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It is not easy being Jordan today—“Struggling for calm in a region of chaos… Sandwiched in between Iraq and Syria, Jordan’s destiny seems to be one of a constant struggle for survival” (CNN, June 18, 2014). King Abdullah’s “voice of moderation” in a region of strife-torn nations is also crying out for international assistance to manage 1.3 million Syrian...
“In he bounded, the right side of 40, all grins and references to selfies and ancient philosophers, brash and self-confident. Yes, it was Italian PM Matteo Renzi’s first appearance in the European Parliament. Speaking without notes, he told his audience that Europe is moving at half the speed of the rest of the world, that its single-minded focus on financial...
The media, government agencies and even religious groups are attempting to normalize the “transgender” phenomenon. Last month, “a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services review board ruled that Medicare can pay for the ‘reassignment’ surgery sought by the transgendered” (Wall Street Journal, June 12, 2014). In a recent article, Dr.
Since the end of WWII, Japan’s constitution has limited its military action to self-defense. However, “Japan’s cabinet has approved a landmark change in security policy, paving the way for its military to fight overseas… a reinterpretation of the law will now allow ‘collective self-defense’—using force to defend allies under attack” (BBC, July 1, 2014). The...
The Islamic militant group ISIS that recently took over cities in northern Iraq has “declared an Islamic ‘caliphate’ [state] in an area straddling Iraq and Syria” (The Guardian, June 30, 2014). One jihadist commented in a high tech video made to promote ISIS, “This is not the first border we will break, we will break other borders” (ibid.). “Later the fighter...
“The Ebola outbreak ravaging West Africa is ‘totally out of control,’ according to a senior official for Doctors Without Borders, who says the medical group is stretched to the limit in responding” (Associated Press, June 20, 2014). Ebola, which causes its victims to bleed to death internally, is spread from person to person and has no cure or vaccine.
“It’s not a good sign when the leader of a G7 nation feels the need to state his country still matters. That is precisely what French President Francois Hollande did at a meeting of European Union leaders last month after his Socialist party’s humiliating defeat by the hard right National Front in European Parliament elections” (Reuters, June 13, 2014)....
This Friday EU leaders will meet to appoint Jean-Claude Juncker as the next president of the European Commission (Telegraph, June 22, 2014). Some Europeans are strongly supportive of Mr. Juncker, while some British see him as Anglophobic because of comments he made in a 2005 speech to the European Parliament (ibid.).
This summer is being called the “summer of destruction” by movie critics (CNN, June 10, 2014). A plethora of summer blockbuster movies boast abundant blood and violence—referred to as “destruction porn” by film critic Lewis Beale. In a recent editorial Mr. Beale chided the U.S.
The Washington National Cathedral, “The most visible Episcopal church in the U.S. is hosting its first openly transgender priest [Cameron Patrick] this month” (Washington Times, June 9, 2014). “The Right Rev. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Episcopal priest… [will] be presiding the same service” (ibid.).