Iceland: Repeal of blasphemy law
17 Jul 2015
Iceland's parliament has abolished its blasphemy laws, despite opposition from some of the country's churches. A bill was put forward by the minority Pirate Party, which campaigns for internet and data freedom. It came after the deadly attack against French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris. The bill said it was ‘essential in a free society that the public can express themselves without fear of punishment’. Three Pirate Party MPs moved a bill before Alþingi (Iceland’s parliament) to have a clause removed from the Icelandic Penal Code, in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris. On 7 July the three MPs took to the Alþingi lectern and one after another, while the vote was under way, declared, ‘I am Charlie Hebdo.’ The established (Lutheran) Church of Iceland supported the move, but the Church of Iceland parish of Berunes (Eastern Iceland), the Catholic Church of Iceland, and the Fíladelfía Pentecostal church opposed it. The Catholic Church argued that blasphemy can inflict psychological abuse on individuals or groups. The Fíladelfía church asked, ‘Does a person’s human rights include the right to mock the beliefs of others?’
Hungary: YWAM sandwich run
17 Jul 2015
The city of Budapest has a big number of homeless people, some of whom have been living on the streets for the last 30 years or more. It is heart-breaking to hear their stories of how they ended up on the streets, many being rejected by their families. YWAM reaches out to these vulnerable friends by giving them sandwiches, listening to their stories, praying for them with the ultimate goal of sharing the Hope and Love of Christ! Their Mission Statement says, ‘With Jesus as our source of life and ministry, we are committed to demonstrate and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout Budapest, the nation of Hungary, the Balkans, and nations beyond. We endeavour to disciple and train young leaders by equipping and releasing those called to help fulfil the Great Commission mandate through their church, local ministry, or foreign missions project.’
Vatican City State: Pope’s message to South
17 Jul 2015
From 5 to13 July the Pope is visiting Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay. His message puts him on delicate ground. Pope Francis has accused multinational companies of stripping poor countries of natural resources, criticised unfettered capitalism for promoting ‘exclusion and inequality’ and beatified a slain Salvadoran archbishop who is an icon of the Latin American left. His messages have sounded like a message from Latin America’s leftists in Ecuador and Bolivia (the first two stops on his tour). In the past he has been critical of heavy-handed governance in his native Argentina. He was deeply influenced by Peronism, a populist movement launched by Argentine strongman Juan Domingo Peron that showers the working class with government aid. He maintained close ties to Argentina’s labour unions and their leaders, who say he believes a decent job is an essential aspect of human dignity. ‘Peronist doctrine shares much in common with the church’s social doctrine,’ Francis is quoted as saying.
Greece: Act II of Greece’s debt tragedy
17 Jul 2015
On Friday, Greece asked for 53.5 billion euros to help cover its debts until 2018, a review of primary surplus targets and ‘re-profiling’ the country’s long-term debt. Greece’s future is in the hands of the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission, France and Germany. With Greece and Germany at loggerheads, France has found itself caught in the middle. The country’s role is a pivotal one; it must help them to look beyond their past disputes. Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel is in a tricky situation. She can’t ignore the fact that most German politicians and a portion of the public are tired of hearing about Greece. The International Monetary Fund has been unpredictable since Christine Lagarde took over in 2011, its interests sometimes aligning with Greece, at other times with its creditors. Some have questioned whether the Greek debt crisis has undermined the European Commission instead of reinforcing its role at the heart of Europe’s institutions.
A French ‘cleantech’ company will study the possibility of installing marine turbines on the seabed in British waters off Gibraltar. The Gibraltar government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Blue Shark Power, a company that is developing patented technology for the manufacture of high power marine renewable energy turbines. Gibraltar’s Minister for the Environment said, ‘The sea provides a vast source of potential energy resources and as renewable energy technology develops, investments in ocean energy are likely to grow. Given our unique and strategic location within the Strait, it is only right that Gibraltar forms part of the global drive to harness our oceans. This agreement is the first step in what could be one of Gibraltar’s major renewable energy sources in future.’ Initial surveys are expected to commence in autumn this year, in different areas of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters.
Germany: Merkel summons US envoy over spy claims
17 Jul 2015
‘We confirm that US ambassador John Emerson was invited to the chancellery to talk’, a German government source told AFP. New documents released by WikiLeaks show that the United States did not just tap German Chancellor Angela Merkel's phone but also eavesdropped on several ministers in the ministries of finance, economy and agriculture. WikiLeaks revealed a list of 69 phone numbers that were targeted, belonging to ministers and senior officials dating back to 2010 and 2012. Current Economy Minister and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel was among those spied on by the NSA. Merkel herself phoned US President Barack Obama over the revelations and in public told Germany's traditional post-war ally and NATO partner that ‘spying between friends just isn't on’.
The man being held in France under suspicion of beheading his boss and trying to blow up a chemicals plant has told investigators there was no religious motivation behind the attack, according to a source close to the inquiry. Yassin Salhi told investigators he was not a jihadist and repeated earlier statements that he committed the act outside the southeast city of Lyon on Friday after a row with his wife the day before and his boss a few days earlier. Examination of one of Salhi's phones revealed he had taken a picture of himself with the severed head before his arrest and sent the image to a number belonging to a French national last traced to the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa in Syria. Friday's attack stirred new security fears in France. Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the threat facing France, a member of the international coalition fighting Islamic State in Iraq, has never been greater.
The Finnish foreign ministry has barred six Russian officials, including the speaker of parliament's Duma lower house Sergei Naryshkin, from attending an Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) meeting in Helsinki on 5-9 July. It is the first time Naryshkin, one of the most prominent of 150 Russians and Ukrainians placed on an EU blacklist over their role in the Ukraine crisis, has been barred from entering the EU. The OSCE meeting is commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Helsinki accords, which improved relations between eastern and western Europe. ‘Finland has concluded, after thorough consultations and analysis, that the grounds for making the exemption for the entry into Finland of the persons that are on the EU Council's sanction list are not applicable,’ said the chief legal counsel for the Finnish foreign ministry. Naryshkin is on the blacklist because he publicly supported the deployment of Russian forces in Ukraine.