Vatican Calls for New World

The Vatican called Monday for radical reform of the world's financial systems, including the creation of a global political authority to manage the economy.

A proposal by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace calls for a new world economic order based on ethics and the "achievement of a universal common good." It follows Pope Benedict XVI's 2009 economic encyclical that denounced a profit-at-all-cost mentality as responsible for the global financial meltdown.

The proposal acknowledges, however, that a "long road still needs to be traveled before arriving at the creation of a public authority with universal jurisdiction" and suggests the reform process begin with the United Nations as a point of reference.

Vatican pronouncements on the economy are meant to guide world leaders as well as the global church. United States Roman Catholic bishops, for example, have released a voter guide for the 2012 election that highlights social concerns such as ending poverty.

"It is an exercise of responsibility not only toward the current but above all toward future generations, so that hope for a better future and confidence in human dignity and capacity for good may never be extinguished," the document said.

It highlights that reforms must assure that financial and monetary policies will not damage the weakest economies while also achieving fair distribution of the world's wealth.

The proposal also called for a "minimum, shared body of rules to manage the global financial market," lamenting the "overall abrogation of controls" on capital movements.

While past Vatican pronouncements have condemned unfettered capitalism, the latest criticized "an economic liberalism that spurns rules and controls."

It also attacked "utilitarian thinking," saying what is useful to the individual does not always favor the common good.

British riot police move in to clear illegal homes at the controversy center

British riot police moved in Wednesday morning to clear a controversial group of illegal homes after a long legal battle -- and despite the United Nations' urging for a different resolution.
Smoke rose from the Dale Farm compound in Essex, about 30 miles east of London, as police dragged people out. An elderly woman in a wheelchair was among those removed.
At least one mobile home was set on fire.
The eviction "threatens 83 families with homelessness," residents of Dale Farm said in a statement early Wednesday.


"The only premeditated violence has come from the police. They knew exactly what they were doing when they started beating and tasering people," said Mary Sheridan, a Dale Farm resident left the site and is staying with a relative.
"This is not how a community should be treated by its own Council. It's illegal for us to travel, but illegal for us to settle down here. We're getting hit by the police but we've got nowhere else to go," she said.


There was an air of resignation among the residents who were left a few hours after the police operation started.
Most withdrew to the compound's few plots of land that have legal housing, leaving police facing off against nonresident activists who mounted scaffolding as part of a protest.
"We are now in control of the site, tension has reduced and bailiffs are now starting to actively take steps to clear the site," police superintendent Trevor Roe said by early afternoon.


Seven people were arrested for offenses including violent disorder and breach of the peace, Essex Police said. Police used a stun gun on one person, they said, changing their earlier statement that two people had been shot with stun guns.
Dale Farm has been at the center of controversy for years, with local authorities insisting that the residents -- locally called Gypsies or "travelers" -- leave because they do not have planning permission for permanent residences.


A United Nations anti-discrimination committee last month urged British authorities not to go ahead with planned evictions as the residents lost their case in court.
Police entered the settlement from both sides, local authorities said.
Officers on the scene said they were moving cautiously because the main gate was heavily fortified.


But residents said police were smashing their way in with sledgehammers.
Tony Ball, leader of Basildon Council, said defenders of the settlement fought police with rocks, bricks and iron bars, and set the mobile home on fire themselves.
"These are utterly disgraceful scenes and demonstrate the fact some so-called supporters were always intent on violence," Ball said in a statement.


CNN was not able to confirm independently who started the violence.
One resident said the community was being "ripped apart by Basildon Council and the politicians in government."
"The memory of Dale Farm will weigh heavily on Britain for generations. We are being dragged out of the only homes we have in this world," Kathleen McCarthy said in a statement.
Earlier, the UN's Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination expressed "deep regret" that authorities planned to force the residents to leave "before identifying and providing culturally appropriate accommodation."


"Travelers and Gypsies already face considerable discrimination and hostility in wider society and the Committee is deeply concerned that this could be worsened by actions taken by authorities in the current situation and by some media reporting on the issues," the committee said in a September statement.

