Spanish princess to stand trial in royal first

Yahoo – AFP, 22 Dec 2014

Spain's princess Cristina (L), seen here arriving at the Palma de Mallorca

 courthouse on February 8, 2014, denies wrongdoing as she faces two counts

of being an accessory to tax fraud (AFP Photo/Jaime Reina)

Madrid (AFP) - Princess Cristina, the sister of Spain's King Felipe VI, will be the first member of the royal family ever to appear in the dock after a judge Monday ordered her to be tried for tax fraud.

The historic decision comes after four years of investigations that plunged the royal family into crisis and contributed to the abdication of King Juan Carlos in June.

A court on the island of Majorca ordered Cristina, 49, to stand trial on two counts of being an accessory to tax fraud in connection with her husband's business affairs, in a written ruling seen by AFP.

Spanish Judge Jose Castro speaks to the

 press after he ordered the sister of Spain's

 King Felipe VI, Cristina, to stand trial for

 alleged tax fraud in Palma de Mallorca, on 

December 23, 2014 (AFP Photo/Jaime
Reina)

It ordered her to pay a court bond of 2.7 million euros ($3.3 million) while a date is set for the trial. Cristina had already paid a deposit of 587,000 euros to cover her possible liability in the case.

She is accused of taking part in tax evasion by her husband, the former Olympic handball player Inaki Urdangarin. He is accused of embezzling and laundering millions of euros in public funds.

Cristina's lawyers say she is innocent of any wrongdoing.

Asked to comment on the ruling, a royal spokesman said it "has the utmost respect for the independence of the judiciary".

The trial is one of countless fraud and corruption scandals that have outraged Spaniards over recent years, including several cases of alleged financial misdoings involving the ruling conservative party.

Cristina Federica of Bourbon and Greece is the youngest daughter of Juan Carlos and sixth in line to the Spanish throne. She married Urdangarin in 1997 in a glittering ceremony in Barcelona.

The case is a big headache for Felipe who took the throne on June 19 promising an "honest and transparent monarchy".

Public prosecutors had called on the court to shelve the case, saying there was not enough evidence against Cristina and hinting that investigators were out to get the princess.

But investigating magistrate Jose Castro at the court in Palma de Majorca upheld a lawsuit brought by Manos Limpias (Clean Hands), a pressure group that has brought numerous corruption cases against public figures.

"We have made history," said the group's leader Miguel Bernad. "If it was not for our suit, there would have been no charges. Everyone is equal before the law."

Public anger

As well as Cristina and Urdangarin, the court on Monday ordered 15 other suspects to stand trial.

The court upheld a list of charges against Urdangarin including embezzlement and ordered him to pay a bond of 15 million euros.

Urdangarin is accused along with a former business partner of creaming off six million euros ($8 million) in public funds from contracts awarded to Noos, a charitable foundation.

Cristina sat on the board of Noos and Urdangarin was its chairman.

Investigators suspect that a separate company jointly owned by the couple, Aizoon, served as a front for laundering embezzled money.

Questioned in court by Castro in February, Cristina said she had simply trusted her husband and had no knowledge of his business affairs.

Castro grilled Cristina over accounts that indicated Aizoon money was used for personal expenses, including work on the couple's Barcelona mansion, dance lessons and Harry Potter books.

Spain's Princess Cristina is accused of

 cooperating in tax evasion by her
husband, former Olympic handball player
Inaki Urdangarin, seen here in 2012

(AFP Photo/Jaime Reina)

Judges last month dropped money-laundering charges against Cristina but upheld the lesser tax fraud charges.

The so-called Noos affair fanned public anger against the monarchy and the ruling class during the recent years of economic hardship in Spain.

The scandal soured the reign of Felipe's father Juan Carlos, who gave up the throne after 39 years so his son could freshen up the image of the monarchy.

Urdangarin and Cristina have been excluded from royal activities since 2011 when he was first named as a suspect.

Monday's ruling cannot be appealed and the accused have three weeks to present written court pleas in their defence, Castro ruled.

Cristina's lawyer Miquel Roca told reporters afterwards the princess was "surprised and upset" by the decision. Contrary to what the court ruled, he argued that there could still be grounds for her to appeal against it.

