Obama hails 'excellent' W.House talks with Trump

Yahoo – AFP, Andrew Beatty, November 10, 2016

US President Barack Obama meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the
Oval Office at the White House on November 10, 2016 in Washington, DC
(AFP Photo/Jim Watson)

Washington (AFP) - Barack Obama and Donald Trump put acerbic rows and profound differences aside in a 90-minute transition meeting at the White House Thursday, hoping to quell fears about the health of the world's pre-eminent democracy.

The outgoing president and his successor met one-on-one and sat in high-backed chairs before the Oval Office fireplace, for what Obama characterized as an "excellent conversation."

The meeting, which came less than 36 hours after Trump's shock election victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton, had the potential to be awkward. The two had traded barbs during the heated battle for the White House.

Trump -- who previously called Obama the "most ignorant president in our history" -- said it was a "great honor" meeting with the US leader, adding that he looked forward to receiving the president's counsel.

Obama -- who previously said Trump was a whiner and "uniquely unqualified" to be commander-in-chief -- vowed his support.

He told Trump that his administration would "do everything we can to help you succeed, because if you succeed, then the country succeeds."

The two men ended the improbable and historic White House encounter with a handshake and refused to take questions

"Here's a good rule. Don't answer questions when they just start yelling," Obama told Trump, referring to the press.

US President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump ended the

 improbable and historic White House encounter with a handshake and refused 

to take questions (AFP Photo/Jim Watson)

Wide-ranging talks

White House officials said that the two men had discussed a range of issues including Obama's meetings with leaders from Germany, Greece and across the Asia-Pacific during foreign travel next week.

On that trip, Obama is likely to be inundated with panicked questions about America's role in world affairs.

Anger over the Republican property mogul's upset election win over Clinton spilled out onto the streets of US cities late Wednesday as chanting protesters lit bonfires and snarled traffic.

But in the days after Trump's shock election win, which virtually no poll had predicted, both sides spoke of healing the deep divisions sown in a bruising two-year campaign.

Trump's vanquished Democratic rival Clinton, holding back the bitter disappointment of not becoming America's first female president, urged the country to give Trump a chance.

"We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead," she said Wednesday in a concession speech.

Obama, addressing disconsolate staff in the White House Rose Garden, played down Trump's win as part of the messy "zig-zag" movement of a democracy.

"Sometimes you lose an argument," he said, adding that all Americans should now be "rooting" for Trump's success.

In the battle for the soul of America, those who helped elect its first black president now appear to be in retreat and pondering whether his eight years in power have come to naught.

Both Obama and Clinton issued a faint -- but clear -- warning that Trump must respect institutions and the rule of law if a modicum of goodwill is to hold.

Cooperation with allies

That "likely" observance of rule of law may not suffice for Washington's partners and allies, who see an entire global political order built around US leadership cast into doubt.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was quick to underscore the importance of shared democratic values.

"On the basis of these values, I offer close cooperation to the future president of the United States of America," she said.

Europe, already beset by financial and social crises and internal divisions, now faces existential questions about its own security. Trump has questioned the US-led NATO's key collective defense guarantee.

The leaders of America's neighbors, Canada and Mexico, quickly made clear their willingness to work with the new president.

President Enrique Pena Nieto of Mexico, a prime target of Trump's anti-immigration campaign rhetoric, reached out to congratulate the incoming leader and announced they would soon meet.

 'Help wanted'

The Republican Party leadership, too, embraced their newfound champion.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, who had distanced himself from Trump in the final month of the campaign, pledged to "hit the ground running" and work with him on conservative legislation.

The two, along with Vice President-elect Mike Pence, met on Capitol Hill for lunch after Trump's talks with Obama.

On Wednesday, Trump huddled at Trump Tower in New York with a group of advisers, planning a transition strategy to take over stewardship of the world's largest economy.

Team Trump unveiled a transition website -- www.greatagain.gov -- that highlights the colossal human resources challenge facing the incoming administration under the headline "Help wanted: 4,000 presidential appointees."

