Two Koreas agree to talks as military deadline looms

Yahoo – AFP, Giles Hewitt, 22 Aug 2015

A truck carrying South Korean soldiers passes through the border village of

 Yeoncheon near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), on August 22, 2015 (AFP Photo/

Ed Jones)

Seoul (AFP) - North and South Korea took a step back from a looming military clash Saturday, agreeing to hold top-level talks as their respective armies faced off across the border on maximum alert.

The agreement on the talks -- to be held at the border truce village of Panmunjom -- came just hours before the expiry of a North Korean ultimatum for Seoul to halt loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts across the border or face military action.

File photo taken on March 27, 2015 shows 

US General Martin Dempsey (L), chairman

of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his 

South Korean counterpart Admiral Choi 

Yun-Hee in Seoul (AFP Photo/Jung

Yeon-Je)

The four delegates -- two from each side -- will include the South Korean president's national security adviser, Kim Kwan-Jin, and the man widely seen as North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's number two, Hwang Pyong-So.

The presidential Blue House in Seoul said the talks were set to begin at 6:00 pm (0900 GMT).

The announcement came with both Koreas bracing for a confrontation as the clock ticked down to the North's 0830 GMT deadline.

Seoul had insisted it would not accede to Pyongyang's demand to turn off the loudspeakers which have been blasting propaganda messages into North Korea for the past week.

The North Korean People's Army (KPA) said it had moved into a "fully armed, wartime state" on the orders of Kim Jong-Un, while the foreign ministry in Pyongyang warned Saturday that the situation had "reached the brink of war" and was "hardly controllable".

The international community has long experience of North Korea's particularly aggressive brand of diplomatic brinkmanship, and the last minute decision for a dialogue will confirm for many that this has largely been another exercise in attention-seeking by Pyongyang.

No panic

For the moment, there has been little sense of panic among ordinary South Koreans who have become largely inured over the years to the North's regular -- and regularly unrealised -- threats of imminent war.

But the military has been on maximum alert, and US and South Korean jets flew simulated bombing sorties around midday Saturday in a clear show of defiance and force.

US and South Korean fighter jets fly over

 the Korean Peninsula, on August 22, 

2015 (AFP Photo)

The Yonhap news agency quoted military sources as saying the North, meanwhile, had towed artillery units close to the border for a possible strike against the military loudspeaker units.

Technically, the two Koreas have been at war for the past 65 years, as the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a ceasefire that was never ratified by a formal peace treaty.

The last direct attack on the South was in November 2010 when North Korea shelled the South Korean border island of Yeonpyeong, killing two civilians and two soldiers.

Kim Jong-Un's order to move to a war footing came after an exchange of artillery fire on Thursday that claimed no casualties but triggered a dangerous spike in cross-border tensions.

Tensions were already running high over mine blasts this month that maimed two South Korean border soldiers, and the launch last Monday of an annual South Korea-US military exercise that infuriated Pyongyang.

Despite Pyongyang's subsequent denials, South Korea said the North was behind the blasts and responded by resuming the propaganda broadcasts across the border -- a practice both Koreas had ended by mutual consent in 2004.

The move outraged the North and prompted its 48-hour ultimatum for the South to turn off the loudspeakers by Saturday afternoon.

Zero tolerance

South Korea's President Park Geun-Hye, 

seen during her visit to the headquarters

 of Third Army in Yongin, south of Seoul,

on August 21, 2015 (AFP Photo)

On Friday President Park Geun-Hye appeared on television, wearing army fatigues and telling top military commanders that further North Korean provocations "will not be tolerated".

The situation is being closely watched, with UN chief Ban Ki-moon calling for restraint from both sides and the United States urging Pyongyang to avoid further escalation.

There are nearly 30,000 US troops permanently stationed in South Korea, and the US military's top officer on Saturday reiterated Washington's commitment to the defence of its ally.

A call for calm and restraint also came from China, the North's main diplomatic protector and economic supporter.

Ties between Beijing and Pyongyang have become strained, and China will be keen to avoid any regional flare-up as it seeks to attract world leaders to Beijing next month for a three-day celebration of Japan's defeat in World War II.

The last talks to be held in Panmunjom were in October, when military officials from both sides met to discuss a variety of issues affecting cross-border tension.

Thalys shooting passengers in Paris; gunman being questioned

DutchNews, August 22, 2015

The passengers caught up in the shooting on the Amsterdam to Paris high-speed Thalys on Friday evening have arrived in Paris.

