The Islamic State
Following senatorial approval, The United States began offensive airstrikes this week against the Islamic extremist organization known as ISIS, ISIL, IS, and The Islamic State. Previous airstrikes have prevented The Islamic State from expanding. Nevertheless, IS’s numbers continue to expand rapidly.
Ceasefire in Ukraine
A ceasefire in Ukraine came into effect this month, but news agencies report trouble enforcing the peace agreement. Many rebel groups in Ukraine’s east are still fighting the government for independence. Most of them are Russian. Some of them were armed and funded by Russia, according to western nations.
Scottish Independence
Last Thursday, Scotland narrowly voted to remain part of the United Kingdom. In exchange, Scotland will be granted more legislative authority from the British parliament. Many see this as the preservation of the union that conquered and maintained the largest colonial empire in the world. Others see the intense English campaign for unity as a continuation a thousand years of English dominance over Scotland.
Ebola Virus Worsens
Cases of Ebola continue to rise in West Africa, where nearly 2,500 people have died of the infection in the past year. The United Nations now believes it will take $1,000,000,000 to successfully halt the outbreak. The United States deployed 3,000 troops to West Africa to assist countries in managing the outbreak. Experts say the world community is still not ahead of the disease.
Continued Decline in Worldwide Death Rate
Four years ago, Steven Pinker published an 800-page report that surprised many by claiming that the worldwide death rate had declined dramatically in the past hundred years. In a conversation with NPR, Pinker was asked whether the worldwide unrest in places like Gaza and Iraq in 2014 has caused a rise in the death rate. While in the past four years death by war has risen, overall death continues to decline. While the world may seem like a scarier and scarier place, the numbers say otherwise.
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