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bittererlemons · 4 years ago

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A Study in Family

Gen., Bobby&Dean, Family Comfort.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Dean wakes up to the smell of bacon, eggs, and coffee. He rubs his eyes, which are still light red and agitated from crying the night before. He’s 10, and his dad says he’s practically a grown up – too old to cry like a baby. Bobby tells him he’s just a kid though, and that it’s okay to cry sometimes. It’s confusing, but Dean thinks he believes Bobby more. Kids on television and in movies cry all the time.

Besides, dad dropped him off at Bobby’s last night without an explanation and – more importantly – without Sammy. So Dean’s having a hard time putting much faith in his dad’s words at the moment.

He peels himself off the couch and trods to the kitchen, bare feet making soft noise across the carpet and linoleum. Bobby’s on the phone with someone, but he hangs up as soon as he sees Dean turn the corner.

Dean fights back a flinch and averts his eyes. Guilt climbs up his throat like a bug.

“Wasn’t listenin’ to your phone call, I promise.” And wow, if he thought his eyes looked rough from crying, his voice is a hundred times worse – rough and scratchy.

Bobby takes one look at him and scoops him up, sitting him down on the kitchen counter. He ruffles Dean’s hair and hands him a bowl of pancake mix and a whisk, “C’mon kiddo, enough worrying. ‘Gotta busted up Corvette in the garage just waitin’ for us to finish breakfast.”

Dean smiles as he whisks the pancake batter together. Pancakes mean maple syrup, and Bobby knows a couple of hunters up in Canada who send over the real stuff in exchange for help and intel.

Dean wonders if this is what normal kids feel like, waking up to their normal families with normal fathers and normal hobbies. He wonders if normal kids always have enough to eat and enough love to go around. He wonders if normal boys become mothers at age four, or if they have to call their fathers Sir. The thought of normalcy suddenly makes his chest hurt, so he stops wondering.

“Hey Dean, why don’t you go wash up? Food’s almost ready,” Bobby is gentle as he takes the pancake batter bowl and starts dolloping batter onto the griddle. Dean nods, hops off the counter and rushes to the sink.

By the time he gets back, the table is loaded with food and drinks better than any greasy truckstop diner. There’s enough for Dean to eat and feel full, and enough for leftovers if he gets hungry again before lunch. Bobby always makes sure he has enough food, even sneaks nonperishables into Dean’s bag every time he goes back to life on the road with John and Sammy.

Dean allows himself to wonder again, just briefly, if this is how it feels to be loved.

***********

The Corvette is more busted than Dean expects, but the sight of it fills him with a purpose. The thing looks like a modern art piece, all hard angles and uncomfortable valleys and canyons. He throws on some very clearly oversized coveralls and slides underneath the heavily dented body, only to find rusty wear on the exhaust and the passenger’s side strut shattered, abrading the front right tire.

Fixable, of course, but it would take some creative graverobbing from other cars to do so. He tells Bobby so, and he laughs and claps him on the shoulder proudly.

“Best get to it then. C’mon, let’s take a lap ‘round the scrap yard and find our victims.”

And Dean runs into the yard so fast he nearly trips over to too-long pant legs of his coveralls. Bobby smiles fondly down at him and kneels to re-cuff the material around Dean’s ankles.

They circle around the scrap yard like vultures, picking out Cameros and Novas to pick apart for pieces-parts for the Vette.

Bobby walks him through the process of welding patches into the exhaust. He doesn’t yell when Dean messes up the first tew times, only offers gentle correction and the opportunity to try again.

They settle into a steady rhythm, Dean working patches while Bobby drops in a new LT-1 engine under the hood. Bobby replacing both struts and Dean changing the front tires. Dean playing around on the creeper while Bobby brings out two glasses of lemonade and suggests a break.

Dean can’t argue with that; dad won’t be back for a couple days, so they have time to work on the car gradually. What work they’ve already done has lifted his mood and settled the restlessness in his bones. He feels alright enough to call it a day.

Bobby ruffles his hair and tells him he’s done a good job.

For a second, he lets himself wish that Bobby was his dad.

*******

They study after lunch.

Bobby takes pity on Dean and gives him a book he’d already translated into modern English. He also gives Dean a notebook for notes and margin doodles of the described creatures. Bobby picks out a file-folder of pictures from the inside of long-forgotten Greek temples to Hecate – the writing on the walls is barely legible, but he’s been working on it for a solid month so far. He also pulls some Greek myth compendiums to cross-reference.

He does all this knowing that he’ll likely spend most of their little study break helping Dean with reading comprehension and pronunciation, but Dean gets embarrassed when Bobby hovers too much, so Bobby has to have a project of his own to work on.

Dean makes good progress on the book, doodling absentmindedly as he works through tougher concepts and more complex syntax. More structured drawings come at the end of each chapter, almost as a reward for getting through the highly technical reference material. He only asks for Bobby’s help a handful of times.

Dean yawns and asks for a break. Bobby sends Dean off, staying behind to clear off the desk they’d been working at, hiding a smile as he does. Dean did well – had asked for help, had asked for a break, and had read through several chapters of the book without a fuss. Bobby is proud beyond words.

“That’s my boy” he whispers, just to see how the words feel.

***********

Dinnertime rolls around, and Dean is fast asleep on the couch, drooling into a pillow and clutching a blanket loosely. The television is on, playing a secondhand VHS copy of High Noon.

Bobby drops the volume down a bit

The house is warm and safe, and there’s no pressing matters to attend to at the moment. Bobby reaches to smooth out the furrow between Dean’s eyebrows; Dean leans into his hand, snuffling quietly. Bobby can feel his heart melt like butter in a hot skillet. He drops a kiss to Dean’s forehead and tucks the blanket around him snugly.

#spn #supernatural #bobby singer #dean winchester #fanfiction #supernatural fanfiction

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universal-casey · 5 years ago

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This is the story I was talking about earlier that my anon Phoenix wrote!!! It’s so good and I’m sure you all will love it too!

He didn’t know how it started. They were fighting, fighting half the world, and they were losing. Then Soviet said something, an order from his position on the ground where he had been put by an angered, hurt and grief-stricken father... his father. A word, in that language he cursed to hear from that monster’s mouth. But that word, that single word ignited something in him, and all he saw afterwards was red and all he heard was screaming. Then they went from losing, to red-painted winning. He tore the man he called father once so long ago off his master with a cry full of blind rage. What was he even angry at? He should have been happy that his family was finally coming to help him, and he was at one point, but he was also saddened at how brutal the battle became as Soviet tried so hard to keep him under his grasp. But those feelings were gone now, buried under the blinding anger he felt.

He tore through more people he cared about, watching the crimson from their veins flood and stain his hands. At some point, his blindfold fell off. He could hear his mother’s strangled cry of horror at the sight of his missing eye as he wrapped his hands around her throat. The cry triggered something small in him, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the fury in his head. France fell unconscious and he moved on. He moved on… Why had he stopped moving? The red cleared enough for him to see why. His sweet little brother, Canada was next. The younger man stared into his older brother’s single eye with horror, grief, and compassion? This confused America, did his brother, even in face of such horrendous crimes and empty movements, still love him? Even as he hurt their mother and father to the point they could die? Why hadn’t he killed them? He realized he hadn’t killed any of the countries he had attacked for some unknown reason.

He could hear Soviet screaming orders at him, commanding that he kill one of the people he was closest with. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. As the red cleared more, Soviet’s words began to fall on deaf ears as a rhythmic pounding resounded through the country’s body. It only took a moment for him to realize that it was his heart, singing its song of lament and love to him. Something he hadn’t heard in years. Something that broke down all of the walls he had built to keep himself together. Because somehow, someway, even when battered, bruised, bleeding, even broken at points, it had stayed intact. As he focused on Canada again, looking into the other’s wide eyes, his heart quickened as the tears began to run out. Unable to stop them, or the pent up pain that consumed his body, all America could do was let out an agonizing scream that one could swear was heard all over the globe. A scream so heart wrenching and gut turning as his mind and heart battled within him, fighting each other in a twisted tangle for dominance.

Covering his eyes in a vain attempt to stop the jumbled overflow of everything, he fell to his knees as the deafening sound continued to tear at his windpipe. An overflow of pent up emotion of all kinds; overflow of his senses, the salty taste of tears and burning smell of smoke and iron cutting through dragging guilt and depression through his shattered soul. The overflow of just pain. The pain of loss, the pain he felt when his body bled, the pain in his heart that took over and infected every vein. He… He couldn’t focus, and all he could do was scream into the darkness he had enveloped himself into, the sound blocking out every other sound in the torn battlefield around him as all people could do was watch. All there was, outside of him, was silence. A cold dead silence.

