Swiss prosecutor asks Malaysia to help investigate 1MDB fund irregularities

Switzerland's prosecutor has formally asked Malaysia for help with an investigation into the possible misappropriation of $4 billion by state-owned fund 1MDB. Malaysia's PM has been cleared of corruption in Kuala Lumpur.

Deutsche Welle, 30 January 2016

Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber's office has formally asked Malaysia for help with an investigation into possible violations by the state-owned 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). It had already "revealed serious indications that funds have been misappropriated from Malaysian state companies," Lauber's office said in a statement.

The charges relate to alleged bribery by foreign officials, misconduct in public office, money laundering and criminal management totaling $4 billion (3.6 billion euros).

"So far, four cases involving allegations of criminal conduct covering the period from 2009 to 2013 have come to light," the statement said, adding that each case involved "a systematic course of action carried out by means of complex financial structures."

Malaysia PM's Saudi gift

Malaysia's attorney general cleared 1MDB's advisory board chairman, Prime Minister Najib Razak (photo), of any criminal offence or corruption last week, saying $681 million deposited into his personal bank account was a gift from Saudi Arabia's royal family.

Some of the funds had been transferred to Swiss accounts held by former Malaysian public officials and current and former public officials from the United Arab Emirates, according to the prosecutor's office.

The Swiss office opened criminal proceedings last August against two former 1MDB officials and "persons unknown." According to the Reuters news agency, when Lauber discussed the case with his Malaysian counterpart in September, the Malaysian prosecutor strongly urged him to drop his investigation.

1MDB debt

1MDB has a $11 billion debt, and there have been allegations of financial mismanagement. The Swiss prosecutors said the funds "would have been earmarked for investment in economic and social development projects in Malaysia."

1MDB is also being investigated by law enforcement agencies in Hong Kong and the United States.

jm/sms (AFP, Reuters)

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Malaysia clears PM in scandal, says Saudis provided 'donation'

Embattled N. Korea sends top diplomats to Russia, China: reports

Yahoo – AFP, January 29, 2016

Embattled N. Korea sends top diplomats to Russia, China: reports

Facing a US-led push for tough United Nations sanctions over its latest nuclear test, North Korea appeared to be looking for Security Council allies Friday, sending top diplomats to Moscow and possibly Beijing.

China and Russia, both veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council, have helped temper the international reaction to North Korean provocations in the past.

Although the patience of both has been tested to its limits by North Korea's nuclear weapons ambitions, neither wants to see the chaotic collapse of a nuclear-armed state on its border.

The North's official KCNA news agency said a delegation led by Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong-Guk had departed for Russia on Friday.

No details were given of the itinerary, but the visit comes as Washington is seeking to build a regional and international consensus on the need for harsh sanctions after the North carried out its fourth nuclear test earlier this month.

Meanwhile, South Korea's Yonhap news agency, citing unidentified sources, said a top North Korean foreign ministry official had been spotted arriving at Beijing's international airport.

The official, Choi Son-Hui, was a former deputy head of delegation to the long-stalled six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear programme, involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.

There was no information on Choi's itinerary and it was not immediately clear if she was planning to visit China or transit to a third country.

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"Quantum Patterns" - Jan 23 - 24, 2016 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Text version) - New

"... The Darkness Can't See Beyond Itself

I want to give you proof yet again of something unusual and very telling of the way low vibration works. Within the first channel of the year [2016], I spoke about the young North Korean leader. I'm going to do it again. I'm going to do it again as a profound example of how low consciousness cannot see above itself. That means that it can only work with what it sees and knows. As powerful, as smart, as intellectual as it thinks it is, it can't get out of its own circle.

The former leader of North Korea was a classic egotist. When he died, his son took over and could do anything he wanted. This boy had watched his father for decades and knew he would take over someday. Naturally, he inherited the attributes his father taught him of self-importance, and he also became egotistically driven to the max. When he took power, he had the choice to make changes that would allow him to be even greater than his father. He wanted something that would elevate his name and his position to the highest egotistic place imaginable. His father was the model, and now he could do anything he wanted to be even more famous. What happened is classic. He completely missed the greatest opportunity that any man has had to become the most famous and beloved person on the earth. The idea never occurred to him. Even though he had been educated in the western world, he missed it.