The last of them arrived at Gard du Nord around 01.45 hours. They were met by Thalys staff who arranged accommodation and changes to onward travel arrangements. 

No Dutch passengers were in the carriage where the shooting took place, Dutch media report. 

A gunman armed with a Kalashnikov had opened fire at around 17.50 on the high-speed train, carrying more than 550 passengers. He was overpowered by three Americans, two of them off duty soldiers. 

Two people were injured in the attack, including one of the Americans who was hospitalised with ‘serious injuries’, French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said. 

The train was diverted to the northern French town of Arras, where police arrested the shooter, described by French investigators as a 26-year-old from Morocco or of Moroccan origin, who was also armed with an automatic pistol and razor blades. 

Thalys said it is running its normal service on Saturday.

Americans Alek Skarlatos (R) and Anthony Sadler helped halt a train attack in France. Story: http://t.co/IpSoH71tdr pic.twitter.com/S0DYl9qSW2

— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) 22 augustus 2015

The five who foiled an attack on a European train http://t.co/FT96y05yLg pic.twitter.com/DJm9ESPOQe

— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) 22 augustus 2015

US soldiers praised for grappling gunman on Amsterdam-Paris train

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Matthew message (Channelled by Suzanne Ward, July 19, 2015) - (Ziggo?)
Matthew message (Channelled by Suzanne Ward, Aug 3, 2014) - (MH17)


Matthew message (Channelled by Suzanne Ward, July 19, 2015)

Matthew Ward - July 19, 2015

Matthew Ward

With loving greetings from all souls at this station, this is Matthew. Many of your analysts think that the Greek people’s resounding “No” on the recent referendum put their country on the road to irreversible economic ruin. The country will manage. “No” put the Illuminati on the road to irreversible economic ruin.

Going back a long, long ways, bartering worked splendidly in communities, but the expanding borders of commerce required a different means of exchange; and with the introduction of coinage, money became the axis on which your world turned. The forerunners of the Illuminati and later that group itself controlled the turning by devising taxation, banking and lending systems; and, as centuries passed, “numbered” bank accounts, stock markets, Federal Reserve System, International Monetary Fund, regulating agencies and credit cards with usurious interest rates. Everything they established was specifically designed to add to their fortunes, tighten their economic control over the peoples, and increase their influence within national governments.

The Illuminati began as a cohesive group of like-minded individuals whose objective was world domination. As time went by, egos grew and tempers flared, and eventually two competitive factions with that same goal emerged. Later, the Rothschilds and their adherents, who operate out of London and the Vatican, came up with a plan to solidify their control throughout Europe—the European Union, European Central Bank and euro currency. Let us borrow your expression, “How’s that working for you?” There is no bandage large enough to patch the crack the Greek vote made in the Rothschild network. The crack will spread like a spider web around the world and into it will fall the Rockefeller faction headquartered in Washington, DC, and on Wall Street.

As if that isn’t enough for both factions to deal with—and Pope Francis’ goodness and wisdom keeps upsetting their apple cart—now there’s the agreement between negotiators from several major nations and Iran’s leaders that their country will not pursue development of a nuclear weapon. It is no surprise that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, a top-ranking Illuminati, denounced the agreement or that Illuminati in the United States Congress and members whose election campaigns were funded by that group are opposing President Obama’s efforts to get congressional approval. They want to invade Iran and, along with taking over that country’s oil, reap the riches that come from producing the machinery of war.

The vibrations of intensifying light that led to those reversals for the Illuminati will keep increasing as the planet continues on its ascension course. If we could tell you when their total undoing will be, we would do so joyously; but activity in Earth’s energy field of potential indicates that their inevitable demise will come in stages, not one fell swoop. They still have some power, dwindling though it is, in their “black ops” branch of the CIA; other intelligence sources, including Mossad; high-ranking personnel in some military forces; leverage within mainstream media and some governments; and huge caches of monies to initiate or exacerbate uprisings, fund the Islam State, and pay their minions to hack computer systems, oversee the street drug trade, fill your skies with chemtrails, deny pollution’s contribution to climate change, or disseminate false information on the Internet.

While a few within the higher ranks of both Illuminati factions are talking with principals in reform movements, the hardliners are talking about joining forces; some have abandoned their fast-sinking ship, died of natural causes or by their own hand, or been arrested. You would recognize some names, most you would not, and it is unlikely that any of the Illuminati will be identified as such in mainstream news reports.

