Pope Francis to visit namesake's shrine at Assisi

 

There is an air of anticipation in the central Italian town of Assisi ahead of the Pope's visit

Pope Francis will on Friday travel to the Umbrian hillside town of Assisi to pray at the shrine of the 13th Century saint whose name he adopted.

Francis will be accompanied by eight cardinals handpicked to help him shape a radical programme of reform for the Vatican.

He has said he wants today's Catholic Church to resemble Francis of Assisi's "church of the poor".
He wants to use abandoned monasteries and convents to house refugees.
And he says he wants to see a less hierarchical church which is less centred on the Vatican.
Candid
 
Two days ago Pope Francis told Italian newspaper La Repubblica his namesake had "longed for a poor Church that looked after others, accepted monetary help and used it to help others with no thought of itself".
"Eight hundred years have passed and times have changed, but the ideal of a missionary and poor Church is still more than valid," he said.

During his day-long "pilgrimage" to Assisi, the Pope is expected to meet groups of poor, sick and disabled people who are being looked after by Catholic orders or charities.
St Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of Italy.

Known in Italian as Il Poverello, or the Poor One, he was the son of a wealthy local cloth merchant who scandalised his family when he reached the age of 25 by dumping his expensive clothing and living in sackcloth, ministering to the poor for the rest of his life.

Pope Francis has become known for his candid views - unlike anything heard coming out of the Vatican during recent papacies, says the BBC's David Willey in Rome.
On Thursday, he called the deaths of scores of African migrants when a boat sank off the Italian island of Lampedusa a "disgrace".

Deadly hornets kill 41 people in China, injure over 1,500

By Madison Park and Dayu Zhang, CNN

Hong Kong (CNN) -- Swarms of aggressive hornets, in their fall mating season, are inflicting a deadly toll in a central Chinese province.

Hornets have killed 41 people and injured 1,675 people in three cities in Shaanxi province since July, according to the local government. Thirty-seven patients remain in critical or serious condition.

Over the summer and early fall, giant hornets have invaded schools full of children and descended upon unsuspecting farm workers.

One of them is Mu Conghui, a woman who was attacked in Ankang City while looking after her millet crop.

"The hornets were horrifying," she told Xinhua, the Chinese state-run news agency. "They hit right at my head and covered my legs. All of a sudden I was stung and I couldn't move.

"Even now, my legs are covered with sting holes."

Two months, 13 dialysis treatments and 200 stitches later, Mu still remains hospitalized and unable to move her legs.

In central China, 37 patients remain in critical or serious condition after hornet attacks.

The influx of venom to the human body can cause allergic reactions and multiple organ failure leading to death. Patients like Mu have been receiving dialysis to remove the toxins from her body. In photos, patients bore deep dark craters scattered across their limbs, the size of bullet wounds.

Government authorities say these attacks are from a particularly venomous species, the world's largest hornet, known as the Asian giant hornet or vespa mandarinia.

The giant hornet extends about 3.5 to 3.9 centimeters in length, roughly the size of a human thumb. It has an orange head with a black tooth used for burrowing, according to an animal database at the University of Michigan. 

Dr. Wang Xue, director of the intensive care unit at First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University and an expert of the provincial hornet sting treatment guidance unit, warned in a Shaanxi government release that hornets tend to be aggressive and more active during September and October -- their breeding season. The hornets do not go into hibernation until December, according to local government authorities.

Local authorities have deployed thousands of police officers and locals to destroy the hives. So far, about 710 hives have been removed and at least 7 million yuan (about $1.1 million U.S.) sent to areas affected by hornets, according to a government press release.

The spate of attacks could be caused by the unusually dry weather in the area, authorities say. The arid environment makes it easier for hornets to breed. Urbanization could also be a contributing factor, as humans move into hornets' habitats.

People can inadvertently irritate the hornet hives, as most are tucked away in secluded places, such as tree hollows or even underground.

The Asian killer hornet, also known as Vespa mandarinia, is the world's largest hornet.

The provincial government has warned residents to wear long sleeves when outdoors, and not to attempt driving away the swarms or removing their hives.

Vespa mandarinia are known as formidable, carnivorous killers, found in eastern and southeastern Asia, especially in Japan. About 30 to 50 deaths are reported each year in Japan from such attacks, according to Japanese studies.

The species is also destructive to western honey bees. Research in Japan suggests tens of thousands of honey bee hives are damaged by the giant hornets each year.

The species feed their young with the larvae of other insects and use their mandibles to sever the limbs and heads of their prey. The hornet's venom sting is a neurotoxin so powerful that it dissolves human tissue, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

The giant hornets are attracted to bright colors, human sweat, alcohol and sweet flavors and smells. They are especially sensitive to when animals or people run, according to Xinhua.

