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Source: RT
President Hugo Chavez was unique in multiple areas of political, social and economic life. He made significant contributions to the advancement of humanity. The depth, scope and popularity of his accomplishments mark President Chavez as the 'Renaissance President of the 21st Century'.
Many writers have noted one or another of his historic contributions highlighting his anti-poverty legislation, his success in winning popular elections with resounding majorities and his promotion of universal free public education and health coverage for all Venezuelans.
In this essay we will highlight the unique world-historic contributions that President Chavez made in the spheres of political economy, ethics and international law and in redefining relations between political leaders and citizens. We shall start with his enduring contribution to the development of civic culture in Venezuela and beyond.
© Reuters / Baz RatnerAn ethnic Russian Ukrainian holds a Russian flag as Crimean Tatars rally near the Crimean parliament building in Simferopol February 26, 2014.
RT: If the EU and the US are concerned about doing what people on the Maidan want, why are they ignoring what people in Crimea want?
Mark Almond: Well one would have thought so if you're going to listen to the crowd on the street on the square and there are many squares where there're crowds including Simferopol and Sevastopol. The basic problem of course is what the Americans, particularly the lead military power in NATO want, is to eventually ease the Russian navy out of its base, out of its lease in Sevastopol in the Crimea. And so of course the fact that the great majority of people in Crimea not only 60 per cent that are actually Russian but many of the rest who speak Russian as their everyday language is something that the EU and NATO countries want to ignore. Of course if you have any kind of push to create a crisis, I'm afraid our democratic basis as in Kosovo where the great majority, where the great majority of Albanians wanted to be independent from Serbia, you would create a Kosovo crisis in Crimea. But of course strangely enough Washington and Brussels suddenly aren't terribly interested in this. I myself think that creating a crisis is not a good idea, but nonetheless they seem to be bent on pushing to increase tension between people on the Peninsula. And of course there is a risk of violence against either ethnic Russians, civilians that are there or against the sailors and soldiers on the base.
© Brendan Smialowski/Getty ImagesPresident Hamid Karzai’s refusal to sign a security deal has frustrated the White House, which has been forced to abandon an earlier demand that he sign the deal in weeks, not months.
The United States has said that after its formal drawdown of troops from Afghanistan by year's end, it could leave a contingent of as many as 8,000 for counter-terrorism operations against al-Qaeda targets and to train Afghan forces.
But Mr Karzai's refusal to sign a security deal has frustrated the White House, which has been forced to abandon an earlier demand that he sign the deal in weeks, not months.
© Franco Origlia/Getty ImagesArchbishop of Sydney Cardinal Pell (second from left) in Vatican City
The pontiff has created a new Secretariat of the Economy headed by Cardinal George Pell of Australia and overseen by a 15-member council that includes seven lay experts "with strong professional financial experience," the Vatican said in a statement on its website.
The pope will directly oversee the new structure, which will include an auditor general who can conduct surprise audits "of any agency of the Holy See and Vatican City State at any time," according to the statement.
"On the streets of many cities of our country, extremism thrives. Threats of bodily harm are thrown at me and my collaborators. I'm forced to ask the Russian authorities to ensure my personal security against the actions of extremists," Yanukovich said.
The southeast of the country and the Crimea don't acknowledge the mayhem in Ukraine under which "leaders are chosen by the crowd," news agencies quote his statement.
Yanukovich also said that he hadn't ordered the Ukrainian army to interfere in the internal political events, and he doesn't order it now, the statement reads.
President Obama has placed whole nations on his Kill List. Syria and Venezuela are to join Libya and Iraq as states that have been made to fail, while Ukraine is snatched into the NATO-EU orbit. "The neo-conservative project for a new American century has reached full fruition under a Democratic president, who now has many notches on his gun."
"A superpower can foment conflict anywhere it wants to at anytime it chooses."
© UnknownThe photo shows people walking past a barricade on Independence Square in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, February 24, 2014.
On Thursday, the daily staged the strongest reaction so far in China to the rift between the West and Russia over the political state of affairs in Ukraine.
"The theories related to politics, economics and security during the Cold War period are still influencing many people on their concept of the world, and some Western people are still imbued with resentment towards Russia," the daily wrote in a commentary.It called on Western countries to "abandon their outdated thinking" and expand cooperation.
"Ridding the shackles of the Cold War mentality will reduce unnecessary confrontation, thereby allowing for a smoother transition in international relations."
© UnknownProphet John Kerry declares how democracy works and predicts that the future president of Afghanistan will be begging the Americans to stay.
The deal could allow thousands of US troops to stay in Afghanistan for up to a decade after the end of this year. Nevertheless, despite mounting pressure from Washington, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has so far refused to sign it.
"Whether it's signed by him or not we obviously have serious reservations, but all six of the candidates for the presidency of Afghanistan have said that they will sign it," Kerry told a group of reporters on Wednesday.
US National Intelligence Director James Clapper also indicated before the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this month that it would be better for Washington to wait until after Afghanistan's presidential elections in April, hoping a new Afghan president might sign the deal.
Comment: Isn't it miraculous how quickly the Afghans after only 12 years have learned the art of democracy the American way?
© WFTXRobin Speronis
Since November 2013, WFTX Fox 4 has reported on Ms. Speronis' ongoing battle with the city to live without most utilities. The self-sufficient woman has lived for more than a year-and-a-half using solar energy, a propane camping stove, rain water, and eating mainly non-perishable food. However, the day after the station's first profile of her lifestyle Speronis' home was tagged by the city code enforcement with a notice to vacate.
© WFTXThe notice to vacate posted on Robin Speronis' home.
