Wednesday, January 31, 2007
IDIOT CALLS HIMSELF GOD
1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS.2-Earthquake rocks Australian island. 3-Frigid temperatures blanket U.S. Plains, Midwest 4-JACK VAN IMPE GOG AND MAGOG HAPPENINGS. 5-Chief Rabbinate to Reduce Use of Special 7th-Year Dispensation. 6-Egypt: PA Will Recognize Israel on Condition of Direct Talks. 7-The king can do no wrong By Shahar Ilan.8-Fear of US damaging EU-NATO relations, NATO chief says. 9-He Calls Himself God.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Wed Jan 31 12:00 AM EDT
JAN 31,07 NO QUAKES YET
JAN 30,07
MAP 2.9 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.8 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 4.4 IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
MAP 2.8 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING
MAP 3.7 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 4.7 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.3 FIJI REGION
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 4.7 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 6.8 WEST OF MACQUARIE ISLAND
MAP 2.9 QUEBEC BORDER REGION, CANADA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
JAN 29,07
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 4.9 CATAMARCA, ARGENTINA
MAP 2.7 GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.3 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC REGION
MAP 2.7 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 4.4 COSTA RICA
MAP 4.9 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.3 OFFSHORE OAXACA, MEXICO
MAP 4.0 OFFSHORE BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO
MAP 4.9 COLOMBIA
MAP 3.3 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.4 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.6 TONGA
Earthquake rocks Australian island Tue Jan 30, 2:06 AM ET
SYDNEY, Australia - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.7 rocked the coast of Australia's remote Macquarie Island Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake struck at 2:54 p.m. local time and was centered six miles below the seabed.Stuart Koyanagi, a geophysicist at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center at Ewa Beach, Hawaii, said the quake was unlikely to generate a major Pacific-wide tsunami.
Normally at this magnitude we don't expect any kind of destructive tsunami, he said.Clive Collins, a seismologist at Geoscience Australia, said the Macquarie Island earthquake involved two tectonic plates moving against each other horizontally, rather than vertically, and was unlikely to displace the large quantity of water needed to generate a tsunami.It's most unlikely there would be any tsunami, he said. It's a fairly large earthquake and it's fairly shallow, but we don't think there's any risk.The isolated, sparsely populated island lies about 835 miles south of the island state of Tasmania, and serves as a base for Australian expeditions to Antarctica.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Frigid temperatures blanket U.S. Plains, Midwest JAN 30,07
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Frigid temperatures were blanketing the U.S. Plains and upper Midwest this week, but a break in the moisture was helping feedlots firm up after a series of storms, a private forecaster said on Tuesday.
The Southern Plains were expected to be cold and dry this week. Temperatures will be below to much-below normal, with lows in the single digits to teens Fahrenheit through the weekend. Highs will be in the mid-20s to mid-30s F.This dry, cold weather is a benefit in the feedlots ... it keeps the saturated ground firmed up. And it's not cold enough to cause any real impact on the animals, said Mike Palmerino, forecaster with DTN Meteorlogix.
The U.S. hard red winter wheat crop should be protected from the cold blast as the chilliest areas of the Plains are covered with snow after a month of storms, he added.The Southern Plains six-to-10-day forecast for Saturday through Thursday looked warmer, he said. Temperatures were expected to be near to above-normal in the west and near to below-normal in the east. Precipitation would be below-normal.The Northern Plains and upper Midwest will see below-normal temperatures this week with conditions dry or with just a few light snow flurries, he said.But there were some indications for colder weather to move into the Northern Plains and Midwest next week.The six-to-10-day outlook for the upper Midwest and Northern Plains called for below to much-below normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation.It could be the coldest weather of the winter next week with lows 5 to 15 degrees below zero, said Palmerino.
WW3 THE 3 WAVES THAT MARCH TO ISRAEL
DANIEL 11:40-45
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA 2ND WAVE OF WW3) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
The Third and Final Wave of WW3 is when all Nations march to Jerusalem, but JESUS bodily returns to earth and destroys them,sets up his KINGDOM OF RULE FOR 1000 YEARS THEN FOREVER.
JACK VAN IMPE GOG AND MAGOG HAPPENINGS
We want to continue our study where we left off last week.
The Unfolding Mystery
The purpose of this war has long caused questions for commentators .
Ezekiel explains the purpose to be twofold: to take a spoil and to take a prey. The poverty of Palestine has made this difficult to understand, but now the mystery is unfolding.The Jews have been the prey of persecutors for thousands of years. Today, if it were militarily possible, they would be the prey of their Arab neighbors. In the coming war with Russia, nearly all the Arab nations will be allies of Russia, and their primary purpose will be to take a prey Israel. The Russians, however, will be marching to the Middle East to take a spoil.
They will be pleased to cooperate in the conquest of Israel, knowing that when their military forces overrun the Middle East they will control all the wealth there, including the Arab oil.Recent history has demonstrated that those who become the allies of Russia are soon totally controlled by her; witness Eastern Europe. So while the Arabs will join the attack against Israel to take a prey, Russia will be invading to take a spoil.
And the spoil is oil.
In addition, the mineral wealth of the Dead Sea, valued at two trillion dollars, must be considere d, as well as the wealth being generated in Israel through industry and agriculture. The protest of Israel's allies makes this clear:Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchant s of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, and take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? (Ezek. 38:13) Sheba and Dedan represent a small number of Arabs who will not participate in the attack on Israel. The merchants of Tarshish are Western powers who by this time will be under the control of the Antichrist, soon to be revealed for who he is and to become the final world dictator.
Important Timing,When will this war take place?
There are four time factors that allow us to arrive at the approximate time of the war between Russia and Israel.The war takes place in the latter years (38:8), or the latter days (38:16). The war can only take place when the Jews are in their land. This prophecy could not have been fulfilled before 1948. Any invasion of the Middle East by Russia previous to statehood for Israel would have been meaningless in regard to this prophecy. The enactment of this scene in the last days also guarantees the survival of Israel until the war with Russia. Were the Arabs to succeed in destroying the Jews, it would be impossible to fulfill Ezekiel's prophecy. At the time of the invasion of Israel, Russia must be a major military power, a fact that guarantees the survival of Russia until the war with Israel. The increase of Russian military might is well known, but that immense and fearsome buildup would have no prophetic significance if the Jews were not in their homeland. Conversely, the gigantic Russian arms effort in view of the present Middle East situation must be seen as preliminary to an attack on Israel as prophesied by Ezekiel. This war between Russia and Israel must take place when the Jews are dwelling securely in their land.
The threat of Arab invasion will therefore have been removed to the point that the Jews feel safe: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates (Ezek. 38:11).It seems likely that this Jewish security will come from enacting a treaty with the head of the Western alliance or the revived Roman Empire. It will be an agreement intended to last for seven years: And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week.(Dan. 9:27).
Since by the time of the Russian attack, the treaty of peace will have been in force long enough for the Jews to feel safe, it appears that the Russian inv asion will come at about the middle of the Tribulation period or approximately three and one-half years after its signing. There is also a hint that the Antichrist will come to world power at that point in time. The extension of his dominion over all the earth seems to follow the defeat of Russia and the armies of the East (Rev. 9:16).Russia's attack on Israel will be her greatest military blunder.
Though brief, the conflict will be one of the most destructive in history. Ezekiel's description of the battle is as follows:...Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him through all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man's sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone (Ezek. 38:19-22).
The prophet's vision carries with it many of the characteristics of nuclear war. There are earth-splitting explosions. Mountains are toppled. Rain, hail, and fire become part of the picture as nature erupts in rebellion against the forces marching to bring destruction to the Jews.While details of military action in this war are few, something about the defeat of the northern invaders will make it clear to the Jews that God has protected them: Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD (Ezek. 38:23).The casualties of the Russian invaders are so great that only one-sixth of the fighting force is left after the battle: And I will turn thee back, and l eave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel (Ezek. 39:2).
Two important developments will follow the defeat of the invaders of Israel. First, the attack by Russia will give the Antichrist an excuse for full occupation of Israel under the pretense of protection and will, along with his defeat of the huge Eastern force (Rev. 9:16), extend his power over the entire world. Second, the divine protection of Israel as prophesied by Ezekiel and proclaimed to the world by evangelists and writers throughout the closing time will turn many Jews to their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The remaining forty-two months of the Tribulation will show man at his worst.The final world dictator will become the most evil of all earth's political and religious leaders. His blasphemy, oppression, and self-exaltation will surpass that of all tyrants before him.Persecution of believers in Christ will reach an all-time high. Millions will be martyred.Anti-Semitism will become the passion of those in power.And the world will continue its age-old march to the most fierce and foolish war of all the Battle of Armageddon.We will delve into the Battle of Armageddon in our next study.
Chief Rabbinate to Reduce Use of Special 7th-Year Dispensation
By Hillel Fendel JAN 30,07
The Chief Rabbinate plans to reduce its reliance on the controversial land sale dispensation for the upcoming Shemittah year of fallow.Following a special session of the Chief Rabbinate Council on the topic, the Rabbinate decided to make great efforts to reduce the reliance on the dispensation to a minimum.Every seventh year, the Land of Israel must lie fallow, forbidden to be worked to produce its fruits. The year is known as Shemittah, from the root meaning to drop or abandon. In the Shemittah of 1889, rabbis of the Land of Israel agreed to temporarily sell parts of the Land to non-Jews, so that certain agricultural activities could be carried out. As the national economy grew and the potential losses - including the very destruction of the fledgling Jewish community - became more threatening, the dispensation became more widespread and institutionalized.
The dispensation, called the heter mechirah, was never universally accepted, and continues to be a matter of controversy even now. Among the scholars who accepted it were Rabbis Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor, Avraham I. Kook, Tzvi Pesach Frank, Yechiel Michel Tukachinsky and Shlomo Yosef Zevin, while Rabbis Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, Yechiel Michel Epstein and the Chazon Ish opposed it. Among living rabbis, Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef supports it, explaining that Shemittah applies nowadays only by Rabbinic dictum, while Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv opposes it.The Chief Rabbinate's announcement states, Only in cases where it becomes clear that the national kashrut system could be harmed [by the introduction of agricultural produce resulting from overt violations of the Shemittah], or in cases where the sustenance of farmers would be dealt a severe blow, or where it is feared that Jewish farmers will abandon agriculture altogether, will the dispensation be implemented.The sale of the land will only be carried out, the Rabbinate resolved, on behalf of one who can prove that he is the true owner of the land, and when it can be guaranteed that Jews will not carry out Biblically-forbidden activities [such as planting and harvesting] on the land.The Chief Rabbinate has appointed Rabbi Ze'ev Vitman to coordinate its Shemittah activities. The rabbi of Tnuvah, Israel's semi-official dairy cooperative, Rabbi Vitman has written a book on the topic entitled, Public Shemittah, in which he
describes how Shemittah can be observed in modern-day Israel.
Alon Tennenbaum, Rabbi Vitman's assistant, told Arutz-7 that the intention this year is to map out the ownership of fields throughout the country, and not to automatically sell the entire land as has been done in the past.
He said that local rabbis will be asked to help so that as many land-owners and farmers as possible can be contacted.The heter is not the preferred solution, the Chief Rabbinate declares in a noted departure from past Rabbinate practice ,since there is no consensus that land belonging to a non-Jew is exempt from the laws of Shemittah. On the contrary; most Halakhic decisors feel that a Jew must not work land belonging to a non-Jew. The very sale of the land to a non-Jew is also problematic, from both the legal and Halakhic standpoints."Therefore, when possible, only the trees and crops will be sold... Farmers will fill out forms, and Chief Rabbinate representatives will meet with the farmers in order to review the need for a sale and reduce it to the necessary minimum.
Another Solution
In the past, Rabbi Vitman has promoted another large-scale solution, known as the Otzar Beit Din.
Based on the concept that produce grown in the seventh year is not forbidden, but is rather ownerless and may be taken for personal use, the Otzar Beit Din solution involves the gathering of fruits in a large-scale manner and their not-for-profit sale.This solution will not be promoted on a national scale this year, however, largely because Tnuvah no longer has a fruits-and-vegetables department. The solution requires a large body that can stand behind it, Tennenbaum explained, and which is willing to absorb losses. Tnuvah filled the bill in the past... Rabbi Vitman is consulting with great rabbis to see how the Otzar Beit Din solution can be
implemented on a smaller scale.
MUSLIM NATIONS
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill
savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Egypt: PA Will Recognize Israel on Condition of Direct Talks
By Hana Levi Julian JAN 30,07
The Hamas terrorist group that heads the PA government will recognize Israel if Jerusalem agrees to talks with its leaders, said an Egyptian official Monday -negating all Hamas declarations to date. Osama al-Baz, a political advisor to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, said that an unnamed Hamas leader told him, How can we recognize Israel when it refuses to sit with us at the negotiating table and when they refuse to recognize us?According to Cairo's semi-official Middle East News Agency, al-Baz said that an initiative by Israel might be met with recognition of the Jewish state - an act that Hamas has vowed it would never carry out.While Egyptian officials were trying to emphasize the need for direct talks between Israel and Hamas in order to advance negotiations between the Jewish State and the PA, the militia war in Gaza claimed three more lives on Monday, and one on Tuesday.
A leading Hamas man was killed Tuesday as he walked out of a mosque in Khan Yunis, near what used to be N'vei Dekalim in southern Gaza. This, despite news of a ceasefire reached between Hamas and Fatah negotiators Monday night.A loud explosion was heard near the home of Hamas PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh Monday night, apparently aimed at him. Haniyeh was unhurt.Heavy exchanges of gunfire between Fatah and Hamas supporters were also reported earlier in the evening, and a rocket propelled grenade was fired on the Gaza police station a few hours later. More than 30 have been killed since the latest outbreak of fighting that began Thursday.Germany, acting in its position as head of the European Union (EU), has called on Hamas and Fatah leaders to make peace and cease the escalating violence. The EU issued a statement which said it is extremely worried about the growing violence in the PA. More than 60 people, including several children, have been killed in the militia war that broke out in December.
THE EU DICTATOR
REVELATION 6:1-2,13:1-3,7-9,16
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(THIS IS THE EU DICTATOR)
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(7 HEADS ARE THE 7TH WORLD EMPIRE IN HISTORY (THE EU) AS WELL AS THE VATICAN WHICH IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS. 10 HORNS ARE 10 KINGS THAT ARISE FROM THE EU, THEN #11 COMES ON THE SCENE BECOMES THE HEAD OF 3 OUNTRIES AND THEN THE EU DICTATOR, COMES FROM 1 OF THE 3 COUNTRIES THAT RULE FOR THIS TERM. I BELIEVE THE 3 COUNTRIES RULING AT THE TIME ARE SPAIN AND 2 OF THE ORIGINAL 6 THAT STARTED THE EU.
FROM 1 OF THESE 3 COUNTRIES COME THE FUTURE EU DICTATOR PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN
UNION WHO GUARENTEES ISRAELS SECURITY FOR A LAND FOR PEACE 7 YEAR TREATY.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.(THE JEWISH EU DICTATOR GETS HIS POWER FROM SATAN,HE COMES FROM THE OCCULT).
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE DICTATOR HAS A FALSE RESURRECTION. JUST LIKE JESUS HAD A LITERAL RESURRECTION THIS DICTATOR GETS MURDERED AT THE 3 1/2 YR MARK OF THR 7 YEAR TREATY AND COMES BACK TO LIFE. THIS IS HOW HE CAN CLAIM TO BE GOD AND GET AWAY WITH IT AND CONTROL THE WHOLE EARTH.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
DANIEL 11:36-40
36 And the king shall do according to his will;(EU PRESIDENT) and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS A EUROPEAN JEW) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(HES A MILITARY GINIUS) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds (CONTROL HEZBOLLAH,AL-QUAIDA MURDERERS ETC) with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south(EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR PROTECTING ISRAELS SECURITY) and the king of the north(RUSSIA) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
Tuesday January 30,07 The king can do no wrong By Shahar Ilan
The queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II, cannot be tried or summoned to testify in court. The guiding principle, explains Prof. Shimon Sheetrit of the Hebrew University, is the king can do no wrong. In Spain too, the king has complete immunity.
The sweeping immunity granted to kings, princes, heads of state and royalty essentially places them above the law: While a president can be tried after completing his term or being impeached, a king is king for life. Prof. Claude Klein of the Hebrew University law faculty says that the more authority a head of state has, the less immunity he receives.
Symbolic heads of state, such as kings or presidents in parliamentary regimes, tend to receive broader immunity based on the presumption, He has no authority, so what can he really do? A president with authority, explains Klein, cannot be protected so completely, because if you do not provide an option for impeachment, that contradicts every democratic process.Comparative documents prepared by the Knesset's Research and Information Center and the Israel Democracy Institute indicate that in cases around the world, the process of impeaching or trying a president is very complex, and necessitates a special parliamentary majority. The process varies from country to country, and in some cases, it is nearly impossible to try the president.
In Germany, the president can be impeached if he intentionally violates the constitution or federal laws, but this requires the approval of two-thirds of one of the houses of parliament. In Ireland, a decision by a two-thirds majority of one house is required to investigate a president for inappropriate behavior. The other house of parliament then launches the investigation, and it too must approve the impeachment by a two-thirds majority in the end. In Greece, as in Israel, a sitting president cannot be tried, and he must be first removed from office. This requires a two-thirds parliamentary majority. In Austria, the two houses of parliament must convene together in order to start legal proceedings against the president. Impeachment requires another decision by the assembly, with a two-thirds majority plus a national referendum. However, the process is a big gamble: If the impeachment is rejected in the referendum, the parliament is dissolved. In the Czech Republic, the president may not be either tried or arrested for a criminal offense, except for treason. Italy's president has immunity for every crime except treason or attempting to undermine the constitution.
Why investigate?
In Israel, a sitting president cannot be tried for a criminal offense, and a special three-quarters Knesset majority is required to impeach him. But it is relatively easy to open an investigation against a president. Dana Blander of the Israel Democracy Institute says, To this day, the legislature has not interpreted a criminal investigation against the president as a blow to his immunity. Sheetrit believes, however, If they were to uphold the spirit of the law here, ostensibly, it would not be necessary to open an investigation against Katsav, because if he cannot be tried, what is the point of investigating? There is some doubt regarding the legality of this matter.However, Sheetrit agrees that Katsav himself opened the door to an investigation when he approached the attorney general with complaints of attempted blackmail. A precedent was established in 2000 when President Ezer Weizman was investigated on suspicion of accepting funds from millionaire Edmund Serousi. Weizman acknowledged at the time: I accept the decision to open an investigation. I will be investigated like any other citizen, because no man is above the law.Contrary to the queen, Britain's prime minister does not have immunity from investigation. Indeed, the British police has been conducting a very comprehensive investigation into suspicions that Tony Blair recommended awarding titles of nobility in return for huge, unreported contributions to the Labour Party. The American constitution is very unclear on the president's immunity. The constitution calls for impeachment for treason, bribery, and serious crimes and offenses, which is open to interpretation. In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of Nixon vs. Fitzgerald that the president has immunity from civil suits over his actions as president.
But when Paula Jones sued Bill Clinton for sexual harassment, this ruling was not relevant because it related to acts that preceded his term as president. Nevertheless, there is no decisive precedent regarding whether a sitting American president may be tried for a criminal offense, or whether he must first be removed from office. In Italy, as in Israel, the prime minister can continue serving while a criminal trial against him is underway. And indeed, former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's long tenure was accompanied by corruption trials. He was found guilty of accepting bribes four times and was sentenced to a considerable number of years in jail. But all of the punishments were cancelled on appeals or due to statutes of limitations.
Even if the punishments had not been cancelled, it is doubtful he would have sat in jail because of his parliamentary immunity. In 2003, Berlusconi passed a law granting himself and another four senior government officials immunity from prosecution during their terms in office. The constitutional court of Italy disqualified the law. But that does not mean Berlusconi did not benefit. In the meantime, his trial on charges of giving a half-million dollar bribe to a judge in 1991 was delayed, and when it was renewed, Berlusconi was acquitted because of the statute of limitations.
No immunity for King David
The immunity delivered so generously in our country is very foreign to the spirit of Hebrew law, writes Israel prize laureate Prof.
Nahum Rakover in his book The Rule of Law in Israel. Rabbi Yehudah Zoldan, of the Jerusalem College of Technology?s Lev Institute, says, In general, immunity is foreign to halakha. Everyone is equal. there is no situation in which a president should not be investigated or a suit should not be filed.Halakha sources ostensibly stipulate the exact opposite: ?The king may neither judge nor be judged, reads tractate Sanhedrin 2:1. However, commentators including Rashi and Maimonides explain that the Sanhedrin granted immunity to the kings of the Hasmonean dynasty out of fear.They were afraid to deal with them, says Zoldan, and afraid that if the people saw the king flouting the Sanhedrin?s laws, the people would also flout them.
The kings of the House of David, however, did not enjoy immunity. If the leader sinned, halakha would not bar him from being tried, says Rabbi Zoldan. However, he feels that the halakha does provide a framework for setting up a forum of neutral public figures and jurists to investigate whether justification exists to indict public figures.
Can't live with him
The problem with the presidency is that although the last two terms have been tough, we couldn't do without it.
The president does not make many decisions that require judgment, and ostensibly all he does is symbolize and represent, i.e., serve as the head of state. But somebody has to receive credentials, swear in judges, grant pardons and sit in the dignitaries box at final cup matches.There have been calls to eliminate the presidency here. But Reuven Hazan, a doctor of political science at the Hebrew University, says the best argument against this is that no other country has done so. If Israel were to disband the presidency, it would once again be reinventing the wheel as in the direct elections method.Western countries have three models for a representative head of state: The presidential regime, where the head of the executive branch is the head of state. The United States and many Eastern European countries use this model. The parliamentary regime, where the head of state has little authority. He or she may be a president, king, queen or any other figure. In Europe, 11 countries are headed by a member of a royal dynasty. The British Commonwealth model, as practiced in Australia and New Zealand. In these countries, the head of state is the Queen of England, who is represented by a governor general. It is fairly common for countries to have foreign heads of state: In the principality of Andorra, for example, two co-princes share the role. One is the bishop of Seu Urgell and the other is the president of France, Jacques Chirac. Greenland?s head of state is the queen of Denmark.
