The Bangladesh Today (21-01-2018)

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ECONOMY & BUSINESS SUNDAY, 10 JANUARY 21, 2018 Islami Bank Officer Kalyan Samiti (IBOKS) organized annual get together and picnic with the participation of the bank's directors, executives, all employees and their family members at Subarnagram Park of Rupganj Upazila of Narayanganj on Friday. Arastoo Khan, Chairman of the Bank was present in the program as Chief Guest. Dr. Md. Zillur Rahman, Chairman, Audit Committee, Professor Dr. Md. Sirajul Karim, Professor Dr. Qazi Shahidul Alam, Mohammed Humayun Kabir, FCA, Md. Mizanur Rahman, Md. Joynal Abedin, Professor Md. Nazmul Hassan Ph.D, Syed Abu Asad Directors, Abdul Hamid Miah, Managing Director & CEO of the bank & chief adviser of the samiti and Professor Dr. Mohammad Abdus Samad, Md. Mahbub-ul-Alam, Additional Managing Director, Member Secretary of Shari'ah Supervisory Committee of the Bank were present as special guests. Photo: Courtesy Sri Lanka, China to co-build dendro power plant Sri Lanka and China on Friday signed a joint venture agreement to construct Sri Lanka's largest dendro power plant in Moneragala in the country's south. The power plant will produce 70,000 megawatts of renewable energy per year to the country's national power grid. The joint venture was signed between Beijing Full Dimension Power Tech Company Ltd, Nanjing Turbine and Electric Machinery Group Company Ltd, and Sri Lanka's IMS Holdings. While speaking at the signing ceremony, Jinawara Dharmawardana, chairman of IMS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., said that dendro power is the generation of electricity from sustainably grown biomass (fuel wood) and in this project, the fuel would be produced from the wood of the Gliricidia Sepium tree. Hundreds of farmers in the drought-prone Moneragala district will benefit from this project as the farmers supplying Gliricidia Sepium wood will be making 3.2 million U.S. dollars per year as a result of the power plant, Dharmawardana said. Explaining the reasons for choosing Gliricidia Sepium wood as the fuel rather than solar power to run the turbines in the power plant, Dharmawardana said that the primary mission of the company is to financially secure the farmers in drought-prone area of the island country. Hu Xingzhong, chairman of the Beijing Full Dimension Power Tech Company Ltd, said the cooperation, not just a power generation project but also a "community development project," is of "great significance" not only to the partners but also to the two countries. The power plant will consist of six biomass boilers and three steam turbine generators as the core of the power generation system. The dendro power plant is expected to start operation by the end of September. Russia's Rosgeo expects 11-pct increase in revenue for 2018 Russian exploration company Rosgeo expects to see its revenue up 10.8 percent in 2018, the head of the company said Friday. "Under the International Financial Reporting Standards, by the end of 2018, the revenue is expected to reach 41 billion rubles (725.38 million U.S. dollars), a 10.8 percent of increase compared with 2017," TASS news agency quoted Roman Panov, head of Rosgeo as saying. The revenue for 2017 amounted to 37 billion rubles (654.61 million dollars), said Panov, who also disclosed that the volume of Rosgeo investments amounted to 4.5 billion rubles (79.61 million dollars) in 2017, and a similar amount has been pledged for 2018. Established in 2011, the company conducts geological exploration for various solid minerals including gold, silver and platinum, and resources such as natural gas. US to overtake Saudi as crude oil producer: IEA The United States are set to overtake Saudi Arabia as the world's number two oil producer this year, as shale companies, attracted by rising prices, ramp up drilling, the International Energy Agency said on Friday. "This year promises to be a record-setting one for the US," the IEA wrote in its monthly market report. Crude production of 9.9 million barrels per day (bpd) in the US was now at the highest level in nearly 50 years, "putting it neck-andneck with Saudi Arabia, the world's second largest crude producer after Russia," the IEA said. "Relentless growth should see the US hit historic highs above 10 million bpd, overtaking Saudi Arabia and rivalling Russia during the course of 2018 - - provided OPEC/non-OPEC restraints remain in place," it said. A global supply glut pushed oil prices as low as $30 per barrel at the start of 2016. But producing nations-both inside and outside the OPEC oil cartelstruck a deal at the end of 2016 to cut back production and drive prices higher. Geopolitical tensions and a reduction in oil stocks have also contributed to the recovery. Crude recently rose above $70 per barrel for the first time since 2014 after OPEC and non-OPEC countries agreed to extend their combined cutbacks until the end of this year. Rising prices have, in turn, made it more attractive for shale companies to increase drilling. And since the United States is not a party to the deal, its shale production can continue uninhibited. "US growth in 2017 beat all expectations ... as the shale