Romano Prodi has resigned after losing a vote of no confidence by a small amount. His place in Italian history is secure, having brought Silvio Berlusconi from office in 2006. However, history will not smile on Prodi's achievements, having made Italians poorer and the world a little less secure from terrorism.
Prodi had a key role in establishing a multinational peace keeping force in Lebanon, but his inability to get his loose coalition to act together meant that there have never been sufficient numbers of troops to do their job. Similarly, there were problems in Afghanistan. However, he had no problem in announcing a withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
It is hard for the center left to achieve anything, when they believe in nothing.
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Two girls have been convicted of the murder of a third. The two, one aged 20, the other 19, killed the sixteen year old as a proof of commitment. At their sentencing, when it was said that the victim took half an hour to die, while the two killers had kissed above the victim's body, the killers grinned at each other.
It is hard for people to do anything worthwhile, when they believe in nothing.
Lesbian killers smile at sentencing
ReplyDeletefrom news.com.au
TWO lesbian killers who murdered a 16-year-old girl for being annoying smiled at each today as a Perth court was told it took their victim half an hour to die.
Jessica Ellen Stasinowsky, 20, and her girlfriend Valerie Paige Parashumti, 19, pleaded guilty in December to the wilful murder of Stacey Mitchell.
They admitted in the West Australian Supreme Court to killing Stacey in December 2006 while the girl was staying with them at a house at Lathlain in Perth.
Her body was later found in a wheelie bin in the back shed of the house.
During sentencing submissions today, prosecutor David Dempster described how Parashumti bludgeoned Stacey with a concrete block while Stasinowsky strangled her with a dog chain.
The two girls grinned and grimaced at each other as Mr Dempster told the court it took their victim half an hour to die.
Their expressions drew a rebuke from Justice Peter Blaxell.
The court was told the lovers videoed themselves mocking Stacey's semi-naked body, over which they kissed.
They later forced a 15-year-old boy to watch the mobile phone footage and made him help clear up the blood.
Parashumti's lawyer, David Edwardson QC said his client was part of a vampire sub-culture and had been interested in drinking blood since she was 10.
But he told the court Parashumti insisted this had nothing to do with the killing.
Instead, his client appeared to be partly motivated by a desire to dispel any notion she may have been sexually interested in Stacey.
"Both women appeared to be obsessed with proving their commitment to each other," Mr Edwardson said.
Under West Australian law, wilful murder carries a mandatory life sentence of at least 15 years in jail, although the sentencing judge can set a higher minimum time.
The hearing continues.