Pope Francis 'confirms Vatican gay lobby and corruption'

BBC News, 12 June 2013

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Pope Francis reportedly made the remarks
during a private audience with other clerics

Pope Francis is reported to have acknowledged the existence of a "gay lobby" inside the Vatican.

He also said there was a "stream of corruption", according to reports in Catholic media.

He is said to have made the remarks during a private meeting with a group of Latin American Catholic clerics.

The clerics wrote up a report of the conversation that then appeared on the Chilean website Reflection and Liberation.

Previous rumours

According to the report, the Pope was extremely open as he discussed problems at the Vatican.

He is said to have told the Latin American delegation that there were good, holy men in the administration, but that there was also corruption.

The Vatican would have to "see what we can do" about the "gay lobby" operating in the bureaucracy, he said. "It is true, it is there," the report quotes him as saying.

In the days leading up to Pope Benedict XVI's resignation in February, the Italian media carried many un-sourced reports that gay Vatican clergymen had been working together to advance their personal interests, leaving the Holy See vulnerable to blackmail.

There were even suggestions that the situation had influenced Benedict's decision to resign.

At the time, the Vatican vigorously denied all the rumours.

It has so far declined to make any comment regarding the Pope's reported remarks, other than that the audience with the Latin American clerics was private.

An organisation representing the clerics, known by its Spanish acronym CLAR, has said it has apologised to the Pope for the publication of the report.

CLAR said in a statement that it "deeply regretted the publication of a text which refers to the conversation with the Holy Father".

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(Matthew channelled by Suzanne Ward, June 3, 2012)
“ ….   5. Because the dissemination of accurate information is crucial, another good indicator of the light’s progress is that mainstream media censorship clearly is on the decline. For instance, even though the Vatican is one of the kingpins under the Illuminati umbrella, it now is public knowledge that investigation into the Vatican’s financial affairs is underway. Ultimately this will lead to uncovering the cesspool of darkness in that tiny sovereign state, including that it is the international headquarters of satanic worship and a vast storehouse of stolen art treasures. …." 

Archangel Michael on the World’s Movement into the Golden Age, March 24, 2013 – Part 1/2

“… GW: Well, let’s move over to Italy, then. And Pope Francis met with leaders of the various world faiths in this last week. In his humble style that he is becoming noted for, he chose not to sit on the usual papal throne, but rather in a simple armchair, a beige armchair.

Some of the other leaders had expressed optimism in the change of style of Francis. Are the other religious leaders now aware of the information that Francis is aware of? The higher information. And will they collectively be starting to change the tune of religious faiths around the world? Will this become a song sung by Francis and the faiths?

AAM: It has begun. They are humming. They are finding that it is a catchy tune, that is attractive, that it has a beautiful melody and refrain that sings in their hearts. Francis has basically thrown away the throne. He is not over-lighted to proceed in such a manner.

And what he is first and foremost doing is that he is reminding those others of all faiths that their role is to serve and that leadership is service, that they are shepherds of all ilks, all stripes, all colors. But their role is to collect and to show the way, in humility and patience, in forgiveness and compassion.

So, what Francis has begun to do is to say we do not need to be in control. We cannot find the middle way, the pathway of peace and true brotherhood and sisterhood through trying to control people. And this has been a gift. Oh, and dear heart, he has only just begun.

You have been asking for signs. Well, you are seeing them, are you not, on many fronts. But pay attention to this one. And might I give you a hint? Follow the money.

GW: Hmm. Intriguing. Okay. Well, at this point, then, now you have said previously, or it has been said previously, that Francis is over-lighted with the soul of St. Francis, and that he will be stepping forward in his role and that he is aware of and in contact with our galactic family.

That wasn’t clear previously; maybe you can clarify that. Has that knowledge and awareness been imparted to the leaders of the other faiths at this time? Are they aware of that and openly embracing that?

AAM: It has not been fully disclosed. It has been fully implied. And so… [laugh] I’m sorry. I laugh because it is a beautiful time that we have waited for. Now, let me suggest to you — no, let me simply tell you flat out, my friend, because you are a newsman. There were several galactics present at this gathering. The presence of the galactics was fully implied. And in side conversations it was a full point of discussion.

