WHO: Four European countries lose measles-eliminated status - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Four European countries previously declared to have eliminated measles
have lost their coveted status as the highly contagious disease surges
within their borders, a branch of the World Health Organization said.
Albania, the Czech Republic, Greece and Britain all lost their
measles-eliminated status for the first time since the verification
process began in 2012, said the European Regional Verification
Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination."
Comment: The world is going backwards in treating diseases previously eliminated. What does that suggest about the ability to treat new and emerging diseases?
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Gog Alliance
Russia offers Turkey Su-57 after failed F-35 deal with U.S. - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Russian President Vladimir Putin is offering his military's new Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jet to Turkey, since the nation is no longer allowed to buy the new U.S.-made F-35 Lightning II. Putin made the offer to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Tuesday at the MAKS-2019 International Air Show in Moscow."
Comment: It looks like the alliance is getting stronger. How much longer will Turkey remain in NATO?
UPI reports: "Russian President Vladimir Putin is offering his military's new Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jet to Turkey, since the nation is no longer allowed to buy the new U.S.-made F-35 Lightning II. Putin made the offer to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Tuesday at the MAKS-2019 International Air Show in Moscow."
Comment: It looks like the alliance is getting stronger. How much longer will Turkey remain in NATO?
Monday, August 26, 2019
Pestilence
Researchers hunt for next pandemic human flu virus in county fair pigs
UPI reports: "Scientists believe that all of the deadly influenza outbreaks in human history probably originated in domesticated pigs. But they don't understand exactly how the virus transforms from a swine disease into something that can infect humans. That makes it difficult to predict when it could happen again."
Comment: From what I've read, it's only a matter of time before a flu strain like the 1918 Spanish flu (H1N1) pandemic happens again. Anything they can do to get ahead of that is a good thing.
UPI reports: "Scientists believe that all of the deadly influenza outbreaks in human history probably originated in domesticated pigs. But they don't understand exactly how the virus transforms from a swine disease into something that can infect humans. That makes it difficult to predict when it could happen again."
Comment: From what I've read, it's only a matter of time before a flu strain like the 1918 Spanish flu (H1N1) pandemic happens again. Anything they can do to get ahead of that is a good thing.
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Ten Kings - Global Government
Trump arrives in France for G7 summit amid disputes, dines with Macron - UPI.com
UPI reports: "President Donald Trump arrived in France on Saturday ahead of the G7 summit amid global disputes and economic uncertainty over trade war with China. [...]The summit's host, French President Emmanuel Macron, said he wants to address raging wildfires in the Amazon rainforest, but the slowing global economy appears to be the most pressing matter."
Comment: Without strong American leadership it's difficult to see how the Western powers will deal effectively with the many global problems on the agenda. Perhaps the erosion of these institutions is a necessary precursor to establishing more effective mechanisms of global control?
UPI reports: "President Donald Trump arrived in France on Saturday ahead of the G7 summit amid global disputes and economic uncertainty over trade war with China. [...]The summit's host, French President Emmanuel Macron, said he wants to address raging wildfires in the Amazon rainforest, but the slowing global economy appears to be the most pressing matter."
Comment: Without strong American leadership it's difficult to see how the Western powers will deal effectively with the many global problems on the agenda. Perhaps the erosion of these institutions is a necessary precursor to establishing more effective mechanisms of global control?
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Covenant With Many
President Donald Trump says Middle East peace plan will follow Israeli election
UPI reports: "U.S. President Donald Trump has said his Middle East peace plan will not be fully released until after Israeli elections next month. The peace plan is being finalized by White House adviser Jared Kushner and won't be made public before Israel's elections on Sept. 17, Trump said Sunday."
Comment: It will be interesting to see what the details of the political plan are. I suspect that nothing the Trump team puts forward will be accepted by the Palestinians leadership (both sides) but I'm guessing the hope is that the wider Arab world would accept it and then pressure the Palestinians to accept it. I think the region is ready to have this off the agenda. We need to keep in mind though the difference between elite opinion and public opinion. Although public opinion counts for little in monarchies and dictatorships, people can still express anger in rioting and strife, the kind that brings down regimes. It's not extreme to suggest that the closer Mideast peace comes to becoming a reality the more fragile those "moderate" governments will be. They've spent generations teaching their people to hate Israel and sadly, they did a good job of fostering that hatred. Arab leaders not have the luxury of turning on a dime without experiencing the irrational wrath of their people.
UPI reports: "U.S. President Donald Trump has said his Middle East peace plan will not be fully released until after Israeli elections next month. The peace plan is being finalized by White House adviser Jared Kushner and won't be made public before Israel's elections on Sept. 17, Trump said Sunday."
