Volunteers from the Scientology Center of Tel Aviv help clean tar from a nearby beach after last week’s oil spill.
Scientology Volunteers Help Clean Up After a Massive Oil Spill—One of the Worst Ecological Disasters in Israel’s History
Volunteers from the Scientology Center of Tel Aviv join in the effort to remove tar from Israel’s Mediterranean beaches.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, March 4, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — With 14 kilometers of Mediterranean coast drawing surfers, swimmers, locals and tourists, Tel Aviv has been ranked by National Geographic as one of the top 10 beach cities in the world. But the beaches are in the news for a different reason this week. A serious oil spill has washed up an estimated 1,000 tons of tar onto the country’s shoreline. The Ministries of Health, Interior and Environmental Protection have asked the public “not to go [to the beaches] to swim, or do sports or leisure activities until further notice,” noting “exposure to tar could harm public health.”
Responding to a call from the Tel Aviv Municipality in Jaffa, volunteers from the Scientology Center of Tel Aviv took off to clean up a stretch of beach 20 miles to the north. Rough terrain makes the beach inaccessible to cars so they traveled by 4X4 SUVs. This beach will take them several more visits to complete and they plan to carry on there and in other sections of the more than 100 miles of the country’s Mediterranean coastline devastated by this environmental catastrophe.
Wearing their signature bright yellow T-shirts and protective masks and gloves, these volunteers have been active in the effort to help the city get through the COVID-19 pandemic, carrying out hundreds of hours of volunteer work each week to help the community.
Once again the controversial measure to make the Bible the official book of Tennessee is before the state legislature.
Rep. Jerry Sexton, R-Bean Station, recently introduced a house joint resolution, HJR 150, to add the Christian tome to the list of symbols and honors already in the Tennessee Blue Book. It is among a slate of religion-related legislation up for consideration this session.
It marks the third time such an attempt has been made, including the 2015 bill that resulted in one of former Republican Gov. Bill Haslam’s few career vetoes. Sexton, who declined to comment, has sponsored each effort.
The previous attempts raised constitutional concerns about the state endorsing a religion. A national atheist organization objected as did Christians, like Haslam, who worried lumping the Bible in with the state bird, flower and rifle trivialized the sacred text.
Similar to the explanation Sexton gave during a 2020 Bible bill debate, the new resolution emphasizes the role family Bibles have played in genealogy as well as the financial impact of Tennessee’s Bible publishing industry.
The resolution also points out the religious connections of other items listed in the Tennessee Blue Book, which includes information about state government and history and is published by the Secretary of State’s office. They include the Christian symbolism associated with the passion flower, one of the state’s wildflowers, and the references to God in two of the state songs.
Separation of church and state, but not religion and politics
So far this session, lawmakers have introduced other pieces of legislation that explicitly address religion. Some advocate for more religious protections amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic while others wade into the latest hot button societal issues.
This is not new. State lawmakers regularly mix religion with policymaking. Sometimes it’s controversial.
As examples, lawmakers have introduced measures advocating for more religious protections. Nationwide, the religious freedom debate often pits the rights of LGBTQ people against religious protections for conservative Christians. There has also been Islam-related legislation that advocacy organizations considered to be derogatory and some bills have been copycat legislation written by special interest groups and introduced across the country.
“We have the separation of church and state — or at least we’re supposed to have the separation of church and state — but what that does not mean is the separation of faith and politics,” said the Rev. Clay Stauffer, a Nashville minister who teaches about the relationship between religion and partisan politics at Vanderbilt University.
“What you have are a number of legislators who are bringing their faith into into the Senate and the House and are trying to push bills that will make their constituents happy.”
While Tennessee has religious diversity and an increasing number of people who are not affiliated with any faith tradition, the majority of the red state’s residents identify as Christian and so do its lawmakers in the Republican-controlled state legislature.
People are concerned religious protections are being eroded, especially free speech issues, Stauffer said. But making the Bible the official state book could raise questions about whose freedoms are being protected and whose are not, he said. Stauffer, who agreed with Haslam’s take on the Bible bill he vetoed, wonders how giving the sacred text this special designation would make Tennesseans of other faiths feel.
