Electric cars slow to gain traction in Germany

Yahoo – AFP, Estelle Peard, 28 may 2013

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) looks at a Mercedes E-drive electric car

during the Electric Mobility conference on May 27, 2013. (Photo: Johannes Eisele)

Germany plans to have one million electric vehicles on its roads by 2020, but so far that goal seems remote as the nation's motorists have shown little love for the quietly humming vehicles.

So far, the number of electric vehicles registered in Germany is just some 7,000.

Chancellor Angela Merkel put on a brave face in light of the statistics, speaking Monday at a government-organised international forum in Berlin, where she affirmed that she is a believer in electric mobility.

"Our plans are ambitious," she conceded about the one-million goal pronounced by her government in 2009. "But we have a good chance of sticking to the timetable."

Her government has spent almost 1.5 billion euros ($1.9 billion) to subsidise research and development in electric mobility and is promoting the models by scrapping car registration tax for the first 10 years.

A Smart Forvision concept car is pictured

at the Electric Mobility conference in

 Berlin on May 27, 2013. (Photo:

Johannes Eisele)

However, unlike neighbouring France, Germany does not offer bonuses for the purchase of electric vehicles.

Electric cars produce no exhaust pipe emissions and can help clear the air in congested cities, while their carbon footprint ultimately depends on the type of energy used to charge their batteries.

Problems so far include the high cost of the batteries, usually lithium-ion types, and limited networks of charging stations, which make drivers fear being left on the side of the road with dead batteries.

After Japan's 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident Merkel rang in an ambitious energy transition away from fossil fuels and nuclear power toward renewables such as wind, solar and biofuels.

Speaking on Monday, she said the push for electric cars would dovetail with that plan, to ensure that the power that drives electric cars is produced from clean, alternative energy sources.

She said electric cars could be a "core sector of our industrial production", with the auto sector making up one quarter of Germany's exports.

But so far Germans, used to putting their gas pedals to the floor on the famous autobahn highways, have been slow to accept electric cars.

In the first four months of the year, only about 1,500 electric cars were newly registered, after a total of about 3,000 last year. There are also 65,000 registered hybrid vehicles with both electric and fuel engines.

Henning Kagermann, coordinator of the Platform for Electric Mobility that evaluates the electric car strategy, said that, under current conditions, 600,000 electric vehicles is a more realistic figure for 2020.

"Electromobility is treading water," said Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of the automotive research centre of the University of Duisburg-Essen.

He said so far the market share of electric and hybrid cars is just 0.13 percent, calling it "less than a niche of a niche market".

But proponents say the boom is just around the corner.

German carmakers plan to launch about 15 electric car models by late 2014, with plans to move into mass production by 2017.

Visitors look at an Audi F12 concept car

during the Electric Mobility conference on

 May 27, 2013 in Berlin. (Photo: Johannes

Eisele)

Over the next three to four years, German industry is set to invest about 12 billion euros to develop alternative fuel engines.

VW chief Martin Winterkorn -- whose company this year launches its new electric Golf -- said at the weekend that the government must help by improving infrastructure, such as a network of charging stations and incentives such as electric-car-only lanes.

In comments to the newspaper Bild am Sonntag, he said the one-million goal was realistic if prices fall with mass production, adding: "I am convinced that that can happen."

Transport Minister Peter Ramsauer also insisted "the government sees no reason to step back from the goal of one million electric cars by 2020. The first steps are usually the hardest, but sales will increase rapidly."

Philippe Varin, chief executive of PSA Peugeot Citroen, said "it will be a gradual process over 10 years" to convince consumers to embrace first hybrids and plug-in hybrids and finally 100 percent electric vehicles.

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Deloitte appoints official criticised over 'sweetheart' tax deals

Dave Hartnett has been hired by accountancy firm which faced tax avoidance allegations during his time as head of HMRC

The Guardian, Simon Neville, Monday 27 May 2013

Dave Hartnett's hiring was approved by David Cameron and the advisory
committee on business appointments. Photograph: Sarah Lee for the Guardian

The row over tax avoidance by multinational companies escalated on Monday night as it emerged that Dave Hartnett, until 10 months ago the country's leading tax official, has been appointed to a new position with a leading accountancy firm mired in the controversy.