Approximately half of European regimes are presidential, and the rest are parliamentary democracies. All the latter have a representative head of state. In Israel, the president has much less authority than in some other parliamentary democracies. But Israel Democracy Institute chairman Prof. Arik Carmon feels that the Israeli president?s power lies in his lack of authority. This is what enables him to rise above the many disputes and divisions in Israel.It's much more than a symbol,? he says. Carmon opposes eliminating the post.The president is of the utmost importance, but the right person must be found for the role.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2
YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
Fear of US damaging EU-NATO relations, NATO chief says
30.01.2007 - 09:26 CET | By Lucia Kubosova
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - NATO and the EU are far from capable of tackling a world crisis jointly as their relationship is still problematic and sees a remarkable distance between them - partly due to European fears over US influence, NATO's
chief has said. Speaking to EU officials in a Berlin conference hosted by the German foreign ministry on Monday (29 January), the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance's secretary general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said it is astounding how far from the envisaged strategic partnership the two institutions have remained despite attempts to bring them closer.Some deliberately want to keep NATO and the EU at a distance from one another. For this school of thought, a closer relationship between NATO and the EU means excessive influence for the USA.I do not share European instinctive fears about undue influence of the USA in European affairs anyhow. Europe is sufficiently self-aware – and they know it in Washington too, Mr De Hoop Scheffer argued.The NATO chief added that even the US has overcome original suspicions towards the EU's security and defence policy and does not view the policy as a potential danger or the alliance and the EU as rivals.But at the same time, differences in opinion due to differing membership structures of the two organisations still lead to formal wrangles over security agreements, the exchange of information or the format of meetings, Mr Scheffer said. We have been able to circumvent many of these hurdles through informal procedures But if those who put up these hurdles do not display more responsibility and flexibility, it will continue to place a heavy burden on NATO-EU relations.
Solana highlights EU's tiny budget on defence
According to Mr De Hoop Scheffer, conflict zones such as the Western Balkans and Afghanistan have proved that NATO and the EU are dependent upon one another for their operations to succeed.German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier agreed with the NATO chief that the potential for a strategic partnership between the two bodies has yet to be used.He added that the union's goal is to create a joint defence of Europe in a shared vision which would pool defence spending of individual member states and enable them to make savings.However, the EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana himself a head of NATO eight years ago - pointed out that defence spending still lags behind in Europe in contrast to the US.Only a handful of member states' defence spending is over 2 percent of gross domestic product, he said, stressing that the US spends twice as much with over 30 percent of budget put aside for research and equipment while Europeans invest less than 20 percent in new technology. Mr Solana was far less critical about the ties between the EU and NATO than the alliance's chief however, arguing instead that mutual operations have been successful.We have also worked closely and effectively side-by-side in Darfur, and we will be doing so in Kosovo and Afghanistan this year, he concluded.
FALSE TEACHERS,PROPHETS,DECIEVERS
MATTHEW 24:4-5,11,24-25
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
1 TIMOTHY 4:1-2
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
MARK 13:22-23
22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
2 TIMOTHY 3:13
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
He Calls Himself God JAN 30,07
A Puerto Rican minister says Christ integrated with him. Others call him a cult leader and a charlatan.By Arian Campo-Flores Newsweek
Feb. 5, 2007 issue - At first glance, the congregation gathered in a warehouse in Doral, Fla., seems like a typical Hispanic evangelical group. There's the 10-piece band, the singing and swaying, the whooping and hollering. But look a little more
closely. There's not a cross in sight. The lectern is emblazoned with a near replica of the U.S. presidential seal, except that it reads in Spanish, government of god on earth. Off to the side stand three burly guys in dark suits with Secret Service-style earpieces. When a door by the stage opens, the guards leap into action. They surround the man with slicked-back hair who emerges and escort him to his seat. When the crowd spots him, it goes wild. People chant, Lord! Lord! Lord! It quickly
becomes clear that they're referring to him. It's Jesus Christ himself! a preacher onstage announces. Let's welcome Jesus Christ Man! In the rapturous eyes of his flock, Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda is, in fact, the second coming of Christ. As the head of the Growing in Grace International Ministry, he presides over a sprawling organization that includes more than 300 congregations in two dozen countries, from Argentina to Australia. He counts more than 100,000 followers and claims to reach millions more through a 24-hour TV channel, a radio show and several Web sites. He is supported by the generosity of his devotees, who have launched some 450 businesses to pour cash into Growing in Grace's coffers. Though de Jesus' followers worship him, others denounce him as a charlatan. Everyone, however, agrees on one thing: his teachings are incendiary.All members of Growing in Grace are expected to tithe—which, along with offerings, yielded $1.4 million for headquarters last year. One of the first orders of business at every service is the collection of money (credit cards accepted). Those who have pledged their businesses to de Jesus donate much more. Alvaro Albarracín, a savvy, successful businessman given the title Entrepreneur of Entrepreneurs by de Jesus, is an example. Over the course of Albarracín's 14 years in the church, he estimates that he's given roughly $2.5 million. Such funds help underwrite a lavish lifestyle for de Jesus, including diamond-encrusted gold rings and fancy cars. But most of the money goes to his broadcast operation.
Some observers call Growing in Grace a cult. De Jesus exerts total authority over the ministry. As a result, many have defected over the years, including Albarracín's mother, Regina, who initially turned her son on to the church.
They brainwash you, she says. Because of their disagreement, Regina and her son haven't spoken in years (she now attends an evangelical church). This is my only family, Alvaro says of Growing in Grace. Such submission concerns Daniel Alvarez, a religious-studies instructor at Florida International University. I hope [de Jesus] doesn't metamorphose into Jim Jones, he says, referring to the cult leader who led his followers to mass suicide in Guyana. He has that kind of control over people. (De Jesus responds that congregants are free to come and go as they please.) Over the past year, de Jesus has encouraged his followers to protest the alleged lies of other churches. In response, supporters have picketed Catholic congregations and burned religious materials, including crucifixes. Our purpose is to open up people's minds, says de Jesus' right-hand man, Carlos Cestero, who says that the group rejects violence. Jesus wouldn't have it any other way—the question is whether de Jesus feels the same.2007 Newsweek, Inc.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Wed Jan 31 12:00 AM EDT
JAN 31,07 NO QUAKES YET
JAN 30,07
MAP 2.9 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.8 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 4.4 IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
MAP 2.8 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING
MAP 3.7 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 4.7 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.3 FIJI REGION
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 4.7 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 6.8 WEST OF MACQUARIE ISLAND
MAP 2.9 QUEBEC BORDER REGION, CANADA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
JAN 29,07
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 4.9 CATAMARCA, ARGENTINA
MAP 2.7 GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.3 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC REGION
MAP 2.7 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 4.4 COSTA RICA
MAP 4.9 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.3 OFFSHORE OAXACA, MEXICO
MAP 4.0 OFFSHORE BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO
MAP 4.9 COLOMBIA
MAP 3.3 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.4 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.6 TONGA
Earthquake rocks Australian island Tue Jan 30, 2:06 AM ET
SYDNEY, Australia - An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.7 rocked the coast of Australia's remote Macquarie Island Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake struck at 2:54 p.m. local time and was centered six miles below the seabed.Stuart Koyanagi, a geophysicist at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center at Ewa Beach, Hawaii, said the quake was unlikely to generate a major Pacific-wide tsunami.
Normally at this magnitude we don't expect any kind of destructive tsunami, he said.Clive Collins, a seismologist at Geoscience Australia, said the Macquarie Island earthquake involved two tectonic plates moving against each other horizontally, rather than vertically, and was unlikely to displace the large quantity of water needed to generate a tsunami.It's most unlikely there would be any tsunami, he said. It's a fairly large earthquake and it's fairly shallow, but we don't think there's any risk.The isolated, sparsely populated island lies about 835 miles south of the island state of Tasmania, and serves as a base for Australian expeditions to Antarctica.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Frigid temperatures blanket U.S. Plains, Midwest JAN 30,07
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Frigid temperatures were blanketing the U.S. Plains and upper Midwest this week, but a break in the moisture was helping feedlots firm up after a series of storms, a private forecaster said on Tuesday.
The Southern Plains were expected to be cold and dry this week. Temperatures will be below to much-below normal, with lows in the single digits to teens Fahrenheit through the weekend. Highs will be in the mid-20s to mid-30s F.This dry, cold weather is a benefit in the feedlots ... it keeps the saturated ground firmed up. And it's not cold enough to cause any real impact on the animals, said Mike Palmerino, forecaster with DTN Meteorlogix.
The U.S. hard red winter wheat crop should be protected from the cold blast as the chilliest areas of the Plains are covered with snow after a month of storms, he added.The Southern Plains six-to-10-day forecast for Saturday through Thursday looked warmer, he said. Temperatures were expected to be near to above-normal in the west and near to below-normal in the east. Precipitation would be below-normal.The Northern Plains and upper Midwest will see below-normal temperatures this week with conditions dry or with just a few light snow flurries, he said.But there were some indications for colder weather to move into the Northern Plains and Midwest next week.The six-to-10-day outlook for the upper Midwest and Northern Plains called for below to much-below normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation.It could be the coldest weather of the winter next week with lows 5 to 15 degrees below zero, said Palmerino.
WW3 THE 3 WAVES THAT MARCH TO ISRAEL
DANIEL 11:40-45
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA 2ND WAVE OF WW3) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
The Third and Final Wave of WW3 is when all Nations march to Jerusalem, but JESUS bodily returns to earth and destroys them,sets up his KINGDOM OF RULE FOR 1000 YEARS THEN FOREVER.
JACK VAN IMPE GOG AND MAGOG HAPPENINGS
We want to continue our study where we left off last week.
The Unfolding Mystery
The purpose of this war has long caused questions for commentators .
Ezekiel explains the purpose to be twofold: to take a spoil and to take a prey. The poverty of Palestine has made this difficult to understand, but now the mystery is unfolding.The Jews have been the prey of persecutors for thousands of years. Today, if it were militarily possible, they would be the prey of their Arab neighbors. In the coming war with Russia, nearly all the Arab nations will be allies of Russia, and their primary purpose will be to take a prey Israel. The Russians, however, will be marching to the Middle East to take a spoil.
They will be pleased to cooperate in the conquest of Israel, knowing that when their military forces overrun the Middle East they will control all the wealth there, including the Arab oil.Recent history has demonstrated that those who become the allies of Russia are soon totally controlled by her; witness Eastern Europe. So while the Arabs will join the attack against Israel to take a prey, Russia will be invading to take a spoil.
And the spoil is oil.
In addition, the mineral wealth of the Dead Sea, valued at two trillion dollars, must be considere d, as well as the wealth being generated in Israel through industry and agriculture. The protest of Israel's allies makes this clear:Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchant s of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, and take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? (Ezek. 38:13) Sheba and Dedan represent a small number of Arabs who will not participate in the attack on Israel. The merchants of Tarshish are Western powers who by this time will be under the control of the Antichrist, soon to be revealed for who he is and to become the final world dictator.
Important Timing,When will this war take place?
There are four time factors that allow us to arrive at the approximate time of the war between Russia and Israel.The war takes place in the latter years (38:8), or the latter days (38:16). The war can only take place when the Jews are in their land. This prophecy could not have been fulfilled before 1948. Any invasion of the Middle East by Russia previous to statehood for Israel would have been meaningless in regard to this prophecy. The enactment of this scene in the last days also guarantees the survival of Israel until the war with Russia. Were the Arabs to succeed in destroying the Jews, it would be impossible to fulfill Ezekiel's prophecy. At the time of the invasion of Israel, Russia must be a major military power, a fact that guarantees the survival of Russia until the war with Israel. The increase of Russian military might is well known, but that immense and fearsome buildup would have no prophetic significance if the Jews were not in their homeland. Conversely, the gigantic Russian arms effort in view of the present Middle East situation must be seen as preliminary to an attack on Israel as prophesied by Ezekiel. This war between Russia and Israel must take place when the Jews are dwelling securely in their land.
The threat of Arab invasion will therefore have been removed to the point that the Jews feel safe: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates (Ezek. 38:11).It seems likely that this Jewish security will come from enacting a treaty with the head of the Western alliance or the revived Roman Empire. It will be an agreement intended to last for seven years: And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week.(Dan. 9:27).
Since by the time of the Russian attack, the treaty of peace will have been in force long enough for the Jews to feel safe, it appears that the Russian inv asion will come at about the middle of the Tribulation period or approximately three and one-half years after its signing. There is also a hint that the Antichrist will come to world power at that point in time. The extension of his dominion over all the earth seems to follow the defeat of Russia and the armies of the East (Rev. 9:16).Russia's attack on Israel will be her greatest military blunder.
Though brief, the conflict will be one of the most destructive in history. Ezekiel's description of the battle is as follows:...Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him through all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man's sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone (Ezek. 38:19-22).
The prophet's vision carries with it many of the characteristics of nuclear war. There are earth-splitting explosions. Mountains are toppled. Rain, hail, and fire become part of the picture as nature erupts in rebellion against the forces marching to bring destruction to the Jews.While details of military action in this war are few, something about the defeat of the northern invaders will make it clear to the Jews that God has protected them: Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD (Ezek. 38:23).The casualties of the Russian invaders are so great that only one-sixth of the fighting force is left after the battle: And I will turn thee back, and l eave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel (Ezek. 39:2).
Two important developments will follow the defeat of the invaders of Israel. First, the attack by Russia will give the Antichrist an excuse for full occupation of Israel under the pretense of protection and will, along with his defeat of the huge Eastern force (Rev. 9:16), extend his power over the entire world. Second, the divine protection of Israel as prophesied by Ezekiel and proclaimed to the world by evangelists and writers throughout the closing time will turn many Jews to their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The remaining forty-two months of the Tribulation will show man at his worst.The final world dictator will become the most evil of all earth's political and religious leaders. His blasphemy, oppression, and self-exaltation will surpass that of all tyrants before him.Persecution of believers in Christ will reach an all-time high. Millions will be martyred.Anti-Semitism will become the passion of those in power.And the world will continue its age-old march to the most fierce and foolish war of all the Battle of Armageddon.We will delve into the Battle of Armageddon in our next study.
Chief Rabbinate to Reduce Use of Special 7th-Year Dispensation
By Hillel Fendel JAN 30,07
The Chief Rabbinate plans to reduce its reliance on the controversial land sale dispensation for the upcoming Shemittah year of fallow.Following a special session of the Chief Rabbinate Council on the topic, the Rabbinate decided to make great efforts to reduce the reliance on the dispensation to a minimum.Every seventh year, the Land of Israel must lie fallow, forbidden to be worked to produce its fruits. The year is known as Shemittah, from the root meaning to drop or abandon. In the Shemittah of 1889, rabbis of the Land of Israel agreed to temporarily sell parts of the Land to non-Jews, so that certain agricultural activities could be carried out. As the national economy grew and the potential losses - including the very destruction of the fledgling Jewish community - became more threatening, the dispensation became more widespread and institutionalized.
The dispensation, called the heter mechirah, was never universally accepted, and continues to be a matter of controversy even now. Among the scholars who accepted it were Rabbis Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor, Avraham I. Kook, Tzvi Pesach Frank, Yechiel Michel Tukachinsky and Shlomo Yosef Zevin, while Rabbis Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, Yechiel Michel Epstein and the Chazon Ish opposed it. Among living rabbis, Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef supports it, explaining that Shemittah applies nowadays only by Rabbinic dictum, while Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv opposes it.The Chief Rabbinate's announcement states, Only in cases where it becomes clear that the national kashrut system could be harmed [by the introduction of agricultural produce resulting from overt violations of the Shemittah], or in cases where the sustenance of farmers would be dealt a severe blow, or where it is feared that Jewish farmers will abandon agriculture altogether, will the dispensation be implemented.The sale of the land will only be carried out, the Rabbinate resolved, on behalf of one who can prove that he is the true owner of the land, and when it can be guaranteed that Jews will not carry out Biblically-forbidden activities [such as planting and harvesting] on the land.The Chief Rabbinate has appointed Rabbi Ze'ev Vitman to coordinate its Shemittah activities. The rabbi of Tnuvah, Israel's semi-official dairy cooperative, Rabbi Vitman has written a book on the topic entitled, Public Shemittah, in which he
describes how Shemittah can be observed in modern-day Israel.
Alon Tennenbaum, Rabbi Vitman's assistant, told Arutz-7 that the intention this year is to map out the ownership of fields throughout the country, and not to automatically sell the entire land as has been done in the past.
He said that local rabbis will be asked to help so that as many land-owners and farmers as possible can be contacted.The heter is not the preferred solution, the Chief Rabbinate declares in a noted departure from past Rabbinate practice ,since there is no consensus that land belonging to a non-Jew is exempt from the laws of Shemittah. On the contrary; most Halakhic decisors feel that a Jew must not work land belonging to a non-Jew. The very sale of the land to a non-Jew is also problematic, from both the legal and Halakhic standpoints."Therefore, when possible, only the trees and crops will be sold... Farmers will fill out forms, and Chief Rabbinate representatives will meet with the farmers in order to review the need for a sale and reduce it to the necessary minimum.
Another Solution
In the past, Rabbi Vitman has promoted another large-scale solution, known as the Otzar Beit Din.
Based on the concept that produce grown in the seventh year is not forbidden, but is rather ownerless and may be taken for personal use, the Otzar Beit Din solution involves the gathering of fruits in a large-scale manner and their not-for-profit sale.This solution will not be promoted on a national scale this year, however, largely because Tnuvah no longer has a fruits-and-vegetables department. The solution requires a large body that can stand behind it, Tennenbaum explained, and which is willing to absorb losses. Tnuvah filled the bill in the past... Rabbi Vitman is consulting with great rabbis to see how the Otzar Beit Din solution can be
implemented on a smaller scale.
MUSLIM NATIONS
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill
savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Egypt: PA Will Recognize Israel on Condition of Direct Talks
By Hana Levi Julian JAN 30,07
The Hamas terrorist group that heads the PA government will recognize Israel if Jerusalem agrees to talks with its leaders, said an Egyptian official Monday -negating all Hamas declarations to date. Osama al-Baz, a political advisor to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, said that an unnamed Hamas leader told him, How can we recognize Israel when it refuses to sit with us at the negotiating table and when they refuse to recognize us?According to Cairo's semi-official Middle East News Agency, al-Baz said that an initiative by Israel might be met with recognition of the Jewish state - an act that Hamas has vowed it would never carry out.While Egyptian officials were trying to emphasize the need for direct talks between Israel and Hamas in order to advance negotiations between the Jewish State and the PA, the militia war in Gaza claimed three more lives on Monday, and one on Tuesday.
A leading Hamas man was killed Tuesday as he walked out of a mosque in Khan Yunis, near what used to be N'vei Dekalim in southern Gaza. This, despite news of a ceasefire reached between Hamas and Fatah negotiators Monday night.A loud explosion was heard near the home of Hamas PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh Monday night, apparently aimed at him. Haniyeh was unhurt.Heavy exchanges of gunfire between Fatah and Hamas supporters were also reported earlier in the evening, and a rocket propelled grenade was fired on the Gaza police station a few hours later. More than 30 have been killed since the latest outbreak of fighting that began Thursday.Germany, acting in its position as head of the European Union (EU), has called on Hamas and Fatah leaders to make peace and cease the escalating violence. The EU issued a statement which said it is extremely worried about the growing violence in the PA. More than 60 people, including several children, have been killed in the militia war that broke out in December.
THE EU DICTATOR
REVELATION 6:1-2,13:1-3,7-9,16
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(THIS IS THE EU DICTATOR)
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(7 HEADS ARE THE 7TH WORLD EMPIRE IN HISTORY (THE EU) AS WELL AS THE VATICAN WHICH IS BUILT ON 7 HILLS. 10 HORNS ARE 10 KINGS THAT ARISE FROM THE EU, THEN #11 COMES ON THE SCENE BECOMES THE HEAD OF 3 OUNTRIES AND THEN THE EU DICTATOR, COMES FROM 1 OF THE 3 COUNTRIES THAT RULE FOR THIS TERM. I BELIEVE THE 3 COUNTRIES RULING AT THE TIME ARE SPAIN AND 2 OF THE ORIGINAL 6 THAT STARTED THE EU.
FROM 1 OF THESE 3 COUNTRIES COME THE FUTURE EU DICTATOR PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN
UNION WHO GUARENTEES ISRAELS SECURITY FOR A LAND FOR PEACE 7 YEAR TREATY.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.(THE JEWISH EU DICTATOR GETS HIS POWER FROM SATAN,HE COMES FROM THE OCCULT).
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE DICTATOR HAS A FALSE RESURRECTION. JUST LIKE JESUS HAD A LITERAL RESURRECTION THIS DICTATOR GETS MURDERED AT THE 3 1/2 YR MARK OF THR 7 YEAR TREATY AND COMES BACK TO LIFE. THIS IS HOW HE CAN CLAIM TO BE GOD AND GET AWAY WITH IT AND CONTROL THE WHOLE EARTH.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
DANIEL 11:36-40
36 And the king shall do according to his will;(EU PRESIDENT) and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS A EUROPEAN JEW) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(HES A MILITARY GINIUS) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds (CONTROL HEZBOLLAH,AL-QUAIDA MURDERERS ETC) with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south(EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR PROTECTING ISRAELS SECURITY) and the king of the north(RUSSIA) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
Tuesday January 30,07 The king can do no wrong By Shahar Ilan
The queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II, cannot be tried or summoned to testify in court. The guiding principle, explains Prof. Shimon Sheetrit of the Hebrew University, is the king can do no wrong. In Spain too, the king has complete immunity.
