The Democrat controlled Senate has decided to drop the assault weapons ban in the gun control bill. The leader of the Senate, Harry Reid, dropped the ban from the bill on Tuesday. Californian Senator Dem. Diane Feinstein, who sponsored the measure, said she is “disappointed” that the ban was dropped from the bill, but has said she will offer the ban as an amendment.
The deadly civil war in Syria has taken a turn for the worse with a chemical weapons attack on a southern suburb of Aleppo. The regime have blamed rebels for the attack which has left 25 dead, and many suffering from breathing problems. Russia has also said that it has seen evidence that rebels were responsible for the attack.
However, rebel forces have said they lack the capabilities to deploy chemical weapons, blaming the regime. Western nations have been skeptical of reports that rebels carried out the attack.
With White House spokesman Jay Carney saying, “We are deeply skeptical of a regime that has lost all credibility and we would also warn the regime against making these kinds of charges as any kind of pretext or cover for its use of chemical weapons.”
President Obama has previously warned the Syrian regime against deploying chemical weapons, saying it was a “red line” that could lead to US intervention.
A Reuters photographer in the area has spoken of smelling chlorine in the air after the attack, saying “I saw mostly women and children. They said that people were suffocating in the streets and the air smelt strongly of chlorine.”
The small European island nation of Cyprus faces bankruptcy if they do not receive a €10 billion bailout from Brussels. However, part of the bailout deal under discussion will see a one off levy on all bank savings. The deal will see small saving up to €100,000 taxed at 6%, and deposits over €100,000 taxed at nearly 10%.
The proposals have angered Cypriots who feel betrayed by Brussels and their government. Many see the levy as a way for the eurozone to access the vast deposits in Cyprus made by wealthy Russians. As well as the proposed bank account tax Cyprus also faces the same strict spending cuts and tax hikes Greece has experienced as part of their bail-out deal.
The Cypriot government was due to vote on the bail-out package today, but the vote has been postponed until tomorrow, over fears the government would lose the vote.
The uncertainty caused by the bailout deal has seen markets slide across Europe and America and many have argued that a tax on savings will see investors pulling their money from Europe in general.
Banks in Cyprus will remain closed until Wednesday, over fears of a run on the banks, as people have been withdrawing as much as they can from ATM’S over the last 24 hours.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina has been elected the new Pope. Bergoglio, will take the name Pope Francis I.
Pope Francis will be the first non-European Pope in over 1,000 years, and will be the first Jesuit elected to the papacy.
Pope Francis is described as a humble man. His Jesuit roots will bring a renewed focus on social justice.
In his first day in office, Pope Francis shunned security to make a surprise visit to a church in Rome.
North Korea has continued in it’s anti-America rhetoric, today saying they will launch a preemptive strike against the US, as soon as March 11th. North Korea say that American drills in South Korea, due to begin on Monday, are provocation for such a move.
A spokesman for the North’s foreign ministry said: “Since the US is about to ignite a nuclear war, we will be exercising our right to preemptive nuclear attack against the headquarters of the aggressor in order to protect our supreme interest.”
Although it is believed North Korea has enough nuclear material to produce a crude nuclear device, it is not believed they have mastered the technology required to make a nuclear warhead capable of reaching the US.
A few hours after North Korea’s threat the UN security council ruled unanimously to impose tough new sanction on North Korea. The new sanctions are a response to the rogue states recent nuclear testing despite widespread international condemnation.
Susan Rice, US ambassador to the UN, said: “North Korea will achieve nothing by continued threats and provocations.
“These will only further isolate the country and its people and undermine efforts to promote peace in north east Asia.”
It is hoped the new sanctions will make it harder for North Korea to purchase the materials they need to advance their nuclear program.
Former Italian President has been sentenced to one year in prison for leaking transcripts of police wiretap conversations, which later appeared in a newspaper he owns. The conversations involved a senior member of the centre-left Democratic Party, and were leaked before the 2006 elections. The publication of the documents in the “Il Giornale”, has been regarded as an attempt to discredit the rival politician.
Mr Berlusconi is set to return to Italian politics after the recent elections. His centre-right group is the second strongest in the Italian parliament.
The sentence will not see Mr Berlusconi behind bars, as under Italian law anyone over the age of 75 who is given a sentence of less than one year does not go to jail, Mr Berlusconi is 76. Mr Berlusconi is also set to appeal the conviction. He is also facing two more charges this month: one for tax fraud, and the other for sex with an under age prostitute.
Attorney General, Eric Holder, has said that the President has authority to kill US citizens on American soil using unmanned drones, in “extraordinary circumstances”, like those on 9/11.
President Obama has been critized for his use of “targeted killing” of al-Qaeda suspects overseas. Targeted killing uses unmanned drones to take out individuals who pose a serious threat to US security. The government has used targeted killing to assassinate US citizens in Pakistan and Yemen. Critics argue that targeted killing of al Qaeda suspects has left between 474 and 881 civilians dead, including around 174 children.
Republican Senator Rand Paul has described the latest revelations as “more than frightening”, saying, “It is an affront the constitutional due process rights of all Americans.”
Mr Paul has demanded that the Obama administration clarify it’s position on the subject.
Read More: The Telegraph
Until this week not many had heard of Dr Benjamin Carson. Dr Carson is a world leader in the field of paediatric neurosurgery, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor by President George W Bush in 2008, and in January was invited to speak at the National Prayer Breakfast, in front of the President and Vice President.