If he had considered the high road and included the earth instead of a restricted population of his own country, he could have been the most famous and beloved leader on Earth, all of his life. At the moment he took over, all he had to do was to think beyond his circle. He was in the unique position to be a "wild card" and do something amazing - unify North an South Korea, drop the zone of death that was between those countries, bring families together after generations, stop nuclear programs that he really never needed other than to look important and, thereby, give his people abundance, food for all and peace in his region. All of Korea would worship him and the earth would give a sigh of relief in thanks for his wisdom and courage.

He would have received standing ovations upon entering the United Nations great room and they would bow before him and give him the highest peace prizes. He would have his ego stroked and stroked and stroked and stroked and be far greater than his father had ever been. But it never occurred to him. Instead, he perpetuated the dark box he inherited, and now he presides over the lowest energy possible, representing the most dangerous renegade energy on the planet. At the expense of keeping his people poor and impoverished and creating instability in his region, he gets to be a powerful and famous person for a moment in time from a small population. He will not last long. He can't see that what he is doing has no support within the majority of the planet's population, and he will lose everything. Isn't it interesting how strong the circle is that keeps a low vibration low. All of this is beginning to change, dear ones. If you examine individual people and the way they act, you're going to see this coming. You're going to recognize it.  ..."

Myanmar president hails 'triumph' of democratic transition

Yahoo – AFP, Hla-Hla Htay, January 28, 2016

Myanmar President Thein Sein (R) waves as he leaves parliament after giving
his final farewell speech in Napyidaw on January 28, 2016 (AFP Photo/Aung Htet)

Naypyidaw (Myanmar) (AFP) - President Thein Sein hailed the "triumph" of Myanmar's transition of power Thursday, in a last address to a military-dominated parliament before it makes way for a historic new legislature led by Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy party.

The Southeast Asian nation, choked for decades under junta rule, is on the cusp of a remarkable political handover after Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) thundered to victory in November elections.

Myanmar's people are hoping her government can reboot a country eviscerated by army rule that battered the economy and repressed dissent.

Chair of the National League for Democracy

(NLD) Aung San Suu Kyi has the weight of

 the nation's expectations on her shoulders 

after a long struggle against junta repression

(AFP Photo/Aung Htet)

"Even though there were difficulties and challenges, we were able to bring a democratic transformation eventually," Thein Sein said addressing the military-stacked legislature for the last time.

"This is a triumph for all Myanmar's people," he added.

Thein Sein, who under drawn-out handover rules retains his post until the end of March, has been a key player in Myanmar's astonishing reform process so far.

He was among a host of military figures who shed their uniforms to form a government in 2011.

Initially that government was viewed with suspicion as a civilian front for the army's continued domination.

While the army retains major clout -- a quarter of parliamentary seats are ring-fenced for unelected soldiers -- sweeping political and economic reforms have surprised the international community and encouraged a flood of foreign investment.

They also culminated in November's polls which passed peacefully and fairly and saw Suu Kyi's party scoop nearly 80 percent of elected seats in the national parliament.

The new NLD MPs, many of whom are political novices, will take their seats on February 1 following the final day of a lame duck session by the outgoing parliament on Friday.

'Better foundation?'

Suu Kyi, 70, carries the weight of the nation's expectations on her shoulders, after a decades long struggle against junta repression.

Myanmar is on the cusp of a political transition after Suu Kyi's National League for

 Democracy (NLD) thundered to victory in November elections (AFP Photo/

Ye Aung Thu)

The Nobel laureate faces a formidable challenge in an impoverished nation, blighted by corruption and torn by ethnic minority civil wars and religious divisions.

She is barred from the presidency by the junta-era constitution that many believe was designed specifically to exclude her, but has vowed to rule through a proxy, who is yet to be named in public.

