According to a UN report, the number of people living as refugees now totals 51.2 million worldwide, the largest number of displaced people since World War II. The UN defines “refugee” as a person “unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinon.”

The conflicts in Syria, Iraq and countries in Central Africa account for much...

Three teenage boys, including two Israelis and a duel American-Israeli citizen, were kidnapped on June 12 near Gush Etzion, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. The missing boys were found dead on June 30 near where they had been abducted.

Salafist group Dawlat al-Islam released a statement saying the kidnappings were revenge for Israel’s killing three of their members, but Israel believed that Hamas was responsible. Hamas has repeatedly denied any involvement.

Israeli...

Confirmed ebola deaths in West Africa rose to 467 in June, with more than 200 in Guinea alone.

Deaths from the ebola virus in neighboring Sierra Leone also rose after their first case was confirmed in late May. In an attempt to stop the spread of the virus, on June 11 Sierra Leone closed schools and movie theaters as well as its borders with Guinea. 

Ebola was also confirmed in the deaths of seven people in the Liberian capital of Monrovia.

At press time, there had been...