Category: WORLD NEWS

WORLD NEWS

Discovering Eton College

London, Maria Vittoria Bognetti

Eton College was born in 1440 from by King Henry VI who desired to found an institution that would shape and educate the next british ruling class in the English Language, aiming at creating a natural ‘bridge’ between high school and university education level. It started as a charity school which provided free education for seventy poor boys in Windsor, Berkshire, who then continued their scholastic career in the exclusive 70 colleges between Oxford and Cambridge, leading universities in the world.

For the first time, Eton College opened his doors to an Italian production team, London One Radio, allowing us to perceive the unicity and the peculiarities of this institution in its whole beauty. Dr. Marco Liviero has been the voice who guided such tour in the numerous rooms of the college, by providing insights on what distinguishes them from other boarding schools. He explains that Eton College was love at first sight: he visited the school during an academic trip, and already passionate about the British culture, theatre and Shakespeare, he pictured himself in this institution. A dream that came reality as, for the past 19 years, he has been the Professor of English Literature at Eton College.


Eton is not like any other boarding schools, students are developed in toto. As Dr. Marco Liviero explains, “Excelling in school is not enough. Being passionate is an essential quality, and what is mot important is to be willing to invest effort and time in these”. The academic part is indeed just a small component of the education that student receive from Eton: they develop their passions, initiative spirit, and sense of responsibility through the many extracurricular activities from sport, to music and theatre.

The Farrer theatre, the creative heart of Eton College, is one of the most magical places in the boarding school. And the very essence of theatre allows Eton students to grow as human beings, touching the many spheres of an inclusive development: it allows to “understand who you are and who you can become”, key elements in the receipt to disclose the full potential of each student. It is not surprise that many brilliant actors passed from here, from Hugh Laurie, the Dr. House protagonist, to Eddie Radmayne, who recently won the oscar for his interpretation of Stephen Hawking in the Theory of Everything.

Eton’s traditions have been lasting for more than six centuries, and it is the combination of such solid and extraordinary background, academic excellence and a constant innovation that allows this school to be the most prestigious boarding school in the United Kingdom, if not the world.

“The school master’s skill is understanding the different talents of each pupils”, a quote by Quasiliano, found in a fresco in the Head Master Chamber, the office of the Head Master in XIII century, well embraces and expresses the spirit of this brilliant institution.

Tony Blair is refusing to apologise over the kidnapping and torture of Belhadj in Libya

London (Valeria Piccioni) – Tony Blair, the official Special Envoy for peace of the Quartet In the Middle East by order of ONU, European Union, USA and Russia until May 2015, has refused to personally apologise to Lybian leader and fighter Abdel Hakim Belhadj, who was kidnaped and tortured in Libya in 2004 after a tip-off from MI6 gained from London-based informants. Abdel Hakim Belhaj and his wife, Fatima Boudchar, have fought for a compensation and an apology for more than six years after the role that British intelligence played in their kidnap had been revealed.

Belhadj was arrested at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia, then he was transferred to Bangkok under the custody of the CIA, and he was kept in a secret prison at the airport. After his return to Libya, he stayed in Abu Salim prison for seven years. However, his pregnant wife Fatima, was released after a few months from the imprisonment.

Belhadj founded the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) against Gaddafi from 1994 forward. After three failed murder attempts on Gaddafi, the LIFG was solved in 1998.

Two weeks after the couple’s kidnapping, Blair came in Libya for his first visit to Gaddafi and during the meeting he declared that Libya had recognised “a common cause” “in the fight against al-Qaida extremism and terrorism”. In the meanwhile , in London, the Anglo-Dutch oil company Shell was signing a deal for gas exploration rights in the Libyan coast.

Moreover another opponent of Gaddafi, Sami al-Saadi, has been kidnapped and with his wife and his four children, they were taken to Libya. The family was incarcerated for over two months before being released. Both Saadi and Belhaj were imprisoned and tortured for more than six years. Al-Saadi has pressed charges against the British government in 2012 receiving £2.2m for compensation.

This month the Prime Minister Theresa May addressed them in order to apologise on behalf of the government and offered Boudchar, Belhadj’s wife, £500,000 compensation.

Differently, Blair had ambiguous behaviour by stating:“There’s been a settlement of the case. As I say, I am content to go along with the government’s apology in relation to it. It is not something I dealt with myself when I was in government. I think that is all I can say.”

Blair’s declaration maintained that the former Prime Minister was not aware of the situation at the time. This could suggest that Jack Straw, Britain’s former Foreign Secretary, did not share several aspects of this specific operation with Blair.

Amnesty International stated that a judicial inquiry  regarding the UK involvement in this circumstance is necessary.

A draft bill for Italians abroad

London (Valeria Piccioni) – The new draft of the Italian Government deal takes into consideration the matter of Italians abroad’s.

