Berlusconi to remain prime minister of Italy even if convicted in two corruption trials

Silvio Berlusconi to stay on if convicted

Silvio Berlusconi will refuse to resign as prime minister of Italy even if he is convicted in two corruption trials due to begin later this month.

Telegraph | Nov 2, 2009

By Nick Squires in Rome

Mr Berlusconi, 73, who is battling a series of sex scandals and legal entanglements as well as a dose of scarlet fever, said a conviction would only strengthen his resolve to lead.

Italian law allows for two exhaustive levels of appeal, during which time the defendant remains at liberty. The appeals could take years and might extend the cases until they “time out” under Italy’s complicated statute of limitations system.

The first trial, which involves tax fraud and false accounting allegations involving his television empire Mediaset is due to start on November 16.

The second, in which he is accused of paying £370,000 bribe to his British tax accountant David Mills, the estranged husband of Cabinet minister Tessa Jowell, will resume shortly afterwards, on Nov 27. The prime minister denies all the charges.

Related

Berlusconi’s Little Hitlers

Berlusconi calls for global watchdog

Italian politians ‘made fascist salutes’ during tribute to Jews

Berlusconi’s Would-Be Successors Jostle for Mussolini’s Mantle

Berlusconi appears to admit to bribing judges in embarrassing slip

Italy’s senior politicians voice sympathy with fascist era of Benito Mussolini

Italy’s “Solution” to “Problem-Gypsy” fingerprinting Reaction: Fingerprint ALL citizens

“I still have confidence in the existence of serious magistrates who issue serious sentences, based on facts,” he said. “If there is a conviction at trial, we would be confronted with such a subversion of the truth that I would all the more feel the duty to resist (and stay) at my post to defend democracy and rule of law.”

Angelo Bonelli, an opposition MP, said the prime minister’s declaration sent “an unedifying message to the country”.

Both trials were frozen last year when Mr Berlusconi passed a law giving himself immunity from prosecution while in office.

His opponents said it was a brazen attempt to twist the law to serve his own ends. It was ruled unconstitutional by Italy’s highest court last month, a decision which prompted the prime minister to lash out at “communist” judges and magistrates who he claims are bent on destroying him.

The association of Italian magistrates denounced the attack as “groundless and ridiculous” and said it was considering calling a strike.

Rich ‘may evolve into separate species’

The rich could all be cyborgs in the future.

“Gradually, by selective breeding, the congenital differences between rulers and ruled will increase until they become almost different species. A revolt of the plebs would become as unthinkable as an organized insurrection of sheep against the practice of eating mutton.”

- Bertrand Russell, “The Impact of Science on Society”, 1953

The super-rich may evolve into a separate species entirely in the future due to enhancements in biotechnology and robotic engineering, American futurologist Paul Saffo has said.

Telegraph | Oct 25, 2009

By Amy Willis

Mr Saffo, from San Francisco, says in the future people will be able to grow their own replacement organs, take specially tailored drugs, and use genetic research tools to alert them from any possible hereditary health dangers.

He adds that tomorrow’s world will be a fusion of biology and technology, where robots do the chores, cars drive themselves and artificial limbs are better than real ones.

Mr Saffo’s comments reflect claims by American scientist Ray Kurzweil who only a few months ago said immortality was only 20 years away due to the speed of advancements in nanotechnology.

But Mr Saffo says these improvements would only be affordable to the super-rich. And because of this, he says, advancements may lead to a divide between the classes and eventually could lead to the super-rich evolving into a different species entirely, leaving his not-so-rich counterpart behind.

“In the 1980s it was the personal computer – came out of the garage, changed the world. In the 1990s it was the web. The next big device to wander into our lives is robots,” he told the Sunday Times.

“We may find we are absolutely dependent upon these electronic insects and that we don’t even know we are dependent upon them until something breaks.