Upheavals will keep popping up as the ages-old light vs dark battle for Earth’s civilization at last is nearing its end. You have waited a long time to see the light triumph as predestined, and you can welcome the bumpy ride through the last phases. However, most of the populace don’t know about that long conflict or that everything transpiring and what is ahead is about planetary and personal ascension out of millennia of dark bondage.

Many people are fearful or angry, and with each new bump, others will have the same reactions. Your calmness, yet excitement, and explaining to the extent individuals are receptive can encourage them to have an optimistic outlook. But please do not be disheartened if family and friends don’t respond positively—they will waken in their own times of readiness.

And, we ask that you keep foremost in your thoughts that every person in your world is a part of God, by whatever name the Supreme Being in this universe is called. Every person is inextricably connected at soul level with all others, and God’s love for each and every one is unconditional. Seeing “offenders” through God’s eyes doesn’t mean wanting them to forego justice by your world’s standards—already this has come to some and shall befall others. What it does mean is, you will uplift yourselves and your world by envisioning those individuals within the light rather than focusing on their punishment. The impartial, nonjudgmental and unavoidable laws of the universe will serve them justice in a spirit world according to their lifetime deeds.

This is an appropriate place to answer a reader’s questions: “What will happen to Nirvana after Earth reaches 5th density? Can there still be reunions with our loved ones?” Nirvana will accompany Earth to her destination in fifth density and continue to be her spirit realm, but with grand differences. The tiny dense orb that houses the basest individuals and is the only part of the realm separate from the rest will be transported to some third density civilization and incorporated into their spirit world, or it will be dematerialized after its inhabitants are moved to a spirit world of equal density. Nirvana’s lower layers—learning centers for people who want to outgrow their negative tendencies such as bigotry, anger, apathy, envy, miserliness, bitterness, disloyalty, dishonesty, manipulativeness, closed minds and desire to control others—also will disappear. Those traits served well when they were aspects of karmic lessons souls chose to attain balanced experiencing, but your society will have advanced consciously and spiritually and no longer need to experience negative characteristics.

Indeed, reunions of loved ones can take place in Nirvana when that realm and Earth are in fifth density, but then just as now, meetings can be in any placement in this universe where energies are compatible. Actually, these visits have been happening all along during your sleep time, but your bodies’ density can’t retain memories of those visits—when you waken and have fragments of memories of being with a loved one, you attribute them to dreams. As your consciousness expands with light absorption, you will start to clearly remember your joyful reunions.

With reference to our stating that “everything in your world is purposeful,” a reader asked, “What purpose is served by rats, roaches, fleas, mosquitoes, etc.” It started eons past in linear time, when the darkness manipulated the DNA of some weaker civilizations and programmed their bodies for aging and disease. A civilization at third density conscious and spiritual level, which Earth’s peoples and other life forms have been for many millennia, has bodies that are susceptible to the diseases that some insects and rats can cause or spread; and, given the flexibility in soul contracts, physical death by that means can satisfy contracts’ cause and longevity provisions.

Insects also serve the purpose of souls whose lifetime energy consigned them to the basest part of third density spirit realms. When they are willing to receive sufficient light to embody, they do so in a short-lived form without cellular memory patterning that could influence behavior as they start back up the ladder of evolution. You will welcome knowing that insects cannot survive in the higher vibratory levels where Earth is heading, and their place in the food chain no longer will be needed.

Rats are intelligent, emotional rodents, and those that are well-treated pets respond in kind; the hordes that run wild simply are trying to survive in a world where they are detested. As a civilization grows in consciousness, so do all other life forms in that world. With that advancement comes humankind’s respect for all animal life, and “wild” rats, like other species now considered obnoxious, will be elevated in behavior and popular acceptance. Have no concerns that your world may be overrun with rats or rabbits or any other animals that produce litters quickly! They will reproduce less often and in smaller numbers as long as they decide to embody on the planet—these species, like all others, evolve and at some point incarnate as higher-order beings.

Citing numerous ways that Earth’s animals are being treated inhumanely, a reader asked, “Can the galactics not help with ending this horrendous treatment of animals?” Your universal family is helping by beaming light in abundance to Earth, but they cannot interfere with the free will of individuals who cause suffering and merciless death to your animals. It is up to your society to stop abhorrent practices, and thanks to the dedicated efforts of many souls, this is happening. Countries are setting standards for treatment of animals and repercussions for violators; there are boycotts of food, other products and entertainment derived from animal exploitation; poachers of wild animals are being taught other livelihoods; education is expanding about the importance of preserving wildlife and their habitats on land and in the seas; the numbers of wildlife reserves and no-kill shelters of pet species continue growing and so do the numbers of homeless pets who are adopted.

