News

“As California experiences the fourth year of one of the most severe droughts in its history, a senior NASA scientist has warned that the state has about one year of water left” (The Guardian, March 16, 2015).

China is making efforts to bring together its Asian neighbors as it seeks “to extend its influence in the region in a bid seen as a challenge to the previous dominance of the United States” (Deutsche Welle, March 28, 2015). At a recent Asian forum, China led the creation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)—an Asian alternative to the U.S.-led World Bank.

Currently, Israeli “Security services prohibit non-Muslims from praying or engaging in other forms of worship on the site [The Temple Mount], claiming such activity triggers Palestinian violence” (Jerusalem Post, March 3, 2015).  But, in a court ruling last month in favor of one man’s right to prayer on the Temple Mount, “Activists hailed what they labeled as an historic victory… after the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court issued a ruling ostensibly backing claims

As a 10-nation, Saudi-led coalition carried out air strikes against Yemeni rebels over the weekend, another group of Arab leaders met in Egypt. “The heads of Arab League countries meeting in Egypt have agreed to create a joint Arab military force” (BBC, March 29, 2015). Although details are yet to be determined, “The Arab League will work with military representatives of its members to organise what has been described as a voluntary force.

“Argentina’s rhetoric over the Falklands has been getting increasingly hostile” with reports that they are “planning to lease 12 long-range bombers from Russia” (The Guardian, March 24, 2015).