Monday, January 20, 2014
Pope Francis' New Spanish Cardinal Says 'Homosexuality Can Be Cured'
The Pope’s new Spanish Cardinal has called homosexuality a physical “defect” that can be cured, it has been reported.
Equating homosexuality to his own high blood pressure, Fernando Sebastián told the Spanish newspaper Diario Sur on Monday that: “Homosexuality is a defective manner of expressing sexuality, because [sex] has a structure and a purpose, which is procreation.
"A homosexual who can't achieve this (procreation) is failing," he said.
He continued: "Our bodies have many defects. I have high blood pressure."
He added that calling homosexuality a defect was “not an insult” but is instead helpful because it is “possible to recover and become normal with the right treatment."
The 85-year-old will take up his post in the Vatican as Spain’s newest cardinal in February. » | Kashmira Gander | Monday, January 20, 2014
Oxfam: 85 Richest People as Wealthy as Poorest Half of the World
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| The InterContinental in Davos |
The world's wealthiest people aren't known for travelling by bus, but if they fancied a change of scene then the richest 85 people on the globe – who between them control as much wealth as the poorest half of the global population put together – could squeeze onto a single double-decker.
The extent to which so much global wealth has become corralled by a virtual handful of the so-called 'global elite' is exposed in a new report from Oxfam on Monday. It warned that those richest 85 people across the globe share a combined wealth of £1tn, as much as the poorest 3.5 billion of the world's population.
The wealth of the 1% richest people in the world amounts to $110tn (£60.88tn), or 65 times as much as the poorest half of the world, added the development charity, which fears this concentration of economic resources is threatening political stability and driving up social tensions.
It's a chilling reminder of the depths of wealth inequality as political leaders and top business people head to the snowy peaks of Davos for this week's World Economic Forum. Few, if any, will be arriving on anything as common as a bus, with private jets and helicoptors pressed into service as many of the world's most powerful people convene to discuss the state of the global economy over four hectic days of meetings, seminars and parties in the exclusive ski resort.
Winnie Byanyima, the Oxfam executive director who will attend the Davos meetings, said: "It is staggering that in the 21st Century, half of the world's population – that's three and a half billion people – own no more than a tiny elite whose numbers could all fit comfortably on a double-decker bus."
Oxfam also argues that this is no accident either, saying growing inequality has been driven by a "power grab" by wealthy elites, who have co-opted the political process to rig the rules of the economic system in their favour. » | Graeme Wearden | Monday, January 20, 2014
German FM: Cameron 'Damaging Europe' with Call for Immigration Limits
Germany has accused David Cameron of seeking to “damage Europe” by calling the European Union’s right to free movement into question.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German foreign minister, has attacked the Prime Minister’s call for limits to be set on immigration when poor countries, such as Bulgaria and Romania, join the EU in future.
Mr Steinmeier, a Social Democrat in the Germany’s coalition government, has effectively committed Germany to blocking Britain’s plan to restrict the right to free movement for European nationals as part of proposals to renegotiate the EU treaty.
“Germany has benefited tremendously from this and surely more than others. Now many young people from southern Europe are coming to us, to learn and study,” he told the Financial Times.
“That benefits us and also helps the states from which they come. Whoever questions that damages Europe and damages Germany.” » | Telegraph’s Foreign Staff | Monday, January 20, 2014
Obama Says Marijuana Is a Bad Habit But Minorities Are Unfairly Punished
President Barack Obama believes smoking marijuana is a "bad habit" but thinks legal penalties now fall disproportionately on minorities and that states legalising pot should go ahead with their plans, he said in a profile released on Sunday.
"As has been well documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life," he is quoted as saying in a New Yorker magazine article. "I don't think it is more dangerous than alcohol."
The president said he has told his two daughters that smoking marijuana is "a bad idea, a waste of time, not very healthy".
However, he said he is concerned that marijuana-related arrests fall far more heavily on minorities than on others. Legalisation of pot should go forward in the states of Colorado and Washington because "it's important for society not to have a situation in which a large portion of people have at one time or another broken the law and only a select few get punished," he said. » | Reuters in Washington | Sunday, January 19, 2014
'Vladimir Putin Has Unleashed a Frightening Wave of Homophobia That Even He Cannot Control'
On June 30, last year, a young bank worker stood in the middle of Bauman street, the central pedestrian thoroughfare in the gleaming, oil-rich city of Kazan, with a placard that read "Freedom to the Gays and Lesbians of Russia. Down With Fascists and Homophobes."
