THE treatment of Burma’s Muslim Rohingya people following violence that has left hundreds dead is a ‘campaign of ethnic cleansing’, a Bolton MP has warned.
Burmese security officials and insurgents from the Rohingya are accusing each other of burning down villages and committing atrocities in the west of the country.
Over a number of years there had been ‘systematic’ rape, murder, burning and beheading of people in the Rohingya community, the Bolton South East MP said.
She added: “This is one of the worst outbreaks of violence in decades, yet the international community is effectively remaining silent as we watch another Srebrenica and Rwanda unfold before our eyes.”
Foreign and Commonwealth Office minister Mark Field responded: “Our Government will do all it can to condemn where condemnation is the right way forward, but she is well aware the politics of Burma are incredibly tense and incredibly difficult.”
Ms Qureshi said she was disappointed by the response ‘suggesting as if somehow the Rohingya Muslims and these people had caused this to occur’.
His comments also drew criticism from the Tory former chair of the Foreign Affairs select committee, Crispin Blunt.
Mr Blunt praised the ‘tone and manner’ of the urgent question, adding how ‘disappointed’ he was ‘with the tone of the minister which sounded pretty close to dumping the blame for this ethnic cleansing on the victim community’. He added that Aung San Suu Kyi was leading a government and military forces ‘who are associated with behaviour that is utterly unacceptable by any standard at all’.
Unicef says the number of Rohingya fleeing Rakhine is now more than 125,000, 80 per cent of whom are women and children.
Clean-air zones not the way to tackle air pollution problem says Bolton's environment chief | The Bolton News
THE ‘stick’ of a clean air charge to force drivers to upgrade to less polluting vehicles is not the way to address the problem, Bolton’s environment chief has warned.
Cllr Nick Peel was speaking after it emerged that Greater Manchester had been discussing the possibility of introducing a charge for motorists to enter the regions most polluted areas.
And while this is understood to mainly apply to Manchester City Centre, it could also apply to Bolton, where the areas in the south of the borough, close to the M60 and M61 motorways are believed to be the worst affected.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) is set to launch a public consultation in the near future to gather opinions of people across the city region.
The problem of illegally high levels of air pollution is not confined to the north west – the UK government was referred to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in May over its failure to tackle illegal levels of air pollution, having been given a final warning by the European Commission at the beginning of the year.
The ECJ has the power to impose huge fines on countries who do not take rapid steps to address the problem.
And Cllr Peel says Bolton could potentially come under pressure to introduce clean-air zones, as a result of the failure to tackle illegally high levels of nitrogen dioxide in most urban areas.
“But the problem is the government is being sued because it’s failing to hit it’s failing to hit its pollution target so is passing the buck down to the local authorities and telling them to consider various forms of charging.”
However, Cllr Peel says that Greater Manchester’s ten leaders believe the onus should be on the government to take a national lead and set out a strategy for bringing down on vehicle pollutants.
In 2009 the government introduced a scrappage scheme, under which motorists were paid £1,000 to encourage them to by a new car, as part of attempts to galvanise the economy following the banking crisis.
And Cllr Peel believes a similar scheme would provide the impetus for drivers to upgrade to cleaner vehicles as a solution to the scourge of nitrogen dioxide emissions, which are believed to kill around 40,000 people every year.
He said: “We would want to see a national scrappage scheme, that would be a solution that would cut down on harmful emissions.
“Their idea is that if you have some kind of polluting vehicle, be it an HGV or a private car then having to pay would be the ‘stick’ to upgrade your car, while I think the best solution is the ‘carrot’ – financial incentives to upgrade your polluting car.”
The following statement was released Dec. 11 by the Archdiocese of Boston: The Chancellor for the Archdiocese of Boston, James McDonough, held a series of meetings with the Board of Governors of Caritas Christi and trustee members from each of its six hospitals to brief them on the current status of the strategic review.
Announced in late August, Caritas Christi Health Care, in consultation with the Archdiocese of Boston and its representatives, is engaged in a review of Caritas' position in the New England health care market.
In addition to updating the Governors and trustees on the status of the strategic analysis, Mr. McDonough also sought their input as the Archdiocese continues to work with Navigant Consulting.
Mr. McDonough said, “We met with the Governors and trustees in order to provide an update on the strategic analysis currently underway regarding Caritas Christi Health Care. Our goals in conducting this review are: to ensure that we are providing the best possible health care to the patients we serve; to support the many Caritas employees who serve patients with extraordinary care and commitment; to maintain fidelity to the religious and moral tradition of Catholic health care in the Archdiocese of Boston; and to provide for a continued strengthening of Caritas’ financial condition, which is necessary to compete effectively in a highly competitive health care market.”
He added, “While there are four main options under consideration, we are actively exploring two at this juncture; to maintain sole ownership while continuing to grow Caritas Christi or to affiliate with a national Catholic health care system. It is our intent to conclude this process with a formal decision by late January/early February 2007.”
South Boston, MA - Following a rapid 45% decline in enrollment since 2003 and increased costs to operate, St. Mary Elementary School, located at 52 Boston Street in South Boston, announced it will close at the conclusion of the current academic year on June 30, 2008.
