Iran must end isolation for economy to boom: Rouhani

Yahoo – AFP, 4 Jan 2015

Picture released by the official website of the Iranian president Hassan Rouhani

 shows him speaking during the opening ceremony of the economic conference in

Tehran on January 4, 2015 (AFP Photo)

Tehran (AFP) - Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said Sunday that foreign investors should no longer be viewed as a threat and signalled his country's decades-long isolation from the world economy could soon end.

Speaking at an economic conference in Tehran, he said the Islamic republic would not give up its principles but it would be better placed to conclusively emerge from recession if it opened up.

Iran is engaged in long-running negotiations with world powers aimed at a comprehensive deal over its disputed nuclear programme which, if successful, will likely result in an investment boom.

A key point in any agreement would be the lifting of wide-ranging sanctions -- imposed on Iran as punishment for its atomic activities -- blamed for neutering its oil- and gas-rich economy.

Rouhani said Iran wanted "lasting and sustainable development" and if it was to escape the recent years of "constriction" caused by its foreign policy then change was necessary.

"Our political life has shown we cannot have sustainable growth while we are isolated," he told an audience of 1,500 economic experts and guests, including the economy minister and head of the central bank.

"The time is past when it used to be said that if a foreign investor comes to Iran, our independence will be in danger," he added.

The president's comments alluded to a checkered history of foreign involvement in Iran's economic affairs, chiefly from Russia and Britain in the oil industry.

In 1953, British and US intelligence services orchestrated the ouster of democratically elected prime minister Mohammad Mossadeq, in a coup d'etat after he announced plans for oil nationalisation.

His overthrow remains a toxic issue and a rallying point for hardline sceptics of the West.

The nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 group (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany) resume in Geneva on January 15, and are aimed at a political agreement by March and a comprehensive accord by June 30.

During the negotiations Iran has limited its enrichment of uranium, a process that creates nuclear fuel but which at high purities can produce fissile material for an atomic weapon.

Iran denies seeking the bomb, insisting its nuclear programme is for peaceful energy purposes.

Although a nuclear deal is seen as the key to unlocking a dormant economy, Rouhani said the current curtailment of Iran's nuclear activities should not be considered as weakness.

Standing near the conference slogan -- "Sustainable growth that creates jobs" -- he said: "Our ideals are not connected to (enrichment) centrifuges, but to our heart and will.

"We want to stand on our own feet, we want to have less need to export oil... if these things happen, our nuclear negotiations will move forward faster."

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Xi, China's powerful uncle

China's head of state and party leader Xi Jinping is one of the most powerful politicians in the world. In a review of 2014, DW columnist Frank Sieren says Xi's tenure marks the start of a new era in China.

Deutsche Welle, 4 Jan 2015

I have never experienced anything like it in the twenty years I have lived in China. Xi Jinping is cracking down harder than almost anyone before him. President for almost two years, and party leader for more than two, Xi is doing all he can to transform China as we know it. The list of his achievements thus far is impressive, even more so considering how briefly he has been in office - while his top priority remains his anti-corruption campaign. Until recently, only two percent of Germans knew who Xi was, but since the beginning of December his recognition has been on the rise, and not only in Germany.

Harsh crackdown on party officials

Zhou Yongkang has been sitting in prison since then. One of the most powerful men in China until 2012, he was a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, and a former security chief. There haven't been proceedings against such a high-ranking party member in decades. With them, Xi is proving again that he won't blink when it comes to his fight against corruption, and that he will go after top officials, so-called "tigers," with demonstrative force. At the same time, daily news of the arrests of corrupt party officials show how powerful Xi has become.

Obama's appearance at the APEC summit
was seen as a sign of China's new power

In the last few weeks Xi has been displaying this power, not only to his fellow countrymen, but above all to the West. In October, dozens of world and business leaders from the Asia-Pacific region met in Beijing for the APEC summit, and to sign lucrative agreements with China. Even Barack Obama hurried to Beijing for climate negotiations, a gesture that shows that China is now just a few steps behind the US in the current world order.

Expanding economic might

To undertake such an impressive abundance of initiatives and trials so shortly after assuming power, in the way Xi has done, would have been utterly unusual in the past. Until now, the late leader Deng Xiaoping's motto of waiting until the time is ripe before drawing attention to oneself had been the prevailing mode. Since entering office, Xi has also made numerous official trips to Asia, Europe, and Africa, expanding China's economic power.

