Miss Spain becomes first openly lesbian national beauty queen

Patricia Yurena, who was crowned Miss Spain in 2008 and again in 2013, reveals she is in a lesbian relationship by posting Instagram photo of her and her lover in bed

The Telegraph, Fiona Govan, Madrid, 22 Aug 2014

The photograph showed Miss Spain and her girlfriend, Vanesa Cortes, a singer and DJ
on the Spanish House circuit, lying together on a bed with the caption "Romeo and Juliet"

Spain's national beauty queen winner has revealed that she is in a lesbian relationship, posting a photograph of her and her lover in bed on the social media website Instagram.

Patricia Yurena, who was crowned Miss Spain in 2008 and again in 2013 and came runner up in last year's Miss Universe competition, is the first openly homosexual national winner.

"I don't regret what I did and I did it because I am happy about what's going on in my life," said the 24-year old from Tenerife.

The photograph showed Miss Spain and her girlfriend, Vanesa Cortes, a singer and DJ on the Spanish House circuit, lying together on a bed with the caption "Romeo and Juliet".

Her decision to go public about her sexuality won her widespread support across social media sites.

"Thanks to everyone for their comments," wrote Miss Yurena on her twitter account.

Patricia Yurena (Getty)

"I published the picture spontaneously and in an impulsive manner," she added.

In 2012, for the first time two openly gay beauty queens competed for the Miss California USA crown but both lost out on the title.

The last Miss Universe pageant, held in November 2013 in Moscow, provoked a storm of controversy after it was boycotted by its gay TV host because of Russia's anti-homosexual laws.

Andy Cohen pulled out of hosting the show and tens of thousands called for the competition to be relocated in light of the "anti-gay propaganda" passed by Russian president Vladimir Putin.

In 2012, the Miss Universe Organisation, owned by Donald Trump, announced it would allow transgender women to compete.

The Baltic States: From Soviet to European

A quarter of a century ago the world watched on in fascination as people from the Baltic States formed a giant human chain to demonstrate for their freedom. They have come a long way since.

Deutsche Welle, 23 Aug 2014

August 23, 1989 will forever be the day when two million Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians joined hands to form a 600-kilometer cross-border human chain. United in spirit, they used the 50th anniversary of the Soviet-Nazi pact that had tethered them to Moscow for so long, to sing for their liberty.

Although the Soviet authorities banned the mass-scale protest, dubbed the "Baltic Way," defiance took hold, and some two million people turned out to join the movement. It was a defining moment along the region's road to its 1991 independence.

Norbert Beckmann-Dierkes, head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's Latvia and Lithuania office says the demonstration was a key moment in the history of the region. "It made people understand the possibility of using peaceful means, courage and commitment to tackle the dominant political force to affect change.”

And from then on, things moved quickly. The former Soviet republics committed to political and economic structural reforms, and not long after independence, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania had become members of NATO and the EU.

Back in the European fold

Riga in Latvia is European capital
of culture for 2014

Beckmann-Dierkes says the Baltic states have come a long way in the past 25 years and now boast stable political systems, a commitment to democracy, freedom of speech, assembly and press. "They are back at the heart of Europe."

Raivo Vare, Minister of State in the first government following Estonian independence and Minister of Transport and Communications in subsequent cabinets, told DW that the Baltic's return to the European fold happened "faster than imagined."

So how, when other former Soviet republic such as Ukraine are quite literally fighting to find a way into Europe, did the Baltic states become such a success story? Vare believes the answer is embedded in the history of the region.

"We only endured the Soviet regime for 50 years, and some of those who remembered life before the USSR were still alive," he said.

Not without turmoil

That said, the transition to Europe was not without its violent moments. Vare recalls the night of the January 12, 1991 when Soviet troops stormed a Lithuanian television tower. Eleven people who stood in the path of Soviet tanks lost their lives.

The streets might be old, but the Estonian
 capital, Tallinn, has come a long way since
Soviet rule

These days, the Baltic nations cut fine political and economic figures, which Beckmann-Dierkes attributes to a healthy Baltic attitude. "They had to accept certain cuts, but they had a 'we-can-do-it' attitude, and that has paid off," he said, citing stable growing economies and imminent entry into the eurozone.

