ISRAEL-PALESTINE Donald Trump made it official on Wednesday: he does, in fact, wear adult diapers the United States recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and he has ordered the State Department to move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv. In making this announcement, he actually tried to suggest that he was advancing the Israel-Palestine peace … Continue reading Middle East update: December 6 2017

POLLUTION New research into the effect of air pollution on fetal development paints a pretty stark picture: Air pollution significantly increases the risk of low birth weight in babies, leading to lifelong damage to health, according to a large new study.   The research was conducted in London, UK, but its implications for many millions … Continue reading World update: December 5 2017

YEMEN Well, Ali Abdullah Saleh's death had one fairly immediate impact: there were no reports of fighting between his supporters and the Houthis in Sanaa on Tuesday. Instead, the Houthis and their supporters held a rally to celebrate killing their erstwhile ally and rounding up Saleh diehards in the capital. Ahmed Saleh, the ex-dictator's son, … Continue reading Middle East update: December 5 2017

ASIA PAKISTAN Defense Secretary James Mattis visited Pakistan on Monday to call for increased Pakistani cooperation to counter the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network. The Trump administration continues to threaten to cut Pakistani aid unless the military and ISI stop supporting those groups, and all I can say is, good luck with that: “There … Continue reading World update: December 4 2017

YEMEN WELP. You can throw out a bunch of yesterday's update, because ex-Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, recently seen divorcing the Houthis and moving in with Mohammad bin Salman, up and got himself killed, to death even, on Monday. The circumstances of his untimely demise cannot be entirely hashed out at this point, and might … Continue reading Middle East update: December 4 2017

ASIA AFGHANISTAN A suicide bomber struck a soccer stadium in Jalalabad on Sunday, killing at least six people. There has been no claim of responsibility, but given that the attack took place in Nangarhar province ISIS is a strong possibility. On the plus side, Afghan authorities say their forces killed Mullah Shah Wali, the commander of … Continue reading World update: December 2-3 2017

YEMEN It's been brewing for a while now, but the break between the Houthis and former President Ali Abdullah Saleh's rebel faction now seems to be complete: Violent clashes between rival factions in Yemen’s rebel-held capital have continued for the fourth straight day as forces loyal to a former president and Iran-backed Houthi rebels faced … Continue reading Middle East update: December 2-3 2017

ASIA PAKISTAN At least four Pakistani Taliban fighters stormed a dormitory at the University of Peshawar on Friday, killing at least nine people. Most students had gone home for the holiday (today was Muhammad's birthday, which is observed by most Muslims), so it's possible this attack could have been much deadlier. NORTH KOREA South Korea's … Continue reading World update: December 1 2017

SYRIA If you're wondering how things are going in Geneva, the answer is one word--awesome uhhhhh: Syria’s government delegation quit U.N.-led peace talks in Geneva on Friday and said it would not return next week unless the opposition withdrew a statement demanding President Bashar al-Assad play no role in any interim post-war government. In case … Continue reading Middle East update: December 1 2017

I've been occupied with other projects today and on top of that WordPress wasn't working for me for most of the afternoon. So you're getting a compressed update this evening, sorry. ASIA AFGHANISTAN A Taliban attack early Thursday in Farah province killed four Afghan policemen. NORTH KOREA North Korea released photographs and video of its … Continue reading World update: November 30 2017