In a process sponsored by the United Nations (UN), Libya is set to establish a new transitional government headed by the prospective prime minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, alongside Mohamed al-Menfi as the interim president. Assuming the vote goes through parliament, the Government of National Accord (GNA) will be replaced by
On January 6th, far-right protestors stormed the U.S. capitol building, defaced property, and in the process beat a law enforcement officer to death with a fire extinguisher. Reactions domestically were that of shock, horror, and disbelief. Indeed, the scenes of violent mobs surging through government buildings are generally one that
Since protests erupted in Belarus over an election widely-regarded as fraudulent, many have been wondering if Moscow would come to Lukashenko’s aid. Such questions were answered recently in an interview with Russian state television on August 27th, in which Putin let it be known that he had created a “law
The United States recently announced that it would be pulling 12,000 military personnel out of Germany. This would be a nearly 25% reduction in the number of troops stationed within the country, which has been a host to a Western military presence since the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945.
Twenty Indian Army soldiers were killed recently in clashes with the Chinese Military. The confrontation took place in the Ladakh region, a mountainous area that straddles the border between India and Tibet. The skirmish reportedly broke out because of construction along the contested border. The Chinese side also suffered an
The forces of the military-dictator Khalifa Haftar retreated from the town of Tarhuna last Thursday, their last stronghold in the Western reaches of Libya. With it comes the end of the fifteen month siege of the Libyan Capital of Tripoli where the internationally-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) is based.
Germany has announced that it will be putting two Syrian defectors on trial for charges of torture. The two defendants, Anwar Raslan and Eyad al-Gharib, both worked for the brutal intelligence services of the Assad Regime before defecting and seeking asylum in Germany. Syrian refugees in Germany informed local police
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently announced new sanctions against Iran following an attack in Taji, Iraq, that resulted in the deaths of two American service members. The sanctions are intended to target several individuals who are vital to the petrochemical industry in Iran but were met with widespread condemnation
Russia’s State Duma recently approved a law that would reset the term-limits for Vladimir Putin. The amendment was proposed by Valentina Tereshkova, a member of Putin’s United Russia party as well as the first woman in space, and would essentially allow him to stay in office until 2036. The amendment
US Lawmakers are reportedly moving to introduce legislation that would prevent the removal or reduction of troops in Africa. The Trump administration has been conducting a review of the US military presence there since December and there are widespread fears in Congress that the removal of troops could have a
The European Union recently agreed to a new military mission to stop the flow of arms from trickling into Libya. This will entail patrolling new routes with naval forces from multiple European countries, as well as undertaking aerial surveillance operations to gather intelligence. The news comes just as the Turkish
The Government of Sudan recently announced that it was willing to hand over former President Omar Al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court. Should this happen, Bashir will most likely be put on trial, with a high likelihood of conviction. The ICC accused Bashir of committing crimes against humanity in 2009
Imran Aliev, a 44-year old blogger from Chechnya, was recently murdered in his hotel room in Lille, France. He was found with multiple stab wounds in his neck and on-site evidence suggested a physical struggle. Thus far no suspects have been identified, but local authorities suspect that the killing may
Qasim al-Raymi, the leader of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, was killed in Yemen last month by a Central Intelligence Agency (C.I.A.) airstrike. This comes as a serious blow to Al Qaeda operations in the region. Al-Raymi has led the branch since 2015 and is linked to several deadly
The governments of various countries in Europe and the Middle East were targeted in a cyber attack last week. Hackers targeted a variety of organizations and individuals, such as foreign embassies, public services, and government email services. Officials from Greece and Cyprus, as well as Iraq’s national security advisor are
On November 12th, a Lebanese national named Alaa Abou Fakhr was shot dead at a protest against government corruption in the town of Khalde. He was shot in what appeared to be an unprovoked incident, purportedly because of a misfire from a Lebanese Army soldier. His death, which became a
Iranian leaders have been under increasing pressure following the downing of Ukrainian Airlines flight 752. The flight departed shortly after 6:00 AM from Tehran International Airport on 8 January and was struck by Iranian missiles two minutes after departure, killing all 176 of its passengers. Many of the victims were
Three Americans were killed recently in a 5 January attack on Camp Simba in Kenya. Responsibility was claimed by the Islamic Fundamentalist group Al-Shabaab, who have intensified their efforts over the past few months. Just a week prior, they conducted a car bombing in the Somalian capital of Mogadishu that
Several hundred students were injured recently after police stormed the Jamia Millia Campus in New Delhi and assaulted residents there. Police reportedly entered the campus by force, using batons and tear gas once inside. This comes as part of a wider series of clashes across India as citizens protest the