During a bitter campaign that tugged at America's democratic fabric, the tycoon pledged to deport illegal immigrants, ban Muslims from the country and tear up free-trade deals.

Those campaign messages were embraced by a large section of America, grown increasingly disgruntled by the scope of social and economic change under Obama.

But they were passionately rejected by Clinton supporters.

Thousands of protesters -- in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Portland and other cities and school campuses -- rallied Wednesday to express continued opposition to the incoming leader they accuse of racism, sexism and xenophobia.

In Los Angeles, a giant Trump head was burned in effigy.

360° photo of the Obama-Trump meeting in the Oval Office by @JimWatson_AFP https://t.co/pN0YYvUNr2 #AFP pic.twitter.com/cWnvlDzI1J

— AFP Photo Department (@AFPphoto) November 10, 2016

Related Article:

Matthew message (Channelled by Suzanne Ward, November 11, 2016)

Matthew Ward - November 11, 2016

Matthew Ward

With loving greetings from all souls at this station, this is Matthew. We are going to share with you what we have been observing in Earth’s energy field of potential and what Earth’s monitors in Nirvana report about the United States presidential election. In our last message we said that more scenarios around the election could develop, and indeed that did happen, but not in ways that could have been anticipated.

As we speak about the players involved, we ask you to please remember what we have said many times—never is our interest in our Earth family politically motivated and never do we judge any of you.

It is not only people in the United States who have the most to gain or lose by who becomes their president. The same is so for the Rockefeller faction of the Illuminati. Their heavy influence on Wall Street and in the nation’s government is due in large part to Bill and Hillary Clinton, who cooperate with that secret society; formerly among the few at its peak, when they saw its global control waning a decade or so ago, they established their own power base and funding sources. However questionable the Illuminati may deem Donald Trump’s campaign promises, they know he is “his own man,” a person they could not control.

During the weeks leading to the election, the energy of voters’ anger and distrust surrounding Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump increased to such an extent that it started drawing unto itself the streamers of all the scenarios, each of which had the potential to lead Bernie Sanders into the presidency. [The scenarios are described in the August 19, 2016 message.] What would have transpired in orderly fashion as the streamers ran their well-defined courses instead became an energy hodgepodge that could be likened to an octopus flailing in a sea of confusion. Energy is neutral, it simply flows in the direction set by intent. In this case, intent was to influence the election outcome, and the employment of various ways—some at odds with others—eventually created the octopus.

Clinton supporters in the Democratic National Committee maneuvered to Mrs. Clinton the votes in critical primaries that actually were won by Bernie Sanders; thus, it was she instead of the voters’ choice who became the Democratic party nominee.

As for the FBI’s investigation into Mrs. Clinton’s hacked emails, Director James Comey bowed to pressure from Bill Clinton and other Illuminati to conclude that national security had not been compromised and using a personal server is not an indictable offense. The finger was pointed at Russia for the hacking incident.

Vladimir Putin was justified in claiming that was not Russia’s doing. Individuals in the FBI and other intelligence agencies who know the Clintons’ criminal history released the emails—they felt the public had a right to know the truth about Mrs. Clinton. But Mr. Comey had kept under wraps what the emails showed: She used her Secretary of State position to garner donations to the Clinton Foundation and issue favors in return and some Foundation funds benefitted terrorists.

When those individuals later discovered that Anthony Weiner’s computer contained evidence of the Clintons’ involvement in a pedophile ring, they insisted that Mr. Comey reopen the investigation. Once again he gave into Clinton camp pressure and stated that none of the emails pertained to Mrs. Clinton.

The aforementioned individuals then enlisted the aid of Wikileaks’ Julian Assange to have the incriminating information passed on to “whistleblower” Internet site operators. To counter the fallout from that unexpected exposure, Illuminati minions quickly set about manipulating voting mechanisms so the larger count would go to Mrs. Clinton. Perhaps the haste required is what led to the errors that caused this ploy to backfire—the larger count was mistakenly registered to Mr. Trump.