Faced with Suu Kyi's massive popular mandate, Thein Sein and powerful army chief Min Aung Hlaing have pledged to support the transition.

A flurry of political plays have dominated the days leading up to the handover, leaving analysts struggling to decipher their meaning in a country where decision-making has long been made in secret.

Observers say Suu Kyi is seeking to find ways to placate a twitchy military.

But any dealings with the army come fraught with anxiety for the former political prisoner and her party.

The NLD is haunted by memories of its election landslide in 1990 that was ignored by a junta that went on to tighten its grip on power for two more decades.

Thein Sein on Thursday shrugged off the near-annihilation inflicted on his party at the polls, saying he had not launched the reforms in order to hold on to power.

Myanmar's Pesident Thein Sein (R) has pledged to support the transition towards

democracy in the face of Aung San Suu Kyi's popular mandate (AFP Photo/

Ye Aung Thu)

"During the last five years we have built a better foundation for the next government, who won the 2015 election. I did not do this with the expectation of being a second term president," he said.

He listed a fragile peace process, better access to health care and education as his main reforms.

His government also removed draconian pre-publication press censorship and opened telecoms to foreign investment, allowing millions of people cheap access to mobile phones -- and the Internet -- for the first time.

Thein Sein's speech sparked mixed reaction online, with comments praising his legacy off-set by others wished him good riddance.

"The bit I liked most was: 'Our government's term will end at the end of the March," said Ko Moe Zaw Win, posting under a transcript of the speech on the president's office Facebook page.

China's Ai Weiwei shuts show to protest Danish migrant law

Yahoo – AFP, January 27, 2016

Chinese activist Ai Weiwei plans to create a memorial to the plight of refugees
on the Greek island of Lesbos (AFP Photo/Angelos Tzortzinis)

Copenhagen (AFP) - Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei on Wednesday closed down his exhibition in the Danish capital after lawmakers passed a controversial bill allowing authorities to seize valuables from asylum seekers.

"Ai Weiwei has decided to close his exhibition 'Ruptures' at Faurschou Foundation Copenhagen, Denmark. This decision follows the Danish parliament's approval of the law proposal that allows seizing valuables and delaying family reunions for asylum seekers," a post on his official Instagram and Facebook accounts read.

The exhibition opened in March 2015 and had been due to close in mid-April 2016.

"I support Ai Weiwei's decision, which is all about freedom and human rights. I think it's so very sad," Jens Faurschou, owner of the Faurschou Foundation in Copenhagen, told AFP.

Denmark's parliament on Tuesday adopted reforms aimed at dissuading migrants from seeking asylum by delaying family reunifications and allowing authorities to confiscate migrants' valuables.

The law has provoked international outrage, with many rights activists blasting the delay for family reunifications as a breach of international conventions.

"Denmark has decided that it wants to be in the forefront of the symbolic and inhuman politics of today's biggest humanitarian crisis in Europe and the Middle East. We both wish that Denmark had decided instead to be in the forefront of a respectful European solution to solve the acute humanitarian crisis," Faurschou said.

China's most prominent contemporary artist, Ai helped design the Bird's Nest stadium for the Beijing Olympics and has been exhibited around the globe, but his works have often run afoul of China's authorities.

He was detained in 2011 for 81 days over his advocacy of democracy and human rights as well as other criticisms of the government in Beijing. Following the detention, he was placed under house arrest and his passport was taken away. The document was only returned last July, enabling him to travel overseas.

Ai's show in Copenhagen included some of his most important work including Sunflower Seeds, made from 100 million handmade porcelain sunflower seeds.

The show also featured several of the artist's sculptures made of wood from Buddhist temples torn down during China's Cultural Revolution.

Earlier this month, the 58-year-old announced plans to create a memorial to the plight of refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos, after meeting some of the many migrants there who risked their lives to reach Europe.

