WORLD NEWS INFORMATION CENTER: July 2013

Tuesday 30 July 2013

"No MISTAKE"


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Daily Devotions from Lutheran Hour Ministries By Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM). "No MISTAKE" July 29, 2013 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14 In the world of finances there are mistakes, and there are MISTAKES. When your checkbook is 15 cents off, that is a mistake. When you find you've overpaid on your taxes, that is a mistake. When you are two days late on your house payment, that is a mistake. What happened to Chris Reynolds was a MISTAKE. In the month of June, Reynolds opened up his e-mail statement, which had come to him from PayPal. In case you don't know, PayPal is the service many people use to pay for things when they make a purchase on the Internet. At any rate, Reynolds opened his statement and discovered he was in the black. Actually, the notice said that he was $92,233,720,368,547,800 in the black. To put that number into perspective, that amount made him a million times richer than the next richest man in the world. When asked what he would do with the money, Reynolds said he would pay off the national debt. It would have been a noble gesture on Reynolds' part. Sadly, the $92 quadrillion was a MISTAKE. It took but a few minutes before PayPal realized its error, contacted Reynolds, apologized, and straightened out everything. So much for being the richest man in the world. Of course, I could rightly share that those who have the Savior are far richer than was Reynolds. No, our wealth is nothing we can take to the bank, and it's not cash we can use to purchase Christmas presents. Still, with Jesus we are rich beyond measure. When we have Jesus as our Savior, the debt for our sin is completely wiped out. That's something that doesn't happen even if you have $92 quadrillion. When Jesus is your Redeemer, you are given a place in the ultra-selective neighborhood of heaven. Indeed, heaven is such a special place that $92 quadrillion won't even rent a loft apartment. When the risen Lord of life lives within your heart, no longer need you be afraid of death and grave. That, my friends, is good news! It is good news because death can't be bribed to stay away, even if you offer him $92 quadrillion in cash. But the very best news of all is this: those who have been rescued by Jesus need not be afraid that their salvation is a MISTAKE. Jesus' life, suffering and death are real, reliable and eternal. THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I give thanks You really came to earth and paid for our many sins and MISTAKES. Now may I show my appreciation for my salvation by living a life of thankfulness and praise. In Your Name I ask it. Amen.

Thursday 25 July 2013

Tunisia: Opposition leader shot dead

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Gunmen shot dead the leader of a leftist Tunisian opposition party on Thursday morning, this year's second political assassination in the birthplace of the Arab Spring and another blow to the country's rocky transition to democracy.

Mohammed Brahmi, 58, of an Arab nationalist political party was in his car outside his home when gunmen fired several shots at him, said Interior Ministry spokesman Mohammed Ali Aroui.

The two attackers then sped off on a moped, according to a neighbor cited by the state news agency. Local media reported Brahmi was shot 11 times.

It is the second killing of an opposition member this year, following that of Chokri Belaid, a member of the same leftist Popular Front coalition as Brahmi. Belaid was also shot dead in his car outside his home in February. His killing provoked a political crisis that nearly derailed Tunisia's political transition.

Tunisia is led by the moderate Islamist Ennahda Party, which dominated elections in October 2011 and rules in a coalition with two secular parties.

The opposition has criticized Ennahda for not cracking down on Islamist extremists, and many members of Belaid's party hold the government responsible for his assassination.

Soon after news broke, crowds gathered outside the Interior Ministry in the heart of Tunis calling for the downfall of the government. There were also demonstrations in many parts of the country, including in Sidi Bouzid, Brahmi's impoverished hometown that was the birthplace of the uprising against the dictatorship in 2011. Crowds in the nearby town of Meknassi burned down the local headquarters of Ennahda.
"This day signifies the death of the democratic process in Tunisia," Nejib Chebbi of the liberal opposition Jomhouri (Republican) Party told local radio. "The government must leave."
Crowds gathered outside the hospital in the Ariana suburb of Tunis where Brahmi's body was laid out after he was shot. They then crowded around and hung onto to the ambulance taking it away for the official autopsy.
"This is really going to put Ennahda on the spot right now," said Laryssa Chomiak, director of the Tunis-based Institute for Maghreb Studies. "The Tunisian public was not happy with the way in which the Chokri Belaid assassination investigation was dealt with... if they mess this up, I think it's going to be extremely bad for them, for their domestic support."

The leader of Ennahda, Rachid Ghannouchi, told The Associated Press he was "very shocked" by this assassination, which comes just as the country needs stability to complete the new constitution and political transition.

