John Ward – Christmas Day In The Workhouse, 2029 – 26 December 2014

Twas Christmas Day in the workhouse

at the postscript to reform:

the occupants all huddled round

the telly to keep warm.

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‘Children Are Victims Of Violence, Trade And Trafficking,’ Pope Says in Xmas Message – 26 December 2014

(Lucas : forgetting to mention the child sex abuse  and abuse in institutes and homes and schools run by the church!)

Children continue to be victims of violence, trade and abuse across the world, a fact bringing “so many tears” this Christmas, Pope Francis said in his Christmas message. He specifically decried the Pakistan massacre in which mostly children died.

READ MORE: ‘God stronger than darkness & corruption’: Pope delivers Christmas message

“May Jesus save the vast numbers of children who are victims of violence, made objects of trade and trafficking, or forced to become soldiers: children, so many abused children,” Pope Francis said in the pontiff’s traditional Christmas Day blessing called ‘Urbi et Orbi’ (to the city and the world) in St. Peter’s Square.
Read the full story at: www.rt.com / link to original article

Anti-Driving-Ban Activists In Saudi Arabia ‘To Face Terrorism Tribunal’ – 26 December 2014

Two women’s rights campaigners detained in Saudi Arabia will face a tribunal on charges of “terrorism”, following their campaigning activities, which led to one being arrested for trying to drive over the border from the UAE.

According to the activists who spoke to AFP, the ruling was issued in the city of Al-Ahsa, in the Eastern Province.

The initial attempt to cross the border, carried out by Loujain Hathloul, 25, was designed as a statement of sorts, while the other woman, a journalist from the United Arab Emirates, appeared at the scene later to show support, before also being arrested. They have now been in detention for nearly a month.

Read the full story at: www.rt.com / link to original article

ZeroHedge – Russia, China, Or America? “An Oppressed People Ruled By Others For Others” – 26 December 2014

Submitted by Thad Beversdorf via First Rebuttal blog,

“I’ve long thought that he has pursued a pre-World War Two course which could only end badly – a course in which his power is maximized by crushing internal opponents, expanding empire and using the military to frighten neighboring countries into submission.”, writes John Lloyd of Reuters.  I read this excerpt from his recent article and thought finally someone in mainstream media is honestly discussing the foreign policy of America, just to eventually find out he is actually talking about Putin.  However, Lloyd does go on to imply American foreign policy can be described much the same way.

Read the full story at: www.zerohedge.com / link to original article

Germans Hoard €6.6 Billion Worth Of Obsolete Deutschmarks – 26 December 2014

Despite the currency being replaced by the euro, Germans are still have some 12.9 billion in old Deutschmarks, an equivalent of €6.6 billion, the German central bank estimated. Nostalgia is the primary motive for keeping the old coins and notes.

Germany abolished the Deutschmark in 2002, when it entered the Eurozone. When European currencies were unified the Bundesbank started changing marks into euros at a fixed rate of about DM 1.96 per euro and will continue to do so indefinitely.

But a large number of the obsolete banknotes and coins remain, if not in circulation then in possession of the general populace, the bank reported this week. Its estimates say Germans hold 169 million notes and 24 billion coins of various denominations. Divided by Germany’s population of 81 million, this translates into an average of 82 euros per person.

Read the full story at: www.rt.com / link to original article

UK Police Misuse Pre-Charge Bail To Ban Activists From Protesting – Report – 26 December 2014

UK police forces are misusing pre-charge bail by banning hundreds of protestors from attending lawful demonstrations, The Guardian newspaper has revealed. Of all bailed protesters, eighty-five percent are never charged with any crime.

Since 2008 police have arrested at least 855 people in England and Wales and then released them on pre-charge bail, setting a date to return to the police station. Until their return, those bailed were prohibited from attending any demonstration. However, 85 percent, or about 732 people, have never been charged, according to data the Guardiancollectedusing the Freedom of Information Act.

Read the full story at: www.rt.com / link to original article

ZeroHedge – Japanese 10Y Yield Drops To Record Low; 2s Sell Subzero After BOJ Indirectly Buys Record Foreign Stocks – 26 December 2014

 While the rest of the world was preparing to celebrate Christmas, China was busy easing its economy into growth, and its stock market into low earth orbit, by lowering non-bank deposit reserve rates to zero as reported previously, while Japan was enjoying the consequences of the BOJ monetizing 100% of all gross JGB issuance, when overnight the Japanese Ministry of Finance not only sold $22 billion in 2 Year paper at a negative yield of -0.003%: the first time ever a government note (not bill) has sold at a negative yield, but the Japanese 10 Year yield dropped to 0.31%, declining below the previously all time low hit on April 2013 when the BOJ first announced its unprecedented QE program.

Read the full story at: www.zerohedge.com / link to original article

Russia’s Biggest Blacklisted Banks Appeal EU Sanctions – 26 December 2014

Russia’s two biggest lenders Sberbank and VTB, as well as Russia’s foreign development bank Vnesheconombank (VEB) have appealed to the European Court of Justice against EU sanctions, saying there was not enough evidence for their introduction.

The lenders also say the sanctions are illegal, as they violated WTO rules and some international agreements.

The sanctions imposed in July on Russian banks banned some of the biggest lenders from getting long-term borrowing from the international financial markets.

Read the full story at: www.rt.com / link to original article

‘Enhanced Interrogation’ Program Was Flawed, US Senate & CIA Agree – 26 December 2014

While the Senate Intelligence Committee and the CIA split hairs over a number of issues, including the effectiveness of obtaining reliable information through the use of torture, both sides agreed the enhanced interrogation program was mismanaged.

From forcing suspected terrorists into coffin-sized confinement boxes for many hours at a time, to not knowing the exact number of detainees being held at one facility, the 525-page Intelligence summary – a program in itself that took five years to compile at a cost of $40 million dollars – contains its share of stunning gems the CIA would have preferred never reached the light of day.

Read the full story at: www.rt.com /link to original article

James Corbett – The Corbett Report – The Net Is Mightier Than The Sword – James Corbett At TEDx Groningen – 26 December 2014

Link to podcast

Since the rise of the internet people have changed from mere audiences into authors and editors. With pieces of technology small enough to fit the whole world into your pocket, a revolution might be on its way. The net is now mightier than the sword. This presentation was delivered at the TEDxGroningen conference in the Netherlands on November 20, 2014.

www.corbettreport.com / link to original article