This article advocates an active, concerted strategy for staking out the middle ground in environmental policy. The middle ground - the domain of "middle of the roaders" - has conventionally been defined by compromise, and as a result lacks any defining content and principles. I propose an aggressive middle that uses enriched sources of information, agency professional judgment, and transparent adaptive management as its components.


Win 500,000 Swedish Crowns; if you find a mistake in the theories in the book.
The correct value is 3.125 and its subordinated values: 0.78125, 1.28, 0.64, 0.21875.
Also with 3.125 are Mantle area and Total area even Volume of Sphere & Cylinder and Cube relationship 2/3 or 3/2.
But the volume of Sphere, Cylinder and Cube with 3.141592653... are not relationship as 2/3 or 3/2.
The correct values for a circle.
By carefully reading the first chapters in this book, one will come to understand the existing characteristics and relations of square, circle and cylinder.
of the area and circumference of a circle.
I have investigated and researched on Pi for 35 years and it has taken me this long to come to these conclusions. To share my knowledge and discuss the contents of my book with fellow colleagues I have put a few words together on this site.
Old methods of identifying and calculating Pi have not been mentioned, discussed or used in this book. History of Pi has not been mentioned either. This book only considers a new idea and new formulas. To understand and get a complete view of the new formulas and ideas one has to study the book.
The first time I published this book was in year 2000 in Sweden and the second time in 2003.
The book is divided into two parts. The first part contains seven chapters, explaining the correct value for Pi. The second part contains six chapters, each chapter covering different mathematical areas. Part 1 explains the basic geometric shapes and how these are related to each other.
Chapter 1: Squares and square-squaring form.
Chapter 2: Circles and circle-squaring form.
Chapter 3: Cylinders and cylinder-squaring form.
Chapter 4: A logarithm is presented and with its help formulas are built. Geometrical figures can be calculated with the help of these formulas. Also in this chapter one can follow the classifications of the circles.
Chapter 5: Here you learn about a unique Circle.
In addition to this four more circles are used to give the solution for the equation.
Pi = 3.141592653...in the calculations.
Chapter 7: Here one can systematically see the formulas, the illustrations and the analysis.
The book is now published in English with more details. It is now available for purchase.


Who could I love now?
Surely, you are both the start and the end of the world.
Ha ha, wow! This is quite powerful!
I'd rather have small piece of plastic in my food than to see one single person as the end of the world.


SPOOKY G`S PREDICTIONS AND THE STRANGENESS OF TIME!
Most theories of prophecy concentrate on what are professed to be ambiguities in our conventional notion of what the future is and claim that the future either unfolds or coexists with the present. A somewhat novel approach to the problem, focusing on ambiguities in what we call the present, was proposed in 1934 by H. F. Saltmarsh.
Saltmarsh begins by pointing out that what we conventionally name the present is nothing of the kind. For when we see something – a falling leaf or the prick of a pin for instance, we regard our perception and what it reveals as occurring simultaineously in time. But sensory impressions do not occur all at once. We feel the pinprick an instant after it happens; the leaf touches the ground an instant before we register the landing. In addition to the time it takes for the sensory impressions to reach our brain is the time it takes our brain to process the signals when they arrive. So based on Saltmarsh`s proposal, our perception of anything happening is inevitably a bit later than the event itself. Consequently, we have two kinds of present. The interval between these two presents might well be considered a third level, or intermediate present, in which events can occur or begin to occur. We can further conjecture that it is in the third level of time that certain people receive intimations of the future.
Because all transitions take time, we can hardly suppose that the contents of the intermediate present pass into our awareness intact or unchanged. We can therefore say that the intermediate present, like the real present, is unavailable to ordinary consciousness and that its contents can never be quite the same as those of our normal awareness. It is in this nether area between an event and the perception of it that precognition might occur.
Nearly four years ago I had two wonderful premonitions about my two sons and my two daughter-in-laws. We were visiting Jenna and Geoffrey one weekend, when suddenly I got a strange feeling as we parked the car. When we greeted each other the feeling became very strong especially when I hugged my daughter-in-law Jenna. It was very like the feeling you get when you drive over a hill at speed, it`s that tummy tickle that you get as the car lifts in the air, or like the feeling of great excitement. As I hugged her I saw a picture in my mind of my son Geoffrey changing a baby boys nappy, then Jenna cradling the baby in her arms. I said to her " Jenna you`re going to have a baby in March " this was in the summer the year before. I whispered to her that the baby is a little boy. She looked at me completely stunned and said " I`m not pregnant G! am I Geoffrey?. " Geoffrey just looked at me and said `spooky G strikes again ` then smiled and told Jenna he was going to the chemist right away to get a pregnancy test for her, because he knew that I`ve had these premonitions before. She was baffled because she didn`t know how I could tell, she didn`t feel any different. They had just moved house and a baby wasn`t planned for a few years.
While he was out, I got a piece of paper and wrote the baby`s name down, Jack Andrew Geoffrey. I then said that I had written the name and I folded the paper and locked it in a little box that I keep important papers in, driving licence and so on. I told her that I won`t show it to her until after the baby is born and that I didn`t want her to tell us what names she was going to choose. She laughed and just said " But I`m not pregnant G!! I`m sure of it!! " Then Geoffrey came home and immediately told her to do the test. She came into the kitchen looking as white as a sheet and showed Geoffrey the test, it was positive and it told her that she was three weeks pregnant! The tests are amazing these days, there was nothing so accurate when I was having my children. She cried with shock and Geoffrey was dancing around the kitchen with her, they were both thrilled. Geoffrey asked what I`d written, but I wouldn`t tell them because that would have spoilt the surprise! When she was twenty weeks, she went for the usual scan, when the doctor checks to see that everything is going well. She told them that they both wanted to know what they were having? and yes, it was a boy!
The day they came home with him she asked me for the bit of paper with his name on it. She said that they had decided to call him Jack Andrew Geoffrey. I showed her the paper and she burst into tears with amazement. She was so shocked!
Three weeks after I`d told Jenna that she was pregnant, the same thing happened for my other son Adam and his wife. Laura and Adam came to see me when I was poorly with flu. I said to them that she`s pregnant with a boy and due in March just like Jenna was. I actually saw the date this time, the number 4. I told them that I could see a baby wrapped in a blue shawl in Adams arms! Adam just laughed and said " Mum that`s what we came to tell you, we`ve just come from the doctor`s because Laura has been feeling a bit sickly! " Again the baby wasn`t planned.
While we were with them, Laura`s mum came in with a present for the baby. Laura opened it and it was a beautiful hand knitted baby blue shawl from her grandmother. We all had fun that day and fell about laughing because I got that bit right as well.
I have found over the years that the biggest block to connecting with the spirits is fear or confusion over what happens when we die! This fear may be subconscious, in that we never really realised that we had it. Or we may have confused or mixed feelings about the after life, both in terms of what it means and how our loved ones are experiencing it. We may even be unsure that the after life exists at all, but simply hope that it does and that it`s a happy place!
In July 1975 a large block of ice fell through the roof of the Melkis family home in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, England. At the time of the incident the family was engrossed in the original TV movie about the Titanic. As the ice crashed through their ceiling, they were tensely waiting for the ship to strike the fateful iceberg in the film. Thankfully nobody was hurt!
Early in the 1970`s the British actor, the fascinating Mr Anthony Hopkins, ( who is my alltime favourite actor ) signed a contract to play one of the leading roles, in a film version of George Feifer`s The Girl From Petrovka. He searched the many bookshops in London`s Charing Cross Road for a copy of the original novel. His search was fruitless, so in frustration he went into the Leicester Square subway station to catch a train home. There lying on a seat in the station, he found a copy of the book, apparently forgotten by someone at the station.
Two years later Mr Hopkins was in Viena, working on the film production, and was visited by George Feifer. Mr Feifer told him that he no longer had a copy of his own book! – he had given his last one to a friend who had sadly lost the book somewhere in London. "Is this the one you mean?" Mr hopkins asked, handing him the book, "with the hand written notes scribbled in the margins?" It was indeed Feifer`s own copy. The Girl From Pretovka had come home at last!!
When the novelist Anne Parrish first visited Paris in the 1920`s, she and her husband spent some leisurely time browsing the secondhand bookstalls that line the banks of the River Seine. On one stall she found an old copy of a book called Jack Frost And Other Stories, a book that she loved to read as a small child in Colorado Springs, she had not seen it since her nursery days. She became very excited to find such a well loved treasure again after so many years, and she showed the book to her husband. He opened it and on the flyleaf found an inscription: "Anne Parrish 209 N. Weber Street, Colorado Springs!! Needless to say, she snapped it up!
I once read an interesting story in my early teens, and it has stuck in my memory ever since. It has always fascinated me how people think and feel about numbers!
A gentleman by the name of Anthony Clancy was born in Ireland, on a Sunday, which is the seventh day of the week, on July 7th, the seventh month of the year, in 1907! He was the seventh child! and his father was also a seventh child, he also had seven brothers; that gives you seven sevens!! On his 27th birthday, he fancied a day at the races! So he went to put a bet on at his local horse racing track. He looked at his race-card, hoping to pick a winner in the seventh race! The horse he picked was called Seventh Heaven! His racing number was number seven, and the horse had a handicap of seven stone. The odds were seven to one! so he put seven shillings on the horse, and yes you`ve guessed it! it finished seventh!!!
