Kryon Berlin Tour & Seminar - Berlin, Germany, Sept 17-22 2019 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

Kryon Berlin Tour & Seminar - Berlin, Germany, Sept 17-22 2019 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)
30th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall

Council of Europe (CoE) - European Human Rights Court - founding fathers (1949)

Council of Europe (CoE) - European Human Rights Court - founding fathers (1949)
French National Assembly head Edouard Herriot and British Foreign minister Ernest Bevin surrounded by Italian, Luxembourg and other delegates at the first meeting of Council of Europe's Consultative Assembly in Strasbourg, August 1949 (AFP Photo)

EU founding fathers signed 'blank' Treaty of Rome (1957)

EU founding fathers signed 'blank' Treaty of Rome (1957)
The Treaty of Rome was signed in the Palazzo dei Conservatori, one of the Renaissance palaces that line the Michelangelo-designed Capitoline Square in the Italian capital

Shuttered: EU ditches summit 'family photo'

Shuttered: EU ditches summit 'family photo'
EU leaders pose for a family photo during the European Summit at the EU headquarters in Brussels on June 28, 2016 (AFP Photo/JOHN THYS)

European Political Community

European Political Community
Given a rather unclear agenda, the family photo looked set to become a highlight of the meeting bringing together EU leaders alongside those of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Britain, Kosovo, Switzerland and Turkey © Ludovic MARIN

Merkel says fall of Wall proves 'dreams can come true'


“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013. They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."
"Update on Current Events" – Jul 23, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: The Humanization of God, Gaia, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Benevolent Design, Financial Institutes (Recession, System to Change ...), Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Nuclear Power Revealed, Geothermal Power, Hydro Power, Drinking Water from Seawater, No need for Oil as Much, Middle East in Peace, Persia/Iran Uprising, Muhammad, Israel, DNA, Two Dictators to fall soon, Africa, China, (Old) Souls, Species to go, Whales to Humans, Global Unity,..... etc.)
(Subjects: Who/What is Kryon ?, Egypt Uprising, Iran/Persia Uprising, Peace in Middle East without Israel actively involved, Muhammad, "Conceptual" Youth Revolution, "Conceptual" Managed Business, Internet, Social Media, News Media, Google, Bankers, Global Unity,..... etc.)




"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Cambridge University investigates its links to slavery

Yahoo – AFP, April 30, 2019

The Cambridge University probe will be conducted by two full-time doctoral
researchers, overseen by an advisory panel (AFP Photo/Tolga)

London (AFP) - The University of Cambridge on Tuesday announced an investigation into its historic links to slavery, looking at bequests from traders and how its academics might have influenced "race-based thinking".

The two-year project will seek "appropriate ways to publicly acknowledge past links to slavery and to address its impact", the British institution said.

It is the brainchild of Canadian vice-chancellor Professor Stephen J Toope, and will be conducted by two full-time doctoral researchers, overseen by an advisory panel.

"There is growing public and academic interest in the links between the older British universities and the slave trade," Toope said in a statement.

"It is only right that Cambridge should look into its own exposure to the profits of coerced labour during the colonial period.

"We cannot change the past, but nor should we seek to hide from it."

The chairman of the advisory panel, Professor Martin Millett, said the probe would look at bequests to departments, libraries and museums.

"But the panel is just as interested in the way scholars at the university helped shape public and political opinion, supporting, reinforcing and sometimes contesting racial attitudes which are repugnant in the 21st century," he said.

Universities in Britain and the United States have in recent years faced protests by students over their past associations.

In 2016, Cambridge's Jesus College removed from its main hall a bronze cockerel statue stolen with other artefacts from the West African kingdom of Benin in the 19th century.

Around the same time, rival Oxford University faced an angry but ultimately unsuccessful campaign to remove a statue of 19th-century British imperialist Cecil Rhodes.

Thursday, April 25, 2019

US interests make major donations to European political parties

DutchNews, April 25, 2019


Almost half the money flowing into European parliamentary alliances comes from the US, according to research by Dutch investigative news website  Follow the Money

Most of this cash comes from multinational companies and predominantly conservative think tanks and is donated to Christian conservative and Liberal party groups, the website said. 

