Bible Illiteracy in America. A report just issued by the Bible Literacy Project...suggests that young Americans know very little about the Bible. The report is important, but first things first: A fair number of Americans don't see why teenagers should know anything at all about the Bible. Scripture begins with God creating the world, but there is something these verses don't tell you: The Bible has itself created worlds. Wherever you stand on the spectrum from devout to atheist, you must acknowledge that the Bible has been a creative force without parallel in history. Read the analysis .

Mapping Out Europe's Strategy. Robert Cooper is a British career diplomat and currently the EU Council's director general for external and politico-military affairs. He is also the author of "The Breaking of Nations." Quite contrary to the conventions of his profession, he is upfront and outspoken. In this Globalist Interview , he lays out his vision for the EU to adopt a foreign policy with a stronger global reach...In what way is Europe more imperial than the United States? "The most far-reaching form of imperial expansion is that of the European Union. In the last few years, countries all across central Europe have transformed their constitutions, rewritten their laws, adjusted the rules of their markets, set up anti-corruption bodies - all in the interest of becoming members of the European Union"...

Growing skepticism from Dutch on EU charter. Their skepticism is borne out by opinion polls which suggest that, in a national referendum in the Netherlands on June 1, a majority of voters will reject the EU treaty...The Dutch disenchantment is surprising in a nation that was one of the Union's six founding members and for decades has been among the strongest supporters of European integration...

Avian flu may be spreading human to human. The World Health Organization is set to release a report that says the deadly H5N1 flu virus may have mutated and is spreading among humans in northern Vietnam. The BBC site has this report .

Iran is the "pivotal" nation. This is a thoughtful read from Saul Singer in the Jerusalem Post that explains the pivotal role of Iran in the Middle East push for democratic reform.

GM and Toyota heads meet. This is an interesting piece of news to watch. General Motors is on the economic skids and Toyota is riding high. could we see the merger of this American icon with the Japanese auto maker. Stay tuned .

New viruses jump species in central Africa. This is a scary story of new viral strains showing up in humans who feed on bush meat in Africa. HIV emerged from primates and the cost has been enormous .


Massacre in Uzbekestan. Last Friday hundreds of protesters were mowed down in the streets of the Uzbek capital. It is being called the largest such massacre of peaceful protesters since the massacre in China's Tiananmen Square in 1989. Check this update.