The European Union Times |
- Good Catholics don’t need to breed ‘like rabbits’ – Pope Francis
- Chinese kills British boy because he was dancing Psy’s Gangnam Style
- Anti-Establishment Movie Director Found Dead
- Security deteriorating in East Ukraine: OSCE
- Anti-Islamization demos spread in Europe as PEGIDA voices agenda
- Flight from Paris quarantined in Moscow after suspicion of Ebola on-board
- Scientists find microscopic living balloons in space
- Thousands of Muslims worldwide approve Charlie Hebdo tragedy, shouting: “We are Kouachi”
- Many US senators don’t represent country’s interests
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Posted: 20 Jan 2015 02:44 PM PST
 “Some think – excuse me if I use the word – that in order to be good Catholics, we have to be like rabbits – but no,” Pope Francis told journalists while on the plane from Rome to the Philippines on Monday. He added that there are “licit” ways to control parenthood such as, “responsible parenting,” which is a method of abstaining from intercourse during the time a woman is ovulating. The issue of contraception came to light during Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines, where the local Church is against the government’s proposition to make contraceptives more accessible to the general public. Francis said that he reprimanded a woman who put her life at risk by becoming pregnant after giving birth to seven children via cesarean section. He said she was “tempting God” and “that was an irresponsibility.” The one-hour long news conference ended Francis’ week-long trip to Asia. The Pope also said he has plans to visit the Central African Republic, Uganda, Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay later this year. Pope blasts Western ‘ideological colonization’ Aside from family planning, Pope Francis strongly condemned “ideological colonization” of developing countries with the introduction of Western family values, such as birth control and gay rights. He lay some of the blame with wealthier countries and international organizations, who have indirectly been influencing the morals of younger people in poorer countries, adding that their involvement resembles 20th century Nazi and fascist propagandists. “This is ideological colonization. They colonize people with ideas that try to change mentalities or structures,” he said. “But this is not new. This was done by the dictatorships of the last century,” referring to the Hitler Youth and Italian Balilla organization. Francis referenced a story about an education minister, who offered loans for school construction in poor countries, in return that the schools’ libraries carried a book on gender theory. The book threw traditional male and female roles into question. Pope Francis has become known for his direct speech. Just last week, he spoke out about the Paris attack targeting French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. Francis stressed that there are limits to freedom of expression when religion is insulted, while at the same time, pointing out that killing in God’s name is an “absurdity.” “One cannot provoke, one cannot insult other people’s faith, one cannot make fun of faith,” Francis said, adding that every religion “has its dignity.” Source           |
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Posted: 20 Jan 2015 06:17 AM PST
 Jordan Brennan started doing the dance move made popular by South Korean artist Psy while visiting a corner shop with friends. But his actions angered a 16-year-old boy in the store who thought his Chinese ethnicity was being mocked. A struggle broke out between the teenagers when the 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, demanded Jordan, 17, apologise after he bumped into him. As they tussled near the doorway, Jordan fell back and hit his head on metal shutters outside the shop in Gorton, Manchester, before his head hit the concrete floor below. The attacker then kicked him in the legs before returned to his shopping. Jordan got to his feet and walked home not realising he had suffered a fatal head injury. He was found lifeless in bed the following morning when his mother Kim tried to raise him for breakfast. Tests showed he had suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain during the incident on October 10 last year. The killer admitted manslaughter at Manchester Crown Court today after his not guilty plea to murder was accepted. Jordan started to dance after entering the corner shop in ‘high spirits’, the court heard, and within 17 seconds there was a ‘flashpoint’ between the two teenagers. The dance was popularised when the music video to Gangnam Style went viral in 2012. In it, South Korean pop star Psy repeats a ‘horse-riding move’ as part of the dance routine. Prosecutor Rob Hall said: ‘On one view that is Jordan being in high spirits and exuberant and dancing to a popular current song, and on another view, and the view held by the defendant, is that the performance was a racist slur against him because of his appearance and ethnicity. ‘The Crown would simply say the evidence is inconsistent as to the motivation of Jordan at the time. We understand why the defendant reached the conclusion that he did.’ Mr Hall made clear that it was never a case where the attacker had any intention to kill, however he may have intended to cause serious harm. The boy accepts challenging Jordan and kicking him while he lay on the ground, it was said. He maintains he didn’t have any idea that Jordan’s injury would be serious until he saw media coverage and realised he was the subject of a manhunt and then turned himself in. Reading his basis of plea, defence barrister Kate Blackwell QC said: ‘The defendant accepts committing the unlawful act that led to the death. ‘The deceased made remarks on the appearance of the defendant that he found racist in tone. They were making him embarrassed and angered him in front of his girlfriend.’ It emerged he then followed Jordan out of the shop when he had his back to him in an attempt to force him to look at him and apologise, it was said.   ‘The movement appeared to be the defendant punching towards him but none connected. ‘The deceased banged against the metal shutters and fell to the floor. He banged the left side of his head on the concrete pavement. ‘The defendant continued to argue with him and kicked him in the leg in anger at his refusal to apologise.’ The 17-year-old has been bailed until his sentencing in March. Judge David Stockdale QC told him: ‘The fact I have granted you bail does not provide an indication of the type of sentence I may pass. ‘What I mean by that is the fact that you have been on bail does not mean that you won’t receive an immediate custodial sentence.’ At the time of Jordan’s death, his father Nigel Hatton said: ‘We’ll always remember his smile and his loveable face. He was always very happy, always smiling. ‘At school he was a very good friend and he always listened to his mates. His two passions were BMXing and fishing. ‘We can’t describe the impact it’s had on us. We’ve lost our son at 17, and we didn’t expect to. If someone you love falls in or gets old, then you can start to take stock of things – but we never got a chance. You see this happen in the news to other people, but you don’t expect it to happen to you.’ In a statement Jordan’s mother said: ‘Our son Jordan Brennan was 17 years old and was a well liked young man. He was a loveable rogue and was always polite and keen to help anyone who needed his help, be that physical help or just to listen to a friend. ‘He would cheer them up with his usual larking about or joking around. He was a pleasure to have as a son and his loss is devastating. He was greatly loved by all that knew him.’ Source      |
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Posted: 20 Jan 2015 05:58 AM PST
 Filmmaker was working on project envisioning future federal martial law crackdown scenario. An independent filmmaker and his family were found dead in a Minnesota home over the weekend from what media outlets are describing as an “apparent murder suicide.” On Saturday, a neighbor alerted authorities after seeing the lifeless bodies of 29-year-old writer, film producer and Army veteran David Crowley, his wife Komel, 28, and their 5-year-old daughter, Rani, laying inside their Apple Valley home. Neighbor Collin Prochnow was investigating why packages had been sitting on the family’s doorstep for weeks. Prochnow says that after ringing the doorbell he peered through the window and “saw three bodies on the ground with a black handgun next to them,” according to KARE11.  It’s uncertain how long the bodies had been there, but neighbors suspect they died sometime over the Christmas holiday. Numerous law enforcement agencies are investigating the causes of death, but police have yet to release a statement. They are reportedly treating the death as “suspicious,” notes the Daily Mail. “Crowley served a tour of duty in Iraq during his five-year stint in the Army and met Komel while stationed in Texas,” reports New York Daily News. Neighbors say they hadn’t taken notice of the family’s absence, but say they’d previously seen Crowley in his yard playing with his daughter. Though scant details have been made public, reports are already suggesting Crowley may be responsible due to a recent short haircut, recent pictures uploaded to social media and because he “started wearing fatigues” according to the Star Tribune. Adding to the suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths is the controversial nature of Crowley’s latest project, entitled Gray State, a highly-anticipated independent film envisioning a brutal police state, martial law crackdown, complete with biometric identification, a ubiquitous surveillance state and