And when he returned home from several days of traveling in Australia, New Zealand, and the Fiji Islands at the end of November, he handed out many presents. The fact that for the first time ever, constitutional rule of law was a topic at the fourth plenary session of the CPC's 18th National Congress is another one of his achievements. It would have been nice if the Communist Party's anti-corruption campaigns had been used as an opportunity to finally begin conducting transparent legal proceedings that the general population could understand. For me, that would be a great leap forward on the path to constitutionality. Yet it is becoming apparent that more than anyone, party leaders close to Xi don't see things that way. Good intentions get lost when no one can understand who is being sentenced for what. That goes for the "flies," or the little people, as well as the "tigers" like Zhou Yongkang.

Xi's wife Peng Liyuan has helped
his popularity

More pressure on regime opponents

Xi's harshness is also directed at the freedom of expression of those who think differently, and the rights of minorities. Decidedly more people belonging to those groups have been arrested since Xi took power. That is the dark side of his self-assertiveness. There is no transparency in these cases either. Lack of transparency and arbitrary rulings spread fear through the country, a fear that is paralyzing it and could eventually lead to ever more resistance to Xi's otherwise sensible anti-corruption campaign. And even Xi can't win against the country, against the majority of its people. The question: is it good for a country when a politician wields that much power?

One thing is clear: Xi is also using the campaign to get rid of political adversaries. No one ever knows for sure whether those arrested were really corrupt, or just belonged to the wrong clique. All this leads me to the conclusion that Xi Jinping is China's most influential politician since Deng - one could also say its most assertive. He has gotten more done in just shy of two years than many of his predecessors did during their entire tenure - for better or for worse. That could also be because the party has realized that their course is not just going to decide China's future - increasingly, economic and political developments in China impact the fate of countries in the West. With Xi, a new era has opened, one in which China will reposition itself on the world stage. How this era will be received in the West is still to be determined.

Down-to-earth image

Frank Sieren lives in China

I've asked myself, why of all people is Xi so successful? Part of it could be the staff of PR managers the 61-year-old employs to polish his public image. Xi presents a down-to-earth image - we see him eating dumplings in crowds instead of at expensive state dinners, and he prefers to be driven to public appearances by minibus rather than state limousine.

Born into a political family, he joined the Communist Party at 21 and began a rapid ascent up the career ladder. As governor of the province of Fujian, he drove the economy by luring investors from Taiwan with subsidies. He owes another portion of his popularity to his wife, a famous singer in China who adds to his popularity. One might not quite believe it, but the people like to call him "Uncle Xi."

Biggest upheavals since Deng's reforms

Xi Jinping's crackdown is thus the biggest social upheaval in China since the reformer Deng Xiaoping opened it to foreign investors. Five years ago, if someone had asked me if such an anti-corruption campaign were possible in China, I would have thought it very unlikely. And I wouldn't have been alone. Only in that context can one understand the psychological effect of the campaign.

Our columnist Frank Sieren is one of Germany's leading experts on China. He has been living in Beijing for 20 years.

The download page from the China's Central Commission for 
Discipline Inspection website for the anti-graft app. (Internet photo)

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Turkey allows first new Christian church since 1923

For the first time in over 90 years, Turkey has permitted the construction of a new Christian church. Since the end of the Ottoman empire in 1923, only renovations of existing churches had been allowed.

Deutsche Welle, 3 Jan 2015

Pope Francis celebrates a Mass inside the Holy spirit Cathedral in Istanbul,
Turkey, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014

At a meeting of religious representatives in Istanbul on Friday evening, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the Syriac Christian church will be built on state-owned land in the Istanbul district of Yesilkoy, which already has Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic churches. The construction work, however, will be paid for by the Syriac group.

There are currently approximately 100,000 Christians in Turkey, which has an almost exclusively Muslim population of 80 million.

Although Christians and other religious minorities are allowed to practice their religion in Turkey, they continue to face restrictions.

The Orthodox Church, for example, is forbidden from training its priests, and foreign clerics find it difficult to obtain work permits.

The Alevi sect of Islam has also come up against restrictions in its fight to have its places of worship, known as cemevi, recognized as equivalent to mosques.

ksb/nm (AFP, dpa)

Pope Francis is welcomed by Mufti of Istanbul, Rahmi Yaran (R) outside Sultan
 Ahmet mosque, popularly known as the Blue Mosque in Istanbul November 29, 2014.

