Asean Summit, Malaysia on Nov 21, 1015

Asean Summit, Malaysia  on Nov 21, 1015
Asean Establishes Landmark Economic and Security Bloc
"A Summary" – Apr 2, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Religion, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Intelligent/Benevolent Design, EU, South America, 5 Currencies, Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Middle East, Internet, Israel, Dictators, Palestine, US, Japan (Quake/Tsunami Disasters , People, Society ...), Nuclear Power Revealed, Hydro Power, Geothermal Power, Moon, Financial Institutes (Recession, Realign integrity values ..) , China, North Korea, Global Unity,..... etc.) - Text version)

“….. Here is the prediction: China will turn North Korea loose soon. The alliance will dissolve, or become stale. There will be political upheaval in China. Not a coup and not a revolution. Within the inner circles of that which you call Chinese politics, there will be a re-evaluation of goals and monetary policy. Eventually, you will see a break with North Korea, allowing still another dictator to fall and unification to occur with the south. ….”

“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013.

They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."
"Update on Current Events" – Jul 23, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: The Humanization of God, Gaia, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Benevolent Design, Financial Institutes (Recession, System to Change ...), Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Nuclear Power Revealed, Geothermal Power, Hydro Power, Drinking Water from Seawater, No need for Oil as Much, Middle East in Peace, Persia/Iran Uprising, Muhammad, Israel, DNA, Two Dictators to fall soon, Africa, China, (Old) Souls, Species to go, Whales to Humans, Global Unity,..... etc.)
(Subjects: Who/What is Kryon ?, Egypt Uprising, Iran/Persia Uprising, Peace in Middle East without Israel actively involved, Muhammad, "Conceptual" Youth Revolution, "Conceptual" Managed Business, Internet, Social Media, News Media, Google, Bankers, Global Unity,..... etc.)









North Korean defector criticises China in rare Beijing talk

North Korean defector criticises China in rare Beijing talk
North Korean defector and activist Hyeonseo Lee, who lives in South Korea, poses as she presents her book 'The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story' in Beijing on March 26, 2016 (AFP Photo/Fred Dufour)

US under fire in global press freedom report

"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)

… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …

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Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Asean Makes Its Firm Stance Against Extremism Known

Jakarta Globe, Sep 29, 2014

The Islamic State has been actively recruiting members from all over the
world. (Antara Photo/Basri Marzuki)

Jakarta. The 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, have expressed concerns over the rise of violence and brutality committed by terrorist organizations and radical groups in Iraq and Syria, noting that they not only pose a threat to the people of these two Middle-Eastern nations, but if left unchecked, to the rest of the world.

In a joint press release, the association denounced acts of destruction, violence and terror in all its forms and manifestations. It reiterated its commitments to the implementation of the Asean Convention on Counter Terrorism and the Asean Comprehensive Plan of Action on Counter Terrorism, both of which aim to prevent and suppress extremist activities by addressing its root causes, and disrupting terror networks’ financing channels.

Asean also announced its support of two resolutions drafted by the United Nations Security Council (Resolutions 2170 and 2178) which call on the international community to prevent their citizens from traveling to Syria, Iraq and other countries known to harbor terrorist insurgents.

The Islamic State (IS), for example, has been actively recruiting members from all over the world, including Indonesia, urging supporters to pick up arms under their twisted ideology.

Indonesia has estimated that some 200 citizens have joined IS’s jihadist fight in Syria. The government quickly moved to denounce the radical group and ban its existence in the archipelago.

In its press statement, Asean also announced it has renewed its commitment to work with the international community to fight against extremism, radicalism and terrorism and address its root causes, including through the promotion of the Global Movement for Moderates (GMM), to prevent further violence and brutality, in accordance with international law and the UN Charter.

“The Association of Southeast Asian Nations deems it is imperative for the international community to work together in unity in the fight against terrorism, extremism and radical groups, wherever they occur,” the association said in its press release.

Related Articles:


'Umbrella Revolution' takes hold in Hong Kong

Yahoo – AFP, Annabel Symington, 29 Sep 2014

Tens of thousands of Hong Kong democracy protesters have paralysed parts of the
city, clashing with police in their campaign for free elections (AFP Photo/Alex Ogle)

Hong Kong (AFP) - Protesters armed with little more than parasols and determination have brought central Hong Kong to a standstill with their demands for full democracy, in a movement that has been dubbed the "umbrella revolution".

