According to a recent study in the highly respected journal Science, “Ocean dead zones with zero oxygen have quadrupled in size since 1950… while the number of very low oxygen sites near coasts have multiplied tenfold” (The Guardian, January 4, 2018). Because most sea life cannot live in these dead zones, scientists predict that mass extinction and ecological...
In the wake of parliamentary reforms in Poland, the EU has threatened to use Article 7 against the nation. “While only a warning, Article 7 could lead to sanctions and a suspension of EU voting rights” (Deutsche Welle, December 20, 2017). According to an EU spokesperson, “Judicial reforms in Poland mean that the country’s judiciary is now under the political...
While obesity is on the increase around the globe, so is hunger! Both of these conditions can result from malnutrition. In early December, Cape Town, South Africa hosted the 3rd International Conference on Global Food Security in an attempt to better understand global food scarcity issues. “Malnutrition, including over- and under-nutrition and micro-nutrient...
President Trump drew harsh criticism when he announced the U.S. would move its Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the “capital of Israel.” World reaction was clear: “A UN security council resolution calling for the withdrawal of Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital has been backed by every council member except the US, which used its veto...
Researchers at the University of East Anglia have discovered something important that many churchgoers already know: Singing in a group is not only enjoyable, but also improves one’s mental health (BBC, December 21, 2017)!
In recent statements, “the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church said… the world is on the brink of slipping into ‘the abyss of the end of history’” (Newsweek, November 21, 2017). He continued by warning his congregants that the coming end of the age—the apocalypse—is currently “visible to the naked eye.” However, this Russian cleric is not alone in his dire...
Many parts of the world are overflowing with displaced persons. Uganda’s Bidi Bidi refugee camp is one of the world’s largest, with 285,000 residents, mostly from South Sudan (PRI, September 22, 2017). Uganda’s government expects that most of these refugees will become either long-term or permanent residents.
It has been talked about for years: a multi-speed Europe where nations opt in and out of initiatives as they wish, with those in the center moving forward quickly and powerfully to full integration and those on the periphery lagging behind. In the wake of Brexit, the EU has moved quickly with its new military alliance known as PESCO (Permanent Structured...
The technology boom of the past several decades has changed the world by using social media to connect people around the globe. However, social media connections have also been used to promote political uprisings, topple governments and spread “fake news” around the world. But why would the brilliant creators of social media develop tools with destructive...
In Australia, shortly after a same-sex marriage bill was introduced in the parliament, a member of the House of Representatives proposed marriage to his same-sex partner of nine years—on the floor of parliament! The event was followed by approving applause from all who were present (ABC.net.au, December 4, 2017).
