News and Prophecy Staff

Many who watch world events know that the heart of the Arab-Israeli debacle is Jerusalem! For decades, the United States has taken the lead in promoting peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinian people. Yet, President Trump’s new peace plan seemed to fall out of favor even before it was released, in part because Palestinian leaders no longer trust the U.S. and especially President Trump. Now, the Europeans want a chance to bring peace to the Middle East.

The Guardian recently reported on a study of tap water at 44 sites in 31 states and Washington, DC, that found dangerous levels of perfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS (January 22, 2020). These substances are sometimes referred to as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down in the environment.

NPR reports that U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres recently shared a sobering view of the world today, stating that “a wind of madness is sweeping the globe” (February 4, 2020). According to NPR, Guterres also observed that “cascading challenges” and “vicious circles” currently characterize the state of the world, putting peace and stability at risk.

The Times reports that Europe (including Britain) is facing a “demographic bomb” (January 20, 2020). For generations, fertility rates in the region have been falling and life expectancy has been increasing. But as the average age of the population in most European nations is increasing, working-age populations are shrinking! “At 43, the median age in the continent is now 12 years older than the rest of the world,” writes columnist Charles Bremner.

In response to recent European moves to censure Iranian nuclear activity, Iran revealed images of its three underground “missile cities” (Jerusalem Post, January 15, 2020). Buried at a bomb-proof depth—over a quarter of a mile underground in the Iranian mountains—these underground missile warehouses contain both ballistic missiles and solid-fuel rockets.