Papers fear Israeli ground attack | ||
After two days of bombing, the papers appear convinced that Israel is about to launch a ground assault on Gaza. The Telegraph says calls from the UN Security Council and the Pope for a halt to the violence went unheeded, as Israel mobilised reservists. The Financial Times says many analysts believe air strikes alone will not be enough to stop the Hamas rocket fire. But it says few believe Israel has the stomach for the bloody urban warfare needed to stamp out the rocket attacks. 'World threat' The Sun urges instant action from US President-Elect Barack Obama, saying no task could be more important than bringing peace to the Middle East. The Times thinks the violence there threatens Mr Obama's foreign policy agenda in the wider Arab world. It says any pro-Israeli bias would quickly destroy the goodwill he currently enjoys. And the Telegraph warns Mr Obama to understand "the Hamas-Iranian axis" poses a threat to the entire world. Falling house prices The Sun declares six people a week are stabbed to death in Britain, after the Tories obtained fatal stabbing figures. The Telegraph says it is the highest figure for three decades, adding that a knife victim is admitted to hospital every 72 minutes in Britain. The Daily Mail reports a forecast that house prices will fall 12% next year. It says mortgage lenders are making any excuse to reject applications. It cites one case where an applicant was turned down for exceeding an overdraft by £30.
Shark attack The Independent says the family of an Australian man presumed to have been snatched by a shark have asked authorities not to hunt the animal. Brian Guest, who disappeared while snorkelling, had told his family not to harm a shark, even if it killed him. The Guardian says a candidate for US Republican Party chairman has been criticised for sending party members a song entitled Barack the Magic Negro. Chip Saltman says any listener would see it was meant to be light-hearted. | ||
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Papers fear Israeli ground attack
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Waiting for your urgent reply.MR. JAMES ALENE CROSS
Hello Dear,
My name is MR. JAMES ALENE CROSS, an American soldier; I am serving in
the military of the 1st Armoured Division here in Iraq .
As you know we are being attacked by insurgents everyday and car bombs, it will come worst now Saddam Hussein was executed. During one of our rescue Mission we came across a safe that contains Huge amount of money that belongs to the revolutionaries, which I believe they use in buying weapons and ammunitions, and it was agreed by all party present that the money will be shared amongst us.Out of the total fund my share was $10,000,000 (Ten Million US Dollars).I am seeking your assistance to evacuate my share of the money, which is $10,000,000 out of here to you, in as much as you can assure me that my own share will be safe in your care until I complete my service here. This is no stolen money, and there are no dangers involved, as I have made arrangements with a UN representative who promised to deliver the fund to any of my choosing destination. I shall be compensating you with Four Million Dollars on final conclusion of this project, while the rest shall be for me for my investment purposes. One passionate appeal I will make to you is not to discuss this matter with a third party, should you have reasons to reject this offer, please destroy this e-mail as any leakage of this information will be too bad for me.
I do not know for how long we will remain here, and I have survived two suicide bomb attacks, which prompted me to reach out for help because I will be migrating to you to invest and start a new life not as a soldier anymore. Please if this proposal is acceptable by you, kindly send me an e-mail signifying your interest including your most confidential telephone numbers for quick communication also your home address where the fund would be delivered. As soon as I receive your email with the information, I will furnish you with full details on when and how the fund shall be delivered to you by the diplomat and he will make a contact with you before anything move. All reyply should go through my private email (jamesacross880@yahoo.co.uk) (jamesacross352@gmail.com)
Waiting for your urgent reply.
Best regards,
MR. JAMES ALENE CROSS
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Health = Painless + not Disease
Health = Painless + not Disease
Pain is the game that widely play in the human being by the body and the brain that wireless to connect to environments and the human society and the God.
Why you pain?
Why he/she is suffering?
Pope makes Christmas appeal for peace in Holy Land
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Benedict said on Thursday he hopedChristmas would bring hope to those suffering from war, terrorism, injustice and poverty and appealed for peace in the Holy Land.
In his "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) Christmas Day message, the Pope also turned his thoughts to some of the world'swealthiest countries, which have been hard hit by the world financial crisis.
"In each of these places may the light of Christmas shine forth and encourage all people to do their part in a spirit of authentic solidarity," he said from the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica to tens of thousands of people below.