Hartnett will work one day a week with Deloitte, the auditors for Vodafone and Starbucks, which faced tax avoidance allegations during his time as head of HM Revenue & Customs.

The appointment was approved by David Cameron and the advisory committee on business appointments last week, although Deloitte did not announce the high-profile signing.

The appointments committee added a list of six caveats to its approval letter, designed to ensure Hartnett does not share any information about how to avoid UK tax and to guard against potential conflicts of interest.

But tax campaigners and MPs criticised the appointment and suggested that although Hartnett cannot advise UK organisations, he could use his knowledge to strengthen the positions of offshore tax havens.

Hartnett, 62, will advise overseas governments on how to implement "effective tax regimes".

An HMRC lifer until his retirement, Hartnett was heavily criticised for agreeing a number of "sweetheart deals" with major corporations including Vodafone and Goldman Sachs in the UK.

Earlier this month, a judge found that a deal brokered by Hartnett with Goldman Sachs, which saved the US bank £20m in interest payments, was lawful but "not a glorious episode in the history of the revenue".

Mr Justice Nicol said the deal had been agreed by Hartnett to save the chancellor, George Osborne, from potential embarrassment, and criticised the fact that it had been done behind closed doors and without proper approval or reference to lawyers. Hartnett was said to have personally negotiated a deal with Vodafone, which saw the telecoms business pay £1.25bn of an alleged £6bn tax bill. Vodafone disputes this figure.

A spokesman for Deloitte said: "Dave Hartnett will work as a consultant to Deloitte advising foreign governments and tax administrations, primarily in the developing world. He has significant experience in advising such countries on the development of effective tax regimes, necessary to ensure their continued economic growth. He will not work with UK companies or with HMRC."

The new job comes four months after Hartnett was appointed as an adviser to banking group HSBC on financial risks and crime. The bank was fined $1.9bn (£1.3bn) by US authorities last year for laundering Mexican drug money.

Confirming his appointment, the advisory committee on appointments said it was noted that "whilst working in government, Mr Hartnett did have official dealings with Deloitte, and he also dealt with a wide range of major accountancy and law firms during his time in HMRC and the Inland Revenue before that".

Labour MP John Mann, who sits on the Treasury select committee and questioned Hartnett on several occasions, criticised the appointment. "It shouldn't be allowed. It is all-too-cosy relationships that is the problem at the heart of HMRC.

"It would be a strange government that would employ him considering the problems we've had trying to get our tax system in order, especially when he personally negotiated the deal with Vodafone.

"It gives the wrong message to a group of staff [at HMRC] who are already some of the most demoralised workers in the country."

Deloitte and the other "big four" accountancy firms – KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young – have all been criticised for using knowledge gained from staff seconded to the Treasury to help wealthy clients avoid paying UK taxes. Richard Murphy, of Tax Research UK, called the latest switch from the state to the private sector "the creeping control of the state by the big business elite".

He said: "We've had people who are very senior who have moved over to big business, but never the very top. He was meant to be the taxman's taxman."

He suggested that Hartnett may be called upon "to advise on tax avoidance in offshore locations".

The prime minister accepted the committee's recommendation that Hartnett be allowed to join Deloitte, but set a series of rules on what he can and cannot advise upon while working for Deloitte.

The rules laid down state that Hartnett should "not draw on any privileged information" from his time at HMRC. He must also not advise "any taxpayer that he has been involved with whilst at HMRC" and must ensure he "has no involvement in discussions with other fiscal authorities of UK's confidential tax policy".

He is also not allowed to personally lobby the government for at least a year.

Hartnett had a close relationship with Deloitte during his time at HMRC and met senior British partner David Cruickshank 48 times between 2007 and 2011, including meetings about Vodafone, one of Deloitte's clients.

Deloitte also signed off the accounts for coffee company Starbucks. The chain faced a backlash among customers last year when it emerged that it had, quite legitimately, paid no corporation tax in the past three years by channelling its revenues through Luxembourg and Switzerland.

