"Scorched Earth": How Israel Converted 40% Of Gaza Into A Wasteland Of Rubble

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-07-31/scorched-earth-how-israel-converted-40-gaza-wasteland-rubble
"Scorched Earth": How Israel Converted 40% Of Gaza Into A Wasteland Of Rubble

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 07/31/2014 19:44 -0400


Moments ago, after weeks of relentless humiliation for John Kerry, Israel and Hamas agreed to yet another 72 hour ceasefire - one which if the previous "ceasefires" are any indication, will be broken within hours if not minutes. Regardless, Kerry, who cobbled this agreement after much "hard work" alongside the UN's Ban Ki-moon, was ecstatic: "We urge all parties to act with restraint until this humanitarian ceasefire begins, and to fully abide by their commitments during the ceasefire," Kerry and Ban said. "This ceasefire is critical to giving innocent civilians a much-needed reprieve from violence."

What Kerry did not say is that the ceasefire is merely an extended occupation by the IDF: as Reuters reported, the ceasefire statement said "forces on the ground will remain in place" during the truce, implying that Israeli ground forces will not withdraw. Which also assures that it is only a matter of time before yet another stray rocket is launched into Israeli fields, before the IDF retaliates by blowing up another school or hospital allegedly housing Hamas rockets, and so on.

However, while this too ceasefire will come and go, something far more insidious is taking place in Gaza : as the Daily Beast reports, "The Israeli military, relentlessly and methodically, is driving people out of the 3-kilometer (1.8 mile) buffer zone it says it needs to protect against Hamas rockets and tunnels. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the buffer zone eats up about 44 percent of Gaza’s territory."

To be sure, Israel has been quite clear about its intentions and has given Gazans plenty of advance notice:

It’s not like Israel didn’t plan this. It told tens of thousands of Palestinians to flee so its air force, artillery and tanks could create this uninhabitable no-man’s land of half-standing, burned-out buildings, broken concrete and twisted metal. During a brief humanitarian ceasefire some Gazans were able to come back to get their first glimpse of the destruction this war has brought to their communities, and to sift through their demolished homes to gather clothes or other scattered bits of their past lives. But many were not even able to do that.

They will have a chance to do so again for the next three days, or whenever the ceasefire is broken again which will come first.

In the meantime, constant shelling and bombing have converted nearly half of Gaza into a inhospitable wasteland:

What that means on the ground is scenes of extraordinary devastation in places like the Al Shajaya district approaching Gaza’s eastern frontier, and Beit Hanoun in the north. These were crowded neighborhoods less than three weeks ago. Now they have been literally depopulated, the residents joining more than 160,000 internally displaced people in refuges and makeshift shelters. Apartment blocks are fields of rubble, and as I move through this hostile landscape the phrase that keeps ringing in my head is “scorched earth.”

The author of the original article reflects on a world that may as well have emerged from a TS Eliot poem:

In Beit Hanoun the systematic destruction mirrors Al Shajaya. I walk past old men and teenagers trying to lift cinderblocks and slabs of stucco with their bare hands, sometimes in search of a mattress and other times in search of a relative.

The desert of demolition only becomes more vast as I get closer to the Israeli border. Individually razed homes and stores give way to gray and white plains of obliterated walls with hills of contorted iron bars and broken-up slabs. Here the bodies are hidden under the new landscape and it will take more than a brief pause in fighting to unearth the gruesome extent of the town’s suffering.

“Scorched earth,” historically, means destroying land to deprive the encroaching enemy of its use. Israelis shy away from using the phrase to describe what they are doing because, in Israel, it brings to mind the strategy of the Nazi retreat from Russia at the end of the Second World War.
For Israel, there is a perverse strategy in leveling everything in their path: the practice of systematically flattening neighborhoods is focused on saving the lives of Israeli soldiers, who might otherwise be more exposed to hit-and-run attacks. "Israel is more sensitive than any other country in the West to the death of its soldiers," says Hebrew University political scientist Yaron Ezrahi "The death of [Palestinian] civilians is a moral crisis but is without political impact."

Precisely. And yet the ordinary [Palestinian] civilians, those who have never fired a gun in their lives, lives which sadly have zero "political impact" this is a tragedy beyond words:

When Rania Haels got within 60 feet of the debris that was once her family home in Al Shajaya on Saturday, a machine-gun on top of a nearby Israeli Merkava tank started firing. Probably these were warning shots pumped in her direction, but the 42-year-old mother of seven ran for her life. Now she stays with her family in an overcrowded parking garage in Gaza City and spends her days sitting in a public park full of refugees displaced by the Israeli push.

“We lost our homes and so now we live in the streets,” said Haels, holding a toddler in her arms who clings to her pastel-patterned hejab. “This war has destroyed me.” She says at least she knew where her home was. Some of her neighbors could not find their homes as they walked down streets made unrecognizable by the wreckage and horrifying by the presence of death.

Rashid al Delo and his 11 children were, like Haels, blocked by Israeli machine-gun fire when they tried to return to their home near the bombed-out Wafa Hospital in Al Shajaya. But despite the dire reality, al Delo, who used to work in Israel but has been unemployed these last 15 years, is determined to salvage his life.