“I sometimes wonder if the very rich can live, on average, 20 years longer than the poor. That’s 20 more years of earning and saving. Think about wealth and power and the advantages that you pass on to your children.”

CNN Hunts Down Freemasons in U.S. Government

peoplemagazinedaily.com | Oct 28, 2009

By Editorial Staff

The popularity of Dan Brown’s new book The Lost Symbol prompted CNN’s “am fix” to investigate the Freemasons in Congress and the White House.

Earth’s largest and oldest secret fraternity has had wide influence on the construction of Washington D.C.’s layout and the people who make up the U.S. government.

While in the halls of Congress on Oct. 6, CNN’s reporters were met mostly with politicians who did not want to speak to them. A couple senators did speak but divulged very little information about their fraternity.

CNN reports on Freemasons in Congress

WV Democratic Representative Nick Rahall educated the reporters about the Masonic compass and square symbol and recited a short history of his involvement as a Freemason.

The “my am” anchors let the viewers know they did not really believe Rahall when he said the Masons are not trying to rule the world.

CNN also briefly explained the Freemasonic connection to the Declaration of Independence, the founding fathers of the USA, members including Presidents and Congress members, and one of the many road symbols in the layout of Washington.

They only point out the Masonic compass and square created by the streets around the Capitol Building. Other occult Masonic formations include an owl around the Capitol Building, an upside-down pentagram stemming from the White House and a pyramid. We will explain these formations in greater depth in a later article.

Inequality is good, says Goldman Sachs chief, Lord Griffiths

Lord Griffiths has echoed the ‘Greed is good’ maxim by Gordon Gekko, played by Michael Douglas in the film Wall Street, by saying inequality is good

Inequality is good, says Goldman chief, echoing Gordon Gekko as he defends huge bank bonuses

Daily Mail | Oct 21, 2009

By Rupert Steiner

The vice-chairman of Goldman Sachs has launched an astonishing defence of bumper bonuses just a year after bankers brought the world’s economy to the brink of collapse.

In a speech likely to recall fictional banker Gordon Gekko in the film Wall Street – whose mantra ‘greed is good’ came to sum up the excesses of the 1980s – Lord Griffiths claimed taxpayers should ‘tolerate the inequality’.

And he insisted that banks should not be ashamed of rewarding staff.

His comments came as it was revealed that President Barack Obama is set to slash bonus payouts by as much as 90 per cent to executives at Wall Street banks that received billions of dollars in taxpayers’ cash.

Last week, Goldman Sachs provoked anger after revealing that it planned to lavish a record £13.4billion in pay and bonuses on its staff.

Around 5,500 of its employees work in London and are in line to pocket an average of £440,000 each after the bank revealed a sharp rise in profits.

Lord Griffiths, who was speaking at a debate on ethics held at St Paul’s Cathedral, said: ‘We have to accept that inequality is a way of achieving greater opportunity and prosperity for all.

‘We should not be ashamed of offering compensation in an internationally competitive market to ensure that businesses stay here and employ British people.’

The 67-year- old, a former adviser to Lady Thatcher, also said government attempts to rein in bonuses would only result in banks quitting Britain, causing huge damage to the economy.

‘We should think about the mediumterm common good and make sure that going forward we have one cluster of industry here in London – the financial sector,’ he said.

Lord Griffiths’s comments will be a major embarrassment for Chancellor Alistair Darling and Treasury minister Lord Myners, who have already promised to slam the brakes on corporate excesses.

They are also likely to enrage millions of credit-starved businesses and families hit by the credit crunch.

Full Story

Lord Mandelson and Nat Rothschild share Brazilian ambitions

When Lord Mandelson pays tribute to President Lula of Brazil at the Banqueting House in Whitehall on Bonfire Night, his Brazilian-born boyfriend, Reinaldo da Silva, will not be the only one hoping for friendships to sparkle. The Business Secretary’s holiday host Nat Rothschild has decided to expand massively his interests in Brazil.

