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Last month, Pope Francis, diverged from the teaching of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI, and opened the gates of heaven to pets when he stated, “One day we will see our animals again in eternity of Christ. Paradise is open to all God’s creatures” (Business Insider, December 10, 2014).
Religious and racial violence continues to erupt around the world. In Nigeria, Islamic militants have killed or kidnapped hundreds of men, women and children and torched homes of people of different faiths. In Syria and Iraq, Shiites and Sunni Moslems are killing and beheading each other. In Canada, Australia and East Africa, Moslem fanatics have mounted attacks...
“The battered ruble plunged to a record low against the dollar again Tuesday [80 Rub to $1 USD], as investors grew convinced that the Russian central bank’s surprise move overnight to jack up interest rates to 17% wouldn’t be enough to alleviate the pressure on the currency from falling oil prices and western sanctions” (Wall Street Journal, December 16, 2014)....
An Islamic extremist took 17 hostages in a café in central Sydney on Monday, December 16. After a 17-hour siege, at 2:00 a.m., he began shooting some of the hostages. New South Wales (NSW) police had been well-positioned outside and stormed the café. Two of the people inside were killed and the gunman was shot dead by the police (AP, December 15, 2014).
“Taliban gunmen stormed a military-run school in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar on Tuesday, killing 126 people, officials said, in the worst attack to hit the country in years. The overwhelming majority of the victims were students at the army public school, which has children and teenagers in grades 1-10” (The Times-Tribune, December 16, 2014). “‘...
China continues to make waves in Asia and the world. A recent report states, “The Chinese economy just overtook the United States economy to become the largest in the world. For the first time since Ulysses S. Grant was president, America is not the leading economic power on the planet” (MarketWatch, December 4, 2014).
The anti-war mood that has prevailed in Germany since the close of World War II appears to be rapidly changing. German politicians have begun calling for the creation of an “EU military academy” and a “permanent military headquarters” as prerequisites for establishing an “EU army” (German Foreign Policy.com, December 8, 2014).
“Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait are discussing the creation of a military pact to take on Islamic militants, with the possibility of a joint force to intervene around the Middle East” (Times of Israel, November 4, 2014). “The countries have already shown an unprecedented willingness to intervene together.
A major study of childhood in the UK reveals, “The number of children living with both their parents by the time they start secondary school has collapsed since the sixties… 61 per cent of 11-year-olds share a home with both parents, compared with 90 per cent in 1969” (The Times, November 28, 2014). The study also reports “Those with both parents under one roof...
“French lawmakers voted in favour of recognizing Palestine as a state on Tuesday, a symbolic move that will not immediately affect France’s diplomatic stance but demonstrates growing European impatience with a stalled peace process. The motion... echoes similar votes in Britain, Spain and Ireland…” (Haaretz, December 2, 2014).