industry bounced back, profiting from cost cuts, (and) stepped up drilling activity," the IEA said. "Explosive growth in the US and substantial gains in Canada and Brazil will far outweigh potentially steep declines in Venezuela and Mexico," it said. "The big 2018 supply story is unfolding fast in the Americas," the IEA said. Shale production is controversial, because in order to extract oil and gas, a high-pressure mixture of water, sand and chemicals is blasted deep underground to release hydrocarbons trapped between layers of rock. And environmentalists argue that the processknown as fracking, or hydraulic fracturing t e c h n o l o g y - m a y contaminate ground water and even cause small earthquakes. Turning to OPEC output, the IEA said that there was "no clear sign yet of OPEC turning up the taps to cool down oil's rally". In its own montly market report published on Thursday, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries had said that the global oil market was moving closer to reaching a healthy balance between supply and demand. Hamdard Laboratories (Waqf) Bangladesh has arranged free medical treatment to provide health care facilities to millions of Muslim devotees every year in Biswsa Ijtema ground at Tongi. Photo: Courtesy Singapore sparks mockery with Instagram 'influencers' for budget Singapore's government has sparked mockery after hiring social media "influencers" to try to interest the younger generation in the budget, with messages about "inflationary pressure" and "balanced budgets" popping up on Instagram. The finance ministry hired more than 50 users on the platform to seek feedback from their followers about the forthcoming budget and ask them to head to booths in the city-state to share their views, local media reported. One typical post showed user Chelsea Teng posing next to a swimming pool while holding a laptop, alongside the message: "Great news- Budget 2018 is coming soon!" Another showed user Josephine. T staring pensively at an iPad, with the post: "With inflationary pressure in mind, we all know that the cost of living is constantly rising... how do we manage our income and expenditure to keep a balanced budget?" The campaign, which began in December, began generating attention in recent days-but there was more mirth about the government's approach than enthusiasm for the state of the nation's finances. "How out of touch is this govt?!?" wrote one user on Facebook, Vincent Law, underneath an article about the campaign. "For the Ministry of Finance, they don't really know how to use their money," said another, Rave Simpson. Some also criticised the choice of "influencers", saying they were not well-known. They were not among the top social media names in the citystate who can command huge fees. Local media reported that at least 30 posts by the Instagram stars had appeared since December asking for feedback on the budget, which will be unveiled on February 19. The Ministry of Finance did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But a spokesman told the Straits Times newspaper that the campaign was "an effective way to engage with youth participants". She did not disclose how much the Instagram users were paid. Operation of 9-bln USD oil refinery in Vietnam behind schedule The 9-billion-U.S.-dollar Nghi Son oil refinery in Vietnam's central Thanh Hoa province will not test run in the first quarter of this year as scheduled due to some technical errors, local media reported on Friday. The refinery has a design capacity of annually processing 10 million tons of crude oil. The test run is likely to take place in the second quarter or even third quarter, Vietnamese online newspaper VietNamNet reported, adding that construction of the refinery is now 96.6 percent complete. The refinery's investors include Vietnam's National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam), a firm from Kuwait and two companies from Japan. According to Binh Son Refining and Petrochemical Company (BSR), which manages and runs Vietnam's biggest oil refinery Dung Quat in central Quang Ngai province, the country's annual demand for petroleum products will stand at some 6.5 million tons, and for diesel around 8.5 million tons in the 2018-2022 period. Dung Quat oil refinery, which became operational fully in 2011, has an annual capacity of 6.5 million tons of crude oil, meeting 30 percent of Vietnam's demand for petroleum products. It is expected to raise the capacity to 8.5 million tons in 2021. BSR, a subsidiary of PetroVietnam, sold 7.8 percent of its charter capital, equivalent to 241.5 million shares during its first initial public offering on Jan. 17, Vietnam News Agency reported, noting that BSR is the largest enterprise to be equitized ever, with a value of some 3.2 billion U.S. dollars. Under the BSR equitization plan, PetroVietnam will retain 43 percent of BSR's charter capital, while a maximum of 49 percent will be sold to strategic investors, expecting to earn nearly 1 billion U.S. dollars. BSR's net revenue is estimated at more than 4.5 billion U.S. dollars, and its after-tax profit at over 367 million U.S. dollars in 2018. Chinese yuan strengthens to 6.4169 against USD Friday