Pope Francis injects new blood into cardinals club

Yahoo – AFP, Angus MACKINNON and Catherine MARCIANO, June 28, 2017

Pope Francis told five new cardinals they should regard themselves as servants
 of the most vulnerable and not be misled by the traditional description as the
'Princes of the Church' (AFP Photo/Alberto PIZZOLI)

Pope Francis on Wednesday created five new cardinals in a colourful ritual ceremony at the Vatican that blended centuries of tradition with the Argentine pontiff's vision of a remodelled Church for the 21st century.

Four of the five new cardinals come from countries that have never had a cardinal before: El Salvador, Laos, Mali and Sweden. The fifth is from Spain.

In a hard-hitting homily, Francis told them they should regard themselves as servants of the most vulnerable and not be misled by the traditional description of cardinals as 'Princes of the Church'.

The world they have to deal with, Francis said, is "the innocent who suffer and die as victims of war and terrorism; the forms of enslavement that continue to violate human dignity even in the age of human rights; the refugee camps which at times seem more like a hell than a purgatory; the systematic discarding of all that is no longer useful, people included."

Experts say Francis's latest choice of cardinals reflects his desire to reach out to the peripheries of the global Catholic community, a recurring theme of his papacy.

Three of the new appointments are from countries with only small minority Catholic congregations.

As well as expanding its global footprint, the appointments increase the size of the electoral college that will select the next pope to 121 members, 49 of whom have been appointed since he became pope in March 2013.

The total number of cardinals is much larger, 225 including the new inductees, but only those under the age of 80 are eligible to join the conclave which will elect the pope's successor.

Blood spilled

"I think it reflects what Francis is about for him to create cardinals from Laos, Mali and Sweden," said one of the new appointments, Sweden's Anders Arborelius.

The Bishop of Stockholm told AFP he had been shocked to learn of his impending elevation.

"A priest showed me the announcement on the internet - at first I thought it was a joke," Arborelius, 67, said.

His new colleague Juan Omella, the 78-year-old bishop of Barcelona, concurred.

El Salvador's first Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez kneels before

Pope Francis during his swearing-in ceremony. (AFP Photo/Alberto PIZZOLI)

"The pope has a very universal vision. He wants to strengthen the areas on the margins where the Church is growing," he said in an interview ahead of Wednesday's consistory, as the formal swearing-in is known.

After vowing obedience to the Church and the pope, each of the five knelt before Francis to receive their cardinal's hat, a ring and a title linking them to a church in Rome.

As he placed the four-peaked "birettas" on their heads, Francis reminded the new cardinals, in Latin, that the hats' scarlet colour was a symbol of the blood they must be prepared to spill for their faith.

Then, as other popes have done since cardinals were first appointed nearly 1,000 years ago, Francis handed over the Papal Bull, or decree, that formalises the creation of new members.

Church for the poor

The latest appointments continue a recent trend towards increasing the representation of Asia, Africa and Latin America within the college of cardinals at the expense of European and North American clerics.

But those latter areas remain hugely influential, making up 56 percent of the college. Italy alone has almost a fifth (24) of cardinals eligible to vote in the conclave that elects popes.

El Salvador's first cardinal, Gregorio Rosa Chavez, 74, was a close friend of Oscar Romero, the Salvadoran archbishop slain by a death squad as he gave mass in 1980, during the Central American state's brutal civil war.

Often portrayed as an advocate of liberation theology, Romero shared Francis's belief that the Church should be at the service of the poor.

"He should be here in my place," Rosa Chavez told AFP. "He is a cardinal by martyr's blood."

Mali's Jean Zerbo and Laotian bishop Louis-Marie Ling Mangkhanekhoun, 73, are the other new appointments.

One, Scottish former archbishop Keith O'Brien, renounced his voting rights in 2015 after being forced to step down over predatory sexual conduct with student priests.

Zerbo's appointment as Mali's first cardinal was clouded by reports he was one of three Church officials in the mostly-Muslim African state to have access to 12 million euros held in several accounts at a private bank in Switzerland.

The Church in Mali has denied any wrongdoing. Zerbo had been due to speak at Wednesday's ceremony but was belatedly replaced by Omella - because ill health had created doubts over his attendance, according to the Vatican.

