A recent London Times headline read, “Softly, softly a federal Europe draws nearer.” The Times article continued, “While British and US politics have dominated the headlines this year, the truly historic events have occurred in Europe… The EU has taken its most decisive step towards becoming a genuine unitary State, by shifting key policies on taxes and public spending from national to federal level. That one of the most controversial decisions in modern European history has been taken with almost no public awareness or debate is a tribute to the top-down

As if the devastating January earthquake was not enough, displaced Haitian families living in tent cities now face a new threat—cholera—a disease that kills within 24-48 hours of contact if not aggressively treated with rehydration therapy. As of Thursday, more than 4,000 Haitians had been treated for cholera—a disease not seen in Haiti in 50 years. Two hundred ninety people have died from the disease and another 174 cases are suspected in hospitalized victims.

Are you "well-read"? Have you read "the classics" by Plato, Homer, Chaucer—or books by famous authors like Austen, Bronte, Dickens, Hemingway, Shakespeare, etc.? Did you read the books on your high school summer reading list? Have you read the books listed in the New York Times best sellers list? What is the most important book you could read?

This week a deadly tsunami and volcanic eruptions struck different parts of Indonesia within a 24-hour period.  So far, more than 300 people have been killed, hundreds are missing and more than 40,000 people have been displaced.

According to the French Finance Minister, worker strikes associated with last week’s riots over the increase in retirement age are costing France more than $500 million per day (Associated Press, October 25, 2010). Following the French riots, Italian citizens rioted in the Naples region to protest a proposed garbage dump. During the Italian riot, 20 police officers were assaulted, eight police cars damaged, and five garbage trucks and a police car were burned. Calls for Prime Minister Berlusconi’s resignation also rang out (Yahoo News, October 21, 2010).