Murray Worthy, a spokesman for UK Uncut, who recently brought an unsuccessful court case against HMRC for the sweetheart deal with Goldman Sachs, said Hartnett had been "welcomed with open arms by the people he was supposed to have been regulating".

Related Articles:

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Pope prays mafiosi will follow God

Yahoo – AFP, May 26, 2013 

VATICAN CITY (AFP) - Pope Francis on Sunday condemned the "mafias" that turned people into "slaves" and prayed for gangsters to turn to God, a day after a slain priest was proclaimed the first "mafia martyr".

"I think of all the pain of men, women and even children who are exploited by many mafias," Francis told tens of thousands of followers in St Peter's Square in a traditional weekly address.

"They are forced to do work that makes them slaves, like prostitution," he said. "Behind all this slavery, there are mafias."

"We pray that these mafia men and women convert to God," he said in unscripted remarks.

Father Pino Puglisi, who was gunned down by the mafia in 1993 for turning children away from a life of crime, was beatified at a mass in Palermo on Saturday with tens of thousands in attendance.

"He took young people away from the mafia, which tried to defeat him by killing him but in reality he is the one who won in the end," Francis said.

Puglisi has been given the status of "blessed" and "martyr of the faith" by the Roman Catholic Church, the first step towards full sainthood.

His pleas for help from political and religious authorities were frequently ignored but since his death the Church has become much more critical of mafiosi, who are often outwardly devout.

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Solar panel makers in China protest planned EU duties

Want ChinaTimes, Xinhua 2013-05-25

A factory in China making solar panels. (Photo/CFP)

Major Chinese solar panel makers on Thursday protested over punitive tariffs the European Union plans to levy on Chinese-made photovoltaic (PV) products.

Protests at more than 40 solar companies broke out as EU member states begin voting on proposed anti-dumping duties ranging from 37%-68% Friday. The provisional rates will be effective from June 6 if the proposal is passed.

Representatives of three solar panel giants, Yingli Green Energy Holdings, Trina Solar and Canadian Solar, held a press conference Thursday in Beijing, lashing out at the EU penalties and calling for free trade.

In a joint statement, the three said any market restrictive measures would hurt China's solar industry, but would also hinder solar application and development in Europe and have a major negative impact on the EU's economy and employment.

According to a research report by German consulting firm Prognos, the punitive duties could lead to job losses of more than 200,000 in Europe over three years.

Some 1,000 workers gathered at a Yingli factory compound in the city of Baoding in northern China's Hebei province, holding signs objecting to trade protectionism. Workers from other solar firms protested across the country.

Meng Xiangan, deputy director of China Renewable Energy Society, criticized the EU's move as trade protectionism and believed that China might take retaliatory measures.

Free trade, fair competition, opening-up and cooperation are the key prerequisites to the healthy development of the global PV industry, said Fan Ruifeng, PR director of Trina Solar.

FAILED TALKS

The protests came on the heels of an announcement Wednesday by the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCIEMEP) that the first round of negotiations designed to ease the current solar panel trade spat between China and the EU by agreeing on an export price had failed.

At the EU's invitation, the chamber sent a negotiation team and put forward pragmatic price undertaking plans, but the EU side turned them down, refusing to answer questions from the Chinese side, said Wang Guiqing, deputy chief of the chamber.

The EU did not show any sincerity in tackling the problems, leading to a breakdown in talks, the agency said.

Price undertaking means exporters raise the export cost of a product to avoid the possibility of an anti-dumping duty.

European PV firms have also lodged a separate complaint accusing their Chinese peers of receiving government subsidies that violate international trade rules.

HEAVY BLOW

The punitive duties, if imposed, could deal a heavy blow to China's already struggling PV industry as it relies on the European market, said Zhang Qian, government relations and business development director at Canadian Solar.

China's PV exports to Europe slumped 45.1% year on year to US$11.2 billion in 2012, but the value still accounted for nearly half of the country's total shipments, according to statistics from the CCCIEMEP.

China's PV industry has boomed over the past decade, but is now struggling with excess capacity and weak market demand that has forced some small firms out of business and even put some giants on the brink of bankruptcy.

Worse still, leading solar panel maker Wuxi Suntech, a major subsidiary of the New York-listed Suntech Power based in the eastern Chinese city of Wuxi, declared bankruptcy in March.