Telegraph | Oct 10, 2009

By Richard Eden

Lord Rothschild’s heir has invested £75 million in BR Properties to take advantage of Brazil’s booming economy.

Nat, from whose villa in Corfu Peter Mandelson reportedly ran Britain while Gordon Brown was on holiday in August, is expected to take a seat on the board of BR Properties. His father is the chairman of the RIT Capital investment group, which is also taking a minority stake in the company.

Nat’s previous property interests centred on Montenegro, where he is investing with another of Mandelson’s chums, Oleg Deripaska, the controversial Russian oligarch.

Mandelson’s relationship with Nat became a major talking point when Mandrake disclosed last year that the former European trade commissioner had, while staying with Nat in Corfu, been entertained aboard the yacht of Deripaska, an aluminium tycoon, whose businesses benefited from tariffs the commission set.

Nat, who is the co-chairman of the hedge fund Atticus Capital, has been linked to the son of the Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam Muammar al-Gaddafi. In 2009, Saif threw his 37th birthday party at the Splendid Hotel in Becici, Montenegro.

Thai army to enforce royal censorship laws

In Thailand it is a criminal offence to criticise the monarchy  Photo: Bloomberg News

Thailand’s armed forces have been urged to listen out for insults to the monarchy and report any ‘disinformation’ to authorities.

Telegraph | Sep 28, 2009

By Nick Collins

This would involve the country’s lèse majesté – or “injured majesty” – laws, which punish anyone who speaks out against the king, queen or heir.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej, whose 63 years on the throne make him the world’s longest serving monarch, is revered as a demi-god by some of his countrymen, especially in rural areas where he has initiated more than 4,000 development projects.

The move to tighten the laws comes as the 81-year-old king recovers in hospital from a bout of fever.

Colonel Thanathip Sawangseang, a defence ministry spokesman, told AFP: “We asked all personnel and their families to be vigilant for websites or any other media that insult the monarchy.

“We want them to be our eyes and ears. It’s not the ministry’s direct task, but it’s a national security issue.”

The army, navy and air force were told to inform police, the information and communications technology ministry (ICT) or the defence ministry if they come across any anti-monarchy material.

The ICT’s “war room”, which is dedicated to protecting the royals, has closed or blocked 19,000 internet pages since it was set up earlier this year.

Those who fall foul of the lèse majesté laws, which were passed by parliament and cannot be revoked by the king, can be jailed for up to fifteen years.

The king himself has spoken out against the laws, saying that criticism of him should be allowed, and he frequently pardons foreigners who fall foul of them.

Dr Lee Jones, an expert in south-east Asian politics from Queen Mary, University of London, said: “The rush of prosecutions has got nothing to do with the king and everything to do with the present government and its supporters who want their broader political and economic interests to be advanced.

“Certain people would like him to be treated as a deity and others have a different view. The cult around the monarchy only dates back to the 1930s when the military spun a mystique around them and banned any critical discussion of them.

“In 2006 there was a coup [in which] the army overthrew the government in the name of maintaining Thailand’s political stability. The king gave the coup his seal of approval, and that gives them a semblance of legitimacy.

“My suspicion is that, because he is now old and ill and his son is very unpopular, they are afraid that this symbol they have been using for many years to enhance their political stability is under threat.”

Last month Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul, a leader of the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship, was sentenced to 18 years in prison after being found guilty of multiple charges of insulting the monarchy during political rallies.

Thailand was the subject of global attention in 2007 when it blocked the file-sharing website YouTube after clips mocking King Bhumibol were uploaded.

Closet royalist Paul McCartney

Sir Paul McCartney was made Member of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth in 1997 for helping to revolutionize pop music. (AP Photos/PA, File)

He writes that “no rioting nor killing will take place because present day royalty rules with affection rather than force”.

Royal Watch News | Sep 28, 2009

Sir Paul McCartney wrote an essay in support of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth aged 10.

