Chinese bishops invite Pope Francis for historic visit

Yahoo – AFP, October 16, 2018

Pope Francis has sought to improve relations between the Vatican and China,
which have not had diplomatic relations since 1951 (AFP Photo/Alberto PIZZOLI)

Vatican City (AFP) - Two Chinese Catholic bishops attending a Vatican meeting for the first time following a landmark deal between Beijing and the Holy See said Tuesday they have invited Pope Francis to visit.

"While we were here, we invited Pope Francis to come to China," Bishop Joseph Guo Jincai said in an interview with Avvenire, the daily newspaper of the Italian bishops' conference.

"We are waiting for him," Guo said.

Last year the pope said he would like to visit China "as soon as they send me an invitation".

The trip would be of great significance as the Vatican has not had diplomatic relations with Beijing since 1951.

There are an estimated 12 million Catholics in China, divided between a government-run association whose clergy are chosen by the Communist Party, and an unofficial church which swears allegiance to the Vatican.

Pope Francis has sought to improve relations since he took office in 2013, but previous attempts had foundered over Beijing's insistence that the Vatican give up recognition of Taiwan and promise not to interfere in domestic religious issues.

However an accord was reached last month which could pave the way for the normalisation of ties between the Catholic Church and the world's most populous country.

Under the provisional agreement, Francis recognised seven clergy initially ordained by Beijing without the Vatican's approval.

Guo and bishop John Baptist Yang Xiaotin were personally welcomed by the pontiff to the advisory body meeting earlier this month.

"We have waited for this moment for so long, and finally it is here," Guo said, adding that the pair had seen the pope daily, staying in the Vatican hotel where Francis lives and talking to him "as sons do with their father".

He said a trip to China was "like our presence here. Once impossible, it became possible".

While the Vatican has said last month's deal with China was not political but pastoral, many believe it is likely to have political repercussions, setting the stage for the restoration of diplomatic ties after nearly 70 years.

That raises questions over the future of official ties between Taiwan and the Holy See -- the island's only official ally in Europe.

People's Daily lays out China's motive in founding AIIB

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2015-03-19

The UK, Italy, France and Germany strain against Uncle Sam's bonds of
"friendship" and "brotherhood" to get at a cake offered by China,
with the word "benefits" on top. (Cartoon/CFP)

An opinion piece published on the official WeChat account of the overseas edition of the Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily has outlined the motivation behind Beijing's efforts to set up the Asian Infrastructure Bank (AIIB).

Germany, France and Italy have now followed in the footsteps of the United Kingdom to apply to be founding members of the bank against the advice of the United States, pushing the number of countries taking part in the initiative to 31.

Many international news organizations have interpreted the AIIB as an attempt by Beijing to challenge the status of the US in the international community. The People's Daily commentary said China had no other option but to do so due to the unequal treatment of emerging and developing economies in existing institutions such as the IMF and World Bank.

After 2008, the G8 countries — the US, UK, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada and Russia — came to the realization that their "wealthy nations club" was not enough to save them from the effects of the global financial crisis and they needed to include emerging and developing countries, including China, to sort out the crisis, which led to the convening of the G20, the piece said. This had little or no effect on the fundamental manner by which the world economy was governed, as implemented by the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO, as the US and the G8 nations were still the dominant voices, the commentary said.

Attempts to reform the IMF in 2010 by giving emerging and developing countries more clout were blocked by the US, which left a gap in representation in the global economy which China believes the AIIB can fill, the piece said.

Other multilateral development funds in Asia have been unable to keep up with development trends in the region and there has long been a need for a new organization to resolve issues with the Asian and Chinese economies, the piece said.

The Asian Development Bank has shown its political colors with the US "Asia Pivot" strategy, the piece said, adding that the bank, founded in 1966 and led by the US and Japan, is in decline and that it is inconsistent in the loans it gives to Asian countries, making it difficult for some of them to get the funds they need.

The piece also said that the AIIB differs from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank in terms of its functions, as the latter two are aimed at reducing poverty, whereas the former is aimed at building infrastructure and supporting the social and economic development of Asian nations.

