Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, a Jew who converted to Catholicism and rose through church hierarchy to become one of the most influential Roman Catholic figures in France, died Sunday. A cause of death was not immediately provided, but Lustiger had said in April that he was being treated for a "grave illness." "Christianity is the fruit of Judaism," he once said. "For me, it was never for an instant a question of denying my Jewish identity."
Most of the headlines about Europe in US newspapers these days have been going to Britain's doughty new prime minister, Gordon Brown of Labor, or France's hard-charging new president, the conservative Nicolas Sarkozy. But the most influential European leader, at least for now, is Angela Merkel. The first female chancellor in German history has been having a very nice run as the uncrowned queen of Europe. But she has not passed the real test. She is Europe's queen largely by default, and now her rivals for continental leadership are back.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Germany's foreign minister, usually avoids ruffling feathers, but in the past month he has attacked U.S. policy, criticised Chancellor Angela Merkel and publicly opined on domestic issues. A relative unknown at the national level when he took up his post in November 2005, Steinmeier is now Germany's 2nd most popular politician after Merkel and regularly ranks above his own party's leader.
Foreign Minister Steinmeier has backed increased German assistance for training and equipping the Afghan security forces. "I am in favor of extending our assistance in training and equipping the Afghan army."
The future of Poland's governing coalition is in doubt after a junior member, the Self-Defence Party, pulled its ministers out of the cabinet. Without Self-Defence's support in parliament, the ruling Law and Justice Party will not have a majority.
Russian and Chinese troops are joining forces this week in the first military exercises by an international organisation that is regarded in some quarters as a potential rival to NATO. Thousands of soldiers and 500 combat vehicles will take part in "Peace Mission 2007", organised by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
The head of the research division of Military Intelligence, Brigadier General Baidatz, told lawmakers Sunday that Syria believes that Israel is planning to attack, and has therefore increased its military activity. Baidatz said, however, that the Syrians are reluctant to go to war, and therefore are not expected to initiate it.
Advancing the movement toward economic and political globalism, the African Union is moving down the path of regional economic integration, with the expected end result of continental economic and political integration.
Iran on Sunday praised the resistance by some EU member states against US plans for sanctions against Iran due to the Islamic state's controversial nuclear programmes. "This shows the EU's realistic and logical approach towards Iran. We hope that the EU would continue this trend in preventing the US from implementing its unilateral policies in the (Middle East) region."
The Spanish foreign minister called on Iran to use its influence in Lebanon to bring about understanding among Lebanese groups. He also lauded Iran's constructive and effective role in resolving regional crisis.
Afghan President Karzai, a key US ally, contradicted US assessments of the threat posed by Iran and insisted that Tehran played a beneficial role in his region. "So far, Iran has been a helper and a solution."
Iraq's president has praised Iran's constructive role in restoring stability in the region and Iraq, saying it demonstrates goodwill. He said Iran has always played a positive role in trying to bring back peace to the war-stricken Iraq.
Iran has successfully tested a new fighter plane named Azarakhsh (Thunder), said the Ministry of Defense this morning.
Warning?...
Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott (R-Miss.) ominously advised Thursday that Congress needed to pass changes to terrorist surveillance laws before leaving for the August recess and warned that otherwise "the disaster could be on our doorstep." Further demonstrating his counterterrorism sagacity, when asked if people should leave Washington, D.C., during the month of August, Lott replied that "I think it would be good to leave town in August, and it would probably be good to stay out until September the 12th."
The House of Representatives approved legislation Saturday that provides sweeping new powers to the government to spy on the American population. The Democrats' surrender to White House demands to pass the legislation was extraordinary even by their standard of repeated capitulation. Despite popular feeling that the Bush administration has engineered a war based on lies, and despite countless exposures of lawless and criminal government behavior, the Democrats provided the votes required to pass legislation that tramples on 4th Amendment constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.
Most Asian stock markets fell today after Wall Street plunged at the end of last week on the lingering credit concerns that have recently been roiling markets. Compared to February's stock market meltdown, also spurred by suprime woes, "there is a little more of a fundamental fear here that a tightening in credit conditions will derail what so far remains a very strong global economy."