Currently there are 105 students enrolled, down from 148 one year ago. School personnel expect that no more than 85 students would be enrolled for the 2008-2009 school year making it financially impossible to continue operating the school.
In making the announcement, Rev. Jerzy Auguscik OFM Conv., Pastor of Our Lady Of Czestochowa Parish in South Boston said, "St. Mary's has provided an outstanding Catholic education to children of all ethnic backgrounds for close to 100 years. The principals and teachers who have served the children and families in our school well over the years and have provided an excellent education and a strong formation in faith."
Every student currently enrolled is guaranteed a seat in one of the neighboring Catholic schools. The Catholic School Office for the Archdiocese will work closely with parents to provide for a smooth transition to one of the schools, which include Gate of Heaven Elementary School (609 East Fourth Street), St. Brigid Elementary School (866 East Broadway) and the newly established Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy in Dorchester/Mattapan.
Parents will be informed of upcoming Open Houses at a neighboring Catholic school. Teachers and staff will be placed on a priority list to be considered for openings at another Catholic school.
Fr. Auguscik added, "It is part of my pastoral responsibility to make this challenging and difficult decision and deliver it to the school community in a timely manner. Change is always difficult. It is especially painful when the change involves a school that is loved by so many."
Teachers were notified of the decision at a Friday, January 25th meeting followed by a meeting with parents that evening. Currently there are 10 teachers and 15 staff members (i.e., volunteers, aides, secretary, janitor) employed at St. Mary's.
Parents are encouraged to direct their questions and concerns to the school, which is working closely with the Catholic School Office to provide for the transition.
Amazing Parishes already exist in the Archdiocese of Boston and many more are working hard to become amazing.
A group of committed Catholics have established the website amazingparish.org, "to help parishes be amazing by connecting them to great resources." Their research identifies seven traits that contribute to making a parish amazing: reliance on prayer; a real leadership team; clear vision; Sunday experience; compelling formation; small group discipleship; missionary zeal. Over the next weeks we will examine these traits, and their interconnectedness, and see how some parishes are developing them. This week, we will look at prayer, leadership, and vision.
1) A Reliance on Prayer -- This seems obvious, but maybe not. The site amazingparish.org acknowledges that every parish is a place of prayer, but cautions, "when it comes to running our parishes, we all too often forget that prayer must be central, and that God wants us to turn to Him, every day, with intentionality and regularity." Two words jump out: intentionality and regularity. Staff and parishioners are called to really focus on what the parish needs today and tomorrow. A few parishes in the archdiocese show their reliance on prayer by offering perpetual adoration and many have eucharistic adoration weekly. St. Monica Parish, Methuen, a Phase I collaborative parish, meets in prayer and adoration twice monthly to pray for all priests. A Phase II collaborative has a Saturday morning Men's Prayer Group that has been meeting for 25 years.
2) A Real Leadership Team -- Amazing Parish consultant and businessman Pat Lencioni says that building a team, more than anything, "comes down to courage and persistence.... When people come together and set aside their individual needs for the good of the whole, they can accomplish what might have looked impossible on paper. They do this by eliminating the politics and confusion.... They get more done in less time and with less cost. The measure of a true team is that it accomplishes what it sets out to achieve." Great descriptive words: courage, persistence, the good of the whole. Gathering a real leadership team goes hand in hand with the next trait...
3) A Clear Vision -- A song popular in the 1970s had a great opening line: "I can see clearly now, the rain is gone, I can see all obstacles in my way." Writing about a parish vision, Amazing Parish advises, "What's most important is that your parish has an idea of where it is headed and what it wants to be." The vision is the agreed upon destination in the parish GPS. It is what the parish sees clearly, including the obstacles.
A member of the leadership team in a Phase I collaborative, after 18 months of collaborative experience, speaks passionately that clergy, staff, and parishioners involved in developing the vision must also be people of prayer who take their task seriously and make it part of their own personal prayer. Some collaboratives have taken a name (e.g. Cranberry Collaborative; Matthew 13 Catholic Collaborative). One may ask, why bother? What's in a name? But discussions about choosing a name can help clarify the vision, how the collaborative sees itself as an evangelizing community of faith.
Phase I parishes have submitted drafts of their local pastoral plans. Months of meetings and hours of hard work and prayer went into articulating a vision unique to each collaborative and determining priorities, goals, and strategies to help parishioners live out the vision. When finalized, these plans will provide a three year road map uniting parishioners, clergy, leadership team, councils and staff with a clear vision. Ultimately, with God's grace, the lived vision will lead people to a deeper union with Jesus Christ and a zeal to share the gift of faith with others.
Amazing Parishes already exist in the Archdiocese of Boston and many more are working hard to become amazing. Focusing on prayer, leading with courage, and communicating a clear vision are good goals for the New Year.
FPC have a great selection of moulds for use with sugarpaste, gumpaste and, as they can resist heats of up to 250˚C, also non-edible products like Fimo and wax too.
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Thanks for the feedback. How much baking soda to water? What does that do? I’m also experiencing some major itchy skin. Any ideas for that would be great!
