Three stories from this week:
In order to protect jobs, the Australian Federal Government has announced changes to their skilled migration policy. Foreign tradespeople such as carpenters and electricians will no longer have an easy ride to work and residency in Australia. Last year they removed cooks and hairdressers from the same list. I’m not 100% sure how I feel about the policy, but I do know that less people trying to migrate will affect my work as an IELTS examiner.
Tensions rose between China and the United States in the South China sea, with one U.S. vessel ‘jostled’ by five Chinese ones. I don’t really know how boats can ‘jostle’ each other, but this relationship is the one to watch. The Chinese are worried about the U.S. defaulting on paying back all the money they owe China, about US$1trillion. They also don’t like Obama raising the issue of Tibet with them recently. The drama is likely to play out in smaller countries – my money’s on North Korea – but it could just as easily be South East Asia. Check out this map (from the BBC) detailing disputed islands/territory in the resource rich South China Sea.
I read an article on the Christian Science Monitor (know your enemy) which says that evangelical Christianity is on the road to self-destruction and anti-Christianity is on the rise. Huzzah! One thing the article said was ‘Christian music, publishing, and media has produced a culture of young Christians who know next to nothing about their own faith except how they feel about it.’ It reminded me of a conversation I had with a woman last year. In brief:
Me: Why are you a Christian?
Her: Because I need to be saved.
Me: Saved from what?
Silence.
That one stumped her. You gotta love how well thought out some of these people are. It was a very satisfying conversation. The downside? She never talked to me again.
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