ALDE – which counts the two Dutch Liberal groups VVD and D66 among its members – has had substantial donations from large technology firms, FTM said. The European Christian Political Movement ECPM, which includes ChristenUnie and the SGP, benefits largely from contributions from American evangelical organisations. 

The money is not usually made over as donations but as ‘special contributions’, FTM points out. 

Russia, often accused of trying to interfere in the European political process, makes barely any identifiable donations, the platform said. 

DTM analysed almost 1,000 donations made by individuals, companies and other organisations. 

Dutch parties 

Earlier this year, the cabinet agreed that Dutch political parties are to be banned from accepting funding from sources outside the EU. 

A government commission had recommended banning foreign funding altogether but home affairs minister Kajsa Ollongren said earlier this went too far, because many Dutch parties have sister organisations in Europe. 

Research has shown the anti-immigration PVV is the main recipient of foreign money within the Dutch political system. In the two years up to February 2017, it received a total of €130,280.38 in four payments from the David Horowitz Freedom Center in California.

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Ukraine's Zelensky urges Russia sanctions after citizenship rule change

Yahoo – AFP, April 24, 2019

Ukraine president-elect Volodymyr Zelensky (pictured April 21, 2019) said the move
was "clear confirmation for the world of Russia's real role as an aggressor state"
(AFP Photo/Genya SAVILOV)

Kiev (AFP) - Ukraine president-elect Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday urged more international sanctions against Russia after Moscow made it easier for people living in eastern Ukraine's separatist territories to obtain Russian passports.

Kiev is "counting on increased diplomatic and sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation," Zelensky's press service said in a statement.

"The Russian Federation has recognized its responsibility as an occupying state," it added referring to the Russian President Vladimir Putin's decree which was signed earlier today.

The decree was aimed at residents of the unrecognised Donetsk and Lugansk republics that broke away from Kiev in 2014 and are governed by Moscow-backed rebels.

People living in the separatist regions will now be entitled to receive a Russian passport within three months of applying for one.

Ukraine's outgoing President Petro Poroshenko also slammed the decision, calling it "Russia's unprecedented interference in the internal affairs of an independent state."

"This is an attempt to justify and legitimize Russia's military presence in the occupied part of the Ukrainian Donbass," Poroshenko said in a video statement, referring to the Kremlin-backed separatist areas.

The conflict between the Ukrainian government and breakaway rebels began after Moscow annexed Kiev's Crimea peninsula in 2014. The war has claimed some 13,000 lives.

Kiev and its Western backers accuse Russia of funnelling troops and arms across the border to fan the flames of the conflict.

Moscow denies the claims.


Scottish leader calls for second independence vote by 2021

Yahoo – AFP, James PHEBY, April 24, 2019

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wants a new independence referendum
by 2021 (AFP Photo/ANDY BUCHANAN)

London (AFP) - The Scottish government will introduce legislation "shortly" as a first step towards another independence referendum to be held by 2021, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced Wednesday.

"We will shortly introduce legislation to set the rules for any referendum," the Scottish National Party (SNP) leader told lawmakers in Edinburgh.

She said she hoped the legislation would be agreed by the end of 2019.

Her government aims to "give people a choice on independence" from the United Kingdom before the end of the current term of parliament expires in May 2021.

Scotland voted to remain in the United Kingdom during a 2014 referendum by a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent, but the country's vote to leave the European Union in 2016 spurred independence campaigners to demand another vote.

Shortly after this, the Scottish government would then request a "section 30 order" from the British government, which would involve a temporary transfer of power from Westminster to the Edinburgh to allow the referendum to go ahead.

"We do not need a transfer of power, such as a section 30 order, to pass such a framework bill, although we would need it to put beyond doubt or challenge our ability to apply the bill to an independence referendum," she said.

'Status quo broken'

Some pro-independence supporters have urged Sturgeon to call for an immediate vote, but British Prime Minister Theresa May has already said she would not agree to such a request.

"I believe that position will prove to be unsustainable," said Sturgeon.

