Daily Update

- President-elect Obama's foreign policy initiatives include the funded expansion of the U.S. Foreign Service. Is a career in the Foreign Service right for YOU? Take the quiz!

- According to the Iraqi government, Iranian MEK rebels to the current Iranian administration, sheltered by U.S. Forces 40 miles from Baghdad under current security arrangements, will not be welcome in Iraq after the U.S. leaves

- King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand swears in a new ruling party in Thailand as widespread demonstrations came to an end - but the 81 year-old King's absence at his recent anniversary speech disappointed those who expected him to exert a stronger influence in unifying the nation

- Drug violence from Mexico spreads to Honduras - while not a direct neighbor of Mexico, the overlapping of cocaine trade routes led to violence between competing cartels and with local authorities

- On a more positive note, Giant Pandas Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan are on their way from China's Szechuan Province to the Taipei City Municipal Zoo in an act of good will that was rejected in 2006 by former pro-independence President Chen Shui-Bien.

The phrase Tuan Yuan means "unite" - but before we start bashing China for injecting politics into animal names, it means "unite" in a more familial, rather than threatening sense, like "UNITE!"

With China, though, it's always hard to tell...