News

A former Russian foreign minister recently warned, “The East-West standoff over the Ukraine crisis has brought the threat of nuclear war in Europe closer than at any time since the 1980s” (Reuters, March 19, 2016). “Igor Ivanov, Russia’s foreign minister from 1998 to 2004 and now head of a Moscow-based think-tank founded by the Russian government” also stated, “We have less nuclear warheads, but the risk of them being used is growing’” (ibid.).

On Tuesday, March 22, an ISIS attack at the Brussels international airport and at a metro station killed or injured more than 330 people (Wall Street Journal, March 23, 2016).

“The UN is redoubling efforts to secure emergency food aid for Zimbabwe where a key official… [said] the situation was ‘unprecedented.’ Sixteen million people are now facing hunger across southern Africa… Zimbabwe is facing its worst drought in 25 years. The exceptionally arid weather… has killed around 20,000 cattle over the last few months and left close to three million people facing hunger in the southern African country.

“On February 4th, Dutch Defense Minister Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen signed a new deal paving the way for the full integration of their countries’ naval units” (Huffington Post, February 20, 2016). This agreement “will push Germany and the Netherlands further towards a pioneering model for European defense cooperation” (ibid.).

“The U.S. and South Korea conducted a big military exercise Saturday, storming a simulated North Korean beach defense as tensions on the Korean Peninsula continue to rise and Kim Jong Un threatens to wipe out his enemies… The U.S. Navy said about 55 American Marine aircraft and 30 U.S. and South Korean ships… took part in Saturday’s military drill on the beaches near Pohang… North Korea said it was prepared to counter the U.S.