"By making progress with primary legislation first, we won't squander valuable time now in a stand-off with the UK government that may soon be out of office," she explained of her timing.

The Scottish government would instead seek a section 30 order "at an appropriate point during or shortly after the bill's passage", she added.

Around six in ten Scots voted to stay in the European Union, and Sturgeon hopes that some of those who voted to stay in the United Kingdom might change their vote in another referendum in order to maintain membership of the EU.

But the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, which has been put back to October 31 as MPs try and reach agreement over the divorce deal, has also hampered plans for another independence referendum.

"To rush into an immediate decision before a Brexit path is determined would not allow for an informed choice to be made," said the SNP leader.

While polls show some pro-EU voters have swung behind the independence cause, a similar amount of pro-Brexit supporters have moved in the other direction, and overall support remains close to 2014 levels.

Sturgeon hopes that dissatisfaction with London's handling of Brexit could tip the balance.

"The Westminster system of government simply does not serve Scotland's interests," she said.

"The status quo is broken. Serious change is needed," added the first minister.

Monday, April 22, 2019

Ukraine leaps into unknown after comic elected president

Yahoo – AFP, Anna SMOLCHENKO and Olga SHYLENKO, April 22, 2019

Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky is set for a landslide win in Ukraine's presidential
election (AFP Photo/Genya SAVILOV)

Kiev (AFP) - Ukraine leapt into the unknown Monday after comedian Volodymyr Zelensky was elected president on promises of change but with just a vague blueprint of what he might do as leader.

Zelensky, whose previous political experience was playing the president on a TV show, crushed incumbent Petro Poroshenko in a stinging rebuke to the establishment fuelled by voters' anger over war with separatists and social injustice.

Ukrainians looked to the future with hope and anxiety after the performer took 73 percent of the vote on Sunday, according to nearly complete official results.

Zelensky at 41 will become Ukraine's youngest ever president when he is sworn into office by early June. It remained unclear Monday who would fill top positions in his governement, including prime minister.

The star of "Servant of the People", a sitcom now in its third season, has vowed to press ahead with the pro-European course set out by Poroshenko.

But he has also said he wants to improve ties with arch-enemy Russia.

On election night, however, he appeared to taunt the Kremlin when he told people in fellow post-Soviet countries that "everything is possible."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday it was "too early to talk about President Putin congratulating Mr Zelensky, or about the possibility of working together."

Ties between Ukraine and Russia were shredded after a bloody uprising ousted a Kremlin-backed regime in 2014, prompting Moscow to annex Crimea and support insurgents in eastern Ukraine in a conflict that has claimed around 13,000 lives.

Outgoing Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (C) conceded defeat shortly 
after polls closed (AFP Photo/Sergei SUPINSKY)

Poroshenko pledges to return

Poroshenko, 53, quickly conceded defeat and said he was ready to coach the successor.

But on Monday evening he told a rally he planned to take back the country's top job during the next presidential polls set for 2024.

Several thousand supporters, who gathered outside the presidential offices, chanted they wanted him back "in a year".

"With God's help," Poroshenko replied.

"We will unite to secure our common victory in the near future.".

Poroshenko's faction has the most seats in the legislature and new parliamentary polls are due to be held in October.

The Ukrainian president has strong powers over defence, security and foreign policy but will need parliament backing to push through reforms.

On the streets of Kiev earlier Monday, many praised the elections as a fair and peaceful transfer of power after popular uprisings of 2004 and 2014.

"People showed that they want change," 28-year-old Karina told AFP.

"We had the most honest polls in the history of Ukraine," she added.

Zelensky shunned traditional campaign rallies, instead performing comedy gigs, and implied he would use the same unorthodox style to run the country of 45 million that depends on international aid.

Zelensky's campaign started as a joke but struck a chord with voters frustrated by
social injustice, corruption and a war with Russian-backed separatists in eastern 
Ukraine (AFP Photo/Sergei SUPINSKY)

US President Donald Trump and French leader Emmanuel Macron called the political novice to congratulate him, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged support.