"If people look only to their own interests, our world will certainly fall apart."
Benedict is expected to visit the Holy Land in 2009, with possible stops in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
He hoped the region, the site of renewed violence after a truce ended this month between Israel and Palestinian factions led by Hamas militants, could return to the path toward peace.
Reuters – Pope Benedict XVI leads the Christmas Mass in Saint Peter's Basilica at
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Pope prays for Middle East peace - Aljazeera.net
Aljazeera.net - 1 hour ago
The head of the Catholic Church has ushered in Christmas calling for an end to "hatred and violence" in the Middle East and appealing for faithful to help halt the abuse of children around the world.
Pope's Christmas Eve homily calls for Mideast peace CNN
Pope issues plea for end to child abuse Reuters
Voice of America - United Press International - The Associated Press - AFP
all 1,623 news articles
Bethlehem fills up with Christmas pilgrims
By Mustafa Abu Ganeyeh BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters) - Thousands of Christian pilgrims gathered in Bethlehem's Manger Square on Wednesday to celebrate Christmas under the protection of security forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. About 500 security men arrived from the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Jericho to provide security for the holiday. Similar deployments have taken place across the West Bank over the past year with U.S. backing. "We expect about 40,000 visitors in Bethlehem this week," said Khouloud Daibes-Abu Dayyeh, the Palestinian Authority's minister of tourism. The estimate includes Christians from the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Israel and the rest of the world. About 900 from Gaza applied for Israeli permission to go to the site where Christians believe Jesus was born, but only 300 got it. "It's better to spend Christmas in Bethlehem because we are close to the church. It's important to visit where Jesus was born," said 58-year-old Italian tourist Messimo Silzestri beneath a giant Christmas tree and decorations in Manger Square. While Gaza teeters on the brink of a major crisis following the end of a six-month truce between Israel and Hamas Islamists in control of the strip, a decline in violence in the West Bank has tempted back tourists who no longer fear gunbattles in the streets. Israel attributes this partly to the barrier it is building in and around the occupied West Bank. For Bethlehem, the barrier takes the form of a daunting concrete wall 4 meters (13 feet) high with watchtowers. Tourism collapsed here when a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation began in 2000. But this Christmas, the Palestinian tourism minister says, hotel occupancy is rising. "The increase in security and easier movement means we have our largest numbers, and we are making great efforts to restore tourist activity," she told Reuters in Ramallah. "The numbers themselves are not as important as the length of stay," she added. The direct contribution of tourism to the Palestinian economy is reckoned at about $480 million a year. Palestinians say the Israeli barrier is a major obstacle to peace that cripples trade and turns off foreign tourists. Many visitors see the wall between Jerusalem and Bethlehem as an ugly scar defiling a Christian holy site. "Going to the checkpoint and the barrier is really crazy. But being here, it is totally worth it," said 20-year-old Emma Serienni who was on her first visit from the United States. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Tuesday said the Jewish state must press on with plans to complete the barrier around key parts of Jerusalem, which could be divided in a future deal to create a Palestinian state. There is little prospect of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal by the time Pope Benedict visits Bethlehem in mid-May 2009. (Additional reporting by Ali Sawafta; Writing by Douglas Hamilton; editing by Jon Boyle) |
Pope prays for Middle East peace
 | |||
| Pope Benedict also prayed for an end to the abuse and exploitation of children [REUTERS] The head of the Catholic Church has ushered in Christmas calling for an end to "hatred and violence" in the Middle East and appealing for faithful to help halt the abuse of children around the world. Leading the traditional midnight mass ceremonies at Saint Peter's cathedral in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI recalled the birth of Jesus in biblical Bethlehem and prayed for an end to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. "Let us think also of the place named Bethlehem, of the land in which Jesus lived, and which he loved so deeply," he said. "Let us pray that peace will be established there, that hatred and violence will cease. Let us pray for mutual understanding, that hearts will be opened, so that borders can be opened." Thousands of worshippers packed the basilica for the midnight service, with giant video screens set up in Saint Peter's Square for those unable to enter.