The sweeping immunity granted to kings, princes, heads of state and royalty essentially places them above the law: While a president can be tried after completing his term or being impeached, a king is king for life. Prof. Claude Klein of the Hebrew University law faculty says that the more authority a head of state has, the less immunity he receives.
Symbolic heads of state, such as kings or presidents in parliamentary regimes, tend to receive broader immunity based on the presumption, He has no authority, so what can he really do? A president with authority, explains Klein, cannot be protected so completely, because if you do not provide an option for impeachment, that contradicts every democratic process.Comparative documents prepared by the Knesset's Research and Information Center and the Israel Democracy Institute indicate that in cases around the world, the process of impeaching or trying a president is very complex, and necessitates a special parliamentary majority. The process varies from country to country, and in some cases, it is nearly impossible to try the president.
In Germany, the president can be impeached if he intentionally violates the constitution or federal laws, but this requires the approval of two-thirds of one of the houses of parliament. In Ireland, a decision by a two-thirds majority of one house is required to investigate a president for inappropriate behavior. The other house of parliament then launches the investigation, and it too must approve the impeachment by a two-thirds majority in the end. In Greece, as in Israel, a sitting president cannot be tried, and he must be first removed from office. This requires a two-thirds parliamentary majority. In Austria, the two houses of parliament must convene together in order to start legal proceedings against the president. Impeachment requires another decision by the assembly, with a two-thirds majority plus a national referendum. However, the process is a big gamble: If the impeachment is rejected in the referendum, the parliament is dissolved. In the Czech Republic, the president may not be either tried or arrested for a criminal offense, except for treason. Italy's president has immunity for every crime except treason or attempting to undermine the constitution.
Why investigate?
In Israel, a sitting president cannot be tried for a criminal offense, and a special three-quarters Knesset majority is required to impeach him. But it is relatively easy to open an investigation against a president. Dana Blander of the Israel Democracy Institute says, To this day, the legislature has not interpreted a criminal investigation against the president as a blow to his immunity. Sheetrit believes, however, If they were to uphold the spirit of the law here, ostensibly, it would not be necessary to open an investigation against Katsav, because if he cannot be tried, what is the point of investigating? There is some doubt regarding the legality of this matter.However, Sheetrit agrees that Katsav himself opened the door to an investigation when he approached the attorney general with complaints of attempted blackmail. A precedent was established in 2000 when President Ezer Weizman was investigated on suspicion of accepting funds from millionaire Edmund Serousi. Weizman acknowledged at the time: I accept the decision to open an investigation. I will be investigated like any other citizen, because no man is above the law.Contrary to the queen, Britain's prime minister does not have immunity from investigation. Indeed, the British police has been conducting a very comprehensive investigation into suspicions that Tony Blair recommended awarding titles of nobility in return for huge, unreported contributions to the Labour Party. The American constitution is very unclear on the president's immunity. The constitution calls for impeachment for treason, bribery, and serious crimes and offenses, which is open to interpretation. In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the case of Nixon vs. Fitzgerald that the president has immunity from civil suits over his actions as president.
But when Paula Jones sued Bill Clinton for sexual harassment, this ruling was not relevant because it related to acts that preceded his term as president. Nevertheless, there is no decisive precedent regarding whether a sitting American president may be tried for a criminal offense, or whether he must first be removed from office. In Italy, as in Israel, the prime minister can continue serving while a criminal trial against him is underway. And indeed, former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's long tenure was accompanied by corruption trials. He was found guilty of accepting bribes four times and was sentenced to a considerable number of years in jail. But all of the punishments were cancelled on appeals or due to statutes of limitations.
Even if the punishments had not been cancelled, it is doubtful he would have sat in jail because of his parliamentary immunity. In 2003, Berlusconi passed a law granting himself and another four senior government officials immunity from prosecution during their terms in office. The constitutional court of Italy disqualified the law. But that does not mean Berlusconi did not benefit. In the meantime, his trial on charges of giving a half-million dollar bribe to a judge in 1991 was delayed, and when it was renewed, Berlusconi was acquitted because of the statute of limitations.
No immunity for King David
The immunity delivered so generously in our country is very foreign to the spirit of Hebrew law, writes Israel prize laureate Prof.
Nahum Rakover in his book The Rule of Law in Israel. Rabbi Yehudah Zoldan, of the Jerusalem College of Technology?s Lev Institute, says, In general, immunity is foreign to halakha. Everyone is equal. there is no situation in which a president should not be investigated or a suit should not be filed.Halakha sources ostensibly stipulate the exact opposite: ?The king may neither judge nor be judged, reads tractate Sanhedrin 2:1. However, commentators including Rashi and Maimonides explain that the Sanhedrin granted immunity to the kings of the Hasmonean dynasty out of fear.They were afraid to deal with them, says Zoldan, and afraid that if the people saw the king flouting the Sanhedrin?s laws, the people would also flout them.
The kings of the House of David, however, did not enjoy immunity. If the leader sinned, halakha would not bar him from being tried, says Rabbi Zoldan. However, he feels that the halakha does provide a framework for setting up a forum of neutral public figures and jurists to investigate whether justification exists to indict public figures.
Can't live with him
The problem with the presidency is that although the last two terms have been tough, we couldn't do without it.
The president does not make many decisions that require judgment, and ostensibly all he does is symbolize and represent, i.e., serve as the head of state. But somebody has to receive credentials, swear in judges, grant pardons and sit in the dignitaries box at final cup matches.There have been calls to eliminate the presidency here. But Reuven Hazan, a doctor of political science at the Hebrew University, says the best argument against this is that no other country has done so. If Israel were to disband the presidency, it would once again be reinventing the wheel as in the direct elections method.Western countries have three models for a representative head of state: The presidential regime, where the head of the executive branch is the head of state. The United States and many Eastern European countries use this model. The parliamentary regime, where the head of state has little authority. He or she may be a president, king, queen or any other figure. In Europe, 11 countries are headed by a member of a royal dynasty. The British Commonwealth model, as practiced in Australia and New Zealand. In these countries, the head of state is the Queen of England, who is represented by a governor general. It is fairly common for countries to have foreign heads of state: In the principality of Andorra, for example, two co-princes share the role. One is the bishop of Seu Urgell and the other is the president of France, Jacques Chirac. Greenland?s head of state is the queen of Denmark.
Approximately half of European regimes are presidential, and the rest are parliamentary democracies. All the latter have a representative head of state. In Israel, the president has much less authority than in some other parliamentary democracies. But Israel Democracy Institute chairman Prof. Arik Carmon feels that the Israeli president?s power lies in his lack of authority. This is what enables him to rise above the many disputes and divisions in Israel.It's much more than a symbol,? he says. Carmon opposes eliminating the post.The president is of the utmost importance, but the right person must be found for the role.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2
YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
Fear of US damaging EU-NATO relations, NATO chief says
30.01.2007 - 09:26 CET | By Lucia Kubosova
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - NATO and the EU are far from capable of tackling a world crisis jointly as their relationship is still problematic and sees a remarkable distance between them - partly due to European fears over US influence, NATO's
chief has said. Speaking to EU officials in a Berlin conference hosted by the German foreign ministry on Monday (29 January), the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance's secretary general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said it is astounding how far from the envisaged strategic partnership the two institutions have remained despite attempts to bring them closer.Some deliberately want to keep NATO and the EU at a distance from one another. For this school of thought, a closer relationship between NATO and the EU means excessive influence for the USA.I do not share European instinctive fears about undue influence of the USA in European affairs anyhow. Europe is sufficiently self-aware – and they know it in Washington too, Mr De Hoop Scheffer argued.The NATO chief added that even the US has overcome original suspicions towards the EU's security and defence policy and does not view the policy as a potential danger or the alliance and the EU as rivals.But at the same time, differences in opinion due to differing membership structures of the two organisations still lead to formal wrangles over security agreements, the exchange of information or the format of meetings, Mr Scheffer said. We have been able to circumvent many of these hurdles through informal procedures But if those who put up these hurdles do not display more responsibility and flexibility, it will continue to place a heavy burden on NATO-EU relations.
Solana highlights EU's tiny budget on defence
According to Mr De Hoop Scheffer, conflict zones such as the Western Balkans and Afghanistan have proved that NATO and the EU are dependent upon one another for their operations to succeed.German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier agreed with the NATO chief that the potential for a strategic partnership between the two bodies has yet to be used.He added that the union's goal is to create a joint defence of Europe in a shared vision which would pool defence spending of individual member states and enable them to make savings.However, the EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana himself a head of NATO eight years ago - pointed out that defence spending still lags behind in Europe in contrast to the US.Only a handful of member states' defence spending is over 2 percent of gross domestic product, he said, stressing that the US spends twice as much with over 30 percent of budget put aside for research and equipment while Europeans invest less than 20 percent in new technology. Mr Solana was far less critical about the ties between the EU and NATO than the alliance's chief however, arguing instead that mutual operations have been successful.We have also worked closely and effectively side-by-side in Darfur, and we will be doing so in Kosovo and Afghanistan this year, he concluded.
FALSE TEACHERS,PROPHETS,DECIEVERS
MATTHEW 24:4-5,11,24-25
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
1 TIMOTHY 4:1-2
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
MARK 13:22-23
22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
2 TIMOTHY 3:13
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
He Calls Himself God JAN 30,07
A Puerto Rican minister says Christ integrated with him. Others call him a cult leader and a charlatan.By Arian Campo-Flores Newsweek
Feb. 5, 2007 issue - At first glance, the congregation gathered in a warehouse in Doral, Fla., seems like a typical Hispanic evangelical group. There's the 10-piece band, the singing and swaying, the whooping and hollering. But look a little more
closely. There's not a cross in sight. The lectern is emblazoned with a near replica of the U.S. presidential seal, except that it reads in Spanish, government of god on earth. Off to the side stand three burly guys in dark suits with Secret Service-style earpieces. When a door by the stage opens, the guards leap into action. They surround the man with slicked-back hair who emerges and escort him to his seat. When the crowd spots him, it goes wild. People chant, Lord! Lord! Lord! It quickly
becomes clear that they're referring to him. It's Jesus Christ himself! a preacher onstage announces. Let's welcome Jesus Christ Man! In the rapturous eyes of his flock, Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda is, in fact, the second coming of Christ. As the head of the Growing in Grace International Ministry, he presides over a sprawling organization that includes more than 300 congregations in two dozen countries, from Argentina to Australia. He counts more than 100,000 followers and claims to reach millions more through a 24-hour TV channel, a radio show and several Web sites. He is supported by the generosity of his devotees, who have launched some 450 businesses to pour cash into Growing in Grace's coffers. Though de Jesus' followers worship him, others denounce him as a charlatan. Everyone, however, agrees on one thing: his teachings are incendiary.All members of Growing in Grace are expected to tithe—which, along with offerings, yielded $1.4 million for headquarters last year. One of the first orders of business at every service is the collection of money (credit cards accepted). Those who have pledged their businesses to de Jesus donate much more. Alvaro Albarracín, a savvy, successful businessman given the title Entrepreneur of Entrepreneurs by de Jesus, is an example. Over the course of Albarracín's 14 years in the church, he estimates that he's given roughly $2.5 million. Such funds help underwrite a lavish lifestyle for de Jesus, including diamond-encrusted gold rings and fancy cars. But most of the money goes to his broadcast operation.
Some observers call Growing in Grace a cult. De Jesus exerts total authority over the ministry. As a result, many have defected over the years, including Albarracín's mother, Regina, who initially turned her son on to the church.
They brainwash you, she says. Because of their disagreement, Regina and her son haven't spoken in years (she now attends an evangelical church). This is my only family, Alvaro says of Growing in Grace. Such submission concerns Daniel Alvarez, a religious-studies instructor at Florida International University. I hope [de Jesus] doesn't metamorphose into Jim Jones, he says, referring to the cult leader who led his followers to mass suicide in Guyana. He has that kind of control over people. (De Jesus responds that congregants are free to come and go as they please.) Over the past year, de Jesus has encouraged his followers to protest the alleged lies of other churches. In response, supporters have picketed Catholic congregations and burned religious materials, including crucifixes. Our purpose is to open up people's minds, says de Jesus' right-hand man, Carlos Cestero, who says that the group rejects violence. Jesus wouldn't have it any other way—the question is whether de Jesus feels the same.2007 Newsweek, Inc.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
MIDEAST WAR CLOSE
1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS.2-Erie, Ontario lake-effect snows continue. 3-Huge mudflow inevitable from NZ volcano's lake. 4-Africa inspires us, says Abbas. 5-Jewish Rabbi: Vibrant Christianity in America is the West's Only Hope. 6-Obama Site Removes Pastor's Endorsement. 7-London wants EU to celebrate enlargement in birthday text. 8-Prague and Warsaw brief Merkel on EU charter plans. 9-Religious leaders seek more vigorous U.S. role in Mideast peace 10-Is the Mideast Headed for Apocalyptic War?
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Tue Jan 30 12:07 AM EDT
JAN 29,07
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 2.7 GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.3 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.7 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 4.4 COSTA RICA
MAP 4.9 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.3 OFFSHORE OAXACA, MEXICO
MAP 4.0 OFFSHORE BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO
MAP 4.9 COLOMBIA
MAP 3.3 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.4 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.6 TONGA
JAN 28,07
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.3 BANDA SEA
MAP 3.5 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.8 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 2.8 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 4.7 FIJI
MAP 4.6 TONGA
MAP 5.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.5 MONA PASSAGE, PUERTO RICO
MAP 4.8 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
MAP 3.6 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Erie, Ontario lake-effect snows continue B. Bernard, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel Mon Jan 29, 1:09 PM ET
Lake-effect snows continue to unload on parts of New York state and Pennsylvania this afternoon. Four to eight inches of additional snowfall are forecast for parts of western New York, generally south of Buffalo, and that would bring totals in a few spots up to two feet by this evening. Another six to ten inches are expected southeast of the eastern end of Lake Ontario by this evening. By tomorrow morning, some locations there could have a foot or more of fresh snow on the ground. Elsewhere, areas of light snow and snow showers extend from the northern Plains to the western Great Lakes as a clipper system (fast-moving weak storm) ushers in a reinforcing blast of arctic air. In the South, the cold air already in place has prompted the issuance of freeze warnings for tonight and early tomorrow for most of Florida and southern Georgia.
EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Huge mudflow inevitable from NZ volcano's lake Mon Jan 29, 12:50 AM ET
WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A crater lake on a New Zealand volcano used as a backdrop in the Lord of the Rings films is on the verge of collapsing and could send a torrent of muddy water down the mountain in coming weeks, media reported on Monday. Melting snow on Mount Ruapehu has filled the lake to within 1.5 metres (5 feet) of its lip, according to the New Zealand Herald newspaper.The 2,797-meter (9,177-feet) volcano is the highest mountain in the North Island and home to two commercial ski fields.Scientists say a lahar, or mudflow composed of volcanic material and water, is inevitable as warm summer weather causes the snow to melt and fill the lake.It is still expected the earliest the dam might start collapsing to create a lahar down the Whangaehu River is February/March, the Herald quoted a Department of Conservation official as saying.
On December 24, 1953, a lahar rushing down the Whangaehu River destroyed a railway bridge, causing a packed passenger train to plunge into the river, killing 151 people on board.Since then, a barrier of boulders and gravel has been built to divert any lahar flowing into the river. No major towns would be in its path.Mount Ruapehu, which last erupted in 1995 and 1996, creating the present crater dam, is in Tongariro National Park, where Peter Jackson filmed some scenes for his Lord of the Rings.
Africa inspires us, says Abbas .Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas has told African leaders that their fight for independence served as an inspiration to his people’s quest for statehood
By Chris Otton JAN 29,07
ADDIS ABABA - Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas has told African leaders that their fight for independence served as an inspiration to his people’s quest for statehood.Calling the Palestinians the last victims of colonialism, Abbas said he remained confident the long road to independence would be completed but also acknowledged that hope was diminishing as a result of Israeli policies and internal divisions.The support which you have provided our people has re-inforced our hope and belief that the fight for independence and setting up of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital will be achieved, Abbas said in a keynote speech at the African Union (AU) summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.The fight of African leaders to free themselves from colonialism and racism is a great source of inspiration to our people who are the last people to still be the victims of colonialism.
The African Union has been one of the most steadfast supporters of the Palestinian cause.
In a report released at the ongoing smmit by its executive council, the AU launched a scathing attack on Israel for its repressive measures, inhumane aggressions and all state terrorism acts perpetrated against defenceless Palestinian civilians.The same report also attacked Israel’s targeted killing.operations against leading Palestinian militants, ongoing invasions to the majority of the Palestinian territories as well as the heinous crimes and massacres.The AU includes a number of Arab countries, including Egypt which is one of the few Muslim countries to have diplomatic relations with Israel.Abbas’s address came amid fresh violence back in the Middle East with a suicide bomb going off in Israel’s Red Sea resort of Eilat and rival Palestinian factions clashing again in Gaza despite agreeing to Saudi-mediated talks.Abbas said that events in Gaza, where 30 people have been killed in four days in the worst bout of internecine violence in a year, were tragic.
These tragic events and internal killings stem mainly from the existence of numerous authorities, he said in reference to the rivalry between official security services which he controls and rival forces loyal to the government of the Islamist movement Hamas.We will not allow any civil war as Palestinian blood is sacred, he added.Abbas also reiterated his threat issued in December to call early elections if the disputes between Hamas and Fatah are not resolved and he cannot find agreement on the formation of a national unity cabinet.The alternative would be to refer to the people and organise legislative and presidential elections, he said.Hamas, which beat Abbas’s Fatah movement by a landslide in parliamentary elections a year ago, has warned the president against calling a fresh ballot.Sapa-AFP
Jewish Rabbi: Vibrant Christianity in America is the West's Only Hope JAN 29,07
The Christian Post reports that a nationally renowned Jewish rabbi said he believes that America has provided Jews with the most prosperous period in their entire history. And the reason is because America is a Christian nation. Rabbi Daniel Lapin, in an interview with Dr. D. James Kennedy, expressed gratitude to Christians who ensure that Christianity remains strong in America. I would say ... a strong, vibrant, American Christianity is the only hope of protecting Western Civilization, Lapin stressed. Kennedy agreed, saying he does not know what else is going to stop militant Islam, communism and other ideologies. Lapin, noted, however, a widespread bigotry against Christianity in America. Lapin also addressed the subject and classifications of Judaism, making it clear that Judaism is not a matter of racial background.
Obama Site Removes Pastor's Endorsement JAN 29,07
An official website encouraging Sen. Barack Obama to run for president on Friday removed a prominent California pastor from its unapproved list of celebrity endorsements of the Illinois Democrat. As CNSNews.com previously reported, the website DraftObama.org on Thursday unveiled a list of 17 celebrities who work hard for a better America and have made statements in support of Senator Obama. The list compiled the public statements of 17 celebrities expressing admiration for Obama, a first-term senator who is considering a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. The list originally included Rick Warren, pastor of the 20,000-member Saddleback Valley Community Church. The site included excerpts from an interview Warren gave to CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, in which the bestselling author called Obama an amazing man and said he has the potential to be president because he has good character. Conservative Christian groups had criticized Warren for allowing Obama to speak at the church's AIDS conference in November because of Obama's support for abortion rights.
London wants EU to celebrate enlargement in birthday text
29.01.2007 - 09:28 CET | By Mark Beunderman
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The UK wants the EU's 50th anniversary declaration to mark the union's historic expansion to the East after the fall of communism.Talking to EUobserver last week, Britain's Europe Minister Geoff Hoon said London wants to prominently mention enlargement in the EU leaders' Berlin declaration to be signed on 25 March, commemorating the 1957 Treaty of Rome which laid the foundation for the current EU.I think this is an important occasion (...) It is particularly important it should be taking place in Berlin, because key changes in recent times have followed the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Warsaw Pact, he said, mentioning the reunification of Germany and EU accession of many ex-communist states. The EU has provided an important focal point for these countries, it has driven their ambition, they've made reforms and changes perhaps more quickly then they would have done [otherwise] in order to become members of the European Union.Enlargement was not specifically mentioned by European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso when he recently listed his own top-five topics to be included in the birthday statement - solidarity, accountability, security of European citizens and promoting European values in the world.German chancellor Angela Merkel, who currently chairs the EU, has said she supports Mr Barroso's five points, with German officials currently holding a round of confidential talks with EU capitals on what kind of declaration they would like to see. Berlin views the content of the declaration as tightly linked to its efforts to revive the EU constitution, which London has refused to ratify after French and Dutch voters rejected the charter in 2005, seeking a slimmed-down treaty instead.
Croatia joining without treaty?
Mr Hoon's plea for enlargement illustrates London's determination to keep the topic on the agenda - despite claims by Ms Merkel that the bloc cannot expand further before it has a constitution. Those who are so much in favour of enlargement must know, if at the same time they are sceptical about the constitutional process, that we can not move forward on the present basis, the chancellor said earlier this month. But to Britain, this link is not that clear-cut, Mr Hoon indicated, not wanting to rule out Croatia's future membership without a fully-fledged EU treaty in place. There is one obvious area in which Croatia does make a difference and that is the question of the number of commissioners, because the [current EU] Nice treaty said that once the EU went beyond Romania and Bulgaria, there would have to be fewer commissioners than from each member state, said Mr Hoon.
What is not clear is how that would be implemented in practice.
Asked whether he backs Croatian ideas to handle the issue by means of a technical clause in Zagreb's accession treaty - as an alternative to a new EU treaty - he stated I know there are people who have suggested that.I don't rule it out, but I think that given the political importance of the treaty ... it is quite important that there should be a discussion more generally than in the context of an accession treaty.There should be a public discussion about treaty amendmends and I think that people might feel that if it were put in the context of an accession treaty, perhaps that would be a way of avoiding that sort of public discussion.
