FX – Around the World

Syria: Cause and effect.

For Those Who Remain in Syria, Daily Life Is a Nightmare

‘Syria is emptying’

Turkey: Who started this? And why?

A Sense of Instability Settles Over Turkey as Conflict With Kurds Flares

North Korea: They do this a lot. So, is this a case of playing to the home crowd again, or is this the time we really have to worry?

North Korea says it has restarted its nuclear facilities, threatens the US

North Korea Threatens U.S. With ‘Improved’ Nuclear Program

Sri Lanka: A few years ago an assistant coach in the area told me a story about meeting another child in grade school who was also Sri Lankan. After his friend came over to play, his parents told him that the friend couldn’t come over any more. His family was Sinhalese, the friend’s family was Tamil. I’d really like to see reconciliation work in my lifetime.

Sri Lanka Lays Out Plan for Reconciliation

Thailand: When bad things happen, governments often like to blame who they want to be responsible rather than who is actually responsible. Did Thailand get it right, or is this scapegoating? (Remember, right now they’re under military rule – what serves the ruling powers?)

Thailand Blames Uighur Militants in Bombing at Bangkok Shrine

Great Britain: I think this article overstates matters; it cites sound bites without the proper context I’ve read elsewhere. The question may actually be whether or not Corbyn will ever matter enough to affect the U.S.-British relationship. (Will he?)

The threat of Jeremy Corbyn’s radically anti-American agenda

Spain: Taking a break from economic issues, Catalonian independence, and migrants.

Can Spain’s monarchy be saved – It’s up to King Felipe VI and his commoner queen

Zimbabwe: I’ve posted on Zimbabwe’s history/background earlier; it’ll give you more context for this article.

Zimbabwe seized white farmers’ land – Now some are being invited back

Guatemala: A small development in a bigger drama.

Guatemala – Former Front-Runner Drops Out of Presidential Race

FX – A quick world tour

Arctic: Global warming effects get political in a new way. That’s why you may hear about the US-Russian icebreaker gap. This may be a possible reason for the Chinese ships off the coast of Alaska, mentioned earlier.

Claims On The Arctic Heat Up With The Climate

Ukraine: Apparently a riot-worthy issue.

Ukraine Weighs Autonomy for Parts of East, Already in Russia’s Thrall

Zimbabwe: Hardball politics, sometime to the death.

A Zimbabwean dissident was either brave or reckless – Now he’s missing

Sri Lanka: This surprised me, and is huge. See my previous comments.

Tamil Lawmaker to Lead Opposition in Sri Lanka

Mexico: Still time for him to turn things around?

Halfway through his term, Mexico’s Pena Nieto has tumbled in polls

Guatemala: A surprise? Inevitable?

President Otto Perez Molina of Guatemala Resigns, Then Appears in Court

FX – Ukraine, India, Zimbabwe, North Korea, Burma

Ukraine: A link to the original, so that the map is included. A PDF without the map will be in the Extemp files after the next update.

At Point 18 in eastern Ukraine, the war grinds on, night after night

India: Total population is in the 1.2-1.4 billion range. The article lists the Muslim population as 170 million. While a minority, do any other countries have a larger Muslim population?

Why a rising star of Muslim politics in India stirs hope and fear

Zimbabwe: A quick course on where they are and how they got there.

Life Beyond Cecil The Lion In Zimbabwe

North Korea: Adjusting to not being in the country, and adjusting to being there.

A North Korean Defector’s Regret

North Korea’s Millennials Demonstrate Entrepreneurial Spirit

Burma:

Thant Myint-U – Myanmar’s Best Hope for Peace

Military’s Win Puts Myanmar’s Transition To Democracy In Question

Bonus: A negotiator’s thoughts, from NPR. What policy – domestic and foreign – looks like on the ground.

Dealing With Tough Negotiations

FX – What you should be reading

Israel: The article I’ve been looking for, on recent Jewish extremist violence

Soul-Searching in Israel After Bias Attacks on Gays and Arabs

Egypt: A critical article on the nuances of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Push for Retribution in Egypt Frays Muslim Brotherhood

ISIS: From NPR

ISIS Is No Weaker Than A Year Ago, Officials Say

Turkey: A nuanced discussion of Turkey and the different Kurdish factions.

Kurdish Militias Appear To Be Sidelined By U.S.-Turkey Military Deal

Cuba: If the FX question is about change in Cuba, this article is much of the answer. There’s a quote in the middle of page 2 that just screams to be used as an intro.

Cuban Youth See New US Embassy, but Same Old Drab Life

Greece: Bank economics, and how to lock up an economy. Most of you won’t remember the 2008 US economic meltdown, but banks that couldn’t/wouldn’t act like banks were much of the initial problem.

Greece’s banks are dying, and fast

China: An interesting article, with tons of internal links for further research, on China’s currency. How wanna-be world powers try to emerge financially. Includes the difference between renminbi and yuan.

The People’s Currency

North Korea: Life before and after you leave. One of the authors mentioned has a TED talk, too.

Can we believe all the horrors described by North Korean escapees – book reviews

Zimbabwe: Keep the country’s history in mind, It used to be Rhodesia, and was white-minority-ruled from 1965 to 1980 – with all that that implies. President (apparently for life) Robert Mugabe has run the country since then. One way of retaining popular support was the taking of white-owned farms. Note the numbers in this story. If your topic isn’t on Mugabe’s rule, and more on Zimbabwe’s future, this story will help.

To Ease An Economic Meltdown, Zimbabwe Considers Returning Farmland

Global Poverty: Solutions, anyone? Gotta love the article title, too. Another one with tons of internal links for further research. What does this suggest about domestic US policies to eradicate poverty?

Don’t teach a man to fish. Just give him the goddamn fish.