The umbrella is fast emerging as the symbol of the demonstrations that since Sunday have paralysed the Asian financial hub -- a quintessential image in a city known for its downpours.

The demonstrations that have brought thousands onto the streets turned violent Sunday evening as police used tear gas and pepper spray against the swelling crowds.

The protesters -- mostly university students and high school pupils who last week boycotted classes in an attempt to pressure Beijing -- were ill-equipped to deal with the sudden violent turn.

They wrapped their eyes in clingfilm or donned goggles, wore paper face masks and cowered behind umbrellas to try to protect themselves from the tear gas and pepper spray.

"The umbrella is probably the most striking symbol of this Hong Kong protest. Our demonstrations used to be so peaceful, even pepper spray was very out of the ordinary," said Claudia Mo, a pro-democracy lawmaker.

"Now that pepper spray has become so common, we’re having to use umbrellas against it."

"The police have very high-quality shields -- we just have our umbrellas."

The phrase "umbrella revolution" was trending on social media Monday, and was also seen scrawled on a banner flung across a pile of upturned barricades and discarded umbrellas than blocked the entrance to a metro station.

Festival atmosphere

After the tear gas had blown away in the early hours of Monday, a festival atmosphere descended on the streets.

In the busy shopping district of Causeway Bay, more than a thousand demonstrators began chanting soft rock songs by the 1980s Hong Kong band "Beyond" after a resident in a tower block started playing the song over loudspeakers.

Protesters defied government calls to go home after chaotic scenes saw riot police
 fire tear gas in running battles with angry crowds in one of the biggest ever challenges
to Beijing's rule of the semi-autonomous city (AFP Photo/Xaume Olleros)

The band's melancholy ballad "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies" has often been sung by the city's various protest movements who embrace the chorus lyrics: "Still free and independent/Forever singing my own song out loud".

"Everybody knows the lyrics. I'm in my 40s but look at these kids, they know it too," said one man at the protest who gave his surname as Bun.

By Monday morning calm had largely returned to the city's streets, although the usual throng of smartly-dressed commuters was replaced by a sea of dishevelled protesters who had spent the night camped on the streets -- under umbrellas.

Demonstrators sorted rubbish from the previous day into piles for recycling and distributed food and water amongst themselves.

The scenes were reminiscent of the 2011 Occupy Wall Street movement where demonstrators set up generator-powered mobile phone recharging stations, a volunteer-run food tent and even a library.

"The cops, they are the ones who did violent things, attacking people without weapons. It really stimulates our emotions, so as normal people we know we need to do something," said bank worker Maple Leung, 27, who was out Monday distributing food and water to protesters.

The chaos has taken the city by surprise. The Chinese flag atop the Admiralty Centre near the government headquarters was raised upside down Monday morning. As a team climbed onto the roof to correct the mistake, the crowd of demonstrators booed.

Protesters have vowed to remain on the streets until Beijing meets their demands for unfettered elections.

"I'm staying until the end, until we get what we want to get, which is true democracy," said 18-year-old high school student Michael Wan.


Related Articles:




Malaysian transgenders 'live in fear' of arrest and abuse

Yahoo – AFP, Julia Zappei, 29 Sep 2014

Transgender people in Malaysia said they were often the subject of social 
ostracism, discrimination, harassment, sexual abuse and arrest by authorities 
(AFP Photo/Mohd Rasfan)

Seremban (Malaysia) (AFP) - Aryana had just returned to her home one night in June when Malaysian Islamic-purity enforcers burst in, ransacking her apartment and arresting her for cross-dressing.

Using a pseudonym to protect her identity, Aryana is transgender -- born a man but identifying as a woman -- and part of a substantial community that complains of rising persecution in the Muslim-majority Southeast Asian country.

The 30 year-old was detained for several hours, during which she was roughly handled, pressured to confess and charged a fine.

Homosexuality is effectively banned in
Malaysia. Gay sex -- considered "against the
order of nature" -- brings up to 20 years in jail 
under federal law (AFP Photo/Mohd Rasfan)
"It's difficult. When I wore men's clothing, it felt like a lie," said Aryana, a sex worker with long hair dyed reddish-brown and a heavily-powdered face.

Transgender people are common in Malaysia, typically men whose gender identity is female, but also vice versa. Some undergo sex-change surgery.

But their lives are far different from the famously tolerant stance in Buddhist neighbouring Thailand.