But even if he wanted to, even if he tried, he couldn’t stop screaming. He couldn’t stop letting out all the pain. He felt a pair of thin, but strong arms wrap around his body as he continued to let out everything. Those arms held something he hadn’t felt in a long long time. Love. Something he had craved. Something he yearned to have… and here it was. So he took it, even if there was a promise it wouldn't last. Wrapping his arms around a person he couldn’t see, he buried his face into the shoulder, squeezing them tightly and he sobs. Finding some small comfort in the darkness of the world around him. A different scent flooded his nose, pine trees, and the sweet scent of maple. It was a welcome break from the wartime smells he had before, and he embraced his brother a little tighter.

Canada didn’t care that he was having difficulty breathing due to his brother hugging him too tight. He understood that he was in a lot of pain and needed someone to be there. He understood that long before this mess, even when America would smile that bright signature beam and say he was alright. But he was also angry. Angry at himself for not being there to help his brother when he needed him, angry at Soviet for hurting him so deeply, and so very angry that this had happened in the first place. Maybe there was a world somewhere, someplace where this had never happened, and he would be able to see his brother as fine as he could be and happy. But if it did exist, it wasn’t here. So Canada just hugged his brother tighter, rubbing a circle on his back just like how their Mother showed them when they were young and innocent.

***

As for Soviet? Oh he was pissed. He didn’t spend years breaking that striped freak down into being the perfect weapon for him to become so useless! Soviet picked himself off the ground, grunting in pain as he put his arm back into its socket. Growling in frustration, he dislodged his weapon from Britain's hands, unaware that the other was still alive, even with bones peeking through his flesh. Dragging himself, and preparing his SVT-40 to fire-- but not unlocking the safety just yet-- and to get rid of the nuisance once and for all. Not before getting some last insults, curses and a proper beating, of course

***

As America’s heart rate began to slow, he became aware of his surroundings once more, the crackle of the fires around him, the steady but strained breathing of his brother and the silence. But in that silence, he heard a familiar sound of heavy boots hit the ground, the subtle click of metal, coming towards him, gripping him in the vice of fear, cold but homely. Canada noted this, looking up and seeing Soviet coming towards them. The tall, bloodied man, imposing in the flame-lit dark of night, his eye empty but filled with the intent to kill as he held his rifle in his hands. Letting go of his brother, and twisting himself out of his grip, he decided that he would make up for not being there in the past, by being there now.

Canada put himself between America and the Soviet Union, preparing himself to die if he must. Soviet smiled at him, amused by this, that crazed look of murder not changing. America perked his head up, and began to process what his brother was doing. He turned, and tried to speak out, to tell his brother no, but his voice failed him: catching in his throat and choking him. He could only watch as the man that had tortured him for so long began to hurt his brother. As he watched the life-giving crimson begin to pour and the screams start again, something in him snapped.

What happened next was a blur, but to an outsider, they would see the smaller man spring from where he had fallen to his knees, grabbing the barrel and the stock of the union’s gun. It was torn out of the gloves of the larger communist as a cry of defiance and rage ripped itself from America’s dry windpipe, a fire once seen only 200 years before lit in his eyes as both glowed with a small pinprick of light.

***

Elsewhere, a group of people on a fleet of ships awaited the signal from the mainland as their king watched the shore. Then the signal was seen, a simple raising of a flag. The flag’s fifty stars and thirteen stripes raised high in the wind, flapping greatly. With that, two hundred thousand soldiers joined several million on land in a fight for something so simple, yet so great. Freedom. Not just any freedom, no. Freedom to themselves, freedom in love and life. A freedom that would sound so simple and so human, and yet wasn’t seen so very often. The freedom of choice. As they fought, pushing towards a capital once held in such high regard, they raised their flag of freedom. As they fought for that simple freedom to be human in all aspects.

***

This freedom and the constant battles made for it, pushed that fire to burn brighter and more powerful than ever before. So bright that it was almost blinding, as a different type of tear rolled gently down his cheeks. He wasn’t fighting for himself. In all of his battles, he never was just fighting for him. Here, now, he was fighting for the world and its freedom from the tyrant before him. Glancing at his injured sibling, he issued one single request of him as his eyes swept over the landscape, “Get them all out of here,” was all he said, before shoving Soviet back. The larger man pulled out a pistol and started shooting at Canada as he moved to evacuate the area, but America stepped between them, taking each bullet and not flinching even as the wounds burned.

Another roar of rage, fueled solely on his true anger now, led him to spring at Soviet as the planes, tanks and trucks that weren’t damaged began to leave the two behind. Using his bare hands, he wrapped one around the other’s neck, squeezing it tightly. The other curled into a fist as he punched the face that had taunted and pained him. Soviet was no longer smiling, especially not as he felt the crack that had formed on his cheek begin to grow. Using his empty hand, he hit back, managing to throw the other off of him. Raising his pistol, he fired, but America moved, so it only grazed his cheek. America moved in closer, twisting his body in a kick that knocked the weapon from the other’s hand.

Surrounded by a ring of fire, the two took a few steps back and circled, breathing heavily. Both were aiming to kill, and they may as well kill each other in this. But that was okay with America. If he was going to go down, he sure as hell would bring this bastard of a human with him. Hatred and animosity reached a boiling point and they clashed again, Soviet aiming a punch at the smaller man’s head, leading the man to dodge and kick his knee to the side, bringing the taller down so he could reach his head. America punched, but Soviet moved his head, grabbing the arm and twisting it behind America. Still facing each other, America bashed his skull against the other’s and used his still propped up leg to leverage himself into a back flip over Soviet’s arm, twisting himself out of his grasp.

Grunting and rubbing his forehead, Soviet stumbled back before growling at America who returned the noise, the two pacing around the other in the fiery cage like two tigers. Soviet saw something glint out of the corner of his eye. His pistol flashed in the dancing scarlet. He reached for it as America ran at him again, firing and boring another hole in the country's body. This didn’t stop him, though. America tackled him, wrapping both hands around Soviet’s windpipe. The man choked, his mind losing focus as he struggled for air, as he tried to aim at the other’s head. Shooting again, he caught America’s left shoulder, easing the grip as one hand went to cover the wound. Regaining air, Soviet kicked America in his chest, winding him and getting him off.

The two stared at each other, breathing heavily and grunting like animals as they glared into each other's souls. Soviet raised his gun, aiming for the hole he had made, knowing that since there was no eye, the bullet would likely go directly into America’s brain. America ran at him again, the middle three fingers of his right hand curling slightly. A gunshot rang out.

***

Several hours later, the chopping of a helicopter was heard, as a bright light shined down. Something on the ground moved slightly, and the people on board landed to investigate. They found a messy scene: one body and a charred jacket of a smaller person was found. The body was unrecognizable due to being burned by the flames and was noted to have the throat ripped out. “Over here!” came a cry, as the team rushed over to find a survivor, barely breathing, half hidden by the charred grass. Blood was pouring from the right eye, but they were still alive. But for how much longer? Quickly and carefully they got the person on a stretcher and took off.

Beep.

Beep. A blinding white light flooded his vision. Was he dead? Somehow, even with all he had done, he made it into heaven? Does heaven even smell like birch pines, roses and… wait is that a crepe? Processing this for a moment, he realized he somehow wasn’t dead. His sight finally adjusted to the light, and he could see three people in the bright hospital room. The two sat, clearly conked out in the chairs, were Great Britain and France, his parents clearly exhausted: his father’s brow crinkled in a worried crease that hadn’t yet softened, a few emptied plates on the table next to them. Next to him, in the chair directly by the bed, hand locked within his own, was his brother Canada. All of them were still bandaged, he noted his father didn't have his usual top coat over his button up, leading him to believe that he was still admitted, but allowed to be here. It was peaceful, other than the steady noises of the machines that told he was still alive.

The peace he felt didn’t last as his cranium was slammed with a pounding headache. Groaning, he brought his free hand up to his head, and rubbed it, noting a large bandage was wrapped around where his right eye had been.

…

Oh right. The events of yesterday flooded back to him, making his headache worse. Another groan was heard as Canada woke up, rubbing his eyes, and readjusting himself to the light. Seeing his brother was awake, he beamed, months of waiting finally over. “America! You’re awake!” He whisper-shouted excitedly.

“Yeah, but I feel like death. How long was I out?”

“6 months.” At this, America gawked at him, appalled. In his mind, that battle-to-the-death was only yesterday.

“6 months?!”

