Regional Directory

What's geopolitically important today.

All the news worth knowing today.

Russian protests. Unauthorized protests took place in St. Petersburg and Moscow on Wednesday against constitutional amendments that were approved in a referendum earlier this month. Protesters gathered in the centers of both cities and collected signatures to support efforts to reverse the results of the referendum. The monitoring group OVD-Info reported that authorities detained 147 people, while the Ministry of Internal Affairs said it was 132 people. It’s unclear exactly how many people participated in the protests, but reports indicate it was several hundred. That’s not a large number, and so far public opposition to the amendments appears limited. But demonstrations like these, depending on their spontaneity, scale and frequency, can pose a problem for the Russian leadership, so they’re worth keeping an eye on. Egypt considers its options. Egypt’s defense minister, Gen. Mohamed Zaki, met in Cairo on Wednesday with U.S. Central Command Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie to discuss regional issues and military cooperation. Though the visit is part of the U.S. commander’s regional tour, many in the media believe it is connected to Libya’s ongoing civil war, as there are growing concerns that Egypt could be drawn into the conflict. The two officials likely also discussed Ethiopia’s announcement […]

All the news worth knowing today.

March 30, 2016 Islamic State’s capabilities warrant much more scrutiny than its ideology.

A lot, but maybe not as much as was once thought.

March 13, 2017 The country holds a unique position on the Continent.

Even short-term pain in one vulnerable sector could trigger a cascading crisis.

April 14, 2017 Constraints have provoked significant changes in Trump administration policies.

Feb. 1, 2017 As it forges stronger ties in Ukraine, Warsaw is looking more like a regional power.

The central government is holding nearly 1 million members of the Muslim minority group in camps around Xinjiang province for ‘re-education.’

July 16, 2016 The president appears to have control of the government after a coup attempt.