Identical twin boys who were born in Ohio USA, were adopted by different families, shortly after they were born. In the early seventies, after thirty nine years apart, they were reunited. They discovered that they had both been named James and they had both become law enforcement officers. They both studied mechanical drawing and carpentry. Each James married a woman called Linda and each had a son – one named James Alan and the other named James Allan. They had both been through a divorce and had married their second wives after three years, on the same date, one year apart, both their new wives were called Elizabeth!! They both holiday every year in St Petersburg, Florida and they both had, during their childhood, pet Huskies called Toy!!
I will continue to tell you more stories in future articles on the true and unusual realms of life.
Here is a short science lesson for you all today.
From our small rock, we have a grandstand seat to explore our local galactic neighbourhood. Our nearest star, the Sun, is 93 million miles away, but each night when this star disappears from view, thousands more fill the night sky. In the most privileged places on Earth, up to 10.000 stars can be seen with the naked eye, and all of them are part of the galaxy we call home.
A galaxy is a massive collection of stars, gas and dust, bound together by gravity. It is a place where stars live and die, where the life cycles of our universe are played out on a gargantuan scale. Scientists think there are around 100 billion galaxies in the observable universe, each containing many millions of stars. The smallest galaxies, known as dwarf galaxies, have as few as ten million stars!! The biggest, the giants, have been estimated to contain in the region of 100 trillion. It is now widely accepted that galaxies also contain much more than just the matter we can see using our telescopes. They are thought to have giant halos of dark matter, a new form of matter unlike anything we have discovered on Earth and interacts only weakly with normal matter. Despite this, its gravitational effect dominates the behaviour of galaxies today and most likely dominated the formation of the galaxies in the early Universe. This is because scientists now think that around 95% of the mass of galaxies such as our own Milky Way is made up of dark matter. In some sense this makes the luminous stars, planets, gas and dust an after-thought, although because it is highly unlikely that the dark matter can form into complex and beautiful structures, like stars, planets and people, one might ultimately claim that it`s rather less interesting. The search for the nature of dark matter is one of the great challenges for twenty-first century physics.
The Milky Way contains somewhere between 200 and 400 billion stars, depending on the number of faint dwarf stars that are difficult for us to detect. The majority of stars lie in a disc around a hundred thousand light years in diameter and, on average, around a thousand light years thick. These vast distances are very difficult to visualise. A distance of 100.000 light years means that light itself, traveling at 186.000 miles per second, would take 100.000 years to make a journey across our galaxy. Or, to put it another way , the distance between the Sun and the outermost planet of our solar system, Neptune, is around four light hours-that`s one sixth of a light day. You would have to lay around 220 million solar systems end to end to cross our galaxy!
At the centre of our galaxy, and possibly every galaxy in the Universe, there is believed to be a super-massive black hole. Astronomars believe this because of precise measurements of the orbit of a star known as S2. This star orbits around the intense source of radio waves known as Sagittarius A* that sits at the galactic centre. S2`s orbital period is just over 15 years, which makes it the fastest known orbiting object, reaching speeds of up to 2 per cent of the speed of light. If the precise orbital path of an object is known, the mass of the thing it is orbiting around can be calculated, and the mass of Sagittarius A* is enormous, at 4.1 million times the mass of our Sun. Since the star S2 has the closest approach to the object of only seventeen light hours, it is known that Sagittarius A* must be smaller than this, otherwise S2 would literally bump into it. The only known way of cramming 4.1 million times the mass of the Sun into a space less than 17 light hours across is as a black hole! which is why astronomers are so confident that a giant black hole sits at the centre of The Milky Way. These observations have recently been confirmed and refined by studying a further 27 stars, known as the S-stars, all with orbits taking them very close to Sagittarius A*.
Beyond the S stars is a melting pot of celestial activity, filled with all sorts of different systems that interact and influence each other. The Arches Cluster is the densest known star cluster in the galaxy. Formed from about 150 young, intensely hot stars that dwarf our Sun in size, these stars burn brightly and are consequently very short lived, exhausting their supply of hydrogen in just a couple of million years. The Quintuplet Cluster contains one of the most luminous stars in our galaxy, the Pistol Star, which is thought to be near the end of its life and on the verge of becoming a supernova. It is in central clusters like the Arches and the Quintuplet that the greatest density of stars in our galaxy can be found. As we move out from the crowded galactic centre, the number of stars drops with distance, until we reach the sparse cloud of gas in the outer reaches of the Milky Way known as the Galactic Halo.
In 2007, scientists using the VLT telescope at the Paranal Observatory in Chile were able to observe a star in the Galactic Halo that is thought to be the oldest object in the Milky Way. HE 1523-0901 is a star in the last stages of its life; known as a red giant, it is a vast structure far bigger than our Sun, but much cooler at its surface. HE 1523-0901 is interesting because astronomers have been able to measure the precise quantities of five radioactive elements – uranium, thorium, europium, osmium and iridium – in the star. Using a technique very similar to carbon dating (a method archaeologists use to measure the age of organic material on Earth), astronomers have been able to get a precise age for this ancient star. Radioactive dating is an extremely precise and reliable technique when there are multiple `radiactive clocks` all ticking away at once. This is why the detection of the five radioactive elements in the light from the HE 1523-0901 was so important. This dying star turns out to be 13.2 billion years old – that`s almost as old as the Universe itself, which began just over 13.7 billion years ago. The radioactive elements in this star would have been created in the death throes of the first generation of stars, which ended their lives in supernova explosions in the first half a billion years of the life of the Universe.
IS REINCARNATION GODS` WAY OF RECYCLING?
That sounds like a strange question doesn`t it? but it is one that I have often thought makes great sense when you look into the subject of reincarnation more deeply.
The buddhist teachings on reincarnation are profound. They do not deal merely with the fact of rebirth, but they explain how this is one of the fundamental elements of life and soul growth.
They refer to reincarnation as the `Law`and that `Law` explains many of the conundrums of life – why we feel a sense of recognition of some people; why we are drawn to certain countries, and why some people seem to be born with incredible skills!
Most people have said to me that they believe that I have a gift that they don`t possess! When I tell them that I believe that everyone is psychic, they often look at me in wonder. Really!? they say!. You think everyone is psychic? Even me?
The answer is yes. Everyone is psychic. The key difference is our own belief in our psychic abilities. I have been in touch with my psychic side for many years now. But I would never have practiced those abilities if I didn`t believe that my gift is real in the first place. Your psychic abilities are just like any other ability that you possess, the more you practice at learning to get the hang of them, the better you become, just like learning to read and write!
So this is about helping you to believe with confidence in your psychic abilities. Because until you truly believe in yourself, your way to the spirit world will be blocked.
WHY DON`T WE BELIEVE IN OURSELVES?
I find that the main reason that we don`t believe in our psychic abilities is because intuition and life`s `softer` skills aren`t encouraged in this day and age. Most children who have psychic experiences don`t tell people about them, for fear of being laughed at or being called a lier.
Psychic experiences are usually dismissed as coincidences, or our imagination. We`re not taught to practice our psychic skills – far from it in fact. In life we`re told to focus on `practical` and `sensible` things like maths and English. Sadly there are no lessons in school about tapping into our intuition!!
I`m willing to bet that you`ve had more than one psychic experience in your life! Perhaps you didn`t call it this, but you understood that it meant that there was something more to the world than you could see with your own eyes.
When I was a youngster, I used to often see my grandad at the end of my bed, nothing strange about that! except that he died before I was born! Of course, at the time I didn`t know I was having a psychic experience. I thought I was seeing the end of a dream or having a hallucination!
Now I understand that he was really there and came to visit me regularly in order to help me learn about my abilities. He is the one who comes through first when I get in touch with the spirit realm.
I`ve heard many accounts from people about their experiences with their departed loved ones. These experiences are commonly straight after a passing, when our psychic senses are heightened and our logical mind takes a break.
I remember one lady telling me that she saw her husband on an empty hospital bed, a few hours after he`d passed away. She`d come to collect his belongings, and wasn`t startled or surprised to see him sitting there, instead she felt totally calm and very comforted. Her husband looked healthier than she had seen him in for many years, and he smiled at her and blew her a kiss, then he disappeared. Afterwards the lady decided that she had had a hallucination due to the shock of her loss. During our chat I asked her to really focus on this memory. When she recalled it in detail, she understood that she had in fact connected with her husbands spirit that day. She`d never hallucinated before in her life and she realised that the feelings of calm and great peace were from her connection with the spirit realm that day.
Because we don`t learn about intuition at school, and because we`re not taught to focus on the `invisible` side of life, we don`t tend to recognise it when it actually happens to us personally. If we `d been taught to notice our own psychic abilities from a young age, I believe we would all be very proficient at the skill by the time we reach adulthood.
Consider the psychic experiences that you`ve already had! By focusing on coincidences, visions, psychic dreams and when you just `knew`things, this will really help you believe in, and encourage the development of your psychic abilities, the abilities that we are all capable of developing, just like any other skill that the human brain is capable of learning.
So let`s take a trip down memory lane. I`d particularly like you to focus on the time after you lost a loved one, because this is often when our psychic energies are most in tune with the spirit realm.