The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, strengthened 232 basis points to 6.4169 against the U.S. dollar Friday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System. In China's spot foreign exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by 2 percent from the central parity rate each trading day. The central parity rate of the yuan against the U.S. dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day. The following are the central parity rates of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, against 23 major currencies announced on Friday by the China Foreign Exchange Trade System: The central parity rate of the yuan against the U.S. dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day. The central parity rate of the yuan against the Hong Kong dollar is based on the central parity rate of the yuan against the U.S. dollar and the exchange rate of the Hong Kong dollar against the U.S. dollar at 9 a.m. in international foreign exchange markets on the same business day. The central parity rates of the yuan against the other 21 currencies are based on the average prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank foreign exchange market. The 606th Executive Committee Meeting of the Board of Directors of Al-Arafah Islami Bank Ltd was held at the Board Room of the Bank on Thursday. Hafez Md. Enayet Ullah, Chairman of the Committee presided over the meeting. The Meeting reviewed overall business performance of the Bank and took various investment related decisions. Members of the Committee Nazmul Ahsan Khaled, Md. Harun-Ar-Rashid Khan, Engr. Kh. Mesbah Uddin Ahmed, A. N. Yeahea, Managing Director Md. Habibur Rahman, Deputy Managing Directors Kazi Towhidul Alam, Md. Fazlul Karim, Muhammad Mahmoodul Haque, S. M. Jaffar, Mohammed Zubair Wafa, Executive Vice President and Company Secretary Md. Mahmudur Rahman and other executives were present in the meeting. Photo: Courtesy Hong Kong stocks end record-breaking week on a high Hong Kong stocks ended Friday with further gains, bringing an end to a spectacular week for the benchmark index that has seen it push to new records. The Hang Seng Index climbed 0.41 percent, or 132.95 points, to finish at 32,254.89. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index climbed 0.38 percent, or 13.11 points, to 3,487.86 -- putting on 1.72 percent over the week. But the Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, lost 0.14 percent, or 2.66 points, to 1,921.54 -- a loss of 1.41 percent since last Friday. UK retail sales slide in December after Black Friday boost British retail sales slid 1.5 percent in December from the previous month after consumers had brought forward their Christmas shopping, official data showed Friday. Retail sales had jumped by 1.0 percent in November, boosted by Black Friday price reductions, the Office for National Statistics said. Sales though climbed 1.4 percent in December compared with one year earlier, the ONS added. "Retail sales continued to grow in the last three months of the year partly due to Black Friday deals boosting spending," said ONS Senior Statistician Rhian Murphy. "Consumers continue to move Christmas purchases earlier, with higher spending in November and lower spending in December than seen in previous years." Murphy added that "the longer-term picture is one of slowing growth, with increased prices squeezing people's spending". Britons' wages are being eroded by Brexit-fuelled inflation, according to recent official data. Since Britain voted to leave the European Union in June 2016, a drop in sterling-making imported goods more expensive-has pushed inflation upwards. "The latest retail sales data has shown a larger-thanexpected drop in month-on-month terms with a decline of 1.5 percent," said David Cheetham, chief market analyst at XTB trading group, adding that the pound dropped in response. South Africa central bank chief to head IMF steering committee South Africa's central bank chief Lesetja Kganyago will take over as chair of the International Monetary Fund's policy advisory committee, the IMF announced Thursday. Kganyago, who has served as governor of the South African Reserve Bank since late 2014, takes on a threeyear post as head of the International Monetary and Finance Committee. He replaces Agustin Carstens, former head of the Bank of Mexico, who resigned in December to take over as head of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). His first major role will be to oversee the IMF's Spring meeting in Washington in mid-April.