One victim told local media earlier this month that "the more you run, the more they want to chase you." Some victims described being chased about 200 meters (656 feet) by a swarm.

Every breeding season, the giant hornets produce an average of 10,000 offspring. They feast on other insects such as beetles, wasps and bees, launching coordinated attacks on the hives of their prey.

Iran parliament endorses Rouhani's diplomatic gambit

(Reuters) - Iran's parliament

The backing from the assembly, controlled by political factions deeply loyal to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a further sign that Rouhani has the support of the Iranian establishment, though there are some rumblings from hardliners.

Khamenei, the most powerful figure in Iran, has yet to comment publicly on Rouhani's trip.
Rouhani briefed parliamentarians on his trip, including discussions on Iran's nuclear dispute with the West and regional relations, the student news agency ISNA said.

A group of 230 parliamentarians, out of the total of 290, signed a statement expressing their support of Rouhani for presenting the image of a "powerful and peace-seeking Iran which seeks talks and interaction for the settlement of regional and international issues", Fars news agency said.

While Rouhani's visit to New York boosted hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough in talks to resolve the 10-year-old dispute over Iran's nuclear program, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed it on Tuesday as a ruse concocted by a "wolf in sheep's clothing".

The United States, Israel and other countries accuse Iran of using its nuclear program as a veil for efforts to try to develop the capability to produce weapons. Iran says the program is for peaceful energy purposes only.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Netanyahu and "the Zionist lobby" were trying to hinder negotiations.

"We will not let Netanyahu determine the future of our talks," Zarif wrote on his Facebook page. The next round of nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers is to take place in Geneva on October 15-16.

POSSIBLE RESOLUTIONS
Such is the mistrust between Iran and the West that a big sticking point of negotiations over Tehran's disputed nuclear program has been who should make the first move.

Iran has insisted the United States and the European Union should ease sanctions before it makes any concessions over enriching uranium, while Western powers have argued the reverse.

Western powers are however considering easing their long-standing demand that Iran suspend all enrichment as part of a possible deal to resolve the dispute that Rouhani says he wants to reach within months, a senior EU diplomat said.

"I believe part of the game is that if the Iranians prove that whatever they are doing is peaceful, it will, as I understand, be possible for them to conduct it," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius told Reuters.
Lithuania holds the rotating presidency of the European Union until the end of this year, giving Linkevicius a closer insight into many policy debates.

"It's conditional. It is not a done deal, but nevertheless it is a possibility to explore," he said. "Thanks to this rapprochement. How it will look, we don't know."

But both Rouhani and Obama face domestic opposition to rapprochement from those who fear their president may be too willing to grant concessions before the other side takes any concrete steps.

U.S. Republicans argue that it is the sanctions that have brought about Iran's greater apparent willingness to at least discuss compromise over some aspects of its nuclear activities and so therefore now is not the time to ease pressure on Tehran.

But Rouhani said on Wednesday a growing international consensus favored lifting sanctions against Iran.
"During my visit to New York, many of the officials of countries made moves to have meetings with the Iranian delegations and they were saying that sanctions are ineffective and some of them even said they were unjust," the student news agency ISNA quoted Rouhani as telling a cabinet meeting.

"It appears that the international environment is such that sanctions need to be put to one side," he said, but did not say which countries wanted the sanctions to be eased.

The strongest sanctions are those of the United States and the European Union on Iran's oil, gas, banking and shipping sectors and neither Washington nor Brussels has shown any sign of easing sanctions soon, at least not before Iran acts.

In Iran's view, Rouhani has taken a big step already by talking directly to Obama and now it is the turn of the United States to show evidence of its own good will.

"In my view what American officials say is not important. What is important is that they have understood that sanctions against Iran are useless," Mehr news agency quoted Rouhani as saying.
"The problems of eight years or a decade certainly can't be solved in eight or 10 days."

OPTIMISM AND SUSPICION
Separate talks between Iran and the U.N. atomic watchdog in Vienna last week however appeared to make little real headway, though both sides described their discussions as "constructive".

One Western diplomat said he had the impression that Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency were relatively "optimistic" after the meeting. Another envoy said the discussions had been focused and the atmosphere positive.

The Iran-IAEA meeting was a "good harbinger of better relations", said Mark Fitzpatrick of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a London-based think tank. "There is a new mood of optimism in Vienna that finally there is a way forward," he said.

But even as Iranian conservatives fall in line behind Rouhani there were signs of unease within their ranks.
Parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani praised Rouhani's address to the U.N. General Assembly, ISNA said. But Larijani, a champion of the conservative establishment, made no specific mention of Rouhani's phone call with Obama.

The head of the powerful Revolutionary Guards said on Monday the call had been premature, a possible beginning of resistance to the relative moderate Rouhani from Iranian hardliners.