Raivo Vare believes the region's economic success is related to the implementation of radical reforms and a determination to succeed. "We want a faster rate of economic growth to put us on a par with our Scandinavian neighbors."

Fear of Russia

But not everything is perfect. Relations with Russia for one thing. Besides energy dependence, some regard Russian speaking minorities in the Baltic states as reason for concern.

Vare says not enough has been done to include minorities in Baltic societies. "On the one hand you have the Eurorussians, predominantly younger people who are largely integrated," he said. "But on the other hand, older people are still influenced by Russia and Russian state media."

But Beckmann-Dierkes warns against turning the problem into something it is not. "I have not yet met anyone from the Russian-speaking minority who says they desperately want to go back to Russia," he said. "On the contrary, they understand the value of the freedom and legal security offered by the European Union."

Bridging the divide between young Israelis and Palestinians

While bombs are killing people back home, a group of young Israelis and Palestinians are in Germany trying to make sense of it all and come up with a solution for peace.

Deutsche Welle, 22 Aug 2014

It is a difficult beginning. Israelis and Palestinians fill the conference room near the German city of Bonn with crying and arguing, accusations and reproach. Sitting together seems impossible, unbearable. Yet when those participating in the two-week event start to talk about the fates of their families, the lines that divide them begin to fade.

The some 50 Israelis and Palestinians communicate in Arabic and Hebrew, with translators on hand to help express the intensity of their experiences and feelings.

"You hear tough stories, and its really touching when other people have empathy," Palestinian Suad said. Sitting across from her is Amit, an Israeli who increasingly realizes how little the two sides know about each other.

"I don't believe our media, it is too much a part of the conflict," she said. Like others here, she wants to form her own, comprehensive picture of the situation, to have the chance to speak "directly" with those deemed to be the enemy.

The participants get to know each
other while they are in Germany

Back home, Amit and Suad only live 20 minutes apart. But they are, in fact, worlds apart. Amit lives in Jerusalem, Suad in the Palestinian territories, and to cross the border she needs special permit. Now they are both in Germany, in a building near the city of Bonn with others like them.

Private initiative

The event is organized by the Committee for Basic Rights and Democracy, a group run by peace activists and funded exclusively by private donors. They have been facilitating meetings between young Palestinians and Israelis far from the scene of the conflict since 2002.

Their idea is to offer participants the opportunity to forget their prejudices and learn that people on both sides share the same basic yearnings and feelings. The association covers all costs, but relies on partner organizations such as "Breaking Borders" to use word of mouth to find potential participants in the conflict region.

All told, some 2000 young adults, including many students, have so far been able to travel to Germany to meet others like them and share their stories. Against the backdrop of the current Gaza conflict, many of those in Germany now told their relatives and friends back home that they were going to a holiday camp. For many, the truth is simply too sensitive.

White lies

Barbara Esser, one of the organizers of the "Holiday from War" project, understands the reasons for these white lies.

"It is not acceptable where they come from," she said. "Anyone who attempts to make contact with the other side is deemed a traitor." She recalls one Israeli who wanted to be friends with a Palestinian on Facebook but didn't know if he could without upsetting his friends.

"Anyone who attempts to make contact
 with the other side is deemed a traitor,"
Esser said

At the heart of the program is a mutual willingness to listen. Esser says it is not about forcing friendships, but creating understanding and tolerance. They use role play to stage peace negotiations and come up with suggestions for solutions to the Middle East conflict.

Amit describes the experience as a chance to dream. "Positive visions of the future help generate hope and to believe in the goal." But very few participants believe the conflict will be solved by a younger generation.

The basic problem

During their discussions, Israelis and Palestinians pinpoint the basic hurdle to progress. It is the fear of having to make too many concessions and ultimately being the losers. There is a broad base of agreement on the importance of overcoming that feeling.

Suad is positive about the work they are doing together and sees how it can break down barriers. "Even the right-wing conservatives on both sides have started to change their thinking," she said.

