What a pleasant surprise to see Sharon Tennison profiled in the People Making a Difference feature in the Oct. 22 Weekly Print Edition! Our family traveled with her 30 years ago as part of her program Center for Citizen Initiatives, which sets up trips to Russia for Americans and trips to the United States for those from Russia.

The Hindu / Chennai, India

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.

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.