“The extent of decline of religious faith is exposed in new research suggesting that British people no longer turn to God even in the face of death” (The Telegraph, May 18, 2015). “The findings emerge from research carried out by ‘Dying Matters,’ a coalition of 16,000 hospices, charities, care homes and others working with people facing their end of life. (ibid.).

“Luxembourg prime minister Xavier Bettel put himself in the history books on Friday (15 May) by becoming the first EU government leader to marry someone of the same sex The marriage…symbolises how legal rights for gay citizens of the EU have advanced in the past years” (EU Observer, May 18, 2015). “‘Luxembourg can set an example,’ Bettel noted on his wedding day, which was attended by Belgian prime minister Charles Michel…In 2010, Johanna Sigurðardottir, then prime minister of Iceland, married her gay partner.

“During his election campaign, prime minister David Cameron had promised [the British people] an in/out referendum by 2017 if he was re-elected” (EU Observer, May 12, 2015). Another report states, “The UK could hold a referendum on EU membership as early as July 2016, The Guardian reported Monday evening (11 May).

China’s President Xi visited Russia this week and Russian President Putin is scheduled to visit China in September. “The Ukrainian crisis has strained Russia’s relations with the West. Sanctions have been imposed on Moscow, hurting Russia’s economy as well as causing its currency and energy exports to plunge. As a result, the Russian government is moving closer towards Asia, particularly China… the two nations have been developing increasingly warming ties and finding common ground internationally, especially at the UN Security Council where they are both permanent members.