All options open
Meanwhile London wants to keep its options open also on the question of whether or not to hold a referendum on a newly-styled EU constitution - a pledge it made when it signed the current version of the charter in 2004. If we brought back the constitutional treaty in its present form, we've made clear that that would require a referendum, according to Mr Hoon. Having said that, in the past, quite far-reaching treaty changes have been carried through the House of Commons without a referendum, he said referring to the UK conservative government at the time not holding a referendum on the 1992 Maastricht treaty. We would obviously make a decision in the best interests of Britain and its people.
Prague and Warsaw brief Merkel on EU charter plans
29.01.2007 - 09:26 CET | By Lucia Kubosova
Prague will press for a substantially revised EU constitution that is easier to understand and takes smaller steps on integration and Warsaw's proposal will better reflect EU reality than the existing draft charter, German chancellor Angela Merkel learned over the weekend.An exchange on EU affairs dominated Mrs Merkel's first official trip to the Czech Republic on Friday (26 January), with the German EU presidency keen to come up with a plan on how to salvage the European constitution, put on ice after its rejection by French and Dutch voters in 2005.The Czech Republic is one of nine member states that shelved their own plans for the new treaty's ratification, as the draft constitution needs unanimous approval by all 27 countries before it can enter into force.After a debate with the Czech centre-right prime minister Mirek Topolanek, Mrs Merkel said she was content with a very interesting framework for future detailed discussion, suggested by her Czech counterpart. Mr Topolanek told journalists Prague favours a revised treaty which would be more understandable for people while clearly defining which competencies the EU has and which fall to the national states, according to press reports. The Czech president Vaclav Klaus, a well-known critic of the European charter, said he shared Mrs Merkel's view about the need to resolve the impasse surrounding the constitutional crisis.But he argued it must be done in small steps and not with the current constitution proposal. To be honest, I must say I think that the chancellor thinks it is possible [to save the current text]. So now the question is whether our views differ a lot or just a little, Mr Klaus said.
Warsaw to give clear answer in March
Just a day before Mrs Merkel's visit, Czech president Vaclav Klaus met with his Polish counterpart Lech Kaczynski, with both leaders expressing their scepticism about the chances for a revival of the existing EU constitution.Their views came in contrast to the statement by 20 countries represented in a meeting in Madrid on Friday (26 January) who argued the substantial part of the charter should be retained.Luxembourg Europe minister Nicolas Schmidt said the Czech and Polish opposition stand as two voices against twenty and they should not be overestimated adding Europe can't make progress at the minimalist basis.Polish president Lech Kaczynski announced on his website that Warsaw would unveil the full proposal on the constitution's revision in March, suggesting his proposals would benefit the union but also reflect its current reality.According to Polish media, two Polish sherpas the president's appointees for constitution talks with the German EU presidency Ewa Osniecka-Tamecka and Marek Cichocki are supposed to meet the German officials on Monday (29 January).The bi-lateral meeting is part of a negotiation timetable suggested by the German chancellor under which member states would first debate a declaration to mark the EU's 50th birthday and later in February the charter's revision itself.
MIDEAST-RICE Jan-29-2007
Religious leaders seek more vigorous U.S. role in Mideast peace
By Jerry Filteau - Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- After meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Jan. 29, a delegation of U.S. Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders said they think the United States should take a more vigorous leadership role in promoting a comprehensive peace in the Middle East.Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington, said the group met with Rice to reiterate our strong commitment to a two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" and to discuss the urgent need for United States leadership to restart and successfully conclude negotiations for a lasting and just peace between Israel and the Palestinian people.Cardinal McCarrick, who led off a press briefing afterward outside the Department of State, said the meeting was substantive and excellent.But the real measure of the success of our meeting can only be taken in the coming weeks and months as actions and events unfold, he added.The religious leaders belong to the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East, a coalition of 35 leaders of national religious bodies or organizations that was formed in 2003 to press for a more constructive and comprehensive U.S. approach to Arab -Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Cardinal McCarrick said the delegation emphasized two points.
First, as Americans, we ask for bold, persistent United States leadership for peace in the Middle East, leadership that supports and challenges both Israelis and Palestinians, he said, adding that this means ongoing, active high-level U.S. engagement that holds both sides accountable in a step-by-step peace process.Second, as religious leaders in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions, we committed ourselves to continuing to say tough things to our communities here and in the (Middle East) region to build up public support for peace, he said. We know that these are difficult but necessary steps on the road to a two-state solution, and we pledge to build public support for them.Along with Cardinal McCarrick, in the delegation were Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori of the U.S. Episcopal Church; Rabbi Paul Menitoff, former executive vice president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis; Rabbi Amy Small, past president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association; and Sayyid M. Syeed, former secretary-general of the Islamic Society of North America, who recently left that post to become founding national director of the society's new Office of Interfaith and Community Alliances.
Stephen M. Colecchi, director of the U.S. bishops' Office of International Justice and Peace, who attended the meeting as a staff aide to Cardinal McCarrick, told Catholic News Service that the group had expected the entire session to last about 45 minutes, with Rice attending for about 30. Instead, they met with her for more than 45 minutes, he said, and after she left they continued meeting about 40 minutes more with the undersecretary of state for political affairs, R. Nicholas Burns.The leadership of the United States is going to be necessary, Rabbi Menitoff said, not only to get the parties to the table, but to get the concessions necessary on both sides so that an agreement can be reached.
Referring to Rice's recent trip to the Middle East, Bishop Hanson said, We think the foundation she has laid needs to be built upon with a sustained U.S. presence in diplomatic initiatives there.Cardinal McCarrick said, We all share the hope that what our government is doing now will be sustained, that the 'road map' that was initiated three or four years ago will again be put on the front burner.Syeed said American Muslims are also very concerned about what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan, but we believe that the issue of Palestine is critical; that's why we're here.Of the need for interreligious efforts for peace, Cardinal McCarrick said, We are all children of Abraham, and in that family relationship that we have, we come together with great confidence that God will listen to our prayers and our hopes, and that if we all work together, if we all are willing to make the sacrifices when necessary, that peace can come.The meeting with Rice was the result of a joint statement the interreligious leadership initiative issued last December outlining in detail what role and initiatives the group thought the United States must take to restart the peace process and assure that it moves forward.In addition to Cardinal McCarrick, two other Catholic leaders signed the joint statement: Cardinal William H. Keeler of Baltimore, who has played a leading role in Catholic-Jewish and Catholic-Muslim relations, and Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, Wash., president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.In conjunction with the issuance of the joint statement the group wrote to Rice, requesting a meeting to discuss the urgency of the issue and the importance of sustained U.S. leadership in the peace process.END
Is the Mideast Headed for Apocalyptic War?
Paul Crespo - Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2007
Epicenter: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future By Joel C. Rosenberg Tyndale House Publishers 301 pages.Epicenter is a fascinating, page-turning book. Using recent events ripped straight from today's newspaper headlines, as well as tomorrow's headlines, Joel Rosenberg analyzes the developments that are shaping the future course of world events and creates a compelling scenario for an upcoming apocalyptic war in the Middle East. If his book reads like a political thriller, it's probably because Rosenberg is the New York Times best-selling author of four recent novels. A politically connected communications strategist who has worked for such influential figures as Steve Forbes, Rush Limbaugh, and former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Rosenberg has unique insights. He also happens to be an evangelical Christian from an Orthodox Jewish family. His first book, The Last Jihad, finished just before 9/11 but published later, predicted a Muslim terror attack using a hijacked plane against an American city that provokes a war against Iraq's Saddam Hussein. His other novels also were eerily prophetic. The Last Days described a Palestinian civil war after Yasser Arafat's death. His third novel, The Ezekiel Option, which predates the rise of Iran's radical leader Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, details how a new Russian dictator builds an alliance with Iran as it feverishly pursues nuclear weapons. Limbaugh said the latter book was like an episode of ‘24' with a supernatural twist.Many asked Rosenberg how his novels were so prescient. This extremely well-researched and well-documented, nonfiction book was his answer.
His secret? Rosenberg uses the Bible as a guide. He calls his biblical approach to analyzing world events -- using the third lens of Scripture. But despite the biblical perspective, this is not a typical Bible prophesy doomsday book. I'm not trying to persuade anyone that these specific events will happen in our lifetimes, but simply show how it is possible they might, explains Rosenberg. Because of his varied political background, and penchant for detailed research, personal interviews with world leaders, and historical context, Epicenter reads more like an intelligence report using multiple sources to connect the dots (one of his chapter headings) and construct a plausible, yet nightmarish scenario for an upcoming regional conflict. Called the war of Gog and Magog in the Hebrew Book of Ezekiel, Rosenberg explained to NewsMax that this devastating, yet limited, regional war should not be confused with the much greater and final global war of the same name predicted in the New Testament's Book of Revelation. That final conflict is what most Bible prophecy commentators generally focus on, but will come after the more limited war Rosenberg describes.
In chapter four, Rosenberg takes on the critics head-on. Acknowledging that there are many who think that those who believe in Bible prophecies are lunatics, he quotes Bill Moyers, the longtime liberal PBS journalist, from a 2004 speech where he calls the end-times beliefs of many Americans bizarre. Former Republican strategist Kevin Phillips, in his best-selling 2006 book, American Theocracy, warns that Americans who believe in biblical prophesy are over imaginative at best and radical at worst. He adds that rapture, end-times, and Armageddon hucksters in the United States rank with any Shiite ayatollahs.But as Rosenberg points out, what really infuriates these irreligious skeptics "is the enormous number of Americans who believe that world events are unfolding just as the Bible foretold. To see just how many there are, he commissioned a survey in February 2006 of American adults' attitudes toward Bible prophesy. In that poll, conducted by McLaughlin & Associates, 42 percent of Americans believed the rebirth of Israel, wars and instability in the Middle East, recent earthquakes and the Tsunami in Asia were evidence that we are living in what the Bible calls the last days.
These believers aren't limited to the usual suspects of Christian evangelicals or rural Southerners, but represent a broad cross-section of Americans, including a third of Jews, a third of New Englanders, a third of Left Coasters, 40 percent of Democrats and Catholics, 50 percent of Republicans, women and senior citizens, 60 percent of young people under 25, and 75 percent of African-Americans. Clearly, a significant number of Americans believe the Bible has a bearing on current events.
In the next 10 chapters Rosenberg lays out 10 future headlines he believes we will soon be reading, providing the scriptural basis (primarily from the Book of Ezekiel) for those predictions, and the latest events and specific trends that suggest those headlines may be closer than previously thought. Among them, he predicts Israel will discover massive oil and gas reserves, a czar will rise in Russia, raising fears of a new Cold War, and the Kremlin will join the axis of evil and form a military alliance with Iran. These events, already crystallizing in many ways, eventually lead to soaring global tensions, amid earthquakes and pandemics raging across Europe, Asia, and Africa, as Russia targets Israel and a new war erupts in the Middle East. Among his most intriguing predictions is that Iraq (which contains ancient Babylon) will emerge from all this chaos as the region's wealthiest country and that Muslims will turn to Christ in record numbers. While at first blush these last predictions seem far-fetched, Rosenberg documents little-known facts about Iraq's economy and military that provide hope there while describing an evangelical revolution that is quietly sweeping through the post-9/11 Middle East. Considering all the gloomy news coming out of the region, it is encouraging to see some positive scenarios. This is one of the most insightful and intriguing books I have ever read. A combination intelligence report and Biblical blueprint, it still only provides the basic elements of the story. In order to keep up with rapidly moving events, Joel created a weblog at www.joelrosenberg.com, where he tracks the ongoing geopolitical tremors in real time. Whether you believe we are witnessing Biblical events unfolding, or simply want a better perspective on global affairs and the Mideast crisis, I highly recommend this amazing book. NewsMax 2007.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Tue Jan 30 12:07 AM EDT
JAN 29,07
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 2.7 GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.3 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.7 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 4.4 COSTA RICA
MAP 4.9 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.3 OFFSHORE OAXACA, MEXICO
MAP 4.0 OFFSHORE BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO
MAP 4.9 COLOMBIA
MAP 3.3 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.4 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.6 TONGA
JAN 28,07
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.3 BANDA SEA
MAP 3.5 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.8 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 2.8 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 4.7 FIJI
MAP 4.6 TONGA
MAP 5.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.5 MONA PASSAGE, PUERTO RICO
MAP 4.8 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
MAP 3.6 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Erie, Ontario lake-effect snows continue B. Bernard, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel Mon Jan 29, 1:09 PM ET
Lake-effect snows continue to unload on parts of New York state and Pennsylvania this afternoon. Four to eight inches of additional snowfall are forecast for parts of western New York, generally south of Buffalo, and that would bring totals in a few spots up to two feet by this evening. Another six to ten inches are expected southeast of the eastern end of Lake Ontario by this evening. By tomorrow morning, some locations there could have a foot or more of fresh snow on the ground. Elsewhere, areas of light snow and snow showers extend from the northern Plains to the western Great Lakes as a clipper system (fast-moving weak storm) ushers in a reinforcing blast of arctic air. In the South, the cold air already in place has prompted the issuance of freeze warnings for tonight and early tomorrow for most of Florida and southern Georgia.
EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Huge mudflow inevitable from NZ volcano's lake Mon Jan 29, 12:50 AM ET
WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A crater lake on a New Zealand volcano used as a backdrop in the Lord of the Rings films is on the verge of collapsing and could send a torrent of muddy water down the mountain in coming weeks, media reported on Monday. Melting snow on Mount Ruapehu has filled the lake to within 1.5 metres (5 feet) of its lip, according to the New Zealand Herald newspaper.The 2,797-meter (9,177-feet) volcano is the highest mountain in the North Island and home to two commercial ski fields.Scientists say a lahar, or mudflow composed of volcanic material and water, is inevitable as warm summer weather causes the snow to melt and fill the lake.It is still expected the earliest the dam might start collapsing to create a lahar down the Whangaehu River is February/March, the Herald quoted a Department of Conservation official as saying.
On December 24, 1953, a lahar rushing down the Whangaehu River destroyed a railway bridge, causing a packed passenger train to plunge into the river, killing 151 people on board.Since then, a barrier of boulders and gravel has been built to divert any lahar flowing into the river. No major towns would be in its path.Mount Ruapehu, which last erupted in 1995 and 1996, creating the present crater dam, is in Tongariro National Park, where Peter Jackson filmed some scenes for his Lord of the Rings.
Africa inspires us, says Abbas .Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas has told African leaders that their fight for independence served as an inspiration to his people’s quest for statehood
By Chris Otton JAN 29,07
ADDIS ABABA - Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas has told African leaders that their fight for independence served as an inspiration to his people’s quest for statehood.Calling the Palestinians the last victims of colonialism, Abbas said he remained confident the long road to independence would be completed but also acknowledged that hope was diminishing as a result of Israeli policies and internal divisions.The support which you have provided our people has re-inforced our hope and belief that the fight for independence and setting up of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital will be achieved, Abbas said in a keynote speech at the African Union (AU) summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.The fight of African leaders to free themselves from colonialism and racism is a great source of inspiration to our people who are the last people to still be the victims of colonialism.
The African Union has been one of the most steadfast supporters of the Palestinian cause.
In a report released at the ongoing smmit by its executive council, the AU launched a scathing attack on Israel for its repressive measures, inhumane aggressions and all state terrorism acts perpetrated against defenceless Palestinian civilians.The same report also attacked Israel’s targeted killing.operations against leading Palestinian militants, ongoing invasions to the majority of the Palestinian territories as well as the heinous crimes and massacres.The AU includes a number of Arab countries, including Egypt which is one of the few Muslim countries to have diplomatic relations with Israel.Abbas’s address came amid fresh violence back in the Middle East with a suicide bomb going off in Israel’s Red Sea resort of Eilat and rival Palestinian factions clashing again in Gaza despite agreeing to Saudi-mediated talks.Abbas said that events in Gaza, where 30 people have been killed in four days in the worst bout of internecine violence in a year, were tragic.
These tragic events and internal killings stem mainly from the existence of numerous authorities, he said in reference to the rivalry between official security services which he controls and rival forces loyal to the government of the Islamist movement Hamas.We will not allow any civil war as Palestinian blood is sacred, he added.Abbas also reiterated his threat issued in December to call early elections if the disputes between Hamas and Fatah are not resolved and he cannot find agreement on the formation of a national unity cabinet.The alternative would be to refer to the people and organise legislative and presidential elections, he said.Hamas, which beat Abbas’s Fatah movement by a landslide in parliamentary elections a year ago, has warned the president against calling a fresh ballot.Sapa-AFP
Jewish Rabbi: Vibrant Christianity in America is the West's Only Hope JAN 29,07
The Christian Post reports that a nationally renowned Jewish rabbi said he believes that America has provided Jews with the most prosperous period in their entire history. And the reason is because America is a Christian nation. Rabbi Daniel Lapin, in an interview with Dr. D. James Kennedy, expressed gratitude to Christians who ensure that Christianity remains strong in America. I would say ... a strong, vibrant, American Christianity is the only hope of protecting Western Civilization, Lapin stressed. Kennedy agreed, saying he does not know what else is going to stop militant Islam, communism and other ideologies. Lapin, noted, however, a widespread bigotry against Christianity in America. Lapin also addressed the subject and classifications of Judaism, making it clear that Judaism is not a matter of racial background.
Obama Site Removes Pastor's Endorsement JAN 29,07
An official website encouraging Sen. Barack Obama to run for president on Friday removed a prominent California pastor from its unapproved list of celebrity endorsements of the Illinois Democrat. As CNSNews.com previously reported, the website DraftObama.org on Thursday unveiled a list of 17 celebrities who work hard for a better America and have made statements in support of Senator Obama. The list compiled the public statements of 17 celebrities expressing admiration for Obama, a first-term senator who is considering a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. The list originally included Rick Warren, pastor of the 20,000-member Saddleback Valley Community Church. The site included excerpts from an interview Warren gave to CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, in which the bestselling author called Obama an amazing man and said he has the potential to be president because he has good character. Conservative Christian groups had criticized Warren for allowing Obama to speak at the church's AIDS conference in November because of Obama's support for abortion rights.
London wants EU to celebrate enlargement in birthday text
29.01.2007 - 09:28 CET | By Mark Beunderman
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The UK wants the EU's 50th anniversary declaration to mark the union's historic expansion to the East after the fall of communism.Talking to EUobserver last week, Britain's Europe Minister Geoff Hoon said London wants to prominently mention enlargement in the EU leaders' Berlin declaration to be signed on 25 March, commemorating the 1957 Treaty of Rome which laid the foundation for the current EU.I think this is an important occasion (...) It is particularly important it should be taking place in Berlin, because key changes in recent times have followed the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Warsaw Pact, he said, mentioning the reunification of Germany and EU accession of many ex-communist states. The EU has provided an important focal point for these countries, it has driven their ambition, they've made reforms and changes perhaps more quickly then they would have done [otherwise] in order to become members of the European Union.Enlargement was not specifically mentioned by European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso when he recently listed his own top-five topics to be included in the birthday statement - solidarity, accountability, security of European citizens and promoting European values in the world.German chancellor Angela Merkel, who currently chairs the EU, has said she supports Mr Barroso's five points, with German officials currently holding a round of confidential talks with EU capitals on what kind of declaration they would like to see. Berlin views the content of the declaration as tightly linked to its efforts to revive the EU constitution, which London has refused to ratify after French and Dutch voters rejected the charter in 2005, seeking a slimmed-down treaty instead.
Croatia joining without treaty?
Mr Hoon's plea for enlargement illustrates London's determination to keep the topic on the agenda - despite claims by Ms Merkel that the bloc cannot expand further before it has a constitution. Those who are so much in favour of enlargement must know, if at the same time they are sceptical about the constitutional process, that we can not move forward on the present basis, the chancellor said earlier this month. But to Britain, this link is not that clear-cut, Mr Hoon indicated, not wanting to rule out Croatia's future membership without a fully-fledged EU treaty in place. There is one obvious area in which Croatia does make a difference and that is the question of the number of commissioners, because the [current EU] Nice treaty said that once the EU went beyond Romania and Bulgaria, there would have to be fewer commissioners than from each member state, said Mr Hoon.
What is not clear is how that would be implemented in practice.
Asked whether he backs Croatian ideas to handle the issue by means of a technical clause in Zagreb's accession treaty - as an alternative to a new EU treaty - he stated I know there are people who have suggested that.I don't rule it out, but I think that given the political importance of the treaty ... it is quite important that there should be a discussion more generally than in the context of an accession treaty.There should be a public discussion about treaty amendmends and I think that people might feel that if it were put in the context of an accession treaty, perhaps that would be a way of avoiding that sort of public discussion.
All options open
Meanwhile London wants to keep its options open also on the question of whether or not to hold a referendum on a newly-styled EU constitution - a pledge it made when it signed the current version of the charter in 2004. If we brought back the constitutional treaty in its present form, we've made clear that that would require a referendum, according to Mr Hoon. Having said that, in the past, quite far-reaching treaty changes have been carried through the House of Commons without a referendum, he said referring to the UK conservative government at the time not holding a referendum on the 1992 Maastricht treaty. We would obviously make a decision in the best interests of Britain and its people.
Prague and Warsaw brief Merkel on EU charter plans
29.01.2007 - 09:26 CET | By Lucia Kubosova
Prague will press for a substantially revised EU constitution that is easier to understand and takes smaller steps on integration and Warsaw's proposal will better reflect EU reality than the existing draft charter, German chancellor Angela Merkel learned over the weekend.An exchange on EU affairs dominated Mrs Merkel's first official trip to the Czech Republic on Friday (26 January), with the German EU presidency keen to come up with a plan on how to salvage the European constitution, put on ice after its rejection by French and Dutch voters in 2005.The Czech Republic is one of nine member states that shelved their own plans for the new treaty's ratification, as the draft constitution needs unanimous approval by all 27 countries before it can enter into force.After a debate with the Czech centre-right prime minister Mirek Topolanek, Mrs Merkel said she was content with a very interesting framework for future detailed discussion, suggested by her Czech counterpart. Mr Topolanek told journalists Prague favours a revised treaty which would be more understandable for people while clearly defining which competencies the EU has and which fall to the national states, according to press reports. The Czech president Vaclav Klaus, a well-known critic of the European charter, said he shared Mrs Merkel's view about the need to resolve the impasse surrounding the constitutional crisis.But he argued it must be done in small steps and not with the current constitution proposal. To be honest, I must say I think that the chancellor thinks it is possible [to save the current text]. So now the question is whether our views differ a lot or just a little, Mr Klaus said.
