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Spain and Portugal are experiencing one of the worst forest fire seasons in recent history. Forest fires have consumed three times as much area in Spain (January 1-August 5) as they did last year. Fires also rage fiercely in Spain’s Canary Islands. About 10 percent of the island of La Gomera has burned, including a quarter of a UNESCO World Heritage nature...
In a recent interview, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair told the German Die Zeit newspaper that it is clear that the eurozone crisis will lead to “powerful political change of the EU,” adding, “And on this point, I am deeply worried that Britain could decide by referendum to leave the whole process” (Fox Business News, August 8, 2012). Are we seeing the...
Last Saturday, two powerful earthquakes struck Iran. The first was 6.4 magnitude and the second 6.3 (ITV News, August 12, 2012). They were both followed by many aftershocks. At least six villages were completely destroyed and dozens more experienced great damage. More than 50,000 have taken temporary shelter (Reuters, August 14, 2012).
In a recent “letter drop” in the east Auckland suburb of Botany, the National MP for the area, Mr. Jami-Lee Ross, issued a message to residents. The letter, titled “Same-Sex Marriage: What do you think?” explained that “Parliament will soon be voting on draft legislation to enable same-sex couples to marry. Members of Parliament will be given a [individual]...
Last week, a seventeen-year-old Chinese young man killed nine people and injured five more with a knife, following an argument with his girlfriend (AFP, August 2, 2012). This event coincides with shootings in the U.S., and the murder of more than 70 people in ethnic clashes in India (Times of India, August 8, 2012).
Italy’s and Spain’s economies are in dire straits, and the EU is seriously considering bailing them out with a major purchase of national bonds. The all-important caveat may be that Italy and Spain will have to cede control of their fiscal policies to the EU! (Telegraph, August 2, 2012).
“Cattlemen are selling animals they can’t graze or afford to buy feed for… The number of cattle in the U.S. has been dropping for years. The Agriculture Department says the nation’s cattle inventory is the smallest since the agency began a July count in 1973” (Associated Press, July 24, 2012).
Ethnic violence has again broken out in the northeast India district of Assam. Local people are predominantly Hindu and some are “Christian,” although there are more than 200 separate tribal groups in the region. Much of the violence is aimed at Muslims—many of whom have come across the border from Bangladesh and Bhutan (The Globe and Mail, July 24, 2012).
Torrential rains inundated China’s capital city last weekend, overwhelming the drainage system.
Last Friday morning at the midnight opening of the latest Batman movie, a lone gunman burst into a packed theater in the Denver, Colorado suburb of Aurora, set off a smoke bomb and tear gas, and began firing his weapon into the crowd (Good Morning America, July 20, 2012). Survivors recalled the terrifying confusion and panic of those trapped inside the theater.