Human Rights Watch said Malaysia is one of the world's worst countries for transgender people, as it released a report last week detailing social ostracism, discrimination, and harassment, sexual abuse and arrest by authorities.

Homosexuality is effectively banned in Malaysia. Gay sex -- considered "against the order of nature" -- brings up to 20 years in jail under federal law.

State-level laws on Islamic purity also criminalise dressing as the opposite sex, activists say. Violations can bring three years in prison and a fine.

Court challenge

Three transgender women who were arrested four years ago are now boldly fighting that in court via a lawsuit in the southern state of Negeri Sembilan that calls such rules discriminatory and unconstitutional.

Its chances are uncertain, but activists hope success will prompt scrutiny of laws in other states. A ruling is expected November 7.

"I hope for success. I have been waiting so long already," said one of the parties to the suit, a slim 28-year-old dressed in tight jeans, sunglasses holding back reddish dyed hair, who asked to be unidentified.

"I'm not a man acting like a woman. I am a woman."

Activists and transgender people say past attitudes were fairly tolerant in the historically moderate Muslim country.

But conservative Islam is growing due to a complex mix of factors.

In 1982, the National Fatwa Council, Malaysia's highest Muslim authority, banned sex-reassignment surgery as un-Islamic.

Authorities have since taken a steadily harder line against transgenders and homosexuality, critics say. A gay rights festival was banned in 2011.

Activists said many transgender people can
 become depressed, suicidal, and turn to drugs
 and alcohol (AFP Photo/Mohd Rasfan)
Prime Minister Najib Razak, who portrays himself as a Muslim moderate, has repeatedly said in recent years that gay and transgender rights initiatives were deviant.

Officials in Najib’s office, Malaysia’s attorney-general, and a government agency that polices Islamic conduct did not respond to AFP requests for comment.

The report by Human Rights Watch urged the repeal of all discriminatory regulations, saying transgender people are at constant risk of mistreatment by authorities.

In June, 16 transgender women were arrested in a raid on a wedding party in a private home in southern Malaysia. They were sentenced to a week in prison and fined.

Some transgender people are sent for "counselling" sessions on "moral values".

Nisha Ayub, now a Muslim transgender activist, said after she was arrested in 2000 that a jailer took her from cell to cell to show male inmates her breasts. She was later molested by prisoners.

"We are not asking for special rights. We are just asking for equal rights," Nisha said.

Those who opt for sex-change surgery encounter a bureaucratic nightmare, unable to legally change their names and genders, complicating access to public services.

Others complain of discrimination in employment and other spheres.

Transgender women are commonly seen, especially in the capital Kuala Lumpur, working in restaurants and retail outlets.

But the price of acceptance is self-denial -- they typically wear gender-neutral clothes, such as pants and shirts, with long hair tied back conservatively.

'It was hell'

Deprived of jobs, many are pushed into sex work, risking sexually-transmitted disease.

Conservative Islam has grown in Malaysia
 since 1982 when the country's highest Muslim 
authority banned sex-reassignment surgery 
as un-Islamic (AFP Photo/Mohd Rasfan)
Abinaya Jayaraman worked at a bank but left when her employer demanded she dress as a man and use the men's toilet.

A Hindu ethnic Indian with long hair and dressed in a bright yellow Indian sari, Abinaya said she turned to sex work for 30 ringgit ($10) per encounter to survive.

"It was hell," she said.

Abinaya had sex-change surgery in 2011 and has found stability working with a local NGO that helps the transgendered.

But her pain lingers. She was sexually abused as a child by a relative, and is now estranged from her family over her lifestyle.

Activists said many transgender people can become depressed, suicidal, and turn to drugs and alcohol.

"Here we live in fear. We are treated as criminals. We are not treated as humans," Abinaya said.

Related Article:

"The Akashic Circle" – Jul 17, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: Religion, The Humanization of GodBenevolent Design, DNA, Akashic Circle, (Old) Souls, Gaia, Indigenous People, Talents, Reincarnation, Genders, Gender Switches, In “between” Gender Change, Gender Confusion, Shift of Human Consciousness, Global Unity,..... etc.)  - (Text version)

“… Gender Switching

Old souls, let me tell you something. If you are old enough, and many of you are, you have been everything. Do you hear me? All of you. You have been both genders. All of you have been what I will call between genders, and that means that all of you have had gender switches. Do you know what happens when it's time for you to switch a gender? We have discussed it before. You'll have dozens of lifetimes as the same gender. You're used to it. It's comfortable. You cannot conceive of being anything else, yet now it's time to change. It takes approximately three lifetimes for you to get used to it, and in those three lifetimes, you will have what I call "gender confusion."