But the first focus of Francis is not to push the agenda of the galactics, but simply rather to let everybody know that they have been part of this enclave and part of the knowledge of the papacy for a long time. But his first agenda is bringing communion, community and peace amongst the different faiths and sects, amongst the human beings.

So that is his primary agenda. But he is weaving many things into it. Is he aware of the galactics? He has been aware of them for a very long time. He has been aware of them most of his life, actually. And so it is not that it is not on his agenda; it is. It is just not the first thing on his agenda.  …”

Europeans seeking answers in wake of NSA snooping stories

Deutsche Welle, 10 June 2013

Media reports that the US National Security Agency has been monitoring phone and Internet records have raised concerns on both sides of the Atlantic. The revelations have left European politicians scrambling to respond.

Senior European Union officials said on Monday that they intended to use a meeting later this week to question their American counterparts about the possible impact on the privacy of EU citizens caused by the National Security Agency (NSA) monitoring program.

"This case shows that a clear legal framework for the protection of personal data is not a luxury or constraint, but a fundamental right," the European Commissioner for Justice, Viviane Reding said.

The European Parliament announced that it would discuss the issue in a debate on Tuesday.

"We have always been firm on data protection within the EU and when negotiating with third countries, including the US," Guy Verhofstadt of the parliament's liberal bloc said. "It would be unacceptable and would need swift action from the EU if indeed the U.S. National Security Agency were processing European data without permission."

Germany's justice minister, Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, described the NSA activities reported by Britain's Guardian and the Washington Post last week as a "reason for concern." Speaking to regional public broadcaster BR, she also said she expected Chancellor Angela Merkel to raise the issue when she meets with US President Barack Obama next week.

The chancellor's spokesman told reporters in Berlin that there was no doubt that the issue would be discussed.

"This is a circumstance that must be examined very carefully," Stefan Seibert said.

Obama is to visit Berlin next Tuesday and Wednesday.

White House spokesman Jay Carney though, played down the possibility that the NSA's surveillance program could sow discord between the two leaders. At the same time, he noted that the president "believes this is a conversation especially worth having here in the US but abroad as well."

Earlier in the day, Britain's foreign secretary cancelled a trip to Washington to speak to parliament about some of the assertions made in the Guardian and Washington Post reports.

William Hague told lawmakers that British spies had not used US eavesdropping programs to circumvent UK laws.

"It has been suggested that GCHQ (Britain's electronic surveillance agency) uses our partnership with the United States to get around UK law, obtaining information that they cannot legally obtain in the United Kingdom," Hague said.

Source revealed

All this came a day after the latest twist to the NSA surveillance story, with a former CIA employee admitting that he was the insider who had leaked the details of the US surveillance program to the Guardian.

Edward Snowden admitted Sunday he was the source behind the Guardian's disclosures.

Snowden, who worked as a contract employee at the National Security Agency (NSA), revealed his identity in a video posted on the newspaper's website. The Guardian said it had published the video at his own request.

"My sole motive is to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them," he said.

Snowden, a former technical assistant for the CIA, had been working for the NSA as an employee for various outside contractors including Booz Allen Hamilton. In a statement Booz Allen confirmed the 29-year-old Snowden had been an employee at the firm "for less than three months."

Snowden, who is currently holed up in a hotel room in Hong Kong, said he had chosen that city to flee to because "they have a spirited commitment to free speech and the right of political dissent."

pfd/kms (AP, dpa, AFP, Reuters)

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Turkey's Erdogan to meet protesters

BBC News, 10 June 2013

Turkish protests

• Inside protest HQ
• Humour as weapon in protests
• Izmir fiercely anti-Erdogan
• Erdogan's support still strong

The protests began in Istanbul on 31 May

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to meet the organisers of ongoing protests against his government on Wednesday, his deputy says.

Bulent Arinc said Mr Erdogan would "listen to their thoughts".

The prime minister has taken a tough line with the protesters, calling them "looters" and warning that his patience was limited.

The anti-government unrest was sparked by a police crackdown on a local protest over an Istanbul park.