It's a girl for French President Sarkozy

Carla Bruni, the wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, has given birth to a girl, a very close family friend told CNN on Wednesday.
The mother is doing well, the friend said.
Sarkozy, 56, was seen earlier leaving the French capital's La Muette clinic, where Bruni gave birth, according to French media.


It is the first child for the couple, who wed in February 2008. Bruni, 43, announced in early September that she was pregnant and vowed to keep the child out of the spotlight.
Sarkozy divorced his wife of more than 11 years before marrying Bruni. He has three children from that marriage.
Bruni, a former supermodel and singer, previously dated singers Eric Clapton and Mick Jagger.

Pilot and passenger crash in Switzerland

Swiss police said Saturday that a pilot and a passenger died after their Piper aircraft crashed in a forested area in the country's northwest.
Canton Police said a 29-year-old British resident and a 40-year-old resident of Neuchatel, Switzerland, died in Friday's crash in the outskirts if the village of Fontaines-sur-Grandson, in Canton of Vaud.


The aircraft, a registered Piper, had taken off from the airfield of Colombier was heading to Amiens, France. The plane lost contact with air traffic control 30 minutes after take-off, police said.
Police did not offer any additional information about the two victims.
The cause of the accident remained unknown. Police asked potential witnesses to call a hotline.

Celtic Park (Celtic v FC Utrecht)

Last Thursday night I went to Celtic Park for the first UEFA Europa League encounter between Celtic and Dutch side FC Utrecht. The winner over two legs will qualify for the Europa League group stages. Celtic had been put out of the Champions' League qualifiers by S.C. Braga and were given a second chance in the Europa League. FC Utrecht qualified for Europe after finishing seventh in the Eredivisie last season, which meant 'European' play-offs which Utrecht won. One of the teams they beat in the play-offs were my team, Roda JC.

I have no special connection with either Celtic or FC Utrecht but as a follower of both Scottish and Dutch football any encounter between teams of the two countries has my attention. The match was not broadcast on television, neither in the UK nor in the Netherlands, however there was no capacity crowd. This has become a common sight at Celtic Park, which used to be filled to capacity for most league and European games up until fairly recently.

The atmosphere was good however, better than at the league games I have witnessed in Parkhead. The Utrecht fans in particular were in good form even though they became a little quieter after Efrain Juarez put Celtic ahead in the 19th minute. Georgios Samaras, who had set up the first goal, doubled the tally fifteen minutes later. FC Utrecht had some good chances at the start of the game but seemed to have too much respect for Celtic. This became particularly evident after the interval when Utrecht played like they were defending a 3-0 lead whereas I had expected them to try and nick what could have been a vital away goal. As it stands now it will be very, very difficult for the Dutch club to progress to the group stages.

On a positive note there did not seem to be any problems with hooliganism tonight. FC Utrecht's support have a bit of a reputation and in 2003 they were ordered to play their UEFA Cup first round home game against Slovak side MSK Zilina behind closed doors after their fans had caused trouble against Legia Warszawa the year before. Jan Willem van Dop, the FC Utrecht chairman, praised the travelling support's conduct in Glasgow on the official website: 'It was one big party, in the city centre and inside the ground as well,' he said. He also mentioned that everyone behaved well despite the fact that 'no extraordinary security measures had been taken.' The poor guy must have become a little out of touch as chairman of a Dutch football club for him to think that the police presence we saw on Thursday night, including a helicopter hovering over Celtic Park, is normal.

Some spice was added to this encounter by the sympathy many Utrecht fans have for Rangers since their star striker Michael Mols moved to Ibrox in 1999. I counted a few Rangers flags and union jacks and when the game was coming to a close the travelling support were treated to a well-meant 'Go home ya huns' - the Celtic fans sang this whilst they were on their way home ten minutes before time, the Utrecht fans were kept inside the ground until long after the game. Some Celtic fans also showed their 'Pope Benedict XVI' scarves to the Dutch fans which may provoke angry reactions amongst some sections of Scottish supporters (which is probably their intention) but in a European context I find it cringe-worthy.