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Pope and Welby joined by imams and rabbis for anti-slavery declaration

Pope Francis and other religious leaders at the Vatican. Photograph: AP

"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)

“.   New Tolerance

Look for a softening of finger pointing and an awakening of new tolerance. There will remain many systems for different cultures, as traditions and history are important to sustaining the integrity of culture. So there are many in the Middle East who would follow the prophet and they will continue, but with an increase of awareness. It will be the increase of awareness of what the prophet really wanted all along - unity and tolerance. The angel in the cave instructed him to "unify the tribes and give them the God of Israel." You're going to start seeing a softening of intolerance and the beginning of a new way of being.

Eventually, this will create an acknowledgement that says, "You may not believe the way we believe, but we honor you and your God. We honor our prophet and we will love you according to his teachings. We don't have to agree in order to love." How would you like that? The earth is not going to turn into one belief system. It never will, for Humans don't do that. There must be variety, and there must be the beauty of cultural differences. But the systems will slowly update themselves with increased awareness of the truth of a new kind of balance. So that's the first thing. Watch for these changes, dear ones. ...."

Iran rejects controversial new hijab law

Yahoo – AFP, 3 Jan 2015

Veiled Iranian women walk past water fountains in the historical Naqsh-e Jahan
Square in Isfahan on August 31, 2011 (AFP)

A draft law that would give greater powers to Iran's police and volunteer militias to enforce women's compulsory wearing of the veil has been ruled unconstitutional, state media reported Saturday.

Under Islamic law in force in Iran since the 1979 revolution, women must wear loose clothing, known as hijab, that covers the head and neck and which conceals their hair.

But many now push the boundaries by wearing thin head scarves, tight leggings and fashionable coats rather than a chador, a long and traditional black garment that covers the entire body from head to toe.

This has led to claims from lawmakers and religious leaders that the rules are being skirted and not maintained by morality police whose job is to ensure Islamic dress code is complied with in public places.

The draft law, called the "Plan on Protection of Promoters of Virtue and Vice" was rejected by the country's influential Guardian Council, a 12-member group that scrutinises legislation.

The official IRNA news agency, quoting a council spokesman, said the 24-point plan contained 14 flaws and it "contradicted the constitution and was not approved". The report did not give specifics.

However, the council's decision is not the end of the law, under which lawmakers want to give members of the Basij, a religious volunteer force established by the country's revolutionary leaders, power and protection to verbally caution women they deem improperly dressed.

The council has sent the law back to parliament for amendment, IRNA said.

The wearing of hijab is an emotive issue in the Islamic republic, with supporters saying it is an essential part of Islamic culture for women, but opponents argue that it is an ill-defined legal requirement.

The draft law, which was approved by parliament in December, also aimed to place responsibility on employers to ensure hijab is observed by workers, with companies facing fines for non-compliance.

President Hassan Rouhani, who has been under pressure from hardline lawmakers to pursue a tougher police stand on the veil, distanced himself from the planned law in a speech on October 25.

"We should not be overly focused on one issue, such as bad hijab, to prevent vice," he said, alluding to the Islamic duty to promote virtue.

Indian brothers held over alleged kidnap and rape of Japanese student

Tour guides Sajid and Jawed Khan accused of confining and repeatedly raping woman near Buddhist site of Bodh Gaya

theguardian.com, Dominic Smith and agencies, Saturday 3 January 2015

Buddhist monks and devotees near Bodh Gaya in India. Photograph:
Altaf Qadri/AP

Police in India have arrested two brothers accused of confining and repeatedly raping a Japanese student over three weeks near a Buddhist pilgrimage site.

The 22-year-old was held hostage at gunpoint in a secluded basement close to Bodh Gaya in the east of India, a town 80 miles south of Patna in Bihar state, officials said.

“When her health condition deteriorated due to repeated rape and poor living conditions, she was brought to Gaya [town] for medical treatment on 20 December,” a police officer who is part of the investigation told Agence France-Presse.

But the woman escaped and got in touch with other Japanese tourists who helped her contact their country’s consulate in the nearby city of Kolkata, the officer said.

Tour guides Sajid Khan, 32, and his brother Jawed, 25, were arrested on Friday, the deputy superintendent Alok Kumar Singh said.

“We have arrested the duo for confining and raping the Japanese student,” Singh told AFP.

The woman, a university student, travelled to Gaya from Kolkata. It is thought she had been studying life in rural India for some time.

Bodh Gaya is considered to be one of Buddhism’s most holy sites, being home to one of the earliest Buddhist temples still standing in India. Gautama Buddha is said to have achieved enlightenment there, under a tree.

