Pope Benedict XVI blamed both Marxism and unbridled [US/UK] capitalism for Latin America's problems on Sunday, urging bishops to mold a new generation of Roman Catholic leaders in politics to reverse the church's declining influence in the region.
Today's world experiences the phenomenon of globalization as a network of relationships extending over the whole planet. Although from certain points of view this benefits the great family of humanity, and a sign of its profound aspiration towards unity, nevertheless it also undoubtedly brings with it the risk of vast monopolies and of treating profit as the supreme value.
Pope Benedict XVI's first trip to Latin America has added to a sense, expressed recently by supporters and critics alike, that his papacy seemed to be moving closer to the mold that he embodied as Joseph Ratzinger, a conservative and contentious cardinal.
Even in a pluralistic society, there is a need for some consensus on moral issues based on what is true for all persons, whether they be religious believers or not. Liberty needs to be in harmony with what is the truth about the human person, that is, with the natural law.
Germany's governing coalition of conservatives and Social Democrats suffered big losses Sunday in a regional election in the northern port of Bremen, as 3 opposition parties, particularly the new Left Party, made significant gains. The result immediately raised the question of whether the CDU would have enough influence to insist that the grand coalition that has functioned in this city for the past 12 years to continue.
Angela Merkel's drive to revive the EU constitution enters a crucial new phase this week as envoys from the bloc's 27 states meet to iron out differences and the newly elected French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, pays a visit. With less than 6 weeks to go until the German chancellor presents her "road map" for a new treaty, diplomats say a rough consensus has emerged around a pared-down version of the charter that was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005. No country is seriously talking about expanding the scope of the rejected draft anymore, since it has become clear that a new treaty will give Brussels less rather than more authority.
The Czech Republic would construct the planned U.S. missile defence base even if some NATO member countries were against it, Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg told today's issue of the German daily Passauer Neue Presse.
The Czech minister also commented on the relations between the Czech Republic and the neighbouring Bavaria. After current Bavarian Prime Minister Edmund Stoiber is replaced by Guenter Beckstein in September as expected, the Bavarian-Czech relations will markedly improve, he believes. "I expect very good cooperation then." He said that the Czech Republic has always been open to meet Stoiber in Prague, but Stoiber has never arrived for an official visit in Prague during the 14 years he has been Bavarian PM. Schwarzenberg said this was also because of Stoiber's support to Sudeten Germans' demands.
The nationalist speaker of Serbia's parliament has stepped down after just 5 days in the job. Tomislav Nikolic's removal was a condition of a deal reached on Friday between the country's two main parties, who hope to form a coalition.
EU foreign ministers will meet to prepare for an EU-Russia summit they hope will ease tensions heightened in recent months by issues as diverse as independence for Kosovo, US missile defense plans and human rights.
Prime Minister Olmert said on Sunday he would seek to expand the borders of Jerusalem and that he hoped for eventual world acceptance Israeli sovereignty over the entire city. Olmert said Israel hoped to achieve world acceptance of its rule in the city, by respecting its holiness to three faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. "If we do this with wisdom and caution, we will preserve this city always under our sovereignty, complete and united and accepted by the entire world. This is our goal."
It has not even reached parliament, but the oil law that US officials call vital to ending Iraq's civil war is in serious trouble among Iraqi lawmakers, many of whom see it as a sloppy document rushed forward to satisfy Washington's clock.
To Iraq's Kurdish leadership, the issue of how to apportion the third-largest pools of oil in the world is "a make-or-break deal" for the country as a whole. "If a centralized oil regime is imposed on us, we will not participate in the state of Iraq. And we have to make it absolutely clear to our friends in Washington, to our brothers in Baghdad, this is a make-or-break deal for Iraq."
Last week came the news that the US now imports more oil from Africa than from the Middle East; with Nigeria, Angola and Algeria providing nearly one-fifth of it - more than from Saudi Arabia. The rulers in Addis Ababa claim the invasion was a pre-emptive attack on a threatening Somalia. The Bush administration says giving a wink and a nod to the attack was merely a chance to capture a few terrorist holed up in Somalia. But for most of the media and diplomatic observers outside the US, this was another strategic move to secure positioning in a region where there is a lot of oil. On file are plans - put on hold amid continuing conflicts - for nearly two-thirds of Somalia's oil fields to be allocated to the US oil companies Conoco, Amoco, Chevron and Phillips.
Iran's president led a raucous anti-American rally on Sunday in this tightly controlled US ally in the Persian Gulf, a day after a low-key visit by Vice President Dick Cheney aimed at countering Tehran's influence in the region. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a cheering crowd that America was to blame for creating instability and robbing the region of its wealth.
The Iranian president has threatened "severe" retaliation if the US attacks his country. "They realise that if they make such a mistake the retaliation of Iran would be severe and they will repent."
Nicolas Sarkozy has identified his "dream team" — a cabinet including several surprise left-wing figures - before formally taking office as president on Wednesday.
Nicolas Sarkozy upset both the US and his opponents yesterday by offering the job of Foreign Minister to a Socialist veteran with anti-American credentials.
The Venezuelan government responded yesterday to US Drug Czar John Walters' criticisms that Venezuela is not cooperating with the US in the fight against drugs by saying that the US Drug Enforcement Agency is a "drug cartel." The Venezuelan government rejected Walters' statements, saying that the US has the intention of damaging Venezuela's reputation and intervening in its affairs.
Tensions have flared up in the Niger Delta, home to much of the country's oil production. Attacks on oil companies have suddenly picked up again in the delta. Chevron, one of the biggest producers in Nigeria, said Friday that it was evacuating hundreds of workers and suspending nonessential offshore activities. The attacks, along with kidnappings, have forced up international oil prices.
US companies have been doing business abroad for a long time, but overseas markets have never been more important.
German-US auto giant DaimlerChrysler said today it had agreed to sell control of its loss-making US arm Chrysler to private equity firm Cerberus, for $7.4 billion.
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