At least they are not dead. However, with every passing day the probability of their survival declines. What is most tragic, however, is that regardless of who is to blame for the ongoing war which is merely the culmination of a middle-east conflict that has continued for thousands of years and whose origins are lost in the sands of time, the international community, so vocal when it comes to the pretense of humanitarian intervention in any other part of the world, is so remarkably incapable to do anything for the ordinary Palestinians who face not only the obliteration of their homes but systematic eradication. All the while the world screams but does nothing.

Why? So that a few rich men can promote their military interests and get even richer: a reason as old as the world itself.

Russia And Germany Allegedly Working On Secret "Gas For Land" Deal

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-07-31/molotov-ribbentrop-20-russia-and-germany-allegedly-working-secret-gas-land-deal

Russia And Germany Allegedly Working On Secret "Gas For Land" Deal
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 07/31/2014 14:50 -0400

While many were amused by this photo of Putin and Merkel during the world cup final showing Europe's two most important leaders siding side by side, some were more curious by just what the two were scheming:

Thanks to the Independent, we may know the answer, and it is a doozy, because according to some it is nothing shy of a sequel to the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact: allegedly Germany and Russia have been working on a secret plan to broker a peaceful solution to end international tensions over the Ukraine, one which would negotiate to trade Crimea's sovereignty for guarantees on energy security and trade. The Independent reveals that the peace plan, being worked on by both Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin, "hinges on two main ambitions: stabilising the borders of Ukraine and providing the financially troubled country with a strong economic boost, particularly a new energy agreement ensuring security of gas supplies."

Amusingly, this comes on the day when the WSJ leads with "On Hold: Merkel Gives Putin a Blunt Message. Germany's Backing of Russia Sanctions Marks Breach in Pivotal European Relationship" in which we read that " Angela Merkel spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin for at least the 30th time since the Ukraine crisis erupted. She had a blunt message, according to people briefed on the phone conversation: Call me if you have progress to report in defusing the conflict. That was July 20. The two leaders haven't spoken since."

They may or may not have spoken since, but it is not because Putin has "no progress to report" - it's because the two leaders have come to a secret agreement which will hardly make Ukraine, or most of Europe, not to mention the UN, happy as it requires that Crimea be permanently handed over to Russia in exchange for Russian gas, which has been cut off for a month now due to non-payment by Kiev.

Here is how the deal came to happen:

Sources close to the secret negotiations claim that the first part of the stabilisation plan requires Russia to withdraw its financial and military support for the various pro-separatist groups operating in eastern Ukraine. As part of any such agreement, the region would be allowed some devolved powers.

At the same time, the Ukrainian President would agree not to apply to join NATO. In return, President Putin would not seek to block or interfere with the Ukraine’s new trade relations with the European Union under a pact signed a few weeks ago.

Second, the Ukraine would be offered a new long-term agreement with Russia’s Gazprom, the giant gas supplier, for future gas supplies and pricing. At present, there is no gas deal in place; Ukraine’s gas supplies are running low and are likely to run out before this winter, which would spell economic and social ruin for the country.

As part of the deal, Russia would compensate Ukraine with a billion-dollar financial package for the loss of the rent it used to pay for stationing its fleets in the Crimea and at the port of Sevastopol on the Black Sea until Crimea voted for independence in March.



To be sure, in the aftermath of the MH-17 shooting, which in light of this revelation would clearly not benefit Russia, negotiations have stalled they are expected to restart once the investigation has taken place. “It is in everyone’s interests to do a deal. Hopefully, talks will be revived if a satisfactory outcome can be reached to investigations now taking place as to the causes of the MH17 catastrophe."

But while Germany can't wait to put the Ukraine conflict behind it and restore normal Russian relations (see Adidas' record plunge earlier today, blamed on the Ukraine conflict) others are far more eager to stir the pot some more: "A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said they had no knowledge of such negotiations taking place. However, the spokesman said he thought it highly unlikely that either the US or UK would agree to recognising Russian control over Crimea. There was no one available at the German embassy’s press office yesterday."

Which, of course, goes back to the fundamental question behind the Eurozone experiment: just who calls the shots. And despite what the UK (and certainly France) believe, that one person was and continues to be Merkel.  And at the end of the day, pragmatic Germany knows that for all the posturing and rhetoric, the biggest loser from a western embargo of Russia (which is now actively shifting its attention to China and now India) would be Germany itself.

[S]trong trade ties between the two countries have also served to strengthen Ms Merkel’s hand and the Russian speaker has emerged as the leading advocate of closer relations between the EU and Russia. “This is Merkel’s deal. She has been dealing direct with President Putin on this. She needs to solve the dispute because it’s in no one’s interest to have tension in the Ukraine or to have Russia out in the cold. No one wants another Cold War,” said one insider close to the negotiations.

Some of Germany’s biggest companies have big operations in Russia, which is now one of Europe’s biggest car markets, while many of its small to medium companies are also expanding into the country. Although Russia now provides EU countries with a third of their gas supplies through pipelines crossing the Ukraine, Germany has its own bilateral gas pipeline direct to Russia making it less vulnerable than other European countries.

