CP World Report: World Markets, Jesus T-Shirt, Syria, NC Marriage Amendment
U.S. and international intelligence agencies have broken up an attempt to blow up a U.S.-bound jetliner. A U.S. official told CNN the plot was disrupted "well before it was ever a threat to the United States." The official added that al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula was the group responsible for the plot, while a U.S. counterterrorism official said the specific device was "nonmetallic" and was made to be used by a suicide bomber in an plane.
World markets took political upheaval in Europe largely in stride on Monday, a day after voters in Greece and France delivered strong mandates against austerity measures, with the euro recovering from sharp losses and local equity markets up. Socialist President François Hollande says he will go to Germany with the message that "austerity can no longer be an inevitability in Europe." In his victory speech, Hollande signaled a possible end to the sharp budget cuts that have become a European article of faith in response to economic and budget crises across the continent. Meanwhile, exit polls in Greece indicated Greece's ruling coalition appeared headed for steep losses, while parties on the far left and far right were poised to make significant gains amid anger over Greece's austerity measures.
In other election news, Syria opened its polling stations on Monday. Under a new constitution, the country is holding its first multi-party parliamentary elections in decades. But the opposition calls the election a farce and is asking voters to stay home. The elections are being held despite ongoing unrest and violence.
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William Swinimer returned to a Nova Scotia school Monday wearing the same T-shirt that led to his suspension and aroused a debate on religious freedom. However, his father pulled his son from class saying William would not take part in a discussion on tolerance. His 19-year-old son was suspended last week after he refused to abide by a principal's request to stop wearing a bright yellow shirt bearing the message, "Life is wasted without Jesus."
North Carolina voters are going to the polls today to decide on a Marriage Amendment. Ed Payne has details on this growing debate.
A Brazilian apologist, Johnny Bernardo, says a recent report released by BBC Brazil grossly overestimates the number of members attending "all-inclusive" churches in the country, that is churches who are willing to overlook traditional biblical teachings on homosexuality. The report stated that the 10 "all-inclusive" congregations had a combined total of about 10,000 members but Bernardo says those churches have less than half that number.