Other measures before the state legislature
Here are some of the religion-related bills and resolutions up for consideration this session:
Senate Joint Resolution 55 proposes amending the Tennessee constitution to remove the ban on clergy serving in the state legislature. It is sponsored by Sen. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon.
While still on the books, the provision is outdated. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1961 that religious tests for holding public office are unconstitutional. Currently, there are members of the state legislature that are also ministers.
However SJR 55 does not address the state constitution’s ban on atheists serving in public office. In 2014, the national group Openly Secular pushed to have Tennessee’s ban and similar ones in seven other states removed.
HB 1137/SB 1197 would prohibit public officials and government agencies from placing restrictions on churches and other religious organizations during a state of emergency or other disaster. It is sponsored by Rep. Rusty Grills, R-Newbern, and Sen. Janice Bowling, R-Tullahoma.
The Tennessee bill is similar to others being considered by state legislatures across the U.S., according to an analysis by the Deseret News. Restrictions on houses of worship became a contentious issue amid the pandemic. In recent court decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court has sided with houses of worship that challenged restrictions placed on religious gatherings amid the pandemic.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed an order preventing limitations from being applied to houses of worship in the state. Prior to that, a Chattanooga church sued the city’s mayor over a ban on drive-in style worship services, but the mayor reversed course.
HB 588/SB 597would provide a religious exemption for jury duty. It is sponsored by Rep. Kirk Haston, R-Lobelville, and Sen. Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald.
On Tuesday, Haston told the House civil justice subcommittee that he brought the bill on behalf of leaders of a Mennonite community in his district. The subcommittee referred the bill for summer study, effectively delaying the bill’s passage for the year.
HB 372/SB 193would prevent the government from requiring employees to participate in trainings and seminars that go against their morals, ethics, values or religious beliefs. It is sponsored by Rep. Glen Casada, R-Franklin, and Sen. Janice Bowling, R-Tullahoma.
The Tennessee Equality Project, an LGBTQ advocacy group, has added the bill to its annual “slate of hate” list, raising concerns it would undermine inclusion training in the workplace. Diversity training for federal employees also became a target of former President Donald Trump’s administration.
HB 859/SB 695 would bar social media platforms from saying in their contracts they censor religious or political speech. It is sponsored by Rep. Bruce Griffey, R-Paris, and Sen. Frank Nicely, R-Strawberry Plains.
Censorship on social media is receiving scrutiny. Trump and others have raised concerns conservatives are being unfairly targeted by the tech companies, according to a USA TODAY. But a recent report by New York University found there is no evidence to support that Facebook, Twitter or YouTube are doing so.
Reach Holly Meyer at [email protected] or 615-259-8241 and on Twitter @HollyAMeyer.
The European Parliament has delayed deciding a date for the vote to approve the Brexit trade deal with the UK after London “violated” the terms of the agreement.
The Conference of Presidents – a body consisting of the Parliament’s president and the chairs of its political groupings – agreed to postpone the decision until they meet next week, a source at the European Parliament told Euronews.
Parliamentary leaders were due to agree Thursday on a date for a final vote on the Brexit agreement, which is only provisionally in force until it is ratified by MEPs, but instead decided to hold back after Brussels accused the UK of violating the terms on Wednesday.
The UK unilaterally announced a grace period on border checks on agri-food products entering Northern Ireland, a move which has angered Brussels.
The EU argues that constitutes a “violation” of the Northern Ireland Protocol, a term of the Brexit agreement designed to maintain an open border on the island of Ireland.
Under the terms of the protocol, Northern Ireland would still be subject to some EU laws, which means that customs declarations and some checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from mainland Britain are required.
The protocol, agreed between the UK and the EU during the Brexit deal negotiations, has angered unionists in Northern Ireland and caused delays in supplies reaching supermarkets and shops in the country.
German MEP Bernd Lange, who sits on the UK Coordination Group in charge of relations with the UK, told Euronews after the Conference of Presidents’ meeting on Thursday, that MEPs are finding it consistently hard to trust the British government.
