The Caucasus
Nagorno-Karabakh

Nagorno-Karabakh in Russo-Turkish game

As the worst fighting since a 1994 truce breaks out in Nagorno-Karabakh, Turkey’s President Erdogan asserts himself as protector of Azerbaijan, pledging to back Baku “to the end.” (Map: Wikipedia)

Greater Middle East

Obama-Putin deal for partition of Syria?

The announced Russian military withdrawal from Syria has raised suspicions of a quiet deal between Putin and Obama for the partitiion of country into "spheres of influence."

Greater Middle East

Syrian opposition groups to attend UN talks

The High Negotiations Committee of Syrian opposition groups will attend UN-brokered talks with the Damascus regime—but Kurdish leaders will have no seat at the table.

North Africa

UN pressed on North Africa’s colonized peoples

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, on a tour of North Africa, met with Sahrawi leaders seeking independence from Morocco—but not Berbers seeking independence from Algeria.