The protests then widened, with demonstrators accusing Mr Erdogan's government of becoming increasingly authoritarian and trying to impose conservative Islamic values on a secular state.

The demonstrations are now in their 11th day, with protesters controlling much of Istanbul's Taksim Square.

"Our prime minister has given an appointment to some of the groups leading these protests," said Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc.

"They will be briefed on the facts and our prime minister will listen to their thoughts."

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Matthew’s Message - June 11, 2013 - (Matthew channelled by Suzanne Ward) New

“… Turmoil in Turkey, ostensibly to protect a park, was instigated by the CIA’s “black ops” to stoke the fire between the Sunnis and Shi’ites and lead to a blazing war. Just as all other countries in your world, Turkey has policies that are not satisfying every citizen, but it is economically sound and progressive—and that’s what the Illuminati want to destroy. Although their global network has come apart at the seams, a few peak individuals are stuck in their delusion that they will take over the entire Mideast and move on to control the rest of the world too. Most assuredly, that will not happen, and when the unrest in Turkey subsides, and it shall soon, some reforms will emerge and further strengthen the country’s progressive path. …”

Father Laiu Fights to Save Rural Romania From Fracking

Jakarta Globe - AFP, Isabelle Wesselingh, June 9, 2013

Vasile Laiu, the Christian Orthodox archpriest of Barlad, takes part in a protest
 against shale gas exploition in Barlad city, 290km northeast from Bucharest,
on May 27, 2013. (AFP Photo/Daniel Mihailescu)

Barlad. As Orthodox priest Vasile Laiu gazes over the picturesque hills of eastern Romania, he prays they will be spared the shale gas wells and drilling rigs dotting some US landscapes.

For months the 50-year-old cleric has been one of the most outspoken opponents to plans by US energy giant Chevron to drill for shale gas in this rural and impoverished region.

Clad in his black cassock, Father Laiu has joined thousands of locals in street protests against a project he says “threatens man, nature and future generations”.

Growing up in an oil-producing region, he is not an enemy of the energy industry, he insists.

But like many he opposes the controversial drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing or “fracking.”

It involves injecting huge amounts of water, mixed with sand and chemicals, at high pressures to break up rock formations and release the gas.

Widely used in some US states such as Pennsylvania and Colorado, it has been banned in Vermont as well as in France and Bulgaria because of potential air and water pollution.

When the mayor of the eastern town of Barlad banned a rally against fracking last April, Laiu welcomed the protesters in his church.

“The Church does not interfere in politics but if the health or life of only one of my fellow men is put in danger, it is my duty as a priest to intervene,” he told AFP in an interview.

Laiu, the top Orthodox priest in the Barlad region, has spent more than half of his life serving the villages. After the fall of communism in 1989 he watched his parishioners fight for jobs and farmers try to make ends meet in the new capitalist economy.

But since 2011, when Chevron obtained a 600,000-hectare (1.5 million-acre) concession to look for shale gas, the region has been caught in a new battle about its future.

Its promoters say shale gas extraction can create jobs, slash energy prices and provide a boost for the Barlad economy plagued by 10 percent unemployment, the highest rate in Romania.

Others dismiss the shale frenzy as a temporary fad that could cause lasting damage to the environment and public health. Thanks to the globalized world, the Oscar-nominated documentary “Gasland” and testimonies from American families about health problems they believe are linked to shale gas drilling have reached this far-flung corner of Romania.

A 2012 study by Duke University in the US state of North Carolina showed that drinking water wells are at risk of contamination from fracking because of underground pathways.

Father Laiu’s main fears are over water. The area suffers from droughts, and fracking needs enormous amounts of water — up to 20,000 cubic meters (706,000 cubic feet) — per well, according to industry figures.

Four-year-old daughter died from a tumor

The disposal of wastewater laced with corrosive salts, carcinogens and natural radioactive elements is another worry in an area where villagers grow their own fruit and vegetables and raise livestock.

“I have three children and I want them to grow up in a safe environment with clean water,” said Alina Secriaru, a nurse from Barlad.

