Tonight's updates didn't really fit into any of my usual groupings, but they were too long for one post, so I mashed them together as best I could. OCEANIA AUSTRALIA Although Prime Minister Scott Morrison's approval rating is up and a plurality of Australians prefer him as PM over Labor Party leader Bill shorten, Labor is nevertheless ahead of Morrison's coalition in the latest head-to-head polling, 53 percent to 47 percent. Australia's next election is coming in May (for state … Continue reading World update part 2: February 9-10 2019

Tonight's updates didn't really fit into any of my usual groupings, but they were too long for one post, so I mashed them together as best I could. MIDDLE EAST SYRIA The Syrian Democratic Forces, with US help, announced late Saturday that they've begun the "decisive battle" to wipe out the last remnants of ISIS's "caliphate" in eastern Syria. ISIS still controls a small piece of territory around two villages in Deir Ezzor province, small enough that it can still … Continue reading World update part 1: February 9-10 2019

MIDDLE EAST SYRIA Syrian state media reported Friday that seven people were killed by a landmine in Hama province. It's likely, but not certain, that ISIS placed the mine back when it controlled part of Hama province at its territorial height. YEMEN There are no details about this that I've seen yet, but the Saudi-led … Continue reading World update: February 8 2019

MIDDLE EAST SYRIA The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the US military plans to withdraw its forces from Syria by the end of April. It's unclear whether this is a firm schedule or if there's flexibility in case there's some unforeseen complication in the anti-ISIS operation or the Trump administration hasn't negotiated an arrangement to prevent … Continue reading World update: February 7 2019

EUROPE RUSSIA With the collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, Vladimir Putin wants his military to develop "invincible" hypersonic missiles as a threat/deterrent to the United States. Or at least he wants people to think that's what he wants his military to do. With Russia's economy perpetually in tatters there's little reason to think … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: February 6 2019

ASIA AFGHANISTAN After trading assertions and denials all day, the Trump administration and the Taliban concluded that there is no timetable for a US withdrawal from Afghanistan. So pretty much where they were before the day started. Earlier on Wednesday, Russian media quoted a Taliban negotiator saying that the US had agreed to pull half … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: February 6 2019

SYRIA The United Nations sent a large (100 truck) humanitarian aid convoy to the Syrian displaced persons camp at Rukban, near the Jordanian border, which arrived on Wednesday. There are as many as 50,000 people at Rukban, most of them believed to be women and children displaced by ISIS who are now unwilling to leave … Continue reading Middle East update: February 6 2019

CLIMATE CHANGE Hey call me crazy but this seems pretty freaking bad: Scientists have discovered an enormous void under an Antarctic glacier, sparking concern that the ice sheet is melting faster than anyone had realized — and spotlighting the dire threat posed by rising seas to coastal cities around the world, including New York City and Miami.The … Continue reading Europe/Americas update: February 5 2019

ASIA KAZAKHSTAN Nursultan Nazarbayev on Tuesday denied reports that he's planning to call a snap election. Nazarbayev had set off speculation by inquiring as to the constitutional length of his presidential term. Apparently, though, he wasn't doing so in order to stand for reelection. Instead, Nazarbayev wanted to know what powers he would retain after … Continue reading Asia/Africa update: February 5 2019

SYRIA Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, declared on Tuesday that further Israeli attacks on Syria would lead to "a firm and appropriate response to teach a lesson" to the Israelis. I'm not sure what that means but it's probably not good from a regional stability standpoint--though, to be fair, neither is … Continue reading Middle East update: February 5 2019