THE DAILY WAR!
Non-pagan/papal date: 10-23
THE HOLY ROMAN
Here is a translation of the address B16 gave today to the participants in a meeting organized by the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" on the theme "But the Greatest of These Is Love".
In his Xmas address to the Roman Curia on true and false interpretations of Vatican II, B16 asked why the Church had had such a difficult time opening a dialogue with “the modern age.” His answers are provocative — and turn some of the conventional accounts of modern history inside out.
A weeklong meeting at the Vatican is focusing on the future of the Catholic Church in Israel.
EMPIRE OF THE GERMAN NATION
The name of Nuremberg is an evocative one. A major trading city in medieval times, it became the unofficial capital of the Holy Roman Empire and was the seat of German Kings.
Jacques Chirac and Angela Merkel met Monday in the historic town of Versailles outside Paris, where discussions focused on the future of the EU and efforts to rein in Iran's nuclear program.
Angela Merkel doesn't agree with the tough-talking tactics of French President Jacques Chirac, who has indirectly threatened Iran with a nuclear attack. Instead, the German government wants to hinder Tehran's nuclear ambitions via global shuttle diplomacy that includes strong Russian involvement.
EUROPE/RUSSIA
Russian claims that British diplomats have been making secret payments to NGOs and using James Bond spying tactics receive prominent coverage, and a Turkish court's decision to drop its case against a well-known author gets a cautious welcome.
A vacancy for head of state has arisen in Europe’s smallest independent territory: the self-proclaimed principality of Seborga, which was founded in the 11th century, on the Italian Riviera. It had been a principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1079 until 1729.
The Spanish Government reached a historic agreement with Catalonia yesterday that accepts Catalans' demand to be called a nation and extends their powers of self-rule.
Four years into a world in which Europeans carry the euro in their wallets, the conviction that the new currency deserves the blame for pricier goods has become remarkably entrenched.
Like the ocean that spawned them more than 400 years ago, trans-Atlantic relations have been marked by both the calms of commerce and the storms of war. But despite persistent conflicts, few societies have ever been as deeply connected as those of Europe and the US.
MIDEAST/AFRICA/ASIA
Israel's Labor Party is signaling a readiness to divide Jerusalem and cede some -- but not all -- Arab neighborhoods to Palestinian rule.
Israel over the weekend hinted at possible military strikes against Iran. Iran, for its part, threatened to resume production of nuclear fuel. And Chirac? He's "shameful for the people of France," says an Iranian spokesman.
A pre-emptive US and Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities is nearly inevitable, reports G2 Bulletin. The incapacitation of Ariel Sharon has made a pre-emptive attack on Iran more likely in the next 9 weeks, Israeli sources tell G2B.
The IAEA chief ruled out advancing a wide-ranging report on Iran’s disputed nuclear work in time for a Feb 2 IAEA crisis meeting, dealing a setback to US-EU efforts to crack down on Tehran.
The alliance that symbolises Africa's hopes for peace and democracy was in disarray yesterday after 53 presidents from across the continent failed to agree on its new leader. At issue is whether Sudan's military dictator should be elevated to chairman of the AU.
Fraught situations are tearing at the delicate threads that hold together the ethnic and religious crazy quilt of Nigeria. Nigeria's troubles come as the stakes for Africa could not be higher. So the prospect of new ferment in Nigeria could reverberate with deep and lasting impact.
HOUSE OF ISRAEL
Alexis de Tocqueville tells a chilling story in "Democracy in America," and warns that the greatest threat the US faces is the tyranny of the majority.
45 years ago this week, departing President Dwight Eisenhower gave a farewell address to the American people in which he coined the phrase "military-industrial complex" - an unholy alliance between the Pentagon and its contractors that he saw gaining "unwarranted influence" over public policy. Today, in more ways than we know, these words haunt us.
Too often, "The American Way" becomes confused with an equally popular saying "The American Dream", which in reality is what “The American Way" was intended to provide in the first place. We must then narrow the distinction between those two catchphrases and a third, "The American Way of Life", the provider of philosophical balance in this equation.
ECONOMY
The price of crude oil could reach $131 a barrel if Iran stopped production amid the standoff over Tehran's decision to resume uranium enrichment, a global market study predicts.
Trade between China and Africa jumped 39% in the first 10 months of 2005, fuelled by increased oil imports and the export of Chinese goods. The rate of increase in Sino-African trade could see China threatening the United States’ predominant position in the next period. This shift is having an impact on Africa where it will stimulate more intense rivalries for access to that continent’s resources.
Ford announced plans to eliminate 25,000-30,000 jobs by 2012. This amounts to more than 20% of the company’s North American workforce, and nearly 30% of its manufacturing jobs. The Ford plan is only the latest stage in a major assault by US automakers on the jobs, wages and benefits of their workers, an assault that is having devastating consequences throughout the US, Canada and other countries.
MISC
What is the 'Sacrificial Ratio'? Will it be you that gets sacrificed?... Wodndering about foreign lenders... Halliburton no-bid... resculpting New Orleans for the wealthy... Signing statements.... and more...
More than 2,300 business and and political leaders are heading for the annual World Economic Forum, which opens in the Swiss alpine resort of Davos on Wednesday and concludes on Sunday.
Indian yogis and Tibetan magus indulge in long training and get the gift known as Vashitva that helps them tame and even kill wild animals. Consummate animal trainers say they can stop animals with a glance only and pronounce no words at that.
#10-23