New Romania President Iohannis sworn into office

Klaus Iohannis has been sworn in as Romania's new president. The new head of state pledged to use his time in office to fight corruption and strengthen the country's institutions.

Deutsche Welle, 21 Dec 2014

Iohannis took the oath of office in a joint session of Romania's upper and lower houses of parliament in the capital, Bucharest, before travelling to the presidential palace to take up his duties.

"There is a need for the whole political class to understand there is no other way for Romania except that of a country rid of corruption," the 55-year-old head of state said in his inaugural speech.

"I want that at the end of my term people can see we have made durable laws, solid institutions," he added.

Iohannis, an ethnic German who surprisingly defeated Prime Minister Victor Ponta in the November 16 run-off election, in part because he won the votes of thousands of voters abroad, who had been unable to cast their ballots in the first round.

The former mayor of a town in Transylvania, Iohannis has promised to use the office to act as a unifying force in Romanian politics, which in recent years has often been marked by squabbling between Prime Minister Ponta and the man he is replacing as president, Traian Basescu.

Basescu's decade in office ends

Basescu, a center-right politician, was not eligible to run again after serving the maximum 10 years allowed under the country's constitution.

He has been credited for his commitment to fighting corruption in the country and was a staunch ally of the United States.

Basescu's term, however, was also marked by controversy. On Saturday, he declined to comment on the latest media reports suggesting that Romania had hosted a secret CIA prison, saying the matter was being investigated by public prosecutors.

pfd/shs (Reuters, AP)

Elton John weds David Furnish after 21 years together

Yahoo – AFP, 21 Dec 2014

David Furnish (left) and Elton John at the wedding of Britain's Prince William

 and Kate Middleton, at Westminster Abbey in central London, on April 29, 2011

(AFP Photo/Jon Bond)

Windsor (United Kingdom) (AFP) - British pop legend Elton John married long-time partner David Furnish in Windsor on Sunday, the ninth anniversary of their civil partnership, with the singer posting evidence on social media.

The 67-year-old singer posted a picture on photo-sharing website Instagram of himself and Furnish in blue suits brandishing a pen as they signed a form.

"That's the legal bit done. Now on to the ceremony!" said the caption.

Elton John (centre) and David Furnish

(centre right) watch John's favourite team

Watford play Crystal Palace in the

Championship playoff final at Wembley on

May 27, 2013 (AFP Photo/Ian Kington)

The star-studded ceremony will take place at their Windsor home, west of London, close to the castle where Queen Elizabeth II spends much of her time.

The "Rocket Man" musician earlier posted of an invitation on his Instagram page, with the words "Sir Elton John and David Furnish request the pleasure of your company to celebrate their wedding on Sunday the 21st December" written on a background of red roses.

Around 50 guests, including David and Victoria Beckham, Elizabeth Hurley and Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, have been invited to the ceremony, according to British press reports.

Although known for his flamboyance, the ceremony is expected to be "a small, intimate do" with guests being served festive canapes and mulled wine, according to the Daily Mail.

The picture of the wedding invitation was among the first three posts to his newly opened Instagram account.

David Furnish, model Heidi Klum and

Victoria Beckham at the 2010 Elton John

 AIDS Foundation Oscar Party in West

 Hollywood, California (AFP Photo/

Stefanie Keenan)

The others show a view of the couple's estate under the words "Good morning! Nice day for a wedding. #ShareTheLove" and of two pairs of children's shoes by a roaring fire.

"Our little ring bearers are fast asleep, and their shoes are polished and ready for tomorrow's celebration," read the caption.

It is believed the ring bearers will be the couple's two sons, Zachary, three, and Elijah, 23 months. John said earlier this year that he and Furnish were planning to marry "very quietly" in the presence of their two children.

'Proud of British laws'

The singer voiced pride that England and Wales began allowing same-sex marriage in March. Scotland followed suit this week.

John and Furnish -- who divide their time between England, Beverly Hills, Atlanta, Venice and Nice in the south of France -- entered a civil partnership soon after the institution began in Britain in 2005 and have now been together for 21 years.