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US President Donald Trump unpopular worldwide: poll

Yahoo – AFP, June 27, 2017

US President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump and his policies are broadly unpopular around the world -- with the notable exceptions of Russia and Israel, according to a poll released Monday.

The Pew Research Center survey, which surveyed people in 37 nations, showed a sharp decline in the average trust for America's leader to do the right thing when it comes to international affairs.

Twenty-two percent reported they had faith in Trump to guide America's role in the world, compared with a 64 percent level of confidence in Barack Obama in the final years of his presidency, Pew Research said.

"In the eyes of most people surveyed around the world, the White House's new occupant is arrogant, intolerant and even dangerous," according to a statement released with the poll, which was carried out between Feb. 16 and May 8.

At home, a CBS poll released last week found that Trump's overall approval rating in America was now down to 36 percent, the lowest level since he took power.

And under Trump, favorability ratings for the United States have fallen in many countries, according to the Pew poll.

"The share of the public with a positive view of the US has plummeted in a diverse set of countries from Latin America, North America, Europe, Asia and Africa," Pew said.

The fall in confidence in the US leader was especially pronounced among US allies in Europe and Asia, and in Canada and Mexico, the poll said.

Among the 37 countries polled, Russia and Israel were the only ones in which people said they trust Trump more than they did Obama.

On specific Trump policy initiatives, an average of 76 percent oppose his pledge to build a wall along the border with Mexico with the stated goal of keeping out criminals, unauthorized immigrants and drugs, Pew said.

The poll showed similar levels of opposition to Trump's stance on pulling the US out of international trade accords and the Paris agreement on fighting global warming, and on barring people from six mainly Muslim nations from entering the United States.

"Among the positive characteristics tested, his highest rating is for being a strong leader. Fewer believe he is charismatic, well qualified or cares about ordinary people," it added.

'Emmangela' show reasserts EU's Franco-German alliance

Yahoo – AFP, Danny KEMP, June 23, 2017

'Emmangela': German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President
Emmanuel Macron stage a joint press conference after the EU summit,
projecting their will to drive Europe's leadership after the shock of Brexit
(AFP Photo/EMMANUEL DUNAND)

Brussels (AFP) - Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel used the French president's first Brussels summit Friday to deliver an unmistakeable message: their countries intend to lead the EU's post-Brexit revival.

The Franco-German power couple held an unusual joint press conference after meeting their 26 European Union counterparts, against a backdrop of their respective flags and the bloc's blue banner with yellow stars.

"When France and Germany speak with one voice, Europe can move forward," newcomer Macron told a room almost filled to bursting point with reporters as he stood alongside the German chancellor.

"There can be no pertinent solution if it is not a pertinent solution for France and Germany," the 39-year-old centre-right leader.

Despite her more pragmatic tone, the message from 62-year-old Merkel was the same.

"This press conference shows that we are resolved to jointly find solutions to problems," she said.

The joint press conference came exactly a year after Britain's shock referendum vote to become the first country to leave the European Union, which prompted dire predictions of the break-up of the bloc.

But Europe has jumped on the bandwagon of Macron's stunning election victory over French far-right leader Marine Le Pen to trumpet a newfound optimism after years of austerity and crisis despite Brexit.

At the heart of that is the idea that Macron may be able to repair the traditional "engine" behind European integration -- the post-war alliance of Paris and Berlin after centuries of conflict.

'More than a symbol'

The French and German leaders -- variously dubbed Merkron, Mackerel and Emmangela in the style of celebrity couple nicknames -- said they intended to use that engine to get moving.

Macron insisted that the decision of the two leaders to appear together was more than just a piece of political posturing.

"It is more than a symbol, it is a true work ethic," he said.

Merkel and Macron insisted on their unity on a host of issues including plans to boost Europe's defence capabilities, with the continent unable to rely on Britain or the United States under Donald Trump.

They also proclaimed their togetherness on climate change-- especially after Trump pulled out of the Paris climate deal -- counter-terrorism and trade issues.

