UNICEF has issued its most recent report on child poverty in the rich countries, and it is a sobering report. Perhaps the most striking finding is that the US and Romania have child poverty rates in excess of 20%, the highest rates in any of the 35 countries surveyed.
Canada is moving to defend its claims to Arctic territory by using drones to conduct surveillance. According to the Financial Times:
- “The Polar Hawk, a derivative of the Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk, produced in the US, is able to take a picture of the entire North West passage four times in the course of one mission. The aircraft, which is robotically operated, with human oversight, can fly at 60,000ft and stay aloft for missions that usually range between 24 hours and 35 hours. The US operates a similar aircraft over its own Arctic territory.”
Arctic territory is claimed by Denmark, Norway, Canada, Russia and the US, and as the polar ice cap continues to melt, the belief is that the region has become strategically more valuable.
The Irish will vote tomorrow on the fiscal treaty proposed by the EU. The treaty calls for very strict fiscal rules, including enforcement mechanisms on budget deficits and debt. The treaty is an incredible intrusion on the traditional conception of sovereignty and has been demanded by Germany as the price for its continued financial support of the EU. The vote will be an important indicator of the future of the Union.
World Politics News 
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