“Who will be willing to buy wheat, cheese or fruit” if millions of liters of toxic water are handled in the region?, Laiu asks.

Chevron spokeswoman Sally Jones stressed to AFP that it “operates at the highest standards in terms of safety and environmental protection”.

The company “remains committed to being a responsible partner in Romania… actively contributing to the local communities in which it operates”, she added.

But Father Laiu says the villagers are being ignored: “Parishioners found prospecting equipment sinking pipes into fields without prior notice. Then they saw the walls crack” on their buildings, he said.

The priest’s steadfast stance has impressed many.

“He stayed with us when politicians who were on our side last year abandoned us,” said notary and anti-fracking campaigner Lulu Finaru.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta’s centre-left coalition, including the Barlad mayor and local MPs, had initially slammed the previous government’s decision to grant shale gas concessions.

Ponta, in power since May 2012, even put a moratorium on drilling.

But since that moratorium expired in December, the PM and rival President Traian Basescu have become leading European supporters of shale energy.

A US study estimated the joint reserves for Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary at around 538 billion cubic metres, possibly making it the biggest deposit in eastern Europe.

“Britain and Poland are looking to exploit shale gas. I do not think they would do something bad for the people,” Barlad Mayor Constantin Constantinescu now argues.

But Laiu remains determined to make the voice of the locals heard.

“Years ago, my four-year old daughter died from a tumour. When I asked the doctor why, he answered: ‘Only God knows, father. But we are too close to Chernobyl and that could be the cause’.

“I cannot remain indifferent when the environment is concerned. Life is more valuable than any money they offer us,” Laiu said.

Agence France-Presse

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UBS under formal investigation in France over tax evasion

BBC News, 7 June 2013

Big Banking

• Lloyds raises £3.3bn in bond deal
• HSBC may cut up to 14,000 more jobs
• RBS shareholders back pay package
• HSBC profits surge as bad loans fall

UBS and its French branch are suspected of helping
rich clients set up illegal accounts in Switzerland

French authorities are formally investigating UBS for allegedly helping wealthy clients open undeclared bank accounts in Switzerland.

The Swiss bank is suspected of "complicity in illegal sales practices", an official at the Paris prosecutor's office told the BBC.

It also allegedly set up a shadow accounting system that masked transfers between French and Swiss bank accounts.

UBS said it was cooperating with authorities.

Under French law being placed under official investigation means there is "serious or consistent" evidence to implicate a suspect in a crime. But it does not necessarily lead to a trial, the official said.

The latest move follows action taken against the bank's French unit last week which was also formally placed under investigation.

Whistle-blower

The allegations came to light after former UBS employees blew the whistle on the alleged practices.

The former head of UBS France, Patrick de Fayet, and two other local branch executives have already been placed under investigation.

UBS said: "We will continue working with the authorities in France within the applicable legal framework to arrive at a resolution to this matter."

In a separate statement in French, it said: "The tribunal's decision widens the probe. UBS will continue to cooperate with the French authorities. UBS will not allow any move aimed at helping clients to avoid their fiscal duties."

The alleged offences are believed to have taken place between 2002-2007 and involve individuals and companies.

Anonymous letter

The magistrates investigating the affair have sent a list containing the names of 353 people suspected of having held a Swiss account to Swiss authorities and have requested details, the official at the prosecutor's office told the BBC.

An anonymous letter had been sent to the regulatory arm of the French central bank suggesting that parallel accounts were opened in Switzerland but that were not declared in France, the AFP news agency reported.

UBS was separately also given the status of "supervised witness" on two other allegations related to money laundering and tax evasion, the prosecutor's office said.

Supervised witness means that a person must be accompanied by his or her lawyer if questioned further in the investigation.

The latest investigation came two months after former French budget minister Jerome Cahuzac resigned after admitting he had squirreled away savings in an undeclared Swiss bank account. His ministry was responsible for tackling tax evasion.