However, Russia is still the EU’s third-biggest trading partner with cross-border trade of $460bn (£272bn) last year, and the latest sanctions being introduced by the EU towards Russian individuals and banks will hurt European countries more than any other – particularly Germany, but also the City of London.

Curiously, if there is one entity that could scuttle the deal it is, no surprise there, the US.

Central to the negotiations over any new gas deal with Gazprom is understood to be one of Ukraine’s wealthiest businessmen, the gas broker, Dmitry Firtash. Mr Firtash – who negotiated the first big gas deal between the Ukraine and Russia between 2006 and 2009 – is now living in Vienna fighting extradition charges from the Americans. But he has close relations with the Russian and Ukrainian leaders – he supported Mr Poroschenko – and has been acting as a go-between behind the scenes at the highest levels.

Incidentally, the same Americans which over the past 2 years has been desperate to start a regional war in any one part of the globe in order to break some more windows and boost GDP courtesy of the tried and true "Military Industrial Complex" GDP boost. Which is why if indeed the Ukraine peace process is in the arms of the US, then perhaps Putin's advisor was spot on when he said that "There is a war coming in Europe." Compliments of the United States?

Finally, for those wondering how much of the Independent's story is a fabrication, here is Germany denying it all:

GERMANY: REPORT OF SECRET DEAL ON UKRAINE `TOTALLY UNFOUNDED'

Which, if Jean-Claude Juncker is any indication, seals it.

"Markets In Turmoil" Russell 2000 Plunges Most In Over 2 Years, Dow Down For 2014

"Markets In Turmoil" Russell 2000 Plunges Most In Over 2 Years, Dow Down For 2014
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 07/31/2014 16:05 -0400

The deer is back...

Stocks finally snapped and caught down to high-yield credit's warnings. The worst day for the Dow in 6 months, smashing through its 50- and 100-day moving-average. The Russell 2000 was worst on the day to end July down over 6% - its worst month since May 2012. The S&P's had almost its worst day in 6 months. Trannies dropped 3.4% on the week - the worst in 11 months. Stocks closed at the day's lows.

Full article with charts here: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-07-31/markets-turmoil-russell-2000-plunges-most-over-2-years

House Bill Proposes Puerto Rico Bankruptcy; S&P Downgrades PREPA Utility

http://blogs.barrons.com/incomeinvesting/2014/07/31/house-bill-proposes-puerto-rico-bankruptcy-sp-downgrades-prepa-utility/

July 31, 2014, 4:58 P.M. ET
House Bill Proposes Puerto Rico Bankruptcy; S&P Downgrades PREPA Utility

By Michael Aneiro

Puerto Rico’s nonvoting congressional delegate today introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would allow Puerto Rico’s government-owned corporations to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection, the same type of municipal bankruptcy protection Detroit sought last year. The move comes a month after the commonwealth passed the Puerto Rico Public Corporation Debt Enforcement and Recovery Act, which allows Puerto Rico’s public corporations to restructure their debts.

“I believe that amending the U.S. Bankruptcy Code to extend Chapter 9 to Puerto Rico is the most sensible and logical way to proceed,” wrote Pedro Pierluisi, Puerto Rico’s resident commissioner. “My legislation would simply enable the Puerto Rico government to authorize its government-owned corporations to utilize the tried-and-true Chapter 9 procedure if it becomes necessary, under the expert supervision of an impartial federal bankruptcy judge, based on legal precedent established in Chapter 9 proceedings that have taken place throughout the nation.”

The fallout from the Recovery Act continued today as Standard & Poor’s banished the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority to the depths of speculative grade, cutting PREPA’s credit rating to triple-C from single B-minus. (S&P also affirmed Puerto Rico’s general obligation bond rating at double-B.) S&P said the deep-junk rating indicates that PREPA’s debt is “vulnerable to nonpayment,” and said any adverse business, financial, or economic conditions could leave PREPA unable to pay its debts.

“We believe that the absence of an overarching solution to liquidity issues and the structural imbalance among its revenues, operating expenses and debt service commitments suggests an increasing likelihood that the authority will not be able to satisfy debt service obligations on time and will avail itself of the [Recovery Act] and restructure all or portions of its debt,” said S&P credit analyst Judith Waite in a statement.

Earlier this month, rival rating agency Moody’s Investors Service similarly cut PREPA’s rating into equally deep-junk territory.

Earlier today, PREPA sent out a statement saying its lenders have extended until Aug. 14 their agreements not to exercise remedies against PREPA as a result of the recent credit downgrades. Under the agreements, PREPA can continue to delay certain payments that were due in July while still making payments due to employees and suppliers. PREPA said it’s “having productive discussions” with its creditors and will continue “to evaluate various strategies” to achieve its financial and operational objectives.

“This latest show of support from our bondholders, bond insurers and lenders  provides us with additional time to evaluate all available options to ensure we are reaching the best possible outcome for our employees, customers, creditors and suppliers,” said PREPA Executive Director Juan F. Alicea Flores in a statement.