It isn't confusion at all. It's absolutely normal, yet society often will see it as abnormal. I'm sitting here telling you you've all been through it. All of you. That's what old souls do. It's part of the system. …”

Monday, September 29, 2014

Afghanistan inaugurates new president, CEO in power-sharing deal

Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah are to be sworn in as Afghanistan's new leaders. The inauguration marks the first peaceful transition of power in the country's history.

Deutsche Welle, 29 Sep 2014


Foreign dignitaries gathered at the presidential palace in Kabul on Monday to witness the beginning of what many hope will be a new political era in Afghanistan.

President Hamid Karzai, who has headed the government since shortly after the US-led invasion in 2001, handed over power to the two democratically-elected leaders. They, in turn, are to lead Afghanistan as it faces another important transition: the withdrawal of NATO troops in the coming months.

Ashraf Ghani was first sworn in as president by the chief justice. Ghani then introduced Abdullah Abdullah as his "chief executive officer" (CEO), a new office broadly equivalent to that of prime minister.

"I had a tough journey. There were many obstacles in my way, there were many troubles," outgoing President Karzai said on Monday, during his address at the presidential palace ahead of the swearing in.

"[But] one thing I am leaving today is experience and establishments to the new president," he said.

The appointment of a new president was crucial, among other things, to arrange a continued ISAF troop presence beyond the end of the NATO-led force's combat mandate at the end of the year. A president's signature was required on terms for the remaining soldiers, for example guaranteeing against prosecution in Afghan courts. Former President Hamid Karzai, asked by the US to sign this agreement, had said that his successor should authorize the continued ISAF mission.

'Peace has been the priority'

The swearing in of Ghani and Abdullah officially ends roughly three months of political strife over this summer's election results. With the help of mediation by US Secretary of State John Kerry, the presidential candidates agreed to divide power.

"Brothers and sisters, you came and voted and then you waited after the election. You proved that you have enough political commitment to the country," Karzai said on Monday.
"I would like to request the dear people to help the new leadership and support them in their work. Furthermore, it is necessary to [thank] all the countries that have assisted Afghanistan during the past 13 years. I would like to sincerely thank them," he added.

Violence ahead of ceremony

There were reports of violence on Monday.

A bomb exploded near Kabul airport, claiming several lives. The explosion was caused by a suicide bomber, according to Reuters news agency. An official death toll was not immediately available, however news agency DPA cited witnesses as saying that at least four civilians had been killed in the attack.

According to a military official in the eastern province of Paktia, a car bomb exploded near a government building. Security officials then clashes with Taliban militants, killing at least seven of them, Captain Mohammed Hekhlas told the Associated Press news agency.

The Taliban, which ruled Afghanistan for five years prior to the US invasion, has rejected the new government.

kms/se (AP, AFP, dpa)

State Department officials have expressed hope that Ashraf Ghani may
 still also sign the agreement at a later date. Photograph: Shah Marai/
AFP /Getty Images

Related Article:


Sunday, September 28, 2014

Kim Jong-un disappears as regime in dire straits: Duowei

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2014-09-28

North Korean supreme leader is all smiles during an inspection to a
Pyongyang factory on Aug. 31. (Photo/Xinhua)

The real reason North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has disappeared for the last three weeks is more related to politics than to his ailing health, claims Duowei News, a US-based Chinese political news website.

The 31-year-old Kim has not appeared in public for more than 20 days and missed a parliamentary session for the first time since becoming North Korea's supreme leader nearly three years ago.

During the Sept. 25 session Kim was absent from, Hwang Pyong-so, the vice minister of the Central Committee of Korean Workers' Party was appointed vice chairman of the country's powerful National Defense Commission to effectively become Kim's second-in-command. According to Duowei, this appointment was supposedly forced through by Kim as it did not have majority support from party officials.

Hwang's appointment completes a key reshuffle after vice marshal Choe Ryong-hae, Kim's former No. 2, and defense minister Jang Jong-nam, were both removed from their posts in the politburo of the Korean People's Army in May.