Warsaw to give clear answer in March
Just a day before Mrs Merkel's visit, Czech president Vaclav Klaus met with his Polish counterpart Lech Kaczynski, with both leaders expressing their scepticism about the chances for a revival of the existing EU constitution.Their views came in contrast to the statement by 20 countries represented in a meeting in Madrid on Friday (26 January) who argued the substantial part of the charter should be retained.Luxembourg Europe minister Nicolas Schmidt said the Czech and Polish opposition stand as two voices against twenty and they should not be overestimated adding Europe can't make progress at the minimalist basis.Polish president Lech Kaczynski announced on his website that Warsaw would unveil the full proposal on the constitution's revision in March, suggesting his proposals would benefit the union but also reflect its current reality.According to Polish media, two Polish sherpas the president's appointees for constitution talks with the German EU presidency Ewa Osniecka-Tamecka and Marek Cichocki are supposed to meet the German officials on Monday (29 January).The bi-lateral meeting is part of a negotiation timetable suggested by the German chancellor under which member states would first debate a declaration to mark the EU's 50th birthday and later in February the charter's revision itself.
MIDEAST-RICE Jan-29-2007
Religious leaders seek more vigorous U.S. role in Mideast peace
By Jerry Filteau - Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- After meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Jan. 29, a delegation of U.S. Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders said they think the United States should take a more vigorous leadership role in promoting a comprehensive peace in the Middle East.Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington, said the group met with Rice to reiterate our strong commitment to a two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" and to discuss the urgent need for United States leadership to restart and successfully conclude negotiations for a lasting and just peace between Israel and the Palestinian people.Cardinal McCarrick, who led off a press briefing afterward outside the Department of State, said the meeting was substantive and excellent.But the real measure of the success of our meeting can only be taken in the coming weeks and months as actions and events unfold, he added.The religious leaders belong to the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East, a coalition of 35 leaders of national religious bodies or organizations that was formed in 2003 to press for a more constructive and comprehensive U.S. approach to Arab -Israeli-Palestinian peace.
Cardinal McCarrick said the delegation emphasized two points.
First, as Americans, we ask for bold, persistent United States leadership for peace in the Middle East, leadership that supports and challenges both Israelis and Palestinians, he said, adding that this means ongoing, active high-level U.S. engagement that holds both sides accountable in a step-by-step peace process.Second, as religious leaders in the Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions, we committed ourselves to continuing to say tough things to our communities here and in the (Middle East) region to build up public support for peace, he said. We know that these are difficult but necessary steps on the road to a two-state solution, and we pledge to build public support for them.Along with Cardinal McCarrick, in the delegation were Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori of the U.S. Episcopal Church; Rabbi Paul Menitoff, former executive vice president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis; Rabbi Amy Small, past president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association; and Sayyid M. Syeed, former secretary-general of the Islamic Society of North America, who recently left that post to become founding national director of the society's new Office of Interfaith and Community Alliances.
Stephen M. Colecchi, director of the U.S. bishops' Office of International Justice and Peace, who attended the meeting as a staff aide to Cardinal McCarrick, told Catholic News Service that the group had expected the entire session to last about 45 minutes, with Rice attending for about 30. Instead, they met with her for more than 45 minutes, he said, and after she left they continued meeting about 40 minutes more with the undersecretary of state for political affairs, R. Nicholas Burns.The leadership of the United States is going to be necessary, Rabbi Menitoff said, not only to get the parties to the table, but to get the concessions necessary on both sides so that an agreement can be reached.
Referring to Rice's recent trip to the Middle East, Bishop Hanson said, We think the foundation she has laid needs to be built upon with a sustained U.S. presence in diplomatic initiatives there.Cardinal McCarrick said, We all share the hope that what our government is doing now will be sustained, that the 'road map' that was initiated three or four years ago will again be put on the front burner.Syeed said American Muslims are also very concerned about what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan, but we believe that the issue of Palestine is critical; that's why we're here.Of the need for interreligious efforts for peace, Cardinal McCarrick said, We are all children of Abraham, and in that family relationship that we have, we come together with great confidence that God will listen to our prayers and our hopes, and that if we all work together, if we all are willing to make the sacrifices when necessary, that peace can come.The meeting with Rice was the result of a joint statement the interreligious leadership initiative issued last December outlining in detail what role and initiatives the group thought the United States must take to restart the peace process and assure that it moves forward.In addition to Cardinal McCarrick, two other Catholic leaders signed the joint statement: Cardinal William H. Keeler of Baltimore, who has played a leading role in Catholic-Jewish and Catholic-Muslim relations, and Bishop William S. Skylstad of Spokane, Wash., president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.In conjunction with the issuance of the joint statement the group wrote to Rice, requesting a meeting to discuss the urgency of the issue and the importance of sustained U.S. leadership in the peace process.END
Is the Mideast Headed for Apocalyptic War?
Paul Crespo - Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2007
Epicenter: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future By Joel C. Rosenberg Tyndale House Publishers 301 pages.Epicenter is a fascinating, page-turning book. Using recent events ripped straight from today's newspaper headlines, as well as tomorrow's headlines, Joel Rosenberg analyzes the developments that are shaping the future course of world events and creates a compelling scenario for an upcoming apocalyptic war in the Middle East. If his book reads like a political thriller, it's probably because Rosenberg is the New York Times best-selling author of four recent novels. A politically connected communications strategist who has worked for such influential figures as Steve Forbes, Rush Limbaugh, and former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Rosenberg has unique insights. He also happens to be an evangelical Christian from an Orthodox Jewish family. His first book, The Last Jihad, finished just before 9/11 but published later, predicted a Muslim terror attack using a hijacked plane against an American city that provokes a war against Iraq's Saddam Hussein. His other novels also were eerily prophetic. The Last Days described a Palestinian civil war after Yasser Arafat's death. His third novel, The Ezekiel Option, which predates the rise of Iran's radical leader Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, details how a new Russian dictator builds an alliance with Iran as it feverishly pursues nuclear weapons. Limbaugh said the latter book was like an episode of ‘24' with a supernatural twist.Many asked Rosenberg how his novels were so prescient. This extremely well-researched and well-documented, nonfiction book was his answer.
His secret? Rosenberg uses the Bible as a guide. He calls his biblical approach to analyzing world events -- using the third lens of Scripture. But despite the biblical perspective, this is not a typical Bible prophesy doomsday book. I'm not trying to persuade anyone that these specific events will happen in our lifetimes, but simply show how it is possible they might, explains Rosenberg. Because of his varied political background, and penchant for detailed research, personal interviews with world leaders, and historical context, Epicenter reads more like an intelligence report using multiple sources to connect the dots (one of his chapter headings) and construct a plausible, yet nightmarish scenario for an upcoming regional conflict. Called the war of Gog and Magog in the Hebrew Book of Ezekiel, Rosenberg explained to NewsMax that this devastating, yet limited, regional war should not be confused with the much greater and final global war of the same name predicted in the New Testament's Book of Revelation. That final conflict is what most Bible prophecy commentators generally focus on, but will come after the more limited war Rosenberg describes.
In chapter four, Rosenberg takes on the critics head-on. Acknowledging that there are many who think that those who believe in Bible prophecies are lunatics, he quotes Bill Moyers, the longtime liberal PBS journalist, from a 2004 speech where he calls the end-times beliefs of many Americans bizarre. Former Republican strategist Kevin Phillips, in his best-selling 2006 book, American Theocracy, warns that Americans who believe in biblical prophesy are over imaginative at best and radical at worst. He adds that rapture, end-times, and Armageddon hucksters in the United States rank with any Shiite ayatollahs.But as Rosenberg points out, what really infuriates these irreligious skeptics "is the enormous number of Americans who believe that world events are unfolding just as the Bible foretold. To see just how many there are, he commissioned a survey in February 2006 of American adults' attitudes toward Bible prophesy. In that poll, conducted by McLaughlin & Associates, 42 percent of Americans believed the rebirth of Israel, wars and instability in the Middle East, recent earthquakes and the Tsunami in Asia were evidence that we are living in what the Bible calls the last days.
These believers aren't limited to the usual suspects of Christian evangelicals or rural Southerners, but represent a broad cross-section of Americans, including a third of Jews, a third of New Englanders, a third of Left Coasters, 40 percent of Democrats and Catholics, 50 percent of Republicans, women and senior citizens, 60 percent of young people under 25, and 75 percent of African-Americans. Clearly, a significant number of Americans believe the Bible has a bearing on current events.
In the next 10 chapters Rosenberg lays out 10 future headlines he believes we will soon be reading, providing the scriptural basis (primarily from the Book of Ezekiel) for those predictions, and the latest events and specific trends that suggest those headlines may be closer than previously thought. Among them, he predicts Israel will discover massive oil and gas reserves, a czar will rise in Russia, raising fears of a new Cold War, and the Kremlin will join the axis of evil and form a military alliance with Iran. These events, already crystallizing in many ways, eventually lead to soaring global tensions, amid earthquakes and pandemics raging across Europe, Asia, and Africa, as Russia targets Israel and a new war erupts in the Middle East. Among his most intriguing predictions is that Iraq (which contains ancient Babylon) will emerge from all this chaos as the region's wealthiest country and that Muslims will turn to Christ in record numbers. While at first blush these last predictions seem far-fetched, Rosenberg documents little-known facts about Iraq's economy and military that provide hope there while describing an evangelical revolution that is quietly sweeping through the post-9/11 Middle East. Considering all the gloomy news coming out of the region, it is encouraging to see some positive scenarios. This is one of the most insightful and intriguing books I have ever read. A combination intelligence report and Biblical blueprint, it still only provides the basic elements of the story. In order to keep up with rapidly moving events, Joel created a weblog at www.joelrosenberg.com, where he tracks the ongoing geopolitical tremors in real time. Whether you believe we are witnessing Biblical events unfolding, or simply want a better perspective on global affairs and the Mideast crisis, I highly recommend this amazing book. NewsMax 2007.
Monday, January 29, 2007
FORCES KILL 250 CULT GUNMEN
1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS.2-STRANGE DREAM. 3-Great Lakes snow and some California rain. 4-Blizzard whips Cape Breton. 5-Rat disease fears in city. 6-Netanyahu: Peres Law Bad Idea. 7-Peres Law Approved by Committee, Lacks Knesset Majority. 8-30 nations agree on resuming world trade negotiations. 9-Prof. Aumann: Post-Zionism Greater Threat Than Nukes. 10-US and Iraqi forces kill 250 apocalyptic cult gunmen.
I had a very Strange dream last night. I dreamed at the end of the O.J Simpson killing. I never seen O.J kill her, but her body I could tell was dead, then O.J who was on his knees put his face toward the floor, as he did he was bringing up foam out of his mouth.
Then after the foam was done large whole fish came out of his mouth. After all this he was still talking to the dead body Nicole.
Like Tovia Singer said on his show Thursday evening The vomit that comes out of the Arabs mouths (the hate).By this strange dream, the vomit from O.J (the foam) to me means O.J was really angry at nicole. I can not figure out what the Whole fish and the pile of the whole fish built up could mean. but after all this he was still yelling at the dead body. Thats how the dream ended.
This was a very strange dream if anyone can figure out what the Whole Fish could symbolise give me an E-mail with your Suggestions. I never dreamed about O.J and Nicole ever, interesting. stan120032000@yahoo.ca
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Mon Jan 29 12:07 AM EDT
JAN 29,07
MAP 3.3 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.4 OUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.6 TONGA
JAN 28,07
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.3 BANDA SEA
MAP 3.5 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.8 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 2.8 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 4.7 FIJI
MAP 4.6 TONGA
MAP 5.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.8 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
JAN 27,07
MAP 4.4 FIJI REGION
MAP 5.1 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.7 SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA
MAP 4.5 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.4 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.6 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.1 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.5 CHANNEL ISLANDS REGION, CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.7 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.0 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.6 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.7 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.8 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Great Lakes snow and some California rain Meteorologist, The Weather Channel JAN 28,07
A quick-moving low pressure system that developed in the Gulf of Mexico and brushed the coastal Carolinas this morning is already making an exit without much fanfare. Winter has taken ahold and will not release its grip anytime soon over the eastern half of the country. A series of cold fronts moving through the Midwest and South are bringing reinforcing shots of very cold air across the central and eastern half of the country today and tomorrow.
Beginning Wednesday of last week, a northwesterly flow developed over the Great Lakes and Northeast regions and has not let up. With multiple shots of cold air flowing over the relatively warm lakes, lake-effect snowfall has been quite persistent. The snow will continue to fall around the Great Lakes. A variety of lake-effect snow bulletins (warnings, watches, advisories) are in place over the usual suspect areas; south and east of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Erie, and Ontario. The northwesterly flow has also allowed for light amounts of mountain snow to fall over the central and southern Applachians. In the West, a stubborn upper-level low is spinning just off the California coast bringing rain to southern and central California, with snow in the higher elevations (above 5000 feet in the Sierra Nevada, and above 6000 feet in the San Gabriel Mountains). This low will be slow to move and keep the threat of rain and snow over southern and central California into tomorrow.
Any rain that does fall over SoCal is very much a welcome sight.
Blizzard whips Cape Breton
Saturday, January 27, 2007 | 6:26 PM ET CBC News
Winds gusting to 110 km/h and more snow continued to lash northern coastal areas of Cape Breton on Saturday, with at least two traffic deaths blamed on the storm.A storm surge warning was in effect in northern Nova Scotia, prompting concerns of shoreline erosion, forecasters said.Part of Cape Breton received about 30 centimetres of snow on Friday and the snow was continuing to fall on Saturday.(CBC) Parts of the island received about 30 centimetres of snow on Friday and police said whiteout conditions made driving dangerous.Two people were killed early Friday on Highway 16 near Halfway Cove when the car they were in drove off a wooden bridge.By midday Saturday, the snow had tapered off, but was still blowing, reducing visibility.Some of the streets that have been plowed are starting to fill back in, said Sgt. Mike Kennedy of Cape Breton Regional Police.We still have a winter advisory in effect and we're asking people to stay off the roads.Those who were heading out were told by police to expect their trip to take three times as long as usual.Kennedy said there were power outages, mostly in the Glace Bay area and on the outskirts of Sydney.On Friday, classes at schools, including Cape Breton University, were cancelled. Businesses closed early, as did government buildings.Marine Atlantic passengers were being advised to call ahead because sailings could be cancelled due to high winds.
DISEASES
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
Rat disease fears in city JAN 27,07
A man is being tested after falling ill at Morrison Utility on the Red Scar Industrial Estate.A man carrying out excavation work at Morrison Utility on the Red Scar industrial estate is being tested for Weil's Disease, a rare but potentially fatal bacterial infection spread by the urine of rats.The man, who was working on the United Utilities contract at the firm, complained of feeling sick, tired and lethargic all symptoms of the disease.Workers at the company have been sent a letter warning them about the possible suspected case and to look for symptoms.One worker says a further five employees are off sick and suspected to have the disease.
The worker, who did not wish to be named, said: We got a letter telling us one man was suspected of having Weil's Disease, but the word going round is that there are actually six people affected.
Weil's Disease is contracted through rats' urine and we see rats on the site all the time.Rats are becoming a huge problem in Preston as they are prolific breeders and where there is food, there will be rats.The Lancashire Evening Post recently revealed Preston's rat population is booming and that the council is considering taking on more ratcatchers. Richard Collett from Morrison Utility today said: "One of our employees complained of feeling sick, tired and lethargic.
While the symptoms are similar to those associated with Weil's Disease, there is no confirmed report that he actually has the disease.The employee was immediately advised to see his GP for blood tests. These blood tests are due to be back within the next few weeks. All employees experiencing any of the symptoms and think they may be infected have been advised to see their GP.Morrison Utility, which employs around 120 people, has sent the letter and warning leaflets to all 88 of its operatives who it considers may be at risk.Dr Steven Gee, consultant in communicable disease control with the Health Protection Agency Cumbria and Lancashire Health Protection Unit, said: Weil's Disease is rare and I cannot remember the last time there was a case in Preston.It can cause liver failure and renal failure in worst case scenarios. Sewer workers are at risk of it.As it is so rare, the blood tests for it are carried out at a veterinary laboratory in Weybridge.
Netanyahu: Peres Law Bad Idea
13:41 Jan 26, '07 / 7 Shevat 5767
(IsraelNN.com) Opposition Head Binyamin Netanyahu voiced criticism Friday of the attempt to pass the Peres Law a law that would make the Knesset vote on the next president an open one, supposedly improving Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres
chances of winning.
I think it is an improper move, it is unacceptable and wrong to push forward such a move just before the vote in order to prefer a certain candidate, said MK Netanyahu. Speaking on Israel Radio, Netanyahu said he had thought President Katzav would resign after the latest development in his case: I expected him to resign but he did not do it and the Knesset approved this.Meantime, Colette Avital (Labor) says she is not removing her candidacy to the post of president, and contrary to rumor, I am determined to run for the presidency.
Peres Law Approved by Committee, Lacks Knesset Majority
By Ezra HaLevi and Hillel Fendel JAN 28,07
Efforts by Vice-Premier Shimon Peres (Kadima) to improve his election chances in the upcoming presidential race by forcing an open vote in Knesset are meeting with only partial success.
It is widely assumed that Peres stands a better chance of being elected President of Israel if the Knesset Members' votes are tallied openly, rather than in a secret ballot as currently mandated by law.The proposal to change the law and require an open vote - commonly known as the Peres Bill - was passed on Sunday by the Ministerial Legislative Committee, by a vote of 7 to 5. Six out of seven Kadima ministers and a Pensioners Party minister supported it, while Labor, Shas and Kadima's Meir Sheetrit opposed. The bill will next be taken to the Knesset, where pundits feel it has a very small chance of being passed.Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Peres he would do everything he could to push through a law changing the electoral procedure on his behalf, but has not yet been able to scrape together the necessary Knesset votes. Peres, who has been active in Israeli politics since the founding of the state, has found little success electorally. The octogenarian wields
much influence and boasts powerful financial backers in both the US and Europe, yet has never won a national election. (The only near-exception was in the 1980s, when his Labor party won 48 votes compared to the Likud's 47, but Peres was unable to form a government and was forced to settle for a rotation agreement with the Likud's Yitzchak Shamir.)
Peres has been defeated when running for Labor Party Chairman, for Prime Minister, and even for President; seven years ago, Moshe Katzav of the Likud surprisingly out-tallied him among the 120 Knesset Members.
The upcoming presidential election may be more critical than most, as its results could directly affect whether a deal to give away most of Judea and Samaria could be consummated. Palestinian Authority leaders have hinted that without a pardon for convicted and imprisoned terror chief Marwan Barghouti, who is serving multiple life-sentences for dozens of murders, no deal can be made. The president holds the right to grant clemency, and Peres has implied that Barghouti - whom Peres views as a pragmatist should in fact be pardoned and freed.Former Knesset Speaker Ruby Rivlin of the Likud, who is perceived to be Peres' main opponent in a future presidential race, is assumed to be most unlikely to agree to such a pardon.
Olmert Wants Peres
Prime Minister Olmert is said to be determined to elevate Peres to the position of President, possibly due to the pivotal role the next president would play in his diplomatic plans. Kadima Party officials say that Olmert plans to re-shuffle his Cabinet, moving Defense Minister Amir Peretz to another ministry; among the changes may be new ministerial positions to coalition parties that agree to support the legal changes necessary to elect Peres.
Critics of the Peres law generally from the opposition say that holding an open vote would force it to take place according to party discipline, amounting to the prime minister receiving the right to appoint the president.MK Effie Eitam (National Union) said that the vote today broadcasts the dangerous and corrupt message that every law can be changed based on political interests. He said he plans to submit a bill stipulating that changes in the way public servants are elected will take effect only for the following term.Some opponents to the law are not necessarily against Peres himself. Housing Minister Meir Sheetrit (Kadima) says he supports Peres, but not the open-vote bill.Labor MK Shelly Yechimovich has come out strongly against the maneuver, saying, The legal system is not putty in the hands of political interest groups. The Peres Bill for an open ballot is an unbridled attempt by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to change the law for political needs of some sort or another. Yechimovich voted against the bill at Sunday's committee vote. Even Peres-protege Meretz party chairman MK Yossi Beilin has called on the prime minister to stop backing the law change. We must avoid making a farce out of changing the law of the presidency, Beilin said. The purpose of a secret ballot is to ensure that establishing who is the number-one civilian won't be done according to party discipline. The moment the ballot is open, it will become an inseparable part of sharing the coalition booty, and will cause additional damage to the institution of president.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
30 nations agree on resuming world trade negotiations
Malaysia Sun - 28th January, 2007
Trade ministers cautiously agreed Saturday to resume world trade negotiations that have been stalled for months.
The issue dominated the last day of the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.Ministers from some 30 countries offered few details about how they plan to unblock the so-called Doha Round of world trade talks, which have been frozen since last summer. But a short statement issued by the Swiss Economics Ministry, which organized the informal ministerial meeting Saturday, said the group wanted a quick resumption of full-scale activity in the trade talks.The meeting took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, an annual meeting gathering some of the globe's most powerful politicians and business leaders at the Swiss resort of Davos. During a special panel on the stalled talks, World Trade Organization (WTO) chief Pascal Lamy sounded cautiously optimistic.'I remain of the view that it is doable, he said. What we got this morning is the message that the momentum was there, that we are switching, or that we have to be prepared to switch from this flying mode above the landing zone, which we have been doing for some time, to the sort of switching to the approach mode.