Indian officials have come under intense scrutiny over the country’s efforts to curb violence against women, particularly after international outcry following the fatal gang rape of a medical student in Delhi in 2012. Since then, several attacks on foreign women have been reported, leading to a dip in tourist numbers in the country.

Last January, a 51-year-old Danish tourist was robbed and gang raped at knifepoint in Delhi.

In 2013, a Swiss cyclist holidaying in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh was robbed and gang raped by five men, all of whom were later sentenced to life in prison.

Indian police officials escort suspects in the alleged gang-rape 

and extortion of a Japanese tourist held as a sex slave (AFP

Photo/Stringer)

Related Article:

Five Arrested in India Over Japanese Tourist Gang Rape

Pope Francis calls for peace, end to slavery in 2015

The head of the Roman Catholic Church has called on people of all religions to come together to end slavery and human trafficking. The pope also called for an end to armed conflicts.

Deutsche Welle, 1 Dec 2015

Speaking to tens of thousands of worshippers gathered in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City on Thursday, Pope Francis called for an end to wars.

"Peace is always possible, always possible, and we must seek it," the pontiff said. "Let us pray for peace."

Earlier, he used a service in St. Peter's Basilica to promote January 1 as the Vatican-declared "World Day of Peace," as well as this year's theme, "Slaves no more, but brothers and sisters."

"Slaves no more because wars turn us all into slaves," the 78-year-old Francis said.

"All of us are called (by God) to be free, all are called to be sons and daughters, and each, according to his or her own responsibilities, is called to combat modern forms of enslavement. From every people, culture and religion, let us join our forces," he added.

Nearly 36 million people worldwide were trapped in some form of slavery over the past year, according to a report released in November by the human rights group Walk Free Foundation.

The Argentina-born pope is to make his first foreign visit of 2015 to Sri Lanka and the Philippines later this month.

pfd/nm (Reuters, dpa, AP)

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"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) Souls, Midpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) - (Text version)

“…  8 - The End of War

The last one is the best. For thousands of years on this planet, Human Beings have warred with each other. If you take a look at the reasons they warred with each other, you will quickly see there aren't any good ones - land, resources, greed. Those are not reasons. That is a description of old energy. Those are not reasons. Reasons would be perhaps defense against an aggressor. But what if there is no longer the consciousness of the aggressor?

When I appeared in my partner's life more than 20 years ago, I said to him privately that the first messages we're going to give will be unbelievable. There would be laughter. We told him that Human nature and consciousness itself would change, and that the seeds of peace would be planted and there would come a time where there is no more war. Indeed, the laughter was great because humans look at history and they see patterns based on an absolute energy called Human Nature. "Impossible! There always has to be war. There always has been. Therefore, there always will be." This is you, in a box, in a black and white potential, where you can only see the black and white of what is and the black and white of what has been. You have no idea the shades of color that are there in your consciousness and the beauty of the love of God.

North Korea is on the edge of change, as we told you it might be. What did this require? The death of the old energy, and I want you to watch this take place. The advisors of the young leader are going to do their best to pull him back into an old energy. This free choice of his will be far different than his father, for he sees some color. Watch for these things. They'll take longer than you want, but it is the beginning of the beginning.

You'll see a fresh unification of South America sooner than not, for what is going to take place potentially this year in Venezuela. You'll see Iran changing. We have no clock. These are the potentials. These can change with free choice. These are not prophecies. This is a reality shift, dear ones, so number eight becomes the propensity not to war again. This is what Humans are going to want. This is what governments are going to want. There is a wisdom factor that will begin to happen on the planet that is grander than what you think is possible. For when you look at government, what do you think about? You see dysfunction, and there is an axiom that says the more people that try to do something together, the worse it gets. It all settles to the lowest common denominator. I'm telling you even those things are going to become old energy concepts. Instead, you're going to watch wisdom become the top potential.

I have no clock. I cannot tell you when. I can just tell you it is in the works, and there will be the seeds of it for you to observe soon - right now, in every single of the eight categories I showed you.

There are those who will say, "Well, Kryon, you're doing a lot more predictions than you used to." I want to tell you what's going on, dear one. I am not predicting anything. I am just telling you what's already there in the potential soup of your reality. That's what Humans are doing on this planet, and for those who believe this communication, you should breathe a sigh of relief and say, "It's about time." ….”

Senior Chinese diplomat in corruption investigation

A senior foreign diplomat for China, Zhang Kunsheng, has been removed from his position. It comes amid China's highly-publicized crackdown on corruption.