The negativity created by those whose intent was to deceive and of the deceptive acts themselves is up against the force of ever-heightening vibrations. Republicans are the majority in the House and Senate, but few are pleased that Mr. Trump is their standard-bearer. Democrats are bitter and apprehensive; many feel that if Bernie Sanders had been the party nominee, he would have won the election, and positive energy around Mr. Sanders continues to grow.

That is the “vibe” picture, you could say, of the United States. In keeping with the universal law that low and high vibrations cannot coexist, out of that energetic chaos must come a resolution. We don’t know what it will be, but we can tell you some factors that may well come into play.

The “stunning upset,” as political analysts and the media are terming the election result, has motivated crowds of impassioned citizens to take to the streets in protest and some are calling for an investigation into the vote counting. If that does materialize and it is discovered that voting machines were faulty or not all mail-in ballots were counted, the election would have to be annulled. In such case, President Obama would remain in office until another president is elected.

Mrs. Clinton was not in top physical condition when her clones were fabricated several years ago, and as vibratory levels rise, deterioration in the clone’s health and appearance will become noticeable fairly quickly. Still, if another election were to be held, that would not be the reason she wouldn’t run; it would be that information about her and the Clinton Foundation is all over the Internet.

The Republican plank contains ideological provisions that many in the party don’t embrace and they are not comfortable with some of Mr. Trump’s rhetoric; they voted for him because he represents change from the government they feel has left them behind. Mr. Sanders, too, espouses change from the Washington establishment, and professional and personal respect for him along with his popularity among Democrats would make him a natural choice as presidential nominee. Or perhaps, by popular demand, as a replacement.

Mr. Trump is avidly competitive. That is why he entered the race, was determined to win, and the world thinks he did. The protesting crowds may not bother him; however, when he learns how extensive and stressful presidential responsibilities are, that he is expected to act upon the advice of others rather than his impulses and he is not the boss of Congress, he may decide that being president wouldn’t be as satisfying as being an entrepreneur and he would welcome a respectable way out.

Parts of those factors derive from thoughts and feelings swirling in the mass consciousness, some are known far and wide, some only readers of our messages know. And, you will understand why the most vital factor of all is this: The direction in which Mr. Trump and the Republican party want to take the country is in opposition to prevailing vibrations, which will continue to heighten along Earth’s ascension pathway. That party’s direction is in conflict with Gaia’s vision, which is shared by enlightened souls and their numbers are increasing by the day. Resolution and reconciliation must and shall come to heal that painfully divided country whose influence is felt worldwide.

Beloved family, do not fear what might happen. Create what will happen by steadfastly living your light! Countless beings throughout this universe honor and support you with the unequaled power of unconditional love.

LOVE and PEACE

Suzanne Ward

Website: The Matthew Books

Email: suzy@matthewbooks.com

Obama, Clinton vow smooth transition for Trump

Yahoo – AFP, Ivan Couronne, with Andrew Beatty in Washington, November 9, 2016

US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said during her concession
speech in New York November 9, 2016 that Americans owe President-elect 
Donald Trump "an open mind and the chance to lead" (AFP Photo/Jewel Samad)

New York (AFP) - US President Barack Obama and his vanquished would-be successor Hillary Clinton sought Wednesday to heal the wounds opened by the most acrimonious US election in memory, as they assured President-elect Donald Trump that Americans were "rooting" for his success.

Despite the bitter rhetoric, insults and political jabs that tarnished the long campaign, the top Democrats made clear they now sought a smooth and orderly transition in the world's largest economy.

Clinton said she had congratulated the Republican overnight after the upset victory by the political novice and former reality TV star, and offered "to work with him on behalf of our country."

"I hope that he will be a successful president for all Americans," she told supporters in her first public remarks since the upset result dashed her chances of becoming the country's first woman president.

"We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead."

While the real estate mogul pledged to unite the nation as a "president for all Americans," the entire global political order, which hinges on Washington's leadership, was cast into doubt by the election of a man who has questioned core US alliances.

President Obama took to the Rose Garden to assure the world that the White House would craft a successful transition for the billionaire Trump, "because we are now all rooting for his success in uniting and leading the country."

