AUGUST 31st, 2016

                                   

August 2016 has been a month of extremes.  Some events filled us with  hope and joy, others with fear and anxiety.   I have already written a post about the Rio Summer Olympic Games that ended on the 21^st August and were a great success.

Turkey and Neighbours

After the attempted coup d’état in Turkey and Mr. Erdoyan’s dictatorship, the country’s foreign policy changed completely.   After being a staunch ally of the West and NATO, Turkey is now turning to the East.  With a double interpretation it is looking back towards its past grandeur (the Ottoman Empire) and towards Putin’s Russia with which Turkey is desperately pursuing a close alliance.  Naturally, the European Union and the United States do not agree with Turkey's new aspirations.    Turkey’s geographical position is important at this historical period, as it borders on three regions where war is either smouldering or escalating: the Middle East (Syria), the Caucasus (Russia/Ukraine) and Central Asia (Iraq).  

Quetta a Dream City

At least 70 people were killed and 120 injured, in a terrorist suicide attack, at a hospital in Quetta, in the N.W. Frontier Province of Pakistan.   Among the victims were many lawyers and journalists who were paying their respects to a dead friend.  A branch of the Taliban took responsibility for this barbaric, heinous act.

In Caracas, unpopular President Nikolas Maduro is adopting the method of obstruction, as the National Electoral Council announced that the opposition parties have accumulated sufficient votes for the proceedings of a referendum for his removal from power.

Attacks against Christian churches are announced in the last issue of an ISIS propaganda periodical “Dabiq”.  It invites the “hidden soldiers” (lone wolves) in the West to attack the “infidels”.   The targets being Pope Francis, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos, and Christian churches all over the world.   

Spain has been without a functioning government for the last eight months since the inconclusive elections in December and June.   This political deadlock has brought a standstill to investments and economic recovery.   Unfortunately, Pedro Sanchez, the leader of the Socialist Party opposition has recently refused to back and support Mariano Rajoy’s centre/right People’s Party, in order to create a coalition government, thus raising the risk for new elections.

"The Finding of the Holy Cross" by Nicola Filotesio

Calliope, Muse of Epic Poetry by Nicola Filotesio 

St. Agostino in Amatrice

St. Agostino reduced to Rubbles

A massive earthquake, measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale, hit central Italy, on the 24th August 2016, at 3.36 a.m. Central European Time.  It, unfortunately, killed more than 290 people and injured at least 365.  The damage was devastating especially in the town of Amatrice, which was completely destroyed, and in Accummoli and Pescara del Tronte.  Our thoughts and prayers are with those who lost their loved ones and their property.  Moreover, extensive destructions of cultural heritage monuments have been reported;  in Amatrice the facade of St. Agostino, a church built in 1428 was completely destroyed.  Also, the museum dedicated to the painter Nicola Filotesio, a student and friend of Rafael, was reduced to rubbles.   The earthquake also created cracks on the Baths of Caracalla, in Rome.

Right (before) and Left After Receiving the Medication

A new wonder drug, containing an antibody that completely clears the visible signs of Alzheimer’s disease from the brain, has been discovered.  The scientists expressed restrained enthusiasm.   

The conflict between the European Union and Apple is becoming more severe than ever, after Mrs. Margrethe Vestager, the European Commissioner for Competition asked Ireland to retrieve over 13 billion Euros from Apple, due to illegal tax reductions.  This has been the largest fine ever imposed by the European Commission to a company, creating strong counterblasts from Ireland, Apple and the U.S.A.   According to the European Committee, these tax reductions are illegal as they have given Apple the opportunity of paying lower taxes than its competitors.  Moreover, European Law forbids the local tax authorities of the Member States to offer additional tax reductions to companies with which they deal.   

Mrs. Margrethe Versteiger