“We as a European Parliament have a long history of mistrust towards the UK government really sticking to their obligations. This, of course, leads to the situation that we are not really sure if we can under this condition ratify the trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union and therefore we postponed the decision to set a date for the ratification.”
Speaking on Thursday, Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said the EU was now “negotiating with a partner it simply can’t trust”.
In an interview with Irish broadcaster RTE’s Morning Ireland programme, he said progress was being made on the Northern Ireland Protocol but the timing of the UK’s actions couldn’t have been worse.
“That is why the EU is now looking at legal options and legal action which means a much more formalised and rigid negotiation process as opposed to a process of partnership where you try to solve the problems together,” Coveney said.
Northern Ireland’s first minister Arlene Foster, whose party the DUP has launched legal action against the protocol, insisted on Thursday the decision to delay border controls was about helping local businesses rather than breaching international law.
“I believe in the rule of law, and therefore we will pursue every legal and political means to try and get through that this is not working for Northern Ireland and is causing real damage,” she said.
“I mean, I’m so disappointed to hear the reaction of the Irish government this morning. They say that they had no difficulty with extending grace periods, but yet they’re out saying that the UK government has broken international law which is simply not the case”.
Speaking on a visit to Middlesbrough on Thursday, UK prime minister Boris Johnson said: “We are taking some temporary and technical measures to ensure that there are no barriers in the Irish Sea, to make sure things flow freely between GB and NI and that’s what you would expect”.
“Obviously these are matters for continuing intensive discussions with our friends.
“I’m sure with a bit of goodwill and common sense all these technical problems are eminently solvable”.
Produced by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and partner organization WRAP, the Food Waste Index Report 2021 reveals that between food wasted in homes, restaurants and shops, 17 per cent of all food is just dumped.
Some food is also lost on farms and in supply chains, indicating that overall a third of food is never eaten.
The study represents the most comprehensive food waste data collection, analysis and modelling ever done, and offers a methodology for countries to accurately measure loss.
“If we want to get serious about tackling climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste, businesses, governments and citizens around the world have to do their part to reduce food waste”, said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
Although food waste had been thought of as a problem mostly affecting rich countries, the report found levels of waste were surprisingly similar in all nations, though data is scarce in the poorest countries.
The study reveals that households discard 11 per cent of food at the consumption stage of the supply chain, while food services and retail outlets waste five and two per cent, respectively.
This has substantial environmental, social and economic impacts, according to the report, which points out that eight to ten per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions are associated with unconsumed food.
“Reducing food waste would cut greenhouse gas emissions, slow the destruction of nature through land conversion and pollution, enhance the availability of food and thus reduce hunger and save money at a time of global recession”, said Ms. Andersen.
Conserving across platforms
In 2019, some 690 million people were impacted by hunger and three billion were unable to afford a healthy diet.
Against that backdrop and with COVID-19 threatening to exacerbate these numbers, the study urges consumers not to waste food at home. It also pushes for food waste to be included in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), plans through which countries commit to increasingly ambitious climate actions in the Paris Agreement.
Meanwhile, target 12.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims to halve per-capita global food waste at retail and consumer levels and minimize food losses along production and supply chains.
Reducing food waste would cut greenhouse gas emissions, slow the destruction of nature…and save money at a time of global recession – UNEP chief
“The UN Food Systems Summit this year will provide an opportunity to launch bold new actions to tackle food waste globally”, Ms. Andersen said.
Comparable data lacking
Of the growing number of countries measuring food waste, 14 have collected household data in a way that is compatible with the Food Waste Index, while a further 38 countries use methods similar to the SDG 12.3 compatible estimate.
While the household breakdown between edible and uneatable food, like shells and bones, is available only in select high-income countries, there is a lack of information in lower-income countries where proportions may be higher.
It is crucial to fill this knowledge gap, according to the report.
UNEP will launch regional working groups to aid countries’ capacities to measure and record food waste in time for the next round of SDG 12.3 reporting in late 2022. It will also support these countries as they develop national baselines to track progress towards the 2030 goal, and design strategies to prevent food waste.