While North Korea's state media later admitted that Kim has been "suffering discomfort," Duowei claims that the real reason Kim has not been seen since Sept. 3 is because of dire instability in his regime. Citing rumors circulating in North Korea's political circles, Duowei suggests that Kim may have already been placed under house arrest by Hwang, who forced Kim elevate him to second-in-command as part of his plan to eventually usurp Kim's throne.

Kim has struggled to keep his regime stable since coming into power in December 2011 following the death of his father Kim Jong-il. Ri Yong-ho, chief of the general staff of the Korean People's Army, was forced into retirement for unspecified health reasons in July 2012, though Duowei claims it was really the result of an internal power struggle between Ri and Choe.

Since Kim executed his uncle-in-law and former No. 2 Jang Sung-taek last December for treason, he has continued to place more power in the hands of Hwang, though it appears this may have been the wrong decision if Hwang is indeed planning on staging a coup, Duowei said.

However, Kim may not have had much choice given the pressure he faced from his uncle and Choe, who have been likened to North Korean versions of China's Zhou Yongkang and Bo Xilai, powerful officials with some degree of control over the national military and security forces who have a different vision on how the country should be run. The retired Zhou was officially placed under a graft investigation in late July, while Bo is serving a life sentence for corruption and abuse of power.

Complicating matters further are rumors that Kim Jong-nam, the eldest son of Kim Jong-il, is continuing to qustion the legitimacy of his younger brother's rule. Last September, Kim Jong-nam reportedly sent his son, Kim Han-Sol, to the renowned Sciences Po in Paris to study English, law, politics and international relations, raising suspicions that he may be laying the foundations of a coup in the future.

From China's perspective, it is clear that Communist Party leaders have little faith in Kim's regime. Duowei states that China has clearly been unwilling to back Kim, turning him down for state visits to Beijing three times in the past year and siding with the international community in opposing North Korea's nuclear tests.

On Sept. 9, Chinese president Xi Jinping sent a telegram to Kim on the 66th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. However, in contrast to the telegram sent by Xi's predecessor Hu Jintao in 2008, the telegram made no mention of Kim Jing-un's predecessors, his father and grandfather Kim Il-sung, when describing the achievements of the country, preferring to refer to the more generic umbrella of the Workers' Party of Korea instead.

Related Articles:

Regional landscape shifts as China-South Korea ties warm
Xi calls for "no more stirs" on Korean Peninsula


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

“….. Here is the prediction: China will turn North Korea loose soon. The alliance will dissolve, or become stale. There will be political upheaval in China. Not a coup and not a revolution. Within the inner circles of that which you call Chinese politics, there will be a re-evaluation of goals and monetary policy. Eventually, you will see a break with North Korea, allowing still another dictator to fall and unification to occur with the south. ….”

Tech Sector Sizzles as Myanmar Embraces Internet for the Masses

Jakarta Globe – AFP, Sep 28, 2014

Big brand names like Facebook, Google, Viber and Instagram have rapidly
 expanded their presence in Myanmar, lured by the growing market.(Bloomberg Photo)

Yangon. From navigating gridlocked city roads to playing a favorite national sport, new homegrown apps are blossoming in Myanmar as cheap mobile technology ignites an Internet revolution in the once-isolated nation.

Myanmar web surfers were once paradigms of patience and ingenuity as they dodged and weaved through the former military regime’s communications blocks in decrepit backstreet Internet cafes.

But commuters in Myanmar’s biggest cities can now be seen tapping away on smartphones as an online awakening sweeps the country, fueled by the loosening of junta-era restrictions and foreign telecoms firms unleashing a flood of affordable SIM cards.

Big brand names like Facebook, Google, Viber and Instagram have rapidly expanded their presence in the country, lured by the growing market. Web-savvy local entrepreneurs are also seizing the chance to create Internet ventures in Myanmar style.

“There are so many things I want to do — I think about it not as business but as a way to find solutions to problems I face,” said Ei Maung as he demonstrated his prototype traffic app in a car inching through the congested streets of the commercial hub Yangon.

“Yangon commuting is worse than bad. It’s terrible. You waste countless hours queuing in traffic every day,” he told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

His Cyantra: Crazy Yangon Traffic app went live in June and allows smartphone users to share traffic problems and view potential snarl-ups on their driving routes.

Internet boom

Internet access has already increased exponentially since the country began to throw off the shackles of military rule.

Just one percent of the population was thought to be online three years ago, as the democratic transition began, but the loosening of web controls and greater access to affordable phone cards has opened the Internet up to millions.