FEMA stormtroopers rounding dissidents up into camps. One of the actors appearing in a trailer for Gray State, Charles Hubbell, told Pioneer Press Crowley seemed level-headed and destined to succeed. “He seemed more grounded and focused than would lend itself to anything chaotic,” Hubbell described. “The entire time I worked with him there was nothing aggressive or chaotic or strange or abnormal. He was one of the ones I was hanging my hat on, one who was going to succeed.” The film’s Indiegogo campaign met its finance goal in October 2012, raising $61,332 that would go towards “pre-production needs.” Crowley had also been working on a non-fiction film entitled Gray State: The Rise, “a documentary extolling the beauty of liberty over oppression, slavery, and tyranny,” according to the film’s Facebook page. A message appearing on the page yesterday lamented its director’s loss. Director David Crowley and Gray State co-producer Danny Mason were interviewed on the Alex Jones Show in September 2012. “Going back to the nature of resistance, resistance is victory. That is a statement that the Gray State does a very good job of describing,” Crowley told Alex. “Even though you may be killed resisting, the act of resistance on a metaphysical level has value…” Source      |
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Posted: 20 Jan 2015 05:46 AM PST
 “What our monitors have been reporting is a serious deterioration of the security situation in the past few days with an increase in ceasefire violations,” OSCE spokesman Michael Bociurkiw said to British media on Tuesday. Bociurkiw also voiced concern for civilians getting caught in the fighting between Kiev troops and pro-Russian forces, especially in and around Donetsk International Airport, as the violence is moving further into the city. The OSCE spokesman also reported of a deteriorating humanitarian situation in the area, calling it “absolutely horrific.” “What we’ve been seeing, very sadly, over the past few days as reported by our monitors is also children being caught up in the conflict – deaths, injuries, the inability to go to school,” said Bociurkiw. Kiev authorities launched a large-scale offensive last week against pro-Russian forces in the eastern Donetsk region. Heavy fighting has taken place in and around Donetsk airport with both sides claiming to be in control of the site. Ukraine’s mainly Russian-speaking regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in the east have witnessed deadly clashes between pro-Russia forces and the Ukrainian army since Kiev launched military operations to silence protests there in mid-April 2014. The United Nations says around 5,000 people have been killed in the fighting. Source      |
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Posted: 20 Jan 2015 05:40 AM PST
 German anti-Islamization movement Pegida is expanding into other European nations, with its Danish branch staging its first rally on Monday. Opposition to their message is also growing stronger, as people viewing them as bigots take to the streets. Initially based in Dresden, the self-styled “Patriotic Europeans Against Islamization of the West” (PEGIDA) is spreading its weekly ‘night strolls’ into other European countries. In Copenhagen, the Danish PEGIDA branch staged its inaugural rally on Monday. Some 200 anti-Islamization activists showed up for the event facilitated with the help of local anti-immigrant organizations. Smaller demonstrations took place in Aarhus, Denmark’s second-largest city, and Esbjerg. “Our goal is to give the middle class a chance to express their worries concerning violent Islam and to send a signal to politicians that we voters are worried,” said Nicolai Sennels, organizer of the Danish rally, who previously stood for parliament on an anti-immigrant ticket for the Danish People’s Party (DPP). PEGIDA supporters, however, were outnumbered by their opponents. About 5,000 people took part in a counter-rally in Copenhagen, and both gatherings passed off peacefully. Similar numbers of activists were fielded by the two sides in other parts of Denmark, AFP reported. A small PEGIDArally in Oslo attracted around 70 supporters, who gathered for the second event of this kind and faced some 200 opponents, who threw snowballs at them, Norwegian public radio reported. In Dresden, PEGIDA’s unofficial stronghold, the traditional Monday rally had to be skipped. Police banned public gatherings due to “credible” threats against the rally andPEGIDAco-founder Lutz Bachmann. Law enforcers didn’t allow PEGIDA’s critics to stage a protest either. The group called on their supporters to put candles in their windows and hang German flags as a sign of support. Nevertheless, police presence was heavy in the streets of Dresden, with authorities saying they would act if PEGIDA supporters did gather in their tens of thousands. However, the organization staged