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Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

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offsite link Declined: Chapter 5: ?The Industrial Processes Appeals Tribunal? Wed Jan 22, 2025 19:00 | M. Zermansky
Chapter five of Declined is here ? a dystopian satire about the emergence of a social credit system in the UK, serialised in?the Daily Sceptic. This week: Ella ponders a lawsuit against the children's implants.
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offsite link Farm Tax Raid Puts Britain?s Food Security at Risk, Says Tesco Wed Jan 22, 2025 17:12 | Will Jones
Rachel Reeves's tax raid on farmers is putting Britain?s food security at risk and must be paused, Tesco has warned, as the backlash to the controversial policy that has brought farmers to the streets mounts.
The post Farm Tax Raid Puts Britain’s Food Security at Risk, Says Tesco appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Seventy-Five Years After Orwell, Fighting for Free Speech is as Crucial as Ever Wed Jan 22, 2025 15:00 | Will Jones
To mark the 75th anniversary of the death of George Orwell, Laura Perrins interviews Toby ? now Lord Young ? about the prospects for free speech in the age of Starmer and Trump.
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offsite link There Has Been a Failure Here Wed Jan 22, 2025 13:01 | Dr David McGrogan
What we have seen in Starmer since July is a petty, inhumane, almost spiteful man who considers himself morally superior to the mass of humanity. This, says Dr David McGrogan, was confirmed in spades yesterday.
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offsite link Trump Threatened With Lawsuit Over Withdrawal from WHO Wed Jan 22, 2025 11:11 | Will Jones
Donald Trump has been threatened with a lawsuit over his day-one decision to withdraw?from the World Health Organisation (WHO) because he didn't get the approval of Congress.
The post Trump Threatened With Lawsuit Over Withdrawal from WHO appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

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Voltaire Network
Voltaire, international edition

offsite link Should we condemn or not the glorification of Nazism?, by Thierry Meyssan Wed Jan 22, 2025 14:05 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?116 Sat Jan 18, 2025 06:46 | en

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offsite link Trump and Musk, Canada, Panama and Greenland, an old story, by Thierry Meyssan Tue Jan 14, 2025 07:03 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?114-115 Fri Jan 10, 2025 14:04 | en

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Pope Visits Iraq Amidst COVID Crisis, Conflict, Soaring Poverty and Struggling Economy

category international | politics / elections | press release author Friday March 05, 2021 21:36author by Zachary Conti - Jubilee USA Report this post to the editors

Shia Muslim Leader and Pope to Meet

Pope Francis kicks off a 3-day Iraq tour and meetings with Muslim leaders, government officials and representatives of the country's dwindling Christian population.

Shia Muslim Leader and Pope to Meet

Pope Francis kicks off a 3-day Iraq tour and meetings with Muslim leaders, government officials and representatives of the country's dwindling Christian population. Since the coronavirus pandemic began, Iraq saw poverty numbers climb to 37% and an estimated 11% contraction in its economy.

"Iraq was already struggling before the pandemic hit and now the suffering is even worse," stated the Executive Director of the religious development group Jubilee USA Network, Eric LeCompte. LeCompte advises the Vatican and Catholic leaders on economic issues. "The coronavirus crisis for Iraq means poverty has doubled and the country can't make debt payments and also pay workers."

In February the International Monetary Fund reported the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant decline in the country's main revenue source, oil. Coupled with challenges of corruption, the Fund estimated the downturn of Iraq's 2020 economy by 11%.

"The Pope's visit brings hope as Iraq's people suffer from the pandemic, conflict, corruption, soaring food prices and increasing poverty," shared LeCompte. "Like too many countries, it will take Iraq's economy years to rebound to pre-pandemic levels. Iraq's pre-pandemic economy wasn't great and already had too much suffering."

The IMF forecasts that Iraq's debt will steadily rise through 2023 and could see pre-pandemic economic outputs in 2024.

On Saturday, Pope Francis travels to Iraq's holiest city, Najaf, to meet with Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Husayni al-Sistani who leads Iraq's Shia Muslims.

"The meeting between Ayatollah Sistani and Pope Francis signifies the Pope's commitment to tackle world problems with people of all faiths," stated LeCompte whose organization is composed of multiple faith groups including Muslims, Jews and Christians. "The Pope took the name Francis after the famed St. Francis who met with the Muslim Sultan Malek al-Kamil in 1219. The meeting between St. Francis and Sultan al-Kamil is a symbol for Pope Francis of the critical importance of interfaith dialogue."

Iraq is the birthplace of the Prophet Abraham, an important figure for Jews, Muslims and Christians.

Read the IMF's recent report on Iraq here.

Related Link: https://www.jubileeusa.org/pr_pope_iraq_covid_poverty
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