Participating in or financially supporting these encouraging activities is vital, to be sure, but an invaluable contribution that everyone can make to improve animal life is to not agonize about their plight, but instead send love-light to all of Earth. The law of attraction brings back the very same energy sent forth in thoughts and feelings, thus agonizing about any situation brings back still more circumstances to evoke that feeling.

A reader in New Zealand asked why teen suicides in her country and elsewhere are becoming more frequent. Perhaps because of religious teachings, dying by one’s own hand at such a young age—at any age—is viewed as more tragic than death by disease or fatal injury. So first we say, there is no judgment or penalty and no such place as limbo or hell for people who end their lives.

Their reasons differ just as the individuals themselves do; however, according to our colleagues in Nirvana, most teenagers who commit suicide are gay or lesbian or they know that their body and gender are mismatched, and they enter spirit life with tormented psyches that need customized care for healing. They were emotionally drained from struggling to conform to familial expectations, societal standards and religious orientation, or they had been cast out after declaring their true selves—either way, they saw death as the only escape from hopelessness and despair. As your society continues growing consciously and spiritually, honoring the divinity and genuineness of all soul-selves will replace discrimination and rejection.

“I have noticed a lot of fear-based information on the Internet surrounding ingesting monatomic gold. Can you please elaborate on how it actually works within our bodies?” The intention of that information—and it is a good example of DISinformation on the Internet—is to steer you away from one of the most valuable substances you can ingest. In addition to fortifying immune systems, monatomic gold contributes to health by rapidly regenerating cells; raising bodies’ frequencies; improving organs’ functioning;accelerating the transformation of carbon-based cells into crystalline; and helping to increase DNA strands. All of those physical benefits enhance brain power and that leads to expanded consciousness, spiritual clarity and overall balance. Individuals who are influenced by darkness don’t want you to have any of those advantages so they disseminate blatantly false, fear-based information about monatomic gold.

To readers who asked if signing petitions really does any good: Yes. You may or may not see prompt effects in the specific areas the petitions cover, but the energy you put forth to support endeavors you deem worthy contributes to the overall light on the planet.

“Please ask Matthew to speak about people suffering from depression. I am fearful I may not be following my soul contract and more so failing to do my part to promote positive loving thoughts to myself and others so as to assist Earth's transition.” Our understanding and compassion go out to this dear soul and to all others who are dealing with depression, an emotionally painful condition that has become almost commonplace in your world, and we hasten to say that none of you is failing self or others! You are not lacking light, but light-heartedness. Even if depression is a karmic choice for balance, it needn’t be long-lasting, and discovering and alleviating the cause is possible.

The cause may be physical. Consult a trusted healthcare practitioner about testing for hormonal imbalance, which is treatable without pharmaceutical drugs that don’t eliminate the cause and do lead to other maladies. We have mentioned the benefits of monatomic gold, and suggest as well that you eat nutritious food, drink a great deal of pure water, get sufficient sleep, listen to melodic music, and spend as much time as possible with Nature. Especially during these times when body, mind and spirits are adjusting to ever-heightening vibrations, those are wise suggestions for everyone.

In many cases, depression is circumstantial, due to one’s own or loved ones’ situation or perhaps the state of your world. When you start thinking about something sad or worrisome, change to a positive thought about that situation and visualize it dissolving into beams of light—here again the law of attraction plays a crucial role. Take one step at a time to overcome feeling depressed—this can be as simple as the satisfaction of completing a small task or as uplifting as knowing that you are contributing light to the world via compassion, forgiveness, gratitude, generosity and kindness.

Dear ones, apply those light-filled feelings to yourself, too, and ask for help! Angels, spirit guides, souls in Nirvana and other spirit worlds—all are God’s emissaries—are ever-ready and eager to help lift you out of depression’s heavy-heartedness.

Yes, planetary cleansing will continue a while longer because Earth needs to rid herself of negativity as it is produced. But we say to readers who asked about earthquakes that will devastate entire major cities, tsunamis of epic proportions, dramatic changes in land masses, and temperatures that will continue rising until they snuff out all life: Not only are those concerns needless, but they emit low vibrations that add to the negativity Earth has to deal with.

