Oliver Scanlan

Oliver Scanlan lives in Parbatipur, Bangladesh where he works for a local NGO which advocates for indigenous peoplesâÛª rights. He has studied Chinese and spent a year studying in Beijing, which inspired his twin passions for global affairs and tricky languages. He is an intern for oD's terrorism and security section.

Palestinian-Israeli talks in the balance as IDF locks down West Bank

The IDF locks down parts of the occupied West Bank as uncertainty looms over talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. Thailand increases security measures ahead of protests planned for Sunday. The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Burma calls for a commission to investigate possi

By Oliver Scanlan

/ 12 Mar 2010

Violence and uncertainty underscore Iraqi elections

Insurgents strike polling stations as Iraq votes for its new government. Turkey withdraws its ambassador to the US in the wake of a House committee vote condemning the Armenian genocide. The British PM defends the Iraq war. Clashes erupt at the al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. All this and more, in to

By Oliver Scanlan

/ 5 Mar 2010

Hizbollah General Secretary meets Ahmadinejad in Damascus

Hassan Nasrallah meets with Bashar al-Assad and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Damascus. A suicide attack kills seventeen in Kabul. A previously banned judgement on MI5’s use of torture is published. All this and more, in today’s security update.

By Oliver Scanlan

/ 26 Feb 2010

Niger stricken by military coup

Military officers take power in Niger. NATO suffers casualties in Afghanistan. The IAEA launches warns of Iranian warhead development. The head of the UN’s humanitarian office criticises relief efforts in Haiti. All this and more in today’s security update.

By Oliver Scanlan

/ 19 Feb 2010

MI5 denies withholding evidence on torture victim

The director general of MI5 writes an impassioned defence of his service, denying allegations of lying to Parliament. Yemen signs a truce with the al Houthi insurgents. Ahmedinejad hails Iran as a ‘nuclear state.’ China protests over Dalai Lama meeting with President Obama. All this and more, in t

By Oliver Scanlan

/ 12 Feb 2010

Hizbollah prepares for war

Hizbollah upgrades its military capability as Israel is accused of assassinating a senior Hamas commander. indigenous leaders are attacked in Bangladesh. Obama approves arms sales to Taiwan. The US Senate backs tougher sanctions against Iran. All this and more in today’s security update.

By Oliver Scanlan

/ 29 Jan 2010

Haiti to transfer 400,000 homeless out of the capital

Haiti announces that 400,000 people made homeless in last week’s earthquake are to be relocated outside the capital as the situation on the ground begins to slowly improve. The president of Afghanistan unveils a plan aimed to attract Taliban insurgents to the side of the Afghan government. The US

By Oliver Scanlan

/ 22 Jan 2010

Accidental explosion kills terror suspects in Karachi

An accidental explosion in Karachi kills seven suspected militants. A drone attack kills 18 in Waziristan. A suicide bomber kills many in Afghanistan. Haitian aid is arriving too slowly. And Iranian hackers target China’s biggest search engine. All this an more, in today’s security update…

By Oliver Scanlan

/ 15 Jan 2010

Detroit plot triggers US intelligence shake-up

President Obama unveils new reforms of the US security bureaucracy in the wake of a White House report criticising intelligence failures linked to the attempted Christmas Day bombing. A leading Iranian opposition politician is attacked by supporters of the regime. In the Philippines, fighting erup

By Oliver Scanlan

/ 8 Jan 2010

Security contractors participated in CIA counterinsurgency operations

Employees of the private security firm Xe, formerly known as Blackwater, directly participated in CIA counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. European leaders threaten Iran with imminent sanctions. North Korea announces that it is ready to co-operate with the United States. All this

By Oliver Scanlan

/ 11 Dec 2009

NATO allies join US Afghan surge

Allied countries inside and outside NATO have committed an additional 7,000 troops to Afghanistan. A bloody suicide attack has left at least 37 dead in Pakistan. The Islamic militant group al-Shabab has denied involvement in Thursday’s bomb attack in Somalia, accusing the Somali government instead

By Oliver Scanlan

/ 4 Dec 2009

Pakistan PM warns Obama on Afghan escalation

The prime minister of Pakistan has warned the Obama administration against increasing troop levels in Afghanistan. The IAEA has levelled unprecedented criticism against Iran and its nuclear ambitions. The Indian defence minister has voiced concern over increasingly close ties between Beijing and I

By Oliver Scanlan

/ 27 Nov 2009