China-made PV products would completely lose price competitiveness and EU's orders would be awarded to solar firms from Europe, the United States and even Taiwan, said Hou Wentao, an analyst with Guotai Junan Securities.

China might increase domestic solar panel installations to help the industry hedge against the slumps in exports to Europe, added Hou.

INNOVATION, NEW MARKET

"We should change the extensive growth mode and rely more on innovation and technology rather than on cheap labor and resources in grabbing market share and profits," said Meng of China Renewable Energy Society.

Some firms are eyeing emerging markets to help reduce their over-reliance on Europe. "We will consider exploring the African and Southeast Asian markets in a bid to reduce the risk posed by the excessive reliance on one single market," said Zhang of Canadian Solar.

"Yingli is preparing for the worst. If the punitive duties are levied, we will move our plant to another country," said Wang Yiyu, Yingli's chief strategy officer. "But China's PV industry would then be struck down completely."

China's Li visits Berlin amid trade tensions

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NATO drone project set to continue

Deutsche Welle, 25 May 2013

Pulling the plug on Germany's Euro Hawk project won't have consequences for NATO's surveillance program "Global Hawk." But critics argue a joint European drone project would have been better.

The canceled German Euro Hawk drone project will most likely not have consequences on a similar project by NATO. The alliance plans to use five drones of the Global Hawk Block 40 type for its "Alliance Ground Surveillance" (AGS) system.

According to NATO, plans will not be affected by the German decision. The Global Hawk drone built by US company Northrop Grumman is basically the version the system's based on - the Euro Hawk drone Germany ordered is a modified version of the Global Hawk 20 model, an earlier version of the Global Hawk 40 which NATO now plans to use. 

German Defense Minister Thomas de
 Maiziere (left) pulled the plug on the
 drone project

Exact images from far away

At the May 2012 summit in Chicago, the allies had agreed on aquiring unarmed surveillance drones. They are scheduled to be used by 2017 and to be stationed in Sicily. Estimates put the cost for the five drones at around 1 billion euros ($1.3 billion).

Fourteen NATO states are involved: Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and the US. The Global Hawk drone could fly as high as 20 kilometers (12 miles) and is able to take clear pictures of the ground even from such heights - precise enough to still spot individuals.

No European project?

The NATO project is going to continue despite the German decision to halt its program. But the situation in Germany has been met with criticism in Brussels. Michael Gahler, security spokesman of the conservative European People's Party (EPP) in the EU parliament, told DW that Germany should rather have pushed for a European solution than trying to go it alone.

Gahler argues there should have
been a joint EU project instead

After all, European countries were facing the same security threats, and every state had too little money to develop a system on its own.

"Such projects are very good examples of how such things can be done in a joint effort - especially when something new is being developed. I hope that everybody will learn from that mistake," he said.

Gahler believes a European project would have made more sense from an economic perspective as well.

"You can't see this simply as a military issue. Those drones are first and foremost not a means of fighting." In about 90 percent of the cases, they would "be used in a civilian manner for surveillance," for instance in agriculture or forestry in order to spot pollution or fires. With that many areas of use, "it really makes sense to bundle civilian and military resources."

Northrop Grumman dismisses criticism

The US company producing the drones has come forward to defend itself against German complaints. Berlin had criticized an allegedly missing feature to avoid collisions and lacking documentation needed for getting the drones approved for European airspace.

A Northrop Grumman spokesperson told German weekly "Die Zeit" that Germany had in fact never specified what kind of papers were needed for approval and that it was only a prototype that operated without collision protection. That feature would have been implemented in the four other drones Germany had ordered.

A civilian drone used by China's State Grid to check power

lines. (Photo/Xinhua)

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An Hour with an Angel with Archangel Michael, December 17, 2012

”.. Lay Down Your Arms

SB: Thank you, Lord. I am going to be asking you about the who, why, what, where, when, how of Ascension, about December 21st. But before I do that there is one question that I have to ask you because I know our listeners and readers want me to. I think they would like to know something about the Newtown tragedy. Was it mind control? Was it the cabal trying to take attention away from Ascension? Was it simply a deranged individual?