G7 ambassadors said they looked forward to working closely with the new leader but also recognized the progress the country had made under Poroshenko since 2014.

OSCE observers praised Ukraine's election as "competitive and held with respect for fundamental freedoms", while regretting that the campaigns were thin on substance.

'Political honeymoon'

The Kremlin said it respected the choice of the people but questioned the legitimacy of the polls, noting that "three million" Ukrainian citizens living in Russia could not vote there.

Kiev refused to open polling stations at its diplomatic missions in Russia.

Zelensky has said that among his top priorities are securing the release of Ukrainians being held prisoner by Russia and rebooting moribund Western-brokered peace talks.

But many doubt the political neophyte will be able to stand up to Putin and revive the struggling economy.

Questions have also been raised over his close ties to Israel-based tycoon Igor Kolomoysky.

Victoriya, a 74-year-old pensioner, said she liked the new president-elect but expressed concern that he may not last long.

"He has not met this pack of wolves yet," she said.

Analyst Volodymyr Fesenko said that Zelensky's political "honeymoon" would last two or three months before reality kicks in.

Ukrainians want to see a quick end to the war in the east and pay less for utility bills, Fesenko told AFP.

"It will be extremely difficult to meet these expectations," he said.

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Opposition candidate the official winner in tight Istanbul vote

Yahoo – AFP, Gokan GUNES, April 17, 2019

Cheering supporters packed the streets to greet opposition candidate Ekrem
Imamoglu (C) at the Istanbul court where he received his mandate certificate
(AFP Photo/Yasin AKGUL)

Istanbul (AFP) - Turkish election authorities on Wednesday confirmed opposition candidate Ekrem Imamoglu's win over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AKP candidate after a recount of last month's disputed Istanbul election.

Thousands of cheering supporters greeted Imamoglu outside the Istanbul town hall after he received his mandate certificate, though electoral authorities must still rule on an AKP appeal for a rerun over alleged irregularities in its narrow Istanbul defeat.

"This is a new dawn for Istanbul," Imamoglu told the chanting crowds from the roof of a campaign bus. "Istanbul is proud of you."

He urged Istanbul residents to set grudges aside, promising to be "everybody's mayor".

"The people granted me the honour of leading the most beautiful city in the world... I pledge that I will repay my debt."

Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) won the most votes nationwide in the March 31 election, but the loss of Ankara and Istanbul to the Republican People's Party (CHP) was a stinging setback after a decade and a half in control.

The AKP has won every election since it came to power 17 years ago, in part by tying its success to strong economic growth and improvements in living standards during Erdogan's years in power, first as premier then as president.

But voters punished the party this time after a currency crisis last year hurt Turkish households, sent inflation soaring and tipped the economy into recession for the first time in a decade.

Defeat in Istanbul would be especially sensitive for Erdogan, who grew up in one of its poorer neighbourhoods and whose climb up the political career included being mayor himself in the 1990s.

The AKP had sought several recounts of the Istanbul vote, and the Supreme Electoral Council, known by its Turkish initials YSK, has yet to rule on the party's formal demand for a full rerun of Istanbul election. It was not clear how long that decision would take.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (C) Erdogan had campaigned hard in Istanbul, 
presenting the vote as a matter of national survival (AFP Photo/BULENT KILIC)

Electoral authorities finished a recount of some Istanbul ballots late on Tuesday, but the CHP had already dismissed any challenges as without merit and urged the AKP to concede.

"I am so happy", said architecture student and CHP supporter Ilayda Pembe, 25. "I was beginning to think he would never get the mandate. A new day for Istanbul is starting."

Door to door

For supporters, Erdogan remains the strong leader Turkey needs and one who speaks for more religiously conservative Turks. He survived a failed coup in 2016, and a referendum in 2017 granted him wider powers as president.

Critics say he has eroded Turkish rule of law and democracy however, especially after a crackdown that followed the coup resulted in the detention of tens of thousands of people.

Erdogan had campaigned hard in Istanbul, presenting the vote as a matter of national survival. He backed Binali Yildirim, a former premier and AKP heavyweight, as the party candidate.