Dmitry Isakov, 24, did not know it at the time, but he was about to earn the dubious distinction of being the first person to fall foul of a ban on promoting homosexuality that has earned Russia condemnation around the world and threatens to overshadow the Sochi Winter Olympics this February.
The encounter with the law cost him not only a conviction and a fine, but also his job – in what he says is an example of a wave of homophobic feeling the Russian government's flirtation with "family-values politics" has unleashed.
He had already had a signal of what might lie in store. » | Roland Oliphant, Moscow | Sunday, January 19, 2014
France Warns Europe Could Be 'Overwhelmed' by Jihadis Returning from Syria
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| Manuel Valls, Interior Minister, France |
French interior minister warned on Sunday that the possibility of terror attacks by the hundreds of European jihadists returning home from Syria represents "the greatest danger we will have to face in the coming years".
"We, French and Europeans, could be overwhelmed by this phenomenon, given its scale," Manuel Valls said in a television interview.
His warning came after it emerged that two 15-year-old French boys had left this month to fight in Syria. They are believed to be among the youngest Westerners to travel there since the Arab Spring revolt against President Assad turned into a full-blown civil war.
The prospect of hundreds of battle-hardened extremists returning to Europe with training in bomb-making and weaponry has become a major cause of concern in recent months. » | Rory Mulholland in Paris | Sunday, January 19, 2014
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Ukip Suspends Councillor Who Claimed Floods Were Caused by Gay Marriage
A Ukip councillor who blamed the Christmas and new year floods on the passage of gay marriage laws has been suspended from the party, Ukip said on Sunday, reversing an earlier view that he was entitled to his opinion.
Henley-on-Thames councillor David Silvester, who defected from the Tories in protest at David Cameron's support for same-sex unions, said he had warned the prime minister of "repercussions" if gay marriage went ahead.
He was suspended by Ukip after defying a request not to do further interviews on his beliefs following his initial claims made in a letter to a local newspaper. The move came as leader Nigel Farage launched a clearout of "extremist, nasty or barmy" views from the party ahead of polls in May.
On Sunday Silvester caused fresh controversy, telling BBC Radio Berkshire that being gay was a "spiritual disease" that can be healed. His remarks led Ukip's official gay and lesbian group to send Silvester a letter saying he had "rightly attracted derision from people of all political beliefs, and once again painted Ukip in a negative light – an unacceptable act for which you cannot be excused".
Tory business minister Michael Fallon said the comments showed "there clearly are one or two fruitcakes still around there" – a reference to David Cameron's previous criticisms of Ukip. » | Patrick Wintour | Sunday, January 19, 2014
Winter Olympics: Putin 'Friendly' with Gay People
Gay people faced no discrimination at work or in society in Russia, he told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, and the new law did not harm anybody.
"I myself know some people who are gay," he said. "We're on friendly terms. I'm not prejudiced in any way."
Gay rights campaigners have urged a boycott of the winter games.
The controversial legislation passed in June prescribes fines for anyone providing information about paedophilia and homosexuality to people under 18.
Critics say the amendment's loose wording, and its free interpretation by the authorities, effectively make any kind of public gay rights event in Russia impossible.
Some national leaders have indicated they will not attend the games, which run from 7 to 23 February.
US President Barack Obama pointedly announced he was sending an Olympic delegation that includes several openly gay sports figures, among them tennis legend Billie Jean King. (+ BBC video) » | Sunday, January 19, 2014
Palace Reshuffle as the Queen Passes More Royal Responsibilities to Prince Charles
A merging of palace staff has begun, which sees Prince Charles' aide become the media chief for the entire Royal household.
The heir to the throne will also accompany his mother to the beaches of Normandy later this year.
The trip is to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings, Charles accompanying the Queen on the trip further adds to speculation that it may be the monarch's final engagement overseas.
A French government official, who was involved with organising the D-Day anniversary events, revealed that: "We have been told this will probably be the Queen's last official foreign visit." » | Nicole Morley | Sunday, January 19, 2014
Edwina Currie’s Cruel Jibe at the Poor
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| Edwina Curry |
Her comments come as figures show that more than 100,000 people had to turn to food banks at Christmas. This is double the 2012 figure and a record number.
A million Britons, a third of them children, relied on food banks last year, according to estimates.
Last night Ms Currie was attacked for a “disgusting insult” to those living below the poverty line and for making “crude and outrageous generalisations”. Speaking on Radio Stoke last week, the 67-year-old said: “For the life of me I can’t see how giving someone a tin of soup when they are suffering from a mental illness or if they’ve got debt problems is going to contribute in any long-term way to solving their problems.