Elton John (left) and David Furnish wear

 decorated 3D glasses for the British

Premiere of 'Gnomeo and Juliet', in London's

Leicester Square on January 30, 2011 

(AFP Photo/Max Nash)

"I'm very proud of Britain and the laws that we've seen come into existence since we've been together," John told US TV network NBC in March.

"Having our civil partnership was an incredible breakthrough for people that have campaigned for a long time -- through the '60s and the '50s in England when it was so hard to be gay and hard to be open about it. And it was a criminal act.

"So for this legislation (gay marriage) to come through is joyous, and we should celebrate it. We shouldn't just say, 'Oh, well we have a civil partnership. We're not going to bother to get married.' We will get married," he said.

The 2005 celebration was a much grander affair, with 650 guests invited.

Early in his career, John hid his sexuality and married a woman. He later became an advocate for gay rights and has been active in the fight against AIDS.

Made in China fake euro coins tracked down in Italy

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2014-12-21

A batch of Euros made in Lithuania. (File photo/ Xinhua)

Italian police have recently tracked down a ship container carrying forged euro coins worth €556,000 (US$693,000) believed to have been minted in mainland China, marking the biggest euro coin forgery case since the currency began circulating in 2002, reports our Chinese-language sister paper Want Daily.

There are a total of 306,000 coins, all in one- or two-euro denominations,

According to Calogero Ferrara, a prosecutor in Naples where the false money was found. The two-euro coins are so well made that even vending machines fail to distinguish them from genuine.

The fake coins were made in factories in China and were slotted to start circulating in Italy before the Christmas shopping season, Ferrara said.

The city's police have arrested 12 suspects, including four Chinese nationals, who will be charged with the production and circulating of counterfeit money.

Green light for world’s largest planned tidal energy project in Scotland

MeyGen project could power nearly 175,000 homes through network of turbines on seabed at Ness of Quoys off Caithness

The Guardian, Press Association, Friday 19 December 2014

The coast of Caithness, Scotland, near where the tidal project will
be based. Photograph: Albaimages/Alamy

Construction of the largest planned tidal energy project in the world is expected to begin off the Scottish coast next month, developers have announced.

Atlantis, majority owner of the MeyGen project, said it had finalised all of the conditions required to initiate its first drawdown from financiers The Crown Estate and Scottish Enterprise.

The project has the potential to power nearly 175,000 homes through a network of 269 turbines on the seabed at Ness of Quoys in Caithness, north-east Scotland.

The company’s share price dipped on Friday but Atlantis said it “knows of no trading or operational reason to warrant this change”, particularly given the good progress it is making on MeyGen.

In an announcement to investors, Atlantis said: “The major construction and supply contractors to this iconic project have commenced design, engineering and procurement works in readiness for commencement of onshore construction at the project site in Caithness in January 2015.

“The equity investments in the project by Scottish Enterprise (through the Renewable Energy Investment Fund) and Atlantis value the MeyGen project on a post-money equity basis at over £70m.

“Onshore construction at the Ness of Quoys project site is expected to commence in January 2015, with ABB due to start construction of the onshore infrastructure for connection to the electricity transmission grid for power export.

“We believe MeyGen is the largest planned tidal energy project in the world with a capacity of almost 400MW.”

The first power to the national grid is expected to be delivered in 2016.

Each of MeyGen's AR1000 turbines stands 22.5m (73ft) tall and
weighs 1,500 tonnes

Related Articles:

Pentland Firth tidal turbine project given consent

Giant tidal turbine 'performing well' in tests off Orkney


"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version)

“…  4 - Energy (again)

The natural resources of the planet are finite and will not support the continuation of what you've been doing. We've been saying this for a decade. Watch for increased science and increased funding for alternate ways of creating electricity (finally). Watch for the very companies who have the most to lose being the ones who fund it. It is the beginning of a full realization that a change of thinking is at hand. You can take things from Gaia that are energy, instead of physical resources. We speak yet again about geothermal, about tidal, about wind. Again, we plead with you not to over-engineer this. For one of the things that Human Beings do in a technological age is to over-engineer simple things. Look at nuclear - the most over-engineered and expensive steam engine in existence!