Ai Weiwei shuts Danish show in protest at asylum seeker law https://t.co/EpwvalH28D pic.twitter.com/mUBcRBGbos

— AFP news agency (@AFP) January 27, 2016

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January 27, 2016 at the German parliament in Berlin (AFP Photo/John MacDougall)

Malaysia clears PM in scandal, says Saudis provided 'donation'

Yahoo – AFP, Dan Martin, January 26, 2016

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak (front) smiles to photographers after
attending a parliament session in Kuala Lumpur, on January 26, 2016 (AFP
Photo/Mohd Rasfan)

The Saudi royal family was the source of a $681 million "donation" that has engulfed Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in scandal, his attorney-general said on Tuesday, clearing the premier of graft allegations.

Mohamed Apandi Ali said a review of evidence compiled by the country's anti-graft agency showed that the money received in 2013 was a "personal donation from the Saudi royal family," giving no further information on the source.

He said $620 million was returned to the Saudis a few months later but did not say why.

Najib, 62, has for months denied accusations that the huge payments into his own bank accounts -- just before a hotly contested 2013 general election -- were syphoned from a now-struggling state-owned company he launched.

Until now, however, the precise origin of the funds has not been specified, other than vague claims by Najib's government that it came from unnamed Middle Eastern donors.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has for months fended off accusations

 that a huge payment made into his personal bank accounts in 2013 was syphoned

off from a state-owned company he had launched (AFP Photo/Mohd Rasfan)

The money's purpose has never been revealed.

"No criminal offence has been committed by (the prime minster)", Apandi, who was installed by Najib shortly after the scandal broke last year, said in a statement.

He said he would instruct authorities to close this and related cases.

The fund transfers were revealed last July just as Najib was battling allegations that hundreds of millions of dollars were missing from deals involving the state-owned company, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Najib said the attorney-general's finding "confirmed what I have maintained all along, that no crime was committed".

"This issue has been an unnecessary distraction for the country," he said in a statement, adding it was time for Malaysia to "unite and move on".

'Dark era'

But opposition figures swiftly denounced Tuesday's announcement, calling it part of a broader cover-up.

Malaysian PM Najib Razak (left) meets Saudi Interior Minister Mohammad

bin Naif in Jeddah, on June 7, 2015 (AFP Photo)

"This will cause people to ask whether the AG carried out his duty professionally, freely and fairly," opposition leader Wan Azizah Wan Ismail told reporters, according to The Malaysian Insider news site.

Apandi -- who has ties to Najib's ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) -- came to office after Najib sacked the previous attorney general, who was believed to be aggressively investigating the matter.

"(Apandi) has to give an explanation to Malaysians. The AG has to do a lot of convincing," Wan Azizah said.

The "donation" alibi is widely dismissed by Malaysians, and even critics within the ruling party have demanded an independent probe and accused Najib of manipulating investigations.

Najib entered office in 2009 as a self-styled reformer but the scandal has severely battered his image, fuelling speculation that Malaysia's nearly six-decade-old ruling coalition could finally lose power in elections due by 2018.

Voters had already been increasingly rejecting the UMNO-dominated coalition in recent elections over recurring graft scandals, divisive racial politics and accusations of rights abuses.

The opposition and rights groups accuse Najib of responding with an escalating crackdown that has seen dozens of government opponents arrested on various charges and the introduction of tough new security laws.

In a report on the crackdown released Tuesday, Amnesty International said Malaysia "is spiralling into a dark era of repression".

Najib Razak (centre) inspects a guard of honour at the ruling United Malays

 National Organisation party's annual congress in Kuala Lumpur, on December 10,

2015 (AFP Photo/Mohd Rasfan)

Anti-graft campaign group Transparency International said two questions remained unanswered: "Where did it (the money) go and why was this personal donation made?"

Samantha Grant, the group's Southeast Asia coordinator, told AFP many critics saw the sacking of the former AG "as an abuse of power and an attempt by the Prime Minister to reinstate someone who was more sympathetic to his cause".

Najib still faces a potential threat from foreign investigations.

