Election upset: Enter President Trump

I will be the first to concede that I was wrong about this election, and not just me, but so were the professional statisticians that I was paying attention to.  Donald Trump won the 2016 election in a political upset that will be studied by the political science community for decades to come.  He broke […]

Watch: Aleppo doctor fights to keep people alive as airstrikes continue

In the mini-documentary below, a urologist turned general surgeon takes you through his week at an Aleppo hospital. He operates on traumatic patients both day and night and has a makeshift room in the back to sleep. In the video below, you will also see the medical staff evacuate patients after the hospital is bombed. The doctor […]

U.S.-Backed Militia Opens Drive on ISIS Capital in Syria

A joint Kurdish-Arab militia has begun a new phase in the operation to dislodge the Islamic State from its stronghold in Raqqa, Syria, moving to isolate the city and largely cut off the resupply of arms, supplies and fighters, a United States military spokesman in Baghdad confirmed on Sunday. American warplanes are flying bombing missions […]

Syria conflict: Rebel force targets Islamic State ‘capital’ Raqqa

The Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) will be aided by US-led coalition air strikes. They have also warned civilians to steer clear of areas where IS militants are present. The coalition of Kurdish and ethnic Arab militias has been gaining ground in areas to the north of the city. The offensive was announced at a press […]

Insurgent offensive in Aleppo kills dozens of civilians

An offensive by Syrian insurgents aimed at the government-held part of the northern city of Aleppo has killed at least 74 civilians, including 25 children, an opposition monitoring group said Saturday. The insurgents launched the assault eight days ago, hoping to break a months-long government siege on the rebel-held eastern part of the city, which […]

Putin declares 10-hour ‘Humanitarian Pause’ in Aleppo

Russian President Vladimir Putin has unilaterally declared a 10-hour “humanitarian pause” for Aleppo on Friday, a senior Russian official said Wednesday. “A decision was made to introduce a humanitarian pause in Aleppo on November 4 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (3 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET),” chief of Russia’s General Staff Valery Gerasimov said […]

Amnesty International evicted from Moscow office

Amnesty International, a campaign group which has accused the Kremlin of violating human rights with its bombing campaign in Syria, was evicted from its Moscow office on Wednesday. The Moscow city government, from which Amnesty leased the premises in the Russian capital’s center, said the group was behind on the rent, but Amnesty said it […]

John Kerry Promises to Work ‘to the Last Moment’ to End Syrian Violence

U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry delivered an impassioned defense of diplomacy Monday, asserting that the nuclear deal he spearheaded with Iran had averted an almost-certain war and vowing to work “to the last moment” to achieve a lasting cease-fire in Syria. In London to accept the Chatham House Prize, given by the prestigious […]

Hezbollah ally, a Christian, elected as President of Lebanon

Buckle up.  We are about to dive head first down the rabbit hole of Lebanese politics, a task fraught always with both danger and head-spinning confusion.  I will try to make this as simple to understand as possible — including, for myself — and will do my best to avoid making any mistakes in this […]