And finally, it was mentioned a few times in the Scottish press last week, and it was repeated in the match programme as well, that FC Utrecht are the only Dutch club outside the traditional Dutch 'top three' not to be relegated from the Eredivisie. I cannot remember Roda JC making the drop since their promotion in 1973...

For more pictures of Celtic Park see this post (v St Mirren) and this one (v AZ Alkmaar).

Approaching Celtic Park.


Tonight's visitors...


...and the home team's starting eleven.

Both teams entering the pitch.

Around 1,500 Utrecht fans had travelled to Scotland.

There was a large police presence including the infamous Strathclyde police helicopter.

Celtic are about to take a free kick.

Utrecht were unable to find the net, despite several good chances.

You'll Never Walk Alone at half time. The Utrecht fans joined in.

Utrecht players thank the travelling support.

The Celtic-Utrecht 'friendship scarves' looked like a bit of a rush job. The 'Utrecht' part came with the catchy slogan 'Your text here' in Dutch. I think the makers were inspired by this custom banner.

Thursday 19th August 2010
UEFA Europe League
Celtic 2 FC Utrecht 0
Goals: Juarez 19, Samaras 34.
Att: 35,755

VfL-Stadion (VfL Wolfsburg v Roda JC)

Again some old pictures I found. These were taken at the first and unfortunately last Roda JC European away game I have been too. Although the result was disappointing it was an unforgettable experience. The first leg in Kerkrade had ended goalless and again in it remained 0-0 for a long time in the second leg. Charles Akonnar broke yellow and black hearts minutes before time in typical German fashion even though Roda were the better team in the second half. Unfortunately once again no 'Europa League' next season...

Some of the Roda supporters who had travelled to the north of Germany.

Wolfsburg's stadium reminded me of Roda's Kaalheide. So did the paltry attendance figure of 7,677. In 2002 Wolfsburg moved to the Volkswagen Arena although the VfL-Stadion is still used by the Wolfsburg amateur team.

The local constabulary apparently thought we were hooligans. I remember their presence in our section as needlessly provocative. I do not believe there had been any trouble on the day.

Roda players thanking the fans for their support.

Tuesday 2nd November 1999
UEFA Cup 2nd round (2nd leg)
VfL Wolfsburg 1 Roda JC 0 (agg: 1-0)
Goal: Akonnor 87.
Att: 7,677

VfL-Stadion (VfL Wolfsburg v Roda JC)

Again some old pictures I found. These were taken at the first and unfortunately last Roda JC European away game I have been too. Although the result was disappointing it was an unforgettable experience. The first leg in Kerkrade had ended goalless and again in it remained 0-0 for a long time in the second leg. Charles Akonnar broke yellow and black hearts minutes before time in typical German fashion even though Roda were the better team in the second half. Unfortunately once again no 'Europa League' next season...

Some of the Roda supporters who had travelled to the north of Germany.

Wolfsburg's stadium reminded me of Roda's Kaalheide. So did the paltry attendance figure of 7,677. In 2002 Wolfsburg moved to the Volkswagen Arena although the VfL-Stadion is still used by the Wolfsburg amateur team.

The local constabulary apparently thought we were hooligans. I remember their presence in our section as needlessly provocative. I do not believe there had been any trouble on the day.

Roda players thanking the fans for their support.

Tuesday 2nd November 1999
UEFA Cup 2nd round (2nd leg)
VfL Wolfsburg 1 Roda JC 0 (agg: 1-0)
Goal: Akonnor 87.
Att: 7,677

Ibrox Stadium (Rangers)

For more pictures of Ibrox see this post and this one.

View from the Main Stand against Werder Bremen on 6 March 2008 (UEFA Cup, round of 16, first leg). The Govan Stand and part of the Copland Road Stand can be seen.