US authorities are reportedly looking into 1MDB-related overseas fund flows, while Swiss, British, Singaporean and Hong Kong authorities have acknowledged scrutinising the affair.

Early last year a New York Times investigative report detailed multi-million-dollar purchases of luxury US real estate by a close Najib family associate and alleged purchases of millions of dollars in jewellery for Najib's wife, Rosmah Mansor.

Najib has responded to the 1MDB scandal by purging powerful critics within UMNO. He retains a solid grip on the party and won its renewed endorsement at a party congress in December.

Related Article:

Swiss prosecutor asks Malaysia to help investigate 1MDB fund irregularities - New

Australian leaders unite for split with Britain's Queen Elizabeth

As Australia prepares to commemorate Australia Day, seven of its eight state and territory leaders have called for the country to become a republic. Britain's Queen Elizabeth is currently head of state.

Deutsche Welle, 25 January 2016

Seven of Australia's eight state and territory leaders signed a declaration published on Monday for an Australian head of state to replace Britain's queen.

Australia is currently a constitutional monarchy with Britain's Queen Elizabeth as its head of state. On January 26 each year, Australia marks Australia Day, which commemorates the start of British settlement in 1788. The anniversary often brings up the debate surrounding Australia's sovereignty.

"It's well past time for Australia to become a sovereign nation," said South Australia Premier Jay Weatherill in a statement. "Any self-respecting, independent country would aspire to select one of its own citizens as its head of state."

Weatherill said it would be "the ultimate act of respect" if Queen Elizabeth presided over the transfer of Australia from a monarchy to a republic. "I mean if you think about it, what are we waiting for? Are we waiting for her to die? I would have thought that it's much more respectful to have her supervise this transition," he said on television on Monday.

The only dissenting voice, Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett, said he also supported a republic but did not think "the time is right."

Republican PM Turnbull

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (photo), a staunch republican, became a leader last year in place of monarchist Tony Abbott. This gave rise to suggestions the change to a republic might become a live issue. But Turnbull, who led the Australian Republican Movement in the 1990s, said "My commitment to Australia having an Australian head of state is undiminished," but that it was not a priority on his political agenda.

In response to Monday's declaration by the state leaders, Turnbull said he believed a national vote would be unlikely during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, Britain's 89-year-old monarch.

In 1999, a referendum proposing a republic was defeated, with 55 percent of people voting against.

'Knightmare'

Last year, then prime minister Tony Abbot knighted the husband of Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, a move which led to wide-ranging criticism from politicians, public and the media who dubbed it a "knightmare." Abbot's party replaced him with Turnbull shortly afterwards.

Don't forget to Toast the Queen at your Australia Day BBQs, just don't go OTT & knight a prince or anything #Straya https://t.co/67ZZvFePHp

— Tim Watts (@TimWattsMP) January 25, 2016

Current Australia Day celebrations focus on diversity in Australian society with a range of community events and awards. Citizenship ceremonies for new immigrants are also held.

jm/jil (AP, Reuters)

Australian High Commissioner Alexander Downer attends a ceremony where

 Queen Elizabeth II presents Prince Philip with the Insignia of a Knight of the

Order of Australia at Windsor Castle on April 22, 2015 (AFP Photo/John Stillwell)

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Iran, China vow tighter ties as Xi visits

Yahoo – AFP, Ali Noorani, January 23, 2016

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (R) meets Chinese President
Xi Jinping in Tehran (AFP Photo)

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday hailed a "new chapter" in relations with China after talks with President Xi Jinping, who is touring the region to boost Beijing's economic influence.

The Asian giant and the Middle East's foremost Shiite power aim to build economic ties worth up to $600 billion within the next 10 years, Rouhani announced.

The two leaders oversaw the signing of 17 agreements in areas including politics, the economy, security and cooperation on peaceful nuclear energy.

"With the Chinese president's visit to Tehran and our agreements, a new chapter has begun in Tehran-Beijing relations," Rouhani said in a televised speech, flanked by Xi.