Even if political will to resume trade negotiations is there, and many leaders say it is, major sticking points remain.
Key among them are disagreements between the EU, the U.S. and developing nations over slashing agricultural tariffs, which developing nations say put their farmers at a disadvantage and protect farmers in wealthier nations.Elections in France later this year may also break the momentum to strike a deal. Meanwhile, special congressional fast-track authority in the U.S. to approve a trade deal expires at the end of June.Still, a number of leaders remain optimistic, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Speaking at Davos Friday, Blair said a new trade deal could particularly benefit developing countries.There is really no substantive reason why we can't get a deal done, that this would be enormous in development terms, said Mr. Blair. An aid-for trade package would be enormously beneficial for countries in Africa, and, actually, for the rest of the world.Lamy of the WTO has not said when he will officially announce the official restarting of trade negotiations. But, he acknowledged, the window of opportunity is a narrow one.
Prof. Aumann: Post-Zionism Greater Threat Than Nukes
By Ezra HaLevi JAN 28,07
Nobel Prize Laureate Prof. Israel (Robert) J. Aumann addressed the Herzliya Conference last week. Speaking after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Aumann said that post-Zionism will be the end of us.Prof. Aumann, of the Center for the Study of Rationality at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, began his address by addressing the Iranian threat, but shifted his focus midway to what he said poses an even more serious threat to the Jewish nation: post-Zionism.
Having outlined the threat of Iranian nuclear attack, and the greater threat of Iranian proliferation of nuclear weapons among Islamic terror groups, Aumann continued: And now a few words about a third threat, which is perhaps the greatest of all. It does not come from Iran, nor from terrorist groups, nor from any external source. It comes from within us. We have met the enemy, and it is us. Esteemed ladies and gentlemen, your humble servant makes his living from game theory - among other things, very serious games: games of life and death and of existence and annihilation.
The name of the game in game theory is motivation, incentives. Earlier, we discussed the motivations of those standing on the opposite side. Motivating ourselves is the most important thing, and the thing we are losing the most. Without motivation, we will not endure. What are we doing here? Why are we here? What are we aspiring to here? We are here because we are Jewish, we are Zionist, because of our ancient bond to this land; we aspire to realize our 2,000-year-old hope of becoming a free nation in our land, the Land of Zion and Jerusalem. Without this profound understanding, we will not endure. We will simply no longer be here; post-Zionism will finish us off.The Nobel Prize Laureate, who was an outspoken opponent of the Disengagement, then addressed the prime minister: About half a year ago in Petra, Jordan, the prime minister said that we are tired. He was right. He was elected by the nation, and he expresses the sentiments of the nation. We are like a mountain-climber that gets caught in a snowstorm; the night falls, he is cold and tired, and he wants to sleep. If he falls asleep, he will freeze to death. We are in terminal danger because we are tired. I will allow myself to say a few unpopular, unfashionable words: our panicked lunging for peace is working against us. It brings us farther away from peace, and endangers our very existence. I think it was Churchill who said, If you want peace, prepare for war.The preparation includes material preparation, a fantastic army, effective tools of war, but above all, we are talking about spiritual preparation, about spiritual readiness to go to war.
Roadmaps, capitulation, gestures, disengagements, convergences, deportations, and so forth do not bring peace. On the contrary, they bring war, just as we saw last summer. These things send a clear signal to our 'cousins' [the Arabs -ed.] that we are tired, that we no longer have spiritual strength, that we have no time, that we are calling for a time-out. They only whet their appetites. It only encourages them to pressure us more, to demand more, and not to give up on anything. These things stem from simple theoretical considerations and also from straight thinking. But it's not just theory: it has been proven and re-proven in the field over thousands of years. I returned today from a trip to India, where we heard about historical stories that illustrate the same. Capitulations bring about war; determination and readiness bring about peace.Ladies and gentlemen, we must tell our cousins that we are staying here. We are not moving. We have time; we have patience; we have stamina. Understand this and internalize it. And we must not simply say it to our cousins but feel it within ourselves. This and only this will bring peace.
We can really live in peace and unity and cooperation with our cousins. But only after they understand and internalize that the Zionist state will be here forever. Thank you very much.
US and Iraqi forces kill 250 apocalyptic cult gunmen
By Alex Massie in Washington 2:05am GMT 29/01/2007
United States and Iraqi forces killed 250 gunmen from an apocalyptic Muslim cult in a battle involving US tanks and aircraft out near the Shia holy city of Najaf yesterday, Iraqi political, army and police sources claimed.Two Americans were killed, the US military said, when an attack helicopter went down during the day-long battle, 100 miles south of Baghdad, in which up to 1,000 camouflaged militants fought the military.An Iraqi army source said some of the dead wore headbands declaring themselves a Soldier of Heaven.The governor of Najaf province said the group had gathered in orchards near the city and had been planning to attack the main Shia clerical leadership today.It is the climax of the annual Shia rite of Ashura, marking a 7th century battle which entrenched the schism between Shia and Sunni Islam. A million or more pilgrims gathered in the holy city of Kerbala, between Najaf and Baghdad, for the ceremonies.Police Colonel Ali Nomas said 250 militants had been killed and an army source said they wore camouflage and appeared well organised.Political and security sources said the gunmen were followers of Ahmed Hassani al-Yemeni and described him as an apocalyptic cult leader claiming to be the vanguard of the Mahdi, a messiah-like figure in Islam whose coming heralds the start of perfect world justice. He had been operating from an office in Najaf. The sources said captured gunmen declared loyalty to Yemeni.
Meanwhile five schoolgirls were killed when a mortar shell landed in their playground in Baghdad yesterday, while two others died when a bomb blast hit a primary school in Ramadi.
Several projectiles exploded in the courtyard of the school, shattering classroom windows and spraying pupils with shards of glass. Pools of blood smeared the stone steps and walkways. Four girls were killed instantly and a fifth died later.The continuing violence comes as the Bush administration is struggling to persuade the American people it has a credible plan for securing and stabilising Baghdad.Tens of thousands attended an anti-war rally in Washington on Saturday and opinion polls show nearly two thirds of voters oppose President George W Bush's plans for deploying an additional 21,500 troops to Baghdad and al-Anbar province.Vice-President Dick Cheney admitted that the struggle has gone on longer than we anticipated in Iraq, but warned that the wider problem of combating terrorism would not be solved for at least 15 years.
I had a very Strange dream last night. I dreamed at the end of the O.J Simpson killing. I never seen O.J kill her, but her body I could tell was dead, then O.J who was on his knees put his face toward the floor, as he did he was bringing up foam out of his mouth.
Then after the foam was done large whole fish came out of his mouth. After all this he was still talking to the dead body Nicole.
Like Tovia Singer said on his show Thursday evening The vomit that comes out of the Arabs mouths (the hate).By this strange dream, the vomit from O.J (the foam) to me means O.J was really angry at nicole. I can not figure out what the Whole fish and the pile of the whole fish built up could mean. but after all this he was still yelling at the dead body. Thats how the dream ended.
This was a very strange dream if anyone can figure out what the Whole Fish could symbolise give me an E-mail with your Suggestions. I never dreamed about O.J and Nicole ever, interesting. stan120032000@yahoo.ca
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Mon Jan 29 12:07 AM EDT
JAN 29,07
MAP 3.3 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.4 OUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.6 TONGA
JAN 28,07
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.3 BANDA SEA
MAP 3.5 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 5.8 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 2.8 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 4.7 FIJI
MAP 4.6 TONGA
MAP 5.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.8 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
JAN 27,07
MAP 4.4 FIJI REGION
MAP 5.1 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.7 SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA
MAP 4.5 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.4 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.6 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.1 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.5 CHANNEL ISLANDS REGION, CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.7 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.0 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.6 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.7 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.8 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Great Lakes snow and some California rain Meteorologist, The Weather Channel JAN 28,07
A quick-moving low pressure system that developed in the Gulf of Mexico and brushed the coastal Carolinas this morning is already making an exit without much fanfare. Winter has taken ahold and will not release its grip anytime soon over the eastern half of the country. A series of cold fronts moving through the Midwest and South are bringing reinforcing shots of very cold air across the central and eastern half of the country today and tomorrow.
Beginning Wednesday of last week, a northwesterly flow developed over the Great Lakes and Northeast regions and has not let up. With multiple shots of cold air flowing over the relatively warm lakes, lake-effect snowfall has been quite persistent. The snow will continue to fall around the Great Lakes. A variety of lake-effect snow bulletins (warnings, watches, advisories) are in place over the usual suspect areas; south and east of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Erie, and Ontario. The northwesterly flow has also allowed for light amounts of mountain snow to fall over the central and southern Applachians. In the West, a stubborn upper-level low is spinning just off the California coast bringing rain to southern and central California, with snow in the higher elevations (above 5000 feet in the Sierra Nevada, and above 6000 feet in the San Gabriel Mountains). This low will be slow to move and keep the threat of rain and snow over southern and central California into tomorrow.
Any rain that does fall over SoCal is very much a welcome sight.
Blizzard whips Cape Breton
Saturday, January 27, 2007 | 6:26 PM ET CBC News
Winds gusting to 110 km/h and more snow continued to lash northern coastal areas of Cape Breton on Saturday, with at least two traffic deaths blamed on the storm.A storm surge warning was in effect in northern Nova Scotia, prompting concerns of shoreline erosion, forecasters said.Part of Cape Breton received about 30 centimetres of snow on Friday and the snow was continuing to fall on Saturday.(CBC) Parts of the island received about 30 centimetres of snow on Friday and police said whiteout conditions made driving dangerous.Two people were killed early Friday on Highway 16 near Halfway Cove when the car they were in drove off a wooden bridge.By midday Saturday, the snow had tapered off, but was still blowing, reducing visibility.Some of the streets that have been plowed are starting to fill back in, said Sgt. Mike Kennedy of Cape Breton Regional Police.We still have a winter advisory in effect and we're asking people to stay off the roads.Those who were heading out were told by police to expect their trip to take three times as long as usual.Kennedy said there were power outages, mostly in the Glace Bay area and on the outskirts of Sydney.On Friday, classes at schools, including Cape Breton University, were cancelled. Businesses closed early, as did government buildings.Marine Atlantic passengers were being advised to call ahead because sailings could be cancelled due to high winds.
DISEASES
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
Rat disease fears in city JAN 27,07
A man is being tested after falling ill at Morrison Utility on the Red Scar Industrial Estate.A man carrying out excavation work at Morrison Utility on the Red Scar industrial estate is being tested for Weil's Disease, a rare but potentially fatal bacterial infection spread by the urine of rats.The man, who was working on the United Utilities contract at the firm, complained of feeling sick, tired and lethargic all symptoms of the disease.Workers at the company have been sent a letter warning them about the possible suspected case and to look for symptoms.One worker says a further five employees are off sick and suspected to have the disease.
The worker, who did not wish to be named, said: We got a letter telling us one man was suspected of having Weil's Disease, but the word going round is that there are actually six people affected.
Weil's Disease is contracted through rats' urine and we see rats on the site all the time.Rats are becoming a huge problem in Preston as they are prolific breeders and where there is food, there will be rats.The Lancashire Evening Post recently revealed Preston's rat population is booming and that the council is considering taking on more ratcatchers. Richard Collett from Morrison Utility today said: "One of our employees complained of feeling sick, tired and lethargic.
While the symptoms are similar to those associated with Weil's Disease, there is no confirmed report that he actually has the disease.The employee was immediately advised to see his GP for blood tests. These blood tests are due to be back within the next few weeks. All employees experiencing any of the symptoms and think they may be infected have been advised to see their GP.Morrison Utility, which employs around 120 people, has sent the letter and warning leaflets to all 88 of its operatives who it considers may be at risk.Dr Steven Gee, consultant in communicable disease control with the Health Protection Agency Cumbria and Lancashire Health Protection Unit, said: Weil's Disease is rare and I cannot remember the last time there was a case in Preston.It can cause liver failure and renal failure in worst case scenarios. Sewer workers are at risk of it.As it is so rare, the blood tests for it are carried out at a veterinary laboratory in Weybridge.
Netanyahu: Peres Law Bad Idea
13:41 Jan 26, '07 / 7 Shevat 5767
(IsraelNN.com) Opposition Head Binyamin Netanyahu voiced criticism Friday of the attempt to pass the Peres Law a law that would make the Knesset vote on the next president an open one, supposedly improving Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres
chances of winning.
I think it is an improper move, it is unacceptable and wrong to push forward such a move just before the vote in order to prefer a certain candidate, said MK Netanyahu. Speaking on Israel Radio, Netanyahu said he had thought President Katzav would resign after the latest development in his case: I expected him to resign but he did not do it and the Knesset approved this.Meantime, Colette Avital (Labor) says she is not removing her candidacy to the post of president, and contrary to rumor, I am determined to run for the presidency.
Peres Law Approved by Committee, Lacks Knesset Majority
By Ezra HaLevi and Hillel Fendel JAN 28,07
Efforts by Vice-Premier Shimon Peres (Kadima) to improve his election chances in the upcoming presidential race by forcing an open vote in Knesset are meeting with only partial success.
It is widely assumed that Peres stands a better chance of being elected President of Israel if the Knesset Members' votes are tallied openly, rather than in a secret ballot as currently mandated by law.The proposal to change the law and require an open vote - commonly known as the Peres Bill - was passed on Sunday by the Ministerial Legislative Committee, by a vote of 7 to 5. Six out of seven Kadima ministers and a Pensioners Party minister supported it, while Labor, Shas and Kadima's Meir Sheetrit opposed. The bill will next be taken to the Knesset, where pundits feel it has a very small chance of being passed.Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Peres he would do everything he could to push through a law changing the electoral procedure on his behalf, but has not yet been able to scrape together the necessary Knesset votes. Peres, who has been active in Israeli politics since the founding of the state, has found little success electorally. The octogenarian wields
much influence and boasts powerful financial backers in both the US and Europe, yet has never won a national election. (The only near-exception was in the 1980s, when his Labor party won 48 votes compared to the Likud's 47, but Peres was unable to form a government and was forced to settle for a rotation agreement with the Likud's Yitzchak Shamir.)
Peres has been defeated when running for Labor Party Chairman, for Prime Minister, and even for President; seven years ago, Moshe Katzav of the Likud surprisingly out-tallied him among the 120 Knesset Members.
The upcoming presidential election may be more critical than most, as its results could directly affect whether a deal to give away most of Judea and Samaria could be consummated. Palestinian Authority leaders have hinted that without a pardon for convicted and imprisoned terror chief Marwan Barghouti, who is serving multiple life-sentences for dozens of murders, no deal can be made. The president holds the right to grant clemency, and Peres has implied that Barghouti - whom Peres views as a pragmatist should in fact be pardoned and freed.Former Knesset Speaker Ruby Rivlin of the Likud, who is perceived to be Peres' main opponent in a future presidential race, is assumed to be most unlikely to agree to such a pardon.
Olmert Wants Peres
Prime Minister Olmert is said to be determined to elevate Peres to the position of President, possibly due to the pivotal role the next president would play in his diplomatic plans. Kadima Party officials say that Olmert plans to re-shuffle his Cabinet, moving Defense Minister Amir Peretz to another ministry; among the changes may be new ministerial positions to coalition parties that agree to support the legal changes necessary to elect Peres.
Critics of the Peres law generally from the opposition say that holding an open vote would force it to take place according to party discipline, amounting to the prime minister receiving the right to appoint the president.MK Effie Eitam (National Union) said that the vote today broadcasts the dangerous and corrupt message that every law can be changed based on political interests. He said he plans to submit a bill stipulating that changes in the way public servants are elected will take effect only for the following term.Some opponents to the law are not necessarily against Peres himself. Housing Minister Meir Sheetrit (Kadima) says he supports Peres, but not the open-vote bill.Labor MK Shelly Yechimovich has come out strongly against the maneuver, saying, The legal system is not putty in the hands of political interest groups. The Peres Bill for an open ballot is an unbridled attempt by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to change the law for political needs of some sort or another. Yechimovich voted against the bill at Sunday's committee vote. Even Peres-protege Meretz party chairman MK Yossi Beilin has called on the prime minister to stop backing the law change. We must avoid making a farce out of changing the law of the presidency, Beilin said. The purpose of a secret ballot is to ensure that establishing who is the number-one civilian won't be done according to party discipline. The moment the ballot is open, it will become an inseparable part of sharing the coalition booty, and will cause additional damage to the institution of president.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
30 nations agree on resuming world trade negotiations
Malaysia Sun - 28th January, 2007
Trade ministers cautiously agreed Saturday to resume world trade negotiations that have been stalled for months.
The issue dominated the last day of the annual World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.Ministers from some 30 countries offered few details about how they plan to unblock the so-called Doha Round of world trade talks, which have been frozen since last summer. But a short statement issued by the Swiss Economics Ministry, which organized the informal ministerial meeting Saturday, said the group wanted a quick resumption of full-scale activity in the trade talks.The meeting took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, an annual meeting gathering some of the globe's most powerful politicians and business leaders at the Swiss resort of Davos. During a special panel on the stalled talks, World Trade Organization (WTO) chief Pascal Lamy sounded cautiously optimistic.'I remain of the view that it is doable, he said. What we got this morning is the message that the momentum was there, that we are switching, or that we have to be prepared to switch from this flying mode above the landing zone, which we have been doing for some time, to the sort of switching to the approach mode.
Even if political will to resume trade negotiations is there, and many leaders say it is, major sticking points remain.
Key among them are disagreements between the EU, the U.S. and developing nations over slashing agricultural tariffs, which developing nations say put their farmers at a disadvantage and protect farmers in wealthier nations.Elections in France later this year may also break the momentum to strike a deal. Meanwhile, special congressional fast-track authority in the U.S. to approve a trade deal expires at the end of June.Still, a number of leaders remain optimistic, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Speaking at Davos Friday, Blair said a new trade deal could particularly benefit developing countries.There is really no substantive reason why we can't get a deal done, that this would be enormous in development terms, said Mr. Blair. An aid-for trade package would be enormously beneficial for countries in Africa, and, actually, for the rest of the world.Lamy of the WTO has not said when he will officially announce the official restarting of trade negotiations. But, he acknowledged, the window of opportunity is a narrow one.
Prof. Aumann: Post-Zionism Greater Threat Than Nukes
By Ezra HaLevi JAN 28,07
Nobel Prize Laureate Prof. Israel (Robert) J. Aumann addressed the Herzliya Conference last week. Speaking after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Aumann said that post-Zionism will be the end of us.Prof. Aumann, of the Center for the Study of Rationality at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, began his address by addressing the Iranian threat, but shifted his focus midway to what he said poses an even more serious threat to the Jewish nation: post-Zionism.
Having outlined the threat of Iranian nuclear attack, and the greater threat of Iranian proliferation of nuclear weapons among Islamic terror groups, Aumann continued: And now a few words about a third threat, which is perhaps the greatest of all. It does not come from Iran, nor from terrorist groups, nor from any external source. It comes from within us. We have met the enemy, and it is us. Esteemed ladies and gentlemen, your humble servant makes his living from game theory - among other things, very serious games: games of life and death and of existence and annihilation.
The name of the game in game theory is motivation, incentives. Earlier, we discussed the motivations of those standing on the opposite side. Motivating ourselves is the most important thing, and the thing we are losing the most. Without motivation, we will not endure. What are we doing here? Why are we here? What are we aspiring to here? We are here because we are Jewish, we are Zionist, because of our ancient bond to this land; we aspire to realize our 2,000-year-old hope of becoming a free nation in our land, the Land of Zion and Jerusalem. Without this profound understanding, we will not endure. We will simply no longer be here; post-Zionism will finish us off.The Nobel Prize Laureate, who was an outspoken opponent of the Disengagement, then addressed the prime minister: About half a year ago in Petra, Jordan, the prime minister said that we are tired. He was right. He was elected by the nation, and he expresses the sentiments of the nation. We are like a mountain-climber that gets caught in a snowstorm; the night falls, he is cold and tired, and he wants to sleep. If he falls asleep, he will freeze to death. We are in terminal danger because we are tired. I will allow myself to say a few unpopular, unfashionable words: our panicked lunging for peace is working against us. It brings us farther away from peace, and endangers our very existence. I think it was Churchill who said, If you want peace, prepare for war.The preparation includes material preparation, a fantastic army, effective tools of war, but above all, we are talking about spiritual preparation, about spiritual readiness to go to war.
Roadmaps, capitulation, gestures, disengagements, convergences, deportations, and so forth do not bring peace. On the contrary, they bring war, just as we saw last summer. These things send a clear signal to our 'cousins' [the Arabs -ed.] that we are tired, that we no longer have spiritual strength, that we have no time, that we are calling for a time-out. They only whet their appetites. It only encourages them to pressure us more, to demand more, and not to give up on anything. These things stem from simple theoretical considerations and also from straight thinking. But it's not just theory: it has been proven and re-proven in the field over thousands of years. I returned today from a trip to India, where we heard about historical stories that illustrate the same. Capitulations bring about war; determination and readiness bring about peace.Ladies and gentlemen, we must tell our cousins that we are staying here. We are not moving. We have time; we have patience; we have stamina. Understand this and internalize it. And we must not simply say it to our cousins but feel it within ourselves. This and only this will bring peace.
We can really live in peace and unity and cooperation with our cousins. But only after they understand and internalize that the Zionist state will be here forever. Thank you very much.