Your current ideas of capturing energy from tidal and wave motion don't have to be technical marvels. Think paddle wheel on a pier with waves, which will create energy in both directions [waves coming and going] tied to a generator that can power dozens of neighborhoods, not full cities. Think simple and decentralize the idea of utilities. The same goes for wind and geothermal. Think of utilities for groups of homes in a cluster. You won't have a grid failure if there is no grid. This is the way of the future, and you'll be more inclined to have it sooner than later if you do this, and it won't cost as much….”

"A Summary" – Apr 2, 2011 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Religion, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Intelligent/Benevolent Design, EU, South America, 5 Currencies, Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Middle East, Internet, Israel, Dictators, Palestine, US, Japan (Quake/Tsunami Disasters , People, Society ...), Nuclear Power Revealed, Hydro Power, Geothermal Power, Moon, Financial Institutes (Recession, Realign integrity values ..) , China, North Korea, Global Unity,..... etc.) - (Text version)

“... Japan

Let us talk for a moment about Japan, and then I'll close the day of messages. There are thousands of souls on my side of the veil and they're just fine, more than fine. We have spoken so often of what happens at the Wind of Birth. I told you, before they even came in, they saw the potential. I looked in their eyes. "You may not last long. You know that, don't you? You're coming into this planet and you may not be here very long. And the passing that you will have with your family will not be pleasant, if any ever are. Why would you come in anyway?" I want to tell you what they said. When a soul has the mind of God, it understands fully what generates peace and what generates energy shift. You can clearly see what generates what the planet needs the most when you are about to arrive. So they said, "We're going to be part of one of the biggest compassion events the planet has ever seen." One earthquake, one tsunami. All of those who left that day will change the earth forever. And it already has. It was the same for the last tsunami as well.

Every single one of them on my side of the veil is getting ready to come back. Many old souls were involved, and just for a moment, if they could give you any information, if they could talk to you right now, if they could speak your language and look into your eyes, they would thank you for your compassion for them and those who are left. And they would say, "Be with those family members who are still alive. Enter their hearts every day and give them peace and keep them from crying, because we're OK."

Nuclear Power Revealed

So let me tell you what else they did. They just showed you what's wrong with nuclear power. "Safe to the maximum," they said. "Our devices are strong and cannot fail." But they did. They are no match for Gaia.

It seems that for more than 20 years, every single time we sit in the chair and speak of electric power, we tell you that hundreds of thousands of tons of push/pull energy on a regular schedule is available to you. It is moon-driven, forever. It can make all of the electricity for all of the cities on your planet, no matter how much you use. There's no environmental impact at all. Use the power of the tides, the oceans, the waves in clever ways. Use them in a bigger way than any designer has ever put together yet, to power your cities. The largest cities on your planet are on the coasts, and that's where the power source is. Hydro is the answer. It's not dangerous. You've ignored it because it seems harder to engineer and it's not in a controlled environment. Yet, you've chosen to build one of the most complex and dangerous steam engines on Earth - nuclear power.

We also have indicated that all you have to do is dig down deep enough and the planet will give you heat. It's right below the surface, not too far away all the time. You'll have a Gaia steam engine that way, too. There's no danger at all and you don't have to dig that far. All you have to do is heat fluid, and there are some fluids that boil far faster than water. So we say it again and again. Maybe this will show you what's wrong with what you've been doing, and this will turn the attitudes of your science to create something so beautiful and so powerful for your grandchildren. Why do you think you were given the moon? Now you know.

This benevolent Universe gave you an astral body that allows the waters in your ocean to push and pull and push on the most regular schedule of anything you know of. Yet there you sit enjoying just looking at it instead of using it. It could be enormous, free energy forever, ready to be converted when you design the methods of capturing it. It's time.

So in closing, do you understand what you're seeing? You're seeing intelligent design, quantum energy and high consciousness. You are seeing changes in Human nature. You're seeing countries putting things together instead of separating. You are seeing those who don't want war and instead want peace, good schools for their children, safety in their streets and a say in their government. We told you it was going to happen this way. I want my partner to teach these things that I have said in his 3D lectures for awhile. Many won't be able to know these things otherwise.  …”

Putin says no one can 'intimidate or isolate' Russia

Yahoo – AFP, 20 Dec 2014

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his annual press conference
in Moscow on December 18, 2014 (AFP Photo/Alexander Nemenov)

Moscow (AFP) - President Vladimir Putin said Saturday no country can "intimidate" or "isolate" Russia, after the West imposed new sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine crisis.