Deutsche Welle, 2 Jan 2015

China's Foreign Ministry issued a two-sentence statement on Friday announcing that Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Kunsheng (pictured right) had been removed from his post.

Zhang, one of four officials with the title, was "suspected of violating discipline," a phrase which is commonly used as a euphemism for corruption. Although an investigation had been launched, it was not clear who was conducting it or what exactly Zhang was alleged to have done. His responsibilities have been temporarily taken over by ministry spokesman Qin Gang.

As China's four assistant foreign ministers rank below the minister and six vice ministers, Zhang, who was in charge of the protocol department, has become the highest-ranking diplomat to be caught up in the country's highly-publicized campaign to stamp out corruption.

Corruption crackdown

Shortly after he took office two years ago, China's President Xi Jinping launched a campaign against corruption, in which he vowed that both low-level "flies" and high-ranking "tigers" would be caught. China's corruption problem was said to be so bad that it could affect the ability of the Communist Party to maintain power. The campaign has netted several powerful figures, including Zhou Yongkang who was formerly one of the nine most senior politicians in China.

China's foreign ministry was the subject of another scandal last year, in which the country's ambassador to Iceland, Ma Jisheng, vanished amid reports that he had allegedly spied for Japan. China's government has yet to say what happened to him.

se/ksb (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

Zhang Kunsheng, center, speaks at the ASEAN Regional 

Forum, held in Beijing, Dec. 8, 2014. (Internet photo)

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China New Year crush victims mainly young women

Yahoo – AFP, 2 Jan 2015

A couple burns incense at the site of a New Year's Eve stampede at

the Bund in Shanghai on January 2, 2015 (AFP Photo/Greg Baker)

Shanghai (AFP) - China on Friday mourned the 36 dead from a New Year's Eve crush on Shanghai's famed waterfront, as the city government revealed the victims were mainly young women.

The incident was Shanghai's worst since a fire in a high-rise residential building killed 58 people in 2010 and tarnished the commercial hub's international reputation.

Two men place candles in the shape of a

 heart at the site of a New Year's Eve

stampede at The Bund in Shanghai on

January 1, 2015 (AFP Photo/Greg Baker)

Around 100 people gathered in front of a statue of Shanghai's first Communist mayor Chen Yi near the accident scene, some laying flowers in a government-approved show of mourning.

Relatives wailed uncontrollably at a funeral home where some of the bodies were taken, with one woman crumpling with despair almost immediately after coming out, family members holding her up.

One man from Jiangxi province said: "My son is in there, I can't believe this happened."

The youngest of the 32 fatalities identified so far is a 12-year-old boy, Mao Yongjie.

He became separated from his mother in the overwhelming flow of revellers, news magazine Caixin reported, and efforts by hospital staff to save his life failed. His mother spent New Year's day crying until she passed out from exhaustion, Caixin added.

All but four of the dead on a list released by the city government on Friday were aged 25 or under, and 21 were female. The oldest fatality was 37.

Shanghai residents were questioning why the city government did not control the crowds, though police said a "more than normal" 700-strong police force was present.

"The Shanghai government should take responsibility for the incident. Most of the young victims must be the only child of their families," said taxi driver Xu Jianzhong.

Under China's strict birth control regulations most couples are restricted to a single child.

University student Chen Xiaohang placed white chrysanthemums at the memorial site in memory of the sister of a high-school classmate who died.

"I feel very sad about this and I hope the government will offer better safety controls for events like this," she told AFP.

A security guard watches as mourners place flowers and burn incense at the

 site of a New Year's Eve stampede at the Bund in Shanghai on January 2, 2015

(AFP Photo/Greg Baker)

Authorities at first removed flowers after the incident but later set up crowd barriers to allow them to be laid in a controlled area. On Thursday evening, mourners lit candles including an arrangement in the shape of a heart.

Internet postings and media reports initially blamed US dollar-like notes -- actually promotional items from M18, a glitzy Bund nightclub -- thrown from a building for setting off a scramble and causing the carnage.

But police said the "money" throwing occurred 12 minutes after and 60 metres away from the crush in a plaza.

"This happened after the stampede incident," police said in a statement that cited surveillance video, adding it did not cause crowding pressure.

The number of injured was raised by two to 49 on Friday, the Shanghai government said on a verified microblog account.

Macau Suffers Worst Year for Casinos Amid China Graft Crackdown

Jakarta Globe, Stephanie Wong & Billy Chan, Jan 02, 2015

Card dealers sit at their gaming tables on the first day of business in the Sheraton
Macao Hotel in Macau, China, on Sept. 20, 2012. (Bloomberg Photo/
Daniel J. Groshong)

Macau’s casinos recorded their worst year, ending a decade of expansion that turned the former Portuguese enclave into the world’s biggest gambling hub. More tough times are ahead.