“Regarding the Italian communities situated abroad, it is necessary to highlight knowledge and experience heritage in order to support Made in Italy, the Italian culture  and the Italian language all over the world. Furthermore, the election procedures in the foreign jurisdiction and the rappresentative institutions of the General Consulate (CGIE and COMITES) must be reformed. These measures will make these organisations more efficient, more transparent and less subjected to vote misrepresentations. Moreover,  concerning the COMITES and the CGIE, it is necessary to specifically reform the purposes of these institutions in order to blend them with the parliamentary representation. Finally, the diplomatic and consular net must be reformed in order to grant adequate services to the growing Italian communities that are settling permanently abroad” declares the final draft officially published on Friday.

Until now there has been a real negligence towards this matters: apparently, only the Italian citizens living in Italy seem to be considered whereas instead 4.2 millions of Italians abroad seem to be neglected.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the 18 Parliament members elected abroad from over 1 million and 100 thousand voters met for the first time during this legislation in the Chamber of Deputies. Are they conscious about the current lack of attention towards the Italians abroad? In the meantime, this meeting has highlighted some of the main issues of the Italian communities abroad which are:

  • Foundation of a “Bicameral Commission for the issues of Italians abroad”
  • Reform of voting procedures
  • The strengthening of Consular resources

It is important to remember the controversial relationship between the unborn Italian Government and Bruxelles. The faces of this new Government are still unknown, therefore Europe fears an Italian economical collapse. Recently, Salvini and Di Maio against Manfred Weber, exponent of the German CSU and president of the popular European party at the Europarliament who stated “Irrationals or populists actions could cause a new euro crisis” he said to them. “You are joking with fire because Italy is heavily indebted.”.

“Italians are tired of taking orders from Brussels and Berlin!” replies Mara Bizzotto, leader of the Lega in the European Parliament “Merkel and her proconsuls in Brussels always assembled and disassembled Italian governments according to German and their banks’ interests “.

China – The long-awaited Elevated Bus is finally here

Qinhuangdao, China – This port city in the North East of the Hebei province was the place where the 300m-long trial run of the Transport Elevated Bus (TED) was conducted.

But what is this TEB? This is literally a vehicle, a bus, 2m-high, powered by electricity, capable of carrying up to 300 passengers at once which straddles the cars below, allowing them to pass through. This revolutionary concept was designed by Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment Company and was unveiled at the 13th Beijing International High-tech Expo in May 2010. Last May, a digital video of it was released, which made everyone on Weibo – and on social media around the world – excited for this pioneer of future public transportation.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=xzpU4RjjJ8k
This vehicle will be able to reach 60km per hour and it will travel on rails laid along ordinary roads: this bus, which could replace 40 conventional buses, has the same functions as the subway, but the cost is less than one fifth of it, says an engineer, and it will also save a lot of road space, adds the chief engineer, Song Youzhou.


It is still uncertain when the vehicle will be widely used in Chinese cities, but the simple fact one of them is real and functioning – this is the TEB-1 but, according to engineers, up to four TEBs could be build/connected in the future – was enough to unleash the excitement of people all over the world.

Iraq: Up to one million people could be forced to flee their homes as fighting intensifies

The International Committee of the Red Cross believes that up to a million more people could be forced to flee their homes in Iraq in the coming weeks and months, posing a massive humanitarian problem for the country. As fighting intensifies in different areas, including near Iraq’s second city of Mosul, the ICRC is calling for additional funds from donors to replenish aid supplies.

More than ten million people are already in need of assistance in the country. More than three million people are already internally displaced. If there is the predicted upsurge in violence, then the figure of internally displaced could dramatically increase.

“The situation is unpredictable but we must prepare for the worst. There’s the likelihood that fighting will intensify, particularly in the Mosul area. Hundreds of thousands of people may very well be on the move in the coming weeks and months, seeking shelter and assistance. We need to be ready,” said the ICRC’s Regional Director for the Near and Middle East, Robert Mardini.

On Friday 29 July, the ICRC is asking for an additional 17 million Swiss francs ($17.1m, €15.6m) to its current budget for Iraq. The funds will be used to provide water, food, medical supplies and other assistance for those people caught up in the fighting. The ICRC will also focus efforts on promoting respect for international humanitarian law with parties involved in the conflict, and on visiting detainees. The money will allow the ICRC to step up its response throughout the country, reaching those most in need of help, as and when they need it.

Tragedy in Cornowall

The Tragedy: Nick Milligan died with his eight-year-old daughter in a horrific speed boat accident in Padstow, Cornwall, yesterday afternoon along with his daughter, was a “safety conscious” man, who would have done anything for his family.His wife, Victoria, 39, and their four-year-old son Kit remain in hospital with “serious, potentially life changing injuries”, while their two other daughters Amber, 12, and Olivia, 10, suffered minor injuries in the accident.

Continue reading Tragedy in Cornowall

The “Iron Lady” dies at 87

The “Iron Lady” dies at 87
Margaret Thatcher, one of the most controversial UK leaders in the recent history, died this morning after a stroke, as her family announced.
Baroness Thatcher, the first and the only woman Prime Minister, will receive the same ceremonial funeral as the Princess Diana and the Queen Mother, according to the statement of Downing Street.
The “Iron Lady” serving was the longest of the last 150 years in the UK, leading from 1979 to 1990 and raising loves and contrasts not only in Great Britain, but also in the rest of the World.