MISCELLANEOUS 11 SUnDAY, JAnUARY 21, 2018 US-backed Somalia commandos kill 4 al-Shabab extremists MOGADISHU : Somali and U.S. commandos stormed a camp for al- Shabab extremist fighters in an overnight raid, killing at least four of the fighters and rescuing dozens of child conscripts, a Somali intelligence official said Friday, reports UNB. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said special forces raided the camp in Jame'o village in Middle Shabelle region. A local commander was among those killed, he said. A second official confirmed the raid, which was carried out with the support of helicopters that later evacuated the young recruits. Human Rights Watch earlier in the week accused al-Shabab of the forced recruitment of hundreds of children in recent months. The recruitment of children is a longstanding practice of the al-Qaidalinked group which faces growing military pressure across south and central Somalia. Thirty boys were rescued in the overnight raid, Somalia's information minister, Abdirahman Omar Osman, told The Associated Press. "Al-Shabab bas once again demonstrated their barbarity and their complete disregard for human rights," the minister said. "The group uses these indoctrination camps to brainwash young men and force them to conduct attacks and suicide bombings." He said Somalia's military was making "significant progress" in retaking territory from the extremist group. Also on Friday, the U.S. military said it had carried out an airstrike in Somalia that killed four members of the al-Shabab extremist group. A statement from the U.S. Africa Command said the strike was carried Pence's Mideast trip still on as government shutdown looms WASHINGTON : Vice President Mike Pence is making his fourth visit to Israel, returning to a region he's visited "a million times" in his heart, reports UNB. An evangelical Christian with strong ties to the Holy Land, Pence this time comes packing two key policy decisions in his bags that have long been top priorities for him: designating Jerusalem as Israel's capital and curtailing aid for Palestinians. Pence departed as scheduled Friday evening as U.S. lawmakers sought to avert a federal government shutdown at midnight. Alyssa Farah, a Pence spokeswoman, said the trip was "integral to America's national security and diplomatic objectives" and would go on as scheduled. Pence was set to depart Friday evening, and Air Force Two was expected to land in Ireland for a refueling stop early Saturday en route to Cairo. Since his days in Congress a decade ago, Pence has played a role in pushing both for the shift in U.S. policy related to the capital and for placing limits on funding for Palestinian causes long criticized by Israel. Traveling to Israel just as Palestinians have condemned recent decisions by President Donald Trump's administration, Pence will arrive in the region as a longtime stalwart supporter of Israel who has questioned the notion of the U.S. serving as an "honest broker" in the stalled peace process. "The United States certainly wants to be honest, but we don't want to be a broker," Pence once told the Christian Broadcasting Network in 2010. "A broker doesn't take sides. A broker negotiates between parties of equals." The vice president will hold four days of meetings in Egypt, Jordan and Israel during his visit, the first to the region by a senior administration official since Trump announced plans in December to designate Jerusalem as Israel's capital and begin the process of moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv, angering Palestinian leaders. His trip will also follow Tuesday's announcement that the U.S. is withholding $65 million of a planned $125 million funding installment to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, which provides health care, education and social services to Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Both decisions have come as Trump has expressed frustration over a lack of progress in restarting peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, who withdrew plans to meet with Pence during his visit to the Middle East. Senior White House officials said security issues, countering terrorism and efforts to push back against Iran would figure prominently during Pence's trip, which concludes on Tuesday. But the vice president also is expected to face questions about Israel's future. On the embassy, Pence played a steady role in pushing for the shift in U.S. policy. The decision upended past U.S. views that Jerusalem's status should be decided in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, who claim east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. Pence had wanted the Trump administration to convey "a clear-cut policy" on Jerusalem after the president asked him last summer to visit the Middle East, White House officials have said. Pence discussed the issue with Jewish and evangelical leaders in the months leading up to the decision and advocated for the plan within the administration. But he noted to religious leaders late last year that the decision was the president's alone and would fulfill a commitment from the 2016 campaign. Pence has long aligned himself with Israel. In Congress, he pushed for limiting U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority during the presidency of George W. Bush, warning the funding could be redirected to groups like the militant Hamas movement, which controls Gaza. He was a vocal advocate for Israel's security fence and co-sponsored the Jerusalem Embassy and Recognition Act in 2011 to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's undivided capital. Veteran House members recall Pence's role as a staunch ally of Israeli causes and his steadfast support for moving the embassy to Jerusalem at times when few were talking about the issue. As Indiana's governor, Pence signed a bill requiring the state