China also likely hopes to benefit financially from regional infrastructural development, including large-scale transnational highways and railway networks, the piece said. China is currently capital rich, but there is not enough demand for infrastructure projects domestically, so infrastructure investments in other Asian countries are a good way to assert its influence in neighboring countries, as well as finding a purpose for surplus funds.

According to Asian Development Bank figures, Asian countries will require around US$8 trillion in infrastructure investment up to 2020, which will provide China with good investment opportunities, according to the article. China has a great deal of experience in infrastructure construction and this will likely mean a good return on investment, the piece said.

If China shares the dividends of its economic transformation it will also improve relations between countries in the region, the piece said. Many countries in the region are undergoing similar reforms to China, but they lack funds, skills and experience, all of which China can help to provide.

The launch of the bank will also lead to the further internationalization of the renminbi, the piece said.

Related Article:

France, Germany, Italy to join China-led infrastructure bank

Pope Francis deplores Vatican 'ills' in speech to Curia

BBC News, 22 December 2014

The Pope delivered his tough message in the Vatican's Clementine Hall

Related Stories

• What type of pontiff is Pope Francis?
• Pope Francis: A gentle revolution
• Profile: Pope Francis

Pope Francis has sharply criticised the Vatican bureaucracy in a pre-Christmas address to cardinals, complaining of "spiritual Alzheimer's" and "the terrorism of gossip".

He said the Curia - the administrative pinnacle of the Roman Catholic Church - was suffering from 15 "ailments", which he wanted cured in the New Year.

Pope Francis - the first Latin American pontiff - also criticised "those who look obsessively at their own image".

He has demanded reform of the Curia.

Pope Francis said some power-hungry clerics were guilty of "cold-bloodedly killing the reputation of their own colleagues and brothers".

He compared the performance of the church's civil servants to that of an orchestra playing out of tune because they fail to collaborate and have no team spirit, the BBC's David Willey reports from Rome.

Before his election in March 2013, the pontiff had never worked in Rome, and he is clearly upset at the internal opposition he has encountered to some of the reforms he wants to carry out, our correspondent adds.

The Pope says the Church elite must reach out to poor and vulnerable worshippers

Since his election last year, Pope Francis has launched a clean-up of the Vatican Bank, officially known as the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR). The IOR has long had a poor reputation, after a succession of scandals.

He has appointed a team of advisers to tackle corruption and poor administration in the Vatican.

He has also suggested that the Curia's power - concentrated in Rome for centuries - could be diluted to some extent by giving Catholic bishops around the world a bigger say in Church doctrine.

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"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (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)

“ … Spirituality (Religions)

Number one: Spirituality. The systems of spiritual design on your planet are starting to change. This is not telling you that certain ones are going to go away. They're simply going to change. Some of the largest spiritual systems, which you would call organized religion on the planet, are shifting. They're going to shift away from that which is authority on the outside to authority on the inside. It will eventually be a different way of worship, slowly changing the rules while keeping the basic doctrine the same.

The doctrine of the Christ has always been to find the God inside. The teachings were clear. The examples of the miracles were given as an example of what humans could do, not to set a man up for worship as a God. So when that has been absorbed, the teaching of the Christ can remain the teaching of the Christ. It simply changes the interpretation. 

The teachings of the great prophets of the Middle East (all related to each other) are about unity and love. So once the holy words are redefined with new wisdom, the Human changes, not the words of the prophets. In fact, the prophets become even more divinely inspired and their wisdom becomes even more profound.

You're going to lose a pope soon. I have no clock. Soon to us can mean anything to you. The one who replaces him may surprise you, for his particular organization will be in survival mode at that point in time. That is to say that fewer and fewer are interested in starting the priesthood. Fewer and fewer young people are interested in the organization, and the new pope must make changes to keep his church alive. That means that his organization will remain, but with a more modern look at what truly is before all of you in a new energy. It is not the fall of the church. It is instead the recalibration of the divinity inside that would match the worship that goes on. It's a win-win situation. The new pope will have a difficult time, since the old guard will still be there. There could even be an assassination attempt, such is the way the old energy dies hard. That is number one. Watch for it. It's a change in the way spiritual systems work. It's a realignment of spiritual systems that resound to a stronger truth that is Human driven, rather than prophet driven.…”

"Current" Events –  Apr 10, 2005 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

“… The Last and Next Pope

[Note that this was channelled right after the death of John Paul II, and before the conclave of Catholic Cardinals had selected the next pope.]

