Obama in Europe urges 'course correction' on globalisation

Yahoo – AFP,  Jerome Cartillier with John Hadoulis in Athens, November 16, 2016

Berlin (AFP) - US President Barack Obama arrived in Berlin Wednesday for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on a European tour aimed at reassuring key allies about transatlantic ties under his successor Donald Trump.

On the final leg of a European farewell tour, Obama touched down in the German capital from Athens where he delivered a sweeping speech warning of the dangers to modern democracy.

The US leader acknowledged that globalisation had fuelled a "sense of injustice" and needed a "course correction" to address growing inequality.

"The global path of globalisation demands a course correction," Obama, 55, said in Athens.

"When we see people, global elites, wealthy corporations seemingly living by a different set of rules, avoiding taxes, manipulating loopholes... this feeds a profound sense of injustice," he added.

However, his remarks also contained a ringing defence of democracy, open markets and social inclusiveness.

"I firmly believe that the best hope for human progress remains open markets, combined with democracy and human rights," the outgoing president said.

Trump welcomed Britain's shock vote in June to leave the European Union (EU) and has been a critic of global free trade agreements.

But Obama argued that "when people have opportunity and they feel confidence in the future, they are less likely to turn on each other and less likely to appeal to some of the darker forces that exist in all our societies, those that can tear us apart".

European governments, especially eastern countries close to Russia's orbit, have been shaken after Trump appeared to call into question Washington's near 70-year security guarantee by saying he would only help NATO allies if they paid their way.

In comments Tuesday, Obama cautioned the world must guard against "a rise in a crude sort of nationalism or ethnic identity or tribalism that is built around an 'us' and a 'them'".

US President Barack Obama assured NATO allies, "In good times, and in 

bad, Europe can count on the United States" (AFP Photo/Janek Skarzynski)

'My closest partner'

Obama has been at pains to stress that Europe -- and NATO -- would remain the cornerstone of US foreign policy.

"Today more than ever, the world needs a Europe that is strong and prosperous and democratic," he said.

The US-led NATO grouping is "absolutely vital" to US interests and a strong, unified Europe was good for America and the world, the president said in comments aimed at calming old partners' fears.

"We know what happens when Europeans start dividing themselves up... the 20th century was a bloodbath," he said pointedly on Tuesday.

Obama has described Merkel as "probably... my closest international partner these last eight years."

During his time in Berlin, he will also meet the leaders of Britain, France, Spain and Italy, as Europe desperately seeks clues to future US policy in a Trump world.

While Obama was generally been welcomed in Greece, his visit was also met with street protests.

Around 2,500 people brandishing banners denouncing US "imperialism" and calling Obama a "persona non grata" were pushed back on Tuesday as they tried to breach barriers and reach the city centre, with police firing tear gas and stun grenades.

But elsewhere Athenians young and old waited patiently in line to catch a glimpse of the leader on his last foreign trip as president.

"It's fantastic to be here," said 17-year-old pupil Anais Karayanis. "He has plenty of things to teach us, advice to give. I would have come to see Trump as well, but only out of pure curiosity because I don't support him."

Betty Kazakopoulos, a PR consultant in her 60s, said Obama was "a man I admire. Perhaps the last of the great American leaders."

Greece's 'extraordinary compassion'

During his visit to the cradle of democracy, Obama has also touched on issues that have shaken Greek society -- a dramatic influx of migrants fleeing war and poverty and a crippling financial crisis.

He lauded Greek islanders' "extraordinary compassion" for the hundreds of thousands of people who have landed on their shores since the start of Europe's worst migrant crisis since World War II.

And he pledged support for its economy, as Greek leaders seek a fresh US pledge to help alleviate the country's enormous public debt, a measure actively sought by the International Monetary Fund but opposed by leading European lender Germany.

"In my message to the rest of Europe, I will continue to emphasise our view that austerity alone cannot deliver prosperity," Obama told Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

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"The Timing of the Great Shift" – Mar 21, 2009 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“… Human Nature is Changing

There's a new concept afoot, a change in Human nature. We've spoken about this before. How many of you studied European history? And in school, did your mind fill up with all of the dates you had to memorize? Who conquered whom and when? Over and over and over, every single country had their turn conquering another country. Borders moved constantly. As far back as you want to go, that's what Humans did. They separated, gathered, and conquered. But as little as 50 years ago, it all stopped.