demonstrations in other German cities, including Düsseldorf, Kassel and Stralsund. PEGIDA is fighting an uphill battle to go from the fringe of political discourse towards the mainstream. The movement previously joined forces with right-wing groups, including nationalists as it was growing in prominence, but is now trying to distance itself from such affiliations and appeal to the middle class both in Germany and other countries. The movement’s German leadership held a press conference on Monday to moderate PEGIDA’s image and detailed their policy in a six-point plan. They called on Canada-style immigration rules to encourage the inflow of skilled immigrants and curb refugee numbers. They also want permanent expulsion of extremists and an end to what they called Berlin’s “warmongering against Russia and other states.” “The press conference is meant to be the start of a dialogue,” said PEGIDA spokeswoman Kathrin Oertel, adding that “in coming days there will be talks with representatives of mainstream politics.” Earlier German politicians, notably including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, blasted PEGIDA as Islamophobes, who held views contrary to Germany’s core value of tolerance. Source      |
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Posted: 19 Jan 2015 02:28 PM PST
 “Several minutes before landing we received an alert from the pilots about a passenger, and after being put in quarantine, she was looked at by doctors from several departments in accordance with a special protocol,” Anna Zakharenkova, the Sheremetyevo press officer said to RT by phone. After completing their examination, Medics from Russia’s health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said the patient was suffering from acute respiratory infection. The traveler and her husband, who were both transiting through Moscow, have been given a temporary visa to receive treatment at a specialized clinic in the city.  The female passenger suspected of having been infected with the Ebola virus, who was traveling on a flight from Paris to Moscow, “has shown no specific symptoms” Oleg Salagaev, Russia Health ministry spokesman said, as cited as cited by Russia’s RIA Novosti. She has been sent to hospital with a “viral infection” diagnosis for a more in-depth examination, he added. “The chances that the patient’s symptoms have been caused by the Ebola virus are extremely low,” Salagaev stressed. However, he said that the Russian medics have been performing all necessary sanitary and epidemiological measures in connection with the incident.  Passengers had complained about being left in the dark about their risk and prospects, as they sat on the plane for nearly four hours. They have now been allowed to go through passport control. Russian carrier Aeroflot, which operated Flight 2455 between the French capital and Moscow, says there was never any evidence the female passenger was suffering from the deadly African virus. Maksim Fetisov, the Aeroflot press secretary told RT said that insofar as the company knew, she had not even visited any of the African hotbeds of the disease in recent months. The head of Russia’s public health watchdog, Anna Popova, told Interfax at the beginning of December that more than 40 people had been tested for Ebola in the country since the outbreak of the disease over a year ago, and not a single case had been confirmed. The World Health Organization announced on Monday that more than 8,500 people have died during the worst-ever epidemic of the west African virus. Source      |
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Posted: 19 Jan 2015 02:14 PM PST
 Scientists have discovered a strange and microscopic “living balloon” in the outer levels of the Earth’s atmosphere, which they say hints at the existence of alien life. Researchers at the University of Sheffield and University of Buckingham Center for Astrobiology said the spectral-like structure, dubbed “ghost particle”, might have carried microscopic alien organisms, International Business Times reports. The samples were collected by balloons sent into the stratosphere, 27 kilometers above the Earth’s atmosphere, to examine space debris. The particle, as thick as a human hair strand, is a biological organism that resembles a chiffon scarf when examined under a microscope, said Milton Wainwright of the Buckingham Center for Astrobiology. “We can speculate that in its space environment this ghost particle is a living balloon which an alien microscopic organism might inflate with lighter than air gasses allowing it to float in the air or the seas of an unknown space environment”, he added. The particle, nothing similar to which has ever been found on earth, is in absolutely pristine condition without any manner of contamination like pollen, grass or pollution particles, said the researcher. “Unless a means of lifting them from Earth exists, which selectively sieves them out from other Earth-derived debris, then they must be incoming from space,” he added. Source      |