"We are Americans first. We're patriots first. We all want what's best for this country," Obama said, as White House staff were seen wiping away tears.

US President Barack Obama (R) said the day after the presidential election 

he is "rooting" for the success of President-elect Donald Trump because

"we all want what's best for this country" (AFP Photo/Nicholas Kamm)

'Redemption, not recrimination'

Around the world, as Trump's victory settled in as cold reality, observers greeted the political earthquake with warnings that America had handed power to "an unstable bigot, sexual predator and compulsive liar," in the words of Britain's The Guardian.

But the leaders of America's closest hemispheric partners, Canada and Mexico, quickly made clear their willingness to work with the new president, offering a message of continuity and stability with their giant neighbor.

And US investors appeared to be shaking off the shock that initially sent global markets plunging.

The Republican Party leadership, too, embraced their newfound hero, with House Speaker Paul Ryan, who had distanced himself from Trump in the final month of the campaign, pledging to "hit the ground running" and work with Trump on conservative legislation.

But Ryan also called for healing, saying the bitterly contested race must now be followed by a period "of redemption, not a time of recrimination."

Like Ryan, Trump called for national reconciliation after Clinton conceded defeat in a result that virtually no poll had dreamed of predicting.

"Now it is time for America to bind the wounds of division," Trump told a crowd of jubilant supporters early Wednesday in New York, pledging to work with Democrats in office.

During a bitter two-year campaign that tugged at America's democratic fabric, the 70-year-old tycoon pledged to deport illegal immigrants, ban Muslims from the country and tear up free trade deals.

Trump's campaign message was embraced by a large section of America's white majority, grown increasingly disgruntled by the scope of social and economic change under Obama, their first black president.

US President-elect Donald Trump told the crowd during his November 9, 2016 

victory speech, "Now it is time for America to bind the wounds of division"

 (AFP Photo/Timothy A. Clary)

Western partners

There was no disguising the concern of Washington's partners that Trump's victory might destroy the Western alliance they still regard as a touchstone for stability and the rule of law.

Some of the most enthusiastic support for Trump came from far-right and nationalist politicians in Europe such as French opposition figure Marine Le Pen, Matteo Salvini of Italy's Northern League and British euroskeptic Nigel Farage.

Russia's autocratic leader Vladimir Putin said he wanted to rebuild "full-fledged relations" with the United States, as he warmly congratulated the president-elect.

EU leaders Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker, seeking reassurances about transatlantic ties, invited Trump to an EU-US summit at his "earliest convenience."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the world body was counting on Trump's administration to help combat climate change and advance human rights worldwide.

And NATO head Jens Stoltenberg warned Trump, who spoke during the campaign of making US allies bear a bigger share of the Western security burden, that "US leadership is more important than ever."

The results prompted a global market sell-off, with stocks plunging across Asia and Europe, while the Mexican peso plunged 7.64 percent to a record low against the dollar.

But the British market rebounded briefly after Trump's conciliatory victory speech and the Dow Jones Industrial Index opened higher.

Melania Trump: bringing glamour to Donald's White House ambitions https://t.co/xrNJJRQGbo #USElection2016 pic.twitter.com/ozWqo32xPA

— AFP news agency (@AFP) November 9, 2016

Related Articles:

Obama hails 'excellent' W.House talks with Trump - New

US President Barack Obama meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the

Oval Office at the White House on November 10, 2016 in Washington, DC

(AFP Photo/Jim Watson)

Matthew message (Channelled by Suzanne Ward, November 11, 2016)

Matthew Ward - November 11, 2016

Matthew Ward

With loving greetings from all souls at this station, this is Matthew. We are going to share with you what we have been observing in Earth’s energy field of potential and what Earth’s monitors in Nirvana report about the United States presidential election. In our last message we said that more scenarios around the election could develop, and indeed that did happen, but not in ways that could have been anticipated.

As we speak about the players involved, we ask you to please remember what we have said many times—never is our interest in our Earth family politically motivated and never do we judge any of you.