When your loved one passed away, were there any strange coincidences surrounding their death? Perhaps something happened with their possessions that you weren`t expecting! or perhaps you ended up hearing their favourite song while you were thinking of them, quite by accident. Maybe you saw or felt their presence, or had a very vivid dream about them that told you something very important. Whatever your experiences, I`d like you to really focus on them. Find a quiet spot and really relive the memory in detail. What were you wearing? What was the temperature? What exactly did you see, hear and feel?
The more you focus on that experience, the more you`ll begin to value it as a genuine psychic encounter. This will help you appreciate that you do have psychic abilities and that you can connect with the spirit realm. You just need to believe and start practicing.
GHOSTS! REVENGE OF THE UNQUIET GRAVE!
Those that scorn the idea that spooks or ghosts prowl and shimmer throughout the world, do so because so far nobody has caught a ghost `in a bottle`. Because they are skeptical by habbit, or because they resist the notion that death may not be the final experience for us humans.
For many the word `ghost` conjures up an anonymous white-robed figure, a spirit that has come back from the grave to haunt the living. But in the literature of Ghostdom,` spectral beings come in a variety of forms and shapes, and some never put in an appearance at all! although they make their presence felt. Ghosts also differ in behaviour- they may be purposeful, playful, angelic or even demonic. Miracles are an example of intervention by angelic or enlightened powers, while most poltergeist episodes are held to be demonic, or a manifestation of untaimed telekinetic abilities.
In the psychological view of the phenomenom, ghosts reveal a spectrum of powerful, but not yet understood capacities of the human mind. In these terms some ghosts are the product of telepathic powers, as when a relative appears to another at the time of death. Poltergeist phenomena suggest unwitting and uncontrolled psychokinetic abilities. And some– the appearence of phantom doubles– suggests that out-of-body experiences can sometimes be manifest to others.
Late one night in the early 20th century a miller, James Graeme, of County Durham in the North East of England where I live, suddenly found himself in the company of a young woman. He naturally asked if she was alright and then in shock, he noticed that she was covered in blood all over her hair, and had five gaping wounds in her head. She told Graeme that her name was Anne Walker and that she had been murdered, with a pickaxe, by someone called Mark Sharp who was acting on the instructions of another man who was also named Walker, by whom she was pregnant. She made it very clear to Graeme that unless he gave this information to the police, she would continue to return to him.
Refusing to believe what he had experienced, Graeme did nothing. But again the apparition appeared and twice more pleaded with him to help her seek justice for her murdered baby and herself. He finally worked up the courage and went to his local police station and spoke to a friend about what had been happening, praying that he would be taken seriously. A pit that the ghost identified as where her body was, was examined and her body was found half burried. Sharp and Walker were later arrested, tried and sentenced to hang. She appeared one more time to Graeme, but this time she was whole and beautiful again, she just smiled and was gone. He never had another experience like that again!
Scaring the neighbours, oh what a fright!
But they can tell when he`s there!
Because he always causes a scene.
Like the smallest of bird.
And he turns off the lights! then laughs so much.
But he`ll never be seen by you or me.
If men define situations as real, they are real in their consequences. -William Isaac Thomas.
When a near-death experience takes place, it is generally completely different from anything that people could have imagined ever happening to them. When NDEr`s describe their experience as being "unworldly", they generally understate it. Words like unworldly don`t begin to explain an experience that takes you out of your physical body and into the realms that have been described so vividly in the dozens of NDE accounts that I have read so far, and I have studied this subject for many years now, through many medical surveys and scientific studies that have been published.
It is a long journey from the time that a near-death experience takes place, until the changes following the experience are fully manifested. These life changes often include transformations in the near-death experiencer`s values, beliefs, and relations with others. Collectively these changes are called aftereffects.
Near-death experiencer`s often tell that the aftereffects were the most important part of their experiences. Aftereffects can dramatically affect the NDEr for the rest of his or her life. To understand NDE aftereffects it is helpful to "walk a mile" with the NDErs, following what happened from the time of the NDE until the aftereffects become fully clear later in life.
For NDErs the first challenge is obviously to recover from what nearly killed them and many seek therapy, for what is diagnosed as Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome that many people suffer from when going through this trauma, for example war veterans ect.` NDErs have to deal with the shock of the life-threatening event and the memory of the NDE experience.
Many people believe that NDErs would jump at the opertunity to share such a dramatic experience immediately after it happens. In reality, this is not usually the case. After recovering from nearly dying, if they try to share their story, they often encounter another challenge: they may be met with indifference and even negative reactions, to the point of some people mocking and being cruel to the experiencer. It`s easy to understand how crushed a near-death experiencer would be, trying to share just how remarkable and personal the experience was, only to be told by the people taken into the experiencer`s confidence that the NDE was due to the drugs, hallucinations, or a dream, or was imaginary and never really happened. People have even been accused of being simpathy seekers or attention seekers. When NDErs encounter such inappropriate reactions from others, they may suppress their experience and the memory of it. If they do, the possibility that they will develop life-enhancing aftereffects are greatly reduced, and some suffer from deep depression because they suppress this personal experience.
Compounding the difficulty NDErs face in sharing, is that near-death experiences are often so unworldly that they may be difficult to express in words. Near-death experiences are often called "ineffable", not only are they difficult to explain to none experiencers in words, but also because it may be difficult to mentally process these astounding experiences. People may struggle for a long time to understand what has happened to them, and they expect that others would firmly deny, or would not understand the experience that they have gone through.
Still, some people, thank heavens!! are brave, and they still share their experiences with medical personnel shortly after it occurs. Sometimes they are lucky enough to find nurses and doctors who understand NDEs and may even have had the experience themselves, or have studied the information that medical and scientific surveys have revealed to scientists who have spent many years studying this phenomanon. Unfortunately this isn`t always the case when the experiencer encounters a member of the medical team who are uninformed about NDEs or just don`t care enough to find out about them. The result is a negative responce and a look that says " you must be crazy ". Imagine for a minute! just how traumatic it is for the experiencer to encounter reactions like this one, when they share this information.
Near-death experiencers are generally very uncomfortable sharing their experience with their medical caregivers, for fear of being mocked or recieving negative reprisals.
It`s no wonder that some medical personnel have a difficult time knowing how to respond to this information as even the experiencer, doesn`t know how to respond to the event either. The unexpected nature of the NDE always presents a significant barrier to sharing this information. Most patients who go through this experience don`t even know what it was in the first place, and therefore find it difficult to relate this experience to the faculty who study this phenomenon. An NDE study survey asks, " did you have any knowledge of NDEs prier to your experience? " A resounding 66.4 percent of respondents of NDEs said no! Only 12.7 percent questioned in the study felt that their experience, when it happened, included features consistant with their beliefs. Understandably it would be difficult to talk about this experience, especially if you didn`t believe that anything of its kind could happen.
These barriers to sharing this information about NDEs clearly state why many people do not speak of their experience for years or even decades, but the experience and information stays in their memory very clearly. However, surveys and scientific studies, have found that nearly 90 percent of experiencers share this information in these important studies. Research has shown that it takes on average, a minimum of seven years for people to come to terms with their experience, whether adult or child! One of the most common responses found, is a deeper understanding of spirituality, and this has given the experiencer profound comfort in their knowledge of the afterlife, and also reduced their interest in material gain or status, and it has had the affect of giving them a greater understanding and appreciation of life. Later research found a myriad of other aftereffects, including a belief in the sacredness of life, a sense of God`s presence, and an awareness of the meaning and purpose in life.
Near-death experiencers often become increasingly aware of the needs of others and are willing to reach out to them. They may seek to live life more fully and with real joy. Personally speaking, I think the world needs a lot more people with values like these.
THE TAROT – A READING FOR TODAY!
I have today picked out at random three Tarot cards whilst thinking of Tony, myself and Cherie, Tony`s partner. I feel quite positive with the information they have imparted today and I hope they mean something to all of us.
Cups are connected to emotions, relationships, friendships, and romance. They are also associated with the element of water, and water signs of the Zodiac: Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces.
People represented by this suit usually have blond or light brown hair, and blue or green eyes. The suit can also refer to people with an artistic temperament.
The Queen drinks deeply from the cup of life. Her emotions and sexuality are intense; she relies on intuition before intellect.
When you draw the Queen of cups, you are full of emotional empathy and compassion and others will be attracted to you for that reason. Alternatively, someone who represents the qualities of tender-heartedness will come into your life. Your emotional involvement with someone (or being wrapped up in your own feelings), means you can`t see the truth of what`s going on. You will soon be more compassionate with others.
The world symbolizes the complete person, integrated, whole and self-aware as well as the fulfilment of one`s choices or goals.
In any layout the world is a positive card; there`s always a sense of accomplishment and prosperity. Everything is working for us, dynamic, moving, vibrant and alive as the world itself. The fool is now living out his true potential and sees that life is meaningful and he has a purpose in it. He has realised that all the different little bits of him, whether negative or positive, make up the wholeness of himself. Likewise, when you draw this card you have a sense of individual value and `wholeness`.
A robed figure commands the elements and forces of the universe. This card represents the completion of life`s circle and mystical unity with the cosmos. The power of transcendence is within reach. You can attain worldly success and liberation through spiritual rebirth. Success could be delayed. You are not quite there yet. Time to filter out imperfections and refine your vision.
