The 86-year-old pope skipped reading a speech that was on the programme of his two-hour visit to the world-famous shrine north of Lisbon, and which was expected to have been the centrepiece of the day.
He stopped often to kiss babies and comfort the sick as he made his way back to a helicopter transporting him to the next event on his five-day trip to Portugal.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pope’s apparently last-minute decision to skip the speech had nothing to do with Francis’ eyesight.
“The pope always addresses firstly the people he meets, as a shepherd, and speaks accordingly,” Bruni said in response to questions from reporters.
Francis flew in from Lisbon - the venue of a Catholic youth festival - to make his second visit as pope to the shrine that draws millions of pilgrims a year.
At the start of his visit a smoke cloud caused by a wild fire at Castelo Branco, about 100 km (60 miles) east of Fatima, hovered over one side of the sanctuary and tiny specks of ash fell.
Aug 4 (Reuters) - Poet turned militia leader Maung Saungkha, one of the most prominent figures fighting for democracy in Myanmar, says his armed group plans to start carving out territory in the country’s heartlands to confront the junta more directly.
Maung Saungkha said the move is a key strategic aim for his Bamar People’s Liberation Army (BPLA) - a militia formed in the wake of the junta’s February 2021 coup - now that it has gained training from allies and battle experience in the country’s borderlands.
Maung Saungkha said the BPLA wants to work with the People’s Defense Forces (PDF) - the armed wing of the National Unity Government formed from the remnants of Aung Sang Suu Kyi’s administration that is seeking to supplant the junta.
Bamar dominance has long been resented by Myanmar’s many minorities but Maung Saungkha’s background has helped the BPLA forge strong ties with other ethnic armed organisations, delicate work seen as critical for the resistance.
But, to have greater impact, they need to move “beyond creating confusion and disorder” in urban areas and work together to seize strategic sites, she said, adding their efforts were impeded by competition between armed groups for weapons and resources.
Brigadier General Nyo Tun Aung, the AA’s deputy commander-in-chief, said in a letter to Reuters that Maung Saungkha has built “good and close relationships” with leaders of “ethnic revolutionary organisations.”
Please be mindful about spreading false information that may be potentially traumatic. This triggered my ptsd from the fatality from gun violence at the capital on January 6th.
I have to apologize, my initial read on that was that it was sarcastic. Like that whole right wing way of derailing a conversation by using the correct terminology of empathy in the wrong way at the wrong time on purpose because they think it's funny. And then the "whudabout teh tolerant left?!" cry.
Reading it again, I can see that it could be sincere. I think it's just an unexpected response to a news story on a public forum (as opposed to, say, a private conversation with friends), and that's why I read it wrong in this particular context. There's been a recent increase in conversation derailers that has me on the lookout for them
I wish I could say this response is surprising, but it’s really not. When you can’t win by diplomacy, reasoning, and discussion, and when you feel that you have the right to punish other countries for being sovereign, you resort to force and “beat their ass”.
Do you believe France is sovereign, can make their own decisions, and can act in their own best interest, and are fully competent and able to do so? Or do you not believe they have the right to be sovereign and you (whoever “we” is) have the right to force them to align with your interests? If they end up in any agreement with China, it was their own decision and they did so because it benefits them in some way; do you feel you are permitted to punish them for that?
Nah i and my Cookiejar will personally drive the 20 minutes to France and slap someone’s ass for it.
China is a shithole, Dictatorship, with a ongoing genocide and i as a German think its absolutely not ok to even speak with them regarding anything except telling them they can fuck off until they stop genociding people.
Feel the need to further this argument? I don’t care, China is like North Korea to me, fuck them both.
And no, this is about EU matters so France is not sovereign regarding that.
Then come and beat our asses. But rest assured there is no way Macron, this genocidal dictator piece of shit, would ever try to appease tensions with a country that takes care of their population instead of shooting up every protests as he does.
Three things. First, China had explicitly declared that it would not supply arms. Second, it has tried to cast itself as a neutral mediator and peacemaker. Third, it has a broader stated policy of respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Given that NATO is providing arms for Ukraine and NATO can’t make its weapons without China it does seem fair to also provide components to Russia.
Third, it has a broader stated policy of respecting territorial integrity and sovereignty.
It can’t do this without embargoing US weapons manufacturers, but that would be catastrophic so it makes sense that it is providing everyone instead of just the US.
It would be nice if Lemmy, kbin, etc. could be a bit more balanced and not go into complete shitstorm mode each time something that relates to Elon Musk is mentioned.
reuters.com
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