A picture provided by the office of

 Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali 

Khamenei shows him (R) meeting with

 Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tehran

on January 23, 2016 (AFP Photo)

It is the first visit to Iran by a Chinese president in 14 years, state news agency IRNA said, and comes just days after sanctions against Tehran were lifted under a historic nuclear deal with world powers.

"Iran is China's major partner in the Middle East and the two countries have chosen to boost bilateral relations," IRNA quoted Xi as saying.

"China and Iran are two important developing countries that must continue regional and international cooperation," Xi added.

Beijing has long taken a back seat to other diplomatic players in the Middle East, but analysts say the region is crucial to Xi's signature foreign policy initiative known as "One Belt One Road", touted as a revival of ancient Silk Road trade routes.

China, the world's second-largest economy, also relies heavily on energy imports from the Middle East.

Beijing is Tehran's top customer for oil exports, which in recent years were hit by US and EU sanctions over Tehran's nuclear programme.

Trade between the two countries was worth $52 billion in 2014. They did not elaborate on their goal of developing relations worth $600 billion over the next decade.

According to Iranian media, more than a third of Iran's foreign trade is with China.

The two presidents issued a joint statement outlining a long-term "comprehensive strategic partnership".

The two countries agreed to enhance cooperation including in fossil and renewable energy, transportation, railways, ports, industry, commerce and services, said the statement published by Mehr news agency.

'Constructive role'

In the statement Iran welcomed China's commercial "belt" and the "21st century Silk Seaway" projects, pledging to help the initiative.

China has committed to "invest and finance upstream and downstream energy projects in Iran", it said.

China "acknowledges Iran's constructive role in the fight against terrorism and maintaining peace and stability in the region", it added, while supporting Tehran's increased regional and international role.

China and the Middle East's foremost Shiite power aim to build economic ties

worth up to $600 billion within the next 10 years (AFP Photo)

China, along with the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Russia, was among the countries that agreed with Iran in July to curtail its nuclear activities in exchange for ending international sanctions.

Xi was accompanied by three deputy premiers, six ministers and a large business delegation.

Late Saturday he met supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who said Tehran "would never forget" Beijing's cooperation during the years of international sanctions against Iran.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has always sought relations with reliable and independent states like China," Khamenei's website quoted him as saying.

That is why the agreement on long-term strategic relations is "very wise and prompt", and must be "seriously followed up" until it becomes operational, he said.

"Westerners have never been able to gain the trust of the Iranian nation," he added.

Xi was quoted as saying that "the economies of Iran and China complete one another".

Countries on the Silk Road route can "protect their interests against the American pattern of disrupting the regional economic balance by boosting cooperation," Xi added.

"Some superpowers seek the rule of monopoly... but the development of emerging economies has taken the power of monopoly from them."

Xi's tour, his first of the Middle East as China's president, has also taken him to Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Riyadh and a number of its Sunni Arab allies broke diplomatic ties with Tehran this month after protesters angered by the execution of a prominent Shiite cleric ransacked Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran.

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Pope hits out at Internet trolls

Yahoo – AFP, January 23, 2016

Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis spoke out Friday over the increasingly aggressive nature of much political discourse and the use of social media as a forum for personal abuse.

In a message published on the same day that the Twitter-friendly pontiff met Apple boss Tim Cook, Francis said digital technology and the Internet could help bring people together but also had the potential to create deep wounds.

"Our words and actions should be such as to help us all escape the vicious circles of condemnation and vengeance which continue to ensnare individuals and nations, encouraging expressions of hatred," he said.

The pope urged politicians and others in positions of power "to remain especially attentive to the way they speak of those who think or act differently or those who may have made mistakes."

And he emphasised the importance of everyone applying the same principle to encounters in cyberspace by showing respect for "the neighbour whom we do not see."

"It is not technology which determines whether or not communication is authentic, but rather the human heart and our capacity to use wisely the means at our disposal," Francis said.

"Social networks can facilitate relationships and promote the good of society, but they can also lead to further polarization and division between individuals and groups.

"The digital world is a public square, a meeting-place where we can either encourage or demean one another, engage in a meaningful discussion or unfair attacks."

