All Purpose Politics and News Thread

[Natalka]

Brad Wall ‏@PremierBradWall 21h21 hours ago



SK ppl pay $500M/year to equalization b/c of mining, energy, agriculture sectors. Isn't that kinda like paying a federal carbon tax already?

[Darth Penguin]

Thai king dies aged 88

Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, has died after 70 years on the throne, the palace says.
The king, 88, was widely revered in Thailand. He was seen as a stabilising figure in a country hit by cycles of political turmoil and multiple coups.
He had been in poor health in recent years and made few public appearances.
The king's death comes as Thailand remains under military rule following a coup in 2014.

[Natalka]

António Guterres appointed next UN Secretary-General by acclamation



13 October 2016 – The General Assembly today appointed by acclamation the former Prime Minister of Portugal, António Guterres, as the next United Nations Secretary-General, to succeed Ban Ki-moon when he steps down on 31 December.


Mr. Guterres, aged 67, was Prime Minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015. He will become the world's top diplomat on 1 January 2017, and hold that post for the next five years.

Thanking the General Assembly for appointing him as the next Secretary-General, Mr. Guterres said he was grateful to the Member States for their trust in him as well as for the transparent and open selection process they undertook.

“I believe this process means that the true winner today is the credibility of the UN. And it also made very clear to me that, as Secretary-General, having been chosen by all Member States, I must be at the service of them all equally and with no agenda but the one enshrined in the UN Charter,” said Mr. Guterres.

He also underlined that alleviating the suffering of the vulnerable people, in particular the refugees and those in conflict zones, and gender equality would remain key priorities for him during his tenure.
Secretary-General-designate Guterres also reiterated his belief in the values of peace, justice, human dignity, tolerance and solidarity, as well as his belief that diversity is a “tremendous asset” and not a threat.

Mr. Guterres also applauded the work of the current Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and said that he would try his “utmost to honour” Mr. Ban’s legacy.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.as...5#.WAC7_Uv1W70

[gryphon]

Jim Prentice has died in a plane crash
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...lled-1.3804941

[lecale]

Role model...thank you Liberal transparency rules! The truth comes out!

Rona Ambrose’s nearly $320,000 in expenses leads MPs for first half of 2016: analysis
http://www.canada.com/news/national/...240/story.html

[T]he National Post can report that no MP racked up more expenses in the first six months of the year than Ambrose.

But she's a party leader!

Thomas Mulcair, the NDP leader, spent $58,782 on travel in the same period, including $5,527 spent on his designated traveller. The average travel bill for all Quebec MPs was $11,861.

[Natalka]

She's more than a party leader, she's the leader of the opposition; she's had to travel across the country a lot more - and is very hard-working!

Uh, Mr. Mulcair has been hiding a lot since the election, not really a good comparison.

[seylz_gurl]

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/10..._hp_ref=canada

Spain hasn't had a gov't for 300 days, almost a year, and their economy is booming.

[Darth Penguin]

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/10..._hp_ref=canada

Spain hasn't had a gov't for 300 days, almost a year, and their economy is booming.

There's no sense of panic, however. A CIS survey this month showed Spaniards' chief worry — by far — is the country's 20 per cent unemployment rate. After that, those questioned expressed concern about corruption and disappointment with politicians and political parties. The absence of a government came in fifth.

well apart from the 20% who don't have jobs...

[Darth Penguin]

Fraternity at University of Missouri accused of teaching Pledges to use date-rape drugs

University of Missouri officials are investigating a fraternity accused of giving pledges date rape drugs and instructions on how to use them on female students.
Delta Upsilon fraternity, which has already been suspended for possible racial problems, is also being investigated for allegedly serving alcohol to underage students and hazing pledges, a school spokeswoman confirmed to KTLA sister station KTVI in St. Louis.
In a letter to the fraternity from the Office for Civil Rights and Title IX Assistant Vice Chancellor, Assistant Vice Provost Ellen Eardley wrote:

“Active members of delta upsilon fraternity allegedly provided each new member with three pills and instructed them to drug women for the purpose of incapacitating them prior to engaging in sexual activity. it has been alleged that new members are required to engage in such conduct in order to complete the initiation process.”

News of the investigation has students like Kenya Liddell talking.
“We’re supposed to be doing the right thing and being leaders of tomorrow,” she said.
Student Sam Nelson said, “It’s frankly terrifying that men think it’s okay to drug women and take advantage of them.”
The documents are from police reports and the Department of Student Life, among other organizations, and contain claims from young women who believed they were drugged.