“Yep. Also, not too long after the doctors let you out of surgery, your flag changed. It actually looks really cool.” Canada went over to where France was and pulled a mirror out of her purse. Bringing it up to America’s face, he saw that he kept his stars and his stripes, but the stars were now in the middle of his face, over a pale red center, with the stripes circling out from around them. Similar to the bands of the milky way, curving out from the center. The stars that didn’t fit in the middle dotted along the dark navy lines that contrasted the white ones. Bringing a hand to his face, he saw the new look for his hands. For the most part it was the same as before, with the blue and the big star. But the stripes on his fingers, he had three on each finger now, and went red, orange and yellow. He didn't have to go far to find the green, blue and purple lining his wrists where the dark navy ended. He actually found it pretty cool, he had always loved the rainbow from since he was child, the colors meaning the duality and diversity of life to him, and how it all fits together, and how it wouldn't be complete if you removed any color.

#countryhumans #soviet america au

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roman-catholic-mass-readings · 4 years ago

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27th June >> Mass Readings (Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia & Canada)

Saturday, Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop, Doctor

Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Saturday, Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

(Liturgical Colour: Green)

First Reading

Lamentations 2:2,10-14,18-19

Cry aloud to the Lord, daughter of Zion

The Lord has pitilessly destroyed

all the homes of Jacob;

in his displeasure he has shattered

the strongholds of the daughter of Judah;

he has thrown to the ground,

he has left accursed the kingdom and its rulers.

Mutely they sit on the ground,

the elders of the daughter of Zion;

they have put dust on their heads,

and wrapped themselves in sackcloth.

The virgins of Jerusalem hang their heads

down to the ground.

My eyes wasted away with weeping,

my entrails shuddered,

my liver spilled on the ground

at the ruin of the daughters of my people,

as children, mere infants, fainted

in the squares of the Citadel.

They kept saying to their mothers,

‘Where is the bread?’

as they fainted like wounded men

in the squares of the City,

as they poured out their souls

on their mothers’ breasts.

How can I describe you, to what compare you,

daughter of Jerusalem?

Who can rescue and comfort you,

virgin daughter of Zion?

For huge as the sea is your affliction;

who can possibly cure you?

The visions your prophets had on your behalf

were delusive, tinsel things,

they never pointed out your sin,

to ward off your exile.

The visions they proffered you were false,

fallacious, misleading.

Cry aloud, then, to the Lord,

groan, daughter of Zion;

let your tears flow like a torrent,

day and night;

give yourself no relief,

grant your eyes no rest.

Up, cry out in the night-time,

in the early hours of darkness;

pour your heart out like water

before the Lord.

Stretch out your hands to him

for the lives of your children

who faint with hunger

at the entrance to every street.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 73(74):1-7,20-21

R/ Do not forget your poor servants for ever.

Why, O God, have you cast us off for ever?

Why blaze with anger at the sheep of your pasture?

Remember your people whom you chose long ago,

the tribe you redeemed to be your own possession,

the mountain of Zion where you made your dwelling.

R/ Do not forget your poor servants for ever.

Turn your steps to these places that are utterly ruined!

The enemy has laid waste the whole of the sanctuary.

Your foes have made uproar in your house of prayer:

they have set up their emblems, their foreign emblems,

high above the entrance to the sanctuary.

R/ Do not forget your poor servants for ever.

Their axes have battered the wood of its doors.

They have struck together with hatchet and pickaxe.

O God, they have set your sanctuary on fire:

they have razed and profaned the place where you dwell.

R/ Do not forget your poor servants for ever.

Remember your covenant; every cave in the land

is a place where violence makes its home.

Do not let the oppressed return disappointed;

let the poor and the needy bless your name.

R/ Do not forget your poor servants for ever.

Gospel Acclamation

cf. 2 Timothy 1:10

Alleluia, alleluia!

Our Saviour Jesus Christ abolished death

and he has proclaimed life through the Good News.

Alleluia!

Or:

Matthew 8:17

Alleluia, alleluia!

He took our sicknesses away,

and carried our diseases for us.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 8:5-17

'I am not worthy to have you under my roof: give the word, and my servant will be healed'

When Jesus went into Capernaum a centurion came up and pleaded with him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘my servant is lying at home paralysed, and in great pain.’ ‘I will come myself and cure him’ said Jesus. The centurion replied, ‘Sir, I am not worthy to have you under my roof; just give the word and my servant will be cured. For I am under authority myself, and have soldiers under me; and I say to one man: Go, and he goes; to another: Come here, and he comes; to my servant: Do this, and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this he was astonished and said to those following him, ‘I tell you solemnly, nowhere in Israel have I found faith like this. And I tell you that many will come from east and west to take their places with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven; but the subjects of the kingdom will be turned out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.’ And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go back, then; you have believed, so let this be done for you.’ And the servant was cured at that moment.

And going into Peter’s house Jesus found Peter’s mother-in-law in bed with fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

That evening they brought him many who were possessed by devils. He cast out the spirits with a word and cured all who were sick. This was to fulfil the prophecy of Isaiah:

He took our sicknesses away and carried our diseases for us.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

————————-

Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop, Doctor

(Liturgical Colour: White)

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Saturday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading

2 Timothy 4:1-5

Make the preaching of the Good news your life's work, in thoroughgoing service

Before God and before Christ Jesus who is to be judge of the living and the dead, I put this duty to you, in the name of his Appearing and of his kingdom: proclaim the message and, welcome or unwelcome, insist on it. Refute falsehood, correct error, call to obedience – but do all with patience and with the intention of teaching. The time is sure to come when, far from being content with sound teaching, people will be avid for the latest novelty and collect themselves a whole series of teachers according to their own tastes; and then, instead of listening to the truth, they will turn to myths. Be careful always to choose the right course; be brave under trials; make the preaching of the Good News your life’s work, in thoroughgoing service.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 88(89):2-5,21-22,25,27

R/ I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord;

through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth.

Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever,

that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.

R/ I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one;

I have sworn to David my servant:

I will establish your dynasty for ever

and set up your throne through all ages.

R/ I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

‘I have found David my servant

and with my holy oil anointed him.

My hand shall always be with him

and my arm shall make him strong.

R/ I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

‘My truth and my love shall be with him;

by my name his might shall be exalted.

He will say to me: “You are my father,

my God, the rock who saves me.”’

R/ I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

Gospel Acclamation

Matthew 5:16

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your light must shine in the sight of men,

so that, seeing your good works,

they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 5:13-19

Your light must shine in the sight of men

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by men.

‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.

‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved. Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

—————————

Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary

(Liturgical Colour: White)

(Readings for the memorial)

(There is a choice today between the readings for the ferial day (Saturday) and those for the memorial. The ferial readings are recommended unless pastoral reasons suggest otherwise)

First Reading

Genesis 3:9-15,20

The mother of all those who live

After Adam had eaten of the tree the Lord God called to him. ‘Where are you?’ he asked. ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden;’ he replied ‘I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.’ ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ he asked ‘Have you been eating of the tree I forbade you to eat?’ The man replied, ‘It was the woman you put with me; she gave me the fruit, and I ate it.’ Then the Lord God asked the woman, ‘What is this you have done?’ The woman replied, ‘The serpent tempted me and I ate.’

Then the Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this,

‘Be accursed beyond all cattle,

all wild beasts.

You shall crawl on your belly and eat dust

every day of your life.

I will make you enemies of each other:

you and the woman,

your offspring and her offspring.

It will crush your head

and you will strike its heel.’

The man named his wife ‘Eve’ because she was the mother of all those who live.

The Word of the Lord

R/ Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

1 Samuel 2:1,4-8

R/ My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.

My heart exults in the Lord.

I find my strength in my God;

my mouth laughs at my enemies

as I rejoice in your saving help.

R/ My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.

The bows of the mighty are broken,

but the weak are clothed with strength.

Those with plenty must labour for bread,

but the hungry need work no more.

The childless wife has children now

but the fruitful wife bears no more.

R/ My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.

It is the Lord who gives life and death,

he brings men to the grave and back;

it is the Lord who gives poverty and riches.

He brings men low and raises them on high.

R/ My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.

He lifts up the lowly from the dust,

from the dungheap he raises the poor

to set him in the company of princes

to give him a glorious throne.

For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,

on them he has set the world.

R/ My heart exults in the Lord my Saviour.

Gospel Acclamation

cf. Luke 1:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!

Blessed art thou among women.

Alleluia!

Or:

cf. Luke 1:45

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed is the Virgin Mary, who believed

that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.

Alleluia!

Or:

cf. Luke 2:19

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed is the Virgin Mary,

who treasured the word of God

and pondered it in her heart.

Alleluia!

Or:

Luke 11:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Happy are those

who hear the word of God

and keep it.

Alleluia!

Or:

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, holy Virgin Mary,

and most worthy of all praise,

for the sun of justice, Christ our God,

was born of you.

