News and Prophecy Staff

With Angela Merkel gone, Europe has a power vacuum. French president Emmanuel Macron, whose nation is currently serving a six-month term as presidency of the Council of the EU, is ambitious and driven but is often seen as working solely for France. Many of his European peers also distrust him (Carnegie Europe, February 10, 2022). One analyst noted Macron is the de facto leader of Europe: “While some EU member states are skeptical of Paris, the alternatives to French leadership are few.”

CNN has reported an alarming trend: “US teacher prep programs have reported shrinking enrollment numbers over at least the past decade. Experts are sounding the alarm” (February 5, 2022). Many teachers are now retiring, and replacements are in dwindling supply.

The relationship between the United States and Europe has been suffering, especially since 2016, and contrary to what many hoped, it has not improved with the arrival of a new American administration in 2021. As the U.S. continues to pivot toward Asia, it also pivots away from Europe (Politico, January 10, 2022). Actions like America’s unilateral withdrawal from Afghanistan and the creation of the AUKUS security pact among Australia, the UK, and the U.S.

Since the U.S. and coalition forces pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban regained control, hunger has dramatically increased in that nation (Wall Street Journal, January 28, 2022). Half the country’s population—about 20 million people—are facing conditions of acute hunger as the economy continues to collapse following the Taliban takeover and the Western sanctions that have followed.

The Wall Street Journal reports that rising fertilizer prices around the globe are impacting farmers everywhere (January 21, 2022). While having a devastating effect in developing countries, no one seems immune.