To use our advanced search functionality (to search for terms in specific content), please use syntax such as the following examples:
Pakistan is experiencing wide-spread flooding, along with a host of other challenges (Reuters, September 22, 2022). Hundreds of thousands of people are now displaced and living in open plains, as floodwaters cover large swaths of land. Experts predict it could take two to six months for floodwaters to fully recede. As a result of the stagnant water, mosquitos...
The Caribbean island nation of Haiti is in chaos as fuel prices soar and the government threatens to cease fuel subsidies (New York Times, September 21, 2022). All this in a nation where poverty is rampant and governmental stability has been fleeting for many decades. One opposition leader has called on crowds to close down local banks. A well-known gang leader...
Last week, five red heifers arrived by airplane in Israel (Israel365news, September 16, 2022). The one-year-old female calves were bred and raised on a ranch in Texas, solely for the purpose of producing red heifers that could be used in purification rituals in Jerusalem. To meet Jewish rabbinical standards, the cows must have no more than two non-red hairs,...
With Russian gas constraints increasing, Germany is turning to America for its liquified natural gas (LNG) (German Foreign Policy, September 8, 2022). By 2030, European LNG imports from the U.S. are forecast to exceed all the natural gas ever imported from Russia. With the Ukraine war at their doorstep, Germany continues to rely on the U.S. and NATO for military...
The area of the Fertile Crescent and “the cradle of civilization,” known for its rich crops and orchards, is drying up (The Guardian, September 7, 2022). The Fertile Crescent runs from the Holy Land, along the Mediterranean Sea, and eastward along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
Last Thursday, Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96, after serving as the sovereign of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for 70 years. In the words of former British prime minister Boris Johnson, the queen was “a changeless human reference point in British life” (Time, September 9, 2022).
The prosperity experienced by many Western democracies for the last several decades appears to be coming to an end. With global recession, global inflation, and energy woes facing Europe, the comfortable life enjoyed by so many for so long appears to be drawing to a close (France 24, August 24, 2022).
Liz Truss took over Number 10 Downing Street this week as Britain’s fourth prime minister in six years. Ms. Truss previously served as the Foreign Secretary and has held several different governmental posts during her political career (Politico, September 5, 2022). As liberal-turned-conservative, Ms. Truss is pro-Brexit and also fiscally cautious. She is liked...
Until recently, Europe has avoided high levels of involvement in the Pacific. However, with China’s efforts to control more islands in the South China Sea and its threats regarding Hong Kong, Europe is preparing to act in the region (The Guardian, May 17, 2022).
Higher prices and slowing global economic growth caused August business activity to fall in Japan, Europe, and the United States, according to the Wall Street Journal (August 23, 2022). The U.S. economy has contracted for the last two quarters—technically signaling recession—and private sector activity in both Japan and Australia has fallen. European business...