Someone is going to cut you some slack-soon. Relief will come after a struggle. You may be taking a sea voyage.
kEYWORDS, recovery, travel, new departure, leaving the past behind, getting over difficulties, being more positive about life, healing experience.
The six of swards indicates you are moving out of troubled waters. You`re unsure of what`s going to happen next, but you can see the way ahead. This card usually indicates that you are going through some kind of psychological healing process. You`ll soon be rowing away from those choppy waters for an easier route. You may feel a bit bogged down in problems and need to accept that you have to make an effort to make changes.


and if they are, I will post them and try to answer them below for you in the FAQs section. Enjoy!
1. No swearing. Anyone who swears will have their account locked for 24 hours.
2. No cheating of any kind.
3. No flooding in the multi player arena. Anyone who does will have their account locked for 24 hours.
4. Do not give out any personal details. If you do then you do so at your own risk.
5. Have fun in this game and don't ruin it for anyone else.
6. Don't multiclick or this may delete your account.
7. No posting links to other sites.
9. Be respectful to the Admin and Mods or you maybe deleted.
What Makes This Game Different From The Many Other Online Games?
I'm Running Low On Life, What Do I Do?
How Do I Get Better In The Game?
What Does The Temporary Power-up Do?
Why Should I Put My Gold Coins In The Bank?
My Friend Is Playing The Game Too, How Can I Help Them?
What Are The Clans For?
What Are The Names In Parentheses For?
How Do I Make My Own Clan?
I've Forgot My Password, How Can I Get It Back?
What Are The "A"s and "M"s In The MPA?
What is the new messageing feature and how do I use it?
This is a free online game that is played in your internet browser with no downloads.
First you need to make an account by signing up on the join page. Simply enter the name you want to be known by in the game in the Name box and your email address you want your password sent to in the Email Address box (Your email address should be one you check the most as competition news and prizes will be sent to this address).
Click the join button and your password will be emailed to your email address you provided.
Check your email and within 5 minutes your password should arrive (please allow up to 24 hours incase of busy times).
Go back to the login page and enter your Username and Password you have just been emailed.
You should now be logged into the game, it's a good idea to change your password now to something you will remember in the Options section inside the game.
We use a central database across lots of different games so that you can talk to and fight more players in the Multi player Arena.
e.g.. You maybe playing a Digimon game and be talking to someone in the Multi player Arena playing a different game like Pokemon, Dragonballz or Yugioh.
You can also switch between games yourself using your same username and password so you can play a different game and keep your stats, incase you get bored of one game.
If you do not kill it straight away, click on the Attack it again button until you have killed it.
Once you have killed it you will gain experience points. Repeat this process to get more experience points.
Attack - Puts 2 on your maximum hit damage, 1 on your maximum defense and 2 on your maximum life.
Defense - Puts 2 on your maximum defense, 1 on your maximum hit damage and 2 on your maximum life.
Life - Puts 4 on your maximum life value, 1 on your maximum hit damage and 1 on your maximum defense.
Another section to play in the game is the Multi player Arena, here you can fight other players (not forced to be playing the same game as you, see What Makes This Game Different From The Many Other Online Games?) to increase your multi player kills score or simply talk and make new friends.
From the main screen, click on "Buy life".
Select how much life you want to buy back (one gold piece per life point).
You should now of incased your life points.
If you don't have any money then simply die and in 3 minutes you will have full life points again.
If you die in the game then you are locked out of the game for 3 minutes.
Killing computer enemy's gives you experience points as well as gold coins.
It increases your maximum life points by 100, but costs you 1000 gold coins to do so. This is best used for fighting in the multi player arena.
If you die in the multi player arena then half of the gold coins on you goes to the person that killed you. Putting your gold coins in the bank protects it from that happening should you happen to die.
You can give them some of your money by using the bank transfers.
Simply enter there username (all lowercase) where it says "Enter the name of the person you would like to transfer money to here:"
Then enter how many gold pieces you would like to give them where it says "Enter how much money you would like to transfer here:"
Click on the button that says "Send the money" and that's it.
Clans where introduced so you can be part of a team that protects each other in the multi player arena. Later, clan only fights will be added to the game.
Go to the "Your clan" page.
Where it says "Enter the name of the clan you wish to join" put the name of the clan you wish to join.
You will then have to wait for the clan leader to accept or decline you into the clan.
Where it says "Create a new clan" put the name of the clan you wish to create.
You will then be the clan leader for that clan and must check that page often to accept or decline new members to your clan.
Click on the options button in game.
Enter your new password and confirm it again below.
click change password and that's it.
At the login screen type in your username but NO password at all and click the "Login" button.
Your password will then be emailed to the email address you entered when you joined up.
The main one is to have FUN, it is a game after all.
Other than that, BECOME NUMBER ONE. Everyone wants to be number one and in this game there are 2 choices.
You can try to become number 1 in the Computer Kills score board (By killing the most computer enemy's), or you can try to become number 1 in the Multi player Kills score board (By killing the most human players in the Multi player Arena). If you think your really good, you could even try to do both.
The stands for admin. This is the programmer of the game and server owner.
The stands for moderator. These have the power to kill you for more than the 3 minutes and report you to the admin for deletion if you swear in the MPA, etc.
Pay-to-play is a new feature in Verison 3.
2. Your own profile that you can edit.
3. Ability to receive and send messages to other members of the game.
Go to the options page to get pay-to-play.
You must have pay-to-play ability to use the messageing feature. With this feature, you can send and receive messages from other users on the game. To get to it, click "Messages" on your Menu.
The lottery is a random drawing at the end of each month for free pay-to-play. You give your special link to one of your friends to join. The more people you get to join, the more lottery tickets you get, and the better your chances of winning are. Your link is located in the Shop.
You must have the pay-to-play feature to have a profile. To edit your profile, go to the Options page, and then click "Edit your profile."


text:
Home Tags Posts tagged with "Catholic Church"
Amoris Letitia: Pope Francis Publishes New Family Life Guidelines
Pope Francis has urged the Church to show more understanding of modern realities as he published new guidelines on family life.
The document, based on two Synods on the issue, was eagerly awaited by the world's 1.3 billion Roman Catholics.
Entitled "The Joy of Love", it does not change Catholic doctrine.
The document opens the way for bishops in each country to interpret doctrine to suit their own culture.
Pope Francis urges priests to exercise careful discernment over "wounded families" and be merciful, rather than judgemental.
The pontiff criticizes the individualism that has led many in the West to value their own personal satisfaction over the needs of their spouse.
While saying yes to s** education, he argues it must be within a framework of education about love.
The emphasis throughout is on better pastoral care: better preparation for couples on what marriage involves, and more understanding from parish priests and others for human frailty.
The document is the culmination of three years' work by Pope Francis, who sent a questionnaire to families across the world asking them about their hopes and their fears.
Pope Francis then brought bishops and cardinals together for two Synods in Rome, at which he encouraged them to debate and even to disagree over issues that divide the Church in many countries.
Among the most divisive issues are offering communion to the divorced and remarried, contraception and the treatment of gay Catholics.
Liberals had hoped he would tell the Church to show a more merciful attitude to those whose families do not conform to the current Catholic ideal.
Conservatives had maintained it would devalue the principle established by Jesus of marriage being indissoluble.
At the conclusion of the 2015 Synod, Pope Francis castigated Church leaders who, he said, buried their heads in the sand over the issue. He argued that their adherence to rigid doctrine was over-riding their concern for the suffering of families.
The document, formally known as a papal exhortation, has been trending worldwide on Twitter under its Latin name, #AmorisLaetitia.
In another development, US presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders announced he would attend a conference at the Vatican on April 15. It was not immediately clear if he would meet Pope Francis himself.
Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill Hold Historic Talks in Havana
Pope Francis has met Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill at Havana airport to hold historic talks.
Both leaders have called for restored Christian unity between the two churches.
The meeting was the first between a Pope and a Russian Church head since the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity split in the 11th Century.
In a joint declaration, Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill also urged the world to protect Christians from persecution in the Middle East.
The two-hour talks took place during Pope Francis's stopover on his way to Mexico. Patriarch Kirill is visiting Cuba, Brazil and Paraguay.
The two leaders embraced and kissed each other at the start of the meeting on February 12.
"I'm happy to greet you, dear brother," the Russian Church leader said.
"Finally," Pope Francis said.
At a news conference after the meeting, Patriarch Kirill said the discussions were "open" and "brotherly", while Pope Francis described them as "very sincere".
"We hope our meeting contributes to the re-establishment of this unity wished for by God," their joint declaration said.
The document called on the world community to defend Christians, saying that "in many countries of the Middle East and North Africa whole families, villages and cities of our brothers and sisters in Christ are being completely exterminated."
"Their churches are being barbarously ravaged and looted, their sacred objects profaned, their monuments destroyed."
Patriarch Kirill has been the head of the Russian Orthodox Church since February 2009, while Pope Francis took up his role in March 2013.
The Roman Catholic Church has more than a billion members worldwide, while the Russian Orthodox Church numbers about 165 million.
The Russian Church is the largest and most powerful in the Orthodox faith, which is made up of a number of separate churches.
