Jessica Lee
@jessofarabia.bsky.social
Travel writer | Guidebook Author | Obsessed by deserts, mountains & finding the perfect hummus | Ex-Lonely Planet Türkiye & Egypt author | Lives in a cave | Posts mainly about: MENA, travel, books I like, & my stupid cats | Working on a novel.
Reposted by Jessica Lee
Three days into conflict in Tigray, the warring factions are either silent, or issuing vague statements.
Following a call for restraint by the African Union, the chairman of the TPLF, under whose command Tigrayan rebels are fighting, responded expressing a willingness to engage in dialogue.
Following a call for restraint by the African Union, the chairman of the TPLF, under whose command Tigrayan rebels are fighting, responded expressing a willingness to engage in dialogue.
February 1, 2026 at 6:24 AM
Three days into conflict in Tigray, the warring factions are either silent, or issuing vague statements.
Following a call for restraint by the African Union, the chairman of the TPLF, under whose command Tigrayan rebels are fighting, responded expressing a willingness to engage in dialogue.
Following a call for restraint by the African Union, the chairman of the TPLF, under whose command Tigrayan rebels are fighting, responded expressing a willingness to engage in dialogue.
Reposted by Jessica Lee
X is hiring a creative writing specialist at $40 an hour to make Grok better at writing and a true LOL at the qualifications
January 30, 2026 at 8:14 PM
X is hiring a creative writing specialist at $40 an hour to make Grok better at writing and a true LOL at the qualifications
Reposted by Jessica Lee
I cannot tell you how much doubt was consistently directed at the Gaza Health Ministry’s casualty numbers and how much pressure was put on news organizations to couch those numbers as unreliable.
Biden himself said they were fabricated!
www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
Biden himself said they were fabricated!
www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
IDF accepts Gaza Health Ministry death toll of over 71,000 Palestinians killed in the war
Although Many International Experts Have Accepted the Health Ministry's Data as Reliable, and Even Conservative Relative to the True Death Toll, Israel Had Refused to Accept the Health Ministry's Coun...
www.haaretz.com
January 29, 2026 at 3:31 PM
I cannot tell you how much doubt was consistently directed at the Gaza Health Ministry’s casualty numbers and how much pressure was put on news organizations to couch those numbers as unreliable.
Biden himself said they were fabricated!
www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
Biden himself said they were fabricated!
www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
Reposted by Jessica Lee
Maybe one day, Americans will finally have the discussion about how everything ICE is doing to them on the streets, is exactly what that "nice" family member of theirs who went to Iraq and Afghanistan, did to countless people over there. You cannot be separate from empire if you identify with it.
January 28, 2026 at 4:59 AM
Maybe one day, Americans will finally have the discussion about how everything ICE is doing to them on the streets, is exactly what that "nice" family member of theirs who went to Iraq and Afghanistan, did to countless people over there. You cannot be separate from empire if you identify with it.
Every time the US starts posting about 'Noem', for a second I think they're posting about 'Neom' & I'm like omg, lots of random US people are actually taking an interest in wtf is happening in the Middle East for once, & then I'm like, oh yeah...nah. 🤷
January 27, 2026 at 12:39 PM
Every time the US starts posting about 'Noem', for a second I think they're posting about 'Neom' & I'm like omg, lots of random US people are actually taking an interest in wtf is happening in the Middle East for once, & then I'm like, oh yeah...nah. 🤷
As someone who was debanked rather suddenly in the UK & with no reasons given (& the entire thing was handled so fucking weirdly), this new @oliverbullough.bsky.social piece about debanking is maddening & fascinating in equal measures.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Access denied: why Muslims worldwide are being ‘debanked’ | Oliver Bullough
The long read: Innocent people are being frozen out of basic banking services – and it all traces back to reforms rushed through after 9/11
www.theguardian.com
January 27, 2026 at 5:37 AM
As someone who was debanked rather suddenly in the UK & with no reasons given (& the entire thing was handled so fucking weirdly), this new @oliverbullough.bsky.social piece about debanking is maddening & fascinating in equal measures.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
'What's that Skip?'
'MBS's trillion dollar ski resort in the desert isn't going to go ahead because it was just a wankfest fantasy of the House of Saud's crown prince?'
Lol.
'MBS's trillion dollar ski resort in the desert isn't going to go ahead because it was just a wankfest fantasy of the House of Saud's crown prince?'
Lol.
A good decision that's both predictable and sensible → "Saudi Arabia and the Olympic Council of Asia agreed to postpone the 2029 Asian Winter Games"
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Saudi Arabia, Olympic Council Delay 2029 Asian Winter Games
Saudi Arabia and the Olympic Council of Asia agreed to postpone the 2029 Asian Winter Games, dealing a blow to the Middle Eastern kingdom’s ambitions to become a major sports hub and center for global...
www.bloomberg.com
January 26, 2026 at 4:34 PM
'What's that Skip?'
