The civil uprising against the Assad government is entering its fifth month. Over 1,800 are thought to be dead. The crackdown has escalated: 200 were killed in Hama in the first week of August. Assad has made offers of reform but these have failed to suffice. International condemnation of heavy governmental response to protests is [...]

“Afghanistan has been called the worst place to be a child,” leads off this article about a woman who was a former refugee and is now creating safe places for Afghani orphanages. The dismal statistics: 1 in 5 will die before their 5th birthday, more than 600,000 sleep on the streets, and 2 million are [...]

Western Asia includes the region from Turkey-Syria-Israel east as far as Iraq. With Iran, we begin Southern Asia. Potential Regional Trend-Changing Flashpoints to watch for 1. The peace in Iraq, which is tenuous. The nation is now ruled—shakily—by a Shi’a government. Whether this peace will hold is uncertain. 2. The situation with Israel and Palestine [...]