“If people have got into debt they should be asking themselves ‘Why did I get into debt and what did I do that was stupid to get into debt and what can I avoid doing in the future? How do I actually take control of my life so I am not in this situation?" » | Lucy Johnstone | Sunday, January 19, 2014
Assad exclut toute discussion sur son départ
La présidence syrienne a nié dimanche des déclarations attribuées au président Bachar al-Assad par l'agence russe Interfax, selon lesquelles il n'aurait aucune intention de quitter le pouvoir. Ces informations contradictoires interviennent alors que la conférence de paix Genève II se met péniblement en place. » | afp/ats/Newsnet | dimanche 19 janvier 2014
Nigel Farage - "Mr Samaras, You're Not in Charge of Greece" (January 15, 2014)
THE OBSERVER: Nigel Farage becomes popular in Greece after outburst against the PM: Ukip leader claims he received deluge of support after giving Antonis Samaras a dressing down in European parliament » | Helena Smith in Athens | Saturday, January 18, 2014
'Living Suicide Bomb' Rejoins Al-Qaida after Saudi Deprogramming
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| Ahmed Al-Shayea was known as the "living suicide bomb" |
Ahmed al-Shayea was known as the "living suicide bomb" – the young Saudi driver of a fuel tanker bomb in Iraq who survived to renounce violence and warn his countrymen of the dangers of jihad.
In the process he became Saudi Arabia's poster boy for a high-profile jihadi de-programming initiative whose secondary purpose is to discourage Saudis from joining al-Qaida.
With his burned face and mangled hands, Shayea was presented as a vivid warning to young Saudis about the perils of jihad and the untrustworthiness of al-Qaida, which he claimed had tricked him into driving the tanker bomb, which killed 12 people in 2004.
That was until November. Then Shayea disappeared from Saudi Arabia, only to reappear reportedly in Syria where – his Twitter feed reveals – he has rejoined the ranks of an al-Qaida franchise, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which is engaged in a civil war with other rebels fighting the Assad regime.
The case of Shayea raises questions about the effectiveness of the jihadi de-programming efforts, including the well-known Saudi model, which has boasted of rehabilitating and releasing several thousand former jihadis, including some returned by the US. » | Peter Beaumont | Saturday, January 18, 2014
Benefits 'To Be Stripped from Immigrants Who Cannot Speak English'
Benefits will be stripped from immigrants who cannot speak English, it has been reported.
David Cameron intends to make the cuts in order to slash the country’s welfare bill, according to the Mail on Sunday.
The Prime Minister reportedly wants to stop printing welfare literature in foreign languages and prevent claimants using taxpayer-funded translators at benefits offices.
According to the newspaper the measures, which were due to be announced on Monday, have been delayed following a row with Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister.
It is hoped the scrapping of foreign-language documentation explaining how to claim benefits will make it harder for immigrants to make use of the UK’s benefits system, while encouraging those already in the country to learn English. The measures would also save the money spent on translators. » | James Edgar | Sunday, January 19, 2014
Saturday, January 18, 2014
French 15-year-olds Thought to Be Youngest Western Jihadis after Travelling to Syria
Two French schoolboys have travelled to Syria to become al Qaeda fighters, it emerged on Saturday.
The 15-year-olds from Toulouse are believed to be the youngest ever jihadists to emerge from a country increasingly associated with Islamic radicalism.
It comes after two British men were arrested in connection with Syria-related terror offences.
Yusuf Sawar and Mohammed Ahmed, both 21, from Handsworth, Birmingham, have been charged with planning and travelling to Syria for terrorism.
The French boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, did not turn up for school on January 6 – instead using a family credit card to fly to the Middle East.
One of the boy's father launched an appeal for their return, saying his son had been lured into extremism on the internet.
He told La Depeche [sic] newspaper: "From the start of December, my son was brainwashed online. » | Peter Allen, Paris | Saturday, January 18, 2014
LA DÉPÊCHE: Français et jihadistes | » | Jean-Pierre Bédéï | samedi 18 janvier 2014
Israel Lashes Out at Europe for 'One-sided Stance' on Settlements
The ambassadors of Britain, France, Italy and Spain were called in a day after Israel’s ambassadors to those countries were summoned to hear protests about building settlements in areas that the Palestinians view as part of a future independent state.
Israeli officials described Mr Lieberman’s step as a counterprotest.
