News

“French president Emmanuel Macron has revived the idea of multi-speed Europe, while announcing that he will soon make ten ‘concrete’ proposals to reform the EU after Brexit”—a plan he will reveal after the September German elections (EU Observer, August 30, 2017). Macron recently met with the prime ministers of Luxembourg and Belgium. “The three leaders—who are all under 45, French-speaking and hold liberal views—said that they wanted to create a ‘coalition of the willing’ to reform the EU” (ibid.).

Last week, North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile over northern Japan in an event North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called a “meaningful prelude to containing” Guam. He also promised more missile tests in the future (The Guardian, August 30, 2017).

Decades ago, John Lennon imagined a world with no religion. Today, that world is becoming a reality in his own country! The British Social Attitudes survey reports that those in Britain without religion (53%) now outnumber those with religion (47%) (The Times, September 5, 2017). The percentage is even higher among young people ages 18-24.

Just 20 years ago, who would have guessed that people would develop “separation anxiety” from their smartphones? Nomophobia is the clinical name for this emotional state, and it goes hand-in-hand with the fear of being offline. Studies show that growing numbers of people experience anxiety, along with increased heart rate and blood pressure, when separated from their cell phones (Time, August 22, 2017).