How China Would Fight the US (And Win)

The piece notes: “While the People's Liberation Army continues to acquire more advanced weapon systems, it will still take China at least 30 years to compete with the United States and build the world's most powerful military force…”

My own opinion: We would need to break this down in terms of looking at the various branches of China’s military across different domains, but who cares! Beijing certainly doesn’t.
OK, some explanation is needed for such a bold assertion.

Modern militaries are designed with certain objectives in mind. While Beijing is clearly focused on a possible challenge by U.S. forces intervening in some sort of future conflict (yes, A2/AD comes into play), China’s armed forces are designed to win, according to most experts, “local wars under informationized conditions.”
Clearly, not every situation under this concept has Beijing’s security professionals worried about American intervention or some sort of plane to plane, ship to ship match-up between the two. And that is exactly how Beijing likes it — for the time being.

Simply put: China does not need to match America symmetrically, only to defend what it defines as its “core interests.” An asymmetric strategy suits Beijing’s aims just fine in this regard.

In looking at some of the domains Chinese forces operate in, not every single one assumes America as the main adversary.

For example, in discussing China’s land forces — in which the article actually references Dennis Blasko, one of the world’s best analysts on China’s land forces –  one needs to ask who Beijing would actually be fighting on land these days? Things in Central Asia look quite good for Beijing, with no pressing challenges to consider at the moment. Sino-Russian relations are quite chummy, and there is little to no danger of a fight between these two giants.

In fact, China’s lack of concern regarding Russia has allowed it to pour resources into other areas of its armed forces. Beyond peacekeeping forces through the United Nations, China does not seem intent on deploying land forces overseas anytime soon, and clearly not against American forces. It would be a waste of resources to devote vast sums of money to land forces where there is no rival for China to be concerned about in the near-term. Clearly, Beijing is modernizing its land assets, but not at the speed of other areas where it faces much more robust challenges.

This brings us to China’s forces on the high seas — a domain where Beijing has devoted considerable time and energy. Looking at Beijing’s rivals in the South China Sea, if a conflict were to develop between China and pretty much every other major claimant (with the exception of Taiwan), Beijing would defeat its rivals quickly and with relative ease. One of China’s biggest irritants in the South China Sea, the Philippines, has very few maritime assets at its disposal. Its best vessels are ancient U.S. Coast Guard ships, hardly a match for Beijing's latest destroyers or land-based missiles.

China’s dispute with Japan over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands is obviously very different. The Japanese Navy is one of Asia’s best. At the moment, I would give the edge to Japan’s Navy in a one to one matchup with China based on its level of skill, training and sophistication. However, considering the large amounts and growing accuracy of Beijing’s missile forces, and its new class of anti-ship ballistic missiles, nothing could be assumed once the bombs start falling. In time, however, considering Beijing’s growing military budget, focus on 5th generation fighters and increasing naval register, Japan will be hard pressed to hold onto its advantages.

And that brings us naturally to the showdown everyone loves talking about, the much discussed U.S.-China military comparison. While it makes sense for even the most accomplished scholar to try and make direct comparisons of the two nations’ armed forces, the important point is this: Beijing certainly doesn’t.

Chinese military planners have stated time and time again they have no plans to try and match U.S. forces ship for ship, or carrier for carrier. China’s military — at least for the moment — is much more focused on the area around the first island chain, while America’s defense planners are focused on projecting power globally — two very different missions.

This is why understanding China’s much discussed “counter-intervention” strategy or A2/AD is so important. China intends to make things as difficult for America in the event of a conflict as possible. Why bother developing multiple carrier battle groups that would cost billions to build and billions more to maintain? If China can use large amounts of cruise and ballistic missiles, modern conventional submarines, sea-mines and other less costly assets to keep U.S. forces far from areas of contention or do real damage in a fight, that would suit Beijing just fine.

Unfortunately, a simple comparison between militaries is not as easy as the headline writers would have us believe. The true test for a nation’s military is quite simple: can it achieve the goals its leadership lays out and the internal goals it sets for itself? Sadly, that does not lend itself to a sexy headline (although we'll do our best…); however, this is the question we must ask of China’s military today and going forward.

7 dead, 4 trapped in coal mine explosion in China

FENGCHENG CITY, China, Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Seven people died and four were still trapped after a coal and gas explosion at a mine in east China's Jiangxi province, rescuers said.

The explosion took place about 5:45 a.m., local time, Monday in Fengcheng City in Qujiang County while miners were working 2,847 feet underground, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.

Four miners were killed immediately and rescuers pulled the bodies of three more from the Jiangxi Coal Group Corp. mine Tuesday.

Rescuers said the gas density in the mine was high, making the chance of survival for the four trapped miners slim.