We've said this before. Fifty years ago, a seed, an idea, was planted at the end of World War II. "Let's put these European countries together," they said. "Let's even drop the borders and eventually give them one currency." Do this and they'll never war again, they predicted, for countries with common economic sources don't go to war! And that's exactly what's happened. Did it work? It's fairly fresh, but their money is threatening to take over the strength of your money, did you notice? It's worth more than yours. They still struggle to make it work and balance it. But then again, you do the same in the United States, always fine tuning the unity.

South America is considering the same thing right now. The seeds are being planted in Brazil. Within a generation, they would love to see the borders dropped and one currency. Can they do it? Perhaps. Perhaps it will take longer. Why do it? Because they see the European Union with the strongest currency on Earth. We've said this before. Here is a prediction: Perhaps not in your time, but there'll come a day when there are only five currencies in the world, because continents will start understanding that unification creates peace and prosperity. Separation creates chaos. What a concept. …”

"Listening to the Voice of Spirit" (2) - Feb 20, 2016 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (DNA Efficiency is on average at 35 percent now) - (Text version)

“… With free choice, the percentage of DNA efficiently started to go down as humanity grew. As soon as the DNA started to lose percentage, the gender balance was dysfunctional. If you want to have a test of any society, anywhere on the planet, and you want to know the DNA percentage number [consciousness quota] as a society, there's an easy test: How do they perceive and treat their women? The higher the DNA functionality, the more the feminine divine is honored. This is the test! Different cultures create different DNA consciousness, even at the same time on the planet. So you can have a culture on Earth at 25 percent and one at 37 - and if you did, they would indeed clash. …”

“… You're at 35. There's an equality here, you're starting to see the dark and light, and it's changing everything. You take a look at history and you've come a long way, but it took a long time to get here. Dear ones, we've seen this process before and the snowball is rolling. There isn't anything in the way that's going to stop it. In the path of this snowball of higher consciousness are all kinds of things that will be run over and perish. Part of this is what you call "the establishment". Watch for some very big established things to fall over! The snowball will simply knock them down. …”

"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 Illuminati

One more. "Kryon, what about the Illuminati?" OK, I'll tell you, for these things are already known by many.

Everything you thought about the Illuminati of the past is correct. This was not conspiracy, but fact. However, in the light of what I just said above, it could not sustain itself in an energy where everyone talks to everyone, and has since gone dormant.

The Illuminati was based in Greece, and it started by controlling the most potent economic attribute that could manipulate the strings of commerce on the earth - shipping. Once they had control of shipping, what followed was financial markets. This, then, worked its way to insurance, world stock markets and banking. This was prevalent for decades, right up to the mid '80s.

I have a question for the elders in the room. Look back in your lifetime, dear ones. What was the stock market like when you were younger? If you remember, you will say it had incremental changes up and down, except for occasional major shifts - which, by the way, were also controlled. It was steady, up or down. It didn't vacillate wildly, with hundreds of point-shifts from month to month. It never did. That's what a controlled market looks like. Now take a look at your current stock market. Does it look controlled? It is not! It is free-wheeling and it can go wherever it is driven by normal financial activity.

This should tell you something, dear ones. The Illuminati is no longer in control. It lost in banking, in tobacco, and it's about to lose in big pharma and insurance because awareness lets people know what is controlled and what is not. Awareness of truth will trump any other energy, and integrity will win some major battles.

So, did the Illuminate die? No. They simply lost their method of control.

The Future of the Illuminati

Now, I want to tell you something that you didn't expect and something I've reported only one other time. What about all of the money that the Illuminati has? There are trillions and trillions of euro in banks, under their control, waiting. What are they going to do with it and where are they going to use it? It's still here. They're waiting.

This group is waiting for something to happen that they know is going to happen, for they see it coming as much as I do. However, I would like to tell you something that they don't expect. With awareness comes generational shift. Those in charge of this money will not always be elders. The indigos eventually will have it.

They are waiting for something to happen in Africa - the building of a new civilization, a continent that has nothing to unlearn. Once Africa is cured, once it's ready, a new civilization can be created from the ground up. Africans will be ready to learn everything about building a foundation for the most advanced civilization ever and will do it with the most modern and inventive systems available. Eventually, this new continent will even beat the economics of China.

