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In Brief...
World News Review
Contributors: Cecil Maranville and "Current World News & Trends" staff
Will Common Diseases One Day Collapse the Economies of the West?
In the current climate of constant threats of terrorist attacks, of anthrax scares and biotoxin fears, who could guess that a heat wave would hand France one of the greatest tragedies in its history? The official count is still unknown, but as of this writing, the death toll in France for the period of Aug. 1 to 15 was 11,435, and most victims were elderly. The country simply cannot afford to care for its senior citizens in the way that it should. Discussions are under way about the possibility of every worker donating one day's wage per year (by working through a national holiday) to generate emergency funding.
Alzheimer's will grow by 150 percent in the United Kingdom by 2050. By the same date, the number of people with Alzheimer's in the United States could reach 300 percent of today's numbers—that's up to 16 million Americans. This projection, based upon U.S. census data, comes from the Rush Institute on Healthy Aging.
Sheldon Goldberg, president and CEO of the U.S. Alzheimer's Association, warned: "If we don't find answers soon, it will be devastating on multiple fronts." Unless advances in research produce effective treatments, the Rush Institute declared that the projected increase is enough to bankrupt the American Medicare system.
Meanwhile, in China economists blame the 3.7 percent shrinkage in Hong Kong's gross domestic product for the second quarter of the year on the SARS outbreak. Toronto also lost tens of millions of dollars in tourism revenues when the World Health Organization declared the city unsafe, due to a lengthy period of uncontained SARS infections there.
SARS is a pneumonia-like virus, believed to have "jumped" from animals to humans in the Guangdong province of China, where the illness claimed hundreds of victims. Recent investigations in the province revealed the presence of a variation of SARS in several test animals, as well as some healthy people. The people may not become ill themselves, but they are carriers of the disease.
Apart from the possibility of the introduction of a new strain of SARS, scientists are warning that the regional strain will most likely reappear when the next flu season begins.
The flu itself could become a bioterror weapon. Scientists from the University of Texas Health Science Center say that commonly known information from the genome of the 1918 flu epidemic could be used to create an even more deadly strain than that one, which took the lives of 20 to 40 million people.
Even in our modern world of advanced technology and medical science, we are ever vulnerable to common diseases. We need to be mindful of the fact that good health is a blessing from God, one that we cannot afford to take for granted. There is a direct correlation between our respect for and application of God's laws and the prosperity of our countries. As America rushes to distance itself from God's great laws, we would do well to take heed of His sober words in Leviticus 26:14-16.
"But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart."
—ABC News, Agence France-Presse, BBC.
Sept. 11 Conspiracy Theory Becomes Bestseller in Germany
"As the second anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks approaches, a book that claims the stunning events of that day were supported and perhaps organized by U.S. intelligence services is nearing the top of the bestseller charts in Germany.
"Die CIA und der 11. September. Internationaler Terror und die Rolle der Geheimdienste (The CIA and Sept. 11: International Terror and the Role of the Secret Services) was up two places to No. 5 in the non-fiction segment of this week's Der Spiegel list...
"The author, Andreas von Bülow, a former member of the German cabinet, does not directly accuse the Central Intelligence Agency...[but] strongly suggest[s] a CIA link to the attacks."
—Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Weekly, Sept. 5, 2003.
Homeland Security Warns al Qaeda Planning New U.S. attacks
"A Department of Homeland Security advisory issued [Sept. 4] warns that al Qaeda is working on plans to hijack airliners flying between international points that pass near or over the continental United States...
"The advisory includes a laundry list of possible attack scenarios, and says al Qaeda may be researching how to disseminate diseases and toxins by contaminating water and food, or aerosolizing an agent in an enclosed space...
"The advisory notes that al Qaeda has successfully used suicide bombers and warns that terrorists 'will employ novel methods to artfully conceal suicide devices.'"
—CNN, Sept. 5, 2003.
Indonesian Vice President Calls U.S. "King of Terrorists"
"Indonesia's Vice-President, Hamzah Haz, has accused the U.S. of being the 'king of terrorists' in a scathing attack that echoed the language of many of the Bali bombers. In remarks that may signal a split in the Indonesian Government's campaign against terrorist groups, Mr. Hamzah ridiculed suggestions Indonesia had a serious terrorist problem...
"'Who is the real terrorist? It is the United States for they have attacked Iraq. In fact they are the king of terrorists,' Mr. Hamzah, head of the Islamic-based United Development Party, said."
—The Sydney Morning Herald, Sept. 5, 2003.
"Old Europe" Rejects U.S. Proposals Again
"France and Germany dug in for another diplomatic battle yesterday when they rejected American proposals for a new UN resolution on Iraq...
"Facing daily casualties in Iraq and large-scale bombings that killed Sergio Vieira de Mello, the United Nations envoy, and the Shi'ite leader Ayatollah Muhammad Baqer al-Hakim, Washington is to seek a new UN resolution to encourage other countries to send troops and funds."
—The Telegraph (London), Sept. 5, 2003.
Europeans Question U.S. Global Role
"Europeans have grown more critical of U.S. global leadership, while American support for a strong European partner has increased over the last year. This is the conclusion of the Transatlantic Trends 2003 survey, which was conducted in June 2003...
"The poll showed that Europeans starkly question U.S. global leadership. Overall, only 45% of Europeans—a large drop-off compared to 64% in 2002—see strong U.S. leadership as desirable. In contrast, 80% of Americans, consistent with last year's 79% continue to see strong EU leadership as desirable."
— EUObserver.com, Sept. 5, 2003.
Leader Asks EU to Recognize Christianity
"According to [European Commission President Romano] Prodi, 'the monotheist religions, particularly the Christian religion,' have been 'one of the essential roots of Europe and one of its factors of development,' as 'the history of Europe and the history of Christianity are indissolubly united.' All this 'must be recognized in the Constitutional Treaty,' he writes."
—ZENIT News Agency (Vatican), Sept. 4, 2003.
EU Founding Father to Be Recognized as Saint?
"The former head of the French government and president of the European Parliament, Robert Schuman, is on the path to beatification. An investigation into his nomination for a sainthood is due to conclude by the end of this year, the Polish Catholic News Agency (KAI) reports...
"The Schuman plan unveiled on 9 May 1950 is regarded as a milestone in European integration and celebrated as 'Europe Day.'"
— EUObserver.com, Sept. 4, 2003.
Removing Prayer From Parliament in Australia?
"A move to replace the [New South Wales] Parliament's opening prayer with a moment's silence to reflect or pray has outraged Christian groups, who say it is the first step towards eliminating God from public life."
—Australian Associated Press, at WorldWide Religious News, Sept. 2, 2003.
World News and Prophecy on the Web
With so much happening so quickly in today's world, how can you keep up? Our staff members review dozens of news sources every day to bring you what is truly important. Visit "Current World News & Trends" at www.ucg.org/worldnews to find links to the most important news stories from across the globe.
Recent items include many of those printed on these pages and:
• "Survey Tracks Shifting Europe-U.S. Relations."
• "Turkish PM wants EU Constitution to Avoid Religious Reference."
• "[EU] Convention Battle Continues."
• "Belgium Stands Firm Over EU Military HQ Plans."
Also, to get a biblical perspective on major events, visit www.ucg.org/commentary for a weekly commentary on the trends shaping our world.
Recent commentaries include:
- "Thou Shalt Not Show the Ten Commandments."
- "Mr. Berlusconi and the Two Souls of Europe."
- "'God Bless America'—But Why Should He?"
The ucg.org Web site also has a current headline news feed. Now you can stay up to date with the most important news every day, all through one portal.—WNP