US and Iraqi forces kill 250 apocalyptic cult gunmen
By Alex Massie in Washington 2:05am GMT 29/01/2007
United States and Iraqi forces killed 250 gunmen from an apocalyptic Muslim cult in a battle involving US tanks and aircraft out near the Shia holy city of Najaf yesterday, Iraqi political, army and police sources claimed.Two Americans were killed, the US military said, when an attack helicopter went down during the day-long battle, 100 miles south of Baghdad, in which up to 1,000 camouflaged militants fought the military.An Iraqi army source said some of the dead wore headbands declaring themselves a Soldier of Heaven.The governor of Najaf province said the group had gathered in orchards near the city and had been planning to attack the main Shia clerical leadership today.It is the climax of the annual Shia rite of Ashura, marking a 7th century battle which entrenched the schism between Shia and Sunni Islam. A million or more pilgrims gathered in the holy city of Kerbala, between Najaf and Baghdad, for the ceremonies.Police Colonel Ali Nomas said 250 militants had been killed and an army source said they wore camouflage and appeared well organised.Political and security sources said the gunmen were followers of Ahmed Hassani al-Yemeni and described him as an apocalyptic cult leader claiming to be the vanguard of the Mahdi, a messiah-like figure in Islam whose coming heralds the start of perfect world justice. He had been operating from an office in Najaf. The sources said captured gunmen declared loyalty to Yemeni.
Meanwhile five schoolgirls were killed when a mortar shell landed in their playground in Baghdad yesterday, while two others died when a bomb blast hit a primary school in Ramadi.
Several projectiles exploded in the courtyard of the school, shattering classroom windows and spraying pupils with shards of glass. Pools of blood smeared the stone steps and walkways. Four girls were killed instantly and a fifth died later.The continuing violence comes as the Bush administration is struggling to persuade the American people it has a credible plan for securing and stabilising Baghdad.Tens of thousands attended an anti-war rally in Washington on Saturday and opinion polls show nearly two thirds of voters oppose President George W Bush's plans for deploying an additional 21,500 troops to Baghdad and al-Anbar province.Vice-President Dick Cheney admitted that the struggle has gone on longer than we anticipated in Iraq, but warned that the wider problem of combating terrorism would not be solved for at least 15 years.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
IRAN PREPARES FOR MESSIAH
1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS.2-Next arctic cold shot sweeps east. 3-Public revolt quashes biometric ID chips 4-European Union treaty ratifiers want to build on current constitution 5-Spain pushes for extended EU constitution. 6-Iran prepares people for messiah miracles.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Sun Jan 28 12:04 AM EDT
JAN 28,07
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
JAN 27,07
MAP 4.4 FIJI REGION
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.1 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.7 SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA
MAP 4.5 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.4 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.6 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.1 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.5 CHANNEL ISLANDS REGION, CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.7 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.0 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.6 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.7 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.8 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
JAN 26,07
MAP 4.9 ROTA REGION, NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
MAP 4.6 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.9 CENTRAL MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
MAP 4.4 ECUADOR
MAP 4.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.2 VOLCANO ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
MAP 2.6 KENAI PENINSULA, ALASKA
MAP 3.0 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 4.0 HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.8 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 3.2 OLYMPIC PENINSULA, WASHINGTON
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN QUEBEC, CANADA
MAP 4.7 EASTERN TURKEY
MAP 5.2 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.4 NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA
MAP 4.4 SEA OF JAPAN
MAP 5.1 TONGA
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Next arctic cold shot sweeps east Wayne Verno and M. Ressler, Meteorologists, The Weather Channel Sat Jan 27, 11:17 AM ET
Another arctic front has moved across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes, and will continue to rapidly move southeast, clearing the eastern coast by Sunday. Across the south, well ahead of this front, rain and rain showers will shift from eastern Texas through the Lower Mississippi River Valley today, affecting areas from Houston and New Orleans to Memphis and Birmingham by afternoon.
Rockport, Texas, picked up 1.18 inches of rain during the morning. The rain will then spread east tonight, affecting areas from Atlanta and Mobile, to near Jacksonville. By Sunday, the front will clear the southeast coast, with rain showers lingering along the southern Florida. Rain amounts will generally be lighter due to the fast movement of the front, and generally a tenth to a half of an inch is expected. However, locally high amounts near inch will be possible along the northern Gulf Coastal areas, where a few thunderstorms could develop. Aiding the Midwest arctic front is a vigorous upper level disturbance, which will move across the southern Plains today. This will result in a band of light snow, from the southern Plains, into the Middle Mississippi Valley. Little accumulation is expected. On the cold side of the front, northeasterly upslope winds are generating a few inches of snow over parts of eastern Colorado. Lake-effect snows are in the increase across Upper and western Lower Michigan. Temperatures will be falling
most of the day across the northern Plains, Upper Midwest, and Great Lakes. Also, gusty northwest winds are gusting to between 30 and 45 mph across the Dakotas, Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa. Morning wind chills were between -20 and -35 across eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. Temperatures in the single digits are common across North Dakota, northeast South Dakota and both western and northern Minnesota with teens into Nebraska. Temperatures will fall into the teens across Upper Michigan, western Wisconsin and Iowa and into the 20s as far south as the Ohio River Valley. Temperatures will continue to drop through the night, and bottom out 5 to 20 below zero across the Upper Midwest and northern Plains, with single digits into the western Great Lakes. The cold temperatures will spread south and east Sunday, with highs only in the 40s from northern Texas to central Alabama, and in teens and 20s from the Appalachians westward across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. This air mass will not be as cold as the previous one, but it will be much more widespread. The impacts will also be greater across the South, where morning lows in the 20s will be common all the way to the Gulf Coast.
Public revolt quashes biometric ID chips
Citizens score success abroad while opposition to national card grows in U.S.
Posted: January 27, 2007 - 1:00 a.m. Eastern - WorldNetDaily.com
While opposition grows to a national ID card in the U.S., citizens of the southeast European nation of Serbia have successfully pressed their government to back off on a plan to make biometric data chips compulsory in the country's new citizen cards. The decision followed a pitched battle prior to the Jan. 21 election as opponents criticized the accompanying plan for a centralized database of citizen information and the taking of fingerprints. Biometric technology uses data from sources such as fingerprints, facial features and iris scans to authenticate a person's identity. In the U.S., the Real ID Act passed by Congress in 2005 calls for a national ID portion to go into effect by May 2008. It requires states to participate in a federal data-sharing program when issuing driver's licenses, making those licenses de facto national ID cards. A number of state legislatures have passed nonbinding measures in opposition, including the Maine House and Senate, which yesterday almost unanimously approved a resolution refusing to implement the Real ID Act. Responding to public outcry in Serbia, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica's administration, in one of its last acts in office, took the unusual step of announcing a decree before the government's session this month.
Serbian Interior Minister Dragan Jocic told the press that due to privacy concerns raised by citizens the new Law on Identification Cards would be modified to ensure the chips, with a digitalized photo and fingerprint, would be included only upon the card holder's specific request. Citizens' groups and non-governmental organizations that initiated an opposition campaign after the law passed last July applauded the concession but vowed to continue the fight until the entire law was struck down. Attorney Dragoljub Djordjevic, a founder of the group that spearheaded the anti-biometric media campaign, For Life without Branding, says his organization plans to challenge the law in the Serbian Supreme Court. That would have been our first step if not for the fact that the court has had a vacancy for months and cannot legally convene, said Djordjevic, who is also vice president of the Serbian Bar Association. As soon as it does, however, we shall challenge the centralized database the police plan to set up as an unconstitutional invasion of privacy. We shall also challenge the taking of fingerprints of normal, law-abiding citizens as though they were convicted criminals.Large public outcry developed over the way the law was passed – without prior public debate – and a scandal inside the Interior Ministry itself arose from the purchase of equipment for more than $100 million outside of regular procurement procedures and a full three years before the law itself came before the parliament.
Church helped lead the way
Observers agree the Serbian Orthodox Church made the biggest difference. During its bi-annual Holy Assembly of Archpriests in early October, the church issued a decision delegating the Holy Synod – its executive body – to intervene with the relevant authorities in order to prevent the recently-passed Law on ID cards from being put into practice.The Serbian Church followed the pattern of similar protests in 2000-2002 within the Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches, when their respective governments attempted to institute compulsory electronic ID cards and tax numbers. Many church members raised objections to having an object – the smart chip – on their ID cards tied to data to which they didn't have free access. They also were wary of having their personal data centralized in electronic form and available to unspecified third parties. Serbians additionally became irritated when the Interior Ministry's claims that such ID cards were already widely used in the European Union were proven false. Most countries in Western Europe either have optional biometric ID cards or non-compulsory ID cards, and few have centralized ID databases.
Also, IT professionals were angered by another Interior Ministry contention– that the biometric ID would ease introduction of government electronic services Electronic government services do not require an ID card at all, insisted Oliver Subotic, a computer expert and theologian, who has written two books on the ethics of IT technology and on biometrics.
Accessing e-government services by way of an ID card is a needless intrusion of privacy. Many European Union countries have well-developed e-government services without having issued electronic ID cards at all.Finally, Serbian public opinion, still sensitive to NATO after its 1999 bombing campaign, was receptive to arguments that the ID cards – with parts of its system purchased from Motorola – were a potential avenue for spying on the country's database. Motorola has been working closely with the Pentagon for decades, says Sladjan Mijaljevic, head of the nongovernmental group Truth. How do we know that there aren't backdoor Trojan viruses installed making our nation's personal data an open book?
The grass-roots campaign was perhaps the first to successfully challenge the central government since the deposing of former Yugoslavian and Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic in street demonstrations in October 2000.
Some observes say that amid the hardships of the transition from a socialist to a capitalist economy with its heavy unemployment and economic uncertainty, the anti-biometric chip campaign may be the harbinger of new winds blowing on the Serbian political scene. Meanwhile, in America …In the U.S., the Real ID Act stipulates that after May 11, 2008, a federal agency may not accept, for any official purpose, a driver's license or identification card issued by a State to any person unless the State is meeting the requirements specified in the Real ID Act. While states can issue non-federal ID cards, they would not be accepted by the Transportation Security Administration for travel purposes, grounding those who don't carry federally approved cards. The data required to be included in each card are, among other things, the person's full legal name, date of birth, gender, driver's license number, a digital photo, the person's address and machine-readable technology so the information can be ready easily by government or banking personnel.
Each state must agree to share the data on the cards with every other state.
Supporters of the law say it does not require a national ID card because each state issues its own cards, not the federal government. But detractors note the cards are virtual national IDs since the federal law has dictated what data must be included and that each state must share its database with the others. As WND reported, the Department of Transportation, acting through a Security and Prosperity Partnership working group, is preparing this year to issue North American biometric border passes to Mexican, Canadian, and U.S. trusted travelers according to documents released to WND columnist and author Jerome R. Corsi under a Freedom of Information Act request.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
European Union treaty ratifiers want to build on current constitution JAN 26,07
MADRID, Jan 26: Representatives of the 18 states which have ratified a proposed EU constitution today said that all 27 EU states should use the existing document as the basis for a new accord.At the same time participants urged countries yet to ratify, led by France and the Netherlands after their electorates rejected the treaty, to clarify sticking points.We are willing to work together on the basis of the Constitutional Treaty, signed in Rome in October 2004, by all the governments of the EU member states, in order to reach an agreement which respects its fundamental content and its balances, the meeting said in a closing statement in Madrid.
Friday's conference was designed to back current EU presidency holder Germany over its plans to simplify the bloc's institutional structure and streamline decision-making.Failure to make progress by 2009 would be an historic mistake, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned the European parliament last week.The 18 ratifiers, who collectively represent 270 million people, are Spain, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta and Romania.Ireland and Portugal also backed the final informal declaration.Adoption of the treaty foundered after France and the Netherlands decisively rejected the treaty by popular vote in 2005, while seven others have either postponed or indefinitely shelved moves to ratify it as a result. --- PTI
Spain pushes for extended EU constitution
26.01.2007 - 14:45 CET | By Lucia Kubosova
EUOBSERVER / MADRID - In a speech to open the Friends of EU constitution' meeting in Madrid, Spain's foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos argued that any revised treaty should be extended to include more European objectives rather than pared down to just institutional reforms.
Delegates from the 18 countries that have ratified the EU constitution plus its strong supporters - Ireland and Portugal - have gathered in a cultural centre - usually used for hosting events related to Latin America - to outline their positions on the future of the European treaty.In line with the motto of the meeting and the key idea to be highlighted in the forthcoming statement - Por una Europa mejor, for a better Europe, Mr Moratinos reiterated that the current treaty is an excellent document.We have met here to have our voice heard. Because it cannot be simply ignored that 18 countries ratified this constitution and some of them even after the negative outcome of referendums in France and the Netherlands.Luxembourg's Europe minister Nicolas Schmit - representing the country that adopted the constitution by popular vote following the French and Dutch polls - said I am convinced that we all should be in position to back the project that takes us forward.For his part, Mr Moratinos said that while a debate about possible changes to the form and content of the constitution often boils down to statements suggesting that only the core of the text should be retained, not everybody views this core and what constitutes it in the same way.
We all agree that the union requires institutional reforms in order to adapt to enlargement. These reforms are necessary, but far from sufficient to ensure the future of the union.He went on to suggest that Spain prefers a bold proposal, though not a rushed one rather than a proposal aimed at the lowest common denominator, with several delegates - such as Belgium's secretary of European affairs - set to suggest that the current constitution already represents a minimum minimorum.Mr Moratinos proposed that a new extended text could include provisions on subjects such as enlargement criteria, immigration, energy, climate change, defence policy and a European social space.It is clear we will probably need to negotiate its [the constitution's] modification. But Spain would seek to complete it rather than piece it up.However, during a debate following his speech, most of the delegates maintained that any future modifications should be just minimal.
Don't touch this text
We are all firmly behind this text, so don't touch it - that was the main message from most delegations, one observer told EUobserver.Also, almost everybody called for the two countries that have seen a negative referendum outcome to say clearly what their position is.He added that most countries also highlighted their support for the German presidency and its plan to salvage the constitution by 2009, while stressing that today's meeting was not supposed to divide Europe into two camps.Asked by journalists if he was bothered that the meeting was being attended only by lower-level officials, Spain's foreign minister said this was his country's plan from the start.
Iran prepares people for messiah miracles Government broadcasts series on imminent appearance of apocalyptic Islamic Mahdi Posted: January 27, 2007 - 1:00 a.m. Eastern - WorldNetDaily.com
Official Iranian radio has completed broadcasting a lengthy series on the imminent appearance of a messianic figure who will defeat Islam's enemies and impose Islamic Shiite rule over the entire world – even speculating on specific dates the so-called Mahdi will be revealed. English-language transcripts of The World Toward Illumination programs can be found on the website of IRIB, a public broadcast arm of Tehran. Be joyous my heart, miracles of the Messiah will soon be here, reads a poem used to conclude the first broadcast. The scent of breaths of the One we know comes from near. Grieve not of sorrow and melancholy, as assured I was … last night that a Savior will come, it's clear.After the coming of the 12th imam, or Mahdi, liberal democratic civilization will be found only in history museums, explained the program. Contrary to the views of western theoreticians, who usually depict an ambiguous and dark future for mankind, Muslim experts believe human history, despite its many ups and downs, has a very auspicious fate, explained the program. Muslims believe hopes for the realization of such a happy ending for the world are called Awaiting Redemption, and means waiting for man's problems to be solved by the Savior at the end of time. This awaiting influences many, and inspired them with activity and enthusiasm in confronting darkness and oppression for changing the existing situation.
This messianic figure will be a direct descendant of Muhammad, according to the broadcasts. In short, when he reappears, peace, justice and security will overcome oppression and deceit and one global government, the most perfect ever, will be established, it said.
The Mahdi will appear suddenly, according to the report, in Mecca. Though no one can know the day, Shiites believe, the report actually suggests possibilities in the Muslim calendar. The Mahdi will lead a cataclysmic battle against a descendant of Muhammad's archenemy, Abu Sofyan, culminating in the cities of Kufa and Najaf. His enemy, though, is destroyed later in Jerusalem. Another beautiful moment of the Savior's appearance is the coming down of Prophet Jesus (PBUH) from heaven, says the report. Hazrat Mahdi receives him courteously and asks him to lead the prayers. But Jesus says you are more qualified for this than me. We read in the book Tazkarat ol-Olia, the Mahdi will come with Jesus son of Mary accompanying him. This indicates that these two great men are (sic) complement each other. Imam Mahdi will be the leader while Prophet Jesus will act as his lieutenant in the struggle against oppression and establishment of justice in the world. Jesus had himself given the tidings of the coming of God's last messenger and will see Mohammad's ideals materialize in the time of the Mahdi.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appearing at The World Without Zionism conference Oct. 26, 2005
As WND reported last month, in a greeting to the world's Christians for the coming new year, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he expects both Jesus and the Mahdi, to return and wipe away oppression.
I wish all the Christians a very happy new year and I wish to ask them a question as well, said Ahmadinejad, according to an Iranian Student News Agency report cited by YnetNews.com My one question from the Christians is: What would Jesus do if he were present in the world today? What would he do before some of the oppressive powers of the world who are in fact residing in Christian countries? Which powers would he revive and which of them would he destroy? asked the Iranian leader.
If Jesus were present today, who would be facing him and who would be following him?
Ahmadinejad's mystical pre-occupation with the coming of the Mahdi is raising concerns that a nuclear-armed Islamic Republic could trigger the kind of global conflagration he envisions will set the stage for the end of the world. In a videotaped meeting with Ayatollah Javadi-Amoli in Tehran, Ahmadinejad discussed candidly a strange, paranormal experience he had while addressing the United Nations in New York last September.
He recounts how he found himself bathed in light throughout the speech. But this wasn't the light directed at the podium by the U.N. and television cameras. It was, he said, a light from heaven. According to a transcript of his comments, obtained and translated by Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, Ahmadinejad wasn't the only one who noticed the unearthly light. One of his aides brought it to his attention. The Iranian president recalled being told about it by one of his delegation: When you began with the words in the name of Allah, I saw a light coming, surrounding you and protecting you to the end.
Ahmadinejad agreed that he sensed the same thing.
On the last day when I was speaking, one of our group told me that when I started to say Bismillah Muhammad, he saw a green light come from around me, and I was placed inside this aura, he says. I felt it myself. I felt that the atmosphere suddenly changed, and for those 27 or 28 minutes, all the leaders of the world did not blink. When I say they didn't move an eyelid, I'm not exaggerating. They were looking as if a hand was holding them there, and had just opened their eyes – Alhamdulillah!
Ahmadinejad's vision at the U.N. is strangely reminiscent and alarmingly similar to statements he has made about his personal role in ushering in the return of the Shiite Muslim messiah.
He sees his main mission, as he recounted in a Nov. 16 speech in Tehran, as to pave the path for the glorious reappearance of Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his reappearance.According to Shiites, the 12th imam disappeared as a child in the year 941. When he returns, they believe, he will reign on earth for seven years, before bringing about a final judgment and the end of the world. Ahmadinejad is urging Iranians to prepare for the coming of the Mahdi by turning the country into a mighty and advanced Islamic society and by avoiding the corruption and excesses of the West. All Iran is buzzing about the Mahdi, the 12th imam and the role Iran and Ahmadinejad are playing in his anticipated return. There's a new messiah hotline. There are news agencies especially devoted to the latest developments. People are anxious to know when and how will He rise; what they must do to receive this worldwide salvation, says Ali Lari, a cleric at the Bright Future Institute in Iran's religious center of Qom. The timing is not clear, but the conditions are more specific, he adds. There is a saying: When the students are ready, the teacher will come.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Sun Jan 28 12:04 AM EDT
JAN 28,07
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
JAN 27,07
MAP 4.4 FIJI REGION
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.1 MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.7 SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA
MAP 4.5 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.4 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.6 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.1 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.5 CHANNEL ISLANDS REGION, CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.7 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.0 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.6 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.7 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.8 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
JAN 26,07
MAP 4.9 ROTA REGION, NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
MAP 4.6 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.9 CENTRAL MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
MAP 4.4 ECUADOR
MAP 4.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.2 VOLCANO ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
MAP 2.6 KENAI PENINSULA, ALASKA
MAP 3.0 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 4.0 HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.8 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 3.2 OLYMPIC PENINSULA, WASHINGTON
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN QUEBEC, CANADA
MAP 4.7 EASTERN TURKEY
MAP 5.2 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.4 NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA
MAP 4.4 SEA OF JAPAN
MAP 5.1 TONGA
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Next arctic cold shot sweeps east Wayne Verno and M. Ressler, Meteorologists, The Weather Channel Sat Jan 27, 11:17 AM ET
Another arctic front has moved across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes, and will continue to rapidly move southeast, clearing the eastern coast by Sunday. Across the south, well ahead of this front, rain and rain showers will shift from eastern Texas through the Lower Mississippi River Valley today, affecting areas from Houston and New Orleans to Memphis and Birmingham by afternoon.
Rockport, Texas, picked up 1.18 inches of rain during the morning. The rain will then spread east tonight, affecting areas from Atlanta and Mobile, to near Jacksonville. By Sunday, the front will clear the southeast coast, with rain showers lingering along the southern Florida. Rain amounts will generally be lighter due to the fast movement of the front, and generally a tenth to a half of an inch is expected. However, locally high amounts near inch will be possible along the northern Gulf Coastal areas, where a few thunderstorms could develop. Aiding the Midwest arctic front is a vigorous upper level disturbance, which will move across the southern Plains today. This will result in a band of light snow, from the southern Plains, into the Middle Mississippi Valley. Little accumulation is expected. On the cold side of the front, northeasterly upslope winds are generating a few inches of snow over parts of eastern Colorado. Lake-effect snows are in the increase across Upper and western Lower Michigan. Temperatures will be falling
most of the day across the northern Plains, Upper Midwest, and Great Lakes. Also, gusty northwest winds are gusting to between 30 and 45 mph across the Dakotas, Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa. Morning wind chills were between -20 and -35 across eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. Temperatures in the single digits are common across North Dakota, northeast South Dakota and both western and northern Minnesota with teens into Nebraska. Temperatures will fall into the teens across Upper Michigan, western Wisconsin and Iowa and into the 20s as far south as the Ohio River Valley. Temperatures will continue to drop through the night, and bottom out 5 to 20 below zero across the Upper Midwest and northern Plains, with single digits into the western Great Lakes. The cold temperatures will spread south and east Sunday, with highs only in the 40s from northern Texas to central Alabama, and in teens and 20s from the Appalachians westward across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. This air mass will not be as cold as the previous one, but it will be much more widespread. The impacts will also be greater across the South, where morning lows in the 20s will be common all the way to the Gulf Coast.