"Kryon, we just lost what appears to be a great religious leader, Pope John Paul II. What are the ramifications of this?" My partner eluded earlier to the man called Karol who became the pope [spoken of earlier within the seminar]. He discussed what his goals were and what he did on this planet that really had nothing to do with his religion. Oh, perhaps the hat he wore did, and the places he walked did, and the ceremony around him did. But this was only given to facilitate what he could do.

But you see, like you, we knew Karol. He leaned into the wind of birth, too - just as you did. He was no different. And Spirit said to him, "You're going to have a chance to change the earth because the energy of this planet has the potential of being very different. There are potentials when you get to be a certain age where there'll be something called the Harmonic Convergence on the planet, and things will begin to change. You can fit into this as a world leader. Are you ready for that?" And he said yes.

No angel asked Karol if he wanted to be a Catholic, as he leaned into the wind of birth. That was simply the vehicle that got him into the position where he could change the planet the way he did. You couldn't have had the absence of the Armageddon that you've experienced without Karol. Did you know that [speaking of his direct involvement in the influence of the fall of communism]? So his belief system not only served him well, but it propelled him to a special place that was his alone to be in, and one that allowed him to touch billions all at once. And so it was that this great religious leader, who also knew intuitively what he was doing, had a love of humanity. His favorite thing was to be among common people - and he was, every time he could be. When he got to the position where he could make a difference, he did.

Now, there's something you don't know about Karol. The last decade of his life, he was very frustrated. Go look at the pictures. Go look at the pictures of the first 16 years. Then look at those from the last ten. The last ten, he was suffering - not just with his health - he was anguishing over a situation that none of you truly know about. For in his last ten years this man wanted to make some more changes while the time was ripe, but he knew he was too old.

Karol didn't have the energy to make the changes he really wanted to make, and those around him fought him to keep things the way they were. It was all very political, and someday this information may come out into the open, and you'll hear about those who influenced him in the last ten years and helped to keep things on an even keel. He was too old to make a difference and he knew it.

Karol was not of a consciousness to make some of the changes that many cried out for - about poverty and the role of women in his organization (that will come later). But Karol cried out in his heart for the children that were abused by the priests, and he wanted to do something about this and make a difference. He believed that his Savior wanted him to make a difference, but he couldn't do it. So what might look to you like inaction was instead the pope suffering, for he was not allowed to do what he wanted - due to his lack of energy and those around him who made certain he didn't.

"Kryon, here we sit with conclave of cardinals about to meet and select a new pope. What's the potential based upon the energy right now of the selection? What's going to happen?" I'll give you two potentials of what might take place in the next few days, because your future is always about free choice. There is no entity who can tell you about the future, since it's totally in the hands of the free-choice of humanity. However, based on the energy of the moment, here's what we see: (1) You're either going to have an interim, temporary pope for only a short amount of time (relative to the last one), who will lead to a radical pope; or (2) You're going to go right to the radical pope. Either way, you're going to eventually end up with a man who's going to do things to shake up the establishment.

Let me give you some of the potentials of what the radical pope may be involved in: This religion he leads on earth has doctrines that no longer "square up" with what humanity is seeing around itself. He absolutely has to address this issue, for the sophisticated Humans will leave the church otherwise. There will be those who may even call him "the evil pope" because he's going to go against tradition when he slowly starts a process that honors the Virgin Mary more than any pope ever has - therefore honoring women within the church, elevating them to higher positions... even to priests.

He will speak about family planning, and start processes that will slowly justify it in the eyes of God [this will take awhile], but it must come from the man who "sits in the chair" [ex cathedra] to change the doctrine of the whole organization. Because of this, he will also be in danger and will have to have constant protection.

Then he'll talk about what to do with priests who abuse children. Watch for this. Even if you receive the interim pope, he'll set the stage for the radical pope in this area. For this is in the energy aura of what we would call the potential future around this grand event. The earth is filled with free choice and it can go any direction, but I've just given you the potentials of what is here and now. ..."

