Stuck between China and US, Canada finds itself ‘alone in the world’

Just a few years ago, it would have been unthinkable that the United States would not back Canada in a geopolitical standoff. In reaction, Ottawa has been seeking a place in this shifting international landscape, in part bolstered by economic and political ties with China to reduce its dependence on the US. The arrest of Chinese telecom Huawei’s chief financial officer at the international airport in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Dec. 1 has sparked conflict between Canada and China – one that escalated this week with the detention of two Canadians in China. Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:52:14 -0500

---

Israel booms with babies as developed world’s birth rates plummet. Here’s why.

Pro-natalist Israel is having a sustained baby boom, and now has the highest per capita rate of population growth in the developed world, experts say. Families here have an average of 3.1 children, compared with 1.7 in other developed countries. At this rate Israel’s population, which currently numbers 8.7 million, could soar to 15 million by 2050. Fri, 14 Dec 2018 14:51:34 -0500

---

What strips power from today’s emperors

 In democracies, leaders are often reminded, outside regular elections, about the source of their authority and how that responsibility is to be exercised. Take these events just in recent days: Fri, 14 Dec 2018 14:46:30 -0500

---

Prescription art: Take in two museums and call me in the morning

The five pavilions that comprise the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, one of Canada’s most prominent institutions, draw their share of art lovers, of tourists, and of ragtag school groups. During any given week, there are deaf teens and young adults viewing the works as part of their education in how to overcome obstacles to communication through art. Fri, 14 Dec 2018 14:25:22 -0500

---