Comment: It will be interesting to see what the details of the political plan are. I suspect that nothing the Trump team puts forward will be accepted by the Palestinians leadership (both sides) but I'm guessing the hope is that the wider Arab world would accept it and then pressure the Palestinians to accept it. I think the region is ready to have this off the agenda. We need to keep in mind though the difference between elite opinion and public opinion. Although public opinion counts for little in monarchies and dictatorships, people can still express anger in rioting and strife, the kind that brings down regimes. It's not extreme to suggest that the closer Mideast peace comes to becoming a reality the more fragile those "moderate" governments will be. They've spent generations teaching their people to hate Israel and sadly, they did a good job of fostering that hatred. Arab leaders not have the luxury of turning on a dime without experiencing the irrational wrath of their people.
Monday, August 19, 2019
War - Doomed Damascus
Airstrikes hit near Turkish convoy in Syria, raising tension
The AP reports: "Airstrikes targeted a Turkish army convoy inside a rebel-held part of northwestern Syria on Monday, killing three civilians and wounding 12 others, the Turkish Defense Ministry said. Syria, however, said the Turkish convoy was carrying ammunition to rebels who have lost ground this month amid a government offensive to retake their last stronghold in the country. The incident ratcheted up tensions in the region, currently ground zero in Syria’s long-running civil war in which Turkish, Russian, U.S. and Iranian interests are fighting."
Comment: I find it interesting that Syria has largely dropped off our radar and yet, as the report makes clear, it remains a battlefield in which the armies of multiple countries (including the U.S.) are currently fighting. Do the American people realize they have soldiers fighting in Syria or is that lost amid reporting about Trump's latest Tweets?
The AP reports: "Airstrikes targeted a Turkish army convoy inside a rebel-held part of northwestern Syria on Monday, killing three civilians and wounding 12 others, the Turkish Defense Ministry said. Syria, however, said the Turkish convoy was carrying ammunition to rebels who have lost ground this month amid a government offensive to retake their last stronghold in the country. The incident ratcheted up tensions in the region, currently ground zero in Syria’s long-running civil war in which Turkish, Russian, U.S. and Iranian interests are fighting."
Comment: I find it interesting that Syria has largely dropped off our radar and yet, as the report makes clear, it remains a battlefield in which the armies of multiple countries (including the U.S.) are currently fighting. Do the American people realize they have soldiers fighting in Syria or is that lost amid reporting about Trump's latest Tweets?
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Rumors of War - Kings of the East
Chinese military buildup near Hong Kong stokes fears of intrusion
UPI reports: "China has moved armored personnel carriers to a stadium in Shenzhen, near the border with Hong Kong. Troops were seen carrying riot shields, batons and other weapons as they gathered around the city's Bay Sports Center and satellite imagery showed military vehicles on the sidelines."
Comment: I respect the Hong Kong protesters but I also feel sorry for them. The fate of Hong Kong was sealed when Great Britain ended colonial rule in 1997. Hong Kong is part of China now and it was only a matter of time before China began chipping away at the special status long enjoyed by the former British colony. The protestors began in opposition to the extradition law, which is now shelved, but they continued to protest and in hindsight, I think we will see that was a major miscalculation. By rioting and destroying property, they are forcing China to intervene. I suspect that once PLA troops patrol the streets of Hong Kong, they will never leave.
UPI reports: "China has moved armored personnel carriers to a stadium in Shenzhen, near the border with Hong Kong. Troops were seen carrying riot shields, batons and other weapons as they gathered around the city's Bay Sports Center and satellite imagery showed military vehicles on the sidelines."
Comment: I respect the Hong Kong protesters but I also feel sorry for them. The fate of Hong Kong was sealed when Great Britain ended colonial rule in 1997. Hong Kong is part of China now and it was only a matter of time before China began chipping away at the special status long enjoyed by the former British colony. The protestors began in opposition to the extradition law, which is now shelved, but they continued to protest and in hindsight, I think we will see that was a major miscalculation. By rioting and destroying property, they are forcing China to intervene. I suspect that once PLA troops patrol the streets of Hong Kong, they will never leave.
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Pestilence
Health officials say Ebola cure near with 2 new Congo treatments - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Medical officials believe they're so close to a cure for Ebola that they've stopped a random drug trial to give patients in the Congo two new treatments, which they say have so far shown remarkable effectiveness killing the virus. Researchers began trials with four treatments last fall. Monday, they said two had worked remarkably well for 500 patients who'd received them. [...] Nearly 2,000 people in the Congo have died of Ebola in the past year."
Comment: They are getting close to curing Ebola, this is very good news to share!