"Of course, no one will be able to intimidate us, or contain and isolate Russia. No one has ever been able to and no one ever will," Putin said in a speech.

Putin said Russia must be prepared to "go through certain difficulties and always give an adequate response to all the threats to its sovereignty, stability and the unity of society".

On Friday, the European Union and the United States boosted sanctions against Crimea over its annexation by Russia in March.

In moves coordinated with Washington, the EU agreed to ban all investment in Crimea and cruise ships from its ports.

Related Article:

US follows EU with further Crimea sanctions

Franciscan Order reveals dodgy finances

The Order of Friars Minor (OFM), the Catholic Church's most prominent brotherhood of Franciscan friars, has said dubious dealings have led the OFM into serious financial trouble. An investigation is underway.

Deutsche Welle, 19 Dec 2014

In an open letter posted on the OFM website Brother Michael Perry, head of the OFM, revealed that the results of an internal investigation showed the order was in serious financial difficulty and deeply in debt. Shady dealings by some friars with fiduciary responsibilities had put the order's finances at risk.

The Italian news magazine Panorama reported in its latest edition, under the headline "Franciscans at the cusp of bankruptcy" (Francescani sull'orlo della bancarotta), that tens of millions of euros of the OFM's funds had been invested in offshore shell companies. Some of the money apparently went missing in connection with the purchase and renovation of a hotel in central Rome.

Perry's letter, addressed to all the Order's friars, said the order's general treasurer, Giancarlo Lati, had resigned, but gave no details.

Perry's letter identified "three important elements" as having emerged from the OFM's internal investigation into the order's finances.

"First, the General Curia finds itself in grave, and I underscore ‘grave' financial difficulty, with a significant burden of debt," Brother Perry wrote.

"Second, the systems of financial oversight and control for the management of the patrimony of the Order were either too weak or were compromised, thus limiting their effectiveness to guarantee responsible, transparent management," he went on.

"Third, there appears to have taken place a number of questionable financial activities that were conducted by friars entrusted with the care of the patrimony of the Order without the full knowledge or consent of the former and current General Definitorium. Because of the scope and magnitude of these activities, they have placed the financial stability of the General Curia at grave risk."

Perry added that the questionable activities also involved people "who are not Franciscan but who appear to have played a central role," and therefore the OFM's leaders had decided to call on civil authorities to help deal with the matter.

Untransparent dealings at the papacy's
main financial institution, the Istituto
per le Opere di Religione - generally
known as the Vatican Bank - have made
headlines for years

The Franciscans

Francisans are people whose religious vows have committed them to the teachings and example of Saint Francis of Assisi, who was the founder of OFM eight hundred years ago, in 1209, near the town of Assisi in central Italy. Francis and his followers undertook to live a simple life in humility and poverty, preaching repentance to the people.

Francis also preached the duty of men to protect and enjoy nature, saying humans were both stewards of God's creation and themselves creatures.

Pope Francis, the reigning sovereign of the Vatican, adopted his papal name in honor of Saint Francis and his precepts.

The final part of the OFM's Brother Perry's letter to his brethren said, "I realize that many of you will be seriously disappointed and discouraged by this situation. It will also raise many questions for which you have a right to a response." He expressed his intention to "give a full account of the whole affair to the General Chapter."

Related Articles:

Ex Vatican bank heads accused of embezzlement, accounts seized

Vatican Finds Hundreds of Millions of Euros ‘Tucked Away’

Ferraris gone as Spain king polishes image

Yahoo – AFP, December 20, 2014

Ferraris gone as Spain king polishes image

Madrid (AFP) - Six months into his reign, Spain's King Felipe VI is gently polishing the monarchy's scandal-hit image, getting rid of royal Ferraris and publishing palace accounts -- but critics are demanding he try harder.