Alleluia!

Or:

Alleluia, alleluia!

Happy is the Virgin Mary,

who, without dying,

won the palm of martyrdom

beneath the cross of the Lord.

Alleluia!

Either:

Gospel

Matthew 1:1-16,18-23

The ancestry and conception of Jesus Christ

A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham:

Abraham was the father of Isaac,

Isaac the father of Jacob,

Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,

Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, Tamar being their mother,

Perez was the father of Hezron,

Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram was the father of Amminadab,

Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

Salmon was the father of Boaz, Rahab being his mother,

Boaz was the father of Obed, Ruth being his mother,

Obed was the father of Jesse;

and Jesse was the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,

Solomon was the father of Rehoboam,

Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,

Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,

Joram the father of Azariah,

Azariah was the father of Jotham,

Jotham the father of Ahaz,

Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,

Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,

Manasseh the father of Amon,

Amon the father of Josiah;

and Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers.

Then the deportation to Babylon took place.

After the deportation to Babylon:

Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,

Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,

Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud,

Abiud the father of Eliakim,

Eliakim the father of Azor,

Azor was the father of Zadok,

Zadok the father of Achim,

Achim the father of Eliud,

Eliud was the father of Eleazar,

Eleazar the father of Matthan,

Matthan the father of Jacob;

and Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary;

of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.

This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son

and they will call him Emmanuel,

a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Matthew 1:18-23

How Jesus Christ came to be born

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son

and they will call him Emmanuel,

a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Matthew 2:13-15,19-23

The flight into Egypt and the return to Nazareth

After the wise men had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, left that night for Egypt, where he stayed until Herod was dead. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:

I called my son out of Egypt.

After Herod’s death, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you and go back to the land of Israel, for those who wanted to kill the child are dead.’ So Joseph got up and, taking the child and his mother with him, went back to the land of Israel. But when he learnt that Archelaus had succeeded his father Herod as ruler of Judaea he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he left for the region of Galilee. There he settled in a town called Nazareth. In this way the words spoken through the prophets were to be fulfilled:

‘He will be called a Nazarene.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Matthew 12:46-50

My mother and my brothers are anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven

Jesus was speaking to the crowds when his mother and his brothers appeared; they were standing outside and were anxious to have a word with him. But to the man who told him this Jesus replied, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand towards his disciples he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 1:26-38

'I am the handmaid of the Lord'

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 1:39-47

Blessed is she who believed the promise

Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’

And Mary said:

‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord

and my spirit exults in God my saviour.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 2:1-14

'In the town of David a saviour has been born to you'

Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census of the whole world to be taken. This census – the first – took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to his own town to be registered. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and travelled up to Judaea, to the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was of David’s House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn.

In the countryside close by there were shepherds who lived in the fields and took it in turns to watch their flocks during the night. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified, but the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid. Listen, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly with the angel there was a great throng of the heavenly host, praising God and singing:

‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and peace to men who enjoy his favour.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 2:15-19

The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found the baby lying in the manger

Now when the angels had gone from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 2:27-35

'A sword will pierce your soul too'

Prompted by the Spirit Simeon came to the Temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:

‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace,

just as you promised;

because my eyes have seen the salvation

which you have prepared for all the nations to see,

a light to enlighten the pagans

and the glory of your people Israel.’

As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 2:41-52

Mary stored up all these things in her heart

Every year the parents of Jesus used to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up for the feast as usual. When they were on their way home after the feast, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem without his parents knowing it. They assumed he was with the caravan, and it was only after a day’s journey that they went to look for him among their relations and acquaintances. When they failed to find him they went back to Jerusalem looking for him everywhere.

Three days later, they found him in the Temple, sitting among the doctors, listening to them, and asking them questions; and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies. They were overcome when they saw him, and his mother said to him, ‘My child, why have, you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.’

‘Why were you looking for me?’ he replied. ‘Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?’ But they did not understand what he meant.

He then went down with them and came to Nazareth and lived under their authority.

His mother stored up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and men.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

Luke 11:27-28

'Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!'

As Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!’ But he replied, ‘Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!’

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

John 2:1-11

'My hour has not come yet' - 'Do whatever he tells you'

There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. When they ran out of wine, since the wine provided for the wedding was all finished, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ Jesus said ‘Woman, why turn to me? My hour has not come yet.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ There were six stone water jars standing there, meant for the ablutions that are customary among the Jews: each could hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’, and they filled them to the brim. ‘Draw some out now’ he told them ‘and take it to the steward.’ They did this; the steward tasted the water, and it had turned into wine. Having no idea where it came from – only the servants who had drawn the water knew – the steward called the bridegroom and said, ‘People generally serve the best wine first, and keep the cheaper sort till the guests have had plenty to drink; but you have kept the best wine till now.’

This was the first of the signs given by Jesus: it was given at Cana in Galilee. He let his glory be seen, and his disciples believed in him.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Or:

Gospel

John 19:25-27

'Woman, this is your son'

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.

The Gospel of the Lord

R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

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a-rebellious-waffle · 5 years ago

Text

In Exact Detail

Specialist Tina "Frost" Lin Tsang could recall the moment in perfect detail, right down to the clock on the wall showing sixteen-forty two hours. The waiters moving about inside the cafe, wearing black and white with red bow-ties and white aprons tucked into their faux leather waistbands. The coffee in her right hand, pleasantly warm but not hot enough to be even mildly uncomfortable, with just a pinch of milk to dilute the taste into something tolerable, sitting in a white porcelain cup with a gilded crack running down the side that Yumiko had gifted her so long ago, on a bygone op against a long-dead foe. The wooden table that her left hand was resting on, the light, calloused hand that her own hand was grasping, it's thumb running over her nail polish delicately. The red-and-white sweatshirt she wore providing just enough warmth to still be cold when the door opened and a stray gust washed over her. The concealed pistol in her bag pushing in on her back as she stood. The unsettling awareness of just how quickly she seemed to be breathing.

"Can I... do something?" she asked the man across from her. His standard issue Spetsnaz shirt was a dull green color. His hair was close to black, close-cut to the point where it was almost shaved clean. Muscles rippled across his arms that she just knew could be so tender, so delicate. Cat-like eyes gazed back at her as he nodded.

"Go ahead."

She clasped his hand and leaned in, wrapping her right arm around his neck, pressing her face close to his with just the slightest tilt, and she kissed him.

As soon as it happened, too soon yet desperately long in coming, she knew she would remember it forever. It was her first time ever kissing romantically, for one, and secondly, it was him. Kapkan. Her male Russian counterpart. God above, how she had wanted this moment for so long. The gentle crush of their lips was somehow just like what she had dreamed and better.

Kapkan made a small sound at the back of his throat, like a possessive groan. It sounded... sexy. She wanted him to be hers even more now, if that was even possible (she, to be frank, couldn't tell by now), as his hand snaked around her lower back and gave her support. A small squeak of pleasure escaped her.

If she had been told by anyone that somewhere, someday, she would be in love with member of the Spetsnaz a year ago, she likely would have laughed it off. But now? Now.... Now time seemed like it wasn't passing and it was passing way too quickly, like reality was warping around them and the timestream shattering like it might have in Destiny 2. An idle part of her mind thought about what her Guardian would have to say about her newfound relationship- what the mighty Kaara Torii, Slayer of Oryx, Crota's End, Killer of Xol, Extinction of Nokris, Rivensbane and Cursebreaker, would think of embracing your rival as your lover. A silly thought, to be sure, but what can your mind do when in such a perplexing state but think perplexing thoughts?

Somehow, she found she didn't mind the onlookers- that is, if there were any. Were there? Maybe. Maybe not. Who was to say? This was Russia and things were different from Canada here- none of the tidbits of customs and information made much sense to her addled mind. Thinking clearly, she knew and understood, but as she was, preoccupied with love? It was little more than background noise.

Time warped and reality coagulated back to normal as the two broke apart, neither speaking, neither wanting to go or move or do anything that wasn't with the other. The only limits were their lung capacity. She wanted to rest her head on his shoulder or his chest, but she contented herself with leaning back in his arms. One hand was placed on his chest and stayed there.

"I love you, Tina," Maxim growled softly. She smiled, love-drunk herself.

"I love you too," she whispered back. The coffee was left on the table, already paid for, as the two left the cafe, arms interlocked, and headed for the car that had brought them.

The car ride was done in amicable silence. Neither knew what to say. Neither particularly wanted to speak, either, for fear of ruining the moment. The suspension wiggled slightly as they trode the paved roads of Moscow and then the dirt road that led back to the Rainbow Base in Russia, the so-called Sovereign Base, in the remains of an old Soviet airfield. Two cargo planes lay on the tarmac- this was one of the few days left before their transition to Greece.