This is the prediction and always has been, and the Illuminati's money will fund it. Did I say the Illuminati will fund it? [Kryon laugh]The Illuminati's money will fund it, but there is a difference from the past, dear ones. The ones who inherit the positions in the Illuminati will be a different consciousness. Listen, they are not suddenly going to be the ones who have the good of everyone in their hearts - hardly. They want to make money, but what they will see instead is a way to make a great deal of money through this investment. In the process, it will automatically help hundreds of thousands, and they will be at the beginning, the foundation, that builds the new Africa. The new African states of unification eventually will create a continent stronger than any of the others, and it will have one currency. The resources alone will dwarf anything in the world.

"Wow, Kryon, how long is that going to take?"

The Humans in the room control that and those listening later and reading. When you leave this room, what are you going to do? Go home, report this, rub your hands together, and wait for it to happen? It won't. For the Humans in the room and the old souls hearing and reading have got work to do, and I've told you this before. You've got work to do.

There's an alliance that you're going to have to create with one another and with another group - the young people of Earth. The youth of this earth are changing the way things work. Can you see it? You're not supposed to sit around and watch them either, because they need you, old soul.

It's time for you to align with the indigos and the concepts of the youth of the planet. Do not think for a moment that their age shows their wisdom. These two attributes are not commensurate with one another; they're not linear. These young people may be older souls than you are! Don't think that because they've got technology that you don't understand that you can't be one with them. Their technology is social networking, the very thing we are talking about, where everyone can talk to everyone. The new consciousness on the planet starts in two areas - the children and the old souls.

Conclusion

This is the message of the day. The recalibration of awareness is going to change systems, education, government and finance. Those who don't choose to be spiritual at all will still move with a new awareness, for they will be aware of something that they are not aware of now - a softer way of living.

We close with a trite statement that we've given before, but that many have stated in jest: "If women ran the world, they would never send their sons to be killed on a battlefield."

Many laugh. How trite, how simple minded. Indeed, there have been women leaders who have put wars together; they had to. They sent their sons, so that's not really a correct statement. However, it's more right than you may think, dear ones.

So now I will make the statement I have made over and over in these recalibrated channellings: "When recalibrated Humans run the world, there will come a day when they will never send their sons into the battlefield." You see, awareness will change all of that. They will eventually see the wisdom of unification, new ways to settle issues, and the intuitive attribute of putting things together instead of tearing them apart.

There will be a time when government armies will not need to be large, and weapons will not be as powerful. Slowly, government won't need them. Slowly, slower than you want, these things will happen as the old soul carries his light and looks at the masters of the planet and emulates them.

You've all heard it: There will come a time when the masters will come back to Earth, and there are many who are waiting for this. However, it has already happened! They couldn't come back until the alignment was right and now it is right. This is what you are feeling in 2012 and beyond. It's starting to happen, and they're back. But they're not back as corporeal Human Beings. They're back as the energy of recalibrating of the awareness of God.

I wouldn't say these things unless they were true. Watch for these things, dear ones. Remember where you heard them first and when some of them start to occur in your news. And when you see the earth working in this fashion, dear one, maybe you'll realize that what I have given today is real.

Be circumspect. There is no perfect timing. Humans will create all this at their own pace. Do not be in fear of the things that might follow, for I say it yet again that the old energy will show itself soon in survival mode and it won't be pretty.

In this beginning of new energy, stand tall and turn on your light. Darkness will shirk before you. That is the truth of the day.

I am Kryon, in love with humanity.

And so it is.

Kryon

TTIP is (almost) dead, long live CETA!

EU ministers are clearing up the final points of contention in the CETA free trade agreement with Canada. TTIP talks with the US, however, seem to have broken down for good. Barbara Wesel reports from Bratislava.

Deutsche Welle, 23 Sep 2019

One might say that German Economic Affairs Minister Sigmar Gabriel was almost passionate: "CETA puts people up front, and not just the economic success of a few."

The treaty could in fact become the standard for other trade agreements. It is the first treaty to create reasonable rules for globalization, the German politician said; thus it could serve as an example of how global trade can be shaped.

Casting doubt aside

At dinner Thursday, European ministers and their Canadian counterpart Chrystia Freeland agreed to remove all doubt from the treaty's final text. Both sides want to nail down sticking points - such as securing workers' rights, guarantees for the independence of arbitration courts and ensuring that there is no pressure to privatize public services - in a legally binding supplemental statement.