Some 50 young Israelis and Palestinians share their experiences and feelings

Whenever things get particularly tense, and those in charge show participants how they are slipping back into old patterns of thought, both Israelis and Palestinians are surprised.

Ultimately the ice breaks whenever there is a chance for people to get to know each other better. Apart from playing games and going on trips, there are designated evenings devoted to the presentation of the different cultures.

After cooking and eating together, there is often music, and then Israelis and Palestinians even dance together. No photos are taken, for fear that they could be misunderstood. There is a meeting of the ways here, and although participants agree that they did not have a holiday from war, they did lay the groundwork for talking about the possibility of working together.

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"The Evolution of Belief" - July 26, 2014 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - New  ( >26 Min - reference to the current conflicts in the Middle East)

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

“… What have we told you about the bridge? Actually, not much except that in crossing the bridge, the old energy ones were not going to like it. Old energy does not want you to escape! Old energy doesn't want you to cross the bridge because it can't cross. Did you know that? It can't cross. The old paradigms of Human nature that you've known all of these millenniums have to stay on the old side of the bridge. It cannot cross, for the bridge rejects all that is not in love, compassion and light. Those things that are dark, including Human nature of the past, will not be able to go. But the ones I speak to right now are already on the bridge. That was your design, old soul, and those are the words that are ringing in your ears to this day and the ones given at the wind of birth, that this might happen in your lifetime. So what's going to happen next?

Swords

Let us talk about the swords: When you hear the word sword, the first thing that occurs to you is battle. The Bridge of Swords is a battle and we told you that as well. Swords are metaphoric and they mean many things, so let us describe the things we mean them to say to you.

Number one: They are indeed a weapon in a battle. There is a battle coming. "Kryon, does that mean there's going to be a war?" Potentially, yes. Right now we will tell you that the Middle East cooks itself. You've noticed, haven't you? What do you know about the Middle East, dear one? Let's start examining things for a moment. What energy did you grow up in? What was the energy of the Middle East? In the '40s, what was the energy? With the establishment of the state of Israel, you built a wall of hate, both sides. The wall was so thick that the children of both sides were taught to hate one another as soon as they were able to understand the language. They were told who their enemies were. Now, where were you then?

Some of you weren't here yet. By the time you arrived, in your youth, were you aware of the Middle East? Not particularly. "What's the hatred about?" you might ask. What if I told you it's about a family feud? Two sons of a Jewish master are involved. One founded the Arabs and one remained a Jew. They don't want to hear this, but they are all Jews. (Don't tell them this.)

If you look at the lineage, it's pretty obvious and yet it's a complete and total set-up for either solution or war. The set-up would have this world ending in a conflagration that would have been brought about by this hatred. That's in the prophecy of Nostradamus and your scripture, but it is no longer the prophecy of the planet. Yet the hatred still exists. The hatred is as great today as it was then, but where was all the terrorism 40 years ago? It was isolated.

Those in Israel and Palestine and surrounding areas took the brunt of it, but now it's seemingly everywhere - and you're worried. Why would this be? The answer is that the old energy was happy to have this hatred contained, for it would keep it going and never involve outsiders. Outsiders tend to bring unwanted light to the party. Suddenly, the whole earth is involved and can see the entire scenario before them. The old guard wants war, just like all the eons before them. The ones on the bridge are holding the light and showing the earth how to cross. Even many younger ones in Israel and Palestine and Iran are holding light! It's all around the old guard and they are furious, for they are losing the "battle of hatred." …”

Greenland ice melting at record speed

Satellite data shows ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica are declining at record speed. The annual loss of ice has doubled in the case of Greenland and tripled in the West Antarctic compared to figures from 2009.

Deutsche Welle, 21 Aug 2014

Scientists from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) in Bremerhaven mapping elevation changes of Greenlandic and Antarctic glaciers have found ice sheets are melting at record pace. Per year, the ice sheets dump some 500 cubic kilometers (132,000 gallons) of ice into the oceans. The researchers say that compares to an ice sheet that's 600 meters (1970 feet) thick and covers an area as big as the German city of Hamburg - or the Southeast Asian nation of Singapore.