View from the Main Stand on the Broomloan Stand. Rangers beat Werder Bremen 2-0. Rangers lost the return leg 1-0 but this was enough to see them through to the quarter finals. Attendance: 45,959.

Rangers v Sporting Portugal on 3rd April 2008 (UEFA Cup, quarter final, first leg). View from the Govan Stand on the Main Stand. The game ended goalless. Rangers won the return leg 2-0 and Rangers qualified for the semi-finals. Attendance: 48,923.

To my own suprise I managed to get an excellent seat on the Govan Stand for the UEFA Cup semi-final (first leg) against Fiorentina on 24th April 2008.

The Copland Road Stand. The game against Fiorentina ended goalless as well.

The Broomloan Stand: the Fiorentina supporters can be seen on the right. The return leg in Italy was another 0-0, even after extra time. Rangers won the penalty shoot-out 4-2 and qualified for the 2008 UEFA Cup final in Manchester. Attendance: 49,199.

The following season I returned to Ibrox as a St Mirren supporter on 15th November 2008. Kris Boyd scored for Rangers after only five minutes and then Steven Davis made it 2-0 10 minutes after kick-off. We all feared the worst. The picture shows the Govan Stand after the final whistle.


St Mirren showed character and managed to avoid a thrashing. Franco Miranda scored for St Mirren in the 81st minute but it was not enough to salvage what would have been a well-deserved point. The game ended 2-1 to Rangers. The picture shows the Broomloan Stand and the impressive three-tier Main Stand. Attendance: 49,321.


With my mate Marco, who visits me from Holland regularly, outside Ibrox when we attended Rangers v Inverness Caledonian Thistle on 14th October 2006. Inverness stunned the Ibrox side when Graham Bayne put them 1-0 ahead in the 71st minute. Rangers were unable to pull one back and the game ended in defeat for Rangers. Attendance: 49,494.

Ibrox Stadium (Rangers)

For more pictures of Ibrox see this post and this one.

View from the Main Stand against Werder Bremen on 6 March 2008 (UEFA Cup, round of 16, first leg). The Govan Stand and part of the Copland Road Stand can be seen.

View from the Main Stand on the Broomloan Stand. Rangers beat Werder Bremen 2-0. Rangers lost the return leg 1-0 but this was enough to see them through to the quarter finals. Attendance: 45,959.

Rangers v Sporting Portugal on 3rd April 2008 (UEFA Cup, quarter final, first leg). View from the Govan Stand on the Main Stand. The game ended goalless. Rangers won the return leg 2-0 and Rangers qualified for the semi-finals. Attendance: 48,923.

To my own suprise I managed to get an excellent seat on the Govan Stand for the UEFA Cup semi-final (first leg) against Fiorentina on 24th April 2008.

The Copland Road Stand. The game against Fiorentina ended goalless as well.

The Broomloan Stand: the Fiorentina supporters can be seen on the right. The return leg in Italy was another 0-0, even after extra time. Rangers won the penalty shoot-out 4-2 and qualified for the 2008 UEFA Cup final in Manchester. Attendance: 49,199.

The following season I returned to Ibrox as a St Mirren supporter on 15th November 2008. Kris Boyd scored for Rangers after only five minutes and then Steven Davis made it 2-0 10 minutes after kick-off. We all feared the worst. The picture shows the Govan Stand after the final whistle.


St Mirren showed character and managed to avoid a thrashing. Franco Miranda scored for St Mirren in the 81st minute but it was not enough to salvage what would have been a well-deserved point. The game ended 2-1 to Rangers. The picture shows the Broomloan Stand and the impressive three-tier Main Stand. Attendance: 49,321.


With my mate Marco, who visits me from Holland regularly, outside Ibrox when we attended Rangers v Inverness Caledonian Thistle on 14th October 2006. Inverness stunned the Ibrox side when Graham Bayne put them 1-0 ahead in the 71st minute. Rangers were unable to pull one back and the game ended in defeat for Rangers. Attendance: 49,494.