Why was it permitted to happen, Lord? It shocked a lot of people.

AAM: It was a tragedy in Newtown, and it was a sacrifice of innocents, both children and adults. And yes, there is divine purpose that comes out of this. Was it a planned action on our part? Absolutely not, that is not the way we operate. It was the action, yes, of a very deranged, ill, dis-eased individual. It was not the act of the cabal. They are in far too deep containment to ever effect such a strike.

Let us talk about the meaning. And the Mother has talked about this also. It is time for all of humanity, east, west, north, south, to come together as one community. And this atrocity, this killing of children needlessly, brings to the forefront what is taking place on your planet.

The beings of Newtown, Connecticut, and this emotional energy, have acted and do act as a surrogate and a catalyst for the human race to come together and say, “No more,” that the slaughter of innocents is not acceptable in any realm.

And what that means, dear ones, is it is not acceptable through missile or drone strikes, in neighborhoods, in marketplaces and schools, or anywhere else. It is not acceptable for children to be hit by stray bullets, by gang wars or by drug lords, in any country, in any nation, in any civilization. It is not acceptable for children to die of disease, poverty, hunger, and starvation.

So these bright angels, this soul group has sacrificed and acted as a surrogate. Now, I wish to tell you that all of these angels were well out of their body and already in the arms of the Mother prior to their death. She had already gathered them up.

So it is not just for them that you weep. It is for each other. Because what you are seeing, what you are witnessing, is the pain and suffering that violence does to humanity, to families, to friends, to siblings, to parents, to communities, to neighbors, to nations. And it is all of you saying, “No more!”

SB: If I may intervene, what do you say to people who advocate the right to bear arms in America? What does one say to organizations that think that they’ll fall under somebody else’s rule if they give up their rifles?

AAM: Let me say this, and I do not simply say it to Americans, I say it to all nations that carry weapons to destroy families and friends. I say it to all beings that carry guns or weapons. And I am talking about missiles or chemical weapons.

When you live in fear, then what you create is fear. When you live in harmony and community and unity, that is what you create. Understand, the opening of 11/11 and 12/12 was not simply some esoteric exercise. You have been unified.

And as I have asked you, and as most of you are doing, that grid is to grow and inflame and ignite more and more every single hour, every single minute of every day. It was not just an hour-long exercise or a day-long exercise.

How can you live in unity and love and carry weapons, guns, ready to kill someone you don’t like or you don’t care about? And it is particularly dangerous when you have those weapons available to those who are unbalanced.

And we suggest to you that there is no way to safeguard against someone who is in the throes of a psychotic episode. There is no way to prevent them from getting a weapon if in fact they are available. That is a fool’s belief.

So if you expect harm to come to you, then harm will come to you. It is a time of change, and you cannot build Nova Earth with guns, missiles, and chemical weapons. You cannot do it. It is not possible. Not in any universe, not in any realm.

I had thought, this day, that I would come before you with my blue flame of truth. And I would say to you, “I am laying down my sword and shield,” because that is my desire and creation, and that it would be symbolic for you to understand that these are no longer necessary.

I did not begin today by saying that because I am still using my sword to cut some cords of illusion with some of you, and some of you are feeling exceptionally vulnerable right now. And so I want you to know that I’m also shielding you.

But my sword is also the scepter of truth. It is the staff of wisdom. It is the staff that you can lean upon when you are exhausted. Your guns do not serve that purpose.

Lay down your arms. This I ask of you. And more importantly, lay down your fear.

SB: Thank you, Lord. I don’t mean to single out Americans. I’m more referring to the Constitution and the provision that the right to bear arms shall not be interfered with. But thank you. You anticipated my questions on Newtown, so I’ve had all my questions answered. 

"THE BRIDGE OF SWORDS"– Sep  29, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Text version)

IMF expresses confidence in Lagarde as fund chief appears in court

Deutsche Welle, 23 May 2013

The IMF has expressed confidence in its director, Christine Lagarde, who has appeared in a French court over allegations she acted illegally while finance minister. It is the second scandal for an IMF chief since 2011.

