News and Prophecy Staff

The contentious issue of whether to legalize same-sex marriage continues to hover around the discussion table in the Australian Parliament.  Just this week, federal MP (Member of Parliament) Adam Bandt, of the Australian Greens Party, looked to boost support amongst MPs for his private “marriage equality” bill that he plans to submit to Parliament.

Current research now links night shift work and deadly diseases like diabetes, obesity, and even cancer.  “In a study published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, researchers in Denmark found that women who worked night shifts were up to four times more likely to develop breast cancer than women who didn’t work nights” (Time, May 29, 2012).

In a recent visit to China, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed agreements in trade, investment, nuclear power, and banking, and discussed growing military ties—however, there is more to the story.

German Chancellor Merkel plans to use the EU’s month-end meeting to “push ahead with plans for a political union, including more sweeping powers for Brussels” (EU Observer, June 7, 2012).  According to Mrs. Merkel, “That means that step-by-step in the future we have to give up more powers to Europe and grant Europe more oversight possibilities” (ibid.).

“Germany has three months to save the euro,” says billionaire George Soros (Telegraph, June 3, 2012).  Soros suggested the “summer window” could allow Germany and the Bundesbank to save the EU’s sinking ship because “in a crisis the creditors are in the driver’s seat and nothing can be done without German support” (ibid.).