Gabriel defended CETA in Bratislava

With the statement, they seek to dispel the doubts expressed by various social democratic parties in the EU, such as in Belgian Wallonia and in Austria. "Now [Austrian Chancellor Christian] Kern will have to see how he can get himself out of this one," joked the country's economic minister, Reinhold Mitterlehner, in Bratislava.

Mitterlehner is a member of the Austrian People's Party, the chancellor's conservative coalition partner. Sigmar Gabriel, who had to make positive assurances to his own Social Democratic Party (SPD), is now coming out strongly in support of the treaty.

The timetable is set

A number of hurdles still have to be cleared before the treaty can go into effect. Trade ministers hope to formally adopt the CETA on October 18, and it is to be signed by all member states at the EU-Canada summit at the end of the month. After that it will have to be ratified by 28 national parliaments, a process that can take time.

Nonetheless, those portions of the agreement that fall under European purview could go into effect as early as the beginning of next year. That is when the European Parliament intends to vote on the treaty.

The chairman of the European Parliament Committee on International Trade, Bernd Lange of Germany, believes there is a solid majority in favor of the agreement, saying there was a "good treaty on the horizon." Lange said the next step will be a dialogue with society at large, as well as with national parliaments, in order to discuss the details of the agreement.

Bratislava was no stranger to the TTIP and CETA opposition movement

Above all, tariff rules and actual trade provisions could go into effect temporarily. Agreements on the courts of arbitration, intellectual property and several more items will be contingent upon approval by national parliaments. In general, Lange, a Social Democrat, says that CETA is a progressive, cooperative agreement. In Bratislava, much talk was made of the fact that the Canadians had been very patient with problems within the EU over the course of the seven-year-long negotiations.

TTIP is (almost) dead

"CETA and TTIP are two fundamentally different pairs of shoes," said Lange, who is the official rapporteur for the TTIP. Negotiations with the US will bring no results in the foreseeable future, he added, as Washington has refused to make many concessions to the EU.

In any case, one will have to wait until the US elections are over: "If Trump wins, TTIP will die instantly; if Clinton wins, one will have to wait and see what her stance is toward Europe," said the EU lawmaker.

Lange is for putting negotiations on the "night stand," while others want it "put on ice." Austria, France and a number of smaller countries are calling for them to be scrapped altogether. "TTIP has become a metaphor for the hegemony of big corporations," said Austrian Economics Minister Mitterlehner.

He thinks that it would be wrong to simply give the agreement a new name: "Rebranding is not enough. We have to redefine the rules of the game, the goals and the transparency."

However, a large number of member states are in agreement with the European Commission: They want to continue negotiations in order to at least hang on to the few successes that talks have brought thus far. One thing, however, is certain: An agreement will not be reached with the Obama administration. Heads of government will discuss the life and death of TTIP at the EU summit in mid-October. Negotiations are thought to be as good as dead, yet so far, no one seems willing to issue a death certificate.

Hollande, Merkel mark centenary of Battle of Verdun

The French and German leaders are attending a series of events to commemorate those killed in the WWI campaign. They are expected to use the occasion to urge increased European unity in the face of many challenges.

Deutsche Welle, 29 May 2016

French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday launched a series of events to commemorate the centenary of the longest battle of World War I, which took place near the northeastern French town of Verdun.

In the first of several acts of remembrance, the French and German leaders laid wreaths at the German military cemetery at Consenvoye, just north of Verdun. The remains of some 11,000 German soldiers are buried at the cemetery.

Hollande and Merkel then attended a ceremony in the Verdun town hall. In her speech, Merkel said Verdun stood not only for the "incomprehensible horror and senselessness of war," but also for "the lessons it had taught and the German-French reconciliation."

"Only those who know the past can draw instruction from it and use this to shape a good future," she said, adding that the friendly reception she had received as a German chancellor in the town was "not at all to be taken for granted."

She and Hollande also presented the mayor of Verdun with this year's Adenauer-de Gaulle Prize, which honors those who have contributed to the German-French friendship.

In his remarks, Hollande said that Verdun had not frozen to become a cult of the dead, but always looked to the future to fulfill its mission of peace.

Ten-month battle

Some 3,400 French and German young people created an open-air presentation representing an encounter between the young people who had died at Verdun in 1916, and those living today.