They were overseen by around 500 security personnel despatched from the cities of Ramallah and Jericho to protect visitors over the Christmas holiday. "We expect about 40,000 visitors in Bethlehem this week," said Khouloud Daibes-Abu Dayyeh, the Palestinian Authority's minister of tourism. The estimate included Christians from the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Israel and the rest of the world. About 900 Christians from Gaza applied for Israeli permission to travel to Bethlehem for the Christmas celebrations, but only about 300 received authorisation. Suffering In his homily to worshippers in the Vatican, Pope Benedict also sent out an appeal for children around the world who are abused, exploited, forced to live on the street or serve as soldiers.
Delivering his homily in Italian, he pointed to the plight of "street children who do not have the blessing of a family home, of those children who are brutally exploited as soldiers and made instruments of violence, instead of messengers of reconciliation and peace." He also spoke of minors who are "victims of the industry of pornography and every other appalling form of abuse, and thus are traumatised in the depths of their soul." He did not however specifically mention the issue of lawsuits and other complaints brought in the US and elsewhere by Catholics who allege they were sexually abused by priests when they were youngsters. |
Double Jobless
Bloomberg -
By Courtney Schlisserman Dec. 24 (Bloomberg) -- The number of Americans filing first- time claims for unemployment insurance last week rose to a 26- year high, indicating employers are stepping up job cuts as the recession deepens.
New jobless claims jump more than expected
INSTANT VIEW: Jobless claims at 26-year high and spending down
PAIN most popular PSN title of 2008
PAIN most popular PSN title of 2008
PAIN most popular PSN title of 2008
The physics-based hurl-an-avatar-into-things-for-points title was released in March, and has benefited from extra levels and Trophy support over the subsequent months.
Even David Hasselhoff hopped on board, re-recording Culture Club and perhaps slopping a cheeseburger on the floor in the process.
High Velocity Bowling managed to take second, according to the list on PS3 Fanboy, followed by Super Stardust HD and the excellent PixelJunk Monsters. FlOw eased into fourth, tailed by Warhawk at five and Aquatopia at six.
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection kicked up a fuss at seven, beating High Stakes Poker at nine and Ratchet & Clank: Quest For Booty at 10.
Former officer a suspect in Dallas shootings
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Pope's message angers gay rights activists
/europeThe pope's year-end message to Church leaders sparked anger among gay and lesbian religious groups.
The Church "demands that the order of creation be respected," the pope said Monday, defining "the nature of the human being as man and woman," according to excerpts released by the Vatican.
Part of the Church's mission is to "protect the human beings against self-destruction," the Pope said in his annual address to the cardinals, archbishops and others who make up the Roman Curia.
The Church has as much responsibility to preserve what it sees as man and woman's God-given roles as it does to protect endangered species, he implied.
"The rain forest deserves, yes, our protection," Benedict said, "But mankind does not deserve it less as a creature."
He did not specifically mention homosexuality in his speech, but his meaning was clear, and gay rights activists criticized the remarks.
"I think the pope is trying to limit God's world view and stands in grave error by doing so," said Marianne Duddy-Burke, executive director of DignityUSA, which campaigns for openly gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics to be accepted fully by the church.
"Gay, lesbian, bixsexual and transgendered people represent part of God's creativity, which is beyond any human understanding, including the pope's," she said. "I would challenge the pope to show a little more humility."
She said it was particularly unfortunate that he made the remarks just days before Christmas, but described them as "so in line with other statements from this pope, it's not really atypical."
A papal spokesman issued a clarification after gay rights campaigners responded angrily to the remarks.
"The pope had no intention to offend or attack transgendered" people, Father Federico Lombari said Tuesday. "What the pope meant to say was that in God's eyes, a person is born either man or woman. And to deny this fundamental concept, central to Catholic teaching, is to create confusion.
"If you forget that ... people are born either men or women and together are meant to create children, then you can create negative consequences."
The Catholic Church considers homosexual intercourse to be a sin -- as it does all sex outside of marriage -- but does not consider homosexuality itself to be one.
"Homogenital behavior is objectively immoral, while making the important distinction between this behavior and a homosexual orientation, which is not immoral in itself," the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has said.
The Pope spoke of an "appropriate ecology of man," the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales said. "This is rooted in central Catholic teaching of the dignity of the person. It is a central message for all Christians. It is central to what it means to be human.
Wall Street Journal -
By DIONNE SEARCEY and DAVID GAUTHIER-VILLARS
The co-founder of an investment advisory firm that lost $1.5 billion in the Madoff scandal was found dead Tuesday in an apparent suicide in his Manhattan office, police said.