Imamoglu, a former mayor of a local Istanbul district, ran a low-key campaign, reaching out to voters door to door to talk over local issues. He is already being credited with having revived the opposition's profile nationwide.

Erdogan himself described the Istanbul vote as marred by "organised crimes" and last week called for the ballot to be annulled.

Soon after voting had ended, electoral authorities said Imamoglu led by nearly 30,000 ballots. Both he and Yildirim claimed victory as early results showed them in a dead heat.

Imamoglu's margin narrowed to around 14,000 after a recount of void ballots over the last fortnight.

The CHP said Tuesday that the final result was around 13,800 ballots in favour of Imamoglu. Each candidate won around four million votes.

Lingering uncertainty over the Istanbul result more than two weeks after the vote has worried foreign investors and weighed on the lira currency.

With no new elections until a 2023 presidential election, Erdogan's government has promised to focus on economic reform to achieve stronger growth over the next four years.

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Macron vows to rebuild a 'more beautiful' Notre-Dame in 5 years

Yahoo – AFP, Stuart WILLIAMS and Clare BYRNE, April 16, 2019

Notre-Dame's spectacular Gothic spire collapsed as fire engulfed the cathedral
(AFP Photo/Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT)

Paris (AFP) - President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday vowed to rebuild Notre-Dame cathedral "even more beautifully" within five years, as France reeled with shock from the fire that gutted the great Paris landmark.

Macron announced the fast timescale -- for a process some experts said would take decades -- in an address to the nation where he hailed how the disaster had shown the capacity of France to mobilise and unite.

Pledges worth around 700 million euros ($790 million) have already been made Tuesday from French billionaires and businesses to restore the Gothic masterpiece.

Most of the roof has been destroyed, its steeple has collapsed and an unknown number of artifacts and paintings have been lost. The main organ, which had close to 8,000 pipes, has also suffered damage.

But the cathedral's walls, bell towers and the most famous circular stained-glass windows at France's most visited tourist attraction remain intact.

'Our history never stops'

Macron's defiant comments indicated he wants the reconstruction of the cathedral to be completed by the time Paris hosts the Olympic Games in 2024.

"We will rebuild the cathedral even more beautifully and I want it to be finished within five years," Macron said from the Elysee Palace. "And we can do it."

Macron said that the dramatic fire had brought out the best in a country riven with divisions and since November shaken by sometimes violent protests against his rule.

"What we saw last night in Paris was our capacity to mobilise and to unite," Macron said, hailing France as a nation of "builders".

"Our history never stops and that we will always have trials to overcome," he said.

Firefighters said the blaze had been extinguished after 15 hours (AFP 
Photo/Hubert Hitier)

'Saved in half an hour'

Images from inside the cathedral Tuesday showed its immense walls standing proud, with statues still in place and a gleaming golden cross above the altar.

However the floor was covered in charred rubble from the fallen roof and water while parts of the vaulting at the top of the cathedral had collapsed.

Junior interior minister Laurent Nunez told reporters at the scene that work to secure the structure would continue into Thursday, allowing firefighters access to remove remaining artifacts and artworks.

He said the building had been saved within a critical time window of 15-30 minutes by a team of 400 firefighters who worked flat out throughout the night.

Though "some weaknesses" in the 850-year-old structure had been identified, overall it is "holding up OK", he added.

President Donald Trump relayed Americans' "condolences" to Macron over the fire, the White House said.

French fire chiefs had earlier dismissed as "risible" comments by Trump that the fire should be tackled with water bombers, saying this risked destroying the entire edifice of the cathedral.

The Paris fire service said that the last remnants of the blaze were extinguished Tuesday, 15 hours after the fire broke out.

Renovation work on the steeple, where workers were replacing its lead covering, is widely suspected to have caused the inferno after the blaze broke out in an area under scaffolding.

Investigators interviewed witnesses overnight and began speaking with employees of five different construction companies that were working on the monument, said public prosecutor Remy Heitz.

"Nothing indicates this was a deliberate act," Heitz told reporters, adding that 50 investigators had been assigned to what he expected to be a "long and complex" case.

