FAO tries to tackle the crisis in the Horn of Africa

FAO held today at its headquarters in Rome an international emergency meeting to discuss measures needed to tackle the crisis in the Horn of Africa, where 11 million people are in critical situation due to the devastating effects of drought in the area. The meeting was organized by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) at the request of the French Government as current president of the G-20.

Dead Sea, Israel intercepted a ship carrying weapons

The Israeli army intercepted Monday, July 25, a boat with two Palestinians carrying weapons on board the Dead Sea, said a statement from the spokesman of the army. The ship was carrying several assault rifles Kalashnikov, ammunition and other weapons, the statement said adding that the two Palestinians arrested were interrogated by security services.

When questioned by the, a military spokesman was not able to give more details including the exact location of these Palestinians were arrested, nor the place from where they left. "A more accurate statement would be issued later," she was merely stated. Army Radio, for its part, said that the boat was intercepted an inflatable boat from Jordan.

The author of the killing this morning of Norway appears in court

The far-right Behring Anders Breivik, 32, confessed author of the massacre of Norway, was completed shortly after 14.30, CET, his first statement to the judge three days after the double attack that has shocked the Nordic nation and rest of Europe and killed 93 people. The hearing was closed by decision of the judge, Kim Kim Heger, and without the presence of media.

So far, unaware of the content of their appearance, but the judge is scheduled to make a statement in the coming hours. The police have asked for eight weeks detention renewable twice the usual time. According to Geir Lippestad forward, defendant's attorney, Breivik believes that the crimes were "appalling but necessary" and believes he does not deserve any punishment for them.

Meeting of the UN for Africa

The United Nations has convened Monday, July 25 in Rome, an emergency meeting to stop the famine in the Horn of Africa where 12 million people are affected by drought, under pressure from NGOs calling on leaders world to keep their promises. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, tens of thousands of people have died in recent weeks, victims of drought, the worst for sixty years, affecting the entire region: Somalia , where the UN has formally declared the famine in two southern regions, Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti, Sudan and Uganda.

Japan adopts a budget for post-earthquake reconstruction

The Japanese parliament finally adopted, Monday, July 25, a supplementary budget of 2000 billion yen  to finance the reconstruction of areas devastated by the earthquake and tsunami of March 11 (five days after adoption by the lower house). This allocation of additional funds is seen as a compromise of waiting, after the first of 4,000 billion yen   and before the discussions relating to a third expected to be approximately 10,000 billion yen.

Ireland, the Holy See responds to allegations pedophile priests, calling back the nuncio

The Vatican Secretariat drew the apostolic nuncio in Ireland, Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, for consultations following the publication, on July 13 last year, the report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Dublin government abuses committed against minors by priests of the diocese of Cloyne, south of the country.

The Secretary of State and other Vatican departments should develop a formal response to requests from the Irish government about the Vatican's involvement in the cover and cover-up of cases of sexual abuse committed by members of the Irish clergy. This is the first Vatican's response to the harsh indictment delivered in Parliament on Wednesday by the Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, that "the commission's report has highlighted the attempt of the Holy See to block an investigation into a sovereign, democratic and Republic no more than three years ago, not thirty years ago.

U.S. debt: the countdown has begun

New York Correspondent - While it is less than a week to the U.S. government to raise the ceiling on public debt, negotiations between the White House and leaders of both parties, Republicans (opposition majority in the House representatives) and Democrats (the majority in the Senate), ended with a new statement of disagreement, Sunday, July 24.

No compromise could be approved by a majority of both houses could be reached. Or an increase in the ceiling is essential that the country can borrow enough to pay all civil servants, teachers and military, its creditors (the retirees who have contributed all their lives, for example), those that attend (insurance -health of the poor in particular), and finally the open interest on its debt.