Friday will mark exactly half a year since 46-year-old Felipe took over the throne, vowing "to make Spaniards feel proud of their king". Now as he prepares for his first Christmas king's speech on December 24, his record is under scrutiny.

The crown's popularity ratings appear to have strengthened, but anti-monarchist feeling rumbles on in some quarters. And not all of the scandals that marred the years leading up to the abdication of Felipe's father Juan Carlos have gone away.

Juan Carlos outraged Spaniards in 2012 by going elephant hunting in Botswana at the height of Spain's recession. Separately, Felipe's sister Cristina has been accused in a corruption probe targeting her husband.

When Felipe took over the throne, supporters hoped he, his former newsreader wife Letizia, 41, and their two blonde daughters, nine-year-old Leonor and Sofia, seven, could freshen the monarchy's image.

King or 'slacker'?

The new king has since taken steps to make the royal household more transparent. He launched a new palace code of conduct and published details of its spending.

Felipe ordered members of the royal family not to accept any extravagant gifts. Any official presents they receive must now be donated to national heritage.

The palace has ceded to the state two deluxe Ferrari cars that were given to Juan Carlos by an Arab sheikh and are now to be auctioned, palace sources told AFP.

Media have estimated the ex-king's fortune at $2.3 billion (1.7 billion euros). The palace denies that figure, saying it includes assets that actually belong to the state.

When Juan Carlos abdicated, the monarchy's popularity rating among Spaniards was down to about a third, according to the national social research institute CIS.

Recent opinion polls in various newspapers indicate that Felipe has reversed that decline. One survey in conservative paper La Razon gave Felipe a 72-percent popularity rating.

One royal expert, Antonio del Moral, said Felipe is doing "what the Spanish monarchy needed to do to win back a bit of the prestige it had lost over the past two or three years".

But Jordi Matas, a political scientist at Barcelona University, branded Felipe "the slacker-king".

"Everything is exactly the same or worse, and the new monarchy's influence cannot be seen anywhere. A lot of talk, but few results," Matas wrote in El Pais newspaper.

Royalists and republicans

With limited, mostly ceremonial powers as the head of Spain's parliamentary monarchy, Felipe has kept largely out of politics.

He has spoken cautiously on Spain's most sensitive current political issue, however: the drive for independence in Catalonia.

Since becoming king he has made three trips to the northeastern region, where he has called for unity.

The government moved swiftly to get Felipe on the throne in June, defying street protesters who demanded a referendum on making Spain a republic.

But the republican undertow in Spain "is still very much alive," said Moral.

Spain's two main political forces, the governing conservative Popular Party and the opposition Socialists, have backed the monarchy since Spain's transition from dictatorship in the late 1970s.

But the political landscape is changing fast. According to recent polls, the two big parties together have less than half of the vote.

The left-wing protest party Podemos is now a serious challenger ahead of next year's general election.

Its leader Pablo Iglesias has called for a referendum on whether to keep the monarchy.

"It should be part of the our country's past, not its future," he said.

FIFA ExCo to release Garcia report in 'appropriate form'

FIFA's Executive Committee has voted to publish a report into alleged corruption compiled by its former ethics investigator. It also rejected the idea of reopening the bidding processes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Deutsche Welle, 19 Dec 2014

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said in a statement posted on the website of soccer's world governing body on Friday that the Executive Committee, currently meeting in Marakesh, Morocco, had unanimously agreed to release a legally "appropriate version" of Michael Garcia's report.

This was understood to mean that some parts of the report would likely be redacted out, in part to protect witnesses who spoke to Garcia's team over the course of his inquiry into alleged corruption during the bidding processes that saw Russia awarded the 2018 World Cup and Qatar the 2022 event.

Blatter also pointed to the need to ensure that FIFA did not harm investigations or proceedings against individuals that were launched as a result of Garcia's findings.

"Now it is important that the work of the Ethics Committee continues and that any instances of wrongdoing are fully investigated and their perpetrators pursued and sanctioned," the statement said.

2018 and 2022 votes not to be revisited

The FIFA president, though, ruled out reopening the bids for the 2018 and 2022 Cups.

