News and Prophecy Staff

In a recent address to U.K. family lawyers, the Family Division’s president commented “Happily for us, the days are past when the business of judges was the enforcement of morals or religious beliefs” (The Times, October 30, 2013).

As core nations in the EU seek to form a European military, Britain and France are formulating other plans. “Britain is forging ahead on military co-operation with France, while warning about EU ‘interference’ on defence. The two countries are the EU’s leading military powers… They are also the most hawkish.

“An Israeli parliamentary committee held a heated debate Monday on whether to begin allowing Jews to pray on what they call the Temple Mount, the compound housing [the] Al-Aqsa mosque” (Agence France-Presse, November 4, 2013). The meeting was repeatedly interrupted by Arabs and resulted in no progress.

Millions are upset over the brutal gang rape of a teenage girl in Kenya. Three of the men convicted of the crime were sentenced to mow the lawn around the police compound and then were released (Yahoo News, October 28, 2013).

With the thawing “northeast passage,” sea travel has increased through the Arctic. “Last year 46 ships sailed the route. More than 400 are expected this year.” Some estimate that the trading power of this Arctic passage could rival the Suez Canal—linking trade between Europe and Asia (The Times, September 17, 2013). At the same time, “The Russian Navy is moving to establish a ‘constant presence’ in the region, according to the military.