On Saturday Norway’s Telenor launched SIM cards costing just 1,500 kyat ($1.5) in Mandalay — a far cry from the $3,000 a card could cost under military rule — ahead of a wider roll-out in Yangon and Naypyidaw.

The move comes after Qatari firm Ooredoo began selling its SIM cards at the same price last month, throwing open the mobile Internet floodgates.

An estimated 25 percent of people are already online and the Myanmar Computer Federation expects around half of the population, over 25 million people, to be surfing the net in the next three years.

David Madden, whose Yangon-based Code for Change group seeks to promote and support budding techies, said that unlike in the West where web design began with a focus on computers and laptops, Myanmar Internet consumers will be primarily using cheap smartphones.

“People are going to be able to afford one thing and they are going to want it to do a lot,” he said. “It’s the thing you want in your pocket, it’s the thing you want when you are sitting in a bus stuck in traffic.”

Local twists

Social media giant Facebook has dominated the Myanmar web to such an extent that it is the first — sometimes only — port of call for web users.

But Google’s Myanmar-language search engine has struggled to attract users because it uses a standardized font — unicode — whereas many Myanmar websites are written in a locally-produced zawgyi font, meaning they are unreadable on the international search engine.

A local firm Bindez, led by former Google employee Rahul Batra, is taking on the web Goliath as it tries to create a zawgyi-compatible search engine.

The booming tech scene has also given the country a chance to showcase local passions, from checking personalized horoscopes, to a game that allows armchair sportsmen to play virtual “Chinlone” ± a beloved traditional cane ball game — with a quirky owl avatar.

And while connections often remain glacially slow, online entrepreneurs are now grappling with the dilemma that has tormented web-based firms the world over — how to turn clicks into cash.

Mobile money — using the credit bought to top-up mobile phones to make payments for other goods and services — helped by the flood of affordable SIMs now entering circulation, could help.

It is seen as a vital potential tool for the vast swathes of Myanmar’s largely unbanked and rural population to access anything from loans to retail payments.

One popular Myanmar comic, Putet, has already begun using this style of payment system — 495 kyats a month (50 US cents) is skimmed from users’ mobile phone charges, giving them unlimited access to hundreds of colorful cartoon strips.

“It is important to make money — we have to buy cartoons, pay our staff. Advertisements do not make enough money,” editor Aung Chit Khin told AFP.

Readership of Putet’s paper version had plummeted from 10,000 to just 4,000 in the eight years before the app was launched, as it vied for attention with foreign comics, television and games.

While the comic still is not turning a profit, there are now 8,000 app users, attracting more buyers of the paper edition, which has seen its circulation swell to 6,000.

“The app has saved it in a way,” he said.

Agence France-Presse

Will ET Be Here Soon? NASA Brings Scientists, Theologians Together To Prepare



Looking for extraterrestrial life is akin to a search for a cosmic needle-in-a-haystack, as evidenced by the above incredible Hubble Space Telescope image showing approximately 10,000 galaxies.

In large part, thanks to NASA's Kepler spacecraft, more than 1,400 planets have been identified beyond Earth.

A few days ago, NASA tried closing the gap between life on Earth and the possibilities of life elsewhere. The space agency and the Library of Congress (image below left) brought together scientists, historians, philosophers and theologians from around the world for a two-day symposium, "Preparing For Discovery." Their agenda: To explore how we prepare for the inevitable discovery of extraterrestrial life, be it simple microbial organisms or intelligent beings.

"We're looking at all scenarios about finding life. If you find microbes, that's one thing. If you find intelligence, it's another. And if they communicate, it's something else, and depending on what they say, it's something else!" said astronomer, symposium organizer and former chief NASA historian, Steven J. Dick.

"The idea is not to wait until we make a discovery, but to try and prepare the public for what the implications might be when such a discovery is made," Dick told The Huffington Post. "I think the reason that NASA is backing this is because of all the recent activity in the discovery of exoplanets and the advances in astrobiology in general.

"People just consider it much more likely now that we're going to find something -- probably microbes first and maybe intelligence later," he added. "The driving force behind this is from a scientific point of view that it seems much more likely now that we are going to find life at some point in the future."

Among the many speakers at last week's astrobiology symposium, one has raised a few international eyebrows in recent years.