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Muslim Envoy Asks Pope Francis to Take ‘Step Forward’

Jakarta Globe - AFP, June 7, 2013

Pope Francis shows a thumbs-up sign as he arrives to lead his Wednesday
 general audience in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican on June 5, 2013.
(Reuters Photo/Max Rossi)

Vatican City. An envoy from Sunni Islam’s highest seat of learning, Al-Azhar in Cairo, raised the prospect of restoring ties with the Vatican on Friday but called on Pope Francis to take “a step forward” by declaring that Islam is a peaceful religion.

“The problems that we had were not with the Vatican but with the former pope. Now the doors of Al-Azhar are open,” Mahmoud Abdel Gawad, diplomatic envoy to the grand imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed al-Tayyeb, told Italian daily Il Messaggero in Cairo.

“Francis is a new pope. We are expecting a step forward from him. If in one of his addresses he were to declare that Islam is a peaceful religion, that Muslims are not looking for war or violence, that would be progress in itself,” he said.

A ceremony in March in which Pope Francis washed the feet of young inmates in Rome, including a Muslim girl, was “a gesture that was very, very much appreciated” by Al-Azhar, Gawad said.

He said that if Francis were to accept an invitation from Coptic Orthodox pope Tawadros II to visit Egypt, he could also visit Al-Azhar.

“At that point, relations and dialogue would be restored immediately,” he was quoted as saying.

But Gawad ruled out the prospect of talks between the leaders of the world’s three main monotheistic religions mentioned in Vatican circles, saying Al-Azhar “will not take part in any meeting with Israelis.”

In 2006, then pope Benedict XVI sparked fury across the Muslim world when he recounted an anecdote in which the Muslim Prophet Mohammed was described as a warmonger who spread evil teachings.

Dialogue resumed in 2009, but was again severed after Benedict strongly called for protection of Christian minorities following a 2011 bombing at a church in Alexandria, Egypt’s second city.

Agence France-Presse

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"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) 

“… Spiritual Systems

Let's speak about spiritual systems. I will report on what we have said in the past and what may very well be in store for you in the future. There are many spiritual systems on the planet, but the one that we wish to speak of is the one right now that has approximately one billion followers, for this is one we have spoken of before and it's the one that's going to change the most. It's old, and the leader is currently called the Pope.

Now, if you want some information about what's going on in his church, find out how many are signing up to be priests and nuns. In most parts of the world, it's very few. Certain countries have sustained the numbers, but most of them are finding the numbers reduced greatly. Without interest from younger people, this whole spiritual breed is dying. The organization is losing its younger leader pool, and it has been noticed by the church.

Now, here's what I'd like to tell you, dear ones: The potentials are that this church is going to survive, as well it should. Know this: There is nothing occurring now that will create a full earth that will be metaphysical, esoterically minded or New Age. That is not going to happen. It doesn't have to happen and it shouldn't happen, for it doesn't respect the elders of those who have different systems, but who also have healings and the love of God in their systems. Instead, these systems are going to see themselves recalibrate - that is, adjust and correct.

Blessed are the Human Beings who find God in their own way. Old souls will awaken to a truth that new souls are still working on. This explains the various levels of worship on this planet and the reason for very diverse spiritual systems. Many Human Beings who do not have the advantage of your old soul wisdom will motivate towards systems you may feel are too simple, and even mythological. But these systems are often the beginnings of understanding God. There is a place for it all. So let us speak about the Catholic Church.

I gave you a channelling years ago when Pope John Paul was alive. John Paul loved Mary, the mother. Had John Paul survived another 10 years, he would have done what the next Pope [The one after the current one, Benedict XVI] will do, and that is to bring women into the Church. This Pope you have now [Benedict XVI] won't be here long.* The next Pope will be the one who has to change the rules, should he survive. If he doesn't, it will be the one after that.

There it a large struggle within the Church, even right now, and great dissention, for it knows that it is not giving what humanity wants. The doctrine is not current to the puzzles of life. The answer will be to create a better balance between the feminine and masculine, and the new Pope, or the one after that, will try to allow women to be in the higher echelon of the Church structure to assist the priests.

It will be suggested to let women participate in services, doing things women did not do before. This graduates them within church law to an equality with priests, but doesn't actually let them become priests just yet. However, don't be surprised if this begins in another way, and instead gives priests the ability to marry. This will bring the feminine into the church in other ways. It will eventually happen and has to happen. If it does not, it will be the end of the Catholic Church, for humanity will not sustain a spiritual belief system that is out of balance with the love of God and also out of balance with intuitive Human awareness.

