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VATICAN Pope Francis expected in Armenia in late June

March 19, 2016 By administrator

arton123420-480x340Vatican City, (AFP) -The Pope Francis should go for the first time in Armenia, a country with ancient Christian traditions, in the second half of June, said Friday the Press Office of the Holy See.

“A pope’s visit to Armenia is under consideration, probably during the second half of June,” he told reporters spokesman for the Holy See, Father Federico Lombardi. He was reacting to the announcement of a site close to the Vatican, “he sismógrafo”, in which Jorge Bergoglio will visit Armenia from 22 to 26 June The dates are not yet finalized, has insisted the spokesman, explaining that the head of papal trips, the Colombian Bishop Mauricio Rueda Beltz, still had to get there before the pope approves the final program.

April 12, 2015, in the most solemn part of the St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope had used the term “genocide” to refer to the massacre of Armenians a century ago during the Ottoman Empire. This had led to a deterioration of diplomatic relations with Turkey, where the Argentine pontiff had yet visited late November 2014.

Fifteen years after the visit by John Paul II in 2001 in Armenia, Francis will visit again a country of the periphery of Europe where Catholics are a minority, after Albania and Bosnia. An autocephalous Orthodox Church has a large majority in this country was the first to adopt Christianity as a state religion in 301.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Armenia, expected, Pope Francis, Vatican

Turkey’s Lobbyist Dennis Hastert expected to plead guilty Wednesday in federal court

October 27, 2015 By administrator

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, shown leaving the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse after his arraignment on June 9, 2015

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, shown leaving the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse after his arraignment on June 9, 2015

Jason MeisnerContact Reporter
Chicago Tribune

Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert had been paying hush money to hide a dark secret for four years by the time federal agents came knocking last December, prosecutors allege.

When the FBI arrived at Hastert’s Plano estate on that snowy Monday morning, he had already been questioned by banks about a series of unusual $50,000 cash withdrawals he had made two years earlier. Still, he tried to keep his secret hidden, telling agents he was trying to store his own money because he didn’t feel safe with the banking system, according to prosecutors.

“Yeah … I kept the cash. That’s what I’m doing,” Hastert was quoted by prosecutors as saying to the agents.

Ten months after that crucial interview, Hastert, 73, is scheduled to walk into federal court in Chicago on Wednesday and plead guilty to a bombshell indictment that alleges he was making the withdrawals as part of an agreement to pay a total of $3.5 million to a longtime acquaintance, identified only as Individual A, to cover up wrongdoing from years ago.

Though the indictment only hints at the alleged wrongdoing, federal law enforcement sources have told the Tribune that Hastert was paying to cover up the sexual abuse of a student when Hastert was a wrestling coach and teacher at Yorkville High School.

Hastert, who has remained free on his own recognizance since pleading not guilty in June, faces one count each of evading currency-reporting requirements and making a false statement to the FBI.

Hastert’s admission of guilt would mark a startling fall from grace for a man who once held the nation’s third-highest political office. But the 8:30 a.m. hearing before U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin could also leave more questions than answers.

Among the mysteries that could well remain unresolved is Individual A’s identity. That has been kept a well-guarded secret despite a concerted attempt by media outlets across the country to confirm who was allegedly receiving the payments from Hastert.

In addition, with such dry charges involved, the written plea agreement with prosecutors might not mention, let alone detail, Hastert’s underlying, allegedly sensational motive for paying Individual A. Prosecutors are required only to present a factual basis for the charges and tell the judge what they intended to prove if the case had gone to trial.

Hastert’s appearance at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse — just his second since the shocking charges were announced in May — is expected to spark a media frenzy and has prompted court officials to set up an overflow courtroom and extra security measures for the anticipated crowds.

Hastert will likely be required to say very little in court. To show for the record he’s making the decision to plead guilty of his own free will, he will be questioned by the judge about his mental state, whether any promises had been made or any other issues that would preclude him from changing his plea. He also will be asked if everything the government alleged in the factual basis is true.

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Chicago, Dennis Hastert, expected, plead guilty

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