Many who requested our comments about the Trans Pacific Partnership feel this is an Illuminati-made bill that will benefit only the wealthiest. Several also questioned much the same as the reader who wrote: “If President Obama really is a light being, why is he pushing Congress to get this bill passed?” and others wrote that his efforts prove he is either Illuminati or their willing puppet or is being mind-controlled by them.

Indeed, TPP provisions have the potential to favor only the wealthy—whatever can be used beneficially also can be twisted into malevolent directions—and we shall tell you what we have been told about President Obama’s position. He is acting upon the advice of our “space” family members living among you to not make waves at this stage of behind-the-scenes talks with individuals in the Rockefeller faction. They are not defectors per se, they are pragmatists who know their aim of world control is doomed, and because their interests are better served by economic stability than global collapse, they are amenable to discussing reforms that will have far-reaching effects.

These individuals, whose cooperation can expedite the reforms, wield considerable influence in the corporate world; and their bargaining point is that by acting in good faith on TPP’s provisions, workers in the off-shore countries will reap benefits that currently are nonexistent and would not adversely affect workers in the United States. Our perspective is, as vibrations continue increasing, improvements will come in every aspect of life in your world, so with or without TPP, beneficial changes are ahead for people everywhere.

We honor you, our beloved family, for your perseverance as lightworkers. You are adding immeasurably to the light that is propelling ongoing and forthcoming changes throughout your world.

LOVE and PEACE

Suzanne Ward

Website: The Matthew Books

Email: suzy@matthewbooks.com

Israel's former defense minister says army blocked three planned attacks on Iran - New

"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)

Slovenian band Laibach rocks Pyongyang

Rockers from Laibach have held a rare concert in North Korea, becoming the first Western band ever to perform in the isolated country. The group is famous for sparking controversy and toying with authoritarian symbols.

Deutsche Welle, 19 Aug 2015

The avant-garde Slovenian band, known for its provocative style and growling music, only performed one of their own songs during the 45-minute concert in Pyongyang on Wednesday.

Instead, Laibach played cover versions of songs from the "Sound of Music" and even a Korean folk song Arirang, accompanied by a North Korean pianist.

The band was warmly received by the crowd of some 1,500 North Koreans and 150 diplomats, NGO workers and other foreigners, witnesses say.

"They seemed to really enjoy it. It wasn't an audience pulling faces of distrust or confusion," said Simon Cockerell, general manager of Beijing-based Koryo Tours which arranged a special trip for foreign tourists to see the show.

'Big step for humanity'

Laibach has often stirred controversy for allegedly praising fascism and communism, wearing military uniforms and Marxist symbols during their performances. At the same time, fans argue that their work is a critique of totalitarian ideology.

Before arriving to the world's most isolated country, the band promised a "gentle" version of themselves for the North Korean audience.

"I think we did more than we expected in the end," Laibach member and band spokesman Ivan Novak said after the Wednesday show. "I don't know how much, what kind of trace that will leave here, but, you know, it's a big step for - no, it's a small step for Laibach, and a big step for humanity."

"Of course this is different to our taste," Pyongyang resident Hwang Yong Ran said. "But it was quite nice to hear Arirang.'"

'Rich voice and skilled rendition'

The band is set to perform again on Thursday, as part of their "Liberation Day Tour" marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japan.

North Korean state agency KCNA praised the performance, saying that the performers showed off "the artistic skill of the band through peculiar singing, rich voice and skilled rendition."

The North Korean mini-tour is set to be the subject of an upcoming documentary film, according to Laibach's website.

dj/kms (AP, dpa, AFP)

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Li Keqiang pays respects to firefighters lost in Tianjin blasts

Want China Times, Xinhua 2015-08-17

Li Keqiang pays his respects to the firefighters confirmed to have died in the
 explosions, Aug. 16. Many other firefighters remain unaccounted for. (Photo/CNS)

Bowing to photos of the deceased firefighters, Premier Li Keqiang on Sunday paid respects to the young men who lost their lives in two massive warehouse blasts in the north China port city of Tianjin that have killed 112.

"They are all heroes and deserve the respect of the whole country," Li said while visiting a brigade of the Tianjin fire department.

At least 21 firefighters have been killed after two huge explosions tore through a warehouse in Tianjin's Binhai New Area late Wednesday night, and 85 other firefighters remain unaccounted for.

Li said all the dead — whether official firefighters or contractors — will enjoy the same posthumous honors and their families will be given the same compensation.