India 'cancels helicopter deal with AgustaWestland'

Google – AFP, 1 January 2014

File picture shows a new AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat helicopter at the

 Farnborough International Airshow in Hampshire, southern England, on 

July 11, 2012 (AFP/File, Adrian Dennis)

New Delhi — India has cancelled a 556-million-euro ($753 million) contract with Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland to buy luxury helicopters for VIPs following a corruption scandal, the Press Trust of India reported Wednesday.

The deal was scrapped after Defence Minister A. K. Antony held a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the national news agency said, quoting what it described as official defence ministry sources.

India had suspended the deal in 2013 after Italian investigators began looking into allegations that AgustaWestland paid bribes to win the contract.

The Italian boss of AgustaWestland's parent company Finmeccanica was arrested last February over the case -- touching off a firestorm in India, where the Congress-led government has been battling a string of graft scandals before elections this year.

India signed the deal in 2010 for 12 helicopters from AgustaWestland after the company beat competition from American and Russian rivals.

In November last year the helicopter maker had sought arbitration to try to salvage the contract.

Italian prosecutors suspect kickbacks worth around 10 percent of the deal -- $67.6 million (50 million euros) -- were paid to Indian officials to swing the deal in favour of AgustaWestland, according to Italian media reports.

India has already received three of the helicopters, intended to be used by such dignitaries as the prime minister and the president, but Antony halted deliveries of the remaining nine.

India's auditor general said in a report last year that the defence ministry "deviated from procurement procedure and tender on several instances in the deal" including altitude requirements.

Indian detectives raided the home of former air force chief S.P. Tyagi as part of the probe into the allegations of bribery. Tyagi has denied any wrongdoing.

Cash was allegedly handed to Tyagi's cousin, with more money funnelled via a web of middlemen and companies in London, Switzerland, Tunisia and Mauritius.

The purchase also came under scrutiny from Italian investigators probing allegations the Italian group had broken the law by bribing foreign officials.

The company denies any wrongdoing.

A spokesman for the company in India was not immediately available to comment on the PTI report.

The cancellation is expected to be a big blow to AgustaWestland, which has a factory in southwest England.

The decision will also be a severe blow to Finmeccanica, whose chief executive Giuseppe Orsi resigned from behind prison bars in February last year.

Orsi denies any wrongdoing and his lawyer has called the allegations against him "inconsistent" and his arrest "unjustified".

The latest move by the Indian defence ministry is seen as a government attempt to contain the fallout from the corruption scandal before elections due in the first half of this year.

The helicopter deal was cleared by Singh, whose Congress-led government has been buffeted by a series of corruption scandals that analysts say could affect the party's electoral chances in 2014 polls.

Related Articles:

Finmeccanica helicopter deal payments frozen by India

Italy Defense Firm Chief 'Arrested for India Bribes'

Pope outlines less 'Vatican-centric' Church

Google – AFP, 1 Oct 2013

Pope Francis meets a consistory of cardinals on September 30, 2013

at the Vatican (Osservatore Romano/AFP)

Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis outlined plans for reform of the Church to make it less "Vatican-centric" on Tuesday as he met with top cardinals tasked with helping him overhaul the 2,000-year-old institution.

In his strongest censure of the intrigue-filled Vatican world yet, the Argentine pontiff condemned "leprosy" in the Vatican and called for a less hierarchical Church structured "horizontally".

"Leaders of the Church have often been Narcissuses, gratified and sickeningly excited by their courtiers. The court is the leprosy of the papacy," Francis said in an interview with Italian left-wing daily La Repubblica.

The comments came as the pope, who has become known for his humble style, met with a group of eight cardinals he has called to advise him on reforming the Vatican administration and bettering communication with local churches.

Francis has already taken several significant steps to tackle one of the Vatican's most high-profile problems: the scandal-plagued bank.

In June he set up a pontifical commission to analyse the bank and propose ways to reform it, and on Tuesday it published its accounts for the first time in a new drive for transparency.

A report in the Corriere della Sera daily said the bank was shutting 900 accounts as part of an internal audit, including ones deemed suspicious belonging to diplomats from the embassies to the Holy See of Indonesia, Iran, Iraq and Syria.

The unique advisory board of cardinals meeting on Tuesday -- an innovation in Church government -- is holding closed door talks for three days and is expected to address a range of problems.

