The process itself of European unification is evidently not shared by all, due to the impression that various "chapters" in the European project have been "written" without considering the expectations of the citizens. From all this it is clear that a true European "common house" cannot be built without considering the identities of the people on our continent. This identity is in fact a historical, cultural, and moral identity before it is a geographic, economic, or political one; an identity constituted by an ensemble of universal values that Christianity contributed to forging and which thus gave to Christianity not only an historical but a foundational role for Europe.
The notion of holiness can seem boring to modern man, but in reality it is the greatest adventure of human existence, says a theology dean. Legionary Father Thomas D. Williams, dean of theology at Rome's Regina Apostolorum university, makes that point in his new book, "Spiritual Progress: Becoming the Christian You Want to Be." He spoke with Zenit about the state of religion and spirituality in Western society.
Germany has suffered from high unemployment for decades. Now, the idea of an unconditional basic income from the state for everybody is being given fresh currency with a new report.
A diplomatic row has broken out between Germans and Italians over a bear shot dead by Bavarian hunters last summer. Rome is demanding Bruno the bear back, claiming he is Italian state property. But despite a request from the German government, the Bavarian state environment minister is refusing to hand the brown bear's body over. As far as they are concerned, since Bruno died on Bavarian soil - the carcass is theirs to keep. They plan to stuff him and put him on display in a local museum. Germany's federal government tried to intervene on the side of the Italians. But the Bavarians will not budge.
German press on...
German commentators are skeptical about the motives behind Porsche's decision to increase its stake in Volkswagen. They are more upbeat about the Catholic and Protestant factions reaching a power-sharing agreement in Northern Ireland.
Former US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld could face charges of war crimes after a lawsuit was filed against him in Germany. Now Germany's Federal Prosecutor's Office has to decide whether it will investigate. Politically, it's a time-bomb which could cause serious problems for US-German relations.
For France, economic recovery depended on German markets and raw materials, especially coal. But if Germany couldn't be simply looted, as the Russians were doing, then Germany should be harnessed to the European plow.
Keep dreaming...
Chancellor Merkel said the EU should aim to create a common army within the next 50 years, an ambitious and at the same time controversial plan.
Italian Prime Minister Prodi's government has won a vote in the Senate to keep Italy's troops in Afghanistan. The vote gives final approval to a measure that provides funding for all Italian missions abroad.
Russia is calling for a complete review of how the situation in Serbia's province of Kosovo has been handled.
The UN Special Envoy for Kosovo ignores centuries of history, disregards deep-rooted nationality issues and insults the psyche of the Serb Nation by declaring that the only solution for Kosovo is independence. After years of drawing lines on maps, the international community goes back to imperialist practices, this time rubber-stamped by the UN.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wound down her latest and most intense round of Middle Eastern "shuttle diplomacy" Monday, a star-studded international cast of former top-ranking diplomats and government leaders said they were "convinced there exists now a major opportunity to reach a comprehensive Arab-Israeli settlement."
The "lords of war" will decide Israel's future if it rejects a blueprint for peace crafted by the entire Arab world, Saudi Arabia's veteran foreign minister warned yesterday. As leaders began gathering in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, for today's summit of the Arab League, Prince Saud al-Faisal told The Daily Telegraph that the Middle East risks perpetual conflict if the peace plan fails.
The Arabs in 2002 made a serious peace offer. Israel has not. It's time for the US to work seriously for peace and justice for all in the Middle East, so that it could help to stop the rot that threatens the entire region as well as America's own plummeting standing in the world.
Israeli Prime Minister Olmert has agreed to meet the Palestinian President Abbas every 2 weeks, but has rebuffed American pressure to talk about the shape of a future Palestinian state. Mr Olmert apparently rejected a US offer to supervise the talks, insisting that he would not recognise the new Palestinian unity government.
Cheney and his team are disurbingly impressive in their ability to constantly get away with sabotaging the work and efforts of President Bush and his team.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who is shunning an Arab summit this week, accused Arab leaders of wanting to "sell the Palestinians like sheep". In an interview with Al Jazeera television, he said the summit would only ratify the dictates of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to serve the interests of the "American empire".