The God with the keys

Click here for You Tube video

Portuguese Regulator Bans Short-Selling After Banco Espirito Santo Unveils Massive $5 Billion Loss

Portuguese Regulator Bans Short-Selling After Banco Espirito Santo Unveils Massive $5 Billion Loss

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 07/30/2014 16:46 -0400

Having waited until after the US equity markets closed, Portugal's troubled Banco Espirito Santo unveiled an enormous EUR 3.577 Billion loss - that is 15 times larger than the loss the bank suffered a year earlier. The data  - to end-June, before the crisis really got going - already shows notable deposit flight, a 73.1% plunge in banking income, and a EUR 3 billion collapse in repoable assets (i.e. liquidity). On the heels of this Portugal's securities regulator has enforced a short-selling ban on BES... we suspect they would not have done that if all was systemically well in Portugal.

Full article here: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-07-30/portuguese-regulator-bans-short-selling-after-banco-espirito-santo-unveils-massive-5

Argentina Default Imminent as Talks Collapse

http://online.wsj.com/articles/argentina-bonds-rise-to-multiyear-highs-on-prospect-of-deal-1406728458

Argentina Default Imminent as Talks Collapse
Setback Sends Argentine Shares Down in After-Hours Trading

By NICOLE HONG, TAOS TURNER and MATT DAY CONNECT
Updated July 31, 2014 3:45 a.m. ET

Argentina faces default Wednesday for the second time in 13 years if it doesn't meet a deadline to make payments to a small group of bondholders. WSJ's Matthew Cowley explains Argentina's dispute with these creditors and the long-standing battle that stems from the country's default in 2001. (Photo: Getty Images)

Argentina teetered on the brink of its second default in 13 years after talks with bondholders collapsed late Wednesday.

The setback, after glimmers of hope in recent days that a last-minute agreement could be reached, immediately sent Argentine stocks plunging in after-hours trading.

Still, there remained the possibility that talks could resume and a deal could eventually be reached.

At a press conference after talks with a court-appointed mediator ended Wednesday, Argentine Economy Minister Axel Kicillof, who had led the country's delegation to New York, said "we won't sign an agreement that would compromise Argentina's future." A spokeswoman later said negotiations would continue, without giving a timetable.

"Default is not a mere 'technical' condition, but rather a real and painful event that will hurt real people," said Daniel Pollack, the mediator, in a statement late Wednesday. He added, "The full consequences of default are not predictable, but they certainly are not positive."

The development is the latest turn in a years long battle between Argentina and a small group of hedge funds that have demanded full payment for bonds the country defaulted on in 2001. Argentina has refused to pay, despite an order by a U.S. District Court judge requiring it to pay the hedge funds. The issue came to a head Wednesday as Argentina missed a deadline to make a payment it owed to other bondholders, because the court order had prevented such a move.


Mr. Pollack, who had been trying to broker a deal between the two sides, said the country would "imminently" be in default. Standard & Poor's Ratings Services had earlier Wednesday declared Argentina in default on some of its bonds.

A default would pressure an economy already mired in recession, potentially leading to higher inflation and a weaker currency. The breakdown of negotiations also complicates President Cristina Kirchner's efforts to stabilize the economy ahead of elections next year.

Wednesday marked the end of a 30-day grace period for Argentina to make a $539 million interest payment to the holders of $29 billion of the country's restructured bonds that was due on June 30. A ruling by U.S. District Judge Thomas Griesa prevents Argentina from paying its restructured bondholders until the hedge funds, also known as the holdout creditors, are compensated. The holdout creditors are owed about $1.5 billion.

Mr. Kicillof hinted on Wednesday that a private-sector solution was a possibility, apparently referring to a proposal by a group of Argentine banks to offer a $250 million guarantee to the holdouts. The idea would be to give the hedge funds a financial incentive to ask Judge Griesa to suspend his ruling until the end of the year and allow payment of holders of the other bonds.

A default could shave as much as one percentage point off growth this year, said Martin Redrado, former governor of Argentina's central bank. Analysts said it would also fuel inflation, which some economists already estimate to be close to 40%, and deepen the country's recession. It could roil the country's financial markets, ending a period of relative calm in the peso's exchange rate and Argentine bond prices.

The U.S.-traded shares of prominent Argentine financial services and energy firms were hit Wednesday in after-hours trading. Grupo Financiero Galicia SA was recently down 22%, while Banco Macro SA fell 13%. Electricity firm Pampa Energia SA fell 18%, and oil and gas producer YPF S's shares fell 7.7%.

The economic damage from a prolonged default could prove politically costly for Mrs. Kirchner, who is trying to stabilize a shaky economy and win influence for her party ahead of presidential and congressional elections in October 2015.

Even if Argentina reaches a deal with holdouts, it likely won't be enough on its own to right the country's finances, said Roberto Sifon-Arevalo, head of the Latin America sovereign group at S&P.

A deal "would definitely be a good thing. I don't think that it would automatically be a solution, or a dramatic game-changer," he said. "The macroeconomic environment in the country has deteriorated significantly. It's weak and getting weaker. This situation certainly does not help."

Timeline: Argentina vs. Bondholders

The immediate impact to debt markets outside Argentina is expected to be limited. Argentina has been relatively isolated from global financial markets since its default in 2001, and the country's legal battles with its creditors are unprecedented and have dragged on in U.S. courts for years. In 2001, the country's bonds made up 20% of J.P. Morgan Chase JPM & Co.'s widely followed emerging-market debt index. Now, they are only 1.3% of the index, signaling little chance that another default would rattle the global economy.