The premier also visited the firefighters and soldiers still racing against the clock to search for the missing people at the blast site, praising their valor and contributions. "When people's lives are at risk, you go to the rescue without fear or hesitation and make sacrifices," Li said. "The Party and the government thank you."

He asked them to ensure their own safety in their rescue work.

Li also led officials to stand in silent tribute to all the dead in the disaster before a meeting of the rescue headquarters.

The premier arrived in Tianjin Sunday afternoon. His first stop was the quarantined area, where he oversaw rescue, search and cleaning operations. He urged the continued search for the missing people and thorough elimination of dangerous remains of the exploded chemicals.

Li told the environmental staff to keep monitoring the environment around the clock and release accurate, authoritative environment information as the public are highly concerned about the air, water and soil quality around the blast site.

Li visited the temporary relocation site and demanded considerate services for the displaced citizens.

At hospitals, he promised the wounded the best medical resources. He also asked the medical staff to do their best to minimize fatalities and disabilities.

At the meeting on further rescue plan, Li ordered swift release of information concerning the explosions in order to let the public know the real picture in timely manner. No secondary accidents are allowed. "The accident has incurred heavy casualties and taught us an extremely painful lesson," the premier said at the meeting.

The investigation team set up by the State Council, China's cabinet, must find out the cause thoroughly and punish those with dereliction of duty severely, he said.

Li ordered a nationwide overhaul of work safety focusing on dangerous chemicals and inflammable materials.

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Australia lawmaker introduces gay marriage bill

A member of parliament from the ruling coalition, has defied party doctrine by presenting a draft law on marriage equality. The Liberal Party has been staunchly opposed to the issue despite public opinion.

Deutsche Welle, 17 Aug 2015

Australian lawmaker Warren Entsch broke from conservative government ranks on Monday to introduce a bill to legalize marriage equality. Entsch, of Prime Minister Tony Abbott's Liberal Party, said the draft law was to "promote an inclusive Australia, not a divided one," as a new poll showed that most Australians support a national law providing gay couples the right to marry.

"A divided nation is what we will be if we continue to allow discrimination in relation to marriage on the basis of a person's sexuality," the 65-year-old former crocodile farmer said. He then conceded, however, that his bill may never reach a vote after a decision last week by the ruling coalition that the government would be bound to party policy against legalizing marriage equality.

A survey conducted by the Sydney-based market research firm Ipsos, published in Fairfax Media newspaper on Monday, showed that 69 percent of Australians favored marriage equality, a 12-point increase since the end of 2011. The increased pressure to recognize same-sex unions as marriages has seen support slip away from Abbott, with 54 percent of Australians preferring the opposition Labor Party.

Abbott shoots down hopes of a vote

"This is something that has been the way it currently is for thousands of years, hundreds of years, it's a very big decision to make a change like this," Abbott, who once trained to be a Catholic priest, said of the prospect of marriage equality on Monday.

"I don't say that it's not a decision that the community won't embrace ultimately," Abbott said. He then, however, shot down hopes of a free vote on the parliament floor because "the decision that came very strongly out of our party room last week was that this should not be the politicians' decision, it should be the people's decision and that's what will happen in the next term of parliament. It should be a people's choice."

Same-sex couples are permitted civil unions in most Australian states, but they are not recognized as married under national law. Labor leader Bill Shorten has vowed to legalize gay marriage if he wins the next election.

es/rg (AP, AFP)

Indian PM Modi vows to stamp out graft in Independence Day speech

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to tackle corruption and poverty in an annual speech marking the country's independence day. But the premier made no mention of his stalled economic reforms.

Deutsche Welle, 16 Aug 2015

In an address delivered from the ramparts of New Delhi's Red Fort on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned that corruption was eating away at India "like a termite."

Modi, a Hindu nationalist, came to power in May 2014 after campaigning on the promise of cleaning up government and reviving a sluggish economy. More than one year on, however, his leadership is facing criticism over failure to get key economic reforms through parliament.

On top of that, a number of senior officials in his Bharatiya Janata Party, including the foreign minister and chief ministers of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh states, have been embroiled in corruption allegations.

"I want to reaffirm that this nation will get rid of corruption. We can rid the country of corruption, we have to start from the top," Modi told the crowd. "Corruption is like a termite, it spreads slowly, reaches everywhere but it can be beaten with timely injections."

Following Saturday's speech, former Information Minister Manish Tewari said Modi had failed to address the corruption allegations and lacked the "moral authority" to order his lieutenants to quit.