Dr Carson’s speech was a warning to America and the President. He drew parallels between the fall of Ancient Rome and modern day America. Explaining that Rome fell because of moral decay and poor fiscal controls, and arguing the same is happening in America today.
Dr Carson championed education, and the need for healthcare reform, attacking Obamacare. He addressed the ballooning US debt, calling for a flat tax rate to be introduced, to stimulate the economy.
It may be unlikely the President will take Dr Carson’s advise, but he is now being named by Republicans as a future Presidential candidate.
The Italian elections have left Italy with a result which may render the country ungovernable, and could reignite the eurozone debt crisis. The lower house was won by Pier Luigi Bersani’s centre-left bloc; but the upper house, the Senate, was taken by the centre-right, conservative block, led by Silvio Berlusconi. Protest party, Five Star, led by a popular Italian comedian, Beppe Grillo, came third.
Mr Bersani’s centre-left bloc had won 29.57% of the vote for the lower house (Chamber of Deputies) to 29.15% for Mr Berlusconi’s bloc.
Mr Grillo’s Five Star Movement had 25.54% and the centre left led by Mario Monti 10.57%.
Control of both upper and lower houses is required to govern.
Grillio campaigned to return to the Lira and Berlusconi campaigned against EU imposed austerity, calling for tax cuts to stimulate Italy’s ailing economy.
Bersani has pledged to stay the course of the EU crisis, wanting to work with Europe. However, he will find it hard to form a workable coalition.
As the results came in bond markets across Europe began to fall. Italy is the third biggest economy in the eurozone and has the power to bring the euro down.
Even if Bersani can form a government he cannot ignore the anti-austerity, anti-eurozone message from the election. Even within his own party there are deep divisions over Europe, and his party will want
Yesterday saw Pope Benedict XVI formally step down. Now the Cardinals will begin the process, which has been carried out many times over the centuries to select the next Pope. However, an ancient papal prophecy suggests that the next Pope could be the last Pope.
St Malachy was a 12th century Irish Archbishop. He prophesied that there would be 112 more Popes, before Judgement Day. In his prophecy he gave a short cryptic verse about each Pope. Many of these verses have come to pass with startling accuracy. Pope Benedict XVI would be Pope 111 in the prophecy. Making the next Pope 112.
The prophecy for this final Pope is:
In the extreme persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit … Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations: and when these things are finished, the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the terrible judge will judge his people. The End.
The UK has had it’s credit rating downgraded one notch from AAA to AA1 by the credit rating agency Moody’s. Out of all the major economies this leaves only Canada and Germany with their top credit ratings intact.
The downgrade is a major blow for the government who have been tackling the UKs massive debt mountain, seeking to end the UK budget deficit by 2016.
Moody’s made the downgrade due to the continued poor economic growth, pointing out, “continuing weakness in the UK’s medium-term growth outlook, with a period of sluggish growth which [it] now expects will extend into the second half of the decade”.
UK Chancellor George Osborne has pledged to continue on his course of deficit reduction, calling Moody’s decision a “stark reminder of the debt problems facing our country – and the clearest possible warning to anyone who thinks we can run away from dealing with those problems”.
“Far from weakening our resolve to deliver our economic recovery plan, this decision redoubles it.”
Last year all three major credit rating agencies placed the UK on negative outlook.
A report by Mandiant, an American computer security company, has detailed the extent of Chinese government backed hacking of America.
Mandiant spent three years compiling evidence and now claim to have located the Chinese Liberation Army’s global hacking HQ. A 12 story building in a suburb of Shanghai, has been identified as the possible source of state funded cyber attacks, the report claims.
The report details how Chinese cyber attacks have targetted US businesses as well as government agencies. The hackers have been stealing sensitive corporate information, and have even gained access to government agencies which control fundamental US infrastructure. Theoretically, hackers could manipulate crucial infrastructure including water supply and power grids.
Jay Carney, a spokesman for the White House, said: “We have repeatedly raised our concerns at the highest levels about cyber theft with senior Chinese officials including in the military and we will continue to do so.”
Sen Diane Finestein has also said that the problem of hacking from China and other states requires further legislation. However, security experts have pointed out that international laws are already in place that prohibit such activities, and that China has repeatedly failed to tackle the problem of hacking within it’s country.
The Chinese government has been quick to attack the Mandiant report, saying it lacks technical proof.
Hours after the 85 year old Pontiff announced his intension to resign at the end of the month, a bolt of lightening struck the basilica of St Peter, at the heart of the Vatican. The strange event made many ask if this was some kind of “sign from God”.
Roman Catholic’s have been shocked by the surprise announcement by Pope Benedict XVI, who said he no longer has the strength to carry out his duties, due to his advanced years.
He is the first Pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415. In total only four or five Pope’s have stepped down from the position, most were forced out by political rivals. Pope Benedict will be the first to resign on health grounds.
Pope Benedict has announced he will be resigning at the end of the month. The 85 year old pontiff told cardinals of his resignation, citing a lack of strength due to his age.
“After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths due to an advanced age are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry,” he told the cardinals. “I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only by words and deeds but no less with prayer and suffering.”
Pope Benedict will be the first Pope in 600 years to resign from the post, with only four of five popes resigning in the churches history.
Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana and Cardinal Francis Arinze of Nigeria are early possible successors for the position. With others suggesting a cardinal from Latin America may be Pope Benedict’s successor.