"I believe [alien life exists], but I have no evidence. I would be really excited and it would make my understanding of my religion deeper and richer in ways that I can't even predict yet, which is why it would be so exciting," Brother Guy Consolmagno, a Jesuit brother, astronomer and Vatican planetary scientist told HuffPost senior science editor David Freeman.

Consolmagno has publicly stated his belief that "any entity -- no matter how many tentacles it has -- has a soul," and he's suggested that he would be happy to baptize any ETs, as long as they requested it.

"There has to be freedom to do science. Being a good scientist means admitting we never have the whole truth -- there's always more to learn." Consolmagno also doesn't think the public would panic when or if it's revealed that alien life has been found.

"I really think it would be a three-day wonder and then we'd go back to worrying about reality TV or the crazy things going on in Washington -- that's the way human beings are. Because I think most people are like me: we expect it's out there. And our reaction would be, 'Wow, thank heavens. It's about time."

Earth is no longer the center of the universe, nor is it flat -- at least that's the currently accepted thinking among most scientists. And we now know, conclusively, that there are a lot more planets than the ones in our own solar system.

"The number of habitable worlds in our galaxy is certainly in the tens of billions, minimum, and we haven't even talked about the moons. And the number of galaxies we can see, other than our own, is about 100 billion," Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at California's SETI Institute told HuffPost.

Watch this video zooming and panning through the night sky to show 10,000 galaxies photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope.


At the NASA/Library of Congress symposium, Shostak gave out some startling numbers about how many stars there are in the part of the universe that we can see. "It's a big number: 10,000 billion, billion. And we know that most of those stars have planets -- 70 or 80 percent. If all of those planets are sterile, and you're the only interesting thing happening in the cosmos, then you are a miracle. That would be exceptional in the extreme. So, the middle-of-the-road approach is to say, 'You're not a miracle, you're just another duck in a row of ducks.'"

"The bottom line of this," Shostak said, "is something like one in five of all stars may have an analog to Earth. That's a lot of habitable worlds, and, indeed, the number of Earths in our own galaxy might be on the order of 50 billion."

Those are big numbers to ponder.

The D.C. conference included a great deal of discussion about the upcoming mission of the Hubble's long-anticipated successor: the James Webb Space Telescope. As large as a tennis court, this deep space observatory is scheduled for a 2018 launch and will orbit beyond our moon. The Webb telescope will focus on new planetary discoveries and collect data from the atmospheres of those planets, looking for certain things that might point to what we would consider possible indicators of life.

HuffPost asked Dick, an astrobiologist, for his opinion on the continuing output of UFO reports around the world.

"I try to keep an open mind on this. Ninety-some percent can be explained by natural phenomena, etc. The question is what to do with the other 3 or 4 percent," Dick said. "My opinion is that they should be studied further, on the one hand. By definition, they're something that we don't know what they are. They could be some physical, psychological or social phenomena that we don't know about. But I think it's jumping to a conclusion that they're extraterrestrial. I don't see that evidence.

"I haven't looked at the evidence close enough to say that there's intelligence behind it. But I've seen enough to know that there are unexplained things that we should look at more, and right now, the U.S. government is not doing that."

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(#) New major Discoveries (This channel will become a historical channel in the future, prove that Kryon is a real communication to humanity from the Creative Source) (Text version Physics)

1 To see and measure multi-dimensional/quantum physics, instrument (super cooling quantum plasma lens)

2 Two more laws of multi-dimensional physics revealed: explanation of dark matter & acknowledgement of free energy (controlling mass)

3 God in the atom. God has - provable - part in physics. Intelligent/benevolent design. (Will bring religion and science together.)

4 Human Consciousness is an attribute of physics. (Pleiadians - Humans ancestors / Humans free choice only planet in the Milky Way Galaxy. Other galaxies have their own spiritual systems and physics)

5.Coherent DNA. Multidimensional DNA coherent between dimensions will give Enhanced DNA


"Earth, the only planet with free choice in the Milky Way Galaxy"

"The Quantum Factor" – Apr 10, 2011 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Galaxies, Universe, Intelligent design, Benevolent design, Aliens, Nikola Tesla (Quantum energy), Inter-Planetary Travel, DNA, Genes, Stem Cells, Cells, Rejuvenation, Shift of Human Consciousness, Spontaneous Remission, Religion, Dictators, Africa, China, Nuclear Power, Sustainable Development, Animals, Global Unity.. etc.) - (Text Version)


"Recalibration of the Universe"– Jan 25, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) (Text Version)

“… The entire galaxy revolves as one plate, in a very counter-intuitive way. The stars and the constellations do not orbit within the rules of Newtonian physics that you are used to seeing all around you in your own solar system. For the stars and clusters in your galaxy, distance from the center does not matter. All the stars rotate as one. This is because the galaxy is entangled with the middle of itself. In that state, there is no time or distance. The change of consciousness on this planet has changed the center of the galaxy. This is because what happens here, dear one, is "known" by the center.

