“A deluge of rainfall has burst rivers and brought flood warnings to several southern US states, with Texas and Oklahoma the worst hit so far… Parts of Texas saw up to 10 inches (25cm) of rain over a 24-hour period, with more predicted across the region into next week. An official declared it the ‘largest flood in the history of this region’” (BBC, May 25, 2015).

“Saudi Arabia’s King Salman promised on Sunday to punish those responsible for the recent suicide attack at a Shiite mosque in the country’s east—a rare occurrence in the kingdom. Salman decried the ‘heinous terrorist attack’ that runs counter to Islamic and human values” (Deutsche Welle, May 24, 2015).

“Britain Resigns as a World Power” was the sobering title of a recent article in the Washington Post (May 21, 2015). Author Fareed Zakaria observed, “After an extraordinary 300-year run, Britain has essentially resigned as a global power” (ibid.). “Over the next few years, Britain’s army will shrink to about 80,000.