The Beatles star wrote the document to commemorate the queen’s 1953 coronation, and impressed Liverpool’s Lord Mayor so much Paul was awarded a book token.

Related

Call to scrap British knighthoods

British royal family to be exempt from any cuts in public spending

Cherie Blair: The Queen is the Head of State and Prince Phillip is the First Lady

The Beatles were made MBE's in 1965

In the essay, Paul pays tribute to “our lovely young Queen”.
He wrote the 300-word piece while studying at Joseph Williams Junior School in Belle Vale, Liverpool.

It is believed to be earliest piece of his work in existence, and was given to the local library.

Kevin Roache, who found the work in library archives and is writing about the McCartney family, said: “I’m not surprised that it was pro-royalist, bearing in mind attitudes of the time and because his father, James, was a royalist.”

In the essay, Paul compares Queen Elizabeth’s coronation with that of William the Conqueror, who became king in 1066.

Paul McCartney is knighted individually by Queen Elizabeth in 1997

He writes that “no rioting nor killing will take place because present day royalty rules with affection rather than force”.

Calling the event a “marvellous spectacle”, Paul, now 66, explains London children were awarded free seats to watch.

He discusses a special cup with Queen Elizabeth I and II on it, adding: “After all this bother, many people will agree with me that it was well worth it.”
He also spells “souvenirs” incorrectly, with his teacher also pointing out he should not have started two of his sentences with “but”.

Malta’s hidden history

Knights of Malta’s punishment for blasphemy in the Mdina Dungeons. Photo: Eddie Gerald (c) Rough Guides

One moves from a giant cave in Vittoriosa where the Knights of the Order of St John kept their slaves, to the shelters where the Maltese took refuge during World War II, then, linking the two ages, the tunnels beneath the Grandmaster’s Palace where Churchill and Roosevelt met before Yalta.

Malta Independent | Sep 23, 2009

The first volume of Underground Malta 360°, the seventh issue in the monthly Miranda 360° collection of magazines, will be published with The Times tomorrow.

Underground conjures up images of the concealed, the unusual. It is natural and prehistoric such as at Ghar Dalam. Yet, it’s also man-made and modern as in the Has-Saptan oil storage tunnels.

Underground is protected from the elements as in the case of the stunning 12th century frescoes at St Agatha’s Catacombs in Rabat where there is an abundance of crypts and an extraordinary Byzantine chapel.

Extensive underground worlds were created by the military. One moves from a giant cave in Vittoriosa where the Knights of the Order of St John kept their slaves, to the shelters where the Maltese took refuge during World War II, then, linking the two ages, the tunnels beneath the Grandmaster’s Palace where Churchill and Roosevelt met before Yalta.

Underground can be useful space too such as the underground flour mill in Xlendi. Underground is, ultimately, wonder and discovery.

This is what Underground Malta 360° portrays – Malta’s hidden history. It is the first volume in a series of two that reveals the islands that never cease to surprise.

The Miranda 360° Collection is printed by Progress Press, a member of the Allied Group. As customary, tomorrow’s issue will be printed on FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified paper. FSC is an international, non-profit organisation that promotes the responsible management of the world’s forests and helps ensure that they will not be destroyed for future generations.

_________

Related

The Mdina Dungeons
The Mdina Dungeons are located beneath the Magisterial Vilhena Palace just inside the main entrance gate to Mdina, at the first turning on the right. Here in these series of secret underground passageways, chambers and cells a number of events, and the often mysterious circumstances surrounding them, have been recreated to portray events from the dark side of Maltese history. From Roman times to the Arabs, the Knights and even Napoleon, you will find episodes and characters from the ancient past portrayed in startling realism, revealing stories sometimes too dramatic to be believed. Whilst you wander at your own pace, you will discover at every turn Drama, Mystery and even Horror from dark forgotten days in an atmosphere of an authentic Medieval Dungeon.