(Photo: Paul Jeffrey / WCC)Liturgical dancers during the session of the Asia Mission Conference in Yangon, Myanmar, October 2017.
The World Council of Churches and the Christian Conference of Asia have issued a joint statement expressing distress and concern over the disturbing trend of continued lethal action against the people by the Myanmar military.
“The death toll of civilians taking part in protests is increasing as troops and police open fire at demonstrators; at least 38 people were reported to be killed as the army unleashed a lethal campaign to suppress protests that have swept the country for more than a month,” read the March 4 statement.
“The brutal actions against civilians protesting against the military takeover and the killings perpetrated by the military indicate that the generals are returning to the same tactics they had used to crush people’s dissent during decades of military dictatorship in Myanmar.”
“The democratically elected civilian government reflects the aspiration of the people,” reads the statement. “The will of the people and the outcome of the elections have to be respected and democratic processes must be restored.”
The statement came on the day the head of the UN Human Rights office Miihcelle Bachelet delivered a withering criticism of the military junta’s crackdown in Myanmar, which is called Burma by the U.S. government.
Myanmar’s security forces must “halt their vicious crackdown on peaceful protestors,” the UN human rights chief said on March 4.
“Myanmar’s military must stop murdering and jailing protestors,” said Bachelet.
“It is utterly abhorrent that security forces are firing live ammunition against peaceful protesters across the country,” she added.
“The UN Human Rights Office has corroborated information that police and military officers have killed at least 54 people since the Feb. 1 coup,” said the statement, adding the actual death toll could be much higher as these are the verified figures.
The churches statement, meanwhile notes that citizens peacefully protesting against the military action have been confronted by armed forces using lethal force.
“In order to clamp down on what is essentially a people’s movement, the security forces have systematically targeted, detained, and arrested several political officials, activists, students, medical professionals, and even religious minority leaders,” say the churches.
“In Lashio city, four Kachin Baptist ministers were among 10 people arrested at a church where protestors fleeing the state-sanctioned violence had taken shelter.”
Large-scale participation in demonstrations in towns and cities across the country underscores the broad rejection of the military, the statement continues.
The statement denounces the Feb. 1 military coup which has now returned full power to the generals.
“The citizens of Myanmar possess the right to assemble peacefully and express their demands for the restoration of democracy,” reads the statement.
“The fundamental rights of people must be respected, and hence the military authorities must immediately halt all use of force against civilians.”
The statement also urges military leaders to refrain from repressive actions against the civilians.
The statement concludes with a call for prayers for the entire people of Myanmar and for peace and justice to prevail throughout the country. “May peace and a spirit of reconciliation return to Myanmar,” the statement concludes.
Buddhist account for some 88 percent of the country’s 57 milliojn people while just ocer 6 percent are Christians and more than 4 percent Muslims.
As per his long-established tradition on the eve of trips abroad, Pope Francis traveled across Rome on Thursday afternoon to the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
He paused to pray for a moment before the ancient Roman icon of Maria Salus Populi Romani.
According to the Holy See Press Office, the Pope entrusted his upcoming visit to Iraq to Our Lady’s protection.
He is scheduled to depart Rome on Friday morning for his 33rd Apostolic Visit abroad, which takes him to Iraq on 5-8 March.
Devotion to ancient Roman icon
Pope Francis laid a bouquet of flowers on the altar below the ancient image of the “Salvation of the Roman people”, which is housed in the Borghese chapel.
Tradition holds that it arrived in Rome in the year 590 AD, during the reign of Pope Gregory the Great.
Maria Salus Populi Romani has twice received a canonical coronation.
Pope Gregory XVI crowned the image of Our Lady in 1838, and Pope Pius XII repeated the gesture of devotion during the Marian year of 1954.
The Vatican Museums cleaned and restored it in 2018.
Based on new research, it said on Thursday that more than 330 million youngsters have been stuck at home for at least nine months, since the virus spread uncontrollably this time last year.
