Vatican is one of top destinations in the world where visitors come to discover the splendors of the city with their own eyes. However, they will no longer have the chance to witness any of the 100 water spectacles. That’s because Pope Francis decided to switch off their fountain shows as a gesture of solidarity for Italy drought.

Authorities Seek to Instate Water Rationing to Tackle Italy Drought

Vatican announced that all its almost 100 fountains including those historical landmarks in St. Peters Square or those in Vatican gardens would cease their liquid shows. This decision comes at a time when around three million Rome citizens which is half of population are preparing themselves for possible limits on their daily water usage.

This week, several officials including the environment ministry and representatives of utility Acea will meet to discuss the Italy drought. One of the most effective yet intrusive solutions is to cut down water supplies for eight hours a day. Lazio governor, Nicola Zingaretti, proposed last week to declare a ban on drawing water from Lake Bracciano on July 28^th. This source of water located 24 miles from the capital has heavily experienced the effects of the recent heat waves.

Pope Francis Signed the First Papal Document on Environmental Concerns

Vatican spokesman Greg Burke claimed that this is the first time when the spiritual city of Catholics decided to switch off their fountains. However, Vatican considered their moral support more important than a display of beauty.

“This is the Vatican’s way of living solidarity with Rome, trying to help Rome get through this crisis.”

According to an Italian weather channel, Rome received 72% less rain water than it was normally supposed to during this period of the year. This reduction made its presence felt with months in advance starting in March with 56% less rain.

Pope Francis declared that the care of the resources of this planet is one of his most important objectives. His environment document that urges world leaders to take action is the first papal paper that addresses such an earthy issue.

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A researcher with Chinese and American citizenships received allegations of actions of espionage in Iran. His lawsuit ended with a 10-year conviction to prison. Princeton University has already identified the researcher with dual citizenship as Xiyue Wang. He was detained in Iran ever since last summer while he was working on his Ph.D. dissertation.

The Researcher with Dual Citizenship Allegedly Did Spying Work in Iran for America, Princeton, and Harvard

On Sunday, an Iranian court found the Chinese-American scholar guilty of charge. The ruling stipulated ten years in prison for actions of espionage. The 37-year-old man had studied late 19th and early 2-th century Eurasian history at Princeton University. Last year, he decided to spend his summer in Iran to finish his research for the dissertation. However, Iranian authorities got hold of him and kept him in detention since then.

The allegations in this lawsuit concerned Xiyue Wang’s spying in Iran. The gathered intel would then pass on to Princeton’s Iranian Center, the U.S. State Department, and Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Gholamhosein Mohseni Ejehi, a Judiciary spokesman, stated that the man was guilty of accepting U.S. guidance. The convict has 20 days at his disposal to appeal the ruling.

The U.S. State Department Is Still Urging Americans to Be Cautious When Visiting Iran

Wang had Princeton, private counsel, the U.S. government, and other parties as well as help yet to no avail. However, they intend to turn to the appellate authorities in Tehran to cancel the ten years of imprisonment. The U.S. State Department called these charges as “fabricated” and urged Iran to release all American citizens held under unjustified pretenses.

Two years ago, Iran and the West signed off a nuclear contract. Since then, the relations between the two nations ameliorated yet mostly for the business side. As a consequence, the U.S. State Department is still counseling Americans of the perils of visiting Iran. Unfortunately, the researcher with dual citizenship is proof that the Iranian position is still on the alert when it comes to the United States.

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Five years ago, a battle was waged in the real realm started in the name of the “Lord of the Rings.”  Back in 2012, Tolkien Estate and Harper Collins were filing official papers to declare a legal battle. The lawsuit worth was estimated at a total of $80 million against Warner Bros. After such lengthy endeavors and hardships, this chapter came to an amicable end. Unfortunately, no one made public any details of the final settlement.

The Legal Battle over Intellectual Rights Infringement Had an Amicable End

After five years of legal battles, Tolkien Estate, Harper Collins, and Warner Bros reached an agreement. Even though there is not a great deal of insights revealed concerning the case, it is known that neither party has to cover any punitive payments.

It all started back in 2012 when J.R.R. Tolkien’s estate and publisher HarperCollins forced Saul Zaentz Company, New Line Cinema, and Warner Bros representatives to present themselves in front of a legal court. Their allegations regard a contract infringement on the intellectual rights for “Lord of the Rings.”  Saul Zaentz purchased in 1976 ownership for “Hobbit” and the trilogy books for “Lord of the Rings.” As for New Line Cinema, this is Warner Bros’ subsidiary studio where the famous movies were produced.

Tolkien’s Estate Didn’t Want Its Characters to End up in Gambling Games

However, the contract breach doesn’t have anything to do with the movie production. Rather the plaintiffs were not content with the way the producer chose to represent the beloved characters outside the movies. The trio decided to allow different gambling games to employ representations of the main characters from the books in their designs.

Tolkien estate built its case around the 1969 sale of film rights. The document did award buyers the right to employ places, objects, characters, and events from this fictional world, but only with some limitations. For instance, the contract stipulates sales of material merchandise, such as clothing and figurines, but forbids agreements on digital or electronic interpretations. However, it turns out that the lawsuit settled for an amicable end.

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A European Court found that the gay propaganda law that earned a majority of votes back in Russia in 2013 was a defiant act against the European Convention on Human Rights. The Strasbourg judges ruled that Russia didn’t proceed well when tackling the case of three LGBT activists who broke this law. The legal text claims a clear ban against homosexuality promotion among youngsters under 18.

The Three Russian Activists in Question Organized Protests against a Russian Law

On Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France ruled that three Russian activists were discriminated by their own nation. The case searched whether these persons broke the gay propaganda law or they were just using their right to freedom of expression. Their country found their protest against this new Russian law as illegal and fined them. However, the European Court ruled that this was just an act of exercising the right to free speech.

The case revolved around Nikolay Bayev, Aleksey Kiselev, and Nikolay Alekseyev. The three Russian citizens organized several protests in a timeframe between 2009 and 2012. Some of the activities they encouraged were banner creations promoting the idea that homosexuality is a normal concept of love and not a perversion. The three of them requested help from higher Russian courts to defend their work, yet to no avail.

The European Court Fined Russia as Prejudice Against the Three Activists

The European commission of judges found this law as against the values of a democratic country, which are equality, pluralism, and tolerance. On top of that, the Russian law doesn’t serve children by slashing the freedom of speech altogether.

As a consequence, the European Court fined Russia 49,000 euros. These funds will be redirected to the three activists in question. However, in December 2015 President Vladimir Putin gave Russian Constitutional Court the authority to repel the decisions of international courts.

Russia decriminalized homosexuality back in 1993. However, the nation continues to nourish movements of homophobia till this day. Even though the European Court gave its verdict, the Justice Ministry in Russia is going to appeal the ruling in the following three months.

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