Malta – Mdina dungeons: The Knights’ period
During the period of the Knights times were hard and so were the laws of the land. What today seems trifling, was then severely dealt with and some of the following offences were established by law. Blasphemy was severely punished, and those found guilty of the first offence had their tongues pierced with a needle. Slaves who refused work had their ears cut off. Criminals were liable to be punished by having their hands chopped off.

Grandmaster’s Palace
The Knights of Malta bought the house commissioned Gerolamo Cassar to design the palace. In the 18th-century traveller, Patrick Brydone, noted that ‘the Grand Master (who studies conveniency more than magnificence) is more comfortably and commodiously, lodged than any prince in Europe, the King of Sardenia perhaps only excepted’

Legal action could lift the lid on Northern Ireland’s Freemasons

belfasttelegraph.co.uk | Sep 21, 2009

The internal workings of one of the most secretive institutions in Ireland, the Masonic Order, may be publicly exposed after a writ was issued in the High Court in Belfast against a provincial grand master and the general secretary in Dublin.

News of the unprecedented legal action comes as The Lost Symbol, the new novel by Dan Brown about the pursuit of “ancient mysteries” hidden in Washington DC by the Freemasons, hit the shelves and sold millions in its first week of publication.

The legal proceedings by father and son Stewart and Brian Hood has rocked the arcane world of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland.

Neither party would discuss the issues behind the High Court action but sources within the Masonic say it relates to serious disagreements and disciplinary actions within the Antrim provincial lodge that arose more than two years ago.

A writ naming Barry Lyons, the grand secretary of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in Ireland, whose headquarters is in Molesworth Street in Dublin, is expected to be served in the coming days.

Mr Lyons is named in the writ lodged in the High Court in Belfast on September 10, which afforded the order 21 days to have an appearance entered on behalf of the Grand Lodge. In February 2007, the Antrim provincial lodge was rocked after secretly taped recordings of meetings held in its Rosemary Street Hall in Belfast were sent in the post to members of the lodge. The PSNI was asked to investigate the incident but detectives told the Masons that they were unable to establish that a criminal offence had been committed.

Since then there have been attempts to resolve the issues that have caused friction within the Antrim Masons, which is thought to have around 7,000 members.

Within the Masons, the official line has been that the dispute was resolved through Grand Lodge-directed mediation, but the High Court writ issued 10 days ago by the Hoods against John Dunlop, the provincial grand master of Antrim and the general secretary of the Masons in Ireland, has stunned the membership.

Businessman Brian Hood declined to discuss any details of the action, but did say: “I can confirm that my father and I have laid the writ. We are happy to be Freemasons but are appalled at the conduct of the management of the provincial lodge of Antrim.

“It is our intention to have a court hearing. If we cannot get a fair hearing and justice within the Masonic Order, then we have to seek justice elsewhere and take steps to have injustice addressed.”

In a quarterly communication in June 2007, posted on its website, the Grand Lodge of Ireland included a minute referring to the dispute in Antrim.

“The assistant grand master reported on the findings of the sub-committee chaired by himself, set up to consider complaints between Brethren in Antrim and Senior Provincial Grand Lodge Officers in Antrim,” it said.

In June of last year, the Grand Lodge website assured members that the dispute in the Antrim Lodge had been resolved.

When asked last week whether the Antrim provincial grand master and the general secretary would defend the writ, a member of staff at the Masons Rosemary Street office in Belfast would only say: “We are not making any comment at the moment.”

Catholic Freemason Lauds Dan Brown’s Lost Symbol

American Freemason Lauds Dan Brown’s Lost Symbol; Launches Website as Proof to Brown’s Claim

PRWeb | Sep 21, 2009

American Freemason and New York psychologist Dr. Patrick Swift launches website InterfaithReligiousTolerance.net as proof to one of Dan Brown’s claims regarding Freemasonry in the Lost Symbol. Swift is editor of the website, a member of George Washington Lodge #285 in New York City, and a practicing Catholic who previously studied to become a Jesuit priest.