It is not only people in the United States who have the most to gain or lose by who becomes their president. The same is so for the Rockefeller faction of the Illuminati. Their heavy influence on Wall Street and in the nation’s government is due in large part to Bill and Hillary Clinton, who cooperate with that secret society; formerly among the few at its peak, when they saw its global control waning a decade or so ago, they established their own power base and funding sources. However questionable the Illuminati may deem Donald Trump’s campaign promises, they know he is “his own man,” a person they could not control.

During the weeks leading to the election, the energy of voters’ anger and distrust surrounding Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Trump increased to such an extent that it started drawing unto itself the streamers of all the scenarios, each of which had the potential to lead Bernie Sanders into the presidency. [The scenarios are described in the August 19, 2016 message.] What would have transpired in orderly fashion as the streamers ran their well-defined courses instead became an energy hodgepodge that could be likened to an octopus flailing in a sea of confusion. Energy is neutral, it simply flows in the direction set by intent. In this case, intent was to influence the election outcome, and the employment of various ways—some at odds with others—eventually created the octopus.

Clinton supporters in the Democratic National Committee maneuvered to Mrs. Clinton the votes in critical primaries that actually were won by Bernie Sanders; thus, it was she instead of the voters’ choice who became the Democratic party nominee.

As for the FBI’s investigation into Mrs. Clinton’s hacked emails, Director James Comey bowed to pressure from Bill Clinton and other Illuminati to conclude that national security had not been compromised and using a personal server is not an indictable offense. The finger was pointed at Russia for the hacking incident.

Vladimir Putin was justified in claiming that was not Russia’s doing. Individuals in the FBI and other intelligence agencies who know the Clintons’ criminal history released the emails—they felt the public had a right to know the truth about Mrs. Clinton. But Mr. Comey had kept under wraps what the emails showed: She used her Secretary of State position to garner donations to the Clinton Foundation and issue favors in return and some Foundation funds benefitted terrorists.

When those individuals later discovered that Anthony Weiner’s computer contained evidence of the Clintons’ involvement in a pedophile ring, they insisted that Mr. Comey reopen the investigation. Once again he gave into Clinton camp pressure and stated that none of the emails pertained to Mrs. Clinton.

The aforementioned individuals then enlisted the aid of Wikileaks’ Julian Assange to have the incriminating information passed on to “whistleblower” Internet site operators. To counter the fallout from that unexpected exposure, Illuminati minions quickly set about manipulating voting mechanisms so the larger count would go to Mrs. Clinton. Perhaps the haste required is what led to the errors that caused this ploy to backfire—the larger count was mistakenly registered to Mr. Trump.

The negativity created by those whose intent was to deceive and of the deceptive acts themselves is up against the force of ever-heightening vibrations. Republicans are the majority in the House and Senate, but few are pleased that Mr. Trump is their standard-bearer. Democrats are bitter and apprehensive; many feel that if Bernie Sanders had been the party nominee, he would have won the election, and positive energy around Mr. Sanders continues to grow.

That is the “vibe” picture, you could say, of the United States. In keeping with the universal law that low and high vibrations cannot coexist, out of that energetic chaos must come a resolution. We don’t know what it will be, but we can tell you some factors that may well come into play.

The “stunning upset,” as political analysts and the media are terming the election result, has motivated crowds of impassioned citizens to take to the streets in protest and some are calling for an investigation into the vote counting. If that does materialize and it is discovered that voting machines were faulty or not all mail-in ballots were counted, the election would have to be annulled. In such case, President Obama would remain in office until another president is elected.

Mrs. Clinton was not in top physical condition when her clones were fabricated several years ago, and as vibratory levels rise, deterioration in the clone’s health and appearance will become noticeable fairly quickly. Still, if another election were to be held, that would not be the reason she wouldn’t run; it would be that information about her and the Clinton Foundation is all over the Internet.

The Republican plank contains ideological provisions that many in the party don’t embrace and they are not comfortable with some of Mr. Trump’s rhetoric; they voted for him because he represents change from the government they feel has left them behind. Mr. Sanders, too, espouses change from the Washington establishment, and professional and personal respect for him along with his popularity among Democrats would make him a natural choice as presidential nominee. Or perhaps, by popular demand, as a replacement.