Vatican has ties with Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I – nominal head of Eastern Orthodox Churches, but Cuba talks is the first between a Pope and a Patriarch of Russian Church.
The Russian Church is the largest and most powerful Church in Orthodoxy.
Cuba was reportedly chosen as the place of their first meeting because it is far from Rome, Istanbul and Moscow with all their historical baggage of schism.
Vatican Orders First Ever External Audit of Assets
The Vatican announces it has ordered the first ever external audit of its assets as part of Pope Francis' efforts to reform the Roman Catholic Church.
Accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers will start work immediately, a Vatican spokesman said.
Pope Francis has promised to make the Vatican's finances more transparent after a series of scandals.
In 2014, the pontiff created a new ministry to oversee papal finances, headed by Cardinal George Pell.
Cardinal George Pell later said he had discovered millions of euros "tucked away".
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While he did not say any wrongdoing had occurred, he added Vatican departments long had "an almost free hand" with their finances.
Turning to an external auditor puts the Vatican more in line with international standards.
PwC will review the Vatican's consolidated financial statements, spokesman Federico Lombardi said, which includes assets, income and expenses.
Author Gianluigi Nuzzi obtained secret recordings of Pope Francis this year suggesting the pontiff had grown exasperated at vested interests in the Vatican.
"If we don't know how to look after money, which you can see, how can we look after the souls of the faithful, which you can't see?" Pope Francis told clerics in 2013, the recordings said.
Vatican Relaxes Catholic Remarriage Rules
Vatican is going to make it easier for Roman Catholics to get annulments and remarry within the Church, Pope Francis' new reforms have revealed.
The Catholic Church does not recognize divorce, teaching that marriage is forever.
In order to separate, Catholics must have their marriage annulled by showing it was flawed from the outset.
The radical reforms allow access to procedures free of charge and fast-track decisions, as well as removing automatic appeals.
Until now the procedures have been seen as arcane, expensive and bureaucratic.
Catholics seeking an annulment previously needed approval from two Church tribunals. The reforms will reduce this to one, although appeals will still be allowed.
The new fast-track procedure will allow bishops to grant annulments directly if both spouses request it.
Because annulment procedures are complicated, couples normally require experts to guide them through, meaning that gaining one can be expensive.
Without an annulment, Catholics who divorce and marry again are considered adulterers and are not allowed to receive communion.
In 2014, Pope Francis set up a commission of church lawyers and clerical experts to look at how to streamline the procedure.
Writing about the changes, Pope Francis said it was unfair that spouses should be "long oppressed by darkness of doubt" over whether their marriages could be annulled.
What is Easter Vigil?
Easter Vigil, also called the Great Vigil of Easter or the Paschal Vigil, is a service held in traditional Christian churches as the first official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus.
Many Christians observe Easter Sunday a little differently than Catholics do. For lots of churches, the peak celebration is Easter Sunday, maybe even a service at sunrise.
The Great Vigil of Easter, when observed, is the first service of Easter. It is celebrated at a convenient time between sunset on Holy Saturday and sunrise on Easter Morning.
The Easter Vigil liturgy is the most beautiful liturgy in the Roman Catholic Church. This walks through the Easter Vigil, and includes the words to the Exsultet.
Although celebrated Holy Saturday evening, it is the dramatic Easter vigil liturgy that marks the beginning of Easter. We are awaiting our master's return with our lamps full and burning, so that he will find us awake and seat us at his table (cf. Luke 12:35ff). All Catholics should try to attend this beautiful service. The vigil is divided into four parts:
Service of Light,
Liturgy of the Word,
Liturgy of Baptism, and
Liturgy of the Eucharist.
We have been preparing for Easter through forty days of Lent, culminating in the Easter Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Vigil of Easter on Saturday night. All that waiting and preparation peaks when we gather on Saturday night for a solemn vigil.
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What is Holy Saturday?
In the Catholic Church, Holy Saturday, or the Saturday of Holy Week, is the final day of the Lent and the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Holy Saturday is the final day of the Triduum, the three days during which we commemorate Christ's Passion.
It is the day when Jesus lay in his tomb after his death, according to Christian belief.
Holy Saturday (from Sabbatum Sanctum, its official liturgical name) is sacred as the day of the Lord's rest; it has been called the "Second Sabbath" after creation. The day is and should be the most calm and quiet day of the entire Church year, a day broken by no liturgical function.
On Holy Saturday the Church waits at the Lord's tomb, meditating on his suffering and death. The altar is left bare, and the sacrifice of the Mass is not celebrated. Only after the solemn vigil during the night, held in anticipation of the resurrection, does the Easter celebration begin, with a spirit of joy that overflows into the following period of fifty days.
Candles that are lit during Holy Saturday church liturgies symbolize Jesus Christ's victory over death, as well as the Christian belief in his resurrection. It can also mean spiritual hope and victory.
Activities on Holy Saturday:
Today we remember Christ in the tomb. It is not Easter yet, so it's not time for celebration. The day is usually spent working on the final preparations for the biggest feast of the Church year. The list of suggested activities is long, but highlights are decorating Easter eggs and attending a special Easter food blessing.
For families with smaller children, you could create a miniature Easter garden, with a tomb. The figure of the risen Christ will be placed in the garden on Easter morning.
Another activity for families is creation of a paschal candle to use at home. [youtube SuW5l0Nn4Ic 650]
Pope Francis Christmas speech on Curia: "Vatican is sick with power!"
In a pre-Christmas address to cardinals, Pope Francis has sharply criticized the Vatican bureaucracy, complaining of "spiritual Alzheimer's" and "the terrorism of gossip".
The pontiff said the Curia – the administrative pinnacle of the Roman Catholic Church – was suffering from 15 "ailments", which he wanted cured in the New Year.
Pope Francis – the first Latin American pontiff – also criticized "those who look obsessively at their own image".
He has demanded reform of the Curia.
There was silence at the end of the Pope's speech.
Addressing the Curia on December 22, Pope Francis said some power-hungry clerics were guilty of "cold-bloodedly killing the reputation of their own colleagues and brothers".
He compared the performance of the church's civil servants to that of an orchestra playing "out of tune" because they fail to collaborate and have no team spirit.
Before his election in March 2013, Pope Francis encountered internal opposition to some of the reforms he wants to carry out.
He has set up a series of specialist bodies to fight corruption and poor management, appointing a team of advisers.
Pope Francis also launched a clean-up of the Vatican Bank, officially known as the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR). The IOR has long had a poor reputation, after a succession of scandals.
He has also suggested that the Curia's power – concentrated in Rome for centuries – could be diluted to some extent by giving Catholic bishops around the world a bigger say in Church doctrine.
Pope Francis himself did not work in the Curia before he was elected.
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Synod on the Family report: Bishops veto gay-friendly statements
Proposals for wider acceptance of gay people failed to win a two-thirds majority at the Catholic Church's Synod on the Family.
A mid-term draft report issued through the meeting had called for greater openness towards gay people and divorced Catholics who have remarried.
However, those paragraphs were not approved, and were stripped from the final text.
The report will inform further debate before the synod reconvenes in larger numbers in a year's time.
Correspondents say the text welcoming gay people and remarried Catholics had been watered down in the final version that was voted on – but it appears that they still met with resistance from conservatives.
All other parts of the draft report were accepted by the synod.
Proposals for wider acceptance of gay people failed to win a two-thirds majority at the Catholic Church's Synod on the Family
Speaking after the vote, Pope Francis told attendees that he would have been "worried and saddened" if there had not been "animated discussions" or if "everyone had been in agreement or silent in a false and acquiescent peace", AP news agency reported.
Pope Francis also cautioned against "hostile inflexibility, that is, wanting to close oneself within the written word, and not allowing oneself to be surprised by God".
While the earlier draft had said that gay people had "gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community", the revised document only said that discrimination against gay people "is to be avoided".
The Pope said the full draft document, including the rejected paragraphs, should be published.
"Keep in mind this is not a magisterial document….the Pope asked for it to be made available to show the degree of maturity that has taken place and that which still needs to take place in discussions over the coming year," Holy See press officer Tom Rosica said on Vatican Radio.
Pope Francis had made a powerful appeal to traditionalists not to lock themselves within the letter of the law, but conservative cardinals and bishops carried the day at the end of the synod.
About 200 bishops attended the synod on family issues at the Vatican.
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Pope Francis opens Vatican's Family Synod
Pope Francis has opened the extraordinary general session of the Synod of Bishops on family life at the Vatican.
The pontiff and more than 200 senior bishops will be joined by lay Catholics to discuss some of the most controversial issues affecting the Catholic Church: abortion, contraception, homos**uality and divorce.
The extraordinary Synod lasts two weeks and a follow-up meeting will be held next year.
Pope Francis said on October 4 that he wanted bishops to really listen to the Catholic community.
Pope Francis has opened the extraordinary general session of the Synod of Bishops on family life at the Vatican (photo Reuters)
The pontiff said he hoped they would have a "sincere, open and fraternal" discussion that would respond to the "epochal changes" that families were living through.
Last year, a global survey launched by Pope Francis suggested that the majority of Catholics reject Church teaching on issues such as s** and contraception.
As one of the world's oldest religious institutions, the Catholic Church is in no hurry to change its teachings.