The research team headed by Veit Helm used around two years' worth of data from the ESA CryoSat-2 satellite to create digital elevation models of Greenland and Antarctica. The results were published in the online magazine of the European Geoscience Union (EGU) "The Cryosphere".

"The new elevation maps are snapshots of the current state of the ice sheets," Helm said. "The elevations are very accurate, to just a few meters in height, and cover close to 16 million square kilometers of the area of the ice sheets." Helm says this includes an additional 500,000 square kilometers that weren't covered in previous elevation models from altimetry.

Space technology shows declining ice mass

Helm and his team analyzed all data from the CryoSat-2 radar altimeter SIRAL in order to come up with these detailed maps. The satellite with this new radar equipment was launched in 2010. Satellite altimeters measure the height of an ice sheet by sending radar or laser pulses which are then reflected by the surface of the glaciers or surrounding areas of water and recorded by the satellite.

The researchers used other satellite data as well to document how elevation has changed between 2011 and 2014. Ice sheets gain mass through snowfall and lose it through melting and accelerating glaciers, which carry ice from the interior of the ice sheet to the ocean.

"We need to understand where and to which extent the ice thickness across the glaciers has changed. Only then can we analyze the drivers of these changes and find out how much ice sheets contribute to global sea level rise," lead author Helm said.

Rapid ice loss over a short period of time

The team used more than 200 million SIRAL data points for Antarctica and some 14 million data points for Greenland to create the elevation maps. The results show that Greenland alone is losing around 375 cubic kilometers of ice per year.

Compared to data which was collected in 2009, the loss of mass from the Greenland ice sheet has doubled. The rate of ice discharge from the West Antarctic ice sheet tripled during the same period.

85 percent of Greenland is covered with ice - melting ice sheets
contribute to rising sea levels

"If you combine the two, they are thinning at a rate of 500 cubic kilometers per year. That is the highest rate observed since altimetry satellite records began about 20 years ago," said glaciologist Angelika Humbert, who co-authored the AWI study.

The researchers detected the biggest elevation changes at the Jakobshavn Glacier in West Greenland and Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica. This corresponds with other scientific research on both areas.

Whereas the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and the Antarctic Peninsula, on the far west of the continent, are rapidly losing volume, East Antarctica is gaining volume. However, the scientists stress that this is happening at such a low rate that it does not compensate for the losses on the other side of the continent.

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“2011 and Beyond” - What you are seeing, and why - Jan 16, 2010 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Text version)

New Mini Ice Age

“… So now we've refreshed that which we have said before, a review. You are in the middle of a cycle that will bring cooling to the planet. It is not a heat cycle, but rather a cooling cycle. But it always starts with a short heat cycle. It has been here before. It will come again. It is a long cycle - one generation plus five years. That's how long it's going to last. It starts with the melting of the ice caps, which is far more than any of you have seen in your lifetime or those of your ancestors. It is a cycle whose repetition is thousands of years long, but one that has not yet been recorded to the books of Human record. But it's definitely been recorded in the cores of the ice and in the rings of the trees.

Thousands of years old, it is, and it happens in a cyclical way. It's about water. It starts with that which is the melting of the ice caps to a particular degree, which has a profound effect on the planet in all ways. You can't have that happen without seeing life change as well as Gaia change and you've seeing it already. What happens when you take that which is heavy on the poles [ice] and you melt it? It then becomes cold water added to that which is a very, very gentle and finite balance of temperature in the seas of the planet (1). The first thing that happens is a redistribution of the weight of water on the thin crust of the earth from ice at the poles to new water in the seas. The results become earthquakes and volcanoes, and you're seeing them, aren't you? You are having earthquakes in places that are not supposed to have earthquakes. Volcanoes are coming to life in a way that you've not seen before on a regular basis. There will be more. Expect them.