Mr. Trump is avidly competitive. That is why he entered the race, was determined to win, and the world thinks he did. The protesting crowds may not bother him; however, when he learns how extensive and stressful presidential responsibilities are, that he is expected to act upon the advice of others rather than his impulses and he is not the boss of Congress, he may decide that being president wouldn’t be as satisfying as being an entrepreneur and he would welcome a respectable way out.

Parts of those factors derive from thoughts and feelings swirling in the mass consciousness, some are known far and wide, some only readers of our messages know. And, you will understand why the most vital factor of all is this: The direction in which Mr. Trump and the Republican party want to take the country is in opposition to prevailing vibrations, which will continue to heighten along Earth’s ascension pathway. That party’s direction is in conflict with Gaia’s vision, which is shared by enlightened souls and their numbers are increasing by the day. Resolution and reconciliation must and shall come to heal that painfully divided country whose influence is felt worldwide.

Beloved family, do not fear what might happen. Create what will happen by steadfastly living your light! Countless beings throughout this universe honor and support you with the unequaled power of unconditional love.

LOVE and PEACE

Suzanne Ward

Website: The Matthew Books

Email: suzy@matthewbooks.com

US regulator finds another cheat device in Audi car

A year on since the parent party Volkswagen was hit with near bankruptsy, German media has reported the discovery of a second illegal software function in automatic transmission Audis.

Deutsche Welle, 6 November 2016

German newspaper "Bild am Sonntag" reported on Sunday that the Californian Air Resources Board (CARB) had discovered another illegal software function in an automatc transmission in Audi last summer.

The paper said the device, which was not the same as the one which triggered last year's diesel emissions scandal at Audi's parent company, Volkswagen, was also used in gasoline and diesel-powered cars in Europe.

The illegal software deactivated pollution controls on more than 11 million diesel vehicles sold worldwide, triggering the deepest business crisis in the German carmaker's history.

Investigators found that the cars emitted more than 40 times the legal limit of nitrogen oxide, which can cause respiratory problems.

Unorthorized

VW said earlier this week, however, that the use of the software  “did not constitute an unauthorized shutdown device under European law.”

According to "Bild am Sonntag" the most recently discovered software was installed on many Audi models with a certain automatic transmission. If the steering wheel does not turn, this indicates laboratory testing conditions, and a gear shifting program which produces less carbon dioxide is activated.

If the driver turns the steering wheel by more than 15 degrees, however, the "warm-up strategy" deactivates, "Bild am Sonntag"said.

Audi reportedly stopped using the software in May 2016, just before CARB discovered the manipulation in an older model, the paper said, adding that the carmaker had suspended several engineers in connection with the matter.

ksb/jm (Reuters, AFP)

German prosecutors extend 'dieselgate' probe to VW chairman

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US Supreme Court spares Alabama man from execution

A US man awaiting execution in Alabama has had his life spared a seventh time following a last-minute stay ordered by the US Supreme Court. The 74-year-old was convicted in the 1982 slaying of his girlfriend's husband.

Deutsche Welle, 4 November 2016

The US Supreme Court ordered a last-minute stay of execution Thursday as Alabama state officials were preparing to put Thomas Douglas Arthur to death by lethal injection. Arthur - who maintains his innocence - has been on death row for more than three decades after being convicted of shooting to death Troy Wicker as he slept in his home in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, court records showed. Prosecutors said Arthur's girlfriend, Judy Wicker, paid him $10,000 to kill her husband.

The Supreme Court's order did not state a reason for the stay of execution but had earlier ordered the state of Alabama and other states to review a controversial law that gives judges - rather than juries - the power to impose the death penalty.

Arthur's defense lawyers had challenged the constitutionality of Alabama's lethal injection method of execution on the grounds that it is cruel and unusual punishment. In their challenge, his lawyers claimed that midazolam, the first drug that is used in executions causes "excruciatingly painful and agonizing effects."