#Verdun2016 > 3.400 jeunes déferlent sur la nécropole nationale de #Douaumont https://t.co/AEJ1Wp4l2g

— iTELE (@itele) May 29, 2016

The international ceremony was held at the Douaumont ossuary, where the remains of 130,000 soldiers from both sides are buried. The presentation was choreographed by German filmmaker Volker Schlöndorff.

Also in attendance were European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz.

A number of events are planned on Sunday in Verdun

and German defense minister Ursula von der Leyen.

The newly renovated memorial at Verdun was formally opened by Merkel and Hollande.

The Battle of Verdun, pitting the Germans and the French against one another, lasted for 10 months from February to December 1916, and claimed more than 300,000 lives. They included 163,000 French and 143,000 German soldiers.

The battle was one of the bloodiest of the entire 1914-1918 war but failed to produce a victor.

Cementing the German-French friendship

The cemetery at Douaumont has additional significance as the place where the then West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and former French President Francois Mitterand joined hands during a 1984 commemoration of the battle in a historic symbol of reconciliation between the two nations.

Mitterand (L.) and Kohl: a historic gesture of reconciliation

Merkel referred to this milestone in her speech at Verdun, saying that it was an image that had "burnt itself deeply into our nations' memories."

Speaking on the eve of the commemorations, Merkel said the fact she was invited to the event this year was a sign of how good German-French relations now were.

She also expressed the hope that Britain would not vote to leave the European Union in a referendum to be held next month.

Germany and France are widely seen as the two leading "motors" of the 28-member bloc, which is currently facing heightened challenges, such as a massive influx of migrants and refugees, and financial crises in several member states.

The potential exit of Britain from the bloc has added to a widespread feeling that EU unity is under threat.

tj/jm/sms/rc (dpa, AFP)

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"The president gestured as if he was going to give me a hug, so we hugged." https://t.co/hpvOCKMYof #Hiroshima pic.twitter.com/b7yQf7ntA5

— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 27, 2016

"The Timing of the Great Shift" – Mar 21, 2009 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“… Human Nature is Changing

There's a new concept afoot, a change in Human nature. We've spoken about this before. How many of you studied European history? And in school, did your mind fill up with all of the dates you had to memorize? Who conquered whom and when? Over and over and over, every single country had their turn conquering another country. Borders moved constantly. As far back as you want to go, that's what Humans did. They separated, gathered, and conquered. But as little as 50 years ago, it all stopped.

We've said this before. Fifty years ago, a seed, an idea, was planted at the end of World War II. "Let's put these European countries together," they said. "Let's even drop the borders and eventually give them one currency." Do this and they'll never war again, they predicted, for countries with common economic sources don't go to war! And that's exactly what's happened. Did it work? It's fairly fresh, but their money is threatening to take over the strength of your money, did you notice? It's worth more than yours. They still struggle to make it work and balance it. But then again, you do the same in the United States, always fine tuning the unity.

South America is considering the same thing right now. The seeds are being planted in Brazil. Within a generation, they would love to see the borders dropped and one currency. Can they do it? Perhaps. Perhaps it will take longer. Why do it? Because they see the European Union with the strongest currency on Earth. We've said this before. Here is a prediction: Perhaps not in your time, but there'll come a day when there are only five currencies in the world, because continents will start understanding that unification creates peace and prosperity. Separation creates chaos. What a concept. …”

US, Britain, France, Germany back business with Iran

Yahoo – AFP, 20 May 2016

Foreign banks and private businesses should not hold back from conducting legal
 business with Iran, said the United States, France, Britain and Germany (AFP
Photo/Atta Kenare)

Brussels (AFP) - Foreign banks and businesses should not hold back from conducting legal business with Iran, Western powers said Friday.

In a joint statement released after talks in Brussels, the United States, the European Union, France, Britain and Germany sought to reassure companies that, after the Iran nuclear deal, certain forms of trade are permitted.

"We will not stand in the way of permitted business activity with Iran," the four powers plus the European Union said.

"And we will not stand in the way of international firms or financial institutions engaging with Iran, as long as they follow all applicable laws," they added.

Under the terms of the Iran nuclear deal signed last year and implemented in February, international sanctions aimed at Tehran's nuclear programme have been dropped.