New York, NY (PRWEB) September 21, 2009 — American Freemason and New York psychologist Dr. Patrick Swift launches website InterfaithReligiousTolerance.net as proof to one of Dan Brown’s claims regarding Freemasonry in the Lost Symbol. Swift is editor of the website, a member of George Washington Lodge #285 in New York City, and a practicing Catholic who previously studied to become a Jesuit priest.

In The Lost Symbol (http://www.thelostsymbol.com/), Dan Brown presents his main character Robert Langdon teaching that, “One of the prerequisites for becoming a Mason is that you must believe in a higher power. The difference between Masonic spirituality and organized religion is that the Masons do not impose a specific definition or name on a higher power.” Swift supports that statement as accurate, but says Brown takes artistic license as well. “He is absolutely correct to write that religious tolerance is one of the foundational principles of Freemasonry,” says Swift. “It’s what drew me to the Fraternity in the first place, and continues to inspire me today. I must say though that I’m no official voice for Freemasonry.”

“I have enormous respect for the Masons,” Brown told The Associated Press during a recent interview (Yahoo! News) (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090915/ap_en_ot/us_books_brown_masons). “In the most fundamental terms, with different cultures killing each other over whose version of God is correct, here is a worldwide organization that essentially says, `We don’t care what you call God, or what you think about God, only that you believe in a God and let’s all stand together as brothers and look in the same direction.”

A healthcare provider to 9/11 victims and author of One Mountain, Many Paths, Swift promotes religious tolerance with his website and offers it as proof that at least one of Brown’s basic claims about Freemasonry is accurate. According to the website, the mission of InterfaithReligiousTolerance.net is to promote communication and constructive dialogue between people of faith – regardless of any difference in spiritual orientation, faith, creed, or religious denomination (details) (http://www.interfaithreligioustolerance.net/About.html).

“I feel compelled to speak out in support of religious tolerance because intolerance and bigotry threaten to tear our country and our world apart,” says Swift.  “Religious tolerance is a basic American value within our government and our Constitution. Founding Fathers like George Washington, Ben Franklin, Paul Revere, and John Hancock understood the importance of this as Freemasons.”

Holding a firm belief that our likenesses vastly outnumber our differences, Swift compiled his award-winning book One Mountain, Many Paths (Double Eagle Press) in the wake of 9/11. Swift’s book contains uplifting quotes from the sacred texts of all the great religious traditions, organized into chapters such as “Love One Another” and “Love Your Enemy.” Swift is giving away free copies of his book online at InterfaithReligiousTolerance.net (http://www.interfaithreligioustolerance.net/).

A clinical psychologist at a major medical center in Manhattan with faculty appointments in neurology and rehabilitation medicine, Swift has cared for thousands of people from different faiths and offers diversity training to healthcare providers (details at PatrickSwift.com (http://www.patrickswift.com/). “One of my favorite stories involves a time when I worked with a Muslim physician from Pakistan to care for a Hindu patient from India, with me as a Catholic neuropsychologist from Texas. Religion doesn’t have to be a dividing force between us. It can actually bring us closer together.”

Click here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af6WKMh-t7o) to watch Dr. Swift speak at a performing arts center in Ohio. See him on the O’Reilly Factor here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw1djiEEARA).

About Double Eagle Press LLC:

Established in 2006, Double Eagle Press’ mission is to produce hardcover, trade paperback, and e-book editions that make a positive difference in the world. Their consumers are people who care about the world in which they live and strive for peace and tranquility in their own lives. National and international book distribution is available through Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and The Bookmasters Group. Double Eagle Press publishes Interfaith Religious Tolerance.net and is solely responsible for its content.

Contact:

Dr. Patrick Swift

Double Eagle Press LLC

(862) 205-1924

###

Contact Information
Patrick Swift
InterfaithReligiousTolerance.net

http://www.interfaithreligioustolerance.net/

(862) 205-1924