However they were careful to avoid going into the details of delicate subjects like the reform of the eurozone, a pet project of Macron who wants it to have its own parliament and finance minister.

"We don't announce in advance things that we can't hold to," said the ever-sensible chancellor, when asked if they would finally commit to concrete proposals after German elections in September.

The pair also both took a cautious stance on British Prime Minister Theresa May's offer on the rights of EU citizens living in Britain after Brexit.

But in one area, Macron may have found that his summit honeymoon was over almost before it started.

His EU colleagues poured cold water on his proposal to hand Brussels more powers to control Chinese investments in strategic European industries.

"Fairer trade is preferable than the law of the jungle," Macron told the press conference as he defended his plans.

Germany's Angela Merkel hails 'encouraging talks' with Pope Francis ahead of G20 summit

Pope Francis has backed German Chancellor Angela Merkel's fight against climate change during a private audience in the Vatican. The pope also welcomed Merkel's decision to emphasize Africa at the upcoming G20 summit.

Deutsche  Welle, 17 June 2017

German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed the importance of international cooperation following a meeting with Pope Francis in the Vatican on Saturday.

"I am grateful that I can be here again," Merkel said smiling as the two met for the German leader's fourth private audience with Francis.

Merkel said she felt strengthened in her positions on combating poverty in Africa and climate change after speaking with Francis.

"He encouraged me to continue on this path," the German leader said, adding that he was also supportive of the pursuit of international agreements."

Francis received Merkel in his private library, presenting her with a medal with an olive branch to symbolize "the work you do for peace," he said.

The German leader did not come empty-handed to the meeting, bringing the collected works of Beethoven and a sweet spread called "dulce de leche" from Francis' home in Argentina, which she recently visited.

Merkel said Pope Francis was particularly supportive of placing African

development at the forefront of the G20 summit

Backing for G20

During their 40-minute meeting, Francis and Merkel discussed climate change, African policy and the commitment to peace and fair trade.

"These questions are not merely an abstract concern for Francis; he is personally involved," Germany's ambassador to the Vatican, Annette Schavan, told the Passauer Neue Presse newspaper on Saturday.

International cooperation to combat climate change is likely to be one of the main topics for the upcoming July 7-8 Group of 20 (G20) summit in Hamburg, particularly following US President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris Accord. Francis is a vocal campaigner on environmental issues.

Pope Francis previously received Merkel for a private audience in 2013, 2015 and 2016.

Merkel's last private audience with the pope was in May last year when Francis was presented with Germany's prestigious Charlemagne Prize for work done in the service of European unification and peace.

rs/jlw (dpa, epd, KNA)

Pope, Rabbi Skorka join effort to promote friendship across faiths

CatholicPhilly, By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service, June 15, 2017

Pope Francis greets Rabbi Abraham Skorka during a meeting with an
interreligious group of scholars at the Vatican Feb. 23. The pope and his friend
Rabbi Skorka appear in a video montage and together in their own video as
part of the "Make Friends" initiative coordinated by the Elijah Interfaith Institute,
which has offices in Israel and in Dallas. (CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romano)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Reaching out to people of other religions can be both challenging and enriching for individuals and is the only hope for true peace in the world, said a variety of religious leaders, including Pope Francis.

The pope and his friend Rabbi Abraham Skorka appear in a video montage and together in their own video as part of the “Make Friends” initiative coordinated by the Elijah Interfaith Institute, which has offices in Israel and in Dallas.

The video series, posted on YouTube June 14, also includes Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran leaders, Jewish rabbis, Sunni and Shiite Muslim clerics, Buddhist monks and nuns, and Hindu and Sikh leaders.

In their video, Pope Francis and Rabbi Skorka talk about how their own religious convictions led them into conversations with each other, and how those conversations not only increased their understanding of God and formed the basis of a television series and book, but also led to true friendship.

When sending emails back and forth, “because we still have projects going on,” Rabbi Skorka said, they address each other as “‘Dear brother,’ and it’s not just a saying. We have such open, deep and affectionate conversations. We understand each other.”

As they met and held discussions in Buenos Aires, Argentina, “the friendship grew, always retaining our respective identities,” the pope said. “‘Brother and friend’ — those are my feelings for him.”

