Selected Current Events around

27th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

October 2, 2011

Return to intercessions for October 2.

SELECT EVENTS AND OBSERVANCES

 

* September 1 - October 4, "A Time for Creation" (World Council of Churches)

* September 21 - 26, annual "High Level Debate" at U.N.

* September 29 - 30, Rosh Hashanah

* October is Respect Life Month (RCC), Domestic Violence Awareness Month (U.S.)

* October 2, International Day of Nonviolence (U.N.; date chosen because it is birthday of Gandhi)

* October 2, Respect Life Sunday (RCC)

* October 2, World Communion Sunday (ecumenical)

* October 3, Start of new U.S. Supreme Court session

* October 8, Yom Kippur

 

AROUND THE NATION AND WORLD:

* Dominant themes at the annual high-level debate at the U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY:  EMERGING NATIONS need the support of the international community; greater cooperation is needed to protect the ENVIRONMENT and combat climate change; greater effort needed to stop CONFLICTS before they become violent and to negotiate an end to existing conflicts, including between Israel and the Palestinians; need for a coordinated international response to continuing ECONOMIC crisis and stagnation; and STRENGTHENING of the U.N. in addressing all of these.

* The PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY presented their request to the U.N. for recognition of their statehood, after 44 years of occupation and 20 years of negotiation without an agreement with Israel.  The U.S. and Israel vehemently oppose.  The international community as a whole is urging the parties to return to the bargaining table; Palestinian President Abbas says he won't without an Israeli settlement freeze.  On Tuesday, Israel approved another 1100 new homes in East Jerusalem.

* ARAB SPRING: The government of SYRIA is reportedly dealing brutally with protesters and their families; what has been peaceful demonstration and resistance up until now is starting to have armed elements.  President Saleh returned to YEMEN, calling for early elections; peaceful protesters continued to demand his immediate resignation and were met with violence, 100 killed in five days.  The transitional government in LIBYA continues its battles with Gaddafi loyalists to secure control of the entire country.

* In AFGHANISTAN, a former President and key leader of a peace council was murdered, jeopardizing a political settlement with the Taliban.

* The ECONOMY:  Personal income is down in the U.S.  World markets swayed as Europe worked out a deal over Greece's debt crisis.

* CANADA is in a period of provincial elections.

* The U.S. political season has been heating up.

 

TRAGEDIES AND NATURAL DISASTERS

* INDIA was dealing this week with the aftermath of massive monsoon rains that left at least 48 dead, houses collapsed, and hundreds of thousands of people marooned by "raging waters."

* A strong typhoon hit the capitol MANILA in the PHILIPPINES.  At least 21 people have died, scores are missing, water was waist-deep in the city, and in the countryside, rice crops in already saturated ground from seasonal monsoons were ruined.

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