The much-maligned, albeit explosive, Victorian all-rounder has played down talk he is Australia's X-factor this Ashes series, starting with the first Test at the Gabba on November 23.
While he does want to stitch up a spot in the middle order, he wants do it with a measured approach, not the swashbuckling style fans have become used to from the "Big Show”.
"I think (selectors) made it pretty clear that they wanted the top six batters in the country and I want to put my hand up and be one of them.
"I have ability to score quickly at stages but I think the way I've been playing recently, I've been more concentrating on just playing good cricket shots and making sure that I'm there for a longer period of time.”
He then came in at No.5 in Australia's last Test, against Bangladesh in Chittagong, with Hilton Cartwright following at six.
Having tightened his technique, he's been promoted to No.3 for the Bushrangers this season, and put his case forward with scores of 64 and 60 during their second-round draw with South Australia.
"I feel like I'm starting ahead of the pack because I played the last Test (in Bangladesh) and I think I was undefeated,” he said, referring to his scores of 38 and 25 not out.
"Even if it was in a different country, I feel like I batted quite well and I showed some really good signs.
WA all-rounder Cartwright, meanwhile, made a pair of ducks against NSW, putting Jake Lehmann, with scores of 103 and 93 in the last Shield game for South Australia, right in the frame for No.5 or No.6.
"He played well last week but his three first-class games before that I think he got to 20 once and it was 25.
"He got a hundred last week and a 90 but he wasn't the best player in the game. That was Callum Ferguson and he got 180 ... It was a good wicket.
"All of a sudden we have got this bat-off situation where if you get a hundred, you are in the Test team. It's crazy.
Jackson Bird, meanwhile, appears to have beaten off the challengers for a place in Australia's first Test squad.
Bird, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood will be rested from next week's Shield round and sent to Brisbane, where they will train as a unit at the National Cricket Centre.
NSW trio Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood are certain to be Australia's first Test attack, with Bird 12th man.
The resting of Australia's first-choice pace trio from NSW's Shield match against Queensland could be good news for Bulls Test aspirants Matt Renshaw and Usman Khawaja.
Favorite verse: Exodus 4:11-12 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
Description of class: We emphasize respecting and loving one another. We focus on our lessons but have limitless time for questions about the lesson, the Bible, or the world around us and how we should handle it as Christians.
Vision for class: To graduate to the teen class with a deep understanding and relationship with Jesus and each other.
From John: Christ and church activities make up a big part of who I am. I am involved in worship through music at the church and also lead our youth Group called ‘The Verge’. It’s amazing to see young people understanding the word of God and enjoying being involved in ministries such as serving at the Veteran’s Restoration Quarters.
I woke up at 3 a.m. That’s not unusual for me. It’s when I do my best worrying. Nothing like trying to be a good mom after a good long night of sleepless worry.
Worry. This is one of those things we mommas do well. We worry about our kids—the decisions they make and the hardships they face. We worry about most of the parenting decisions we make and whether we’ve got it right. We do this, even though we know, in the words of Corrie ten Boom, that “worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.”
So how we can move from being moms who are weighed down with worry to moms who parent freely with wonder – the hopeful expectation of what God is doing in the lives in our kids? Let’s start here, with the wise words of the apostle Paul:
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6–7 NLT)
Paul says, “Instead of worrying, pray!” Take it all—every last bit of it—to God. He doesn’t say, “Pray about some things.” He says, “Pray about everything.”
And when we do, Paul assures, we will experience the peace we crave. Peace that will guard our overwhelmed hearts and our 3 a.m. minds.
The peace our hearts crave in the midst of all the pressure— the peace that “exceeds anything we can understand”—can be found in only one place. And it isn’t in problem-solving. It’s in prayer.
Our prayers have a profound impact on our kids’ lives. In fact, I think it’s fair to say prayer is the most powerful thing we can do for our kids.
Now maybe you already know that. Maybe you already know how powerful prayer is, and yet, like me, your prayer life doesn’t always reflect that truth. You know what I mean? So nobody needs to be reminded of this more than I do. I worry mostly because it hurts to see our kids struggle, but also because I struggle to know what to do.
Thankfully, James, the brother of Jesus, has good words for us about our struggle. He writes, “If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help” (James 1:5 MSG).
Okay, my fellow mom. How often do you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing as a parent? James tells us to pray to our all-knowing, all-loving heavenly Father who loves to help.
Then James goes on to write, “You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought” (James 1:6 MSG).
Friend, we do our best parenting through prayer! So what in the world are we doing settling for anything less than that?
Looking for help and advice on raising your kids? We launched an online course dedicated to just that. Class starts today!
Sources on the internet report that Amazon is going to join the Social Network market with its own messaging app called Anytime and it will compete with Messenger, WhatsApp, and the likes. It is expected that you only need a user name and you will be good to go, no need to link your phone numbers to the app.
In order to talk to someone, you only need to mention their name using @username and a conversation will be started. Photos and other content will be shared in a similar fashion. The chats can be color coded to identify important users and there are possibilities of other functions as well food ordering and so on.
Amazon hasn't commented on the news story yet but it originates from the all reliable TechCrunch so there might be a solid possibility that this messaging app will soon become a reality.