Well, hello there! Sometimes I wake up totally surprised that the world still exists – that we’ve managed to survive through the night once again, despite lots of peoples’ best efforts. Maybe the DC heat is getting to me, because nothing cataclysmic happened this weekend… no sightings of four horsemen, or anything… But that expression – death from a thousand small cuts – keeps flashing across my mind like a permanent chyron news alert.

 

Here’s what is going on in the world:

 

The Atlantic has a cover story on how to deal with North Korea by Mark Bowden of Black Hawk fame. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t end with unicorns and rainbows.

 

Frankly, I attribute it to his boyish good looks, but Macron has won a majority in France’s Parliamentary elections. Felicitations! Carnegie Europe

 

As Brexit talks start today, another ‘terrorist’ incident in London – this time, a white man drives his van into a number of Muslims leaving a mosque after Friday Prayers. Politico, The Atlantic

 

Trump plans to increase U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan by 4,000. A baby surge. But still probably “the biggest ever!” Salon

 

The Russians… did ya think they took a week off? Hardly. Calling the U.S. airstrike on a Syrian fighter jet a dangerous escalation, tensions rise. War Is Boring; Politico

 

As the rest of the world focuses on Saudi-Trump sword dances and strange glowing orbs, Yemen continues to fall apart under the Saudi onslaught. Open Democracy

 

Saudi Arabia is also upset with Qatar. Except, the real winner here is Iran (War Is Boring).

 

Meanwhile, Blogs of War has a podcast on what Trump as president means for the future of Iran.

 

Finally, not to end on a downer, but… the enormity of the world’s refugee crisis is obviously straining a number of states across the international community. Less well understood is how this catastrophe bears out for the next generation. War Is Boring