News and Prophecy Staff

U.S. lawmakers and the President have been “haggling” for months over how to deal with the current debt ceiling crisis.  Many commentators have compared the stalled arguments to children who will not give in unless the other party completely adopts their view.  If a deal is not struck by August 2, the U.S. will be unable to pay about 45% of its bills for the month of August, which could result in the nation losing its AAA bond rating (MSN Money, July 25, 2011).

One of the most common sexually transmitted diseases, gonorrhea, has once again morphed into a more powerful foe.  Reuters soberly reports, “The new strain of the sexually transmitted disease—called H041—cannot be killed by any currently recommended treatments for gonorrhea, leaving doctors with no other option than to try medicines so far untested against the disease.”  The new strain was identified in Japan—where most new gonorrhea strains are discovered.  One infectious disease expert predicts that it should become globally transmissible in the next 10-20 years.

While there were the congratulatory speeches in Israel last week surrounding the fifth anniversary of Israel’s second Lebanon War, Lebanon received delivery of advanced ballistic missiles from Syria.  These missiles have the range to reach Israel, Jordan, and parts of Turkey. (DEBKA, July 20, 2011).

For three years, Muslim prayer services have taken place in a Toronto public school during school hours—catering to the student majority who are Muslim.  Because of the press generated by the situation, an examination of Ottawa schools recently revealed that about a dozen other public schools also allow Muslim prayer services during the school day.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, “China has detonated an economic bombshell on the eve of the Prime Minister’s drive to sell the carbon tax, warning [that] Australia has a ‘dual-speed and patchwork economy’ and relies too heavily on Beijing’s demand for minerals.”  These stern words were made by a Chinese diplomat speaking on behalf of the Chinese Embassy.