I. CALGARYHERALD - 50% of Europeans opposed to Islamic veil in schools
Just over half of Europeans surveyed opposed allowing Islamic headscarves in schools but backed the presence of crucifixes in classrooms, according to a Spanish study. A total 52.6 per cent of those polled in 12 European Union member states along were "opposed" or "totally opposed" to the use of the garment in schools. Opposition to the veil was highest in Bulgaria with 84.3 per cent against and France with 68.7 per cent opposed and it was lowest in Poland with only 25.6 per cent against followed by Denmark with 28.1 per cent opposed. By contrast 54.4 per cent of those polled were in favour of classrooms displaying crucifixes. In Spain and Italy, two nations with a strong Roman Catholic tradition, support for the use of crucifixes in classrooms stood at 69.9 per cent and 49.3 per cent respectively. Support for the use of crucifixes in classrooms shot up to 77 per cent in Britain and 78.8 per cent in Denmark. The issue of the use of Islamic headscarves has been thrust into the spotlight once again in Europe due to controversial moves by France and Belgium to ban Muslim full face veils. Last week France announced it would seek a law to ban Muslim residents and visitors from wearing a burqa or a niqab in public.
The U.N. Security Council wants to make it easier to prosecute pirates, suggesting in a new resolution the possibility of international tribunals to try pirates. In a resolution unanimously adopted Tuesday, the 15-member body called for tougher legislation by countries to prosecute and jail suspects caught off the coast of Somalia, according to the United Nations website. The resolution also appealed to all countries "to criminalize piracy under their domestic law and favorably consider the prosecution of suspected, and imprisonment of convicted, pirates apprehended off the coast of Somalia, consistent with applicable international human rights law." The Security Council also requested that U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon present a report within three months on possible options for prosecuting and imprisoning piracy suspects. The resolution also emphasized the role of the European Union, NATO and other agencies in bringing suspects to justice, "in cooperation with Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG)," according to the U.N. website.
III. RIANOVOSTI - Russian warship to escort 12 merchant vessels in Gulf of Aden
A Russian warship will escort 12 commercial vessels through the Somali pirate-infested waters of the Gulf of Aden, a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Wednesday. He said the Pacific Fleet's Udaloy-class missile-armed destroyer Marshal Shaposhnikov would start the operation on Wednesday evening. The Marshal Shaposhnikov, a large anti-submarine ship, has two helicopters and an infantry unit on board. A Russian Pacific Fleet task force comprising the Marshal Shaposhnikov, the MB-37 salvage tug and the Pechenga tanker arrived in the Gulf of Aden on March 29 to join the anti-piracy mission there. The task force is the fourth group of warships from the Russian Pacific Fleet engaged in the anti-piracy mission off Somalia, with the previous three task forces led by the Admiral Vinogradov, Admiral Panteleyev and the Admiral Tributs destroyers. The Northern and Baltic fleets have also sent task forces to the region. Somali pirates carried out a record number of attacks and hijackings in 2009. According to the Piracy Reporting Center of the International Maritime Bureau, a total of 217 vessels were attacked last year, resulting in 47 hijackings.
IV. THEHINDU - Chavez to join Twitter!
It seems that Hugo Chavez, who is known for his long speeches, now wants to test his ability to deliver concise messages — Venezuelan President has announced that he would join micro-blogging site Twitter. Mr. Chavez (55) speaks to the nation for hours every Sunday on his radio and television programme, but on Twitter he will be limited to much shorter messages of 140 characters each time, reported The Daily Telegraph. His use of Twitter also marks a new strategy in approach to the Internet and social networking. In January, Mr. Chavez had said that using Twitter, the Internet and text messaging to criticise his regime was “terrorism”. He has now decided to use the social networking tool for his own purposes. “Comandante Chavez is going to open his Twitter account soon to wage the battle online. I'm sure he'll break records for numbers of followers,” Diosdado Cabello, Director of Venezuela's state-run telecommunications agency, was quoted as saying on Venezuelan television.
V. B92 - Serbia in EU is Spain’s priority
The progress of Serbia and the Western Balkan in EU integrations process is one of Madrid’s priorities. This is according to Spanish EU Presidency spokeswoman Cristina Gallach. “This refers to the Serbian candidate status bid, the next phase of which is crossing the same Brussels street, to the European Commission headquarters, for producing an opinion,” Gallach was quoted as saying by Belgrade daily Večernje Novosti. “We’re making as much effort as possible and we're continuing to work while awaiting the response,” she pointed out, and added that May and June were left until the end of the Spanish EU presidency and that “anything is possible”. The newspaper also writes today that “intensive consultations” have been under way, but that there has been no progress, with the Netherlands opposed to any progress in Serbia's EU integrations before the Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz’s new report in June.