"Tunisia was getting ready to crown its efforts to complete its transition, it was the last candle still lit," he said, referring to other Arab countries that revolted against dictatorship but have since known political instability. "The enemies of democracy want to snuff it out to enmesh Tunisia in the troubles found in the other countries of the Arab Spring."
On July 3, Egypt's elected Islamist government was overthrown by a military coup — an event closely watched by other Islamist parties that came to power in post-Arab Spring elections.
The killing comes as Tunisia was celebrating the 56th anniversary of becoming a republic after gaining independence from France. Mustapha Ben Jaafar, the speaker of the national assembly in which Brahmi was a legislator, announced Friday would be a day of mourning.
Tunisia is struggling with its democratic transition after overthrowing dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011. It faces a faltering economy, popular unrest over unmet expectations and a rising extremist Islamist movement.
The government has blamed Belaid's assassination in February on Islamist extremists and said that six suspects are still on the run and their names will soon be revealed. Belaid's death prompted the resignation of the prime minister and a cabinet reshuffle.
The latest assassination comes as Tunisia's drawn out transition approaches a milestone. The new constitution has been written and will be voted on in the coming weeks. Prime Minister Ali Larayedh promised on Monday that elections for a new president would be held before the end of the year.
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Schemm reported from Rabat, Morocco

‘Sons of Anarchy’ Season 6 Details: ‘It Has to Find Its Endgame’

With the premiere of Sons of Anarchy season 6 rapidly approaching, Comic Con 2013 wound up serving as a timely platform on which series creator Kurt Sutter and the rest of the cast could whet fan appetites for the furthering adventures of Jax Teller and the rest of SAMCRO, offering a sneak peek at some new footage and a chance for everyone to talk about where their character is headed in the series’ penultimate season.
To that end, the notion of the series reaching its conclusion was an early topic of discussion, and one that Sutter reportedly addressed by stating it was his desire that he and the show not overstay their welcome. So, with Sons of Anarchy tentatively scheduled to complete its run with a seventh and final season, and with the approach to the finale ostensibly starting in season 5 (as Sutter has previously mentioned that it was the beginning of the storyline’s third act), the primary objective for season 6 is to allow the story and the characters to become properly aligned, so that Sutter can begin to orchestrate his “endgame.”

Sutter had this to say about the conclusion of the series and how he envisions it all ending in a “pool of blood” – which seems obvious looking at the season’s poster:

“I think we’ve really created these characters and narratives that have been very organic to this world and I feel like we’re running towards the finish…ultimately it has to find its endgame…I have a sense of what I want the last scene of the show to be. How we’re going to get there and what that looks like, I’m not really sure.”

Sons of Anarchy Season 6 poster 280x170 Sons of Anarchy Season 6 Details: It Has to Find Its Endgame

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Of course, the start of what will be the final season is still 13 episodes away – which will actually work out to be longer, as FX just announced the season premiere (and likely other episodes) will run for 90-minutes – so while Sutter was able to address the possibility of wrapping up his saga of motorcycles, murder and mayhem in the fictional town of Charming, California, he was more focused on discussing where season 6 will be starting – and what big questions about Jax and his future the storyline will be focusing on.

“We begin season 6 a few days after season 5 and I think obviously there’s a lot of big events that happen at the end of season 5 and they will carry us through the season. Can [Jax] be the leader of this outlaw organization and still be a loving father and devoted father? In essence, can he have everything he wants and remain true to who he is? Is he destined to become Clay or is he destined to become JT?”

In that regard, Charlie Hunnam (Jax Teller) was able to comment on how much of a strain taking over as president of the Sons has been for Jax – not to mention the other difficulties in his barely-removed personal life, stemming from his ongoing battle with his stepfather, his tumultuous relationship with his mother and, as was seen late last season, the arrest of his wife Tara (Maggie Siff). Thankfully, Jax has his new VP, Chibs (Tommy Flanagan) onboard to help him through this difficult time, and, according to Flanagan, to stand in for the things Jax’s recent endeavors have left him lacking like, “maybe some conscience?”

Tommy Flanagan in Sons of Anarchy Crucifixed Sons of Anarchy Season 6 Details: It Has to Find Its Endgame

At any rate, Hunnam had this to say about his character:

“I think that he hadn’t anticipated quite how difficult it was going to be to lead. Much like many presidents who follow from their predecessor, it’s a difficult transition. I think that there’s shades of gray…There’s a lot on his agenda, I think.”

But following the events of the season 5 finale, ‘J’ai Obtenu Cette,’ no character likely has more on his agenda than Clay Morrow – who wound up not only being arrested, but realizing he’d been completely outplayed by an increasingly cunning and vicious opponent in his stepson Jax.
For Perlman, Clay’s journey this season will be one of starting over, as his character finds himself in a position of weakness and subjection that is unlike anything he’s ever tackled before. And should he find himself able to withstand the likely onslaught of Damon Pope’s men, he’ll still have Jax’s need for vengeance to look forward to.
Ron Perlman in Sons of Anarchy Darthy Sons of Anarchy Season 6 Details: It Has to Find Its Endgame

Ron Perlman in Sons of Anarchy Darthy Sons of Anarchy Season 6 Details: It Has to Find Its Endgame

Perlman stated:

“Season 6 is him knowing that there’s no more leveraging. There’s no more maneuvering. There’s no more choices. There’s just this bounty on his head and he’s no longer in control of how many minutes he’s got left. It’s the first time in his life when he’s not in the position to have any fight left in him. He’s worn out all his choices and he’s completely at the mercy of other forces.”

It sounds as though season 6 will begin with several characters operating from incredibly difficult positions, which seems like everyone is exactly where Sutter wants them to be. At any rate, the wait is almost over and fans can see for themselves what the beginning of the end has in store for all of SAMCRO.
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Sons of Anarchy season 6 premieres Tuesday, September 10 on FX.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Hitfix

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