News and Prophecy Staff

Liz Truss took over Number 10 Downing Street this week as Britain’s fourth prime minister in six years. Ms. Truss previously served as the Foreign Secretary and has held several different governmental posts during her political career (Politico, September 5, 2022). As liberal-turned-conservative, Ms. Truss is pro-Brexit and also fiscally cautious. She is liked by some and hated by others. Many believe she is not afraid to act or to make hard decisions.

Until recently, Europe has avoided high levels of involvement in the Pacific. However, with China’s efforts to control more islands in the South China Sea and its threats regarding Hong Kong, Europe is preparing to act in the region (The Guardian, May 17, 2022).

Higher prices and slowing global economic growth caused August business activity to fall in Japan, Europe, and the United States, according to the Wall Street Journal (August 23, 2022). The U.S. economy has contracted for the last two quarters—technically signaling recession—and private sector activity in both Japan and Australia has fallen. European business activity has also declined for two months in a row.

Have you ever noticed that when you think a lot, you feel tired? New research shows that there is a reason (MSN.com, August 11, 2022)! When we tax our brains during a “long, grueling day sitting at a desk,” a chemical by-product is released (glutamate) that is toxic to the brain. We produce this chemical when we use our brains heavily, and it builds up in the pre-frontal cortex.

Monkeypox has public health and government officials worried. First identified in 1958 in a group of African monkeys, monkeypox was discovered in humans in 1970. The disease was mostly localized to several central and west African nations until 2022.