Their battered Jeep pulled up outside the base, slid perfectly, expertly, between the white lines of the parking lot. The lovers disembarked, heading for the dormitories. Snow was falling lightly, not that anyone minded.

Maxim turned to Tina as they neared the base and gave her a grave look. "Tina. I want you."

A husky tone, merged with sexual desire. Love and lust, or perhaps the other way around, were the emotions in his crystalline eyes.

Tina nodded back and whispered into his ear, as if an angel has whispered into hers: "Then make me yours."

Maxim picked her up and carried her to the room he was newly sharing with his girlfriend. It was spartan in furnishing but the bed was comfortable. He laid Tina on the bed and shrugged off his shirt as his girlfriend wiggled out of her sweatshirt and her workmans trousers.

They confirmed their love then and there, long into the night.

Later- much later, almost two months later, when the operators had their obligatory meeting with Harry to discuss really anything, it was somehow nice that when he asked 'what excites you?' Harry had to add 'aside from Specialist Basuda.'

#r6 #rainbow six siege #frostkan

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atlanticcanada · 5 years ago

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N.B. judge will deliver Oland verdict, take 2, on Friday

SAINT JOHN, N.B. -- Just over eight years after multi-millionaire Richard Oland was bludgeoned to death in his Saint John office, his only son, Dennis, is about to find out whether he will be judged guilty or not guilty of the grisly crime.

Justice Terrence Morrison of the New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench will deliver his verdict Friday morning in the second degree murder trial of Dennis Oland, 51, who is charged with beating his father to death on July 6, 2011.

It is the second time Oland has waited for a verdict in the sensational case. Oland, a former financial adviser, was charged with killing his father in 2013 and was convicted by a jury in 2015. That verdict was set aside on appeal in 2016 due to an error in the judge's charge to the jury, and the new trial was ordered.

Now, after 44 days of hearings spanning four months, with testimony from 61 witnesses and more than 300 exhibits filed, Oland is about to learn his fate. Saint John police suspected him of the crime from the very beginning, but he has always insisted he had nothing to do with his father's death.

The last time the verdict was read, Oland collapsed, howling in anguish after the jury declared him guilty. There is no jury this time. Due to problems with jury selection last year, the Oland retrial was held before judge alone.

The Oland murder case is a family tragedy that has gripped the public from the start. Richard Oland was 69 when his battered and bloody body was discovered on July 7, 2011. He was a prominent businessman in Saint John, worth an estimated $36 million at the time of his death.

The Oland family is well known in the Maritimes where its members have been involved in beer-making for generations. The victim was a former vice president of Moosehead Breweries, the oldest, family-owned brewery in Canada.

Richard Oland left Moosehead in the early 1980s following a succession dispute but established himself in other enterprises ranging from real estate to trucking. He was killed in the offices of his investment firm, the Far End Corp., located in the heart of the old port city.

The trial was told Oland was struck more than 40 times, mostly on the head, with a weapon, or weapons, that had both sharp and blunt edges. He was hit with such force, his skull shattered in several places. Blood from the attack sprayed around the room. No weapon was ever found.

"This was a crime of passion. This was personal," lead Crown prosecutor P.J. Veniot told the court. "This was not a random killing by a crackhead."

Prosecution lawyers acknowledged the case is circumstantial but say Dennis Oland had motive and opportunity. He is the last known person to have seen Richard alive and paid that final visit to his millionaire father at a time when his personal finances were in disarray and he was struggling with debt.

"It's about a father and son, one wealthy and one not," Veniot said of the case.

Dennis Oland's defence team, led by Toronto lawyer Alan Gold, focused on mistakes by the Saint John Police Department in its investigation of the killing. There were so many errors, especially in protecting and preserving the crime scene, the defence called into question the reliability of evidence.

Gold said police officers fell victim to "confirmation bias" having decided early on that Dennis Oland was their suspect. He said police "failed to adequately process the scene" and "overlooked third parties."

"If the pieces don't fit, you must acquit," he told the court.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/2XRoXV5

#new brunswick #prince edward island #nova scotia #news #politics #canada #CTVAtlantic

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fromthesomewhere · 6 years ago

Photo

Post-Armistice: First Reflections

12 November 1918 - Letter to Edith from The Somewhere

“Oh Edith – Thank God – the ‘great killing’ is over, the victory ours. Peace again shall reign in the land.”

Fred’s post-armistice letter to Edith describes for her his experience of that historic event - returning from his leave in England on the 9th, travelling halfway back to his battalion on the 10th when the news reached him that evening that the Armistice had been signed. He writes of attempting to get back to his unit during the celebrations, and though he was unable to depart that evening he met a fellow Manitoban amidst the, “odd good fellowship of the evening in that battered city.” Fred then reflects on the scene he travelled through on 11 November 1918 while returning to his battalion:

We came on a freight train – thro’ the godless shattered region where for four years thundered war and devastation - then into the less devastated region and at last up near the line where the last of battle took place. Last night I stayed at a great chateau and this morning I hopped a lorry and got in here. On the roads all day have been the sad sight of impoverished people seeking again their homes – bearing all their goods in hand carts & wheelbarrows.

Fred’s letter also includes updates on his friends Henry H. Dennison, Brock Henry, and Jack Verner (the latter would not make it home to Canada, highlighting the continued dangers of the soldiers’ work despite the armistice having been signed).

The additional joy of this letter is in Fred writing that he expects to be home in Canada by summer 1919, and sums up how much money he hopes to save by then - so that Edith can finally begin to plan their long-awaited wedding. He writes, “You know me. I’m lonely and hungry for you and our home –but I’m not very concrete in planning – you’ll have to do it for us both.” Fred signs off with, “Comrade – I’m not worthy of you – but I love you.”

#wwi #first world war #history #Armistice Day #remembrance day #armistice #world war one #Letters #canadian history #manitobans #soldiers #officer

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laresearchette · 3 years ago

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Saturday, March 05, 2022 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT? STOLEN BY THEIR FATHER (Premiering on March 13 on Lifetime Canada at 8:00pm)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

CBC GEM NEVER STEADY, NEVER STILL

CRAVE TV ALVIN!!! AND THE CHIPMUNKS (Season 1, Episodes 1-52) ALVIN!!! AND THE CHIPMUNKS (Season 2, Episode 1-20) DENVER THE LAST DINOSAUR (Season 1, Episode 41-52) HANDICO (Season 2) THE JUNGLE BUNCH (Season 1, Episodes 41-52) THE LEGENDARIES (Season 1) RAINBOW RUBY (Season 1, Episodes 14-26) TEAM DRONIX (Season 1, Episodes 1-13) ZAK STORM (Season 1, Episodes 1-10)

WINTER PARALYMPIC GAMES (CBC) 12:30am: Opening Ceremony (CBC/AMI) 6:00am: Wheelchair curling - China vs. Canada, para alpine skiing - men's and women's downhill, para ice hockey - U.S. vs. Canada, para biathlon - women's and men's 6 km (CBC) 4:00pm: Para sled hockey - U.S. vs. Canada, wheelchair curling - China vs. Canada, para alpine skiing - men's and women's downhill, para biathlon - women's and men's 6 km. (CBC) 1:00am (Sunday): Wheelchair Curling: Canada vs. Switzerland

DAVIS CUP (SN360) 7:00am: Netherlands vs. Canada

CURLING (TSN2) 7:00am: 2022 Time Hortons Brier: Pool Play (TSN) 3:30pm: 2022 Time Hortons Brier: Pool Play (TSN/TSN3) 8:30pm: 2022 Time Hortons Brier: Pool Play

NHL HOCKEY (SN) 12:30pm: Blues vs. Islanders (SN) 3:00pm: Chicago vs. Flyers (TSN5) 4:00pm: Sens vs. Coyotes (SN360/CBC/City) 7:00pm: Habs vs. Oilers (SN) 7:00pm: Canucks vs. Leafs (SN/CBC) 10:00pm: Flames vs. Avalanche

MLS SOCCER (TSN4) 2:00pm: Toronto FC vs. NY Red Bulls (TSN4) 4:00pm: CF Montreal vs. Philadelphia (TSN) 6:30pm: Whitecaps FC vs. NYCFC

NBA BASKETBALL (SN1) 5:00pm: Kings vs. Mavericks (SN1) 8:30pm: Warriors vs. Lakers

NLL LACROSSE (TSN3) 6:00pm: Vancouver Warriors vs. Halifax Thunderbirds

W5 (CTV) 7:00pm: War in Ukraine

ROMAN TO THE RESCUE (Disney XD) 7:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): Laid-back pup Benji can't get enough belly rubs; Roman needs to find him a kid who can match his chill vibe and give him lots of attention; social media influencer Txunamy Ortiz comes to help.

