The catholic church today

According to a report, the Spanish parliament have agreed to a proposal for an enquiry into sexual abuse within the catholic church. Reportedly, there are two hundred existing claims of sexual abuse within the catholic church in Spain over the last twenty years.

According to reports, Ireland, France and Germany have held enquiries, but according to a study, the number of claims of sexual abuse within the catholic church corresponded to the number of claims elsewhere. Reportedly, paedophilia was rare. According to the report, many cases were that of underage homosexual sex. The age of consent for homosexuals was eighteen years, is now seventeen. Sexual harassment of the older person was said to have been a mitigating factor.

There are a vast number of sexual abuse claims within the catholic church, but do politics play a part? The ecumenical movement is changing the character of the catholic church, and a reported trend is the overseeing of parish affairs by lay persons.

The ten lost tribes of Israel

According to a report, half a million Jews live in Samaria, but are they all Jews, or are some Israelis of other tribes? Judah was just one son of Israel. Now we hear about a Jewish state, but what about Benjamin and the ten lost tribes?

Benjamin was the youngest son of Israel. Israel seperated from the kingdom of Judah after the death of King Solomon in 930 bc. In 723-722 bc Israel was attacked by Assyrians and Benjamin flew to Judah. The remaining tribes were led away.

The tribe of Ephraim and the western half of Manasseh inhabited Samaria. Scripture reads ‘In the ninth year of Hoshea (723 bc) the king of Asyria took Samaria and carried Israel away unto Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and in Habor, on the river Gozan and in the city of the Medes.

According to biblical texts, the ten lost tribes settled in Iran 722-721 bc. They may not still be in Iran. One theory is orthodox Jews are descendants of the ten lost tribes.

Saint Michael

Saint Michael was a Brigadier, the highest field  officer and responsible for Israel. He is an arch angel, that is an angel of the higher rank in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in the 3rd and 2nd Century bc, often apocalyptic. He is said to be the chief of angels and archangels. Mentioned in revelation, the book said to depict empire rule, thought at the time to describe the roman empire. Chapter seven describes the oppression. Then war broke out in heaven. In 7:12 Michael fights the dragon who’s tail sweeps a third of the stars from the sky. According to the text, the dragon falls from heaven. Does Michael lose his place in heaven?

Is the eu a bloc?

Reportedly, the word bloc has been used for some time by the u.s. media to refer to the eu, but the rapid spread of the term seems to have originated in the uk media since Brexit. According to the report, the term duplicates and over scores the word, union, for what is the voluntary membership of twenty seven diverse and sovereign countries that have been consistent supporters of multilateralism and the cooperative interdependence of nations.

Should Ukraine join nato?

According to a report, Vladimir Chizhof, Russia’s ambassador to the eu said that years before, nato promised not to expand eastwards. Reportedly, he said that Russia had no plans to invade Ukraine.

According to reports, nato’s policing of u.n. sanctions and the Biden family interests in a Ukrainian company selling Iraqi oil indicates the u.s. are in no position to take the moral high ground.

Should eu members or the Ukraine be members of nato?

Libyan elections in June

According to a report, national elections in Libya, deferred on December 24 are set for June. Reportedly, Libya’s parliament, the House of Representatives are preparing to install a government to rival the u.n. recognised government of national unity, who’s mandate expired on December 24.

Reportedly, its seven years and seven months since Libya went to the national polls, and Libyans are asking, What has become of our elections?

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Peace talks, a possibility in Ethiopia

According to a report, 40% of the six million people living in the Tigray region of Ethiopia are facing extreme food shortages. Reportedly, a spokesman for the Tigray People’s liberation front said renewed fighting was started by regional forces from Afar, north eastern Ethiopia and from bordering Eritrea. According to the report, he called for desperately needed humanitarian aid to enter Tigray.

Reportedly, federal forces have used drone attacks into Tigray, killing a large number of civilians. According to the report the Tigray people ruled the country for nearly three decades. Reportedly, the tplf are willing to enter into peace talks. According to the report, the eu are backing former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo to bring the sides back to the negotiating table.

Impoverishment in Gaza

According to a report, Palestinians have launched a new social media campaign in protest of hamas’s rule over Gaza, holding them responsible for poverty, unemployment and harsh economic and humanitarian conditions.

Reportedly, the anti-hamas campaign entitled, ‘They hijacked Gaza’ came following a report by the Geneva Euro-Med human rights monitor, which said, ‘about 1.5 million of the Gaza strip’s 2.3 million people are impoverished since the Israeli blockade and restrictions imposed since 2006’.

Escape from prison

According to a report, Abed Odeh, a former commander of hamas’s military wing who was arrested in 2019 for spying for Israel has escaped from prison in Gaza. Reportedly, he was arrested on suspicion of mapping underground tunnels with an Israeli tracking device. According to the report, hamas has deployed dozens of security gards and has set up checkpoints, especially near the border with Israel. Reportedly, on Saturday night hamas security officers raided his home and arrested a number of his family members.

Exploitation in the Sahel

According to reports, boko harem was a militant group operating in north eastern Nigeria, Chad, Niger and northern Cameroon. Reportedly it split in 2016, resulting in the emergence of islamic state west Africa. According to reports, in 2013 the ownership of the Bakassi peninsula was transferred via the greentree agreement from Nigeria to Cameroon. Cameron is divided into anglophone and francophone Cameroon. Reportedly, the greentree agreement was backed by the u.n.

According to reports, in 2012 an armed conflict broke out involving the Tuareg people of northern Mali. Reportedly, one of Mali’s most common natural resources is gold, the third largest producer in Africa. According to a report, since 2019 Ghana has replaced south Africa as the largest producer of gold on the continent. There have been reports of the hijacking and killing of soldiers and freight drivers and protests at ports.