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. ...."

"... 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. ...”

Turkey unrest highlights PM, president rivalry

Google – AFP,  Burak Akinci (AFP), 6 June 2013 

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and president

Abdullah Gul (L) on May 29, 2013 in Istanbul (AFP/File, Mira)

ANKARA — Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul have strongly differing lines on Turkey's mass protests, throwing a spotlight on their growing rivalry ahead of next year's elections when both could potentially run for the presidency, observers say.

Ever since the first rounds of tear gas were fired at peaceful protesters in Istanbul's Taksim Square last week, escalating into violent clashes nationwide, Turkey's powerful prime minister has responded with characteristic defiance.

Despite facing the biggest challenge to his decade-long rule, the 59-year-old leader has dismissed the demonstrators as "extremists" and pressed on with an official trip to North Africa, vowing that the situation at home would be resolved by the time he returned on Thursday.

That prediction has been rubbished by demonstrators gathering in ever larger numbers to call for Erdogan's resignation, accusing him of authoritarianism and of imposing conservative, Islamic values on the predominantly Muslim but staunchly secular country.

"It's very hurtful to be treated this way," Ahmet Insel, a political scientist at Istanbul's Galatasaray University, said about the many young protesters whose anger has been stoked by Erdogan's tough stance.

"It's hard for him (Erdogan) to tone down his aggressive and arrogant language, which doesn't go down well with an important fringe section of society."

In stark contrast, 62-year-old head of state Gul -- often described as Turkey's "good cop" to Erdogan's "bad cop" -- has struck a conciliatory tone, reassuring the protesters their message had been "received" and urging them to voice their views in a peaceful way.

But Gul is no stranger to controversy: his history of political Islam and the symbolism of his wife's decision to wear a headscarf provoked widespread criticism when he was elected in 2007.

Pressed to respond to Gul's softer remarks on the protests, Erdogan said he did not know what the president meant, "but for me, democracy comes from the ballot box".

Long considered close political allies -- Gul and Erdogan co-founded the governing Islamic-rooted party Justice and Development Party (AKP) which has won three successive elections since 2002 -- the pair have toed a different line on several occasions in recent months, including on the issue of lifting immunity for Kurdish lawmakers.

Observers say their possible competing bids for the 2014 election, when voters will for the first time directly elect their president, will increasingly highlight their differences.

While neither has officially declared their candidacy, some experts expect incumbent Gul to seek a second term in 2014.

Populist Erdogan, whose popularity has grown with every election but whose party rules bar him from a fourth term as premier, is expected to try to boost the constitutional powers of the presidency before making his bid.

Experts believe he wants to continue his political career with a powerful executive presidency similar to that in the United States, rather than the current largely ceremonial one.

Erdogan is credited with bringing relative stability to Turkey after years of rocky coalition governments, building the country into a regional political and economic power.

He could count on the support of half the electorate in the last election but his zero-tolerance attitude to criticism and his tendency to use the courts to silence opponents have proven a major test for the country which has long sought to join the European Union.

Even as the race for the presidency has yet to be fought out in the open, the anti-government unrest that has brought thousands to the streets has already affected the chances of the would-be candidates, according to observers.

"Erdogan has been weakened by this crisis and his ascent to the post of president has been compromised," journalist Deniz Zeyrek wrote in an editorial for the Radikal, a liberal daily.

Gul, on the other hand, "has consolidated his democratic image", he added.

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Keeping the spirit of Poland's Solidarity movement alive

Deutsche Welle, 6 June 2013

It´s nearly 25 years since the mass movement in Poland began a process which led to the fall of communism across Europe. But are the young Poles of today forgetting the role Lech Walesa's Solidarity movement played?

With eyes focused on Syria, protests in Turkey, and continued fears over Egypt's direction, some fear very recent Polish history is being forgotten by today's generation. So how are the country's historians trying to ensure young people understand the tumultuous events of the 1970s and 80s which led to the fall of communism?