"We will not revisit the 2018 and 2022 vote and a report by Mr. Scala (chairman of the independent Audit and Compliance Committee) supports the view that there are no legal grounds to revoke the Executive Committee's decision on the award of the 2018 and 20122 World Cups," Blatter said.

The ExCo decision comes two days after Garcia, a top US lawyer who was the lead investigator looking into allegations of corruption surrounding the two bidding processes stepped down. Garcia cited a "lack of leadership " by FIFA over his inquiry, which he said had revealed "serious and wide-ranging issues" in the bidding for the two events.

His resignation came in protest against a summary of his report released by FIFA judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, which stated that no serious corruption had been found and that the processes of bidding for neither of the events needed to be repeated.

Garcia resigned a day after FIFA rejected his appeall to get his full report released.

pfd/rc (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa, SID)

Pressure at summit grows to ease EU sanctions against Russia

EU leaders at their summit in Brussels are defending tough economic sanctions against Russia, but pressure to ease their stance is growing. DW's Christoph Hasselbach reports from Brussels.

Deutsche Welle, 18 Dec 2014

It's the first time the new EU Council President Donald Tusk (pictured above) has hosted an EU summit. The former Polish prime minister has taken part in many of these meetings as leader of a member state, but in his new role he feels, as he frankly put it, "like a debutant with stage fright." His English is still a bit broken, but his expertise and resolve are generally acknowledged. He will need both for the two most important items on the summit's agenda: how to deal with Russia in the Ukraine crisis and how to put together an investment package for Europe's still weak economy.

Tough and responsible

Jean-Claude Juncker has put forward
a 315-billion-euro investment plan to
stimulate the economy

Many have expected Mr. Tusk, whose home country feels directly threatened by Russia, to take a particularly hard line on Moscow, but he was striking a rather balanced note when he told journalists in Brussels, "we will not find a long-term solution for Ukraine without a both tough and responsible strategy towards Russia."

As for the tough part, the EU has already imposed wide-ranging sanctions on Russia and has just added punitive measures specifically directed towards Crimea, which Russia annexed earlier this year. The EU must show, as Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven said, "that we do not recognize the annexation of Crimea."

Russia's policies regarding Ukraine have
created an uproar among EU member
states

On the responsible side, the EU wants to keep incentives for Russia in place: If Moscow cooperates on Ukraine, as the French President Francois Hollande said, "then there is no need for new sanctions - on the contrary, in that case we should think about how we, too, could begin to de-escalate."

Russia's plight "not good news"

France is clearly interested in a de-escalation, not just for political, but also for trade reasons. Because of the stand-off with Russia over Ukraine, the French have had to suspend indefinitely the delivery of two war-ships to Russia, worth more than a billion euros.

Most EU countries are suffering losses in their trade with Moscow but they also feel they just have to pay the price to defend they values. The Russian economy is suffering more, though. Partly also by the low oil price, the ruble has plummeted, foreign investment in Russia has gone down, state revenues have dropped sharply.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite sees this as ample proof that "our sanctions are starting to work." But the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini stressed sanctions were not an end in itself but had been imposed to change Russia's behaviour: "The fact that Russia is in a difficult situation from a financial point of view is not good news, not for the Russian citizens, not for Ukraine and not for Europe and the rest of the world."

Double split

Until now, European unity on the sanctions front has been upheld only with difficulty. There are those, particularly in the east of the EU, who once belonged to the Soviet Union, who want an even tougher stance towards Russia. Others would rather ease sanctions. They think Russia shouldn't be provoked too much and that sanctions are bad for everybody and will not change President Putin's course. This split is growing with every month that the confrontation continues.

But there is another rift, and that is about economic policy. Many EU countries are still suffering from high unemployment and low growth. In order to inject new stimulus into the European economy, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has put forward a huge 315 billion euro investment plan, which EU leaders have already backed. The question, though, is, where this money will come from. Most of it will be private money, as Mr. Juncker has explained to sceptical northern countries, like Germany, where many people fear new debts.

In hard-pressed southern economies, however, the plan has created new hopes for big public investment programs. So this plan has already rekindled the old ideological dispute that has raged in the EU right from the beginning of the economic crisis: state investment versus austerity and reform.