Explaining the “Make Friends” initiative, the Elijah Interfaith Institute said, “Friendship and getting to know one another are the antidotes to negativity and divisions in society, enhancing understanding and unity.”

Rabbi Alon Goshen-Gottstein is the founder and director of the institute.

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"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. ...."

US issues warrants for 12 Erdogan aides over embassy brawl

Yahoo – AFP, June 15, 2017

Police outside Turkey's embassy in Washington during a May 16, 2017 visit by

 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The scene erupted in violence a 

short time later when members of his security detail brawled with

anti-Erdogan demonstrators (AFP Photo/Dave Clark)

Washington (AFP) - US authorities said Thursday they have issued arrest warrants for 12 members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's security detail accused of assaulting protesters during a street brawl in Washington.

Washington Police Chief Peter Newsham said the 12 were identified in detailed video footage of the May 16 attack on Kurdish and Armenian protesters outside the residence of Turkey's ambassador, following a meeting between Erdogan and President Donald Trump.

The men, all Turkish citizens, include nine Erdogan security guards and three Turkish police.

"In the United States and particularly in the District of Columbia, we hold our ability to peacefully protest as a sacred right," Newsham said.

"We do not care particularly what your views are, what you support or what you do not support," he added.

Video footage of the fracas shows Turkish security aides beating and kicking demonstrators, leaving nine people injured.

The State Department formally protested the attack to Ankara, registering its concern in the "strongest possible terms."

Newsham did not say how the police hoped to arrest the 12, saying the State Department would determine how to execute the warrants.

In addition to the 12, warrants were issued for the arrest of two Canadian citizens who took part in the brawl. Two Turkish Americans were arrested at the scene on May 16, and two more were arrested on Wednesday.

Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser condemned the attack strongly, saying it violated US Constitution's first amendment right to peaceful protest.

"We host millions of people who come to the seat of their government to protest peacefully. We support them, we make sure that they are safe, but we also make sure that they follow our law," Bowser said at a press conference.

"Anyone traveling to the United States will be held to that same standard," she said.

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Bernie Sanders 'delighted' by Jeremy Corbyn's results in election vote

Vermont senator said strong figures show that ‘people are rising up against austerity and inequality’ across the globe

The Guardian, Matthew Weaver, 9 June 2017

Bernie Sanders: ‘All over the world, people are rising up against austerity
and massive levels of inequality’. Photograph: Brian Snyder/Reuters

Bernie Sanders has congratulated Jeremy Corbyn on Labour’s performance in the general election. The Vermont senator – who narrowly failed to win his bid for the Democratic nomination against Hillary Clinton in the 2016 race for the White House – said he had watched the UK results coming in on Thursday and was very pleased about the party’s showing.

“I am delighted to see Labour do so well,” the Vermont senator said in a Facebook post, linking to a Guardian news story. He went on: “All over the world, people are rising up against austerity and massive levels of income and wealth inequality. People in the UK, the US and elsewhere want governments that represent all the people, not just the 1%. I congratulate Jeremy Corbyn for running a very effective campaign.”

Sanders voiced his support for Corbyn this month, drawing parallels between anti-establishment anger at both ends of the political spectrum in Britain and the US, and applauding the Labour leader’s efforts to reshape the party.

Organisers who worked on the Sanders campaign provided assistance to Momentum, the leftwing pressure group, in the runup to the election, coaching Labour members on how to canvass voters online and offline.

Erika Uyterhoeven, a 30-year-old from Boston, told the Guardian that the lessons had focused on getting Labour activists in the right places, and getting the vote out. She said of the Sanders approach: “The right can throw money at elections. We throw people.”

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Fuming over Brexit, youth help swing UK vote

"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)

“…Government

Let us speak of government. We're not speaking of your government, but of any government - the way it works, how it survives, how it has survived, the way it campaigns, and how it elects leaders. It's going to change.

Years ago, I told you, "When everybody can talk to everybody, there can be no secrets." Up to this point on this planet, government has counted on one thing - that the people can't easily talk to each other on a global scale. They have to get their information through government or official channels. Even mass media isn't always free enough, for it reports that which the government reports. Even a free society tends to bias itself according to the bias of the times. However, when you can have Human Beings talking to each other all at once, all over the planet without government control, it all changes, for there is open revelation of truth.