UPI reports: "Medical officials believe they're so close to a cure for Ebola that they've stopped a random drug trial to give patients in the Congo two new treatments, which they say have so far shown remarkable effectiveness killing the virus. Researchers began trials with four treatments last fall. Monday, they said two had worked remarkably well for 500 patients who'd received them. [...] Nearly 2,000 people in the Congo have died of Ebola in the past year."
Comment: They are getting close to curing Ebola, this is very good news to share!
Monday, August 12, 2019
Temple Mount
Seven Muslims arrested, 61 injured amid tensions at Temple Mount - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Officials initially barred non-Muslims from entering Temple Mount, but allowed a group of about 150 Jewish worshipers to enter after a subsequent security assessment. Police said Muslim worshipers began to riot, including throwing chairs and other objects at the Jewish visitors who entered with a police escort, and officers responded by firing tear gas and rubber bullets to 'break up the rioters in order to restore public order.'"
Comment: As we know, the Temple Mount is both a political and spiritual flashpoint and we should take note when events take place there. In this case, there was a riot, an emotional and violent reaction by Islamics to the mere presence of Jews on the Temple Mount. Their own behavior is not respectful of their own "holy place" but no doubt their bad actions will be blamed on Israel.
I commend UPI for using the term "Temple Mount" rather than the politically correct "holy place." Archeologist and historians have validated the existence of the two Jewish temples that predate the present mosque, and so "Temple Mount" remains an accurate description of the site, even if it is not popular with those who seek to minimize or erase the Jewish presence in the land.
UPI reports: "Officials initially barred non-Muslims from entering Temple Mount, but allowed a group of about 150 Jewish worshipers to enter after a subsequent security assessment. Police said Muslim worshipers began to riot, including throwing chairs and other objects at the Jewish visitors who entered with a police escort, and officers responded by firing tear gas and rubber bullets to 'break up the rioters in order to restore public order.'"
Comment: As we know, the Temple Mount is both a political and spiritual flashpoint and we should take note when events take place there. In this case, there was a riot, an emotional and violent reaction by Islamics to the mere presence of Jews on the Temple Mount. Their own behavior is not respectful of their own "holy place" but no doubt their bad actions will be blamed on Israel.
I commend UPI for using the term "Temple Mount" rather than the politically correct "holy place." Archeologist and historians have validated the existence of the two Jewish temples that predate the present mosque, and so "Temple Mount" remains an accurate description of the site, even if it is not popular with those who seek to minimize or erase the Jewish presence in the land.
Thursday, August 08, 2019
Famine
UN climate report: Change land use to avoid a hungry future
AP reports: “Human-caused climate change is dramatically degrading the Earth’s land and the way people use the land is making global warming worse, a new United Nations scientific report says. [...] 'The stability of food supply is projected to decrease as the magnitude and frequency of extreme weather events that disrupt food chains increases,' the report said. In the worst-case scenario, food security problems change from moderate to high risk with just a few more tenths of a degree of warming from now. They go from high to 'very high' risk with just another 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius) of warming from now."
Comment: A UN scientific panel is warning that climate change heightens the risk of famine. The good news is that there are things that we can do to minimize the risk. The report highlights better farming practices, diet changes and reducing food waste as some things we can do to avoid the worst outcomes of climate change.
AP reports: “Human-caused climate change is dramatically degrading the Earth’s land and the way people use the land is making global warming worse, a new United Nations scientific report says. [...] 'The stability of food supply is projected to decrease as the magnitude and frequency of extreme weather events that disrupt food chains increases,' the report said. In the worst-case scenario, food security problems change from moderate to high risk with just a few more tenths of a degree of warming from now. They go from high to 'very high' risk with just another 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius) of warming from now."
Comment: A UN scientific panel is warning that climate change heightens the risk of famine. The good news is that there are things that we can do to minimize the risk. The report highlights better farming practices, diet changes and reducing food waste as some things we can do to avoid the worst outcomes of climate change.
Wednesday, August 07, 2019
Rumors of War - Kings of the East
China, Pakistan slam India's move to change Kashmir's special status - Reuters
Reuters reports: "In a move to tighten its grip on Jammu and Kashmir, parts of which are claimed by Pakistan and China, India dropped a constitutional provision that allowed the country’s only Muslim-majority state to make its own laws. The changes imposed by Modi’s Hindu nationalist-led government are the most sweeping in the nearly 30 years that India has been battling a revolt in Kashmir. The government also broke up the state into two federally administered territories."
Comment: This is one of the most significant developments in quite some time. Kashmir is a flashpoint for conflict between nuclear powers and that kind of thing should always be on our radar.