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Posted: 19 Jan 2015 02:02 PM PST
 Thousands of people across the Muslim world protested against the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and its printing of the Prophet Mohammed cartoons on this weekend, Agence France-Presse reports. In Pakistan, representatives from both religious and secular political parties gathered in all major cities, including Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Lahore, chanting slogans against Charlie Hebdo and French President Francois Hollande. The largest march was in Lahore, where more than 6,000 people attended a rally, meanwhile, in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, over 2,000 people marched on the streets, urging Pakistan to sever relations with France. In Quetta, a city in northern Balochistan near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, a group of protesters burned the French flag and pictures of the French president, AFP reports. “We are not Charlie, we are Kouachi,” screamed the protesters in reference to the two brothers, who killed 12 people at the office of Charlie Hebdo on January 7. During the protest in Karachi, three people were injured when the local police clashed with demonstrators outside the French consulate. A photographer working for AFP was shot in the back, France 24 reports.   Earlier this weekend, it was reported that at least 10 people were killed in Niger after violent protests against Charlie Hebdo. “They offended our Prophet Mohammad, that’s what we didn’t like,” said Amadou Abdoul Ouahab, who took part in the demonstrations in Niger, as quoted by Reuters. The French embassy in Niamey, the capital of Niger, warned French citizens to stay home and avoid crowds after groups of protesters ransacked several French-linked businesses. During protests in Zinder, Niger’s second largest city, protesters destroyed three churches and put on fire the French cultural center, France 24 reports. In Dakar, Senegal, about 1,000 gathered to protest, chanting “Allahu Akbar” and burning the French flags. Elsewhere in the world, protesters marched in Mauritania, Sudan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria, France 24 reports. The demonstrations against Charlie Hebdo were sparked worldwide after the satirical weekly published more cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammad. The magazine placed a cartoon showing the prophet holding a “Je Suis Charlie” sign on the cover of its first issue after the January 7 attack. On January 7, two gunmen burst into the editorial office of the magazine in Paris killing 12 people and injuring 11. Following a two-day nationwide manhunt, French police found and killed the attackers. The tragedy sparked mass rallies in support of freedom of speech in the West. At the same time, people in many Muslim countries held rallies against the Charlie Hebdo publications. The post-tragedy issue of Charlie Hebdo magazine also included cartoons of Prophet Muhammad. Source      |
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Posted: 19 Jan 2015 01:53 PM PST
 A majority of US senators submit to Israel’s demands to please the Israel lobby and do not represent the interests of the United States, an American scholar says. “It’s really embarrassing that so many American senators are willing to carry water for Israel,” said James Henry Fetzer, who is also an editor at Veterans Today and a retired professor in Madison, Wisconsin. “They ought to simply declare themselves as senators from Israel because they don’t represent the interest of the United States,” Fetzer told Press TV on Monday. He made the comments after US Republican Senator Marco Rubio called for additional sanctions on Iran, despite warnings from the Obama administration that they risked derailing the nuclear talks. Speaking on CBS’s “Face the Nation” program on Sunday, the hawkish lawmaker from Florida said that the ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran “are really not going to bear fruit.” Fetzer said, “It’s embarrassing that a United States senator is speaking out in the fashion of Marco Rubio because it displays a complete of ignorance of the issues that are under consideration.” Nuclear talks are underway between Iran and the P5+1 group — the US, Britain, China, France, Russia, and Germany aimed at putting an end to the 12-year-old dispute over Tehran’s peaceful nuclear activities. Republican lawmakers in Congress have expressed support for a legislation that would impose new sanctions against Iran if the negotiations fail by July 1, 2015. US President Barack Obama has called on the new Republican-controlled Congress not to impose additional sanctions on Iran, warning that he would veto such a measure. Source     |