Democracy itself will change and you're going to see it soon. The hold-outs, the few countries I have mentioned in the past, are doomed unless they recalibrate. They're doomed to be the same as they have been and won't be able to exist as they are now with everyone changing around them.

I mentioned North Korea in the past. Give it time. Right now, the young man is under the control of his father's advisors. But when they're gone, you will see something different, should he survive. Don't judge him yet, for he is being controlled.

In government, if you're entire voting base has the ability to talk to itself without restriction and comes up with opinions by itself without restriction, it behooves a politician to be aware and listen to them. This will change what politicians will do. It will change the way things work in government. Don't be surprised when some day a whole nation can vote all at once in a very unusual way. Gone will be the old systems where you used to count on horseback riders to report in from faraway places. Some of you know what I am talking about. Government will change. The systems around you, both dark and light, will change. You're going to start seeing something else, too, so let's change the subject and turn the page.

The Shift in Human Nature

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

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

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

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

Fuming over Brexit, youth help swing UK vote

Yahoo – AFP, Deborah COLE, June 9, 2017

One poll suggested 56 percent of under-35s voted in Britain's general election,
with more than a third of those voting for the first time (AFP Photo/Ben STANSALL)

London (AFP) - A surge in youth turnout fuelled by last year's shock Brexit vote played a pivotal role in stripping British Prime Minister Theresa May of her parliamentary majority, observers said Friday.

An energising campaign by Labour's firebrand leader Jeremy Corbyn and simmering anger among many voters over uncertain plans to leave the European Union sent young Britons streaming to the ballot box.

Corbyn, a 68-year-old staunch leftist, harnessed popular anti-establishment sentiment to lead Labour to beat expectations and gain an estimated 29 seats in the House of Commons.

After a campaign marked by rallies that had the buoyant mood of music festivals, Corbyn said his success was built on hope for change.

"Politics isn't going back into the box where it was before," he told cheering supporters.

"What's happened is people have said they've had quite enough of austerity politics... and not giving our young people a chance they deserve in our society."

Some 56 percent of under-35s voted, according to an exit poll for NME magazine, which recently splashed Corbyn's face across its cover.

They showed overwhelming support for Labour, at 60 percent, with 36 percent of them being first-time voters, according to the survey among 1,354 voters.

Jeremy Corbyn's campaign drew comparisons with that of US Senator 

Bernie Sanders' presidential run last year (AFP Photo/JON SUPER)

Half cited Brexit as the "main factor" in their decision to cast a ballot.

While an official breakdown of voting patterns was still outstanding, official data showed a spike in both youth registrations ahead of the vote as well as turnout in districts with large numbers of younger voters on election day.

By contrast, only 45 percent of British voters aged 18 to 34 voted in 2015, compared to 84 percent of over-55s, which the OECD has called the biggest gap in the Western world.

A year later, a failure to drum up the youth vote was blamed for turning the Brexit referendum in Leave's favour.

"The movement of Remainers and young voters towards Labour explains why the Conservatives have lost their overall majority," political scientist John Curtice of the University of Strathclyde said Friday.

Remainers 'revenge'

Commentators said Corbyn had successfully presented himself as a true alternative to politics-as-usual.

They credited his idealism and folksy charisma, a savvy social media presence, and a parade of celebrity supporters including singer Lily Allen and comic Ricky Gervais with drumming up "Corbynmania" among the young.

He drew comparisons with US leftist senator Bernie Sanders' ability to whip up youth support in his ultimately unsuccessful presidential bid last year.

"Jeremy Corbyn appeals to a generation of young people who feel they have never known an honest, decent politician," wrote Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett in the Guardian.

"Last night's result shows youngsters have gained some revenge, with claims Theresa May's 'hard Brexit' mandate has been destroyed," pro-Labour tabloid Daily Mirror said.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is credited with energising younger and first-time 

voters (AFP Photo/Isabel INFANTES)

The Economist cited a deep generational schism in Britain pitting uncertain young voters against baby boomers they accuse of selfishness and insincerity in politics.