Lagarde spent more than nine hours at the Court of Justice of the Republic (CJR), which probes cases of ministerial misconduct, in Paris on Thursday. The court wants an explanation of her role in the 2007 payment of public funds to businessman Bernard Tapie.

Tapie, a former politician and businessman went to prison for match-fixing during his time as president of French football club Olympique de Marseille. Prosecutors for the CJR suspect Tapie received favorable treatment in return for supporting Nicolas Sarkozy in the 2007 presidential election.

The CJR is looking into Lagarde's role in an arbitration process that in 2007 settled a long-running legal dispute between Tapie, and the state entity that had taken over the residual assets of the collapsed bank, Credit Lyonnais.

Tapie claimed that he was defrauded by Credit Lyonnais over the sale of Adidas, the sports equipment company, which he owned in the 1990s.

Prosecutors have suggested Lagarde was responsible for "numerous anomalies and irregularities" which could lead to charges for complicity in fraud and misappropriation of public funds. Tapie was paid 400 million euros ($515 million).

Lagarde has said the arbitration was necessary to put an end to a costly dispute, and has always denied having acted under orders from Sarkozy.

However, the case is potentially embarrassing for both the IMF and for France, especially if Lagarde is placed under formal investigation after the hearing. While that step does not imply guilt, it often precedes the laying of charges.

Statements of support

Although it was Socialist legislators who started the court action, the government has spoken up for her: "Madame Lagarde retains the complete confidence of the French authorities – and my own," Pierre Moscovici, the French finance minister, said earlier in the week.

IMF spokesman Gerry Rice said its executive board, at Lagarde's request, had already waived her diplomatic immunity to the extent necessary to enable her to appear before French authorities in the case: "The executive board has been briefed on this matter, including recently, and continues to express its confidence in the managing director's ability to effectively carry out her duties," he said.

Second IMF scandal since 2011

Criminal charges against Lagarde, 57, would mark the second scandal for an IMF chief since 2011. Her predecessor Dominique Strauss-Kahn, also from France, resigned over an alleged sexual assault on a New York hotel maid.

Lagarde should be informed after the questioning, which could last up to two days, if she is to be placed under formal investigation or given the less serious status of assisting witness on the allegations of complicity in falsification of the arbitration procedure and misappropriation of state funds.

jm/kms (AFP, Reuters)

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

“… GW: Shifting to events that are taking place in Europe at this point in time, it seems that the events in Europe are reaching or about to hit a breaking point of some kind. Several leaders, including Nigel Farage and allegedly Russian Prime Minister Medvedev have suggested that people should be removing their money from their accounts as the cabal may attempt a last ditch grab for money.

Now, I know, and perhaps many know, that the current system is corrupt and that there will have to be a degree of change in the current system before people will be willing to embrace the new system.

I don’t wish this question to sound alarmist to people, but is what is happening now one of the final, if not the final, straw that will help expose the banking cabal and allow the new system to be implemented? Is this new system ready? Or is it already being implemented? Or is it still only limited to preparatory work?

AAM: No, it is already underway. It is already being implemented. And yes, we do not wish to sound alarmist either, and so we also wish people to know that their resources, what they think of as their money, for those who have saved and put their faith in banking systems, they will be protected to a certain extent. So do not think that you have need to run out and remove all your monies, or that it will be completely gone. But yes, this is the beginning of a transition.

The expression of the lack of faith in particularly the European banking system causes enormous disruption, more significant perhaps than anywhere else. And so yes, it does have a domino effect, but it is not one simply shutting down [the old system] and a new system emerging. It is coming into balance with the new emerging as the old simply fades away.

Is it a last ditch effort on the part of those who have clung to the old paradigm of the 3rd, what you call the cabal? Yes, it is. But it matters not, because it is not going to work for them. Seldom are things such as this situation so black and white. There is always room for free choice and free movement and adjustment.

But in this situation it is simply evolution and expansion. And the expansion of the new, of the new paradigm, of what you think of as Fifth-Dimensional financial systems does not allow for systems that are based on greed and theft and control — and unfairness, basic unfairness, usury.

So, it is rather clearly defined. You have an expression that you use on Earth, “Out with the old.” And this is one of those situations where it is, in fact, the truth.