World markets face a nervous start to the week following the plunge in stocks in the US on Friday as concerns mounted about fallout from the US mortgage market turmoil. US financial stocks were particularly badly hit on Friday, prompting calls for the Federal Reserve to intervene by cutting interest rates.
Levitation has been elevated from being pure science fiction to science fact, according to a study reported today by physicists. A University of St Andrews team has created an 'incredible levitation effects' by engineering the force of nature which normally causes objects to stick together.
A rotating silver pyramid, a "metallic spinning object" with green engines and a "mother ship with two smaller orbs" were among the bizarre UFO sightings reported to the Ministry of Defence last year. The ministry has published details of 97 reports of unidentified flying objects in 2006, opening a treasure trove of potential information to those who believe we are not alone. It has also published details of reported sightings going back to 1998, showing there have been scores each year.
[WAR: As I've mentioned before, the one thing that struck me at the UFO museum in Roswell was that the overwhelming majority (90%?) of UFO sightings have been in Israelite countries.]
Loch Ness has its monster. Does San Antonio have one, too? Strange sightings of a huge flying creature have been reported as recently as 6 months ago. Is it a monster or myth? San Antonio's Ken Gerhard has written a book on these dark birds as big as planes, with wingspans from 15-20 feet. Native Americans called them thunderbirds: depicted in their art, their flapping wings were said to cause explosive noises. "What's interesting is that the reports of these giant, raptor-like birds do continue into modern times. I believe there's a good chance that a lot of large, prehistoric animals, if you will, remain undiscovered by modern science."
The Russian media has recently reported on a huge monster with the head of a serpent and the body of a crocodile lurking at the bottom of a lake near the village of Somin in Western Ukraine. Several dozen similar lakes scattered around the former Soviet Union are claimed to have monsters, which scientists still have to identify. Some of the cases on record are made up of pure mystification and rumors; others may contain some grains of truth.
Robust manly men have always been larger than life on stage and screen. As an action hero in my movies, I joined a long legacy in reciting these type of sarcastic warrior maxims. Some I still like saying, and others I still laugh repeating! It's difficult to say if these hard-hitting theatrical adages created the mystique surrounding action heroes or vice versa. In the end, however, it is just the stuff that creates movie history and the classic strongman figures of entertainment folklore.
The empty rhetoric of heroism is everywhere these days. Civil service is commendable, but worshiping soldiers and police for doing their duty has gotten out of control. As most dictionaries explain, true heroism involves "extraordinary courage, fortitude or greatness of soul." So firefighters who take unusual risks to save others can legitimately be called heroes - but just showing up for work and turning on a fire hose when required isn't quite enough. Similarly, suffering doesn't magically turn an ordinary person, however beloved, into a hero. Distinguishing heroism from service and suffering is important for 2 reasons.
What makes them heroes?
That strength so essential to men is also what makes them heroes. This isn't to say women can't be heroic. I know many heroic women. It's simply to remind us that God made men the way they are because we desperately need them to be the way they are. Yes, a man is a dangerous thing. So is a scalpel. It can wound or it can save your life. You don't make it safe by making it dull; you put it in the hands of someone who knows what he's doing.
If you've spent any time around horses, you know a stallion can be a major problem. They're strong, very strong, and they've got a mind of their own. Stallions typically don't like to be bridled, and they can get downright aggressive—especially if there are mares around. A stallion is hard to tame. If you want a safer, quieter animal, there's an easy solution: castrate him. A gelding is much more compliant. You can lead him around by the nose; he'll do what he's told without putting up a fuss. There's only one problem: Geldings don't give life. They can't come through for you the way a stallion can. A stallion is dangerous all right, but if you want the life he offers, you have to have the danger too. They go together. (Wild at Heart , p. 83–84)
If you've spent any time around horses, you know a stallion can be a major problem. They're strong, very strong, and they've got a mind of their own. Stallions typically don't like to be bridled, and they can get downright aggressive—especially if there are mares around. A stallion is hard to tame. If you want a safer, quieter animal, there's an easy solution: castrate him. A gelding is much more compliant. You can lead him around by the nose; he'll do what he's told without putting up a fuss. There's only one problem: Geldings don't give life. They can't come through for you the way a stallion can. A stallion is dangerous all right, but if you want the life he offers, you have to have the danger too. They go together. (Wild at Heart , p. 83–84)
=========================