Is it too much to ask of a Human Being that if you live by a volcano that you know might erupt, maybe you ought to move? Yet there will be those who say, "It hasn't erupted in my lifetime or my parents' lifetime or my grandparents' lifetime; therefore, it won't." You may have a surprise, for all things are changing. That is what is happening to Gaia. ….“

Ukraine president pledges to 'talk peace' with Putin

Yahoo – AFP, Nicolas Gaudichet with Galina Korba in Kiev, 21 Aug 2014

Ukrainian forces take their position not far from the eastern city of Lugansk

on August 20, 2014 (AFP Photo/Anatolii Stepanov)

Donetsk (Ukraine) (AFP) - Ukraine's president said he will "talk peace" with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin by demanding the withdrawal of pro-Kremlin militants from the war-torn east when they meet next week for the first time in months.

President Petro Poroshenko said on Thursday that "the whole world is tired of war" and that he would "call for militants to be pulled out of Ukraine" when he meets Putin for crunch talks in Minsk alongside top EU officials.

His strident tone reflects the fact that government forces have made significant gains against the pro-Russian rebels in recent days. A fierce offensive continued on Thursday, with Kiev hoping for a knock-out blow ahead of the fresh round of diplomacy.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko 

gestures as he addresses deputies during a

parliamentary session in Kiev on July 31, 

2014 (AFP Photo/Anatolii Stepanov)

Meanwhile, a controversial Russian aid convoy inched closer to the border with rebel-held areas. Ukraine's customs officials said they had started processing the first of the lorries after a week of wrangling caused by fears that the convoy could be used to smuggle in military supplies to the rebels.

Kiev has accused Moscow of ramping up support to the rebels as their situation grows more desperate, and the West fears the Kremlin could even launch a full-scale invasion as a last roll of the dice.

Russia has persistently denied allegations that it is arming and effectively running the rebellion. It says it wants an end to the Ukrainian offensive and to four months of fighting that has killed over 2,200 people.

It ridiculed claims from Kiev that Russian military documents had been found in armoured vehicles captured following a battle near the rebel stronghold of Lugansk.

Refugees rising

On the ground, fighting continued in a string of key rebel towns as government forces refocused attempts to cut off alleged supply routes from Russia.

Shelling near the main separatist city of Donetsk left two civilians dead on Thursday, while an interior ministry official said 16 servicemen were killed in fierce battles for control of a railway hub in the region.

The United Nations on Wednesday increased its estimate of the number of people who have fled the fighting since April to at least 415,800.

In Lugansk, a city without communication, water or power for the past 19 days, authorities said residents were "on the brink of survival".

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) urged both sides to "take constant care to spare the civilian population" after a small team of aid workers visited the city.

Heavy shelling has left homes decimated in central Donetsk.

"I don't know who to turn to, I don't know who the government is anymore," Inna, a physics professor, told AFP. "Today it is the rebels but tomorrow Kiev could be back."

A Russian humanitarian convoy on the side of the road as they approach the

 Donetsk-Izvarino customs control checkpoint in the Russia's Rostov Region

on August 21, 2014 (AFP Photo/Sergey Veniavsky)

Aid on the move?

Meanwhile the week-long dispute over a mammoth Russian aid convoy parked at Ukraine's border appeared to be nearing resolution.

An ICRC official told journalists in Moscow that trucks could cross "hopefully tomorrow" as Ukrainian officials began long-delayed checks.

Kiev and the West fear that an attack on the convoy in Ukraine could be used by Russia as a pretext to invade, which Moscow has denied.

The Red Cross has spent the past few days scrambling to nail down security guarantees from all sides for the convoy's journey.

A day after the national currency tanked to a new record low, Economy Minister Pavlo Sheremeta announced his resignation citing prolonged disputes over how to fix the country's disastrous financial situation.

Sheremeta has been at loggerheads with Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who criticised the slow pace of reforms needed to unlock $1.4 billion (one billion euros) in international aid due later this month.

The money is part of a broader $27-billion rescue package to salvage the economy but questions remain over failures by the authorities in Kiev to push through key anti-corruption legislation.