But the United States has maintained its sanctions targeting Tehran's alleged sponsorship of armed movements in the Middle East and its ballistic missile programme.

European banks, which often have subsidiaries on US soil, have therefore been slow to resume business with Iran, fearing prosecution in the United States.

But, a joint statement by the western parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) -- the implementation side of the Iran deal -- gave business the green light.

"The interest of European and other global firms in Iran is high," the statement said.

"And it is in our interest and the interest of the international community to ensure that the JCPOA works for all participants, including by delivering benefit to the Iranian people," it continued.

"This includes the reengagement of European banks and businesses in Iran."

US Secretary of State John Kerry -- a key architect of the Iran deal -- was in Brussels for a NATO ministers meeting, and held talks on the Iran deal while he was there.

President Barack Obama's administration has been criticised at home for moving too quickly to allow Iran to return to the international fold after agreeing to nuclear controls.

But Tehran's leaders have complained that the deal was oversold, arguing that they upheld their end of the bargain in surrendering most of their nuclear enrichment capacity in return for sanctions relief.

Meanwhile, European banks have been reluctant to renew ties with the Islamic republic, fearing that -- despite the end of some sanctions -- they could fall foul of US law.

"We understand that firms may continue to have specific sanctions-related questions or concerns about doing business in Iran," the statement said.

"And we stand ready to provide expeditious clarifications," it added, encouraging banks and other enterprises to come forward and seek advice as to how to deal legally with Iran.

"We encourage firms to approach our governments to address remaining questions, rather than forgo opportunities due to misperceptions or lack of information."

Italy issues green light for gay civil unions

Yahoo – AFP, Angus MacKinnon, Ella Ide, May 11, 2016

Italy's long-awaited legislation was hailed as a civil rights landmark but criticised
as falling short of full equality for gay couples (AFP Photo/Tiziana Fabi)

Rome (AFP) - Italy's parliament on Wednesday issued a green light for the introduction of gay civil unions in the last major Western country not to legally recognise same-sex relationships.

Lawmakers in the lower-house Chamber of Deputies voted 369-193 in favour of a vote of confidence in the government on the issue, making approval of a divisive civil unions bill automatic.

The long-awaited and much-disputed legislation was hailed as a landmark but also criticised as falling short of full equality for gay couples, particularly in relation to adoption and marriage rights.

Italian Prine Minister Matteo Renzi called

a confidence vote to force through a 

controversial bill on gay civil unions in a 

challenge to the Catholic right and rebels 

in his own party (AFP Photo/Alberto Pizzoli)

Gay rights activist, Federica Frasconi, 26, was in a small crowd outside parliament for the vote.

"We hope the next law, which we will all fight for ... will be for marriage and adoption. And I hope there will be also a law against homophobia," she told AFP.

Monica Cirinna, the senator who was the main author of the bill, said she expected the first civil union ceremonies "no later than September" and dismissed opponents who vowed to seek a referendum aimed at overturning the law.

'Reject medieval bigotry'

"We will welcome that with open arms. It will allow us to push on to equal marriage even sooner," she said. "Italy will reject medieval bigotry and conservativism."

Marilena Grassadonia, president of the Rainbow Families campaign group, said it was a "historic day" for Italy but that celebrations would be muted because of the failure to secure adoption rights.

"What mother or father would attend a party their children are not invited to?" she said.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who had backed the bill but largely stayed out of the debate, called the confidence vote to short-circuit potential last-minute blocking or delaying amendments by opponents of the legislation, who include rebels in his own party as well as the Catholic right.

"Today is a day of celebration for so many people," the centre-left leader wrote on his Facebook page, framing the vote as another victory for his reform programme.

"We are writing another important page of the Italy we want," he said.

The government used the same confidence vote tactic to get the bill approved by the upper house Senate in February, but only after the original text had been diluted to appease opponents threatening to scupper it altogether.

A draft article that would have granted gay couples the right to adopt their partners' biological children was dropped.

While adoption will not be ruled out entirely, family judges will decide on a case-by-case basis.

Supporters of LGBT associations take part in a protest in central Rome over the

watering down of a bill to legalise gay civil unions (AFP Photo/Tiziana Fabi)

European Court pressure

In the face of concern that civil unions would be too similar to marriage, references to a need for faithfulness were also removed.