CHRONICLE MYSTERIES: HELPED TO DEATH (CTV) 8:00pm: Alex and Drew investigate a self-help retreat and the controversial life coach who oversees it.

HIGH FLYING ROMANCE (W Network) 8:00pm: Music teacher Hannah finds unexpected love with a widower after he and his daughter move back to town and participate in the annual kite festival.

MY DARLING VIVIAN (Super Channel Fuse) 8:00pm: The story of Vivian Liberto, Johnny Cash's first wife and the mother of his four daughters.

FARMER SEEKING LOVE (Super Channel Heart & Home) 8:00pm: Sparks fly between a reality TV producer and the handsome farmer she recruits to be the next bachelor on her dating show.

CARNIVAL EATS (Food Network Canada) 8:00pm/8:30pm: Euro-fusion Greek pizza; Crabby Patty burger; deep-fried chili dog; Fluffernutter elephant ear pasty; beer-battered burger; Mississippi mud fry.aspiring chef Will, her old sweetheart. In Episode Two, jackfruit torta; peanut butter meatballs; cherry candy-coated hot wings; Ice Cream Garden; pulled pork rainbow melt.

BLK: AN ORIGIN STORY (History Canada) 9:00pm: Tucked between Griffintown and St. Henri in Montreal's Sud Ouest is Little Burgundy, home to a Black population led by Black men who worked in Canada's railway industry as sleeping car porters.

F9 THE FAST SAGA (Crave) 9:00pm: Dom Toretto and his crew come together to stop a world-shattering plot by the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they've ever encountered -- Dom's forsaken brother.

HISTORY'S GREATEST MYSTERIES (CTV) 10:00pm (SEASON PREMIERE): One of World War II's greatest unsolved mysteries: an incomparable work of art worth half a billion dollars, lost without a trace; perhaps the single most valuable object the Nazis ever stole, the quest for this treasure has lasted over 75 years.

DIE IN A GUNFIGHT (Crave) 11:25pm: A man and his old flame cross paths with an assortment of schemers and killers.

HOT ONES (Global) 12:30am: Colin Farrell

#cdntv #cancon #canadian tv #canadian tv listings #carnival eats #blk: an origin story #hot ones #winter paralympics #davis cup #curling #nhl hockey #mls soccer #nba basketball #nll lacrosse #W5

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hazetownvapes02 · 3 years ago

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imjustthemechanic · 6 years ago

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The French Mistake

Part 1/? - A Visitor Part 2/? - The Kulturhistorisk Museum Heist Part 3/? - Cutscene Part 4/? - The Marvel Cinematic Universe Part 5/? - Breathless Part 6/? - Escape at Last Part 7/? - Fox in Socks Part 8/? - Things Go Wrong Part 9/? - Downey and Out Part 10/? - Road Trip Part 11/? - Temptation Part 12/? - An Awful Reunion Part 13/? - Unreality Intrudes Part 14/? - A Call for Help Part 15/? - Loki’s Guests Part 16/? - Stan Lee Cameo Part 17/? - Reassessment Part 18/? - Midnight Invasion Part 19/? - Elevator Fight Part 20/? - Courage Part 21/? - Unwelcome Back Part 22/? - Darkest Hour Part 23/? - They Are Here Part 24/? - The Jet Propulsion Laboratory Part 25/? - Word of God Part 26/? - Avengers Assembled Part 27/? - The Houston Underground Part 28/? - Houston has a Problem Part 29/? - Onward and Upward

Our heroes destroy stuff. That always happens.

The three women from NASA got back into the elevator and the doors closed on them with a rather distressing finality. It made Steve wish he could go with them – not because he was feeling in any way cowardly, but because he wanted to be sure they made it out okay. He couldn’t do that, not because of any injury or any limitation of a body without super-soldier serum, but merely because he could not be in two places at once. There were some things even at the best of times that he had to leave to others.

The rest of them needed to find the building Ellen Ochoa had called Old Mission Control. There was a visitors’ directory map in front of the remains of the spacecraft model pedestal, so Thor and Loki stood guard while Steve and Natasha cleaned the bits off it and examined the battered surface.

“Okay, we’re here,” said Steve, finding the red dot.

“And it says Old Mission Control is in this building here.” Nat put her own finger on the map, a couple of inches from his. “So we just need to cross this green space.” She glanced towards the main doors. There were trees outside, but the top of another building was visible beyond them. It was only maybe two hundred yards.

Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. The sound of heavy footsteps alerted them to the fact that the other two Chi’Tauri soldiers were approaching. The group instinctively clustered together, with Nat and the Asgardians moving in front of the injured Steve as they all edged towards the door, hoping to get there before the aliens cut them off, but knowing they probably wouldn’t.

“It’ll be up to you, brother,” Thor said quietly. “You’re the best-armed.”

“I know,” said Loki, hefting the plasma rifle. It was clearly very heavy – the Chi’Tauri had waved it around like nothing, but Loki needed both arms. “We’ll have to take them off-guard.”

“We could do Get Help,” Thor suggested.

Loki rolled his eyes and shook his head. “You wouldn’t have the strength! Not in this body.”

“I bet I could, at that,” Thor said.

“We are not doing Get Help,” Loki said firmly. “There is no need.”

“What’s Get Help?” asked Natasha.

“It’s an old ploy…” Thor began.

“If you don’t stop talking I will shoot you,” said Loki.

One of the soldiers came running around the corner from another side hallway, and the first thing it saw was not the little group of humans moving towards the doors, but the smashed spacecraft model and its fallen comrade. Loki hefted his stolen plasma rifle and fired, but the weight of the weapon and his lack of familiarity with it meant that he missed. Instead of hitting the Chi’Tauri, the bolt blew apart the rest of the model spacecraft and most of the carpeted pedestal it had been mounted on, and the element of surprise was lost. He lined up a second shot right away, but the soldier did something with its own weapon, and there was a flash of glittering pink in the air around it. When Loki fired again, the shot was harmlessly absorbed by this force field.

Steve had no idea what the word Loki barked out in response might mean, but it probably wasn’t something Queen Frigga would have approved of.

“Figure out how to turn that on,” said Thor.

“What do you think I am trying to do?” Loki demanded, studying the weapon in his hands.

Steve scooped up the dish from the remains of the model spacecraft again. It wasn’t much of a shield, and was cracked and brittle on one side where it had been exposed to the liquid nitrogen, but it was psychologically helpful as they continued to move towards the door.

“They’re going to fire again,” Thor said, peeking around the edge. “Have you got it yet?”

“I am working on it,” Loki told him.

“We’re trying to save the world here! Can you two stop bickering?” Natasha demanded.

“No!” the two gods said, in perfect unison.

The alien took a shot at them. The bolt of plasma went right through the dish, burning a hole in it, and narrowly missed the back of Steve’s head. The edges of the plastic cooled quickly, but remained black and melted. He rubbed his scalp to make sure his hair was not on fire, then peeked through the hole and saw two Chi’Tauri now heading towards them.

“Here it is!” said Loki, and the same pink shimmer appeared around them. “Do you see,” he asked Thor, “how much easier it is to do things when you’re not thundering in my ear?”

It hadn’t been a moment too soon. Another shot quickly followed the first, but was absorbed by the force field. Steve dropped the dish, and they began moving with more confidence.

“Return fire!” Thor ordered.

“It won’t let me while the force field is on,” said Loki. “It would absorb our own shots.”

The front of the building was a set of big glass windows and doors. A stray shot from one of the Chi’Tauri helpfully shattered these for them, taking out a couple of pillars that Steve thought were probably structural, but they made it outside, staying close to Loki. Steve’s limp was slowing them all down, but they couldn’t leave him or turn back now. He wondered where the third remaining Chi’Tauri was. Hopefully not chasing down escaping NASA employees.

“I see the vehicles!” said Natasha. “Over there, by the fountain!”

Steve looked. There they were, two of the alien air scooters floating gently in the air side-by-side, just as they’d been in the parking lot outside the convention centre in Canada. Only a few more yards now. They were almost home free.

A widow shattered above them, and the Chi’Tauri commander leaped out. It landed on its feet in front of them and aimed its staff weapon at the group. Loki held up the plasma rifle as if to use it as a shield. The Commander fired, and the pink field around them flickered and fizzed like an old television set as it absorbed the blast. Loki yelped in sudden pain, and threw the rifle onto the grass. It lay there sparking and smoking. The staff weapon was far more powerful, and the force field from the rifle couldn’t take the blow. They were now undefended.