GW: Okay. So, along the lines of the leadership, or at least some of the leadership of what’s taking place in the financial sector globally, it has been reported that the apartment of the IMF managing director Christine Lagarde was raided last week.

Was this an attempt to expose her as part of the banking cabal, or was it an attempt to stop her from fulfilling the reforms that she is allegedly trying to bring to the international banking system?

AAM: It was an attempt to gather information and perhaps even destroy documentation that she is trying to bring forth for the reform of the financial situation. It was an unsuccessful raid.

GW: Okay. So what I’m hearing in your answer, then, is that Christine Lagarde is working for, I guess, the forces of light to bring the greater change to the IMF. Am I correct?

AAM: Yes. This one has had a real turn-around. No, we do not ever categorize individuals or groups or people as light or dark. But this one has truly committed herself to reformation.

She sees and she has the experience very clearly of knowing what does not work. And therefore she has committed her mission, her purpose to this reformation.

GW: Okay. And could the same be said about the new US Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew? Is he on board with all the changes and working for the reformation as well with Lagarde?

AAM: He is an agent and an angel of change. He could not be simply on board. He is a moving force. ‘…‘’

Ukraine bans first-ever gay pride march

Google – AFP, Dmytro Gorshkov (AFP), 23 May 2013

Ukrainian gay rights activists are surrounded by police during a rally against

homophobia in Kiev on May 18, 2013 (AFP/File)

KIEV — A Ukrainian court on Thursday banned gay rights activists from holding their first gay pride march through central Kiev, citing fears of violence.

Kiev's district administrative court ruled that no events could be staged in the capital on Saturday because of City Day celebrations, the Interfax Ukraine news agency reported.

Activists had planned to hold Kiev's inaugural "Equality March" that day calling for an end to rampant discrimination against sexual minorities in Ukraine.

But opponents of the gay pride event announced plans for a huge alternative rally on the same day in support of family values and against the "promotion of homosexuality", raising the threat of violent attacks against the participants.

The city authorities said they had received more than 500 complaints from members of the public over the planned gay pride march, while 61 parliamentary lawmakers signed a letter calling for a blanket ban on all gay pride events in May and June.

In Ukraine, city authorities do not have the power to ban such public events but can ask a court to rule on whether they can go ahead.

The gay pride march's organisers said they intended to appeal the court decision and were also seeking to hold the event in a different format.

"We want to express our position, but we do not intend to breach the law," a spokesman for the organising committee told AFP.

In May last year the organisers themselves cancelled a planned gay pride rally over fears of violent clashes with opponents.

Amnesty International had urged city authorities to allow this year's march to go ahead and to ensure adequate security to protect the participants.

The United States Embassy and the European Union Delegation to Ukraine also expressed their support for the event.

The EU delegation called on local authorities and police "to effectively ensure that all persons can exercise their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly without putting their personal safety at risk."

Earlier this month the parliament of ex-Soviet Ukraine postponed a vote on a EU-backed bill that would have barred employers from firing staff because of their sexual orientation.

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EU leaders face up to shale challenge

Google – AFP, Bryan McManus (AFP), 22 May 2013

Herman Van Rompuy at the EU headquarters on May 22, 2013 in Brussels

(AFP, Georges Gobet)

BRUSSELS — EU leaders agreed Wednesday to face up to the challenge posed by the shale oil and gas revolution which has slashed US energy prices, undercutting Europe's competitive edge.

"All leaders are aware that sustainable and affordable energy is key to keeping factories and jobs in Europe," European President Herman Van Rompuy said.

"Industry finds it hard to compete with foreign firms who pay half the price for electricity, like in the United States," Van Rompuy said at the close of an EU summit focused on energy and tax evasion.

Britain, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Spain favour developing shale energy but others, and France in particular, are reluctant or opposed, citing environmental fears.

Mindful of such sensitivities, Van Rompuy said member states "countries could also develop safe and sustainable ways to tap other resources - conventional and unconventional.

"Yes, this includes shale gas, which could become part of the energy mix for some member states, perhaps less for others."

The EU's 27 heads of state and government met amid fears the US-led shale boom will reshape the global economy and leave Europe far behind.