The world reacted in shock after the blaze enguled Notre-Dame (AFP Photo)

'For future generations'

A public appeal for funds drew immediate support from French billionaires and other private donors as well as from countries including Germany, Italy and Russia which offered expertise.

French billionaire Bernard Arnault and his LVMH luxury conglomerate, rival high-end designer goods group Kering, Total oil company and cosmetics giant L'Oreal each pledged 100 million euros or more.

Support came from outside France as well, with Apple chief Tim Cook announcing the tech giant would give an unspecified amount to help restore a "precious heritage for future generations."

But experts had warned a full restoration will take many years. "I'd say decades," said Eric Fischer, head of the foundation in charge of restoring the 1,000-year-old Strasbourg cathedral.

Treasures evacuated

Thousands of Parisians and tourists watched in horror Monday as flames engulfed the building and rescuers tried to save as much as they could of the cathedral's treasures.

Many more came Tuesday to the banks of the river Seine to gaze at where the roof and steeple once stood.

A firefighter suffered injuries during the blaze, which at one point threatened to bring down one of the two monumental towers on the western facade of the cathedral that is visited by 13 million tourists each year.

The Holy Crown of Thorns, believed to have been worn by Jesus at his crucifixion, was saved by firefighters, as was a sacred tunic worn by 13th-century French king Louis IX.

Rescuers formed a human chain at the site of the disaster to evacuate as many artifacts as possible, which were then stocked temporarily at the Paris town hall.



Related Article:

".... Europe

Let's talk about Europe - Eastern and Western Europe. Look at the history. I want you to look at the history of the Europeans. What do you know about them? What did you study in school about them, American? You had to learn all those dates and facts. You sit in a country that's barely 200 years old and you had to memorize all the battles and all those conquerors and all those army specifics for hundreds of years! Fourteen hundreds, 1300s - all the way to the present century they seemed to be conquering each other on a regular basis. They warred with each other like the tides of the ocean, constant and predictable. When they got tired of that, they conquered other continents. The small country of Spain alone is responsible for conquering all of South America, middle America and well up into North America. Millions today are speaking their language who never did before they arrived.

The armies of Napoleon spread across parts of Europe like water flowing in a river, conquering everything in its path. There are some cities today in Europe that still don't know which country they belong to! This is because their borders kept changing so often! Now, that's history. I want you to look at it carefully. Still, there would be those who say, "This is just what men do. They create borders and cultures and they go to war. That's Human nature."

Fifty years ago, this new energy started to arrive. Oh, the alignments go slow, dear Human Being, but it was here. It was starting; it was beginning. Fifty years ago, something happened in Europe and you didn't hear much about it back then. Some very clear thinkers got together after World War II and said, "If we don't do something different and out of the box of today's thinking, it's all going to happen again because this is what we do. Men make war." Even the young country called America was involved in war. America itself almost split apart before that, because that's what men do. They split good things apart. It was obvious to these wise men that they could try something, something that might work - a uniting instead of separation. And so they formed an idea. Let me tell you what it was.

They said to themselves, "What if we could get as many countries as we can to agree to become a collection of 'country states'? If we start this now and go at it slowly, we could eventually have a system where we would trade together to the point where the borders come down, no checkpoints and no passports. All these cultures and former enemy countries would all trade evenly together, and for that to happen we might even have a common currency. Look at the United States, for this is how it works there. Europe would never go to war with itself again. It couldn't, since it would be allied financially."

Of course, they were laughed at! Everyone who heard it said it couldn't' be done and that there were just too many issues to solve. Those who objected said, "No, no, no. That's not what we do. We have too many different cultures. There's some with strong currencies, there's some with weak currencies. There are too many objections. Imagine going from one country to another without being inspected at the border? That won't work. Who are you to suggest something of this nature?" And the forward thinkers said, "We are unifiers. And we think it's a good idea so we will have strength and will never war again." That was two generations ago, 50 years.