[Lynn49]

Fraternity at University of Missouri accused of teaching Pledges to use date-rape drugs

How come $hit like this doesn't surprise me anymore? Am I becoming numb to the disappointments society is offering up these days?

[Darth Penguin]

Man who shot in self-defense sentenced to 20 years

The Florida man who fired a gunshot at perpetual menace George Zimmerman was sentenced to 20 years in prison Monday for attempted murder. Matthew Apperson, 37, had testified that he shot in self-defense during a road rage incident with Zimmerman last year. He said Zimmerman's intimidating reputation — especially for his fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin — made him fear for his life.
But a Seminole County jury convicted Apperson last month of attempted second-degree murder, as well as shooting into an occupied vehicle and aggravated assault. Twenty years is Florida’s mandatory minimum sentence for shooting at another person with a gun.
Speaking to the Daily News, Apperson's wife said Zimmerman got "a hall pass to go out there and continue to be reckless."
"I am disgusted that our justice system has become so unjust," Lisa Apperson said.

[Darth Penguin]

Aberfan survivors mark 50th anniversary of disaster

Wales fell silent at 9.15am on Friday, exactly 50 years after thousands of tonnes of slurry and coal waste engulfed Pantglas junior school in Aberfan, claiming the lives of 116 children and 28 adults.
Survivors of the Aberfan disaster who were pulled from the rubble, and families who lost children, were joining dignitaries including Prince Charles at ceremonies in the village.

Among the survivors was Gaynor Madgwick, whose brother Carl and sister Marilyn died in the disaster. Madgwick has written vividly about the tragedy and is prepared to talk in detail about it, but she told the Guardian she felt “washed out” by the emotion of this particular anniversary. “It is different,” she said. “The amount of attention we’ve received has made it more intense for me.”
The media attention that surrounds the visits of royalty and government ministers would not be here next year, Madgwick said. “But we’ll still be here. We were here for the 49th anniversary, and we’ll be here for the 51st. I’ll be coming here until the day I die.”

[Darth Penguin]

Baby Jesus statue in Sudbury turns heads

A handmade terracotta sculpture of baby Jesus’s head that was added to a broken statue outside a Catholic church in Canada has prompted amusement and disappointment, with some likening it to the now infamous attempt by a Spanish woman to restore a crumbling fresco of Jesus.

For nearly a decade, a white stone statue of Mary and baby Jesus has stood outside Ste Anne des Pins Catholic church in downtown Sudbury. At times vandals had targeted the statue, leaving the head of baby Jesus rolling on the ground nearby.
About a year ago, the head of baby Jesus was knocked off again. This time, it seemed, the vandals had taken it with them.
The statue stood headless for months as the church’s priest, Gérard Lajeunesse, asked local businesses about crafting a new head. It would have to be custom-made, he was told, and could cost as much as C$10,000 ($7,500).
It was around then that he received a knock on his door from a local artist. Heather Wise had been walking the church’s grounds with a friend when she noticed the headless statue.

“I was so sad,” she told Sudbury.Com. “My feelings were hurt when I saw it, because I thought, ‘Who would do that?’ It’s just not a positive feeling to see that. I said ‘I’m an artist, I would like to fix it.’”
She had learned how to sculpt at a local college, but had never worked with stone. Still, she felt compelled to help. “I knocked on the door, talked to the priest and we’ve been getting this together, because we had to find out a way of doing it.”
Wise spent hours crafting the bright orange clay head. “To do a statue of baby Jesus for a church is like an honour of my entire art career,” she said, explaining that she would aim to sculpt a permanent head out of stone by next year.
The new head was attached about two weeks ago. Reaction was swift; parishioners reacted with hurt, surprise and disappointment, Father Lajeunesse told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
While he understood their point of view – “It really is shocking to the eyes because of the big contrast in colour” – he was stumped at how to handle the situation. “I wasn’t trained for this in seminary.”

[Natalka]

^ I heard him interviewed on CBC radio's As It Happens last night - people just don't realize it's temporary.
Hoping someone steps up to do it, who has experience in working with stone, even though the local artist is willing to try.

[Lynn49]

Baby Jesus statue in Sudbury turns heads

CAN you believe it??!! And yes, it is temporary, someone just did a "quickie" to replace the head and obviously made it look more like a gargoyle! A well-known artist has been commissioned to make a suitable head which will be ready in the spring. Why it takes so long, I have no idea. I think the statue's head should be lopped off and the unit covered over until spring. SO stupid!!!