Stuck in the doldrums, the European economy has lost nearly all momentum, with growth hard to come by and rising energy costs a real concern.

"We need to secure good value energy supplies ... (which) involves making most use of indigenous resources, such as shale," said British Prime Minister David Cameron.

"We need to ensure that the old rules do not hold us back ... regulation must not get in the way" of developing such resources, he added.

"Rising energy prices are a real problem," European Parliament head Martin Schulz told the one-day summit, putting EU companies "at a competitive disadvantage" against US firms.

"That is the bad news: if we do nothing, energy costs will continue to increase, and our energy dependence on third countries will increase with them," he said.

"The good news is that energy policy in particular offers enormous potential for boosting growth, improving competitiveness and creating jobs."

The challenge is enormous for a Europe which paid more than one billion euros a day for its energy imports in 2012.

Van Rompuy had warned ahead of the meeting that Europe risked "becoming the only continent to depend on imported energy.

"In 2035, we will still depend on imports for more than 80 percent of our energy needs and that will have consequences for our competitiveness and our companies," he said.

Last week, the International Energy Agency said North American shale energy production had set off a global "supply shock" that is reshaping the whole industry.

"The surge in North American oil production will be as transformative to the market over the next five years as was the rise of Chinese demand over the last 15," the IEA said.

While the benefits are clear, shale oil and gas also comes with a potentially high environmental cost which worries many.

Critics say hydraulic fracturing -- 'fracking'-- of rocks deep underground to release oil and gas threatens water supplies and may even set off earthquakes.

The summit conclusions said leaders agreed to work in four areas -- establishing a fully integrated energy market, boosting investment, diversifying resources and improving energy efficiency.

While highlighting the "diversification of Europe's energy supply," the conclusions did not mention shale directly, reflecting the sensitivity over shale development.

"In the current economic context, we must mobilise all our policies in support of competitiveness, jobs and growth," the summit conclusions said in the very first line.

"The supply of affordable and sustainable energy to our economies is crucial in that respect," it added.

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"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….”

"2013 - What Now ?" – Jan 6, 2013 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Text version)

“… New ideas are things you never thought of. These ideas will be given to you so you will have answers to the most profound questions that your societies have had since you were born. Inventions will bring clean water to every Human on the planet, cheaply and everywhere. Inventions will give you power, cheaply and everywhere. These ideas will wipe out all of the reasons you now have for pollution, and when you look back on it, you'll go, "This solution was always there. Why didn't we think of that? Why didn't we do this sooner?" Because it wasn't time and you were not ready. You hadn't planted the seeds and you were still battling the old energy, deciding whether you were going to terminate yourselves before 2012. Now you didn't…. and now you didn't.

It's funny, what you ponder about, and what your sociologists consider the "great current problems of mankind", for your new ideas will simply eliminate the very concepts of the questions just as they did in the past. Do you remember? Two hundred years ago, the predictions of sociologists said that you would run out of food, since there wasn't enough land to sustain a greater population. Then you discovered crop rotation and fertilizer. Suddenly, each plot of land could produce many times what it could before. Do you remember the predictions that you would run out of wood to heat your homes? Probably not. That was before electricity. It goes on and on.

So today's puzzles are just as quaint, as you will see. (1)How do you strengthen the power grids of your great nations so that they are not vulnerable to failure or don't require massive infrastructure improvement expenditures? Because cold is coming, and you are going to need more power. (2) What can you do about pollution? (3) What about world overpopulation? Some experts will tell you that a pandemic will be the answer; nature [Gaia] will kill off about one-third of the earth's population. The best minds of the century ponder these puzzles and tell you that you are headed for real problems. You have heard these things all your life.

Let me ask you this. (1) What if you could eliminate the power grid altogether? You can and will. (2) What if pollution-creating sources simply go away, due to new ideas and invention, and the environment starts to self-correct? (3) Overpopulation? You assume that humanity will continue to have children at an exponential rate since they are stupid and can't help themselves. This, dear ones, is a consciousness and education issue, and that is going to change. Imagine a zero growth attribute of many countries - something that will be common. Did you notice that some of your children today are actually starting to ponder if they should have any children at all? What a concept! ….”