International drug companies - many under EU pressure - have stopped supplying drugs used in lethal injections and many states have improvised lethal cocktails that often lead to complications that prolong the condemned man's suffering.

Arthur's latest scheduled execution followed three trials and another man's confession to the crime. In all, Alabama had scheduled Arthur's execution six times before Thursday.

Arthur had two convictions overturned on constitutional grounds, including improper introduction of evidence about a prior murder conviction. After his third conviction in 1991, he asked the jury to sentence him to death. Arthur's former girlfriend, Judy Wicker told police a black man raped her, knocked her unconscious and shot her husband at their home.

In court, prosecutors had claimed that Arthur, who is white, disguised himself as a black man. At her trial, Judy Wicker denied Arthur was the killer but later changed her testimony during his trial, Arthur's lawyers said. She was convicted of murder and paroled after 10 years in prison, according to the Alabama Department of Corrections. Limited crime scene testing found no DNA link to Gilbert or Arthur. Alabama lost a rape kit that might have cleared Arthur, his lawyers said.

jar/sms (Reuters, AP)

Merkel says Turkey media crackdown 'highly alarming'

Yahoo – AFP, November 2, 2016

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says Turkey's arrests of opposition
newspaper journalists are "highly alarming" (AFP Photo/John Thys)

Berlin (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday called Turkey's latest arrests of opposition newspaper journalists "highly alarming" and said they would impact Ankara's EU membership negotiations.

"For me and the entire government, it is highly alarming that freedom of the press and speech are being restricted again and again," she said after Turkey detained at least a dozen journalists and executives from the Cumhuriyet daily.

The arrests were "the latest example of this already very sad trend," Merkel said at a joint press conference with Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann. "We have great doubts that it complied with the rule of law."

Adding that the German ambassador had visited the Cumhuriyet newsroom Tuesday, Merkel said: "The journalists can be certain of our solidarity, just like all the others in Turkey who, under difficult conditions, are active for freedom of the press and speech."

She said the issue would "obviously play a central role" in talks on Ankara's long-standing but currently stalled bid to join the European Union.

The Cumhuriyet arrests came after Turkish authorities fired more than 10,000 civil servants at the weekend and closed 15 pro-Kurdish and other media outlets, the latest purge since July's failed military coup aimed at ousting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Merkel's strong comments follow a series of rows this year between Berlin and Ankara on civil rights and sensitive historical questions.

Relations took a dive after the German parliament in a June resolution declared the Ottomans' World War I-era massacre of Armenians a genocide.

The vote infuriated Erdogan and for months Ankara blocked German parliamentarians from visiting German troops at a NATO base in southern Turkey, until Merkel's government publicly clarified that the vote was non-binding.

Another major dispute was sparked by German TV comic Jan Boehmermann who in a so-called "Defamatory Poem" satirically accused the Turkish president of bestiality and paedophilia, sparking a criminal complaint by Erdogan and an ongoing civil case.

Germany is home to a three-million-strong ethnic Turkish population, the legacy of a massive "guest worker" programme in the 1960s and 1970s.

As Europe's top destination for refugees last year, Germany has relied on an EU-Turkey agreement designed to stop the massive influx of people fleeing war and poverty.

Reporters Without Borders labels Erdogan as 'enemy of press freedom'

Related Article:

Reporters Without Borders labels Erdogan as 'enemy of press freedom'

Francis says John Paul II ruled out women as priests

The current pope, too, appears to have ruled out women's ordination. Francis says the "last word" on the question was delivered two pontiffs previous, by St. John Paul II, and that he does not foresee any changes.

Deutsche Welle, 1 Nov 2016

Pope Francis said he believed the Catholic Church's ban on female priests would endure - possibly forever. "The last word was clear and was given by St. John Paul II, and it stands," Francis said.

In his 1994 apostolic letter, Pope John Paul II declared that "the church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the church's faithful."

The Catholic church bans the ordination of women because Jesus chose only men as his apostles, but supporters of women in the priesthood say Christ, the faith's central figure, had only followed the cultural norms of his time. Equality activists say the church's global priest shortage could lead a future pope to overturn John Paul II's decision.

