a US response and too out of character … Continue reading Middle East update: April 7-8 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi went ahead with his visit to Kabul to meet with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Friday, despite new tensions over Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan's Kunar province earlier this week. The meeting seems to have gone smoothly, and the two leaders apparently agreed on "a common aim of … Continue reading World update: April 6 2018

SYRIA It looks like the situation has completely broken down in the city of Douma, in Eastern Ghouta. As noted yesterday, Jaysh al-Islam has halted its evacuation of the city and is asking for new talks with the Syrian government and Russia. It's not clear why, but chances are pretty good they want a different … Continue reading Middle East update: April 6 2018

ASIA AFGHANISTAN Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is supposed to visit Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul on Friday, but things are already off to a rocky start. The Afghan government on Thursday accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes in Kunar province. Islamabad has made no comment but regularly accuses Afghanistan of harboring Pakistani … Continue reading World update: April 5 2018

SYRIA Jaysh al-Islam's evacuation of Douma hit a snag and was apparently suspended on Thursday for reasons that aren't entirely clear. Since the group never formally/officially accepted a deal to surrender and be relocated it's possible that there are internal disagreements that are affecting the evacuation and/or that all the Jaysh al-Islam fighters who were … Continue reading Middle East update: April 5 2018

EUROPE RUSSIA The Russian military started a three day live-fire missile drill on Wednesday in Latvian economic waters that shut down part of Latvia's commercial airspace. Rude, I guess? How this is any different from the US and South Korea running joint military drills in North Korea's backyard is beyond me, but it's Russia so … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: April 4 2018