"I don't think this is going to have much repercussion outside of Argentina," said Clyde Wardle, a senior currency strategist with HSBC Holdings PLC.

However, the case has raised questions about the power of U.S. courts to adjudicate cases involving sovereign nations and their creditors.

The concerns stem from the controversial 2012 ruling made by Judge Griesa, who has presided over disputes between Argentina and its creditors for more than a decade. He ruled that Argentina isn't allowed to pay the bondholders who accepted the country's restructuring offers since its 2001 default, unless it also pays the holdouts, who have refused those offers.

Lawyers said the ruling marked the first time a U.S. judge had issued such an injunction on the so-called "pari passu" clause of bond contracts, which states that all bondholders must be treated equally.

The U.S. government has called Judge Griesa's ruling "impermissibly broad" and said it could undermine U.S. foreign relations. The International Monetary Fund warned that Judge Griesa's ruling could make it easier for a handful of creditors to disrupt other debt restructurings. "There is a cost to the world," IMF Chief Economist Olivier Blanchard said last week.

Analysts say Wednesday's developments will likely rock Argentine markets on Thursday, as the country's stocks and bonds had rallied this week on hopes that the two sides would reach a deal and avert default. Investors said they had been encouraged by marathon talks on Tuesday and Wednesday between Argentine officials and a court-appointed mediator, as well as a proposal by Argentine banks to pay the holdout creditors.

"The market reaction won't be positive," said Brian Joseph, head trader at local brokerage Puente. "There were big expectations of a deal. This isn't good news."

Protesters in Argentina hold a mock vulture as they demonstrate against holdout investors locked in a legal battle with the country. Reuters

There are many investors who have actually bet on an Argentine default through so-called credit default swaps, but it could be days before those investors find out whether they can collect on their bets. Decisions about CDS payouts are made by a panel convened by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, a financial trade group. There are $20.7 billion of CDS outstanding on Argentine government debt, according to Depository Trust & Clearing Corp.

The idea of default isn't much of a concern for many Argentines, who have lived through much greater crises over the decades and are adept at adapting to economic setbacks.

"We talk about this as if it's something normal. I'm not losing any sleep over it," said Juan Chamale, 36, who works at a Kodak store in downtown Buenos Aires. "We're very used to this kind of thing and have learned to take it in stride."

Argentina's default in 2001 led to the country's worst economic slump since the Great Depression. At the time, it was the largest sovereign default in history and triggered dozens of lawsuits against Argentina by creditors around the world.

After years of contentious talks, the country persuaded approximately 93% of its bondholders to take heavily discounted restructured bonds in exchanges held in 2005 and 2010. But a small group of investors refused to take the new bonds, with many suing in U.S. courts for full repayment. These included hedge funds led by Elliott Management Corp.'s NML Capital Ltd. and Aurelius Capital Management Ltd.

U.S. courts had jurisdiction over these lawsuits because Argentina had agreed in some of its bond contracts to resolve any disputes under New York law.

After Argentina denounced several U.S. court rulings awarding judgments to creditors and consistently refused to pay the holdouts, Judge Griesa issued his unprecedented 2012 ruling that barred Argentina from paying its restructured bondholders until it pays the holdouts.

For the next two years, Argentina tried every legal avenue to appeal the decision. But the Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Judge Griesa's ruling, and the U.S. Supreme Court in June declined to hear Argentina's appeal.

Meanwhile, the holdout hedge funds chased Argentine assets around the globe in an attempt to get paid. NML seized an Argentine navy training vessel in 2012 and this year tried to block the country from launching a pair of satellites. Other creditors attempted to seize the presidential plane in 2007.

—Ken Parks, Shane Romig, Dan Strumpf and Katy Burne contributed to this article.

Bank ‘glitch’ leaves thousands without wages across Ireland

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/bank-glitch-leaves-thousands-without-wages-across-ireland-1.1883670

Bank ‘glitch’ leaves thousands without wages across Ireland
Bank apologies for error affecting public and private sector workers


Rachel Flaherty

First published:
Thu, Jul 31, 2014, 10:27

Thousands of people, working in both the public and private sector, have not been paid their wages today.

Teachers, nurses, gardaí, and also people working for private companies and civil servant pensioners have reported receiving payslips but no payments.

It is understood that people who inquired about the problem have been told there is a “glitch” in the bank transfer payroll problem.

A spokeswoman for Bank of Ireland confirmed there was a delay in processing payments last night.
“The Bank apologies profusely to those customers affected and wishes to reassure them that the credits will be in their account by first thing tomorrow morning,” she said.

“This delay only affected one file and the majority of BoI payments were processed in a timely manner.”

The spokeswoman could not confirm how many people had been affected by the error.
A source said many of people were in a “desperate” situation today with mortgages, car loans and health insurance payments scheduled to be taken out of their bank accounts.

People have reported receiving their payslips but no payments in their accounts, which are with different banks also including AIB and Ulster Bank.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice said it was a technical issues with Bank of Ireland that had caused their employees not to be paid.