Casino revenue in the city fell 2.6 percent to 351.5 billion patacas ($44 billion) in 2014, after a record 30.4 percent monthly drop in December, according to figures from Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau on Friday. Analysts projected a 2 percent annual decline, based on the median of nine estimates in a Bloomberg News survey.

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s bid to catch “tigers and flies” in an anti-corruption drive and weaker economic growth mean Macau may face shrinking revenue until at least the middle of 2015, when new resorts open. The crackdown has deterred high rollers who account for two-thirds of Macau’s casino receipts, and wiped out about $73 billion in market value of companies including Wynn Macau and SJM Holdings last year.

“The VIP heyday is over,” said Philip Tulk, an analyst at Standard Chartered in Hong Kong. “The anti-corruption crackdown doesn’t look to be a short-term phenomenon,” with funds flows between the mainland and Macau being much more closely scrutinized, he said.

Xi has urged the city to diversify its economy and transform into a global tourism and leisure center. Macau’s casino takings are seven times that of the Las Vegas Strip and contributed more than 80 percent of the government’s annual revenue last year.

Sands China and Galaxy Entertainment Group were the second- and third-worst performers on Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index last year. Wynn Macau shares fell 2.3 percent at the midday break in Hong Kong trading, while Galaxy and Melco Crown Entertainment both dropped 1.8 percent and Sands China lost 0.5 percent. The Hang Seng index gained 0.7 percent.

Bloomberg

Kim says open to 'highest-level' talks with South

Yahoo – AFP, January 1, 2015

Kim says open to 'highest-level' talks with South

Seoul (AFP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said Thursday he was open to the "highest-level" talks with South Korea as he called for an improvement in strained cross-border relations.

The offer came in Kim's traditional New Year message broadcast live on state television, according to Yonhap news agency.

"We should write a new history in the North-South ties. There is no reason not to hold the highest-level talks," he said, calling for a "big change" in strained relations between the two Koreas, which are still technically at war.

The message came days after Ryoo Kihl-Jae, the South's unification minister in charge of inter-Korean affairs, offered to hold high-level talks with North Korea in January.

The last round of formal top-level talks was held in February and resulted in the North hosting a rare union of relatives separated by the conflict.

The two Koreas had earlier agreed to restart dialogue when a top-ranking North Korean delegation made a surprise visit to the Asian Games held in the South in October.

The unusual trip raised hopes of a thaw, but was followed by a series of minor military clashes along the border that renewed tensions and talks never materialised.

Ties were strained further when the North angrily slammed the South for allowing its activists to send anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border via hot air balloons.

Seoul rejected Pyongyang's demand to ban such exercises, saying there were no legal grounds to stop free activities by citizens.

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UN Security Council debates North Korea rights abuse

"Recalibration of Knowledge" – Jan 14, 2012 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: Channelling, God-Creator, Benevolent Design, New Energy, Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Reincarnation, Gaia, Old Energies (Africa, Terrorists, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela ... ), Weather, Rejuvenation, Akash, Nicolas Tesla / Einstein, Cold Fusion, Magnetics, Lemuria, Atomic Structure (Electrons, Particles, Polarity, Self Balancing, Magnetism), Entanglement, "Life is necessary for a Universe to exist and not the other way around", DNA, Humans (Baby getting ready, First Breath, Stem Cells, Embryonic Stem Cells, Rejuvenation), Global Unity, ... etc.) - (Text Version)  

“…  I want you to watch some countries. I don't have a clock [this statement is Kryon telling us that there is no time frame on his side of the veil, only potentials]. I'll just tell you, it's imminent [in Spirit's timing, this could mean as soon as a decade]. I want you to watch some countries carefully for changes. You're going to be seeing changes that are obvious, and some that are not obvious [covert or assumptive]. But the obvious ones you will see sooner than not - Cuba, Korea [North], Iran, of course, and Venezuela. I want you to watch what happens when they start to realize that they don't have any more allies on Earth! Even their brothers who used to support them in their hatred of some are saying, "Well, perhaps not anymore. It doesn't seem to be supporting us anymore." Watch the synchronicities that are occurring. The leaders who have either died or are going to in the next year or so will take with them the old ways. Watch what happens to those who take their place, and remember these meetings where I described these potentials to you. …”