The Vatican did not release any details of the pope's meeting with Cook, who was in Italy to inaugurate a new Apple applications research centre in Naples. Francis met last week with Google supremo Eric Schmidt.

Pope Francis poses with young people in the Church of Saint Augustine in Rome
on August 28, 2013 (Osservatore Romano/AFP/File, Francesco Sforza)

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The Internet  - The first Worldwide Tool of Unification ("The End of History")

" ... Now I give you something that few think about: What do you think the Internet is all about, historically? Citizens of all the countries on Earth can talk to one another without electronic borders. The young people of those nations can all see each other, talk to each other, and express opinions. No matter what the country does to suppress it, they're doing it anyway. They are putting together a network of consciousness, of oneness, a multicultural consciousness. It's here to stay. It's part of the new energy. The young people know it and are leading the way.... "

" ... I gave you a prophecy more than 10 years ago. I told you there would come a day when everyone could talk to everyone and, therefore, there could be no conspiracy. For conspiracy depends on separation and secrecy - something hiding in the dark that only a few know about. Seen the news lately? What is happening? Could it be that there is a new paradigm happening that seems to go against history?... " Read More …. "The End of History"- Nov 20, 2010 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll)

"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)

“…  1 - 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. …”

Saudi fatwa banning chess stirs online outcry

Yahoo – AFP, January 22, 2016

"Chess is prohibited. It is gambling," says a top Saudi cleric, insisting that it is a
 "waste of time and money and a cause for animosity between players" (AFP
Photo/Kirill Kudryavtsev)

Dubai (AFP) - A fatwa issued by Saudi Arabia's top cleric prohibiting chess in Islam and equating it with gambling has caused a stir on social media.

In a video of a television programme posted online, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh appears categorical when asked about the board game in Islam.

"Chess is prohibited. It is gambling," said Sheikh, insisting that it was a "waste of time and money and a cause for animosity between players".

Grand mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz 

al-Shaikh (C) sat among Saudi royals

in 2013 (AFP Photo/HO)

The video was originally recorded about a month ago but has resurfaced online, generating strong reactions on social media in recent days.

Among those who have condemned the fatwa is Russian former world chess champion Garry Kasparov.

"Saudi Arabia trying to ban chess is stupid, but we should be more concerned about their bans on human rights and democracy," Kasparov wrote on his Twitter account.

Lebanese television producer Nasser Fakih tweeted: "Saudi mufti has declared chess haram. Apparently this game makes you use your brain, and this is haram!"

And Twitter user @RaKaN4you said: "Ok, how about PlayStation and Xbox, halal or haram?"

But many tweets were also supportive of the cleric's decision to issue the fatwa.

Saudi Arabia applies a strict interpretation of Sunni Islam, which imposes many restrictions, including the segregation between men and women in public, and reinforces a ban on women driving.

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"The Humanization of God"–  Jul 16, 2011 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“… The Humanization of God

I'm going to title this channelling so that my partner will not. I don't always title them, for labeling items is something done for 3D reasons. In your reality, you want a label for the message you're about to hear. So I'll give it to you, just as a dichotomous exercise. Its title will be, "The Humanization of God."

My partner sits in a chair. It has taken him 22 years to bring my conceptual thoughts to you. Even though these conceptual thoughts from the other side of the veil are also within each Human, within your Higher-Self, they are not easy to access. This is because they exist in a multidimensional state and not one that a Human relates to. Therefore, it has taken 22 years for my partner to learn to linearize the concepts into a string of words, presented in a language that you will understand.

Not all of you here and reading this will understand what I'm teaching today. I am aware of that, for Spirit does not speak to Human Beings with words in this fashion. Instead, the language of Spirit speaks in that what you call intuitive flashes, outside of linear time, and all at once. That is how you get your best information. Yet many of you feel you have God all figured out.