These could include further financial reform, the role of women in the Church and whether to soften institutional lines on issues such as the position of divorced Catholics and homosexuality.

It will also look at how to strengthen ties between the Vatican and local parishes, and place more focus on priests and their communities.

The Holy See "is too Vatican-centric", the pontiff said in the interview.

"It looks after the interests of the Vatican, which are for the most part, earthly interests. This Vatican-centric vision neglects the world that surrounds it," he said.

"I do not share this vision and will do everything to change it.

"The Church is -- or must become once more -- a community of the people of God, and the presbyter priests, vicars and bishops who cure souls are at the service of God's people," he added.

The eight cardinals in the group come from Australia, Chile, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Germany, Honduras, India, Italy and the United States.

"This is the start of a Church structured just not vertically but horizontally as well," Francis said.

The cardinals "are not courtiers but wise men who share my same feelings," he added.

The 76-year-old said his focus lay on helping the Church engage better with the modern world -- while also returning to its humble roots.

"We have to open up to the future," he said, recalling how the 1962-1965 Second Vatican Council, which carried out large-scale reforms to update the Church.

Those who drew up the reforms "knew that opening up to modern culture meant Christian unity and dialogue with non-believers."

"Little was done to follow up on it. I have the humility and ambition to want to do it," he added.

The pontiff recalled his namesake, St Francis of Assisi, who "longed for a poor Church that looked after others, accepted monetary help and used it to help others with no thought of itself."

"Eight hundred years have passed and times have changed, but the ideal of a missionary and poor Church is still more than valid," he said.

The first pope from Latin America also revealed that he had briefly thought about turning down the papal nomination after being elected by his fellow cardinals at an historic conclave in the Sistine Chapel in March.

"Before accepting, I asked if I could retire for a few minutes... I felt great anxiety," he said.

"I closed my eyes and all thoughts disappeared. Even the one about refusing to accept the nomination. At some point a great light filled me. It lasted a moment but for me it seemed a very long time," he said.

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goldenageofgaia.com, Steve Beckow, An Hour with an Angel, September 30, 2013, with Archangel Michael - New

Pope Francis

SB: Let’s turn for a moment to Pope Francis, who has allegedly excommunicated an Australian priest who was apparently working for the ordination of women. We don’t really know, and that’s why we’re coming to you.

This move has reportedly shocked many Catholics who thought that Pope Francis was a progressive. Can you give us your perspective on the matter, please?

AAM: First of all, there has not been an excommunication. And it is a matter of timing. And it is a matter of bringing the women into the priesthood. So this is not the truthful report.

It is that simple.

SB: Has somebody tried to undermine Pope Francis?

AAM: Oh, yes. There will be many who will try to undermine.

SB: Well, I’ll be darned!

AAM: But that will not be permitted. The truth will win out.

Bizarre Claim for $1 Trillion

Courthousenews, By DAN MCCUE, Monday, December 05, 2011

MANHATTAN (CN) - An American expatriate in Bulgaria claims the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, the Office of International Treasury Control and the Italian government conspired with a host of others to steal more than $1.1 trillion in financial instruments intended to support humanitarian purposes

The 111-page federal complaint involves a range of entities common to conspiracy theorists, including the Vatican Illuminati, the Masons, the "Trilateral Trillenium Tripartite Gold Commission," and the U.S. Federal Reserve.

Plaintiff Neil Keenan claims he was entrusted in 2009 with the financial instruments - which included U.S. Federal Reserve notes worth $124.5 billion, two Japanese government bonds with a combined face value of $19 billion, and one U.S. "Kennedy" bond with a face value of $1 billion - by an entity called the Dragon Family, which is a group of several wealthy and secretive Asian families.

"The Dragon family abstains from public view and knowledge, but, upon information and belief, acts for the good and better benefit of the world in constant coordination with higher levels of global financial organizations, in particular, the Federal Reserve System," Keenan claims.

"During the course of its existence over the last century, the Dragon family has accumulated great wealth by having provided the Federal Reserve Bank and the United States Government with asset assignments of gold and silver via certain accounts held in Switzerland, for which it has received consideration in the form of a variety of Notes, Bonds and Certificates such as those described ... that are an obligation of the Federal Reserve System."