Corbyn targeted specific youth issues in his campaign, including pledging to cut university tuition fees, lower the voting age and improve the employment rights of interns.

Failure to engage

Many young voters expressed surprise at their own ability to swing the election given that most opinion polls predicted a decisive May victory.

"I thought she was going to win it. I had heard a lot of people going for her, so I was like, Labour aren't going to get in now, but I'm pleased because Labour have a chance now," said Jemma Bell, 23, told AFP in Wakefield, northern England.

"I know a lot of people that didn't vote last year and I think now they've realised that we could actually go to crap, in a sense, if they don't vote," she added, referring to last June's Brexit referendum.

Gus McKay, a 38-year-old Conservative voter at Euston station in central London, said he was "frustrated" May had failed to connect with younger voters.

"She didn't do enough to engage. Younger people want to engage more with their politicians. It looks like Corbyn did a better job."

Winners and losers in the UK general election, including composition of the incoming parliament #GE2017 pic.twitter.com/5rZbiD1bBS

— AFP news agency (@AFP) June 9, 2017

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Macron calls for 'calm' in Gulf crisis: presidency

Yahoo – AFP, June 6, 2017

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone with Qatari leader Sheikh
Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and restated the "importance of preserving
stability in the region" (AFP Photo/GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT)

Paris (AFP) - French President Emmanuel Macron called for unity among Gulf states on Tuesday, saying he was ready to back "all initiatives to encourage calm".

Macron spoke by phone with Qatari leader Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and restated the "importance of preserving stability in the region". He also reaffirmed France's readiness to stay in contact with all parties involved, the president's office said in a statement.

Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates severed diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting extremism.

US President Donald Trump threw his weight behind the effort spearheaded by Riyadh, despite Qatar's role in hosting US military operations in the fight against Islamic State (IS) extremism.

The Gulf states "said they would take a hard line on funding... extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!" Trump said on Twitter.

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About 90 percent of Qatar's population of 2.4 million people are foreigners pic.twitter.com/KRzxwhclDo

— AFP news agency (@AFP) June 6, 2017

Obama slams Trump for exiting Paris climate deal

Yahoo – AFP, June 1, 2017

Former US president Barack Obama, shown here in 2015, says "bold American
ambition" helped bring about the Paris climate deal (AFP Photo/NICHOLAS KAMM)

Washington (AFP) - Barack Obama slammed his successor President Donald Trump on Thursday for pulling out of the Paris climate deal, warning that the move would see the United States "reject the future."

"The nations that remain in the Paris Agreement will be the nations that reap the benefits in jobs and industries created," Obama warned in a statement.

"Even in the absence of American leadership; even as this administration joins a small handful of nations that reject the future; I'm confident that our states, cities, and businesses will step up and do even more to lead the way, and help protect for future generations the one planet we've got," he added.

Before leaving office, Obama helped shepherd the landmark international pact that commits all signatory nations to limiting global warming caused by carbon emissions.

"It was bold American ambition that encouraged dozens of other nations to set their sights higher as well," Obama said.

"And what made that leadership and ambition possible was America's private innovation and public investment in growing industries like wind and solar."

But Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to cancel US participation in the deal, said he would ditch the Paris accord because it handicaps the US economy.

"The Paris accord would undermine our economy, hamstring our workers, weaken our sovereignty, impose unacceptable legal risk, and put us as a permanent disadvantage to the other countries of the world," Trump said in a speech in the White House Rose Garden.

Trump said though that he was open to renegotiating the deal, or creating a new agreement, "on terms that are fair to the United States, its businesses, its workers, its people, its taxpayers."

Related Article:

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Bernie Sanders rips into Trump in Berlin

The German capital felt the "Bern" as the Democrat excoriated the current US president in a speech to university students. The iconoclastic senator repeatedly termed Donald Trump's policies "horrific."

Deutsche Welle, 31 May 2017

"Just follow all the young people." Those were the instructions I got when I asked for directions from the subway station to the main auditorium of the Free University of Berlin, where former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was launching the German edition of his book "Our Revolution."