We must emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic with a better approach to child and adolescent mental health, and that starts by giving the issue the attention it deserves. https://t.co/hhUMeUlx2A
This has left them feeling isolated and anxious about their future, said UNICEF spokesperson James Elder: “Tens and tens of millions of youngsters have been left feeling isolated and afraid and lonely and anxious because of these enforced lockdowns and isolations that have become as a result of this pandemic.”
He said countries needed to emerge from this pandemic “with a better approach, a better approach to child and adolescent mental health, and that probably starts just by giving the issue the attention it deserves.”
Half of all mental disorders develop before the age of 15, according to UNICEF and the majority of the 800,000 people who die by suicide annually, are under 18s.
The UN agency also said that the pandemic has disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93 per cent of countries worldwide.
UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore, said that when day after day “you are away from your friends and distant loved ones, and perhaps even stuck at home with an abuser, the impact is significant.
“Many children are left feeling afraid, lonely, anxious, and concerned for their future. We must emerge from this pandemic with a better approach to child and adolescent mental health, and that starts by giving the issue the attention it deserves.”
For children experiencing violence, neglect or abuse at home, lockdowns have left many stranded with abusers. Children in vulnerable population groups – like those living and working on the streets, children with disabilities, and children living in conflict settings – risk having their mental health needs overlooked entirely.
According to WHO, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93 per cent of countries worldwide, while the demand for mental health support is increasing.
UNICEF responding
To respond to growing needs, the agency has offered support to Governments and partners to prioritize services for children.
In Kazakhstan, this has led to the launch of a UNICEF platform for individual online counselling services, alongside distance training in schools for mental health specialists.
In China, the agency has also worked with social media company Kuaishou, to produce an online challenge to help reduce anxiety in children.
Later this year, UNICEF will dedicate its biennial flagship report on the state of the world’s children, to child and adolescent mental health, in a bid to increase awareness of the global challenge, exacerbated profoundly by the coronavirus.
Boost investment
“If we did not fully appreciate the urgency prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, surely we do now”, said Ms. Fore.
Countries must dramatically invest in expanded mental health services and support for young people and their caregivers in communities and schools. We also need scaled-up parenting programmes to ensure that children from vulnerable families get the support and protection they need at home.”
Multinationals will have to disclose amount of tax they pay in each EU country
The public and tax authorities will be able to see what taxes are being paid where
Negotiations on final shape of EU bill set to begin very shortly
Four years after Parliament adopted its position on draft legislation on public country-by-country reporting, EU governments come to the table to negotiate a deal.
On Thursday, Parliament’s lead negotiators, Evelyn Regner (S&D, AT) and Ibán García Del Blanco (S&D, ES), were officially given the green light to enter into negotiations with the EU governments’ representatives, based on the position the EP adopted in 2017. Last week, member states were able to agree their negotiating position. These negotiations are now set to begin very shortly.
Evelyn Regner said:
“This is a breakthrough for tax fairness in the EU. Public country-by-country reporting will oblige multinational companies to be financially transparent about where they make profits and where they pay taxes. Especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, where companies are receiving considerable support from public spending, citizens have an even greater right to know which multinationals are playing fair and which are free-riding.”
Ibán García Del Blanco said:
“We have been waiting for the Council for too long. We are ready to start negotiations immediately in order to reach an agreement under the Portuguese Presidency, thereby making progress on tax and corporate transparency. We urgently need meaningful financial transparency to fight tax evasion and profit shifting. Citizens’ trust in our democracies depends on everyone contributing their fair share to the recovery.”
the information requested from multinationals should be presented separately, including for each tax jurisdiction outside the EU;
multinationals must make their annual report on income tax information publicly available and free of charge, and file the report in a public registry managed by the Commission;
a safeguard clause for sensitive corporate data has been added, allowing multinationals to temporarily omit information when disclosing it would be seriously prejudicial to their commercial positions;
additional items of information will be provided in the tax reports to help achieve a more complete picture, such as information on the number of all full-time employees, fixed assets, stated capital, preferential tax treatment, or government subsidies;
subsidiaries with a turnover of EUR 750 million or more would also be subject to country-by-country reporting requirements.
