News and Prophecy Staff

Over five days, beginning on September 11, Russia, China and Mongolia will hold their largest “war games” exercise since the Cold War (BBC, August 28, 2018). “The scale of Vostok-2018 is equivalent to the forces deployed in one of the big World War Two battles” and will involve over 300,000 troops, 36,000 tanks, 1,000 aircraft, all of Russia’s airborne units and two of its fleets.

For thousands of years, human beings have understood the healing power of contact with nature. Health spas and country retreats have long been used to experience the restorative power of “fresh air.” However, recent research is beginning to document the benefits of this ancient practice.

Pope Francis is known around the globe as an emissary for peace and an advocate for embattled people everywhere. However, the pope has now become the focus of accusations related to the ongoing sex abuse scandals that appear to reach the highest levels of the church (New York Times, August 28, 2018).

According to data from Public Health England, “Ten times as many children are severely obese now as was the case thirty years ago” (The Telegraph, July 24, 2018). “In just ten years, the percentage of 11-year-olds with extreme weight problems has risen by more than a fifth”—that is more than 20 percent!

American President Donald Trump is facing criticism again as he plans for a fall meeting of the group of six Persian Gulf states, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, plus Egypt and Jordan, hoping to forge what some have called an “Arab NATO” (Deutsche Welle, July 29, 2018). The purpose of this group would be a military alliance to counter Iran and other extremist groups, and bring peace and stability in the Middle East.