The PM David Cameron and The Mayor of London Boris Johnson commented via twitter immediately after Mark and Carol Thatcher announced the death of their mother.

David Miliband, the Labour leader, said to the Telegraph that Margaret Thatcher “defined the politics of
a whole generation” and was “a huge towering figure on the world stage”

The Iron Lady resigned from public life after a mini-stroke in 2002, no longer able to pronounce among the political leaders, as she had been doing even after she left the power in 1990.
Her influence helped the end of the Cold War, thanks to the friendship with the American President Reagan, and shaped the world politics, being a fundamental reference for countries like German, France, Italy and Spain.

 

America has been bound to the Baroness, and many leaders expressed their disappointment for the passing, as The New York Times reported

The strength and power granted the “Iron Lady” many opponents, both in UK and overseas.

The Falklands war is emblematic of the determination of the Baroness, who left into Argentina a wound which still hurts.
“She will be remembered as a leader who gave nothing positive to humankind,” said Ernesto Alberto Alonso, an Argentinian veteran of the war and president of the National Commission of Ex-Combatants of the Malvinas.

Liverpool was also the theater of the campaigns against Thatcher, whose legislation brought damages to industrial and manufacturing base.
“I think it’s a disgrace that she is getting a state funeral, what did she do to deserve that? All she was was the Prime Minister that helped make the country the way it is,” Chair of the Hillsborough Family Support Group Margaret Aspinall told the Liverpool Echo

immigration-speech-cameron

David Cameron to outline cross-Government immigration system that favours those who work hard to get on in life

External site: Home Office: immigration policy
Prime Minister David Cameron has today outlined plans for a cross-Government immigration system that seeks to favour those who work hard to get on in life.

The Prime Minister will said that immigration continues to have huge benefits to our nation and we can be proud of how open and diverse we are. He explained that he believes a sensible debate will help ensure that everyone who comes here pays their way and gives something back.

The speech outlined Government plans to do this by:

stopping our benefits system from being such a “soft touch”;
making entitlement to our key public services something migrants earn – not an automatic right; and
bringing the full force of government together to crack down on illegal working.

Continue reading immigration-speech-cameron

Inauguration of the pontificate of Pope Bergoglio

Today the mass for the inauguration of the pontificate of Pope Bergoglio. Hundreds of thousands of people and 132 international delegations at the Vatican to celebrate.Among them the patriarchs, archbishops, cardinals, not more, the generals of religious orders, the Jesuits and the Franciscans.

Continue reading Inauguration of the pontificate of Pope Bergoglio

Response to accusations against Bergoglio in Argentina

Vatican City,  – At this afternoon’s press conference, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director of the Holy See Press Office read a statement responding to allegations made against Bergoglio in Argentina. It states:

“The campaign against Bergoglio is well-known and dates back to many years ago. It has been made by a publication that carries out sometimes slanderous and defamatory campaigns. The anticlerical cast of this campaign and of other accusations against Bergoglio is well-known and obvious.”

“The charges refer to the time before Jorge Mario Bergoglio became bishop [of Buenos Aires], when he was Provincial Superior of the Jesuits in Argentina and accuse him of not having protected two priests who were kidnapped.”

“This was never a concrete or credible accusation in his regard. He was questioned by an Argentinian court as someone aware of the situation but never as a defendant. He has, in documented form, denied any accusations.”

“Instead, there have been many declarations demonstrating how much Bergoglio did to protect many persons at the time of the military dictatorship. Bergoglio’s role, once he became bishop, in promoting a request for forgiveness of the Church in Argentina for not having done enough at the time of the dictatorship is also well-known.”

“The accusations pertain to a use of historical-sociological analysis of the dictatorship period made years ago by anticlerical elements to attack the Church. They must be firmly rejected.”

 

Habemus papam: Here’s Sam Jones on Bergoglio

  • Print
Category: WORLD NEWS
Written by Italoeuropeo
Hits: 97

Habemus Papam: Argentine cardinal becomes Pope FrancisSon of a railway, Italian origins with the name of Francis I, Cardinal Bergoglio is new Pope . The new pope begins to speak: “Buona sera.”,He says the other cardinals went to the end of the world to choose a bishop.He says he wants to pray for Benedict XVI.Let us pray altogether for him, Pope Francis says. He begins to recite the Lord’s prayer. Brothers and sisters, I leave you, he says. Thank you so much for your welcome. I’ll see you soon, he says. Good evening and have a good rest.

 

Pope Francis, biography and reacts

  • Print
Category: Europe
Written by Italoeuropeo
Hits: 105

popeKitchen itself, moves in bus and he knows the Piedmontese dialect. This is the portrait of the new Pope Francis I.
The reactions of the world are very positive, the chosen name denotes a character and mission of humility ‘and mercy. The first pope Jesuit, who detaches from the church ordinary, a man much loved in Argentina.