VI. WASHINGTONPOST - Killings of journalists rising in 2010, group says
At least 42 journalists around the world have been killed so far this year and governments should take action to protect reporters and bring their killers to justice, a global media protection body said Wednesday. The International News Safety Institute, INSI, said April was the bloodiest month for media in five years, with 17 journalists losing their lives, a rate of two every three days. Yet in eight out 10 cases in recent years, no one had been brought to justice for journalists' deaths, the London-based group said in its report. The worst years for media in recent history were 2007, when 172 journalists were killed, and 2006, when 168 died -- many of them in Iraq at a time of intense sectarian violence. Seven journalists have been killed in Honduras so far this year, six in Mexico and four in Pakistan, the report showed. Three died in Colombia and Nigeria, and one each in Nepal, Venezuela, Cyprus, Russia, Ecuador and Turkey, among others. In at least 27 cases this year, the journalist's death was proven to be linked to his or her work.
VII. PRAVMIR - Do you want to be made well?
Christ is risen! Here we are, halfway between the Holy Resurrection of the Lord, the day of the salvation of the world, and Holy Pentecost, the birthday of the Church. The holy Church, as if connecting both holidays with an invisible thread, tells us about the healing of the paralytic by Christ on the day of the Jewish Pentecost. In this story we hear about the paralysis of sin and lengthy, very lengthy awaiting of healing, about hopelessness and the coming of Christ, our hope, and finally we hear the commandment to lead a righteous life. In Jerusalem there lived a man who had been paralyzed for almost forty years (John 5:5). He lay on one of the porches at the pool called Bethesda and there was nobody to help him (John 5:7). An angel of the Lord descended at times into the water, and the first one entering the water received healing from their illness (John 5:3). Many infirm, “blind, lame, and paralyzed” (John 5:3) gathered at the pool and the paralyzed man, no matter how hard he tried to crawl to the pool, never got there in time. Someone else always entered before him. However, this man, despite the hopelessness of his situation, did not lose hope, and continued to wait for God’s mercy. Now, on the day of Pentecost, there came the long awaited Savior Who gave life to the withered body, hope, refuge and protection. Christ came to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost. It was the feast of the gathering of wheat before the beginning of the harvest, when the Israelites came to the temple in Jerusalem bringing their offerings and hymns to God. It seems that it was not an accident that Christ came to the porches of Bethesda on this day, healing bodily and spiritual paralysis in an act symbolizing a future harvest—the holy Church that would be gathered into the storehouses of God. Having found the paralytic in the crowd, the Savior immediately addressed him with just one question, “Do you want to be healed?” (John 5:6; RSV here et passim). Even seeing the dire situation of the paralyzed man, knowing the lengthy wait, hope and patience of the sick person, Christ nevertheless gave him full freedom of choice, not forcing the man’s will in anything. “Do you want to be healed?” sounds like a challenge to those who have accepted their illness as part of themselves, who do not want to reject it, who even find pleasure in it. It is a challenge to those who “like dogs, lick the saw and cannot stop, getting drunk from the taste of their own blood” (St. Isaac of Syria). “Do you want to be healed?” asks the Savior. And hearing in reply, “It is so, Lord,”[i] He says, “Take up your pallet and walk” (John 5:8). He is not interested in details, in our human measures, our excuses that we do not have a helper, that there is no one to lead us or teach us. The voice of the Lord sounds with authority, “Get up. Pick up your bed. The time of paralysis of sin is over.” Symbolizing through the healing of the paralytic the beginning of the Gospel harvest, and bringing a true gift to the Father on the holy day of Pentecost, Christ made the former paralytic a communicant in the great feast. Instead of lying on the bed of sickness, the healed man was able to go to the House of God with offerings and praises (John 5:14); and, having found the Son in the Father’s house (cf. Luke 2:49), he realized that his healing had been spiritual even more than it was physical. “See, you are well!”—says Christ, “Sin no more” (John 5:14), in other words, live righteously. “I cleansed you from stain, I healed you from sin, I made you whiter than snow, and led you into the House of God — live the life for which you have been created: live righteously, keep your baptismal garment clean and undefiled.” Just like the paralytic, all of humanity lay in paralysis, having been struck by the illness of the original sin. For long millennia, we tried to find a cure, but could not reach God on our own, nor was there anyone to help us. And yet, we did not lose hope, we kept waiting on God’s mercy and finally received the Divine visitation. Through His Paschal resurrection, Christ opened the way to the life-giving font to everyone who thirsts. The way to healing from spiritual blindness, affliction and paralysis is open to everyone, who answers “It is so, Lord!” to God’s question “Do you want to be healed?” Gathering into God’s storehouses the gracious harvest of souls healed from the deadly illness of sin, Christ on the day of Pentecost gave to Christians the power to win over sin, to fight it and win. The Father sent His Spirit, the Comforter, Who gives us life and strengthens us. Founding His Church, Christ strengthened her with His Power, His Spirit, and gave her the commandment to live a pure life. Meeting every one of us today in the temple of God, Christ speaks to us with the words of the Holy Scripture, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you” (John 5:14). Keep your baptismal garment undefiled, recall and fulfill the oath taken at your baptismal font, in order that your soul not perish. Rise up from the paralysis of sin, open your eyes blinded by passions, and go to the house of God, praising the One Who saved you. Let us answer the Savior with the whole Church: By Your divine intercession, O Lord, as You raised up the paralytic of old, so raise up my soul, paralyzed by sins and thoughtless acts; so that being saved I may sing to You: “Glory to Your power, O compassionate Christ!” Amen.