News

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.

“In the April 12 edition of the Jordanian daily Al-Dustour, columnist Maher Abu Tair sheds light on what he calls the ‘sad’ contemporary situation in which the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan finds itself. He accuses Arab countries of turning their backs on Jordan and abandoning it, pushing Jordan totally into Israel’s economic and political lap” (Israel National News, April 27, 2015).

After what proved a nail-biting crescendo and unexpected conclusion to the General Elections in the United Kingdom, the occupant of 10 Downing Street remains unchanged. Many are wondering what’s next for the United Kingdom following this years’ election? What does the Bible have to say about the election’s outcome and the resultant reshuffling of power?

Modern research indicates, “About 60% of giant herbivores—plant-eaters—including rhinos, elephants and gorillas, are at risk of extinction” (BBC, May 2, 2105).  Professor David Macdonald of Oxford University noted “The big carnivores, like the charismatic big cats or wolves, face horrendous problems from direct persecution, over-hunting and habitat loss, but our new study adds another nail to their coffin—the empty larder… It’s no use having habitat if there’s nothing left to eat in it… With rhinoce

“Disputed territorial claims have turned the tensions between China and Japan into a favourite subject for a whole genre of futuristic fiction with writers seeing this as the spark that might set off a third world war in Asia” (BBC, May 2, 2015). According to some sources “Japan will abandon its pacifist constitution within four years under plans being pushed forward by the party of Shinzo Abe, the nationalist prime minister.