No-one should expect rapid results from this Synod, but many Catholics are hoping that it will bring some change.
After these two weeks of debate, the Synod will gather again in a year's time to continue its review.
The Catholic Church has more than one billion members around the world.
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Pope Francis condemns child abuse by Catholic clergy and asks for forgiveness
Pope Francis has made his strongest condemnation yet of child abuse by Catholic clergy on Friday, asking for forgiveness and pledging to impose penalties on "men of the church".
The statement, made in a meeting with a child rights group, is being described as his strongest the issue so far.
Last month, Pope Francis strongly defended the Roman Catholic Church's record on tackling abuse by priests, following UN criticism.
Pope Francis said he felt responsible for the child abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church, and issued an unprecedented apology
The Pope set up a committee last year to organize help for victims of clerical abuse but has been accused by some Catholics of dragging his feet in acknowledging the extent of the moral and mental damage caused by paedophile priests.
He said that the number of priests who had committed abuses were "quite a few in number", although "obviously not compared to the number of all the priests".
"We will not take one step backward with regards to how we will deal with this problem, and the sanctions that must be imposed," he said, adding: "We have to be even stronger".
Alessandra Aula of International Catholic Child Bureau, the children's non-governmental organization that was at the Vatican for the Pope's address, welcomed his comments.
The Catholic Church has faced numerous allegations of child abuse by priests around the world and criticism over inadequate responses by bishops.
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Philippine Supreme Court backs birth control law defying Catholic Church
Philippine top court has approved a birth control law, in a defeat for the Catholic Church.
The law requires government health centers to distribute free contraceptive products.
The Supreme Court had deferred implementation after the law's passage in December 2012 after church groups questioned its constitutionality.
Supporters of the law cheered as the court found that most of the provisions were constitutional.
The government of President Benigno Aquino defied years of church pressure by passing the bill.
Philippine top court has approved a birth control law, in a defeat for the Catholic Church
It says the law will help the poor, who often cannot afford birth control, and combat the country's high rates of maternal mortality.
The provisions will make virtually all forms of contraception freely available at public health clinics.
Health education will also be compulsory in schools and public health workers will be required to receive family planning training.
There will also be medical care for women who have had illegal abortions.
The Philippines is about 80% Catholic, and with a population approaching 100 million, has one of the highest birth rates in Asia.
The church fought fiercely against the bill, denouncing it as evil and a threat to life. It denounced politicians who supported it, including President Benigno Aquino.
Campaigners have warned of potential civil obedience following the court ruling.
The Catholic Church has played a significant role in Philippine political life and continues to wield much influence over the population.
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Why cardinals wear red
Pope Francis has appointed 19 new cardinals at a ceremony in Rome – the first such appointments of his papacy.
Cardinals are the most senior Roman Catholic clergymen below the pontiff.
The new cardinals received the traditional red hat and robes at the ceremony, known as a consistory, which was conducted in Latin and followed ancient tradition.
Cardinals wear red robes, along with scarlet zucchetto and biretta
Cardinals wear red robes, along with scarlet zucchetto (skullcap) and biretta (four cornered hat with tassel).
Red signifies the color of blood and symbolizes their commitment to defend the church.
During daily business, a cardinal's robes are edged with red to signify his dignity and respect.
On official occasions, the cardinal's robes are entirely red.
Pope Francis baptizes 32 infants in Sistine Chapel
Pope Francis baptized 32 infants at a Vatican ceremony on Sunday.
Formally welcoming the children into the Catholic Church Sunday, Pope Francis poured water from a shell-shaped dish over the heads of the babies held in their mothers' arms.
Pope Francis baptized 32 infants at a Vatican ceremony
The pontiff pronounced the babies' names one by one, as parents held their children.
In the same Sistine Chapel last year, Francis was elected as the first Latin American pope. He is the first pope to choose the name Francis. Among the children were two Francescas.
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Pope Francis leaves voice mail for nuns in Spain on New Year's Eve
Nuns in a convent in southern Spain have been surprised by Pope Francis with a message left on an answer machine on New Year's Eve.
Pope Francis was previously archbishop of Buenos Aires and knew some of the nuns at the convent as they also are from Argentina.
The nuns were at prayer when the Pope rang.
On hearing the message, they rang their bishop to try to get back in contact, but Pope Francis rang back in the evening.
Since taking up his post last year, Pope Francis has struck a more informal note than his predecessor, underlining his reputation for simplicity and humility
Sister Adriana, the prioress of the convent, told COPE radio "she wanted to die" on hearing the message.
"Our friendship goes back 15 years but I never thought the Pope would remember us," she said.
A recording of the message has been played on Spanish media.
"What can the nuns be doing that they can't answer?" the message begins.
"Pope Francis speaking, I wanted to say hello to you at the end of the year. I'll see if I can call you again later. God bless you."
Since taking up his post last year, Pope Francis has struck a more informal note than his predecessor, underlining his reputation for simplicity and humility.
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Pope Francis sets up Vatican committee to fight child abuse
Pope Francis will set up a Vatican committee to fight abuse of children in the Catholic Church and offer help to victims.
The announcement, by Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the archbishop of Boston, follows a meeting between Pope Francis and his eight cardinal advisers.
It comes days after the Vatican refused a UN request for information on alleged abuse by priests, nuns or monks.
Pope Francis has said dealing with abuse is vital for the Church's credibility.
Earlier this week the Pope expressed his compassion for the many victims of abuse by priests around the world.
Cardinal Sean O'Malley said the proposed panel of experts could provide codes of conduct for clergymen, guidelines for Church officials and better checks for would-be priests.
Pope Francis will set up a Vatican committee to fight abuse of children in the Catholic Church and offer help to victims
"Up until now there has been so much focus on the judicial parts of this but the pastoral part is very, very important. The Holy Father is concerned about that," he said.
Cardinal Sean O'Malley added that the move was in line with the approach of the former Pope, Benedict XVI, who referred to the "filth" in the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict was, however, accused of failing to do enough to address the problem.
He said the new committee was suggested by the council of cardinals, which was convened to discuss reforms to the Catholic Church, and Pope Francis approved it on Thursday, according to AFP news agency.
The archdiocese of Boston was the centre of a child abuse scandal involving Catholic priests in the US in 2002. It ultimately led to the resignation of the archbishop at the time.
The Catholic Church has faced a raft of allegations of child abuse by priests around the world and criticism over inadequate responses by bishops.
Earlier this year the Pope strengthened Vatican laws on child abuse, broadening the definition of crimes against minors to include abuse of children.
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child put a wide-ranging questionnaire to the Holy See – the city state's diplomatic entity – last July, asking for detailed information about the particulars of all abuse cases notified to the Vatican since 1995.
The Vatican refused, saying the cases were the responsibility of the judicial systems of countries where abuse took place.
Vatican officials are due to be questioned about child abuse, among other issues, by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in January.
Evangelii Gaudium: Pope Francis calls for Catholic Church power to be devolved away from Vatican
The Vatican has unveiled Evangelii Gaudium, the first major work Pope Francis has written in the role.
Pope Francis has called for power in the Catholic Church to be devolved away from the Vatican.
In his Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis says he is open to suggestions to changes in the power of the papacy.
The pontiff also warns that rising global economic inequality is bound to explode in conflict.
Since becoming Pope in March, Francis has struck a markedly different tone to his predecessor on several issues.
In his "apostolic exhortation", Pope Francis said he preferred a Church that was "bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security".
However, the document reiterates the Church's opposition to the ordination of female priests, saying this is "not a question open to discussion".
The document also touches on inter-faith relations, urging Christians to "embrace with affection and respect Muslim immigrants to our countries in the same way that we hope and ask to be received and respected in countries of Islamic tradition".
Pope Francis has called for power in the Catholic Church to be devolved away from the Vatican
Last month Pope Francis held his first meeting with a special group of cardinals to consider ways to reform the Vatican bureaucracy after saying in a newspaper interview that the Vatican had become too self-interested and needed to be inclusive.
"Excessive centralization, rather than proving helpful, complicates the Church's life and her missionary outreach," he says in the latest document.
Pope Francis also says he does not believe that the papacy "should be expected to offer a definitive or complete word on every question which affects the Church and the world".
This month the Vatican launched an unprecedented survey of the views of lay Catholics on modern family life.
The document does restate the Church's opposition to abortion but concedes that "it is also true that we have done little to adequately accompany women in very difficult situations,… especially when the life developing within them is the result of rape or a situation of extreme poverty".
"Who can remain unmoved before such painful situations?" he asks.
Pope Francis also expands on his concerns about economic inequality.
"Today we also have to say <<thou shalt not>> to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills," the pontiff says, going on to castigate the "new idolatry of money".
"I beg the Lord to grant us more politicians who are genuinely disturbed by the state of society, the people, the lives of the poor!" Pope Francis goes on.
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Pope Francis: Catholic Church must heal wounds instead of being focused on abortion and contraception
Pope Francis has warned that the Catholic Church is too focused on preaching about abortion, gay people and contraception and needs to become more merciful.
The Pope warned that the Church's moral structure could "fall like a house of cards" unless it changed.
Pope Francis used the first major interview of his papacy to explain comments he made in July about homosexuality.
He told a Jesuit magazine the Church must show balance and "heal wounds".