They're all piling into a modern replay of the 19th-century "Great Game," in which the contending Russian and British Empires vied for land and influence amid these same Central Asian desert wastes and towering mountain peaks. In this round, the main prize is control over pipelines that will deliver an estimated 5% of the world's dwindling energy reserves to market. "The game in Central Asia is very much about competition between the powers. But this time the countries of the region are players themselves, using the contradictions between Russia, the US, the EU, and China for their own benefit. It's becoming very complicated."
Iran is pressuring its oil customers to start paying in currencies other than US dollars and many have begun to comply. Iranian officials have said for months that more than half their customers have switched their payment currency away from the dollar as Tehran attempted to diversify its reserves. The price of Iranian oil is still quoted in dollars.
Tony Blair warned Iran yesterday that the dispute over the 15 British servicemen seized in Gulf waters last week could move into a "different phase" if diplomacy failed to secure their release. His words, immediately condemned by Iran as "provocative", came as the US Navy began its biggest show of force in the Gulf since the invasion of Iraq 4 years ago.
The US Navy on Tuesday began its largest demonstration of force in the Persian Gulf since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, led by a pair of aircraft carriers and backed by warplanes flying simulated attack maneuvers off the coast of Iran. The maneuvers bring together 2 strike groups of US warships and more than 100 US warplanes to conduct simulated air warfare in the crowded Gulf shipping lanes. A French naval strike group, led by the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, was operating simultaneously just outside the Gulf.
Russia's Foreign Ministry criticized the US for what it called over-reliance on force and warned Washington against military action against Iran. But in a major review of foreign policy priorities, the ministry said Russia was ready to cooperate to end global crises if Washington treats it as an equal partner.
Russian military intelligence services are reporting a flurry of activity by US Armed Forces near Iran's borders, a high-ranking security source said Tuesday. "The latest military intelligence data point to heightened US military preparations for both an air and ground operation against Iran."
Presidents Putin and Hu have ordered both Russian and Chinese Military Forces to their highest alert status following reports of a massive buildup of American and British Military Forces on the Iraq-Iran border in preparation for the invasion of Iran Russia 's Pacific Fleet, currently undergoing massive exercises in the Sea of Japan, to 'immediately' secure China 's vital sea lanes around the contested island of Taiwan , but to which the American Military Leaders have vowed to defend against both China and Russia
As tensions surrounding Iran's seizure of 15 British navy personnel continue to build, ominous signs that war is nearing give an indication that this could be the new "Gulf of Tonkin" Bush and Blair have long yearned for to justify air strikes on Iran.
Both the people and those in highest command usually hate being told the truth about themselves. As a result, a nation is plunged into the ocean of "pleasurable lies." A public opinion poll aiming to gauge the current state of morals was recently conducted in Russia and the United States. The survey found that both Russians and Americans were mostly unhappy about the moral standards in their countries. Both Russians and Americans admit that they are getting worse when it comes to social conscience and family values.
The president's public schedule has Bush operating in 2 different worlds of news: the one threatening his administration, and the one he is determined to promote whether anyone is listening or not.
George III/42nd (and last) ...
George Bush still has almost 2 years to live to become the first president to stay alive despite the Tecumseh's curse. The story of the so-called Tecumseh's curse, although known in the world, is part of the American culture and is taught in schools in history classes. How else to explain the horrifying sequence of seven American presidents who did not live to see the end of their mandates in the strict periods of 20 years.
Like General de Gaulle, most French people have a certain idea of France: and the France they see today does not always conform with it.
After-hours contract briefly jumps 8% on rumors that Iran fired on US warships; navy denies story, crude falls from highs. The wild volatility in oil reverberated in other markets. US stocks futures fell sharply, gold prices firmed, US Treasury debt prices rose and the Swiss franc edged higher.
The dollar fell against the yen in Asia today on fiscal year-end selling as players awaited testimony from the US central bank's chief to assess his views on the American economy.
The crash of the US economy has begun. Although the reasons for the now-accelerating economic fiasco have been in place for decades, the chickens are only now coming home to roost. The murder weapons used to kill the economy are "free trade," outsourcing, illegal immigration, special work visa programs, and unrestrained government spending, which have all contributed to the death of what was just a few decades ago the economic powerhouse of the world.
=========================
