The Vatican will report a budget surplus of €2.4 million ($3.3 million) for 2006, with revenues of €227.8 million just exceeding outlays of €225.4 million.
Edmund Stoiber urged the center-right government to renege on its grand coalition agreement with the co-ruling Social Democrats to shut down Germany's remaining nuclear reactors in a bid to lower Germany's dependence on foreign energy sources. "One should be able to discuss this without it provoking a fight within the coalition."
Germany's industry captains fear Angela Merkel's ambitious climate protection goals could cause job losses, damage the economy and lead to the flight of skilled workers to other countries. They argue the only way to achieve her goals is to increase the country's use of nuclear energy.
Germany will be able to keep its Tornado jets stationed in Afghanistan. The country's highest court dismissed a complaint concerning the Bundestag's decision to deploy 6 reconnaissance aircraft to southern Afghanistan.
If you don't make your living by refining the internal workings of the EU, then the recent fantastic interventions of Poland have been extraordinary entertainment – a new branch of diplomacy based on injecting the maximum uncertainty into talks. To those who want to fashion a more united Europe, the outbursts of the Kaczynski twins have been pure distress. Yet for all the wild flailings from Warsaw, there are 2 serious points behind the Kaczynskis' position (even if they don't make those themselves).
Gordon Brown yesterday ruled out holding a referendum on a new European constitutional treaty as part of a wide-ranging package of reforms to give "more power to Parliament and the British people".
France stepped up its campaign for a weaker euro as the single currency brushed all-time high values Tuesday. But the European Commission insisted that the appreciation of the single currency could not be blamed for poor export performance, and the European Central Bank made a fresh defense of its independence.
President Putin had dismissed talk of him going for a 3rd term in office, but that might not be the only way to stay in the Kremlin. There is now speculation that he could simply extend his current term by 3 years.
The Lebanese Armed Forces and UNIFIL arrested a group of terrorists planning a naval attack on a German vessel, As-Safir, a Lebanese daily, was quoted by Israel Radio.
Israel is likely to launch a military attack against Syria this summer to make up for defeat in Lebanon last summer and to placate the US, Syria's state-run daily al-Thawra said.
Plans for a new walkway to Jerusalem's holiest site have been scrapped amid concerns about damage to archaeological remains, Israeli officials have said.
Takfirism is a centuries-old belief that suddenly revived among Islamic militants in Egypt after the Israeli victory in 1967. Takfirists abhor Shiism, which they regard as an unacceptable deviation from Islam. Takfirism is messianic – the sole leadership of Muslims against apostates and the infidel West.
Venezuela has agreed to sell gasoline to Iran. "Yes, Iranians have asked to buy gasoline from us and we have accepted this demand."
As if he hadn't already done enough damage, helping to promote the American invasion of Iraq with deeply flawed articles in The New York Times, Michael R. Gordon is now writing scare stories that offer ammunition for the growing chorus of neo-cons calling for a US strike against Iran.
The future is ominous. Not only do Israel's foreign policy objectives not coincide with American interests, they actively hurt them. The growing belligerence in the Middle East, the calls for an attack against Iran, the collapse of the imperial project in Iraq have all given an opening, where there was none before, to America's rivals. It is not in Israel's interests to ignite a regional conflict. It is not in ours. But those who have their hands on the wheel seem determined to keep the American ship of state headed at breakneck speed into the cliffs before us.
On July 4th libertarians celebrate the rejection of empire. Politicians more likely see it as the US government's birthday. If they're right, we should think it a tragic commemoration indeed. No, I see the Fourth as an independence celebration to which our government has no rightful claim. I believe we should contemplate the possibility that what Americans and foreigners need is independence from the empire.
It has been 231 years since the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence by America's founders. We ought to mark this occasion with some real reflection – even some solemnity and sobriety. Unfortunately, too few Americans today put much value in independence. Most no longer celebrate, cherish or appreciate independence. Independence is not considered an ideal.
What does Independence Day mean to you?
The decision by Gordon Brown to allow the Church of England to choose its own bishops for the first time since Henry VIII was broadly welcomed by Church leaders yesterday. But the reform - one of the biggest changes in the relationship between Church and state since the Tudor king fell out with the Pope - will reopen the fraught issue of disestablishment.
Is this the 'Big One'? Is the Bear Stearns blow-up the moment when America's subprime debacle spills over into the global credit markets and pops the greatest bubble of all time?
Major sectors of the world financial system were paralyzed by the failure, 2 weeks ago, of 2 Bear Stearns hedge funds, linked to the subprime mortgage and Mortgage Backed Securities market. The failure has caused the near-freezing up of the highly risky $2.6 trillion Collateralized Debt Obligations market. The Plunge Protection Committee has worked frantically behind the scenes to try to relieve pressure, first on one crisis, then on another, but the Bear Stearns crisis is merely one part of a shock wave that could splinter the foundations of the world financial system.
In light of a growing credit markets crisis centered on hedge fund failures and the mortgage-based securities and derivatives they trade, two Congressional committees reportedly have scheduled new hearings on hedge funds in July. In a rare event, the famous and usually secretive "Plunge Protection Committee" will testify to the House Financial Services Committee on July 11.
Credit conditions are now rapidly changing for the worse, and pension funds—with between 3% and 5% of their investments in hedge funds (including hedge "funds of funds") alone, depending on the report—are directly in the path of disaster.
Good!...
The American Civil Liberties Union sued the city of Slidell on Tuesday for displaying a painting of Jesus in a courthouse lobby, saying it violates the constitutional separation of church and state. "We did not file this lawsuit because the ACLU is anti-religion ... We did file this lawsuit because we believe this display is clearly in violation of the law."
[WAR: Yes!! The painting "is clearly in violation of the law" - specifically: "You shall have no other gods before me." and "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above..." (Exodus 20:3,4)
Why do you need these Latin phrases? Well, like Latin teachers always say, Latin lives on in plenty of English words and phrases. But mostly, it's worth learning a bit of Latin because omnia dicta fortiori, si dicta Latina: everything sounds more impressive when said in Latin.
Workaholics are fooling themselves if they think a weekend lie-in can make up for lost sleep. The first hard evidence has emerged that we are unable to catch up on lost sleep if it happens night after night - increasing the risk of obesity, heart disease and depression, while cutting mental dexterity.
=========================