to divest from any business that engaged in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement - a grassroots international boycott movement against Israel. out Thursday about 50 kilometers (31 miles) northwest of the port city of Kismayo. The statement said no civilians were killed. The U.S. military carried out more than 30 drone strikes last year in the long-chaotic Horn of Africa nation after President Donald Trump approved expanded military efforts against al-Shabab. The extremist group was blamed for the October truck bombing in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, that killed 512 people. Thursday's U.S. airstrike was the first since one early this month that killed two al-Shabab extremists and destroyed a vehicle carrying explosives, "preventing it from being used against the people in Mogadishu." Last year, Somalia's Somali- American president vowed that his government would drive the extremist group out of the country. Is There a Frontrunner? After winning four Golden Globe Awards, including best feature, drama, Martin McDonagh's "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" may have finally taken the Oscar race position that no one wants: favorite. It has the most unblemished score card of all the contenders, including nine BAFTA nods, an ensemble nomination from the Screen Actors Guild (which hands out its awards Sunday), top award nods from the directors and producers guilds, and the often predictive Toronto Film Festival audience award. But "Three Billboards," which many have criticized for its portrayal of a racist police officer (played by Sam Rockwell), has proven a lightning rod - both celebrated for the timeliness of a tale about female vengeance and derided as out of touch. If "Three Billboards" is out in front, it's only by a hair. Nearly its equal is Guillermo del Toro's "The Shape of Water," a much admired Cold War fable that may earn the most nominations Tuesday thanks to its lavish craft and celebrated ensemble cast. Yet it crucially missed out on a SAG ensemble nomination, which historically has been a must-have for any Oscar bestpicture winner. Every bestpicture winner in the last 22 years first landed SAG ensemble nod. And still just as much in the mix are Greta Gerwig's "Lady Bird," Jordan Peele's "Get Out" and Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk." Each can stake its own claim. "Lady Bird" is the only top contender made by a woman, and is perhaps the most critically acclaimed movie of the year. "Get Out" is a landmark genre-bending film about racism. Radio Free Europe says Pakistan closes its bureau ISLAMABAD : Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty said Pakistani authorities closed the Islamabad bureau of its Pashto-language Radio Mashaal on Friday after Pakistan's intelligence agency accused it of airing programs "against the interest of Pakistan." Pakistan's spy agency, known by the acronym ISI, also accused the U.S.- funded broadcaster of operating "in line with (a) hostile intelligence agency's agenda," without naming the agency, according to the RFE/RL site, reports AP. "We're not aware of any Mashaal coverage that generated a particular government reaction in recent days," RFE/RL President Tom Kent said in an email to The Associated Press. "We had heard from government agents Wednesday and Thursday that the office might be shut down. No specific reason was given." The closure of Radio Mashaal comes amid tense relations between the United States and Pakistan. Washington has suspended millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan accusing Islamabad of harboring insurgents killing U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Pakistan has denied the charge and accused the U.S. of making Pakistan a scapegoat for their failure to bring peace to the war-torn nation after 16 years of trying. There was no immediate comment from Pakistan about the closure. Pakistan accused Radio Mashaal of "portraying Pakistan (as) a hub of terrorism and (a) safe haven for different militant groups," according to the closure order posted on the RFE/RL site. The Committee to Protect Journalism (CPJ) responded swiftly to condemn the closure. "The order to close Radio Mashaal is a draconian move by Pakistani authorities and a direct threat to press freedom," said Steven Butler, CPJ's Asia program coordinator. "Radio Mashaal is an important source of information and should be allowed to continue operating without delay." Journalists and bloggers in Pakistan have come under increasing pressure in recent months. Last week Taha Siddiqui, a reporter for the World is One News, a 24-hour New-Delhi based news channel, was attacked by several gunmen who tried to kidnap him as he travelled to the airport in the Pakistan capital. Siddiqui, who also reports for the Paris-based France 24 television news channel, said he feared the attempted kidnapping was payback for his critical analysis of Pakistan's military. Last May, Siddiqui received threatening calls from the counterterrorism wing of the Federal Investigation Agency, ordering him to come in for questioning. Siddiqui said he was told by the FIA that he was being investigated because of his critical