Reuters reports: "In a move to tighten its grip on Jammu and Kashmir, parts of which are claimed by Pakistan and China, India dropped a constitutional provision that allowed the country’s only Muslim-majority state to make its own laws. The changes imposed by Modi’s Hindu nationalist-led government are the most sweeping in the nearly 30 years that India has been battling a revolt in Kashmir. The government also broke up the state into two federally administered territories."
Comment: This is one of the most significant developments in quite some time. Kashmir is a flashpoint for conflict between nuclear powers and that kind of thing should always be on our radar.
Tuesday, August 06, 2019
Gog Alliance
Iran announces upcoming joint military drills with Russia - UPI.com
UPI reports: "Iran and Russia will hold joint military drills in the Persian Gulf later this year as part of a classified agreement to expand cooperation between the two nations. Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said Sunday the agreement with the Russian Defense Ministry was signed last week in Moscow, Iran's state-run PressTV reported."
Comment: According to this report, Russia and Iran have entered into a formal agreement for military cooperation, this is significant and very noteworthy.
UPI reports: "Iran and Russia will hold joint military drills in the Persian Gulf later this year as part of a classified agreement to expand cooperation between the two nations. Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi said Sunday the agreement with the Russian Defense Ministry was signed last week in Moscow, Iran's state-run PressTV reported."
Comment: According to this report, Russia and Iran have entered into a formal agreement for military cooperation, this is significant and very noteworthy.
Sunday, August 04, 2019
Wickedness Increases
2 mass shootings in less than 24 hours shock US
The AP reports: "Two mass shootings at crowded public places in Texas and Ohio claimed at least 29 lives in less than 24 hours and left scores of people wounded, a shocking carnage even in a country accustomed to gun violence. In the Texas border city of El Paso, a gunman opened fire Saturday morning in a shopping area packed with thousands of people during the busy back-to-school season. The attack killed 20 and wounded more than two dozen, many of them critically. Hours later in Dayton, Ohio, a gunman wearing body armor and carrying extra magazines opened fire in a popular nightlife area, killing nine and injuring at least 26 people. The suspected shooter was shot to death by responding officers."
Comment: When I went to sleep last night the El Paso shooting was on my mind. When I woke up this morning and checked my news feed I saw alerts about the shooting. I'm not a "morning person" and so I was not quick to realize the shooting they were talking about was a different shooting, one that happened overnight...another shooting. I've come to the conclusion that gun laws will not change the evil and wickedness in the human heart (only God can do that), but they can change who has access to guns, and that may be a good place to start.
The AP reports: "Two mass shootings at crowded public places in Texas and Ohio claimed at least 29 lives in less than 24 hours and left scores of people wounded, a shocking carnage even in a country accustomed to gun violence. In the Texas border city of El Paso, a gunman opened fire Saturday morning in a shopping area packed with thousands of people during the busy back-to-school season. The attack killed 20 and wounded more than two dozen, many of them critically. Hours later in Dayton, Ohio, a gunman wearing body armor and carrying extra magazines opened fire in a popular nightlife area, killing nine and injuring at least 26 people. The suspected shooter was shot to death by responding officers."
Comment: When I went to sleep last night the El Paso shooting was on my mind. When I woke up this morning and checked my news feed I saw alerts about the shooting. I'm not a "morning person" and so I was not quick to realize the shooting they were talking about was a different shooting, one that happened overnight...another shooting. I've come to the conclusion that gun laws will not change the evil and wickedness in the human heart (only God can do that), but they can change who has access to guns, and that may be a good place to start.
Saturday, August 03, 2019
Wickedness Increases
At least 24 people shot, multiple dead at El Paso Walmart; suspect held
UPI reports: "At least 24 people were shot, several of them fatally, and one suspect was arrested at a Walmart Supercenter in El Paso, Texas, Saturday afternoon, authorities said. Police arrested a while male in his early 20s in connection with the mass shooting, spokesman Sgt. Robert Gomez said. Several media sources confirmed that the suspect lives in Allen, Texas, about 650 miles from El Paso."
Comment: Another mass shooting has occurred, this time in Texas. People going about their business, enjoying the weekend and shopping at a local Walmart and then some crazy person starts shooting. Perilous times indeed (2 Timothy 3).
UPI reports: "At least 24 people were shot, several of them fatally, and one suspect was arrested at a Walmart Supercenter in El Paso, Texas, Saturday afternoon, authorities said. Police arrested a while male in his early 20s in connection with the mass shooting, spokesman Sgt. Robert Gomez said. Several media sources confirmed that the suspect lives in Allen, Texas, about 650 miles from El Paso."
Comment: Another mass shooting has occurred, this time in Texas. People going about their business, enjoying the weekend and shopping at a local Walmart and then some crazy person starts shooting. Perilous times indeed (2 Timothy 3).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)