Keenan says that with accrued interest the instruments are now worth more than $1 trillion. He says the family designated him as its principal in an effort to select certain registered and authorized Private Placement Investment Programs (PPPs) for the benefit of unspecified global humanitarian efforts.

In his remarkable complaint, Keenan claims that the U.S. government enormous amounts of money - delivered in gold and other precious metals - from the Dragon Family many years ago, and that the money was placed into the Federal Reserve System for the benefit and underwriting support of the dollar, "which was to become and currently remains the global reserve currency".

Keenan claims the conspiracy began with the illegal detention of two Japanese citizens, Akihiko Yamaguchi and Mitsuyoshi Watanabe, and the seizure of $134.5 billion in bonds they were holding in Italy, in June 2009.

Photo released by the Italian media after these bonds

were first seized (June 2009)

Yamaguchi can best be described as Keenan's predecessor in trying to place Dragon Family instruments in legitimate PPPs to advance the group's humanitarian aims, according to the complaint.

Keenan says he came to know both Yamaguchi and the Dragon Family through the Japanese man's efforts on the group's behalf, and that he introduced them to a bank in Cyprus with which they could do business.

Keenan says that in gratitude, Yamaguchi sought and was granted approval to execute a special power of attorney, whereby Keenan would also act on behalf of the Dragon Family to place their assets in PPPs.

It was then, he says, that he took possession of the instruments that are the heart of the lawsuit. For his assistance, Keenan says, he was to receive a profit share amounting to 30 percent of any particular PPP he arranged.

A month after the Japanese men were detained, an man named Leo Zagami, "a self-described 33rd degree Free Mason, who, as of April 2008, had reportedly claimed to be the leader of a breakaway faction of the Knights of Templar and high-level Freemasons centered around the elite of the Masons P2 (propaganda Due) Lodge in Monte Carlo," arrived on the scene, according to the complaint. (Parentheses in complaint.)

Zagami claimed to be a representative of the Vatican Illuminati and other European sect societies and "had been looking to make contact with certain Asian Secret Societies," the complaint states.

During a meeting in Japan, he says, he told a contact that Yamaguchi and Watanabe had been "set up" and that he had inside information about the seized instruments.

Subsequently, he introduced his contact in Japan to defendant Daniele Dal Bosco, a Vatican banker and associate of the P2 Masonic Lodge, who "would be able to 'cash the bonds seized by the Italian Treasury Police,'" according to the complaint.

The complaint alleges a complicated history with many moving parts and scores of internationally known and unknown characters, the sum of which is that Keenan claims he was entrusted with billions of dollars in bonds by the Dragon Family.

He claims that soon, he and Dal Bosco were in daily contact via Skype and they arranged to meet in Italy. During these conversations, Dal Bosco represented that he was not only financial advisor to Zagami, but also to the Vatican, Vatican City, Rome, and the treasurer for the P2 Masonic Lodge.

As a result, Keenan said, although he tried keep personal possession of the financial instruments with which he was entrusted, he nevertheless came to trust Dal Bosco, and turned the bonds over to him for "temporary safekeeping and custodianship".

Dal Bosco absconded with the bonds and sought assistance in selling the instruments "in the global marketplace through stealth, conversion and bribery," Keenan claims.

He claims that as the conspiracy continued to unfold, various high level officials repeatedly offered him a bribe of $100 million to "release" the instruments without disclosing their theft to the Dragon family, and to allow the instruments to be converted to a so-called UN "Sovereign Program" wholly under the auspices, protection and umbrella of the sovereign immunity enjoyed by the defendants.

Other defendants include UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon, Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Giancarlo Bruno, who is identified as head of the banking industry for the World Economic Forum, Italy's ambassador to the UN Cesare Maria Ragaflini, Ray C. Dam, president of the Office of International Treasury Control, and David A. Sale, the deputy chief of the council for the cabinet of the OITC.

Keenan seeks the return of the stolen instruments, punitive damages and court costs on multiple claims of fraud, breach of contract and violation of international law.

He is represented by William H. Mulligan Jr., with Bleakley, Platt & Schmidt of White Plains, N.Y.