This was the first time that Israel had summoned European ambassadors as a group over such an issue.
The Israeli protest was delivered by the Foreign Ministry’s acting director-general, Nissim Ben Shetrit.
Mr Lieberman said the European position was ‘‘unacceptable and gives rise to the feeling that they are only looking to place blame on Israel.’’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that it was ‘‘time to stop this hypocrisy’’ and ‘‘to inject some balance and fairness into this discussion''. » | Isabel Kershner | New York Times | Saturday, January 18, 2014
Lewis Clarke: Teenager Arrives at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station
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| Lewis Clarke |
Lewis Clarke spent 48 days at temperatures as low as -50C (-58F) and winds of up to 120 mph (193 kmh).
He arrived at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station at 18:00 GMT after completing the gruelling 702-mile journey from the Antarctic coast.
He will now be submitting evidence to Guinness World Records so that his claim can be officially verified.
On his arrival, he said: "I'm really happy but mostly relieved that for the first time in 48 days I don't have to get up tomorrow and drag my sled for nine hours in the snow and icy wind. » | Saturday, January 18, 2014
Arbeitnehmerfreizügigkeit: EU-Parlament erteilt Cameron eine Absage
Forderungen der britischen Regierung, die Zuwanderung von einem EU-Land in ein anderes per Quotenregelung zu begrenzen, hat das Europaparlament eine Absage erteilt. Vorschläge dieser Art würden "kategorisch abgelehnt", teilten die Straßburger Parlamentarier in einer Entschließung zum Thema Freizügigkeit mit.
Die Regierung von Premierminister David Cameron hatte mit der Quoten-Idee in den letzten Wochen eine hitzige Debatte ausgelöst. Britische Medien berichteten etwa von Überlegungen Camerons, eine Obergrenze von 75.000 Personen aus künftigen EU-Beitrittsländern anzustreben.
Solch eine grundlegende Beschränkung der Freizügigkeit würde aber eine Änderung der EU-Verträge voraussetzen, weshalb die britische Regierung hier nicht voranschreiten kann. In der Entschließung, die eine breite Mehrheit in der EU-Volksvertretung fand, stellten die Parlamentarier klar, dass die Freizügigkeit zu den zentralen Werten der Europäischen Union gehöre. Dennoch müssten die europäischen Regierungen auch den Missbrauch ihrer Sozialsysteme bekämpfen, unabhängig davon, ob es sich um eigene Bürger oder zugezogene handele. » | Quelle: Zeit Online, dpa, epd, zz | Donnerstag, 16. Januar 2014
Neuromedizin: Ist Alzheimer angeboren?
Es scheint kein Kraut gewachsen gegen das Zellsterben im Gehirn, das den Menschen erst ihr Gedächtnis, dann ihre Selbstständigkeit, schließlich ihr Ich raubt. Alzheimer ist nicht zu heilen, der Verlauf kaum zu bremsen. Die großen Pharmakonzerne haben mit neuen Wirkstoffen reihenweise Schiffbruch erlitten. Eine hochgelobte Substanz nach der anderen fiel in klinischen Studien durch.
Trotz dieser herben Rückschläge gehen die Tests weiter. Bei den Medizinern wächst die Überzeugung, dass ihre Arzneien durchaus effektiv wären – wenn man sie nur früh genug einsetzte, nämlich lange bevor die Patienten handfeste Symptome zeigen.
Über die Erfolgsaussichten dieser Bemühungen kann man nur spekulieren. Denn das Grundrätsel der Alzheimerkrankheit ist ungelöst: Warum gibt es das Leiden überhaupt? Wieso verdämmern manche Menschen mit 70 Jahren im Vergessen, während andere mit 95 noch rüstig und rege sind? Gesucht wird so etwas wie ein Zündmechanismus, der darüber entscheidet, ob ein Mensch irgendwann in seinem Leben demenzkrank wird oder nicht.
Ist es in dieser Lage denkbar, dass die Variablen dieser Alzheimerformel tatsächlich schon alle auf dem Tisch liegen? Dass sie nur noch zusammengesetzt werden müssen zu einer schlüssigen Erklärung für jene Tragödie, die jedes Jahr Tausende Familien in Deutschland trifft? Einfache Erklärungen sind in der Medizin selten die richtigen. Dennoch – dieser Artikel wagt eine Hypothese. Stimmt das Gedankenspiel, ist ein Jahrhunderträtsel gelöst. » | Von Ulrich Bahnsen | Samstag, 18. Januar 2014
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