“Scatter!” Steve ordered. “Leave me, just get there!”

Thor and Natasha darted off in different directions. Thor simply made a wide circle back around to where the vehicles were, while Natasha took a more complicated, weaving route in order to be harder to hit. Steve, who could not run, had no choice but to stay where he was, leaning on that damned crutch. Easy prey – but if the Commander killed him, maybe the others could get away.

What would happen if he died, he wondered. This actor, Chris Evans, would be stuck with his body. Would he want to come back to this universe and resume his acting career, or would he be willing to stay in the other one and take over the role of Captain America in a more real sense? Neither seemed like a good idea.

Then he realized that Loki hadn’t run. Instead, the god of mischief and lies stepped in between Steve and the Chi’Tauri commander, calmly facing his enemy. The commander cocked its head and lowered the staff a little. It must have orders to take Loki alive.

“Really?” Loki said, in a voice suggesting disgust but not surprise. “You call yourself a warrior, when you’re standing here ready to kill an unarmed, injured man?”

Steve remembered that Loki himself had shot the frozen Chi’Tauri a moment ago. Then again, Loki had never pretended to be an honourable creature.

“You’re not here for these insects,” Loki said. “You’re here for me. Going after them is a waste of time. Your time, and your master’s.”

Was Loki sacrificing himself to save Steve? That was ridiculous – and yet as Steve watched, astonished, Loki held up his arms on either side of himself. The right one was burned, the sleeve of his jacket still smoking from when the rifle had overloaded.

“I am unarmed,” he said, “and I am tired of watching these useless mortals make fools of themselves. I assume you have my alternate captive. If you will allow me to take my body back before I face Thanos, I will come with you willingly.”

The Chi’Tauri commander stepped closer, looming even taller over them. “Two bodies,” it said. “Thanos can kill you twice!”

Loki stood there a moment longer, straight-backed and defiant, then suddenly threw himself on top of Steve. From behind, one of the Chi’Tauri flying vehicles ploughed into the commander, literally sweeping it off its feet and throwing it through the broken front windows of the building behind. That was apparently just a tiny bit more than the structure could take, because the façade sagged, then peeled away like wallpaper to land with an immense crash of glass, concrete, and dust on the pavement in front. The other two Chi’Tauri, who’d been on their way out, were buried in the mess.

Thor brought the vehicle back around and reached to drag Steve up onto it. “That was almost Get Help!” he pointed out to Loki.

“I approve,” Loki replied.

Natasha had the other vehicle. Loki climbed on behind her. Thor pulled back on the controls to gain altitude, and Steve put his arms around Thor’s middle as they climbed. Looking down, he could see the three Chi’Tauri picking themselves up out of the collapse, and he quickly looked away as they raised their weapons.

“Far right!” Loki said. He and Natasha were flying next to Steve and Thor, and Loki reached up past Nat to punch a button on the control panel. The pink shimmer appeared around them. Thor did the same. Plasma bolts bounced off the force fields.

Below them the ground spiralled away until the aliens were lost among the trees, and Steve held on tightly to Thor, feeling terribly exposed. He’d jumped out of planes with no parachute, but this was different… he was basically balancing on a flying surfboard, with nothing at all to keep him in place. If he lost his hold, he’d go splat.

Hayley – and Peggy – had made fun of Steve’s propensity for doing very dangerous things, but Steve head learned what was and was not dangerous for him. He knew when he was likely to survive something, such as jumping out of the Triskelion elevator, and he knew when he was not, such as crashing the Valkyrie. There was a time for self-sacrificing wanker-hood, and now wasn’t it. Not when they had so much more to do today. And if there was no time for that, there was definitely no time to slip and fall.

The Leviathan passed overhead, and for a moment they were in its shadow. Steve thought he’d remembered how big these things had been, but now that he was up close its size astonished him all over again. How did this thing stay in the air when it had nothing but those fins, beating gently like the legs of an aquatic insect? He remembered Loki saying something about an anti-gravity field… Stark would probably be able to figure it out, but for some reason Stark had refused to work on any of the captured Chi’Tauri technology.

He wondered if the reason why not had anything to do with how the Leviathan looked horribly like a living thing. The teeth in front gave it the appearance of having a blind head, and its undulating body structure looked like a sine. The Chi’Tauri had built mechanical components into their own bodies to strengthen them. Had they also knitted biological features into their machines? Or was this some kind of animal, perhaps a thing that had once swum in an alien ocean before the Chi’Tauri fished it out to turn it into a war machine?

“Oh!” said Natasha.

“What?” asked Steve, but a moment later he found out, as the craft he and Thor were riding gave a sudden jolt and then slowed and steadied, as if being guided through the air by a giant, rock-solid invisible hand. Thor tried to move the steering control, and could not do it.

“Don’t panic,” said Loki. “The main computer is guiding us in to dock.” His voice was calm, but Steve saw him rearrange his hold on his fire extinguisher. Natasha had the one she’d taken from one of the women, and Thor had a third, slung across his back. Steve was still carrying one, too, but he would hopefully leave the fighting to the others while he stole the wormhole machine.

Their vehicles separated and moved into line with opposite sides of the Leviathan, matching its speed and sinuous motion exactly as they drew closer and closer. Steve instinctively brought his arms in, even though there was plenty of space, as they backed into the docking port on the side of the bigger craft. Darkness closed in around them with the walls, and connectors shot out to hook into both sides of the vehicle. The Leviathan was still moving around them, while in the middle of it they seemed to be sitting perfectly still.

#fanfic #natasha romanoff #steve rogers

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newstfionline · 3 years ago

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Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Stranded and shattered seafarers threaten global supply lines (Reuters) “I’ve seen grown men cry,” says Captain Tejinder Singh, who hasn’t set foot on dry land in more than seven months and isn’t sure when he’ll go home. “We are forgotten and taken for granted,” he says of the plight facing tens of thousands of seafarers like him, stranded at sea as the Delta variant of the coronavirus wreaks havoc on shore. “People don’t know how their supermarkets are stocked up.” Singh and most of his 20-strong crew have criss-crossed the globe on an exhausting odyssey: from India to the United States then on to China, where they were stuck off the congested coast for weeks waiting to unload cargo. He was speaking to Reuters from the Pacific Ocean as his ship now heads to Australia. They are among about 100,000 seafarers stranded at sea beyond their regular stints of typically 3-9 months, according to the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), many without even a day’s break on land. Another 100,000 are stuck on shore, unable to board the ships they need to earn a living on. The United Nations describes the situation as a humanitarian crisis at sea and says governments should class seafarers as essential workers. Given ships transport around 90% of the world’s trade, the deepening crisis also poses a major threat to the supply chains we rely on for everything from oil and iron to food and electronics.

Unruly airplane passengers (Washington Post) The system for keeping the peace in America’s skies is creaking under the pressure of what airlines and regulators say is an unprecedented proliferation of misbehavior. The Federal Aviation Administration has received more than 3,400 reports of “unruly” passengers this year. As travel rebounds, the system for enforcing regulations and federal laws covering passengers is being strained by confrontations fueled by alcohol, hostility to mask mandates and small conflicts that careen out of control. One passenger hit a woman holding an infant amid an apparent dispute over a window shade. Another ran through business class and stomped on a flight attendant’s foot after the power outlet at her seat wouldn’t charge her phone, according to court records. The incidents that take place miles high in pressurized cabins are filled with many of the same pathologies and clashes that occur on the ground. A review of federal cases by The Washington Post points to alcohol, drug use and mental illness as key factors in outbursts that have terrified passengers and crew members, sometimes leaving them hospitalized.

Canada to open border to fully vaccinated U.S. citizens on Aug. 9 (Washington Post) Canada on Monday said it will begin to ease pandemic restrictions at the U.S.-Canada border next month, allowing U.S. citizens and permanent residents living in the United States who are fully vaccinated with Canadian-authorized vaccines to enter for nonessential travel without quarantining. The decision, which takes effect Aug. 9, follows months of criticism from U.S. lawmakers across the political spectrum, business groups and some travelers over what they said was an overly cautious approach to lifting curbs that have split families, battered the tourism sector and upended life in close-knit border communities. To be eligible for entry, fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents must be asymptomatic and present a negative coronavirus molecular test taken within 72 hours of flight departure or arrival at a land crossing. They will also be required to upload proof in English, French or certified translation that they have received a full series of an authorized coronavirus vaccine at least 14 days before departure to the Canadian government’s ArriveCan app or website. They must also present an original copy.