Today, you have the European Union of States. There are more all the time, way past the original number of countries. Some are "standing in line" to be accepted! The borders are gone and the checkpoints are missing and the currency called the Euro is the strongest currency on Earth - stronger even than yours [the USA]. Now, let me tell you what did that. It's a consciousness shift that even 50 years ago was developing. Through two generations, it slowly allowed for free thinkers to unify things that had never been unified before. The result? These countries will never conquer each other again, because "history" ended at that moment. They started a new paradigm for Europe and one that has no historic profile known to man. The old history of the area is gone, and it will not repeat itself.

Those in the old Eastern Bloc of Europe, where there is still to this day very little unity, will still say, "History will again repeat itself. We are victims of it. It's only a matter of time." But not all of them feel this way. There are some who are starting to feel a unity of spirituality within their own cultures that they were never allowed to speak of before. So they are free thinking, out of the box of the old paradigm. It's new.

There are those who are standing on podiums and in pulpits and are proclaiming, "History is ended. It's the end of suffering. It's the end of dictatorships. It's the end of those who would put us in a low place. Instead, it's the beginning of discovering who we are." And although they don't say it in these exact words, they are discovering the creator inside - that which is the unity of God. So it's a full circle back to what the Angel told Muhammad, isn't it? For unity was the key to peace, and still is. It is a sacred principle and will never change.

Who would have thought this would have happened? The United States is what it is because 200 years ago the founders said, "Let us make a group of state countries without physical borders in a system that's never been tried. It's one of unity - the UNITED States of America." Oh, it had its tests, but the unifiers won. And it is why this country is what it is and is seen and respected for what it is and for what it's done. So young, it is, but representing the new energy, it is.

Your Declaration of Independence was channelled. Did you know that? It was collective effort channelling by those who had asked God for help. Go read it and feel that which is sacred inside, for it unifies and does not separate.

Russia transgender woman wins case in rare win for LGBT rights

Yahoo – AFP, Marina KORENEVA, April 15, 2019

Anastasia was fired from her job in a private printing press in Saint Petersburg after
she underwent a gender reassignment operation in 2017 (AFP Photo/Olga MALTSEVA)

Saint Petersburg (AFP) - When Anastasia, a Russian transgender woman, took her employer to court for firing her after a gender reassignment operation, she did not expect to win.

"I knew the chances were slim, I understand what country I live in," the 43-year-old told AFP in her native Saint Petersburg.

But in the first known case of its kind in Russia, a court in the former imperial capital last week ruled she had been unfairly discriminated against and ordered compensation.

Local LGBT rights groups hailed the decision as a small victory in a country where gay and transgender people are often persecuted.

A so-called "gay propaganda" law officially forbids the promotion of "non-traditional sexual relations" to minors but in effect stops most LGBT campaigning.

"It is the first time that this type of case is discussed (in public)," Anastasia's lawyer Max Olenichev told AFP.

"This case has made transgender people visible," Olenichev said.

"That is very important."

Banned professions for women

For a decade, Anastasia worked for a private printing press in Russia's second city.

In 2017, she underwent a gender reassignment operation, legally changing her name and gender in her documents.

After this, her employer suggested she resign and -- when she refused -- fired her.

The company said she could not continue her job in printing, one of 456 professions from which women are officially banned in Russia.

Under Russian law, women cannot work as welders, long-distance truckers, sailors, blacksmiths, aircraft mechanics or hundreds of other roles, including those in printing.

But she said her reassignment was the real reason behind her firing.

"They did not want a person like me working for them," she said.

Lawyer Olenichev argued in court that Anastasia had done her job for ten years without any problems.

To their surprise, the Frunzensky court in Saint Petersburg ruled the company's decision "illegal" and demanded it pay Anastasia 1.8 million rubles (around $28,000) in compensation.

'Lack of information'

Anastasia told AFP that Russian society has a "mostly negative attitude" towards transgender people.

"This is not surprising, given that all the media says it is not normal," she said.

Anastasia has been with her partner for twenty years, and also has a teenage daughter. She said her family "accepts and loves" her "no matter what my status is".

But she considers herself lucky, saying that is not the case for many transgender people in Russia.

Mark Kandolsky, of the "Our Coming Out" gay rights group in Saint Petersburg, said many transgender people in Russia are forced to cut ties with their families.