The pontiff used the 12,000-word interview with La Civilta Cattolicato to set out his priorities as Pope, acknowledge his own shortcomings and open up about his cultural interests.
Pope Francis' vision for relegating the Catholic Church's reliance on rules marks a contrast to the priorities of his predecessors, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, who saw doctrine as the paramount guide for clergy
"The church's pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently," Pope Francis said.
"We have to find a new balance; otherwise even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Gospel."
Instead, he said, the Catholic Church must work to heal the wounds of its faithful and seek out those who have been excluded or have fallen away.
"It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars," he said.
"You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else."
Pope Francis said the Church had become tied up in "small-minded rules" and risked losing its true purpose.
Pope Francis has warned that the Catholic Church is too focused on preaching about abortion, gay people and contraception and needs to become more merciful
"The most important thing is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you. And the ministers of the Church must be ministers of mercy above all."
His remarks are could generate dismay among clergy in the United States who have already expressed disappointment that Francis has not pressed Church teaching on abortion, contraception and homo***uality.
Last week, Bishop Thomas Tobin of Providence, Rhode Island, wrote in his diocesan newspaper that he was "disappointed" Pope Francis hadn't addressed abortion since his papacy began six months ago, according to AP.
Pope Francis said it was not necessary to speak out on such issues.
"We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible," he said.
"The teaching of the Church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the Church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time."
Pope Francis created headlines two months ago when he spoke about gay priests during an impromptu news conference on a return flight from Brazil. He said it was not up to him to judge about the sexual orientation of clergy as long as they were searching for God and had goodwill.
In his latest interview, Pope Francis said his remarks were in line with Catholic teaching.
"This Church with which we should be thinking is the home of all, not a small chapel that can hold only a small group of selected people. We must not reduce the bosom of the universal Church to a nest protecting our mediocrity," he said.
Pope Francis also used the interview to detail his favorite composers, artists, authors and films, which include Mozart, Caravaggio, Dostoevsky and Fellini's La Strada.
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Pope Francis appoints eight cardinals as Vatican reform body
Pope Francis has appointed a group of cardinals to advise him on how to reform the Vatican's often arcane bureaucracy.
The Catholic Church's new leader chose eight cardinals and a bishop who between them represent nearly every continent, and only one of whom is currently a Vatican official.
The bureaucracy, or Curia, has been blamed for the Church's hesitant response to sex abuse and other crises.
It is nearly 50 years since the Vatican's last major reforms.
The cardinals who elected Pope Francis last month were strongly critical about basic failings of the Curia under Pope Emeritus Benedict.
Pope Francis has appointed a group of cardinals to advise him on how to reform the Vatican's often arcane bureaucracy
The cardinals include two Europeans (from Italy and Germany), two from Latin America (Chile and Honduras), one from the US, one from Asia (India), one African and one Australian. An Italian bishop will act as secretary.
Announcing the appointments, the Vatican said Pope Francis had got the idea of forming the advisory body from meetings ahead of his election by cardinals last month.
Pope Paul VI undertook the last major reform of the Vatican bureaucracy in 1967.
The new group is to have its first meeting on October 1-3.
Earlier this week the pontiff met personally all 300 staff members of the Vatican's secretariat of state, the body responsible for carrying out Church policies.
Some radical reforms are expected soon, although Pope Francis is moving cautiously given the complexity and sensitivity of Church government.
Scandals have included clerical sexual abuse, financial problems at the Vatican bank and the theft of documents from Pope Benedict's desk.
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Habemus Papam! White smoke from Sistine Chapel chimney announces new Pope has been elected
White smoke pouring from the Sistine Chapel chimney has announced to the world that cardinals gathered inside have elected a new Pope to head the Catholic Church.
Crowds in St Peter's Square cheered and bells rang out as the smoke appeared.
The name of the new Pope is expected to be announced shortly.
The Catholic News Agency said people were running through the streets of Rome, hoping to reach St Peter's Square in time for the appearance of the new Pope.
A troupe of Swiss Guards in silver helmets and full regalia marched to the Basilica in preparation for the announcement, as military bands played for the onlookers.
After his name is read out, the new Pope will emerge from the loggia overlooking the square to deliver his first speech.
He will have already accepted an invitation to become Pope and the cardinals will have sworn allegiance to him, after which he will have gone to pray alone.
White smoke pouring from the Sistine Chapel chimney has announced to the world that cardinals gathered inside have elected a new Pope to head the Catholic Church
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Mother Teresa's life research sparks controversy after calling into question her saintly image
A new research into Mother Teresa's life sparks controversy after calling into question her saintly image.
Born Agnes Gonxha in Albania, Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity and spent much of her life in Calcutta, caring for the sick and poor.
Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and was beatified by the Vatican in 2003, six years after her death – one miracle away from sainthood.
But a number of critics have questioned how much of the image is justified.
Writing in journal Studies in Religion/Sciences, Serge Larivie and Genevieve Chenard say Mother Teresa's hallowed reputation does not stand up to scrutiny.
Prof. Serge Larivie said: "While looking for documentation on the phenomenon of altruism for a seminar on ethics, one of us stumbled upon the life and work of one of Catholic Church's most celebrated woman and now part of our collective imagination – Mother Teresa.
"The description was so ecstatic that it piqued our curiosity and pushed us to research further."
After studying nearly 300 documents on Mother Teresa's life, they concluded that a number of issues surrounded the nun were not taken into account by the Vatican.
These included "her rather dubious way of caring for the sick, her questionable political contacts, her suspicious management of the enormous sums of money she received, and her overly dogmatic views regarding, in particular, abortion, contraception, and divorce".
At the time of her death, Mother Teresa had opened 517 missions welcoming the poor and sick in more than 100 countries.
But these missions have been described as "homes for the dying" by doctors visiting several of these establishments in Calcutta.
Born Agnes Gonxha in Albania, Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity and spent much of her life in Calcutta, caring for the sick and poor
Doctors observed a significant lack of hygiene, even unfit conditions, as well as a shortage of actual care, inadequate food, and no painkillers.
But the authors say the problem is not a lack of money, as the foundation created by Mother Teresa has raised hundreds of millions of dollars.
They also say that following numerous natural disasters in India she offered prayers and medallions of the Virgin Mary but no direct or monetary aid.
Mother Teresa accepted the Legion of Honor and a grant from the Duvalier dictatorship in Haiti, said Prof. Serge Larivee, and although millions of dollars were transferred to the various bank accounts, most of the accounts were kept secret.
Prof. Serge Larivie says: "Given the parsimonious management of Mother Teresa's works, one may ask where the millions of dollars for the poorest of the poor have gone?"
He says that Mother Teresa's image may have been built upon a meeting in 1968 with the BBC's Malcom Muggeridge, an anti-abortion journalist who shared her right-wing Catholic values.
It was his promotion of her which led to her fame, they say.
But whether or not Mother Teresa's image is deserved, the authors accept that there are many positives to her reputation.
Prof. Serge Larivie said: "If the extraordinary image of Mother Teresa conveyed in the collective imagination has encouraged humanitarian initiatives that are genuinely engaged with those crushed by poverty, we can only rejoice.
"It is likely that she has inspired many humanitarian workers whose actions have truly relieved the suffering of the destitute and addressed the causes of poverty and isolation without being extolled by the media.
"Nevertheless, the media coverage of Mother Teresa could have been a little more rigorous."
Vatican denies Pope Benedict XVI resigned after being presented with a dossier of a network of blackmailed priests
The Vatican has criticized the media for reporting "misinformation" about the Catholic Church in many of Pope Benedict XVI resignation articles.
Vatican's chief spokesperson Father Federico Lombardi said some were trying to profit from a time of disorientation in the Catholic Church to spread "gossip" and "calumny".
Federico Lombardi made the comments on Vatican radio.
Pope Benedict XVI's resignation, the first by a pope in nearly 600 years, takes effect on Thursday, February 28. His decision surprised many within the Church.
There have been recent articles in the Italian and international media of intrigue, and corruption in the Church.
One unconfirmed report suggested Pope Benedict had resigned after being presented with a dossier detailing a network of priests who were being blackmailed
One unconfirmed report suggested Pope Benedict had resigned after being presented with a dossier detailing a network of priests who were being blackmailed.
But the Vatican spokesman said those who were putting themselves in a position of judgement had no authority to do so.
"Whoever has money, sex and power at the forefront of the mind sees the world through these parameters and cannot see beyond these even when looking at the Church," he said.
"Their view cannot look to the heights or go in-depth to understand the spiritual dimensions and motivations of existence," he added.
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Katie Holmes returns to the Catholic Church after breaking free from Scientology and Tom Cruise
Katie Holmes has turned her back on the controversial religion of Scientology by registering with a Catholic church in New York, it has been claimed.
According to a new report, the actress has formally confirmed her return to Catholicism by signing up to the Church of St. Francis Xavier.
Katie Holmes' decision to register as a parishioner at the church has been met with excitement by the congregation.
One member of the church choir told the Huffington Post: "Everyone is thrilled to have Katie join us.
"She has not yet attended a service, but when she does she will be welcomed with open arms."