And this European family dispute is not going to go away any time soon, and certainly not for Christmas.

EU stem cell ruling paves the way for pioneering medical research

The European Court of Justice has ruled that egg cells incapable of developing into human beings cannot be considered human embryos. Allowing patents on the use of such organisms will push forward controversial research.

Deutsche Welle, 18 Dec 2014

Research involving a human egg used to produce embryonic stem cells but unable to develop into an embryo can be patented, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled Thursday.

The decision is of huge interest for biotechnology companies investing in stem cell research. Work on stem cell therapies is still experimental, but researchers believe they could be used to treat a range of diseases from Parkinson's to blindness. Until now, however, strict restrictions on obtaining patents have slowed research.

The case was brought in Britain by US company International Stem Cell Corporation against the UK Intellectual Property Office for refusing to grant it two patents covering the use of human egg cells.

The British authorities had argued that since the eggs involved were active and developing organisms, even though they were not fertilized by male sperm, previous EU law prevented the company from securing a patent on them. In 2011, the ECJ had ruled that stem cell research involving human embryos could not be patented.

International Stem Cell Corporation argued that the eggs, activated by a chemical process known as parthenogenesis, could not develop into human beings as they lacked the full parental DNA required.

Thursday's ruling stated that such organisms do not constitute human embryos, and that their uses in scientific research could therefore be patented.

"In order to be classified as a 'human embryo,' a non-fertilized human ovum must necessarily have the inherent capacity of developing into a human being," a statement from the ECJ said.

The statement also made clear that if an egg is able to develop into an embryo, "it should be treated in the same way as a fertilized human ovum, at all stages of its development." In that case, EU member states would still have the right under existing law to deny patents on ethical and moral grounds.

Stem cell research has long been controversial, with critics arguing against the use of embryos left over from fertility treatment. However, scientists contend that the research is justified as the stem cells they used are derived from surplus eggs. Embryonic stem cells are more flexible than adult stem cells, and therefore more widely used in research.

lvw/mg (AFP, Reuters, dpa)

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Human DNA not patentable: US Supreme Court

Kryon Q&A

Question: Dearest Kryon: I've read the question and answer on people with diseases of the mind - for example, Alzheimers and dementia. But I have more questions. You say that people have chosen this path and that the lessons are for us. As I work with these people, I'm wondering if there is any stage where there could be a reversal of the condition, and if so, with what methods? The people in the hostel are so drugged up, and there's a mind-set with the authorities that no "alternate" therapies work - although they're using colored lights. (Sadly, the diversional therapist told me she doesn't know what color therapy is.)

From a spiritual point of view, what is the best way to work with these people - talk to them as though they were normal, or go along with their imaginings? I've been told that they need to be kept quiet, especially toward evening. However, I've found that with one woman who mostly paces saying very little, the more childlike I am (dancing and singing makes her happy), the more she talks. I could go on and on - could you please enlighten me further?

Answer: I will answer the second part first. Love those who are in this condition. Find out what makes them smile... and then make them smile. The best you can do in a facilitation of this condition is to somehow create joy. Even in their confusion they can laugh at situations and be creative. They'll also remember you better as the one who creates this emotion. Each is very different, but in general, try to find their "happy" button and push it as often as you can. They will remember that.

Right now you're perched upon some important discoveries that will be able to reverse these conditions to a large degree. But just as the paraplegic who regains their nerve connections must than relearn how to walk, suffering much pain, there will be this attribute with a regeneration of the mind. Even if new cells are created, they won't necessarily have the old memories, but they can be trained to be healthy and be ready for new memories.

So someday these will have the ability to halt the progress of the degeneration of cells that are being taken, and instead grow new pathways around them. Some will be able to "reconnect" to certain kinds of memories (like recognition) but will have to relearn what the association of recognition actually means. So history and events might have to be studied and relearned... sometimes even things like reading, also. The pain will be that the individual will regain mental health and will realize exactly what has happened.

Your stem-cell research is very important, and you're reaching a point where you'll be able to use birth cells that aren't embryonic, but every bit as potent for research... thereby sidestepping all moral issues. Look for this in the next few years.