He said Financial Shared Services, which handles the payments for many public servants, distributes pay through Bank of Ireland.

There are reports that the issue may be linked to the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) regulation. SEPA is a European Union system brought in to simplify electronic financial transactions including credit transfers and direct debits.

If you have been affected by the issue contact us at newsdesk@irishtimes.com

HILARION's WEEKLY MESSAGE ~ July 27, 201

HILARION's WEEKLY MESSAGE
by Marlene Swetlishoff ~ July 27, 2014

Love is the greatest force in the universe and this force will have its effect within and upon the planet.

Beloved Ones,

The pressure within increases as the energy intensifies from the cosmos. The activity of purification is intensifying in all quarters of life. There is no escape for anyone or anything upon the earth plane. All are as one in the eye of the cosmic storm that is passing through. The energy sensitive among you will find yourselves moving into the next step of your journey in wonderful and unexpected ways. With a suddenness that is startling, you will find yourselves in a blessed space as you find the longed for peace within. As this alignment and recalibration takes place yet again, you enter a new phase of healing within your human operating system. The healing will become noticeable in your daily life as you go about your duties. There will be more energy flowing through you and you will have the energy to create all that you desire in your lives. Your ability to remain focused upon your goals will see a marked improvement.

There will continue to be a choosing of the crossroads for each and every soul upon the planet and it can be difficult for many as the rifts within families and friendships continues to occur. Many times, these rifts are temporary as those who are confused about what is occurring or totally unaware of it move away in rejection of the awakened ones. Hold your ground and remain centered in your own truth. Each person on Earth is responsible for their own choices and decisions at all times and must accept the consequences that come about as a result. Those who hurt or harm others will find that energy coming back to them in numerous ways that will keep them having to look within themselves in a clear and honest manner until they understand that the energy they give out into the universe comes back to them in equal measure, no matter if it is positive or negative.

The-Quickening

In times past this energy took some time, sometimes years, to manifest within a person’s life but what will now start to occur with more rapidity is the manifestation of focused thought so it is wise to become disciplined in your thought processes so that only good will come to you. When you notice recurring thoughts that make you feel unhappy and sad, let them fall away and immediately replace them with empowering thoughts or ideas. As you practice this regularly, life will take on an added lustre as you begin to see life through the lens of joy, beauty and contentment. People everywhere will start to do things for others just for the pleasure of bringing joy to others. There will be spontaneous and random acts of kindness that will blossom all over the planet. The spirit, energy and force of love will uplift the hearts and minds of many people as they feel into these waves of love coming into the atmosphere, into and from the very Earth itself.

The now floundering and chaotic shadow energy will become balanced both within each person and within the outer world in daily life. Each person will see in their mind’s eye, the outcomes of each energy input they choose to make and will be able to instantly correct any action, thought or behaviour that could bring them an unhappy experience. As this continues, the mastery of self on all levels of being takes place and opens the way for the further downloading of one’s higher essence into the physical human operating system. More enlightened beings walking upon the planet bring a more enlightened society and civilization. This is already taking place and will only grow stronger as each person brings in their higher essence, the higher aspects of their soul.

Love is the greatest force in the universe and this force will have its effect within and upon the planet. The unseen will become visible and will open up a new vista of experience and sensory delight to all who have attained this level of frequency. As more people attain this level, it paves the way and makes it easier for others to rise to greater levels of consciousness and understanding. The golden age of Terra will rise in glory and majesty remembered and lived.

Until next week…

I AM Hilarion

Permission is given to share this message as long as the message is posted in its entirety and nothing has been changed, or altered in any way and Scribe's credit, copyright and websites are included.
TheRainbowScribe.com

Kauilapele's Blog: Let Me Say This about That…

 
 I like this post, I am tired of people giving reasons to judge other people based on trivial choices in their own private lives... and the burdens of expectations they try to instill in others.  -AK


Let Me Say This about That…
Posted on 2014/07/26 by kauilapele

As I feel it right now, at this moment (0130 HST), there are certain things that rankle from time to time, and that means I’m to pay attention to what “the rankling” is all about.

First off, we all have our own backgrounds, our own views, and all this and all that. My deal is that I BE and DO my OWN, and allow others to BE and DO their own.

So I see that any “rankling” in my innards is my own NOT allowing others to have their own. But I’ll say this…

There’s times when I hear things like, “The Bible says this”, or “Natural Foods Magazine says GMO will kill you”, or “To be a Light Worker you have to meditate (exactly) 4.33 hours per day”, “You’ve got to eat only organic foods,” and so on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on….

ENOUGH ALREADY……………………..

The Essence of ME is what I AM, and the BODY and Mind and Spirit of ME is what does the DOing. Whatever it is.

You know, I only get “tired of all that on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on stuff”, when I fail to remember SELF… MY SELF… and that’s Higher Self, with a capital HS. And that’s MINE and MINE only, to BE.

I’m not here to live up to anybody else’ paradigms of living. NO. They can rant and rave and say and imply that there’s something “wrong” with me if I’m (and I quote), “Male or female, straight or gay, black or white or anything in between, read the Bible (or Koran, or Torah, or whatever the hell LightWorker book is out there right now) or don’t read the Bible (or Koran, or Torah, or whatever the hell LightWorker book is out there right now), have a job or don’t have a job and all that on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on stuff.”

