Reading between the lines, and thinking outside the box . . .
[WAR: Leaving Kentucky today and heading toward Texas...]
The president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace announced the forthcoming publication by the Holy See of a document analyzing poverty in the context of globalization.
Cardinal Martino revealed news of the publication during a 4-day congress on evangelization last week. The theme of the conference was "Toward a New Evangelization of African Society in Accordance with the Social Doctrine of the Church."
Crippled by record unpopularity and uncharismatic, rudderless leadership, Germany's oldest political party has erupted into open revolt over the hot-button issue of welfare reforms.
While recent economic statistics suggest the European Union is at risk of recession likely to affect jobs, members of the European Parliament were divided in their reaction to the Brussels' social policy package aiming to improve the work conditions of employees.
MEPs differed in their views on what exactly should form a part of Europe's joint social policy, with some deputies criticising the proposed plan for being vague rather than practical.
As Europe wrestles over how to deal with a game-changing Russia, the largest country in the world, it faces one of the oldest tactics in Moscow's diplomatic playbook: the art of divide and separate.
Pipsqueak Georgia's harebrained and disastrous attack on tiny South Ossetia has produced a full-blown crisis pitting the US and NATO against Russia. Nationalist hysteria, jingoism, and fevered rhetoric are coming from both sides. We saw such lunacy before: in August 1914, and September 1939.
To fully grasp the recent upheavals in the Caucasus, it is necessary to view the conflict as but a minor skirmish in a far more significant geopolitical struggle between Moscow and Washington over the energy riches of the Caspian Sea basin – with former Russian president (now prime minister) Vladimir Putin emerging as the reigning Grand Master of geostrategic chess and the Bush team turning out to be middling amateurs, at best.
The fall of the Berlin Wall seemed to herald the end of the Cold War and the emergence of a single superpower. A resurgent Russia's actions in Georgia have shattered that illusion.
President Medvedev no longer considers his counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili to be Georgia's leader, telling Russian television Tuesday that Saakashvili is a "political corpse." "For us, the present Georgian regime has collapsed. President Saakashvili no longer exists in our eyes. He is a political corpse."
Russia's one-dominant navy is being returned to power, and it already has been successful in taking over Georgia's Black Sea port of Poti. Officials say the navy is being refurbished and expanded and will be used to respond to what Russians perceive as growing threats to their security interests.
It has become clear how dangerously close the world is to a confrontation, which can easily spin completely out of control.
Vice President Dick Cheney traveled to Azerbaijan Wednesday, part of a tour of three ex-Soviet republics wary of Russia's intentions
France holds the current EU presidency, but Sarkozy's visit to Syria to heal a rift between the 2 countries appears to be bilateral in nature. Today, Sarkozy joins Syria's al-Assad and others for peace talks.
President al-Assad warned Tuesday that an attack by Israel on Iran would have catastrophic consequences for the entire world.
"We think that Israel could try to launch attacks against Iran, even against Lebanon or Syria. Any attack by Israel or by anyone else will have catastrophic results not only on the region but on the whole world."
A secret agreement between Georgia and Israel had earmarked 2 military airfields in the south of Georgia for use by Israeli fighter-bombers in a potential pre-emptive strike against Iran.
While the rest of the pundits opine about the meaning and implications of Sarah Palin's ascension from small town mayor to prospective vice president, those of us whose job it is to stand watch on the ramparts and report the real news are wondering when – not if – the War Party will pull a rabbit out of the proverbial hat.
For months, I've been warning in this space that an American attack on Iran is imminent, and now I see that the Dutch have reason to agree with my assessment. Their intelligence service reportedly has pulled out of a covert operation inside Iran on the grounds that a US strike is right around the corner – in "a matter of weeks."
Remember, the Israelis have been threatening to strike on their own for months: what's changed is that now, apparently, the US has caved in to what is a blatant case of blackmail and has agreed to do the job for them.
The stage is set, rehearsals are over, and the actors know their lines: as the curtain goes up on the first act of "World War III," take a deep breath and pray to the gods that this deadly drama is aborted.
Former 'Libertarian' presidential candidate Ron Paul tells a full house of supporters that Republicans and Democrats are ruining America.
Suppose Palin really were a deep-cover crypto-paleo and that, given the chance, she would govern differently than the man at the top of her ticket.
(And: New revelations on Palin)
The property crash that began in the US is spreading across the globe.
The hedge fund manager Ospraie Management has said that it will close its flagship fund after it plunged 27 percent in August on losses in energy, mining and natural resources equity holdings, in one of the biggest ever closures of a commodities-focused hedge fund.
The closure of the fund, announced by the firm's founder Dwight Anderson in a letter to investors on Tuesday, could be more bad news for Lehman Brothers, which took a 20% stake in the hedge fund manager in 2005.
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"In the 2nd year of King Darius, on the 1st day of the 6th month, the word of YAHWEH came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest:..." (Hag 1:1)
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