Each day, our news sources bring us more sobering reports about the crushing level of unemployment in the United States of America.  It is much the same in the United Kingdom and in much of the European Union.  With each report, the stock markets in the various countries react negatively, as the confidence of investors is shaken once again.

President Wulff of Germany recently became the fifth German leader to visit the state of Israel. During his visit, he voiced Germany’s support for Israel and also spoke out in support of the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He stated, “Germany considers that it has a responsibility concerning Israel’s right to exist and to security.”

A century ago there were about 100,000 wild tigers worldwide. Today, the estimate has dropped to just 3,200. Poachers kill about 150 tigers per year, and tiger poaching is a $5 million industry. Habitat destruction is also a major factor in the demise of these remarkable animals. Scientists think that, at the current rate, tigers could become extinct in the wild in the next decade or so (Time.com, November 21, 2010; news.yahoo.com, November, 22, 2010).

Our local grocery store always seems to have in stock what appears to be healthy produce. However, how many of us really know where our produce comes from? These days, it is possible that the food you are eating may contain genetic derivatives from eight different genetically modified foods. Experts state that more than 70 percent of items on supermarket shelves contain genetically modified foods.

The surprise publication by the website WikiLeaks of more than 250,000 confidential U.S. State Department documents revealing U.S. intentions and perspectives has shaken global diplomatic relations and could endanger the lives of U.S. diplomats around the world.  A major German news magazine reported, “Never before in history has a superpower lost control of such vast amounts of such sensitive information—data that can help paint a picture of the foundation upon which US foreign policy is built.