Gay couples will be able to take each other's names and inherit each other's residual pension rights, but critics say the new rules fall short of legal protection offered to same-sex couples in other European countries, Canada and the United States.

Several previous attempts to legalise civil unions in Italy have foundered in the face of opposition orchestrated by the Catholic church.

The current bill risked running aground over the adoption clause, with critics insisting it would open the door to surrogacy, which is illegal under Italian law.

Renzi's Interior Minister Angelino Alfano was among the most fervent opponents of providing a legal framework for surrogacy, saying in January the the use of paid surrogate mothers should be treated like a sex crime.

Italy had been under pressure to get a bill onto the statute book from the European Court of Human Rights.

Judges at the court ruled last year that Italy had breached its commitments under the European Convention on Human Rights by denying gay couples legal unions.

Polls suggest Italian public opinion has moved decisively in favour of civil unions in recent years but that a majority of voters remains opposed to extending equal adoption rights to gay couples.

Homosexuality worldwide: legal status (AFP Photo)

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'Love is love': Obama lauds gay marriage activists in hailing 'a victory for America'

"The Akashic Circle" – Jul 17, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: Religion, The Humanization of God, Benevolent Design, DNA, Akashic Circle, (Old) Souls, Gaia, Indigenous People, Talents, Reincarnation, Genders, Gender Switches, In “between” Gender Change, Gender Confusion, Shift of Human Consciousness, Global Unity,..... etc.)  - (Text version)

“… Gender Switching

Old souls, let me tell you something. If you are old enough, and many of you are, you have been everything. Do you hear me? All of you. You have been both genders. All of you have been what I will call between genders, and that means that all of you have had gender switches. Do you know what happens when it's time for you to switch a gender? We have discussed it before. You'll have dozens of lifetimes as the same gender. You're used to it. It's comfortable. You cannot conceive of being anything else, yet now it's time to change. It takes approximately three lifetimes for you to get used to it, and in those three lifetimes, you will have what I call "gender confusion."

It isn't confusion at all. It's absolutely normal, yet society often will see it as abnormal. I'm sitting here telling you you've all been through it. All of you. That's what old souls do. It's part of the system. …”

Pope Francis tells EU to tear down migrant walls

Yahoo – AFP, Angus MacKinnon, May 6, 2016

German Chancellor Angela Merkel talks with Pope Francis during a private
audience  at the Vatican on May 6, 2016 (AFP Photo/Alberto Pizzoli)

Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis said Friday he dreamed of a Europe in which "being a migrant is not a crime", as he urged EU leaders to "tear down the walls" and build a fairer society.

Invoking the memory of the EU founding fathers' pursuit of integration in the aftermath of World War II, the pontiff said they inspired because they had "dared to change radically the models" that had led to war.

"Today more than ever, their vision inspires us to build bridges and tear down walls," he told a Vatican audience including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has been at the centre of the EU's attempts to resolve its biggest refugee crisis since the war ended in 1945.

Pope Francis visits refugees living 

on the Greek island of Lesbos in April 

2016 (AFP Photo/Filippo Monteforte)

And in a rhetorical flourish with echoes of Martin Luther-King's legendary 'I have a dream' speech, the pope said he dreamed of a new European humanism that embraced the poor, the elderly, the young and the sick.

"I dream of a Europe where being a migrant is not a crime but a summons to greater commitment on behalf of the dignity of every human being," he said.

Francis's comments came in a speech as the 79-year-old pontiff was presented with the EU's Charlemagne Prize for his contribution to European unification.

Having unexpectedly decided to accept the award, Francis delivered a typically hard-hitting message to listeners that also included the heads of the EU's main institutions, the Council, the Commission, the Parliament and its central bank.

"What has happened to you, the Europe of humanism, the champion of human rights, democracy and freedom?" he asked. "What has happened to you, Europe, the home of poets, philosophers, artists, musicians, and men and women of letters?"

Francis has made the cause of migrants trying to reach Europe one of the defining themes of his papacy.

He has regularly railed against the "indifference" of western societies to their plight and last month he made a high-profile visit to Lesbos, the Greek island on the frontline of the crisis, returning to the Vatican with three Syrian families seeking asylum from the civil war ravaging their homeland.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker speaks during a news 

conference following a ceremony at the Vatican, during which Pope Francis was

awarded 2016 Charlemagne Prize, in Rome, Italy, May 5, 2016. Reuters/Max Rossi

A memory transfusion needed

He has also attacked what he says is an arbitrary division being made between asylum seekers and so-called economic migrants -- a distinction at the heart of Merkel and other EU leaders' vision of how to resolve the crisis.