"Due to a lack of information, Russian society is hostile to transgender people," he said.

Authorities have banned gay pride parades and since 2017 gay men have spoken of persecution in the Russian republic of Chechnya.

Despite having good relations with her family, Anastasia does not want to reveal her real identity and asks for her face not to be shown on camera.

"After all this, I just want to live quietly," she said.

Monday, April 15, 2019

EU green lights trade talks with Washington to defuse tension

Yahoo – AFP, Lachlan CARMICHAEL, April 15, 2019

The EU's 28 member states had struggled for months to agree on a mandate to open
 trans-Atlantic talks, with some fearing the delay would restart a trade war with
President Donald Trump (AFP Photo/STR)

Brussels (AFP) - European Union countries on Monday overruled France and gave the green light for Brussels to open trade talks with Washington as soon as possible and defuse trans-Atlantic tensions.

The EU's 28 member states had struggled for months to agree on a mandate to open the talks, with some fearing the delay would restart a trade war with US President Donald Trump.

But EU ministers meeting in Luxembourg approved a mandate to negotiate "an agreement limited to the elimination of tariffs for industrial goods only" and another accord designed to remove non-tariff barriers.

The ministers said the mandate would exclude agriculture products, which EU trade minister Cecilia Malmstrom said amounted to a "red line" for Europe.

US officials have pushed for farm products to be included.

"I will now get in contact with our American partners with a view to organising a date for the first round as soon as possible," Malmstrom told a press conference in Brussels.

"If we agree to start, I think it can go quite quickly," the Swedish commissioner added.

Malmstrom underlined the determination of the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, to finish the talks before its five-year term ends on October 31.

'Climate chaos'

EU sources said France voted against the mandate and Belgium abstained during the Luxembourg meeting.

Pursuing a limited trade deal is a key element of a truce negotiated in July that came close earlier this month to imploding after the US threatened $11 billion in fresh trade tariffs against Europe.

Paris voted against the mandate over worries about domestic blowback just months ahead of European elections, set for May 23 to 26.

EU trade minister Cecilia Malmstrom said she w"ill now get in contact with our 
American partners with a view to organising a date for the first round as soon 
as possible" (AFP Photo/EMMANUEL DUNAND)

French President Emmanuel Macron has insisted the US first sign back up to the Paris climate accord after Trump dumped the pact in 2017, infuriating Macron.

But only a qualified majority of EU members was needed to support the talks, meaning France's "non" remained largely symbolic.

Greenpeace has called on the Commission and national governments not to enter into trade negotiations with any country that rejects the Paris climate pact.

"EU-Trump trade talks would seriously call into question the EU’s resolve on climate change," Greenpeace's Naomi Ages said, warning time was running out to prevent "climate chaos."

In a bid to win France over, its EU partners agreed to insist on environmental guarantees during the talks with Washington.

In another sop, they also made a specific mention that TTIP, a far more ambitious transatlantic trade plan that never materialised, be officially called "obsolete".

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Paratnership talks stalled following widespread protests in Germany, France and Austria over fears it would undermine EU standards on food and health.

At France's demand, agricultural products are also off the table.

'Ease trade tensions'

Berlin wants the limited deal in order to placate Trump and avoid US auto tariffs that would punish Germany's cherished exports.

The mandate from the EU stipulates that the talks would end if the US pursued more levies against Europe, including on cars. It also says the EU cannot conclude the negotiations as long as the metal tariffs remain.

The limited deal concerns only industrial goods, excluding the automotive sector. Fishing is also included, but not agriculture, services or public procurement.

The US however insists its wants to discuss agriculture, while Europeans would like to include cars. Both sides will have to bridge the gaps before the start of talks.

At a meeting last July at the White House, Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker pledged no new tariffs following those on steel and aluminium.

That peace was in danger earlier this month after the US threatened to impose tariff counter-measures of up to $11.2 billion on a host of European products in response to subsidies received by aircraft maker Airbus.

But Malmstrom said: "This is a welcome decision that will help ease trade tensions."