Thierry Magon de La Villehuchet, 65 years old, was pronounced dead about 8 a.m. New York City police said they believe the death to be a suicide but were awaiting results of an autopsy to be completed Wednesday.
Workers discovered Mr. de La Villehuchet's body about 7:30 Tuesday morning at the Madison Avenue offices of Access International Advisors, police said. Mr. de La Villehuchet had lacerations on his arms, and police ...
By Saijel Kishan and Katherine Burton
Dec. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Liliane Bettencourt, the world’s wealthiest woman, entrusted part of her $22.9 billion fortune with Bernard Madoffthrough the fund manager found dead in New York yesterday, two people familiar with the matter said.
The 86-year-old daughter of L’Oreal SAfounder Eugene Schueller was the first investor in a fund managed by Access International Advisors, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity because her investment isn’t public. The body of Access co-founder Thierry Magon de La Villehuchet, 65, was found in his Madison Avenue office yesterday. Police said he probably killed himself.
Bettencourt, a Parisian, joins wealthy individuals from around the world, including Spanish billionaire Alicia Koplowitz, U.S. moviemaker Steven Spielberg and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, among victims of what Madoff, 70, told investigators was a $50 billion Ponzi scheme.
“More high-profile names who have been victimized by Madoff will start to become known now,” said Ron Geffner, who represents hedge funds at the New York-based law firm Sadis & Goldberg LLP. “There’s a strong sense of anguish, fear and distrust.”
Calls and e-mails to Fondation Bettencourt Schuelle, the foundation she started in the Parisian suburb of Neuilly-sur- Seine, weren’t returned. Bettencourt ranked 17th in Forbes’ list of the world’s richest people in 2008, the highest-ranking woman. Access, which oversaw $3 billion, raised money mainly from wealthy European investors.
‘Extensive’ Due Diligence
Access said in a Dec. 12 letter to clients that funds including its LUXALPHA SICAV-American Selection invested solely with Madoff’s eponymous investment firm. The fund had $1.4 billion in assets as of Nov. 17, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Access says it carries out “extensive” due diligence on the funds to which it allocates money, a process that can take as long as six months and cost $100,000. It also hires private investigators to run “extensive background checks” on fund managers, including searches on professional credentials, regulatory filings and bankruptcy, according to marketing documents dated September.
New York police are working on the assumption that de La Villehuchet’s death was a suicide, Commissioner Raymond Kelly said yesterday. The fund manager was found “with his feet propped up on his desk, a trash pail nearby to collect blood,” and no sign of a second person, Kelly said in the interview.
Body at Desk
He had cuts made by a box-cutter in the area of his biceps and his wrist, and pills were found nearby, Kelly said at a news conference. No suicide note was found. His body was found at his desk early yesterday morning by a security guard who had been called by an employee unable to enter the office, Kelly said.
Villehuchet founded Access in 1994 with Patrick Littaye. One of the firm’s partners was Philippe Junot, according to the marketing documents. Junot is the former husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco. Prince Michel of Yugoslavia is an investor relations executive, according to the documents.
Prior to Access, De La Villehuchet was chairman and CEO of Credit Lyonnais Securities USA, the U.S. investment banking arm of the French bank. He had joined Credit Lyonnais in 1987, and before that ran Interfinance, an international broker firm specializing in French, Belgian and Italian stock markets that he founded in 1983. He worked at Banque Paribas from 1970 to 1983.
Access, which had 26 employees, said in a statement on Dec. 12 it was working with lawyers to assess its exposure to Madoff. UBS AG, LUXALPHA’s administrator until this year, is no longer involved with it, said Karina Byrne, a UBS spokeswoman.
De La Villehuchet’s death comes as lawsuits mount in connection with investors victimized by Madoff. Fairfield Greenwich Group, a hedge-fund firm that had $7.5 billion invested with Madoff, has been sued for allegedly failing to protect its clients’ assets. Madoff was arrested on Dec. 11 and is now under house arrest at his apartment in New York.
To contact the reporters on this story: Saijel Kishan in New York atskishan@bloomberg.netKatherine Burton in New York atkburton@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: December 23, 2008 20:06 EST