stories about the military. Last year six bloggers and social activists, who had also been critical of the military, disappeared for several weeks. Five were freed and all said they had been held by the country's powerful intelligence agencies and were tortured. They have all fled the country. The sixth is still missing. Meanwhile Friday's order issued to Radio Mashaal accused the broadcaster of inciting Pakistan's ethnic Pashtuns who dominate in the country's two provinces that border Afghanistan "against the state and its institutions." The order said the bureau was being closed because of a recommendation from the country's spy agency. "It's hard to know precisely what prompted the order," said CPJ's Butler in an email to the AP. "However, it is certainly only the latest move from the military that puts pressure on the media to stay away from sensitive issues, including criticism of the military itself." Butler said the closure might also be retaliation for President Donald Trump's New Year's Eve tweet accusing Pakistan of "lies and deceit." "It also comes just after the Trump administration cut off military aid to Pakistan, and could possibly be a kind of retaliation," said Butler. "It does not bode well for press freedom inside the country." Conservatives question pope's airborne, shotgun nuptials LIMA : The honeymoon, as it were, is apparently over. A day after Pope Francis grabbed headlines by pronouncing two flight attendants man and wife while flying 36,000 feet over Chile, the conservative Catholic commentariat on Friday questioned the legitimacy of the shotgun sacrament and warned it could cheapen the church's marriage preparation down the line, reports UNB. "Do you know what's a 'marriage' ripe for annulment?" tweeted the traditionalist blog Rorate Caeli. "One celebrated apparently on a whim in an airplane whose celebrant cannot even be sure if parties are validly baptized." For those who missed the news, Francis on Thursday presided over what the Vatican said was the doctrinally and canonically legitimate wedding of Paula Podest and Carlos Ciuffardi, two flight attendants from LATAM flight 1250 that brought the pope, his delegation and travelling press from Santiago to the northern city of Iquique. As the happy couple told journalists after the fact - and after serving breakfast - they had hoped to just get a blessing from the pope. They told him that they had been married civilly in 2010, but that their plans for a church wedding fell through when an earthquake hit. As Ciuffardi told it, the pope proposed that he marry the couple right there, in part to motivate other couples to contract a church wedding at a time when more and more couples are merely cohabitating. "He told me it's historic, that there has never before been a pope who married someone aboard a plane," Ciuffardi told reporters from the back galley. The surreal scene had the effect - at least temporarily - of giving Francis a bit of a reprieve after his visit to Chile was dominated by a church sex abuse scandal. Canon lawyer Ed Peters, a consultor on the Vatican high court but a frequent critic of Francis, questioned whether a host of church laws were followed, including the requirement that the couple undergo pastoral counseling and that the church have evidence that there were no obstacles to the marriage. In a follow-up blog post Friday, Peters noted a Chilean media report from December saying the couple was hoping for an airborne wedding presided over by Francis, suggesting the portrayal of the surprise ceremony was anything but. Ciuffardi said Chilean reporters had suggested it before the fact, but he insisted he and Podest were only looking for a papal blessing, and that nothing was confirmed until they were airborne. Conservative blogger Phil Lawler mused that priests might now have a GD-100/18 (7 x 3) harder time trying to properly prepare Catholic couples for marriage now that Francis had set the papal precedent of completing the process between takeoff and landing. "Does he ask them to reflect seriously on their commitment? Nope," Lawler wrote at Catholic Culture. "Does he question them about their years of cohabitation? Evidently not. Does he hear their confessions? Not likely. Plan a dignified ceremony? Not at all." To be sure, the naysayers all hail from the Anglo-Saxon blogosphere, which is among the most vocal in criticizing Francis, especially on issues of marriage. Francis has split the church over his cautious opening to allowing divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion, so any issue related to marriage is particularly sensitive. At The Tablet, a more liberal leaning British weekly, Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb suggested that the airborne nuptials were part of the "paradigm shift" that Francis is trying to press in the church. "It's not that the pope is doing away with the need for rules, for canon law or for paperwork, but rather ensuring it is correctly prioritized," Lamb wrote. "For the pope, these things must support the spread of the Gospel, and not become like the thorns that grow up and strangle the seeds in the parable of the sower."
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