Erdogan names loyal ally Davutoglu as new Turkey PM

Yahoo – AFP, Fulya Ozerkan, 21 Aug 2014

Turkey's president-elect Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) shakes hands with Foreign

 Minister Ahmet Davutoglu after he announced Davutoglu as new chairman of his

 ruling AKP party and new prime minister, in Ankara on August 21, 2014 (AFP Photo/

Adem Altan)

Ankara (AFP) - Turkey's president-elect Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday named Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu to succeed him as ruling party leader and prime minister, promoting an ally who is expected to show unstinting loyalty to the new head of state.

Erdogan -- who has dominated Turkey's political scene for 11 years as prime minister -- is to be inaugurated as president next week after his election victory earlier this month.

Davutoglu immediately vowed that "no seeds of discord" could be sown between him and Erdogan, who wants to rule as a powerful head of state and is set to remain Turkey's undisputed number one.

Turkey's president-elect Recep Tayyip

 Erdogan waves to members of his 

ruling Justice and Development Party

(AKP) in Ankara on August 21, 2014

(AFP Photo/Adem Altan)

Erdogan announced the decision after a meeting of his Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Ankara, to cheers from the party elite and a blast of Turkish folk music.

Davutoglu's nomination will be rubber-stamped by an extraordinary congress of the AKP on August 27 and he will take office a day later when Erdogan is inaugurated.

"I believe our candidate for party leadership and prime minister will realise the ideal of a new Turkey and the AKP's targets for 2023" when modern Turkey celebrates its 100th anniversary, Erdogan said.

Heaping praise on Davutoglu, he vowed that the AKP would stay unified as it prepares for legislative elections in 2015.

"We are passing through a very important test. The upcoming week is very important, as well as the long process that will begin afterwards," said Erdogan.

"We will not make our enemies happy."

'Stand together'

Davutoglu has been a loyal servant to Erdogan as an advisor before being promoted to the job of foreign minister in 2009.

He enjoyed an elite Western-style education and is fluent in several languages but emerged as the chief architect and ideologue of Turkey's assertive foreign policy under Erdogan.

Criticised as neo-Ottoman or even pan-Islamic by some academics, the core of Davutoglu's policy has been to make Turkey a world power projecting its influence across the region.

Television journalists report from outside

 the headquarters of Turkey's ruling Justice

and Development Party (AKP) party in

 Ankara, on August 21, 2014 (AFP

Photo/Adem Altan)

But while Turkey's importance has unquestionably grown in the last years, critics say the policy has left Ankara isolated and surrounded by crisis-torn countries whose problems are spilling over the border.

His loyalty has never been in question and Davutoglu's first comments after being named indicated there would be no splits between his future government and president Erdogan.

"I assure you that our party will continue to stand together. No seeds of discord can be planted between you and me, Mr President," he said.

"This restoration movement which we started 12 years ago will continue without any interruption," he added, referring to the period since the AKP first came to power in 2002.

'Puppet prime minister?'

Opponents blasted the choice, saying that Davutoglu would be no more than a puppet of Erdogan and the promotion was an unjustified reward for a disastrous stint as foreign minister.

"One would wish that the office of prime minister is built upon achievements, not failures. Today Davutoglu is a man regarded more with criticism than praise," said Aykan Erdemir, lawmaker of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).

As president, Erdogan is widely expected to wield great influence over his party in the run-up to the 2015 parliamentary polls.

CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu told Today's Zaman newspaper that Turkey was heading to a "new era of puppet prime ministers".

Turkey's outgoing president Abdullah Gul

 makes a speech during a reception at the 

Presidential Palace of Cankaya, in Ankara,

 on August 19, 2014 (AFP Photo/Murat

Cetinmuhurdar)

Erdogan has vowed to break with the tradition of ceremonial presidencies in Turkey and be a powerful head of state who will use powers that have lain dormant for years such as chairing cabinet meetings.

Davutoglu's nomination paves the way for a wider shake-up of Turkish politics that is expected to follow Erdogan's inauguration on August 28.

Turkish media reports have predicted a cabinet packed with Erdogan allies, in an indication the new president plans to keep a tight control over government.