Examples of the Linear

As I sit here, perhaps an individual who may be here for the very first time asks the question, "Who are you, Kryon, and where are you from?" Now those two questions may absolutely be logical and normal to every single Human Being who hears and reads this message, but I will tell you that the questions themselves betray biased linear thinking. For Kryon is not a who and is from nowhere. How can that be? The only way I can explain this is to give you metaphors. I know that metaphors don't hold up under full examination, since no analogy is perfect. So consider it only a close example to get you to begin the understanding process.

Let's say you feel incredible love in your life for another Human, or for an animal, for instance, or for your child. Let us say that it is overwhelming and perhaps even has you weep with joy, so strong it is! Now, when you feel this way, do you look around and say, "Who are you, really? Who is there?" Would you address that love emotion as though it had a body and ask, "Where are you from?" You would not! Instead, you'd simply accept it and say, "I know it's coming from me, but it really doesn't feel part of me."

There's something about love. It comes from everywhere. It permeates the soul of the Human Being. You feel it so strongly. You are not aware of it being sent to you, or pulled to you; it just is. But it's unusual and profound, almost like it's part of something else, something bigger. Perhaps it's the God part of you, expanding? You'd be right about that. Love is not singular. You don't segment it into parts, or put a body on it and give it a name either. It's a concept that affects every cell of your body and all your body functions. It sometimes even takes over! This is the beauty of love.

I'm not a who. You hear me within this voice, coming from a singular body of a Human Being. So you understandably want to know who's talking. But the only thing singular here is the Human who I come through. I am best identified as that which is the collection of the confluence of the creative energy source in the Universe. I am uncountable and am not isolated and singular. You can't notate me (define me with attributes in 3D). Twenty-two years ago, I identified myself and said, "I am, that I am." And then I said, "And so are you!" I told you that at the center of the atom is where I am. I told you that the space between the electron haze and the nucleus is filled with love. I told you that the benevolent, creative source energy that is part of you is part of me. It is all things together. You'll find it in a tree, in the dirt and in the grass. You'll find it in the air and you can't ask who because we are not singular. You can't count the flavor in the soup, or identify "where is the salt?" It just "is" the soup.

God does not have the mind of a Human Being with the consciousness of a Human Being. God is not a collection of many separate consciousness parts either, and this is difficult for you to understand. God can talk to every single Human - all 6, 7 billion of them - at the same time. God can carry on a loving, healing conversation, being personal all at once with every single one of you. Think of that! That's not a who. That's the creator of the Universe. That's a divine, intelligent, loving energy. Don't humanize this source! It's not like you.

The Linear Thinker

Humans want to make everything separate and individual. You want to separate, identify, and quantify. This is Human nature, for every living thing you come into contact with is separate and singular - a Human, an animal, a bug, a tree. They all have this in common. Each one is a closed life system and is ONE thing. So placing God in this box makes you feel better. Because only then can you grasp how you're supposed to act and react to Spirit. Linearizing God helps you to feel what you're supposed to do and when you're supposed to do it. All of the survival attributes that you've learned all your life go into this, and we call it the Human linear bias. God is better understood if it's a man with a beard and a low voice - the authority figure. But Spirit is not like that.

God is not an authority figure, either! Yet many of you will not accept that. "You mean the creator of the Universe is not in charge?" I didn't say that. I said that God is not an authority figure. God is family. If there is any authority energy, then you share it with God, for God is in you. Therefore, YOU are the authority figure.

There is no protocol, either! Did you hear me? There is no generic protocol! Thousands of years of religion have created thousands of "rules" of how to "get God's favor." What if none of that is so? Let me ask you something: If you wanted to talk to your own body's cellular structure, what's the protocol? If it's you with you, how do you start? Should you dress up a bit, kneel, prepare yourself? Do you invent something, some framework of motions, so it will work better? Or do you simply go inside with your mind, talk to that which you own, and work the puzzle out? Do you see what I mean? Humans never consider God in them. Instead, they wish to separate God. They wish to elevate God and put Spirit on the altar where they can face it and perhaps even create a statue so they can visualize who to talk to. That is humanizing God.  …”