Borrowing a phrase from writer and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, the Argentinian pontiff said Friday that Europe needed a "memory transfusion" to free itself from the temptation of "quick and easy short-term political gains."

And after that reference to the migrant crisis, Francis went on to say Europe had to fundamentally change its economic model to give the continent's youth the security they needed to build a new world.

"If we want to rethink our society, we need to create dignified and well-paying jobs, especially for our young people," he said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives for the 2016 Charlemagne Prize ceremony, 

during which Pope Francis will be awarded, at the Vatican May 6, 2016. REUTERS/

Stefano Rellandini 

"To do so requires coming up with new, more inclusive and equitable economic models, aimed not at serving the few, but at benefiting ordinary people and society as a whole.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and European Parliament President Martin Schulz explained the decision to give the award to such a regular and prominent critic of the EU in a column for France's Le Monde.

"Some will joke that the European Union must be in a bad way if it is in need of papal assistance," they wrote.

"We are convinced that Pope Francis deserves this prize, however, simply because he has sent Europe a message of hope.

"Perhaps we needed an Argentinian to turn his outsider's gaze on the innermost values which bind us Europeans together, to remind us of our strengths.

"After all, at times when the words 'Europe' and 'crisis' are often uttered in the same breath it is easy to forget what Europe has achieved and what it is capable of."

Pope Francis welcomes a group of Syrian refugees after landing at Ciampino airport

 in Rome following a visit at the Moria refugee camp on April 16, 2016 in the Greek

island of Lesbos (AFP Photo/Filippo Monteforte)

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"New Systems" - Feb 27, 2016 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

"The New Human P1" - Sep 19-20, 2015 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)
"Return of the Masters" - Apr 11-12, 2015 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)


"The Timing of the Great Shift" – Mar 21, 2009 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“… Human Nature is Changing

There's a new concept afoot, a change in Human nature. We've spoken about this before. How many of you studied European history? And in school, did your mind fill up with all of the dates you had to memorize? Who conquered whom and when? Over and over and over, every single country had their turn conquering another country. Borders moved constantly. As far back as you want to go, that's what Humans did. They separated, gathered, and conquered. But as little as 50 years ago, it all stopped.

We've said this before. Fifty years ago, a seed, an idea, was planted at the end of World War II. "Let's put these European countries together," they said. "Let's even drop the borders and eventually give them one currency." Do this and they'll never war again, they predicted, for countries with common economic sources don't go to war! And that's exactly what's happened. Did it work? It's fairly fresh, but their money is threatening to take over the strength of your money, did you notice? It's worth more than yours. They still struggle to make it work and balance it. But then again, you do the same in the United States, always fine tuning the unity.

South America is considering the same thing right now. The seeds are being planted in Brazil. Within a generation, they would love to see the borders dropped and one currency. Can they do it? Perhaps. Perhaps it will take longer. Why do it? Because they see the European Union with the strongest currency on Earth. We've said this before. Here is a prediction: Perhaps not in your time, but there'll come a day when there are only five currencies in the world, because continents will start understanding that unification creates peace and prosperity. Separation creates chaos. What a concept. …”

"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)

“.   New Tolerance

Look for a softening of finger pointing and an awakening of new tolerance. There will remain many systems for different cultures, as traditions and history are important to sustaining the integrity of culture. So there are many in the Middle East who would follow the prophet and they will continue, but with an increase of awareness. It will be the increase of awareness of what the prophet really wanted all along - unity and tolerance. The angel in the cave instructed him to "unify the tribes and give them the God of Israel." You're going to start seeing a softening of intolerance and the beginning of a new way of being.

Eventually, this will create an acknowledgement that says, "You may not believe the way we believe, but we honor you and your God. We honor our prophet and we will love you according to his teachings. We don't have to agree in order to love." How would you like that? The earth is not going to turn into one belief system. It never will, for Humans don't do that. There must be variety, and there must be the beauty of cultural differences. But the systems will slowly update themselves with increased awareness of the truth of a new kind of balance. So that's the first thing. Watch for these changes, dear ones. ...."