So I’m at peace with it now. I’m just going through a multitude of “new” stuff, new “work”, that’s all kind of more “groupy” than before.

So now I guess there’s only one solution… allow my Self to enjoy being a “Grouper”.

Karen Dover: Movement into SOUL frequency realities

http://truthcodes.wordpress.com/2014/07/21/movement-into-soul-frequency-realities/

Movement into SOUL frequency realities
Posted: July 21, 2014
Author: Karen Dover

The New Earth frequency realities are realities that are created by your SOUL in the dreamtime platform as you exit the old 3D Earth frequencies.  As many of you are now experiencing these are now fully accessible at a human conscious waking mind level. As you now release fully the frequencies of the old 3D earth created construct you allow the FLOW of the LOVE that IS naturally. This flow seeks balance at all moments of all moments and this is what plays out a human conscious waking mind level in the shifts and movement in your outer waking reality.

The human logical mind is unaware of the natural flow of the LOVE that IS, indeed the human logical mind is TAUGHT to contain and suppress this natural flow and is TAUGHT to look for LOGICAL patterns of movement. This keeps you bound to a lower frequency and filters out the natural flow of universal energies which are MULTI DIMENSIONAL in essence. Many of you at this time are attempting to place the framework of “logic” to an unfolding that is anything but logic, the universe is by DESIGN.  At a human conscious waking mind level this design may be blurry but this does not make the DESIGN any less TRUTH.

At this time you are manifesting that which your SOUL has created WITH YOU, you are in effect merging your SOUL with your human vehicle to experience HEAVEN UPON EARTH at a waking human conscious mind level. This may be providing you with interesting scenarios at this time as the human logical mind will continue to attempt to reference your outer waking life in the context it has been TAUGHT to within the old 3D earth reality.

YOU ARE NOT YOUR HUMAN LOGICAL MIND, you are an energy that has incarnated into a human vehicle.  The human logical mind will try to teach you that your past exists when in TRUTH it is held only within the construct of your logical mind.  It will attempt to teach you to project this moment into the future and attempt to place some pattern upon the outcome, all is not TRUTH for you exist ONLY in this moment and as such the power of change and expansion exists only in this NOW moment.


It is not TRUTH to assume anything that is presented to you at a waking conscious mind level is as it appears, the human eyes are adjusting at this time to the expansion in TRUTH that you are moving into. Remember you are TAUGHT to focus only on that which the human mind ACCEPTS, all else is filtered out. This does not mean all else does not exist only that you cannot SEE it due to the focal point your human logical mind is working with. Therefore many of you at this time may be experiencing chaos as the old 3D earth construct crumbles, your human logical mind trying to teach you that without X life is impossible. This is not TRUTH, it is a construct of the human mind ONLY.

Your SOUL understands this and is working with you at this time in order to show you TRUTH by pushing you to LIVE said TRUTH. Many of you may be living in ways that others are attempting to define as “impossible” or “not real”. It is to be remembered that this is THEIR take on the human life experience, your experience is all the reference point that is needed for only YOU are having YOUR life experience.

The separation of realities is subtle at this time, it may appear to your naked human eyes that little has changed but this will now rapidly shift as the planet is now at a frequency level that supports major expansion. The depth and level of expansion you move into is decided by YOU at SOUL level.  To work with the concept that someone else contains or suppresses you sees you place your power out with SELF and as  this is not TRUTH it is not supported in the New Earth frequency realities.

View yourself at this moment as a toddler who has learned to walk and to run. Now you are attempting to gain in strength and momentum. With your walking now more solid and you running more energetic. You are gaining your legs and support and understanding that you do not need any external support. In this example the toddler would have achieved walking with the aid of adults around it, this is now negated as the strength returns to the legs and the toddler understands that where they walk or run is THEIR DECISION and they do not need to have the aid of those around them. In TRUTH they are no longer held in place by the needs or wants of others.

Your SOUL will now begin to explore the New Earth frequency realities, it is to be remembered there is no KARMIC path this is a construct of the old 3D earth. Nothing is set in stone and all can and will change in a heartbeat, this is YOUr heartbeat as you are now handed the reigns of your human life experience and asked to create WITH your SOUL in TRUTH.  For ALL JUST IS and YOU ARE in TRUTH.

“LOVE is the answer, no matter the question”

Kx

Prophecy and Creation

We have arrived, or better said, noticed now, a spot that is constantly adjusting – seemingly to our every thought.  This is the beginning stage of consciousness; awareness.  Until now, terms such as “the law of attraction” seemed like magic – only distant, occasional possibilities.  This perspective has changed as we today see evidence of our thoughts and words appear before our eyes as a matter of course. This, as a function and effect of the vibratory changes on the planet and within.  There is everyday evidence of creation and no doubt as to who is doing the creating.  It is us.

As you swim in a sea of reports and predictions about violence, catastrophe and collapse, it will benefit you astronomically to remember who is at the wheel.  The controls have never been turned over, regardless of how it looks.  Thoughts, words and actions create.  It is the same for every one of us.