Jeff Bezos blasts into space on own rocket (AP) Jeff Bezos blasted into space Tuesday on his rocket company’s first flight with people on board, becoming the second billionaire in just over a week to ride his own spacecraft. The Amazon founder was accompanied by a hand-picked group: his brother, an 18-year-old from the Netherlands and an 82-year-old aviation pioneer from Texas—the youngest and oldest to ever fly in space. “Best day ever!” Bezos said when the capsule touched down on the desert floor at the end of the 10-minute flight.

Size of Oregon wildfire underscores vastness of the US West (AP) The monstrous wildfire burning in Oregon has grown to a third the size of Rhode Island and spreads miles each day, but evacuations and property losses have been minimal compared with much smaller blazes in densely populated areas of California. The fire’s jaw-dropping size contrasted with its relatively small impact on people underscores the vastness of the American West and offers a reminder that Oregon, which is larger than Britain, is still a largely rural state, despite being known mostly for its largest city, Portland. The 476-square-mile (1,210-square-kilometer) Bootleg Fire is burning 300 miles (483 kilometers) southeast of Portland in and around the Fremont-Winema National Forest, a vast expanse of old-growth forest, lakes and wildlife refuges. If the fire were in densely populated parts of California, “it would have destroyed thousands of homes by now,” said James Johnston, a researcher with Oregon State University’s College of Forestry who studies historical wildfires. “But it is burning in one of the more remote areas of the lower 48 states.”

How Washington power brokers gained from NSO’s spyware ambitions (Washington Post) The Israeli surveillance giant NSO Group and companies linked to it or its founders have spent millions of dollars in hopes of wooing their way into the U.S. market, hosting demonstrations for government intelligence officials and hiring Washington’s most prominent names despite pledges that its phone-hacking tool can’t be used inside the United States. The company’s attempts to secure U.S. contracts appear to have been unsuccessful, with federal and local law enforcement agency representatives saying in emails and interviews that they balked at its Pegasus spyware tool’s million-dollar price tag. But an influential network of Washington consultants, lawyers, lobbyists and other prominent personalities have earned money from the company, its parent company or its founders, a Washington Post review of government and company filings shows. Those beneficiaries include some of the most powerful members of the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations. Among those who’ve received payments from NSO or related companies are former chiefs of the Homeland Security and Justice departments, as well as Washington’s most prestigious law and public-relations firms, the public filings show. These political heavyweights have defended NSO’s spy tool as an invaluable weapon against terrorists and human traffickers, and they have worked to soften the public image of a company accused in a federal lawsuit of helping spy on allies of Washington Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi before his grisly murder in 2018.

Pedro Castillo finally declared winner of Peru’s presidential election (Washington Post) Pedro Castillo, the provincial schoolteacher who promised to restructure Peru’s economy to favor the poor, was confirmed Monday evening as the Andean country’s president-elect more than six weeks after the election. Peru’s electoral agency certified the results of the June 6 runoff, giving the left-wing Castillo 50.13 percent of the vote over 49.87 percent for his hard-right opponent Keiko Fujimori. The two candidates were separated by just 44,000 votes out of nearly 19 million cast. The result followed a deeply divisive election and last-ditch legal challenges by Fujimori. Her lawyers made unsubstantiated claims of fraud in an effort to get 200,000 votes thrown out. Shortly before Peru’s national election tribunal declared the result, after dismissing the last of Fujimori’s appeals, she finally acknowledged Castillo’s triumph—even as she cast doubt on its validity. Fujimori, 46, said she would recognize him as president because “that is what the law and the constitution that I have sworn to defend order,” but then she said his victory was “illegitimate” and that “the truth will come out.”

U.S. issues ‘Do Not Travel’ advisory for UK over COVID-19 (Reuters) The U.S. State Department and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) both issued on Monday their highest warnings against travel to the United Kingdom because of a rising number of COVID-19 cases in that country. Each raised the UK to “Level Four,” telling Americans they should avoid travel there. “If you must travel to the United Kingdom, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel,” the CDC said in an advisory, while the State Department said: “Do not travel to the United Kingdom due to COVID-19.” COVID-19 cases are rising by more than 50,000 a day in the UK and hundreds of thousands of Britons are being asked to self-isolate for 10 days.

China tensions (Bloomberg) The U.S., U.K. and their allies formally attributed the Microsoft Exchange hack to actors affiliated with the Chinese government while accusing Beijing of “malicious cyber activities,” further escalating tensions between the White House and China. While Beijing was rattling its sabers again near Taiwan, its efforts to rule the waves in the South China Sea ran into some trouble, courtesy of the Philippines Coast Guard, which reports it challenged a Chinese ship and drove it away.

Tokyo 2020’s Popularity Problem (Foreign Policy) As more COVID-19 cases emerge in Tokyo’s Olympic village, public doubts about the safety of the athletes and the public threaten to upend the competition before its official launch on Friday. The Olympics will take place in a city under a state of emergency, as new daily coronavirus cases in Tokyo have already surpassed a spike recorded in May. Tokyo’s decision to host the Games has been met with public derision for months. A recent Asahi Shimbun poll found that 68 percent of respondents doubted organizers could control coronavirus infections, while 55 percent said they didn’t want the Games to go ahead. While Tokyo’s Olympic organizers can still hope that public apathy evaporates once the festivities begin, they also face more tangible public concerns: The price tag. Originally budgeted at $7.3 billion, the final bill is now roughly $30 billion. The overrun brings it in line with every Olympics since 1960.

Caught between China and the U.S., Asian countries stockpile missiles (Reuters) Asia is sliding into a dangerous arms race as smaller nations that once stayed on the sidelines build arsenals of advanced long-range missiles, following in the footsteps of powerhouses China and the United States, analysts say. China is mass producing its DF-26—a multipurpose weapon with a range of up to 4,000 kilometres—while the United States is developing new weapons aimed at countering Beijing in the Pacific. Other countries in the region are buying or developing their own new missiles, driven by security concerns over China and a desire to reduce their reliance on the United States. Before the decade is out, Asia will be bristling with conventional missiles that fly farther and faster, hit harder, and are more sophisticated than ever before—a stark and dangerous change from recent years, analysts, diplomats, and military officials say. Such weapons are increasingly affordable and accurate, and as some countries acquire them, their neighbours don’t want to be left behind, analysts said.

In Syria’s war without end, refugee tent camps harden into concrete cities (Washington Post) After years of dithering and deadlock by the international community over the fate of Idlib, one of Syria’s last rebel-held areas, the province is being transformed. Housing blocks and markets are rising in what were once vast olive groves along the Turkish border. Schools are filling with students and electricity is regular in places. There are endless traffic jams. Behind Idlib’s transformation is a merciless, years-long dislocation of millions of Syrians from around the country, many displaced from homes multiple times before they ended up in this enclave. If the north of the province feels like a boomtown, for many it is a miserable one, filled with people who survive on handouts from humanitarian organizations as they wait to return to their homes. For now, many are digging in, one cinder block at a time. A decision this month by the U.N. Security Council to continue the flow of humanitarian aid to the province for another year did little to ease the sense of precariousness here. The vote came a day before the relief deliveries were to be cut off. A standoff in the province has lasted for years. Idlib, a bastion of opposition to government rule, has been controlled since 2015 by Islamist extremist rebels with links to al-Qaeda.

Ben & Jerry’s to stop sale in Palestinian territories (BBC) The popular ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s will end sales in the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, stating that it was “inconsistent with our values.” The company said the decision reflected the concerns of “fans and trusted partners,” while Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid blasted the decision as a “capitulation” to the movement to boycott Israel over its treatment of the Palestinians.

Muslims mark Eid al-Adha holiday in pandemic’s shadow (AP) Muslims around the world were observing Tuesday yet another major Islamic holiday in the shadow of the pandemic and amid growing concerns about the highly infectious delta variant of the coronavirus. Eid al-Adha, or the “Feast of Sacrifice,” is typically marked by communal prayers, large social gatherings and, for many, slaughtering of livestock and giving meat to the needy. This year, the holiday comes as many countries battle the delta variant first identified in India, prompting some to impose new restrictions or issue appeals for people to avoid congregating and follow safety protocols. The pandemic has already taken a toll for the second year on a sacred mainstay of Islam, the hajj, whose last days coincide with Eid al-Adha. Once drawing some 2.5 million Muslims from across the globe to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the Islamic pilgrimage has been dramatically scaled back due to the virus.

Ethiopia’s civil war (Foreign Policy) Tigrayan forces have expanded military operations into the neighboring Afar region, an Afar spokesman said on Monday, adding that fighting began on Saturday. Getachew Reda, a Tigrayan military spokesman, confirmed that fighting had expanded into Afar but that the campaign would be limited. “We are not interested in any territorial gains in Afar, we are more interested in degrading enemy fighting capabilities,” he said.

#headlines #news

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