Katie Holmes has turned her back on the controversial religion of Scientology by registering with a Catholic church in New York
On its website, the Church of St. Francis Xavier, which dates back to 1847, "strives to be a prophetic, welcoming community, inclusive witness to the presence of Christ Jesus in our midst", according to its mission statement.
The actress' decision to register with the church is sure to be seen as her final way of distancing herself from Scientology.
And the move is also the latest sign that Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise's six-year-old daughter Suri, of whom Katie is believed to have sole custody, will follow in the actress' Catholic footsteps, rather than follow her father and his devotion to Scientology.
World Youth Day 2011: storm cut short Pope's speech.
Madrid: violent protests against the cost of Pope's visit.
[googlead tip="lista_medie" aliniat="stanga"]A thunderstorm has forced Pope Benedict XVI to cut short his yesterday speech during a prayer vigil at the Catholic Church of World Youth Day 2011 festival in Madrid, Spain.
More than 1.5 million young pilgrims gathered at the church of World Youth Day 2011 festival on Saturday to be in place for the vigil when a flash, blustery downpour drenched the crowd and forced Pope Benedict XVI to suspend his speech. During the day, before the procession, firefighters atop fire trucks had sprayed the crowds with water from hoses, and pilgrims sought shade from umbrellas, trees, tarps and tents in a bid to stave off the near 40 degrees Celsius (about 104 Fahrenheit) heat.
Once the rains stopped, about a half hour later, Pope Benedict XVI merely delivered brief greetings in a half-dozen languages, skipping the bulk of his World Youth Day speech.
A thunderstorm has forced Pope Benedict XVI to cut short his yesterday speech during a prayer vigil at the Catholic Church of World Youth Day 2011 festival in Madrid. (Getty Image)
Despite the discomfort, the scene at the Cuatro Vientos airport was nevertheless festive and colorful, with pilgrims in a rainbow of sunhats dancing, singing and waving their national flags as they geared up for a massive sleepover ahead of Sunday's main World Youth Day Mass.
The crowd erupted in cheers when Pope Benedict XVI arrived at nightfall, greeted by Spain's crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia. But he couldn't proceed with his speech because of the thunderstorm and organizers told the crowd that they had asked for more water during the day when it was so hot, and their prayers were answered.
"With this rain, the Lord sends us many blessings," Pope Benedict said when he resumed his shortened remarks.
Reverend Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman said that when the storm started, Pope Benedict had been asked by his aides what he wanted to do and he insisted that he wanted to wait the storm out. The 30 minutes delay was due mainly to the failure of the sound system; once it was fixed and the storm passed, Pope Benedict proceeded with the vigil program, he said.
According to organizers, six people were slightly injured when a tent collapsed during the storm.
Pope Benedict XVI attended World Youth Day for the third time. World Youth Day is a once-every-[googlead tip="vertical_mare" aliniat="dreapta"]three-year event and gathers young Catholics from all around the world and was launched 25 years ago by Pope John Paul II in a bid to reinvigorate and spread the faith among the young.
World Youth Day festival looked pretty much as a weeklong rock concert and camping trip, with bands of flag-toting pilgrims roaming through Madrid's otherwise empty streets to take part in prayer and education sessions, Masses, cultural outings and papal events.
"I haven't been able to catch the pope's exact words because he has spoken only in Spanish but it is an amazing experience to share these moments with so many people from so many different countries," said Joseph Maduma, a 16-year-old student from Tanzania.
"We have come to spend the night here and really look forward to meeting lots of new friends," he said.
Earlier Saturday, Pope Benedict celebrated a Mass with nearly 4,000 seminarians at Madrid's main cathedral and announced that he would soon proclaim St. John of Avila a doctor of the church, conferring one of Catholicism's greatest honors on the influential 16th century Spanish saint.
The title of church doctor is reserved for those churchmen and women whose writings have greatly served the universal church. There are currently 33 such doctors, including St. Augustine, St. Francis de Sales and St. Teresa of Avila. Pope John Paul II added St. Therese of Lisieux to the list in 1997, the last time one was proclaimed.
"In making this announcement here, I would hope that the word and the example of this outstanding pastor will enlighten all priests and those who look forward to the day of their priestly ordination," Pope Benedict said.
St. John of Avila, who lived from 1500-1569, is the patron saint of Spain's diocesan clergy and was considered one of the greatest preachers of his time. A mystic born to a wealthy family, he is known for his theology of the priesthood and is particularly revered in Spain and Latin America, said the Reverend Antonio Pelayo, a Spanish priest who attended Saturday's Mass.
"He lived during a difficult period in the church's history when the clergy was very relaxed and somewhat dissolute, something that pained him a lot," Reverend Pelayo said.
"St. John of Avila developed a theology for the priesthood which enabled the church to grasp and refine an important element of popular religiousness."
Pope Benedict's announcement, while rumored, took many by surprise and drew sustained applause from the seminarians, priests, bishops and cardinals present.
[googlead tip="patrat_mediu" aliniat="stanga"]Hundreds of protesters against Pope's visit at the World Youth Day 2011 had gathered outside the Atocha train station aiming to march toward Puerta del Sol but police stopped them before their arrival at the destination by blocking the route.
Last night, riot police clashed again with people protesting against Pope's visit, charging several groups that had been trying to reach the Puerta del Sol square late Friday.
The protesters were unhappy with Spain decision to spend 50 million euro ( $72 million) for World Youth Day 2011 and Pope' s visit at a time of economic crisis. Organizers claimed the event is being funded entirely by the participants, private donors and the church, though the sizeable security costs are extra.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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text:
ALL six East Lancashire boroughs record reduction in coronavirus infection rate
Rates are continuing to fall in East Lancashire
ALL six East Lancashire boroughs continue to record a reduction in their coronavirus infection rate.
The rolling seven-day rate of new cases of Covid-19 for Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Burnley, Pendle, the Ribble Valley and Rossendale have been published, based on Public Health England data published yesterday.
A majority of areas in England - 250 out of 315 - have seen a fall in case rates.
East Lancashire boroughs are currently placed in tier 3, which means pubs, restaurants and cafes remain closed, except for click-and-collect and for takeaways.
A review is expect on December 16, which will determine whether East Lancashire can move into either tier 2.
Here is the list in full
Kirklees, 227.2, (999), 349.3, (1536)
Gosport, 167.4, (142), 116.7, (99)
Craven, 148.8, (85), 157.5, (90)
Epsom and Ewell, 138.9, (112), 137.7, (111)
St. Helens, 136.2, (246), 161.7, (292)
Stevenage, 118.4, (104), 96.8, (85)
Tunbridge Wells, 115.4, (137), 86.8, (103)
Daventry, 112.9, (97), 111.7, (96)
Wokingham, 109.9, (188), 108.1, (185)
Tandridge, 106.7, (94), 97.6, (86)
Three Rivers, 102.9, (96), 145.7, (136)
South Bucks, 102.8, (72), 137.1, (96)
South Northamptonshire, 102.7, (97), 179.9, (170)
Basingstoke and Deane, 101.9, (180), 86.1, (152)
Bracknell Forest, 101.2, (124), 66.9, (82)
Reigate and Banstead, 100.2, (149), 90.8, (135)
South Somerset, 98.6, (166), 90.3, (152)
Cheshire West and Chester, 98.5, (338), 145.7, (500)
Great Yarmouth, 97.6, (97), 83.6, (83)
Liverpool, 96.6, (481), 138.7, (691)
Elmbridge, 95.8, (131), 95.8, (131)
Cheltenham, 93.7, (109), 113.5, (132)
Fareham, 88.6, (103), 98.1, (114)
Carlisle, 84.7, (92), 220.8, (240)
Richmond upon Thames, 83.3, (165), 95.4, (189)
Shropshire, 82.3, (266), 156.0, (504)
Stroud, 80.9, (97), 115.9, (139)
Mendip, 80.5, (93), 137.6, (159)
Winchester, 78.5, (98), 95.3, (119)
Wychavon, 77.3, (100), 99.7, (129)
Wiltshire, 75.8, (379), 98.4, (492)
Hastings, 74.5, (69), 93.9, (87)
Tendring, 71.6, (105), 60.0, (88)
Southampton, 70.9, (179), 97.4, (246)
Forest of Dean, 70.3, (61), 114.1, (99)
Barrow-in-Furness, 70.1, (47), 89.5, (60)
Wirral, 61.7, (200), 99.7, (323)
Torbay, 59.4, (81), 92.5, (126)
Arun, 59.1, (95), 61.0, (98)
Breckland, 56.4, (79), 65.0, (91)
South Oxfordshire, 54.9, (78), 64.1, (91)
Eastleigh, 53.2, (71), 73.4, (98)
Test Valley, 50.7, (64), 78.5, (99)
South Cambridgeshire, 49.0, (78), 55.3, (88)
West Suffolk, 40.8, (73), 51.9, (93)


Young left Earth six times and logged more than 800 hours in space.
American astronaut John Young has died, according to NASA. He was 87 years old.
Young logged more than 800 hours in space. He left Earth six times in total and walked on the moon. He was commander of the Space Shuttle's first flight in 1981.
NASA said it was "saddened by the loss" on Twitter.


Giclee prints, hand signed and titled by the artist. Presented in a deep white mount and large linear frame.
Giclee print, hand signed and titled by the artist. Presented in a deep white mount and large linear frame.