US officials are reporting that an American hostage was raped and killed by the leader of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Kayla Mueller went to Turkey as a humanitarian aid worker to aid Syrian refugees before she was abducted by the Islamic State. The report follows information concerning the systematic use of rape by ISIS, particularly against Yazidi women. Indeed, the information suggests that ISIS has a “theology” justifying rape of those ISIS considers to be infidels. The report will undoubtedly inflame US sentiments against the Islamic State–I suspect the “war on terror” will ratchet up soon: release of such information always serves a political purpose.
The US opened its Embassy in Cuba today, ending years and years of diplomatic isolation. US Secretary of State was at the opening, and his speech was refreshingly honest: he acknowledged the US role in fostering the hostility between the two countries, as in the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961. Relations between the US and Cuba are still fraught with disagreements, such as the US naval base in Guatanamo which the US still maintains despite Cuba requests that it be closed. But the opening of relations is a necessary first step.
Berkeley Earth, a research organization based in Berkeley, California, released a report that estimated that about 4,400 Chinese people die every day because of the effects of air pollution. According to The Times of India: “about three-eighths of the Chinese population breathe air that would be rated ‘unhealthy’ by United States standards.” The Chinese government has tried very hard to reduce air pollution in the country, but there are economic interests in the country that rely heavily on production techniques that are oblivious to environmental quality.
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