In a notable move, the head of Turkey's National Intelligence Organisation (MIT), Hakan Fidan, a staunch Erdogan ally, is tipped to take over from Davutoglu as foreign minister.

Outgoing President Abdullah Gul had been seen as a candidate for the premiership but had the door slammed shut on him in what many saw as ruthless humilation by his enemies in the AKP.

The extent of his bitterness was hinted at on Tuesday by his wife Hayrunnisa who complained her husband had been the victim of "many falsehoods and a great deal of disrespect".

Related Article:

Davutoglu: controversial architect of Turkey's foreign policy

Pope Francis says he expects to live two or three more years, and may retire

77-year-old says he may 'soon be off to the Father's house' and would retire if he could no longer perform his duties

theguardian.com, Agence France-Presse on the papal plane, Tuesday 19 August 2014

Pope Francis on plane

Pope Francis talks to journalists on his flight back to Rome from South
Korea. Photograph: Grzegorz Galazka/Sipa/Rex

PopeFrancis has publicly broached the prospect of his own death for the first time, light-heartedly giving himself "two or three years" but not ruling out retirement before then.

Talking to reporters on a flight back to the Vatican from South Korea, the 77-year-old pontiff, who seemed in good spirits, was asked about his global popularity, which was evident again during his five-day visit.

"I see it as the generosity of the people of God. I try to think of my sins, my mistakes, not to become proud. Because I know it will last only a short time. Two or three years and then I'll be off to the Father's house," he replied.

The Argentinian pope said he could handle the popularity "more naturally" these days, though at first it had "scared me a little".

While the pope has not spoken publicly before about when he might meet his maker, a Vatican source said he had previously told those close to him that he thought he only had a few years left.

Pope Francis also mentioned the possibility of retiring from the papacy, as his predecessor Benedict XVI did last year, if he felt he could no longer adequately perform his duties.

Resigning the papacy was a possibility "even if it does not appeal to some theologians", he told reporters.

He added that 60 years ago it was practically unheard of for Catholic bishops to retire, but nowadays it was common. "Benedict XVI opened a door," he said.

Francis admitted he had "some nerve problems", which required treatment. "Must treat them well, these nerves, give them mate [an Argentinian stimulant tea] every day," he joked.

"One of these neuroses is that I'm too much of a homebody," he added, recalling that the last time he had taken a holiday outside his native Argentina was "with the Jesuit community in 1975".

Related Article:

"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)

“… 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.  …”

Ukip MEP apologises for insulting Thai supporter

Janice Atkinson says she 'deeply regrets the words I used', after referring to woman as 'a ting tong from somewhere'

The Guardian, Nicholas Watt, chief political correspondent, Monday 18 August 2014

A Ukip rosette. Photograph: Craig Shepheard/Demotix/Corbis

A Ukip MEP has apologised after she described a Thai constituent and party supporter as "a ting tong from somewhere".

Janice Atkinson, an MEP for the south of England, apologised to Fa Munday for using the words, which are used colloquially in Thai to describe a mentally ill person. It was also the name of a Thai transsexual character played by Matt Lucas in the BBC1 comedy Little Britain.

Atkinson made the remarks after recording an interview with BBC South East Today on Friday. The MEP was still wearing a microphone after being filmed meeting local people and Ukip members in Ramsgate, Kent.

Atkinson was heard to say of the filming: "So that was good. We got Fa who's, I don't know, she's a ting tong from somewhere."

Munday told the BBC: "I'm from Thailand. I'm married to an Englishman and now I'm British. No one has ever spoken about me like that before."

Her husband, Vincent Munday, who is also a Ukip supporter, said: "I don't think Ukip are a racist party, but that comment certainly wasn't the brightest thing I've ever heard."

Atkinson said: "I deeply regret the words I used and am incredibly sorry. It was poor judgment and naivety on my part rather than words spoken with any malice. I am devastated that I have caused hurt and apologise profusely to both Mr and Mrs Munday."

A Ukip spokesman said: "Janice has apologised for the words she used. Ukip in no way condones the use of language that may reflect prejudice or cause offence and we sincerely hope this matter can be resolved privately."