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CONFIRMED: The Trillion-Dollar Lawsuit That Could End Financial Tyranny

Civil Action #8500, United States District Court for Southern District of New York, Nov 23, 2011

Silvio Berlusconi vows not to run for new term in 2013

The Upside of Financial Crises

Huffingtonpost, Joshua S. Goldstein,  11/11/11

What do Indonesia's General Suharto and Italy's Silvio Berlusconi have in common? Both were corrupt national leaders who stayed in office too long and finally lost power as a result of financial crises. These kinds of crises are ugly and painful, but often bring about overdue reforms and lead to positive long-term outcomes. As you might have heard your doctor say, "this might hurt a little." But do you run out of the doctor's office, or take the pain to get the gain? 

In the middle of a financial crisis, things look pretty alarming. Earlier this week, Dan Drezner referred to "the collapse of the euro and maybe the entire global economic system." But the pain and fear are what catalyzes change. The "creative destruction" of capitalist crashes, described by economist Joseph Schumpeter, has its political equivalent. Barack Obama owes his presidency in no small part to an economic collapse caused by the previous administration's unwise policies (like going to war while cutting taxes). Others have also found openings for change and reform when things fall apart.

Consider the 1997 Asian financial crisis, which tore through Thailand, Indonesia, and South Korea like an unstoppable tsunami. In Indonesia the collapse of the currency led directly to inflation, and thus popular unrest, that unseated the dictator Suharto after more than 30 years in power. Since then East Timor became independent, a peace agreement ended the secessionist war in Aceh province, and Indonesia has developed a pretty robust democracy and solid economy that survived the global recession in good shape and has resumed 6 percent growth.

In 1997, South Korea, still in transition after decades of military dictatorship, had a terrible economic setback. The currency fell dramatically, economic growth reversed and went negative, and people across the country suffered. But in short order the country elected a new reformist president, opposition leader Kim Dae Jung, and got onto a better path. Look back at the graph of South Korea's economic growth now, 15 years later, and you see just a short drop and a return, four years later, to the same impressively steep growth rate that made South Korea an economic miracle. (GDP per person has grown from about $6,000 to $25,000 in the last 30 years.)

Remember Argentina in 2001-02? It had a massive debt crisis, so big that experts feared it might default and send the world's financial system into a meltdown. Well, it did default on $132 billion in sovereign debt, but the global capitalist system took it in stride. In 2003, Nestor Kirchner took over as president and has presided over an impressive period of recovery and growth. The banks got screwed -- in 2005 they were offered a take-it-or-leave-it deal for less than 30 cents on the dollar for Argentina's debt, and most took it. But am I crying big tears for the poor banks? Nope.

Greece needed a new government and it got one. As prime minister, the technocrat Lucas Papademos this week replaces the old politico George Papandreou whose grandfather and father were prime minister before him. I mean, enough is enough. It was all high-drama politics, and a big mess, but look what came out of it -- change.

Italy has needed a new government for quite a while, and it too will get one. And the European Union has needed a new way to deal with the contradiction at the heart of the euro currency -- the crazy idea that sovereign states can control their individual fiscal policies (taxation and budgets) while merging their monetary policies (currency and inflation). I don't know what solution is going to emerge, but I do know that it won't happen without the kind of big crisis we're in the middle of now.

Folks, this is the way the world works. Change is not incremental and it doesn't happen when everything's going smoothly. Small comfort, perhaps, if you're unemployed or can't afford spiraling prices, or just lost your savings in a stock market crash. But in the long run, it's for the best -- just ask the people in Indonesia or Argentina. In the short term, though, this might hurt a little.

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"What's Going to Happen?" - Oct 19 2011 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) 
(Subjects: The Humanization of God,  Re-calibration, Shift of Human Consciousness, Financial Institutes (Recession, System to Change ...), (Old) Souls, 21-12-2012, Gaia, Hawaii (Lemuria), All Dictators to fall, Old Politics, Old and New energy, Higher self, 1 - No fear, 2 - Compassion, 3 - Change Attitude (Expect positive outcome), 4 - Believe the Truth of DNA/Akashic records, 11:11, Master Christ, Reincarnation, Global Unity,..... etc.) - New !