Background
This legislation is part of the EU’s regulatory measures to implement the OECD’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action Plan 13. In essence, multinationals with annual turnovers of more than EUR 750 million will be required to provide an annual tax statement that breaks down key elements of the statements by tax jurisdiction. This will provide the public and tax authorities with more visibility on what taxes are being paid where.
On 4 July 4 2017, Parliament adopted its amendments to the Commission’s proposal. It then reconfirmed its position in its first reading on March 27, 2019. On 24 October 2019, MEPs passed a strong resolution urgently calling on the member states to break the deadlock and enter inter-institutional negotiations.
Taklung Matrul Rinpoche, Head of Taklung Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhist tradition speaking at the All Religions Prayer for World Peace and Special Talk on Inter-religious Harmony, an initiative of Kullu-Manali Settlement Office. Photo/Kullu-Manali Settlement Office
By – Shyamal Sinha
Religious harmony in India is a concept that indicates that there is love, affection in between different religions in India. The Indian constitution supports and encourages religious harmony. In India, every citizen has a right to choose and practice any religion.There are examples of Muslims and Sikhs building temples. In India, different religious traditions live harmoniously. Seers of religions call for religious harmony in India
The ancient Indian scripture Rigveda endeavors plurality of religious thought with its mention “ekaM sadvipraa bahudhaa vadanti ” (Sanskrit: एकं सद्विप्रा बहुधा वदन्ति)– meaning wise people explain the same truth in different manners.
On 3 March, the auspicious White Wednesday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the Settlement Office of Kullu- Manali organised the first of a kind inter-religious dialogue, titled ‘All Religions Prayer for World Peace and Special Talk on Inter-religious Harmony’ under the auspices of the Central Tibetan Administration.
The Central Tibetan Administration led by the 15th Kashag dedicated the year 2020-21 as ‘Year of Gratitude to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It is in this spirit that TSO Kullu Manali has taken the initiative to organise a special talk, bringing together representatives of various religious traditions to talk about one of the four principal commitments of His Holiness the Dalai Lama: the promotion of Inter-religious harmony.
Honorary representatives of the different religions who graced the event include Taklung Matrul Rinpoche, Head of Taklung Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Lochen Rinpoche, Khentsap, Kais Dagpo Shedup Monastery, Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Pandit ji Mahima Nautiyal, Bodh Nath Mandir at Manali, Imam Molana Sajit ji, Masjid at Manali, Reverend. Naresh Lall ji, the Lady Willington Hospital, Manali, Sardar ji Bhagtishwar Sigh ji, Gurudwara Temple based in Manali. Local pradhan, members of Tibet Support Group also attended.
Mr Thupten Chophel, Settlement Officer of Kullu-Manali Tibetan Settlement delivered the welcome address, followed by all the representatives of various faith who spoke on inter-religious harmony.
On behalf of the CTA, the Settlement Officer felicitated each representative with a traditional Tibetan scarf and souvenirs and thanked the Kais Dagpo Shedup Monastery, Kullu-Manali for sponsoring the luncheon and refreshments for all the guests and audience at the gathering.
The special talk concluded with a vote of thanks by Mr Thokmey, President of Local Tibetan Assembly, Kullu-Manali.
The second segment of the event included Buddhist introductory teaching and conferring of initiation by Kyapje Taklung Matrul Rinpoche.
Mandala offering by Mr Thupten Chophel, Settlement Officer of Kullu-Manali Tibetan Settlement to Taklung Matrul Rinpoche during the Buddhist introductory teaching and conferring of initiation. Photo/Kullu-Manali Settlement Office
Rinpoche blessing members of the audience. Photo/Kullu-Manali Settlement Office
“The beloved of the gods, king Piyadasi, honors both ascetics and the householders of all religions, and he honors them with gifts and honors of various kinds. . Whoever praises his own religion, due to excessive devotion, and condemns others with the thought “Let me glorify my own religion,” only harms his own religion. Therefore contact between religions is good. One should listen to and respect the doctrines professed by others. The beloved of the gods, king Piyadasi, desires that all should be well-learned in the good doctrines of other religions. ”