Jan Daniluk, one such historian, was barely five years old when voters ousted the communist government in June 1989. Today he's the spokesman for the Institute of National Remembrance in Warsaw, which serves as custodian of the Polish historical record during the 60 years that spanned the Nazi and communist dictatorships. Daniluk has seen such rapid changes in his country that he wonders whether people his age can grasp how hard life was for their parents and grandparents. 

Solidarity led by electrician Lech
 Walesa crushed the communists in
a landmark election victory

"In our times, we have McDonald's, we have Internet, we can travel, we have passports; we can drink Coca-Cola without any stress that it's a taste of imperialism, right? And the problem is that we just cannot imagine that it was really different just 25 years ago?"

He worries that his generation's lack of interest in Poland's recent history could lead to civic apathy.

As Poles reflected on Tuesday on the 24th anniversary of the historic elections on June 4 1989, the days of dismally long lines for commodities as basic as toilet paper seem very long ago.

Roads to Freedom

It was a year which shaped the world: China's suppression of protest in Tiananmen Square, the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan and the fall of the Berlin Wall.

In Poland the Solidarity movement led by electrician Lech Walesa crushed the communists in a landmark election victory triggering the fall of communism as mass movements swept repressive leaders from power.

In Gdansk, the dockyard birthplace of Solidarity, deep in a bunker built by French prisoners during World War II is the remarkable Roads to Freedom exhibition. It's been converted to a space that reconstructs the country's post-war history so clearly that visitors could be forgiven for thinking they've descended into a time warp.

'They were really brave'

A few life-size, costumed mannequins look stunningly real. One of them, a weary woman, has half a dozen rolls of toilet paper strung over her shoulder like a satchel. She's standing outside a dismal storefront with an expression implying she's waited in line for hours just to get this simple commodity that probably wouldn't be available again for months. Welcome to Poland's not so distant past.

Poland saw waves of strikes and
 street demonstrations during 1988
and 1989

"There's something inside me, I look at these photos, these tired persons, their faces and I think God, they were really brave. Because it was really something, yes?" reflects Daniluk.

He's concerned that Polish youth might begin to take their democratic freedom for granted if they don't know anything about the communist past.

At the University in Gdansk, Natalia Bogdanovich is studying Latin, French and Spanish. Even as a non-history graduate, she feels it's crucial to have a basic knowledge of what Poland went through to get to where it is now.

"I think it's very important because when I listen even to the stories of my grandma, and how hard it was in daily life to get a washing machine, to get a wheelchair if you were sick... I see how much easier it is for me to live now...because of what Solidarity did in our country."

Fading interest?

But according to Professor Grzegorz Berendt, "the number of people really interested in the communist past is smaller and smaller."

In his view young people just want to live their lives in the present and can't be bothered with what happened before they were born.

"I am a little disappointed, but I understand their situation. It's the same all over the world. Maybe you know a country where teenagers are more interested in history than in rock 'n' roll or something like this. But I doubt it!"

The past is the future

 Solidarity was the first non–communist
party-controlled trade union in a
Warsaw Pact country

But his central argument is that it's not enough to get today's youth to care about history. He sees a great need for the rehabilitation of Polish national memory, which was suppressed under communism.

With the study of history discouraged in the old days, hundreds of thousands of Polish dissidents victimized by the regime were never acknowledged until now. Berendt regrets even their own descendants are not that interested in what happened.

"But we are lucky to give back the memory to society of the people who did a lot of good things in our past. On the other hand, we have, of course, very hard-core enemies: people who benefited from the communist system. And they started to destroy evidence of their crimes, burning documents, and they do not want to look back. They tell us, 'you have to look forward, to the future. Past is not important.' But past IS important for the consciousness of a society."

Professor Berendt and Jan Daniluk, historians from two different generations, know very well that a country's honest biography cannot be written in black and white. In Poland, there is much more truth to be told. And they hope those who inhabit the future will want to hear it.

