An article in Deutsche Welle warns, “More than half a million poultry in Germany have been killed since the latest outbreak of highly contagious bird flu… Nearly 40 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa have reported outbreaks of various strains of avian flu in poultry or wild birds since November, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Recently, Sweden “reintroduced a military draft for both men and women because of what Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist called a deteriorating security environment in Europe and around Sweden” (Time, March 2, 2017). A major reason for this move was the ominous threat to the Baltic nations from Russia and its increasingly aggressive activity across Europe (ibid.). Sweden is just one nation of many that are concerned with deteriorating stability across Europe and the globe.

The Economist reports, “This year’s [French] presidential election, the most exciting in living memory, promises an upheaval” (March 4, 2017).