What were these young people expecting from a 75-year-old self-described socialist from one of the most obscure states in the US?

"I'm here because I thought the American election was really interesting, and Bernie Sanders was the only one who had radically interesting ideas," one young German told me.

"It is the same in France," a French woman on an exchange program said. "Bernie Sanders is very popular."

"I'm from Russia, and it's very interesting to hear an American who's a socialist - that's not so common," another member of the audience said.

Most of the people I talked to said that, to use the words of one German woman, "He's not part of the system." The applause the Vermont senator received upon entering the hall rivaled that of any campaign event in the lead-up last year's election. And if the audience was hoping for a scathing critique of Donald Trump, they got exactly what they wanted.

Check out the reception @BernieSanders got at the Free University of #Berlin pic.twitter.com/WtPyZfeT3x

— Jefferson Chase (@chaseongermany) May 31, 2017

What the hell is going on?

Taking the podium, Sanders said he was going to talk about "What the hell is going on in the United States?"

Sanders said the relationship between the US and Europe had been essential in preventing conflict and ensuring the standard of living on both sides of the Atlantic. He said that "President Trump notwithstanding," this was the view of the "overwhelming majority" of the American people.

Read: What would Europe's 'fate' be without US military might?

He said it would be a "horrific mistake" for the US to withdraw from the Paris climate accords, again criticizing Trump.

"No matter what Trump believes or does, there is movement throughout America to take on the fossil fuel industry," Sanders said. "Do not think the people of the United States are turning their backs on this crisis."

The youthful crowd gave the former candidate a rapturuous welcome

Trump's 'disrespect' for American values

In perhaps the most anticipated part of the speech, Sanders took dead aim at Trump: "I am not a great fan," he said. His words drew laughs from the audience, who suspected what was coming next.

He started by excoriating Trump's proposed budget in the US, which Sanders said showed how "out of touch" the president was. Sanders called the budget the "most horrific" in modern US history. He said 23 million Americans would be out of health care, if Trump got his way, and thousands would "die needlessly." By contrast, Sanders said, the richest one percent of Americans would get $3 trillion (2.7 billion euro) in tax breaks.

The senator said he was "deeply disturbed" about Trump's "disrespect for democracy and traditional American values" such as freedom of the press. He decried Trump's attacks on journalistic institutions and his labeling of reputable American media outlets such as the New York Times and Washington Post as "fake news" as a "major assault on democracy in the United States."

The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2017

Sanders said that Trump, in contrast to the many other conservatives the liberal senator deals with, "time after time tells blatant lies and makes outrageous claims that are not backed up by facts." He accused Trump of having supported Republican attempts to "suppress the vote" in many states.

Read: Sanders promises to "vigorously oppose" Trump on racist and sexistpolicies

An incipient oligarchy?

Sanders said he was outraged by what he called Trump's attempts to divide people by race and religion. It was a scandal, he said, that the president "seemed to be more at ease with autocrats than leaders of democratic countries." Many Americans, for example, didn't understand Trump's coziness with Russian President Vladimir Putin or Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte, Sanders added.

Read: Former FBI director Comey to testify that Trump pressured him to dropinvestigation into White House ties to Russia

He said that Trump had been elected because politicians in Washington had not listened to the "pain" of working-class Americans who have been left behind by the global economy. He lambasted corporations that made huge profits without paying taxes and said that there needed to be international efforts to combat the problem.

Trump signed an executive order in
February 2017 rolling back financial
regulations and Wall Street reforms.
Sanders fears a rule-by-the-wealthy
could develop.

Sanders expressed his worry that the US was turning into "oligarchic form of society in which a small number of billionaires control our economy, as well as our political life."

He said that the top one percent of the world's population had more money than the bottom 99 percent, and that the top eight people were wealthier than the bottom 50 percent of humanity.

"Our job is not to accept this," Sanders thundered, drawing loud applause. "It's simply not acceptable."

At a concluding Q&A session, Sanders was asked what he thought about German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The senator admitted to not knowing as much as he should about the German leader, but he added that, in comparison to Trump, "She looks pretty good."

That drew a final round of applause before the young crowd filed out of the auditorium and went their seperate ways.

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