Syrian war, rumbling into 10th year, still has global impact
Ten years after the Syrian war started, the conflict in Syria still has a global impact as Turkish and Syrian troops clash in the northwestern province of Idlib, Syria. As the news is taken over by pandemic reports and news updates, it is important to remember the instability that persists
Turkey says it has retaliated after deadly Syrian shelling
Turkey’s officials claim the country has retaliated on Monday after an incident that involved intense shelling by Syrian forces that resulted in the death of five Turkish soldiers. The incident marked the escalation of tensions between the two countries after a similar clash a week prior, in the Idlib province
Israel Intercepts Four Rockets Launched From Syria
At dawn on Tuesday, four rockets were launched from Syria towards Golan Heights, causing no critical damage but triggering air-raid sirens. The Israeli military stated that the rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defense system and that no rockets had reached Israeli territory. At roughly the same time,
Iran’s top leader warns ‘thugs’ as protests reach 100 cities
Iran shut down internet access for 80 million people to suppress demonstrations that took place in over 100 cities. This made it extremely difficult for news sources and civilians alike to gauge the extent of the protests. Iran’s Supreme leader Ali Khamenei cautiously backed the government’s decision to raise gas
Bellingcat OSINT Investigation: An Analysis of Nicaragua’s “Volunteer Police” Paramilitary Arsenal
Open-Source Intelligence Forum Bellingcat has published a report on Nicaragua’s use of paramilitary organizations to quell the country’s protests in 2018, prompting renewed criticism against the uses by NGOs. These open-source data points support widespread reporting from sources formerly within the country’s law enforcement agencies that the paramilitary groups were
New BBC investigation examines Sudan’s secret hit squads targeting politial dissidents
Did you see the groundbreaking BBC OSINT investigation this past summer on an earlier atrocity in Cameroon? The same research group has just released a new investigation on Sudan’s secret hit squads used by the government security forces to violently repress protests and arrest specific dissidents for detention and torture. Many
Ebola death toll in DR Congo passes 500, vaccinations proving successful
Although the number of cases continues to grow and the number of deaths have passed 500, the vaccination program against the ongoing ebola outbreak in the North Kivu province of the DRC is proving successful, according to health workers. 76,525 people have reportedly been vaccinated, preventing what the government health
Freedom House World Report: Where did Freedom Decline and Advance in 2018?
In total, 68 countries lost points in their democracy score in 2018, according to the annual Freedom House report. These outnumbered the 50 countries that achieved net gains. In total, 86 (44%) out of a total 195 countries received a “Free” rating, while 59 (30%) were rated “Partly Free,” and
How U.S. Mission Creep in Syria and Iraq Could Trigger War With Iran
Some analysts and politicians are raising fears that continued U.S. presence in Syria used to keep tabs on Iran could lead to unintended escalation and even trigger a war. In a previously unreported incident in 2017, the U.S. and Russia made an agreement regarding advance notice for use of airspace
CAR Reaches Peace Deal With Armed Groups
The government of the Central African Republic signed a peace agreement with 14 militant groups after a series of talks, according to the UN. The country has shaken by ongoing violence in recent years, largely pitting Muslim and Christian groups against each other. The conflict erupted in 2013 when Muslim