'MBS's trillion dollar ski resort in the desert isn't going to go ahead because it was just a wankfest fantasy of the House of Saud's crown prince?'
Lol.
'MBS's trillion dollar ski resort in the desert isn't going to go ahead because it was just a wankfest fantasy of the House of Saud's crown prince?'
Lol.
Friedman doing Friedman. He'll go and interview a Minneapolis taxi driver in a minute.
Tom Friedman never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity
January 26, 2026 at 6:06 AM
Friedman doing Friedman. He'll go and interview a Minneapolis taxi driver in a minute.
Reposted by Jessica Lee
January 25, 2026 at 4:08 AM
About. Fucking. Time.
January 25, 2026 at 7:44 PM
About. Fucking. Time.
Reposted by Jessica Lee
In a shock development, it turns out you can’t hold the Winter Games in a fake ski resort in Saudi Arabia. Who could possibly have predicted that?
January 25, 2026 at 1:59 PM
In a shock development, it turns out you can’t hold the Winter Games in a fake ski resort in Saudi Arabia. Who could possibly have predicted that?
I'm always amazed that people seem to not know this. Believe me, as someone who worked in construction & had their workplace raided - & nearly got carted off during the raid because we were taking too long, in their opinion, to find the p/copy of my UK passport - UK immigration raids happen.
Once again tapping my sign: ICE exist in the UK 🚨 They have had arrest powers since 2000. This government - not a hypothetical future one - is working harder than ever before to raid homes and businesses.
Immigration Enforcement raids at the highest level in UK history
Record number of arrests and raids of illegal workers across the UK including 187 raids in Northern Ireland leading to 234 arrests.
www.gov.uk
January 25, 2026 at 10:42 AM
I'm always amazed that people seem to not know this. Believe me, as someone who worked in construction & had their workplace raided - & nearly got carted off during the raid because we were taking too long, in their opinion, to find the p/copy of my UK passport - UK immigration raids happen.
Reposted by Jessica Lee
Western countries are hitting refugees twice: they are making it harder to claim asylum *and* they are cutting aid to troubled regions.
I went to Sudan, the world's worst humanitarian situation, where the UN refugee agency has had to cut half its staff. Please have a read: as.ft.com/r/df593f1e-e...
I went to Sudan, the world's worst humanitarian situation, where the UN refugee agency has had to cut half its staff. Please have a read: as.ft.com/r/df593f1e-e...
Adapt, shrink or die: the global crisis in humanitarian aid
[FREE TO READ] On the road in Sudan with the UN’s outgoing High Commissioner for Refugees
as.ft.com
January 25, 2026 at 9:36 AM
Western countries are hitting refugees twice: they are making it harder to claim asylum *and* they are cutting aid to troubled regions.
I went to Sudan, the world's worst humanitarian situation, where the UN refugee agency has had to cut half its staff. Please have a read: as.ft.com/r/df593f1e-e...
I went to Sudan, the world's worst humanitarian situation, where the UN refugee agency has had to cut half its staff. Please have a read: as.ft.com/r/df593f1e-e...
Reposted by Jessica Lee
Air France and KLM announce pauses as Trump says 'armada' of US warships heading towards Middle East.
Air France, KLM pause flights to Middle East, including Dubai, Israel
Air France and KLM announce pauses as Trump says 'armada' of US warships heading towards Middle East.
www.aljazeera.com
January 24, 2026 at 7:02 AM
Air France and KLM announce pauses as Trump says 'armada' of US warships heading towards Middle East.
Cat woke me up at 5.30am so I lay in bed for 3 hrs & finished Dream State ⬇️ Probably the best start to a Saturday a person can have.
I nearly never read this because it was comped as like The Paper Palace (which I thought was drivel) so a lesson in the ridiculousness of comp titles maybe 🤷
I nearly never read this because it was comped as like The Paper Palace (which I thought was drivel) so a lesson in the ridiculousness of comp titles maybe 🤷
January 24, 2026 at 6:23 AM
Cat woke me up at 5.30am so I lay in bed for 3 hrs & finished Dream State ⬇️ Probably the best start to a Saturday a person can have.
I nearly never read this because it was comped as like The Paper Palace (which I thought was drivel) so a lesson in the ridiculousness of comp titles maybe 🤷
I nearly never read this because it was comped as like The Paper Palace (which I thought was drivel) so a lesson in the ridiculousness of comp titles maybe 🤷
Reposted by Jessica Lee
January 22, 2026 at 7:46 AM
Reposted by Jessica Lee
Most academic books have boring descriptive titles but occasionally...