In August, Francis set up a commission to study the role of women deacons in early Christianity, raising hopes among equality campaigners that women could one day have a greater say in the church that regularly claims around 1.2 billion members worldwide.

Though they cannot celebrate Mass, deacons can preach, teach, and conduct baptisms, wakes and funeral services.

Pope Francis: The ban on women’s ordination will continue forever https://t.co/JXIBIrOx0y pic.twitter.com/cnOyfZNgVA

— ThinkProgress (@thinkprogress) November 1, 2016

'Receive a refugee'

Francis received a warm welcome from the 18,000 people who braved the weather to see him at Malmo's soccer arena on All Saints' Day. The pope called on Catholics and Protestants to unify in "a way of living and acting that draws us close to Jesus and to one another." He invoked Swedish saints Bridget of Vadstena (1303-73), who founded the Order of The Most Holy Saviour, canonized in 1391, and Elizabeth Hesselblad (1870-1957), whom he canonized this year.

The pope had arrived Monday for a joint commemoration of the Reformation - the origin of the Catholic-Protestant schism. Sixty-four percent of Sweden's 9.9 million people belong to the country's Lutheran Church, which is led by a woman. "Our separation has been an immense source of suffering and misunderstanding," the pope said in his sermon in Lund cathedral on Monday.

On Tuesday, Francis - who has called on the EU to take in more displaced people - allowed that governments could assess their integration capacities when accepting new residents. In 2015, 1 million people sought asylum in the EU. Sweden granted refugee status to 245,000 people in 2014 and 2015.

"I think that, in theory, you can't close your heart to a refugee," the pope said. "It isn't human to close the doors and the hearts."

mkg/msh (Reuters, AFP, dpa, AP)

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"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: 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)

“… I gave you a channelling years ago when Pope John Paul was alive. John Paul loved Mary, the mother. Had John Paul survived another 10 years, he would have done what the next Pope [The one after the current one, Benedict XVI] will do, and that is to bring women into the Church. This Pope you have now [Benedict XVI] won't be here long.* The next Pope will be the one who has to change the rules, should he survive. If he doesn't, it will be the one after that.

There is a large struggle within the Church, even right now, and great dissention, for it knows that it is not giving what humanity wants. The doctrine is not current to the puzzles of life. The answer will be to create a better balance between the feminine and masculine, and the new Pope, or the one after that, will try to allow women to be in the higher echelon of the Church structure to assist the priests.

It will be suggested to let women participate in services, doing things women did not do before. This graduates them within church law to an equality with priests, but doesn't actually let them become priests just yet. However, don't be surprised if this begins in another way, and instead gives priests the ability to marry. This will bring the feminine into the church in other ways. It will eventually happen and has to happen. If it does not, it will be the end of the Catholic Church, for humanity will not sustain a spiritual belief system that is out of balance with the love of God and also out of balance with intuitive Human awareness.  …”

"Listening to the Voice of Spirit" (2) - Feb 20, 2016 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) - (DNA Efficiency is on average at 35 percent now) - (Text version)

“… With free choice, the percentage of DNA efficiently started to go down as humanity grew. As soon as the DNA started to lose percentage, the gender balance was dysfunctional. If you want to have a test of any society, anywhere on the planet, and you want to know the DNA percentage number [consciousness quota] as a society, there's an easy test: How do they perceive and treat their women? The higher the DNA functionality, the more the feminine divine is honored. This is the test! Different cultures create different DNA consciousness, even at the same time on the planet. So you can have a culture on Earth at 25 percent and one at 37 - and if you did, they would indeed clash. …”

“… You're at 35. There's an equality here, you're starting to see the dark and light, and it's changing everything. You take a look at history and you've come a long way, but it took a long time to get here. Dear ones, we've seen this process before and the snowball is rolling. There isn't anything in the way that's going to stop it. In the path of this snowball of higher consciousness are all kinds of things that will be run over and perish. Part of this is what you call "the establishment". Watch for some very big established things to fall over! The snowball will simply knock them down. …”