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blog

Cameron Tax Info, CIA On Waterboarding, Calling Shotgun

Cameron Tax Info, CIA On Waterboarding, Calling Shotgun

CAMERON RELEASES TAX INFO

British Prime Minister David Cameron released information from his 2009-2015 tax returns yesterday in an attempt to defuse controversy about how he profited from his late father's offshore fund, The Independent reports. The details about the family's investment company were leaked last week in the so-called Panama Papers.


CIA WILL NOT ENGAGE IN WATERBOARDING

CIA Director John Brennan said in an interview with NBC yesterday that the intelligence agency would not engage in waterboarding under any circumstances, even on the orders of a future president. Brennan's comments came after GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump and other Republican candidates said they would revive the practice if elected. Read a soldier's reflections on torture from Worldcrunch's essay section.


UKRAINIAN PM ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION

Photo: Sergii Kharchenko/Pacific Press/ZUMA

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced his resignation yesterday following months of political crisis, Kyiv Post reports. His cabinet narrowly survived a no-confidence vote two months ago, but approval ratings for his party stand at just 2% with allegations of inaction and corruption against them. His formal resignation is expected tomorrow.


BRUSSELS TERRORISTS PLANNED PARIS ATTACK

Belgian prosecutors announced yesterday that the terrorists who attacked Brussels last month had initially planned to strike in France but changed their minds as investigators closed in, Le Monde reports. They did not provide any details about the initial French plot or its targets.


WORLDCRUNCH-TO-GO

Those people in your life who are always late have a predisposition that puts off decision-making. Swiss newspaper Le Temps asks whether it's a question of freedom or lack of respect. "Psychologists say that some obsessive disorders are characterized by this unfortunate tendency to be late. These people want everything to be perfect and linger over small details. But because it's impossible to control everything, it causes anguish."

Read the full article, Punctuality Problems — What Drives The Chronically Late.


FIVE DETAINED AFTER DEADLY HINDU FESTIVAL FIRE

Indian police have detained five people after a fireworks show at a Hindu temple set off a blaze killing 108 people and wounding 383, The Hindu reports this morning. Thousands of people gathered in the southern state of Kollam yesterday to celebrate the start of the Hindu year when sparks ignited a cache of fireworks stored inside the temple grounds.


ON THIS DAY


Ugandan President Idi Amin, whose rule was marked by human rights abuses and killings, was deposed 37 years ago today. That and more in today's shot of history.


ISIS RETAKES SYRIA STRONGHOLD

ISIS took claim of a Syrian stronghold near the border with Turkey this morning, four days after losing it to a rebel group, The New York Times reports. The strategically positioned city, al-Rai, was recaptured by the extremist group after intense fighting against factions joining under the banner of the Free Syrian Army.


MY GRAND-PERE'S WORLD



JOHN KERRY VISITS HIROSHIMA

This morning U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry became the most senior American official ever to visit the revered memorial to the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima, seven decades after the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb, killing 140,000 Japanese, CNN reports. Kerry toured the Peace Memorial Park and Museum with other foreign ministers of the G7 nations. He wrote in the museum's guestbook that "War must be the last resort — never the first choice."


U.S. NAVY OFFICER FACES ESPIONAGE CHARGES

A U.S. Navy officer with access to sensitive U.S. intelligence information faces espionage charges over accusations he passed state secrets to China, Reuters reports. An official identified the suspect yesterday as Lieutenant Commander Edward Lin, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Taiwan. Lin has also been accused of engaging in prostitution and adultery, and has been held in pretrial confinement for the past eight months, the official added.


CALLING SHOTGUN

TheDaily Mailhas the video of the, quote-unquote, "hilarious moment one Southern mother decides to punish her ‘disobedient' children not by taking away their electronics — but by shooting them to bits."

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Society

Is Disney's "Wish" Spreading A Subtle Anti-Christian Message To Kids?

Disney's new movie "Wish" is being touted as a new children's blockbuster to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary. But some Christians may see the portrayal of the villain as God-like and turning wishes into prayers as the ultimate denial of the true message of Christmas.

photo of a kid running out of a church

For the Christmas holiday season?

Joseph Holmes

Christians have always had a love-hate relationship with Disney since I can remember. Growing up in the Christian culture of the 1990s and early 2000s, all the Christian parents I knew loved watching Disney movies with their kids – but have always had an uncomfortable relationship with some of its messages. It was due to the constant Disney tropes of “follow your heart philosophy” and “junior knows best” disdain for authority figures like parents that angered so many. Even so, most Christians felt the benefits had outweighed the costs.

That all seems to have changed as of late, with Disney being hit more and more by claims from conservatives (including Christian conservatives) that Disney is pushing more and more radical progressive social agendas, This has coincided with a steep drop at the box office for Disney.

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