January 23, 2026 at 9:29 AM
Most academic books have boring descriptive titles but occasionally...
🙃
Jensen Huang of Nvidia, $NVDA, has said relentless negativity around AI is hurting society and has done a lot of damage, per Techspot.
January 21, 2026 at 6:30 PM
🙃
Reposted by Jessica Lee
The Butcher of Gaza could be joining invited serial war criminal Putin on board that increasingly looks the steering committee for a new Axis of Evil.
BREAKING: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted an invitation from United States President Donald Trump to join the “Board of Peace” aje.news/hw7tfo
January 21, 2026 at 7:43 AM
The Butcher of Gaza could be joining invited serial war criminal Putin on board that increasingly looks the steering committee for a new Axis of Evil.
Oh no. The AI boom could falter because lots of us aren't using it. Boo hoo. The billionaire tech muppets might lose lots of money. What a travesty. Lol.
AI boom could falter without wider adoption, Microsoft chief Satya Nadella warns
AI boom could falter without wider adoption, Microsoft chief Satya Nadella warns
Big tech boss tells delegates at Davos that broader global use is essential if technology is to deliver lasting growth
www.irishtimes.com
January 20, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Oh no. The AI boom could falter because lots of us aren't using it. Boo hoo. The billionaire tech muppets might lose lots of money. What a travesty. Lol.
Reposted by Jessica Lee
Israeli authorities demolished the UNRWA HQ in Jerusalem today. Video:
www.instagram.com/reel/DTuvDom...
www.instagram.com/reel/DTuvDom...
972mag on Instagram: "TODAY: Israeli authorities demolish the UNRWA headquarters in Jerusalem.Video by Oren Ziv, in partnership with Local Call.View all …"
TODAY: Israeli authorities demolish the UNRWA headquarters in Jerusalem.Video by Oren Ziv, in partnership with Local Call.
www.instagram.com
January 20, 2026 at 12:02 PM
Israeli authorities demolished the UNRWA HQ in Jerusalem today. Video:
www.instagram.com/reel/DTuvDom...
www.instagram.com/reel/DTuvDom...
Reposted by Jessica Lee
There should be a strict rule in the Chagos Islands debate that if you can’t point to them on a map, you shouldn’t be allowed to express an opinion about them.
January 20, 2026 at 8:40 AM
There should be a strict rule in the Chagos Islands debate that if you can’t point to them on a map, you shouldn’t be allowed to express an opinion about them.
OK: @hollygramazio.bsky.social's latest newsletter pretty much sums up my own thoughts on the Adelaide Writers' Week outcome: People said nope, not in my name, & for once, it worked. & that's something to cherish.
(also: a reccy for one of my fav Sarah Moss books)
Anyway, worth a read⬇️
(also: a reccy for one of my fav Sarah Moss books)
Anyway, worth a read⬇️
well I've also posted my Adelaide Writers' Week opinions. It's my home festival and I love it, and I was among the many many writers who withdrew, and I know this whole thing has been such a mess but also, I am hopeful for 2027's event and so surprised by that hope buttondown.com/holly/archiv...
January 19, 2026 at 6:15 PM
OK: @hollygramazio.bsky.social's latest newsletter pretty much sums up my own thoughts on the Adelaide Writers' Week outcome: People said nope, not in my name, & for once, it worked. & that's something to cherish.
(also: a reccy for one of my fav Sarah Moss books)
Anyway, worth a read⬇️
(also: a reccy for one of my fav Sarah Moss books)
Anyway, worth a read⬇️
Ahh yes, it's that time (again) where Americans suffer amnesia about Vietnam, Iran, Chile, Nicaragua, Iraq, Afghanistan, Cyprus/Northern Cyprus, the CIAs role in destroying democracy in Syria, Israel/Palestine, Yemen... Oh the list goes on...
Top U.S. Catholic clerics said that the U.S.'s “moral role in confronting evil around the world” is in question for the first time in decades. nyti.ms/4bDP7iK
Prominent Catholic Clerics Denounce U.S. Foreign Policy
Citing recent events in Venezuela, Ukraine and Greenland, three cardinals said their statement was inspired by Pope Leo.
nyti.ms
January 19, 2026 at 4:24 PM
Ahh yes, it's that time (again) where Americans suffer amnesia about Vietnam, Iran, Chile, Nicaragua, Iraq, Afghanistan, Cyprus/Northern Cyprus, the CIAs role in destroying democracy in Syria, Israel/Palestine, Yemen... Oh the list goes on...