There are no greater powers than those you hold.  Pay attention to the synchronicities of your day to day – they exist as “evidence” for your creative power and are ever so much more immediate and life changing than the goings on of world banks and governments.

For sure remain aware of global events as they unfold, yet focus on your own life.  You are creating the future with every thought and word.  As “time” seems to accelerate, “now” is constantly re-defined.  It is never the same “now”; only by your own repetitive re-definition does it feel the same.

It can change in an instant and at your command – with each re-focus of intention and attention.  This you know.  “Now” feels as oppressive and negative as your conversations around it.  It is through voice and emotions that life is constructed; your life.

The slavery mindset with its continual complaint about its hopelessness only perpetuates the hopelessness felt and experienced.  It is consensus that moves things forward and along. The wishes of the many take precedence and determine the timing and structure of events.

All events co-created are unable to be precisely predicted.  This means worldwide actions are never an absolute certainty or calendar date.  Life is a work in progress.  Decisions about where it is going are collectively made.  The loudest among us have an effect only to the extent that their choice is heeded by the rest of us.

Choose, intend and focus on the scenario that serves you.  You are not here by accident, but by choice.  Your obstacles are intended to produce in you the most rapid growth.  See them as tools rather than stop signs. 

We are called upon now to utilize the creative power we’ve only recently become aware of; to accelerate this shift to unity and collaboration – to love.  A violent instigation is not necessary, regardless of prophecy.

The shift is upon us, yet the journey stands ahead, waiting for our instruction.  Intend highest and best for all concerned, abundance in all arenas and a seamless transformation.  Expect love and your story will demonstrate your expectation.

It is your strength and determination that has gotten you this far.  Your light provides a beacon for the rest of us to follow.

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

~Sophia

GAIA PORTAL: Gaia energetics prepares for “Restart” at Higher Vibrational and Higher Dimensional leve

Gaia energetics prepares for “Restart” at Higher Vibrational and Higher Dimensional levels
by ÉirePort

Gaia energetics prepares for "Restart" at Higher Vibrational and Higher Dimensional levels. Current hu-manity consciousness is collectively now ready for receiving such.

Break-offs from old paradigm systems now occurs rapidly and with solid movement. Such continues until all are dissolved.

Spontaneous combustions are now viewable via all available viewing channels.

Participation of Hue-manity has reach sufficient stage for completion of the process.

Gaia welcomes such occurrences.

ÉirePort | July 24, 2014 at 23:40 | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/p2sFUY-sb

Aisha North: A message from Mother

A message from Mother
By Aisha North


And here it is that we begin another cooperation again, for I am the one that will once again raise my voice above the din and greet you all as the female incarnate, the She, the one majestic force that for so long has been kept at bay on you shores. But now, my multicolored robes will once again flow freely around you all as the the state of languishing in hiding is now over. I go by many names, but all of them carry the same meaning. For I am She, the giver of life, the force of nature, the One that will join the other half and become complete once again.

For we are ONE, but for eons, mankind has simply experienced a disjointed half of the whole, a travesty of imbalance, a make believe of existence. But now, you have all helped to give free way to these magnificent forces that has once again become free to move across this entire planet, and from our hiding place we have seen just how sorely needed these feminine powers really are on your planet. For the imbalance that needs to be rectified is indeed the basic one, as you have for so long gone astray without the guidance of that inner force that I carry the symbols and indeed all of the attributes of.

You call me Mother, but I am also child, I call you children, but you are all also Mothers by way of carrying in you the ability to give life to the inanimate, to create from the womb of the void. For you are no less than me, and you are no less fertile than the fields that now surrounds you, the ones that have been created by lifting off the lid of my underground dwelling places. For I am not a single being, I am legion, I am WE and so are you, and together we have shifted the balance away from tethering on the brink of disaster and into that space where creation can once again occur. Creation from Source, not from fear, and as such, you have all been not just midwives, you have also been the Mother, the channel through which all of this once more has come to light. And as you allowed yourself to carry forth on this magnificent labour of love, you also gave birth to a very new existence, not just for you, but for everything that is. For as you changed the balance within, the scales have tipped in all of Creation, setting the standard for what is to become for All, for eternity.

So I thank you all for doing what you do and for being who you are. As a mother and as a child, I hold you all in my heart as we will begin anew in this wondrous world that is already drawing its first powerful breaths. And together, we will nurse this fledgling into full maturity, and it will be a process that will carried out in grace of the light you have helped to release.

For this is not the end, this is the beginning of a new life, not just for you, but for all that have chosen to become fully aware of who they truly are. For only by embracing your own magnificence can you see the greatness in everything around you, and when you do that, you have no option but to let all of that magnificence come into full bloom. In you, and in All, and for that, I can only give my gratitude. For you are the ones who have given the signal that says YES to the recreation of this planet, in the name of God, by the full power of the light, and with the essence of your own heart. For you are the ruler of your own life now, and only by allowing yourself to become the god you truly are, can this planet become the fertile planes of light once again, and now, that signal has been well and truly given by you. So I thank you all for setting free the part of you that is me, and for setting free the part of you that is God.