News and Prophecy Staff

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 predictions.

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 Cooperation). “PESCO is significant not just because it marks a push by the EU into the military sphere but also because it represents ‘multispeed Europe’ in action.