Meanwhile, an editorial in Saturday's "Times of India" said the government was becoming mired in the same problems that blighted its predecessor, namely an "inability to push economic reforms that would scale up growth, combined with corruption scandals."

Electricity for all

In the speech, that ran for over an hour, Modi also set the goal of eliminating poverty and bringing electricity to every home across the country by India's 75th independence anniversary in 2022.

"Even after so many decades of independence there are 18,500 villages in India which do not have electricity," Modia said, urging state governments to ensure every community gets linked to the national grid.

Modi, himself from a poor family, trumpeted the measures implemented over the past year, including a government scheme allowing millions of poor Indians to access bank accounts and insurance systems for the first time.

"Financial inclusion of the poor has been a priority and for decades people have been just thinking about it," Modi said. "The poor are at the bottom of the pyramid of development and we have to strengthen the base of the pyramid."

Modi also announced plans to make development funds available to areas where mining was taking place, and to encourage banks to support business initiatives by local tribal people and women.

nm/bk (Reuters, AFP, dpa)

Chinese prosecutors announce probe into deadly warehouse blasts

Chinese prosecutors are to probe whether deadly blasts at a warehouse in Tianjin were due to illegal storage of dangerous materials, state media say. The explosions killed 112 people and injured hundreds.

Deutsche Welle, 16 Aug 2015

State prosecutors in China said on Sunday they had started an investigation to see whether owners of the warehouse where the explosions occurred were guilty of violating laws on the storage of hazardous chemicals.

The announcement comes as authorities confirmed that hundreds of tons of the toxic chemical sodium cyanide had been on the site of the blasts late Wednesday evening in a mostly industrial area of the northern port city of Tianjin, 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of Beijing.

Such a large amount would be a clear violation of rules cited by state media that a maximum of 10 tons of the chemical may be stored at any one time. Chinese laws on hazmat storage also stipulate that such substances should not be kept closer than 1 kilometer from residential areas and public structures.

The Chinese military is helping with cleanup operations

Sodium cyanide can form a flammable gas upon contact with water, and members of the public have questioned whether this fact had been taken into account by firefighters responding to the accident. At least 21 firefighters were among those killed in the warehouse fire and ensuing explosions, making the disaster the deadliest for the Chinese fire brigade in more than six decades.

Eighty-five of the 1,000 firefighters sent to combat the blaze remained unaccounted for on Sunday, with 88 bodies of victims still unidentified.

In addition to the 112 people confirmed dead, more than 700 people were hospitalized with sometimes serious injuries. Many were hurt by glass shattered in the huge fireballs that rose over the city on Wednesday night.

The explosions caused massive
blast waves

Official reassurances

In the face of internet rumors to the contrary, authorities have sought to reassure the public that the air in Tianjin remains safe to breathe, despite slightly raised levels of some pollutants.

In a bid to further dispel public mistrust, the Chinese premier Li Keqiang arrived in the city on Sunday afternoon and came within a kilometer of the blast site without wearing any form of protective clothing.

Li also visited those injured and displaced by the disaster.

The government has also shut down a total of 50 websites and 360 social media accounts for "creating panic by publishing unverified information or letting users spread groundless rumors," according to the Cyberspace Administration of China.

The Tianjin accident was one of the deadliest to occur in China in recent years. In June 2013, a fire at a poultry plant in the northeastern province of Jilin killed 121 people. In August 2014, 97 died in an explosion at a metal plant in eastern Jiangsu province.

tj/sgb (AP, dpa, AFP)

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Crackdown on bad behavior by Chinese air passengers

Want China Times, Li Hsin-tung and Staff Reporter 2015-08-14

Passengers boarding a plane at Chongqing Jiangbei International
Airport, July 27. (File photo/Xinhua)

The Chinese authorities have decided to reign in disorderly behavior among air passengers, announcing new safety rules that ban travelers from occupying seats not assigned to them.

The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) of China reiterated its determination to crack down on illegal or unsafe behavior by air passengers in a statement released Aug. 12.

The CAA highlighted 11 types of bad behavior, such as blocking security checks and boarding gates, attacking or threatening attacks on crew members and occupying seats not assigned to them, for which people will face fines of up to 3,000 yuan (US$469) and even detention.

According to the CAA, airport authorities across the country reported 16 violations between late July and early August, including passengers opening airplane doors, fighting in the terminal and smoking during flights.

One man was detained for five days for making a hoax bomb threat when going through a security check at Shenyang Taoxian International Airport in northeastern China Aug. 5.