Japan Offers $22 Billion Trade Aid, Warns Against Protectionism

Bloomberg, Toko Sekiguchi

April 1 (Bloomberg) -- Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso pledged $22 billion in trade assistance before tomorrow’s summit of leaders from the Group of 20 nations.

In a meeting with Indonesian President Bambang Yudhoyono, Aso in addition said the government in Tokyo will also give $20 billion in overseas aid to developing countries in Asia.

U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who is hosting the talks in London, wants world leaders to agree a $100 billion package to make up for credit lines lost during the turmoil in financial markets. Trade loans finance 90 percent of deliveries worldwide.

“We must send a strong message against protectionism,” Aso said, according to a Japanese government official who was at the meeting. “A recovery in Asian economies is key.”

Southeast Asian exports, which grew 14.7 percent last year, may shrink 10.3 this year, according to a report by the Asian Development Bank. Indonesia has the largest Southeast Asian economy. It’s the only G-20 nation in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Japan in February pledged to guarantee $1.5 billion of Indonesian yen-dominated bonds, called samurai bonds. Yesterday, the government announced that it will provide a 71 billion-yen ($718 million) loan for Indonesia’s infrastructure projects. Indonesia is the largest recipient of Japan’s overseas aid.

Earlier today, Aso met with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and won support for Japan’s plans to deploy a system capable of shooting down missiles launched from North Korea. Japan may test the system in early April.

“Japan may take any necessary measures to protect its people,” the Japanese government official quoted Lee as saying at the meeting.

Aso will speak with Brown and Italian President Silvio Berlusconi and before the G-20 meeting tomorrow.

To contact the reporter on this story: Toko Sekiguchi in Tokyo at Tsekiguchi3@bloomberg.net.

Obama invites major economies to energy forum

CNN, 29 March 2009

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Barack Obama has invited the leaders of 16 major economies to Washington for a forum on energy and climate next month, the White House announced Saturday.

Obama, who recently turned his attention to the need for more clean-energy funding, has also asked U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to attend.

The forum, scheduled for April 27-28, seeks to "generate the political leadership necessary" for a successful outcome at the U.N. climate change negotiation to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December, the White House said in a statement.

Aside from the United States, the 16 other major economies are Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Last week, Obama told a group of renewable-energy company owners and investors that the country has "known the right choice for a generation (and that) the time has come to make that choice."

He argued that an expanded investment is needed to lay the foundation for long-term economic growth, cut dependence on foreign oil and slow the process of global warming.

"We can allow climate change to wreak unnatural havoc or we can create jobs preventing its worse effects," he said. "We can hand over the jobs of the 21st century to our competitors, or we can create those jobs right here in America."

The need for new energy sources was a heated point of contention in the 2008 presidential campaign. Obama emphasized the need for renewable-energy development, while Republican nominee John McCain stressed a preference for more oil drilling within the United States.

World Health Assembly: Pope Benedict "wrong"

AFP/Google, 22 March 2009

GEORGETOWN (AFP) — World Health Assembly President, Guyana's Health Minister Leslie Ramsammy, condemned Pope Benedict's call for ending condom use in the fights against AIDS, saying he was trying to sow confusion.

"The statement by the Pope is inconsistent with science, it's inconsistent with our experiences and it is not in sync with what Catholics have experienced and believe," Ramsammy told a news conference.

The Health Minister, who is regarded by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) as a leading advocate in the fight against HIV and AIDS, accused the leader of the Roman Catholic Church of attempting to "create confusion" and "impede" proven strategies in the battle against the disease.

Declaring the position by the Pope on condom use as "absolutely and unequivocally wrong," Ramsammy recommended the continued use of condoms as part of an overall strategy that includes education, fidelity and monogamy.

The Health Minister said he planned to rally support among colleague health ministers of the 15-nation Caribbean Community (Caricom), which is predominantly Roman Catholic.

"Whilst I would hope that Catholics would continue to be extremely supportive of their church and the pope ... on this issue, they (should) rely on the evidence, and we need at this time to come out forcefully with the evidence to demonstrate that condoms and lifestyle matter," said Ramsammy.

Pope Benedict XVI said Tuesday on his way to Africa that condoms were not the answer in the continent's battle against HIV-AIDS, his first such public pronouncement on the delicate issue of condom use.

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