Vladimir Putin and his wife announce their separation in TV interview

Russian president and Lyudmila Putin reveal that they are no longer living together by 'their common decision'

The Guardian, Luke Harding and Alexander Winning in Moscow, Thursday 6 June 2013

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, and Lyudmila Putin leave a poling
station in Moscow in March 2012. Photograph: Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP

Vladimir Putin and his wife, Lyudmila, have announced their separation after 30 years of marriage, ending years of speculation about their relationship. She had rarely been seen in public in recent months, prompting media speculation about the president's marriage.

Confirmation came on Thursday evening when the Putins gave an interview to the state-run TV channel Russia 24 after attending a ballet at the State Kremlin Palace. Asked about a rumour that they no longer lived together, Putin, 60, said: "That is true."

Mrs Putin, 55, said it had been "our common decision. And our marriage is over due to the fact that we barely see each other".

Asked if they had divorced, she said it was a "civilised divorce". But Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, later clarified that the Putins aren't yet legally divorced and that he didn't know when the divorce proceedings would be finalized.

"Everything that's related to Putin's personal life is his business alone, he has never made it a subject for public discussion. That's his principle, and he has earned that right, so let's treat it with respect," Peskov said.

The couple, who have two daughters in their 20s, had last been seen in public together at Putin's inauguration to his third presidential term in May 2012.

"We really love our children, are very proud of them and see them regularly," Putin said. Rumours that he and his wife had separated have circulated for years, and amount to Moscow's worst kept secret. During one of their rare public appearances together back in 2010, they sat awkwardly on a sofa as a census-taker asked them questions.

Mrs Putin – or Mrs Putina in Russian – seemed dazed, and uncertain how to react in the presence of her husband. Her demeanour fuelled allegations that she had retired to an Orthodox convent or was leading a life separate from her husband.

During Putin's first presidential stint between 2000 and 2004, he took his wife on several foreign trips. But by his second term he was travelling solo. Meanwhile there was speculation that Putin had embarked on a series of dalliances with other, much younger women. In 2008 he publicly denied claims that he was about to divorce his wife and marry Alina Kabaeva, a 27-year-old rhythmical gymnast with "incredible flexibility". Evening Standard owner Alexander Lebedev shut down his tabloid Moscow newspaper after it broke the story.

During a visit to Italy and while standing alongside – fittingly – Silvio Berlusconi, Putin was asked about the story by a brave female reporter.

Putin replied: "There is not a word of truth in what you say." Then he added: "I have always treated badly those who poke their noses and their erotic fantasies into someone else's life."

Speculation about Putin's love life is paradoxically a product of the Kremlin's own ultra-secretive habits.

Since becoming president in 2000, Putin has starred in a non-stop action-man drama – skiing down volcanoes, stunning tigers and polar bears, and even flying with cranes, his exploits covered nightly by state-controlled TV.

But despite this exhaustive image management, Kremlin aides have said nothing about Putin's personal life. There are practically no photos of the Putins' two grown-up daughters.

For months at a time, Mrs Putin would vanish, as if kidnapped by aliens. Given this news blackout it was inevitable that half-truths, educated speculation and lurid nonsense would fill the vacuum.

Lyudmila's confirmation that she and her husband have split is the rarest thing in Moscow's twilight informational world: a genuine fact.

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Archangel Michael on Putin -  May 13, 2013 (An Hour with an Angel)

SB: Okay. Thank you, Lord. I’m going to put the Vladimir Putin question ahead of the Boston bombing question. I think a lot of Russian readers and listeners are wondering if they can trust Vladimir Putin.

Now, you’ve said he was in containment and he’s coming out of containment. Can you direct yourself to Russian listeners, please, and tell them what they need to know about Vladimir Putin, please?

AAM: Well, I will say that he has been gradually coming out of containment, and reintegrated, shall we say, into society and into his role and decisions. So what I say to you is be vigilant and be the observer. Do not get caught in what appears to be the drama of this readjustment of power. So, allow the shifting of the core and the centers of power to be adjusted.

Russia has a very important role to play in the future years, as I have said before. So, stand back, my friends. Be the observer. I am not asking you to extend your wholehearted trust and empathy to this individual. What I am asking you to do is to extend trust to your own discernment, because it is not 100 per cent clean, but it is not dirty either.