Another man was arrested and detained for five days after pushing a staff member when going through security checks at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in central China Aug. 11.

A report about a 12-year-old girl being denied boarding Aug. 6 after she insulted flight attendants also sparked discussion in China.

The amount of problematic behavior, which is rising along with the growing number of overseas trips made by Chinese travelers, has led to calls for stricter regulations.

According to China's three major state-owned carriers–Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines–the number of passengers on their international flights between January and June is estimated to have grown by 20%-40% from last year.

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Confessions of Japanese war criminals published in China

Want China Times, Xinhua 2015-08-12

Photos of war criminals displayed at the Museum of the War of Chinese People's
Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing, July 8. (File photo/CNS)

A total of 31 confessions from Japanese war criminals will be published online starting Tuesday to expose crimes committed by Japan in China during and prior to the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-45), which became a theater of World War II.

Handwritten confessions, along with Chinese translations and abstracts in both Chinese and English, have been published on the website of the State Archives Administration, said an unidentified official with the administration. One confession will be published per day from Aug. 11.

"These archives are hard evidence of the heinous crimes committed by Japanese imperialists against the Chinese," the official said.

The confessions, which have never been released before, detail crimes perpetrated by the Japanese occupiers, including the killing, enslavement and poisoning of Chinese people, as well as the use of biological and chemical weapons on live human subjects.

The first in the series features a confession by Kenzo Sugishita, who was born in 1901 and took part in acts of aggression against China in 1932.

On Feb. 3, 1932, at a village about eight kilometers south of Tianle Temple in Shanghai, the squadron gave the instruction to shoot all on sight, resulting in the killing of an estimated 30 Chinese people, Sugishita said in the confession.

"On Feb. 19, 1932, I caught a child of about six years old escaping from the fire at Lujia Bridge, laid him on a stone in front of the door, beat him to death with stones, and threw the dead body into the burning house," he added.

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"The Biggest Filter" - July 18-19, 2015 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (Text version) - New

“..  War - Nobody Sees What is Coming

Let's talk about war. Let's discuss something that very few are considering. What you expect next is completely and totally out of perspective of what's actually coming, because you only have one kind of knowledge about war. Your war has advanced over history with bigger explosions, higher yields and weapons that fire faster. Nuclear, laser, sound - all are far more efficient ways to terminate life. That's how war has evolved. However, there hasn't really been anything called anti-war devices, have there?

I'm going to give you an invitation for discovery, and some are already in the postulation stage of this. Multidimensional fields change 3D reality. Period. I've told you that lurking in your future are discoveries that will help you with every aspect of your life, mainly due to the discovery of what makes basic physics do what it does at the atomic level. If you fully understand multidimensionality, you can manipulate the formula for mass and create massless objects. You can even do it with the tools you have right now.

There is physics possible that can create certain kinds of fields - listen to me - certain kinds of heretofore unseen multidimensional fields that are harmless to your biology, but will alter some attributes of 3D. These fields are designer fields, and they are isolated and specifically designed for one purpose. When in the field, conventional explosive reactions can't happen. Can you imagine putting a field within rooms of a building so that no matter what weapon is fired, whether it's a machine gun or a pistol, it simply won't work! What about targeting an airplane when it drops a bomb and it won't explode? This is pure physics. The alteration of 3D reality through multidimensional designer fields, both small and large, is coming. I know you don't believe it, but just wait. As you start to discover multidimensional physics and the ability to control it, you will discover that there is a "benevolent attitude" of this kind of physics. You can't "weaponize it" as easily as you can 3D. It is an entirely different kind of reality.

Again, I tell you that when you understand how mass is created at the atomic level, you'll learn how to create massless objects. By the way, that has another name. You call it anti-gravity, but there is no such thing. It's just the ability to finally control the formula that creates gravity with mass. You understand that this is simple physics, don't you? And it's very easy to manipulate for benevolent uses through other fields that you do know about. Just like you have learned to control certain kinds of physics that are 3D, you can also control multidimensional physics. Imagine a planet where it doesn't matter what war device you had, it wouldn't work anymore! What do you think about that? Imagine physics having the ability to shatter the molecules of a biological weapon. Do you think that would change world politics? It's happening, it's going to happen. It's in the laboratory today. You're broaching the discovery of multidimensional physics. Being able to control that which you don't think is controllable is what you are doing. It's going to make such a difference to the Human race!

You don't believe it, since your knowledge of how things work just doesn't allow for such a thing. This is your filter.  ….”