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After serving as Japan’s prime minister for nearly eight years, Shinzo Abe announced last week that he would be stepping down due to health issues (New York Times, August 28, 2020). Mr. Abe has been the longest-serving prime minister in Japan, a country known for prime ministers who often serve very short terms. In recent months, he has drawn considerable...
Emerging research supports the current understanding that infant exposure to air pollution has long-lasting effects on their lungs. Not only does lung capacity decrease for teenagers who were exposed to air pollution as infants, but they are also at much greater risk of developing asthma (The Guardian, August 24, 2020).
The Times of Israel reports, “The impending peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates [UAE] is more than just a stunning diplomatic breakthrough. It represents a fundamental shift in the paradigm of peace-making” (August 14, 2020). In a region where Middle East peace has long been thought to hinge on the Israeli-Palestinian relationship, this...
As a result of COVID-19, the town of Somerville, Massachusetts, has recognized polyamory (NBCBoston.com, July 4, 2020). Not to be confused with polygamy—a heterosexual taking more than one spouse—polyamory is a situation where “any person of any gender can have multiple partners.” The town council legally recognized the practice, giving polyamorous people some...
Many nations in South America are struggling. On top of financial collapse and the pandemic, many Venezuelans don’t have adequate water (Al Jazeera, June 28, 2020). Brazil is reeling from rampant COVID-19 infections. Drug cartels undermine the rule of law in many nations.
In the last few years, many nations around the globe have drawn closer to China through trade relationships and diplomatic channels. But something has changed in the last year or so. “One by one, democratic governments across the globe are hardening their stance on China. What started in Australia and the United States has spread to India, Canada and the United...
In May, a poll showed that only 39 percent of Italians trust the EU. Building on this fact, a popular Italian senator recently formed a new political party with the intent of helping Italy exit the EU—just as the U.K. has done (Reuters, July 21, 2020). A few days before forming his party, Gianluigi Paragone met with “Brexit architect Nigel Farage” to gain...
For much of the last century, the economic engine of America has helped fuel the economies of nations around the globe.
According to a recent Gallup poll about global leadership, “Germany maintained its position as the most highly rated country in the world for a third year running in 2019, while the US approval ratings stayed well below those achieved under the last administration” (Deutsche Welle, July 27, 2020). The United States, a distant second to Germany, was followed...
At the recent “Million Muslim Votes” conference, a U.S. presidential candidate made the following observation: “I wish we taught more in our schools about the Islamic faith. I wish we talked about all the great confessional faiths. It’s one of the great confessional faiths” (MSN, July 21, 2020). These comments were doubtlessly made for political reasons.