It's interesting to us what your reaction to all this is scientifically. You saw that the "creative event" of your Universe is missing some energy in order for it to have formed as it did. In addition, the unusual way the galaxy rotates, as I just stated, was also noted. So you have calculated that for all this to be in place, there has to be missing 3D matter, and you have given it a name - dark matter. How funny! Did you ever think that there could be a multidimensional effect going on that you now can observe and calculate - that has immense power, but can't be seen? It's not "matter" at all and it's not 3D. It's quantum energy.

Let me tell you something about physics. Yet again, I'll make it simple. Everything your scientists have seen in physics happens in pairs. At the moment, there are four laws of physics in your three-dimensional paradigm. They represent two pairs of energy types. Eventually, there will be six. At the center of your galaxy is what you call a black hole, but it is not a single thing. It is a duality. There is no such thing as "singularity". You might say it's one energy with two parts - a weak and a strong quantum force. And the strangest thing is it knows who you are. It is the creator engine. It's different in other galaxies than this one. It's unique.

The very physics of your galaxy is postured by what you do here. The astronomers can look into the cosmos and they will discover different physics in different galaxies. Could it be that there's something going on in the other galaxies like this one? I'm not going to answer that. … “

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Hong Kong students strike as business delegation visits Beijing

Want China Times, Chan Lap Lok 2014-09-27

The first student strike rally held at Hong Kong Chinese
University, Sept. 22. (File photo/CNA)

On Sept. 22, as former Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee-hwa led a delegation to visit Beijing and met President Xi Jinping, more than 10,000 Hong Kong students launched a five-day boycott of classes to protest Beijing's insistence on vetting candidates for the fifth term of the chief executive of Hong Kong and the city's legislators in 2017.

The delegation led by Tung has been dubbed by the media as the tycoon delegation with members including Hong Kong property tycoon Li Ka-shing, his second son Richard Li, Henderson Land chairperson Lee Shau-kee, Kerry Group founder Robert Kuok, K Wah International chairperson Lui Che-woo and New World Development chairperson Henry Cheng. Their visit has been seen as a move to show their support of Beijing's political reform policy unveiled in late August and suggest that Hong Kong's economy will remain stable despite the protesters occupying the city's Central district.

In contrast to the Sept. 19 delegation of the New People's Party which met National People's Congress (NPC) chairperson Zhang Dejiang, Tung's delegation was received by Xi himself, testament to their higher profile. The tycoons sat beside Xi, ahead of other politicians, suggesting that Beijing's policy of letting capitalists run Hong Kong hasn't changed as the economy has always been top priority and politics is secondary.

The endorsement of Beijing's policies won't be perceived in a positive light by the people of Hong Kong however. In recent years, Hong Kong's property prices have continued to spike, triggering complaints and criticism in the media and online, accusing the tycoons of real estate hegemony. On a previous visit, Li Ka-shing sat right beside then president Hu Jintao, and this time Li sat right beside Xi, indicating that Li, who has a different political viewpoint from incumbent chief executive Leung Chun-ying, is still seen as influential in the eyes of the Beijing leadership.

About 13,000 Hong Kong students from 25 universities and colleges joined the student strike, pledging to abolish the NPC's decision to vet candidates in a direct election. They pledged not to stop the strikes until the Hong Kong government and the central government listen to the voice of the students.

As Hong Kong has nearly 100,000 students in total, the students joining the strike accounted for about one-eighth of the total, marking the largest student strike in the history of Hong Kong. Student unions said they will negotiate with labor unions and teachers' unions about the possibility of launching a labor strike and a market strike.

It seems unlikely that Beijing will yield to their demands however.

The Hong Kong government responded to students' calls by saying that the city government respects students' pursuit and perseverance of democratic ideals, but it believes Hong Kong's political system can move an important step forward by introducing universal suffrage, which is definitely better than treading old ground.

(Chan Lap Lok is a columnist based in Hong Kong. Translated by Want China Times.)



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