Public revolt quashes biometric ID chips
Citizens score success abroad while opposition to national card grows in U.S.
Posted: January 27, 2007 - 1:00 a.m. Eastern - WorldNetDaily.com
While opposition grows to a national ID card in the U.S., citizens of the southeast European nation of Serbia have successfully pressed their government to back off on a plan to make biometric data chips compulsory in the country's new citizen cards. The decision followed a pitched battle prior to the Jan. 21 election as opponents criticized the accompanying plan for a centralized database of citizen information and the taking of fingerprints. Biometric technology uses data from sources such as fingerprints, facial features and iris scans to authenticate a person's identity. In the U.S., the Real ID Act passed by Congress in 2005 calls for a national ID portion to go into effect by May 2008. It requires states to participate in a federal data-sharing program when issuing driver's licenses, making those licenses de facto national ID cards. A number of state legislatures have passed nonbinding measures in opposition, including the Maine House and Senate, which yesterday almost unanimously approved a resolution refusing to implement the Real ID Act. Responding to public outcry in Serbia, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica's administration, in one of its last acts in office, took the unusual step of announcing a decree before the government's session this month.
Serbian Interior Minister Dragan Jocic told the press that due to privacy concerns raised by citizens the new Law on Identification Cards would be modified to ensure the chips, with a digitalized photo and fingerprint, would be included only upon the card holder's specific request. Citizens' groups and non-governmental organizations that initiated an opposition campaign after the law passed last July applauded the concession but vowed to continue the fight until the entire law was struck down. Attorney Dragoljub Djordjevic, a founder of the group that spearheaded the anti-biometric media campaign, For Life without Branding, says his organization plans to challenge the law in the Serbian Supreme Court. That would have been our first step if not for the fact that the court has had a vacancy for months and cannot legally convene, said Djordjevic, who is also vice president of the Serbian Bar Association. As soon as it does, however, we shall challenge the centralized database the police plan to set up as an unconstitutional invasion of privacy. We shall also challenge the taking of fingerprints of normal, law-abiding citizens as though they were convicted criminals.Large public outcry developed over the way the law was passed – without prior public debate – and a scandal inside the Interior Ministry itself arose from the purchase of equipment for more than $100 million outside of regular procurement procedures and a full three years before the law itself came before the parliament.
Church helped lead the way
Observers agree the Serbian Orthodox Church made the biggest difference. During its bi-annual Holy Assembly of Archpriests in early October, the church issued a decision delegating the Holy Synod – its executive body – to intervene with the relevant authorities in order to prevent the recently-passed Law on ID cards from being put into practice.The Serbian Church followed the pattern of similar protests in 2000-2002 within the Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches, when their respective governments attempted to institute compulsory electronic ID cards and tax numbers. Many church members raised objections to having an object – the smart chip – on their ID cards tied to data to which they didn't have free access. They also were wary of having their personal data centralized in electronic form and available to unspecified third parties. Serbians additionally became irritated when the Interior Ministry's claims that such ID cards were already widely used in the European Union were proven false. Most countries in Western Europe either have optional biometric ID cards or non-compulsory ID cards, and few have centralized ID databases.
Also, IT professionals were angered by another Interior Ministry contention– that the biometric ID would ease introduction of government electronic services Electronic government services do not require an ID card at all, insisted Oliver Subotic, a computer expert and theologian, who has written two books on the ethics of IT technology and on biometrics.
Accessing e-government services by way of an ID card is a needless intrusion of privacy. Many European Union countries have well-developed e-government services without having issued electronic ID cards at all.Finally, Serbian public opinion, still sensitive to NATO after its 1999 bombing campaign, was receptive to arguments that the ID cards – with parts of its system purchased from Motorola – were a potential avenue for spying on the country's database. Motorola has been working closely with the Pentagon for decades, says Sladjan Mijaljevic, head of the nongovernmental group Truth. How do we know that there aren't backdoor Trojan viruses installed making our nation's personal data an open book?
The grass-roots campaign was perhaps the first to successfully challenge the central government since the deposing of former Yugoslavian and Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic in street demonstrations in October 2000.
Some observes say that amid the hardships of the transition from a socialist to a capitalist economy with its heavy unemployment and economic uncertainty, the anti-biometric chip campaign may be the harbinger of new winds blowing on the Serbian political scene. Meanwhile, in America …In the U.S., the Real ID Act stipulates that after May 11, 2008, a federal agency may not accept, for any official purpose, a driver's license or identification card issued by a State to any person unless the State is meeting the requirements specified in the Real ID Act. While states can issue non-federal ID cards, they would not be accepted by the Transportation Security Administration for travel purposes, grounding those who don't carry federally approved cards. The data required to be included in each card are, among other things, the person's full legal name, date of birth, gender, driver's license number, a digital photo, the person's address and machine-readable technology so the information can be ready easily by government or banking personnel.
Each state must agree to share the data on the cards with every other state.
Supporters of the law say it does not require a national ID card because each state issues its own cards, not the federal government. But detractors note the cards are virtual national IDs since the federal law has dictated what data must be included and that each state must share its database with the others. As WND reported, the Department of Transportation, acting through a Security and Prosperity Partnership working group, is preparing this year to issue North American biometric border passes to Mexican, Canadian, and U.S. trusted travelers according to documents released to WND columnist and author Jerome R. Corsi under a Freedom of Information Act request.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
European Union treaty ratifiers want to build on current constitution JAN 26,07
MADRID, Jan 26: Representatives of the 18 states which have ratified a proposed EU constitution today said that all 27 EU states should use the existing document as the basis for a new accord.At the same time participants urged countries yet to ratify, led by France and the Netherlands after their electorates rejected the treaty, to clarify sticking points.We are willing to work together on the basis of the Constitutional Treaty, signed in Rome in October 2004, by all the governments of the EU member states, in order to reach an agreement which respects its fundamental content and its balances, the meeting said in a closing statement in Madrid.
Friday's conference was designed to back current EU presidency holder Germany over its plans to simplify the bloc's institutional structure and streamline decision-making.Failure to make progress by 2009 would be an historic mistake, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned the European parliament last week.The 18 ratifiers, who collectively represent 270 million people, are Spain, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta and Romania.Ireland and Portugal also backed the final informal declaration.Adoption of the treaty foundered after France and the Netherlands decisively rejected the treaty by popular vote in 2005, while seven others have either postponed or indefinitely shelved moves to ratify it as a result. --- PTI
Spain pushes for extended EU constitution
26.01.2007 - 14:45 CET | By Lucia Kubosova
EUOBSERVER / MADRID - In a speech to open the Friends of EU constitution' meeting in Madrid, Spain's foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos argued that any revised treaty should be extended to include more European objectives rather than pared down to just institutional reforms.
Delegates from the 18 countries that have ratified the EU constitution plus its strong supporters - Ireland and Portugal - have gathered in a cultural centre - usually used for hosting events related to Latin America - to outline their positions on the future of the European treaty.In line with the motto of the meeting and the key idea to be highlighted in the forthcoming statement - Por una Europa mejor, for a better Europe, Mr Moratinos reiterated that the current treaty is an excellent document.We have met here to have our voice heard. Because it cannot be simply ignored that 18 countries ratified this constitution and some of them even after the negative outcome of referendums in France and the Netherlands.Luxembourg's Europe minister Nicolas Schmit - representing the country that adopted the constitution by popular vote following the French and Dutch polls - said I am convinced that we all should be in position to back the project that takes us forward.For his part, Mr Moratinos said that while a debate about possible changes to the form and content of the constitution often boils down to statements suggesting that only the core of the text should be retained, not everybody views this core and what constitutes it in the same way.
We all agree that the union requires institutional reforms in order to adapt to enlargement. These reforms are necessary, but far from sufficient to ensure the future of the union.He went on to suggest that Spain prefers a bold proposal, though not a rushed one rather than a proposal aimed at the lowest common denominator, with several delegates - such as Belgium's secretary of European affairs - set to suggest that the current constitution already represents a minimum minimorum.Mr Moratinos proposed that a new extended text could include provisions on subjects such as enlargement criteria, immigration, energy, climate change, defence policy and a European social space.It is clear we will probably need to negotiate its [the constitution's] modification. But Spain would seek to complete it rather than piece it up.However, during a debate following his speech, most of the delegates maintained that any future modifications should be just minimal.
Don't touch this text
We are all firmly behind this text, so don't touch it - that was the main message from most delegations, one observer told EUobserver.Also, almost everybody called for the two countries that have seen a negative referendum outcome to say clearly what their position is.He added that most countries also highlighted their support for the German presidency and its plan to salvage the constitution by 2009, while stressing that today's meeting was not supposed to divide Europe into two camps.Asked by journalists if he was bothered that the meeting was being attended only by lower-level officials, Spain's foreign minister said this was his country's plan from the start.
Iran prepares people for messiah miracles Government broadcasts series on imminent appearance of apocalyptic Islamic Mahdi Posted: January 27, 2007 - 1:00 a.m. Eastern - WorldNetDaily.com
Official Iranian radio has completed broadcasting a lengthy series on the imminent appearance of a messianic figure who will defeat Islam's enemies and impose Islamic Shiite rule over the entire world – even speculating on specific dates the so-called Mahdi will be revealed. English-language transcripts of The World Toward Illumination programs can be found on the website of IRIB, a public broadcast arm of Tehran. Be joyous my heart, miracles of the Messiah will soon be here, reads a poem used to conclude the first broadcast. The scent of breaths of the One we know comes from near. Grieve not of sorrow and melancholy, as assured I was … last night that a Savior will come, it's clear.After the coming of the 12th imam, or Mahdi, liberal democratic civilization will be found only in history museums, explained the program. Contrary to the views of western theoreticians, who usually depict an ambiguous and dark future for mankind, Muslim experts believe human history, despite its many ups and downs, has a very auspicious fate, explained the program. Muslims believe hopes for the realization of such a happy ending for the world are called Awaiting Redemption, and means waiting for man's problems to be solved by the Savior at the end of time. This awaiting influences many, and inspired them with activity and enthusiasm in confronting darkness and oppression for changing the existing situation.
This messianic figure will be a direct descendant of Muhammad, according to the broadcasts. In short, when he reappears, peace, justice and security will overcome oppression and deceit and one global government, the most perfect ever, will be established, it said.
The Mahdi will appear suddenly, according to the report, in Mecca. Though no one can know the day, Shiites believe, the report actually suggests possibilities in the Muslim calendar. The Mahdi will lead a cataclysmic battle against a descendant of Muhammad's archenemy, Abu Sofyan, culminating in the cities of Kufa and Najaf. His enemy, though, is destroyed later in Jerusalem. Another beautiful moment of the Savior's appearance is the coming down of Prophet Jesus (PBUH) from heaven, says the report. Hazrat Mahdi receives him courteously and asks him to lead the prayers. But Jesus says you are more qualified for this than me. We read in the book Tazkarat ol-Olia, the Mahdi will come with Jesus son of Mary accompanying him. This indicates that these two great men are (sic) complement each other. Imam Mahdi will be the leader while Prophet Jesus will act as his lieutenant in the struggle against oppression and establishment of justice in the world. Jesus had himself given the tidings of the coming of God's last messenger and will see Mohammad's ideals materialize in the time of the Mahdi.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appearing at The World Without Zionism conference Oct. 26, 2005
As WND reported last month, in a greeting to the world's Christians for the coming new year, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he expects both Jesus and the Mahdi, to return and wipe away oppression.
I wish all the Christians a very happy new year and I wish to ask them a question as well, said Ahmadinejad, according to an Iranian Student News Agency report cited by YnetNews.com My one question from the Christians is: What would Jesus do if he were present in the world today? What would he do before some of the oppressive powers of the world who are in fact residing in Christian countries? Which powers would he revive and which of them would he destroy? asked the Iranian leader.
If Jesus were present today, who would be facing him and who would be following him?
Ahmadinejad's mystical pre-occupation with the coming of the Mahdi is raising concerns that a nuclear-armed Islamic Republic could trigger the kind of global conflagration he envisions will set the stage for the end of the world. In a videotaped meeting with Ayatollah Javadi-Amoli in Tehran, Ahmadinejad discussed candidly a strange, paranormal experience he had while addressing the United Nations in New York last September.
He recounts how he found himself bathed in light throughout the speech. But this wasn't the light directed at the podium by the U.N. and television cameras. It was, he said, a light from heaven. According to a transcript of his comments, obtained and translated by Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, Ahmadinejad wasn't the only one who noticed the unearthly light. One of his aides brought it to his attention. The Iranian president recalled being told about it by one of his delegation: When you began with the words in the name of Allah, I saw a light coming, surrounding you and protecting you to the end.
Ahmadinejad agreed that he sensed the same thing.
On the last day when I was speaking, one of our group told me that when I started to say Bismillah Muhammad, he saw a green light come from around me, and I was placed inside this aura, he says. I felt it myself. I felt that the atmosphere suddenly changed, and for those 27 or 28 minutes, all the leaders of the world did not blink. When I say they didn't move an eyelid, I'm not exaggerating. They were looking as if a hand was holding them there, and had just opened their eyes – Alhamdulillah!
Ahmadinejad's vision at the U.N. is strangely reminiscent and alarmingly similar to statements he has made about his personal role in ushering in the return of the Shiite Muslim messiah.
He sees his main mission, as he recounted in a Nov. 16 speech in Tehran, as to pave the path for the glorious reappearance of Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his reappearance.According to Shiites, the 12th imam disappeared as a child in the year 941. When he returns, they believe, he will reign on earth for seven years, before bringing about a final judgment and the end of the world. Ahmadinejad is urging Iranians to prepare for the coming of the Mahdi by turning the country into a mighty and advanced Islamic society and by avoiding the corruption and excesses of the West. All Iran is buzzing about the Mahdi, the 12th imam and the role Iran and Ahmadinejad are playing in his anticipated return. There's a new messiah hotline. There are news agencies especially devoted to the latest developments. People are anxious to know when and how will He rise; what they must do to receive this worldwide salvation, says Ali Lari, a cleric at the Bright Future Institute in Iran's religious center of Qom. The timing is not clear, but the conditions are more specific, he adds. There is a saying: When the students are ready, the teacher will come.
Friday, January 26, 2007
BEIRUT CURFEW IMPOSED
1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS.2-Quake rocks eastern Turkey, no casualties. 3-Angolans face killer floods, death toll up to 81. 4-Storm, surge warnings prompt Cape Breton school closures. 5-Flood cleanup begins in B.C. city. 6-Bitter cold Northeast. 7-Thousands of Israelis seeking asylum in Canada: reports. 8-Jean Charest seeks free trade deal with EU. 9-Iran calls for summit with Iraq, Syria. 10-IAEA chief says attack on Iran would be catastrophe. 11-Olmert's party proposes handing West Bank to Europe. 12-Livni, Peres, Abbas Share Visions for PA State at World Forum. 13-This Week with Rabbi Eckstein. 14-Honored for Outstanding Dedication to Israel. 15-Curfew imposed in Beirut after clashes.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Sat Jan 27 12:00 AM EDT
JAN 27,07MAP 2.5 CHANNEL ISLANDS REGION, CALIFORNIA
JAN 26,07
MAP 4.9 ROTA REGION, NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
MAP 4.9 CENTRAL MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
MAP 4.4 ECUADOR MAP 2.6 KENAI PENINSULA, ALASKA
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.8 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 3.2 OLYMPIC PENINSULA, WASHINGTON
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN QUEBEC, CANADA
MAP 4.7 EASTERN TURKEY
MAP 5.2 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.4 NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA
MAP 4.4 SEA OF JAPAN
MAP 5.1 TONGA
JAN 25,07
MAP 5.0 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.9 MAUI REGION, HAWAII
MAP 4.7 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.7 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.4 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 3.9 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.3 NIAS REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 2.8 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO
MAP 4.2 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
MAP 3.4 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 6.0 TAIWAN REGION
MAP 4.9 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.9 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 4.1 FIJI REGION
MAP 5.0 PAPUA, INDONESIA
MAP 3.8 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 3.6 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC REGION
MAP 3.7 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 4.0 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.8 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.0 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.0 MOLUCCA SEA
Quake rocks eastern Turkey, no casualties JAN 26,07
ISTANBUL (AFP) - A moderate earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale jolted the eastern Turkish province of Elazig, causing minor damage but no casualties, officials said.The epicenter of the quake, which hit at 10:20 am (0820 GMT), was in Baskurt village near the town of Karakocan, the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory said.The tremor caused walls to crack in five houses in a nearby village, but there were no reports of injuries or deaths, Elazig Governor Muammer Musmal told Anatolia news agency.A tremor measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale on Sunday jolted the province of Agri, northeast of Elazig, again causing damage to buildings but no casualties.Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which is crossed by several major fault lines.Two violent temblors in the heavily populated, industrialised northwest claimed about 20,000 lives in August and November 1999.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Angolans face killer floods, death toll up to 81 by Manuel Muanza Fri Jan 26, 12:01 PM
ET LUANDA (AFP) - Relief and repair workers struggled to deal with havoc wreaked by torrential rain and flash floods in Angola, where the death toll around the seaside capital Luanda rose to 81. During search operations 10 more bodies were found in Luanda. The toll is now 81, fire service spokesman Faustino Sebastiao told AFP, adding that 18 people were known to be missing.Fifty-nine of the deaths were in Cacuaco, one of the worst-hit areas just north of the capital, a local official said over radio.Other parts of southern Africa have been hit by heavy downpours, including Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.Central Luanda was cut off from Monday when three key bridges were damaged by heavy rain, but two of those have been repaired, linking the downtown area to the south and north east.Officials said makeshift shelters had been set up to house 1,300 displaced families while residents of the sprawling but rundown city of 4.5 million struggled to cope with the rising waters.Despite Angola's oil riches, Luanda has a skeletal infrastructure, which still bears the scars of a brutal 27-year civil war that ravaged the former Portuguese colony.Telephone lines which were been badly hit were slowly being repaired and it had become possible to make international calls again, the head of the state-runtele phone company said over radio.
Meanwhile, heart-rending scenes were witnessed in Cacuaco, home to some 900,000 people, which was still cut off from Luanda since a link bridge has been damaged.A young man on the beach in Cacuaco wept copiously by the side of his wife's body, recovered by troops who are helping in rescue and search operations.At least I have seen her body, he said. When the rains started lashing our area, we climbed on the roof. But the currents were too strong and our house collapsed. After that I lost sight of her.Businesswomen and shoppers meanwhile traversed the river separating Cacuaco and Luanda on rocks they have put alongside the destroyed bridge.On Thursday, Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos visited Cacuaco and urge officials there to get to work.The capital was eerily still Friday with most vehicles off the roads.I walked four kilometres (three miles) before coming to a road where I could take a taxi, Marcos Costa said.Luanda's governor Job Capapinha told an emergency meeting his three main priorities were providing emergency relief, restoring road links and ensuring proper sanitation to stem the tide of cholera, which has claimed more than 2,000 lives across the country since February last year.The cholera epidemic broke out then in a sprawling Luanda slum and has been blamed on poor sanitation, an acute shortage of drinking water and inadequate infrastructure.In March 2005, flooding in northern Angola left over 10,000 people without shelter.
Storm, surge warnings prompt Cape Breton school closuresFriday, January 26, 2007 11:24 AM AT CBC News
Schools across Cape Breton are closed Friday as the island braces for a winterstorm.
Environment Canada expects the storm to hit its peak in the evening with up to 20 centimetres of snow and winds gusting to 90 kilometres per hour.Jean-Marc Couturier, a meteorologist at the Maritime weather centre in Halifax, said the expected storm surge is a concern, particularly in the St. George's Bay area where it could reach as high as one metre.It's the force of the system that's going to be building waves, and any shoreline that will be exposed to a northerly flow will see these waves crashing in, he said.
Flood cleanup begins in B.C. cityThursday, January 25, 2007 11:32 AM PT CBC News
Residents of Terrace have begun cleaning up following the heavy rain that led to serious flooding closing roads and triggering a mudslide in the northwestern B.C. city on Wednesday. Fire Chief Peter Weeber told CBC Radio Thursday that the flooding stopped almost as quickly as it started.Some streets in Terrace, B.C., were underwater on Wednesday following a heavy rainstorm.He said officials are now trying to find out why the rainwater flooded the town, instead of just draining away.If you take a step back and look at it, that volume of water coming down a frozen mountain, anything loose or anything that can be undermined, it was.Several streets were closed by the flooding on Wednesday, and Highway 16 between Terrace and Prince Rupert was closed because of the threat of an avalanche.The community is getting a break from the winter storms, with sunshine in the forecast for the next few days.
Bitter cold Northeast Wayne Verno, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel Fri Jan 26, 4:59 AM ET
Northeast
The big story will be the cold start to the day today, and again Saturday morning, as arctic air overtakes the area. After temperatures ranging from 10 to 20 below over northern New England, to the single digits and teens over the Mid-Atlantic, afternoon highs will recover only into the single digits north, to the teens and 20s south. Wind chill values this morning will be dangerous across northern New England, where readings will dip into the 30 to 40 below range. Elsewhere across the Northeast, expect wind chills in the 5 above to 15 below range today. Another cold morning will take place again Saturday morning, with temperatures similar to this morning. Wind chills, while still low, should not be as cold. A few lake effect snow showers may linger near the Great lakes today, but a general decrease in activity is expected through the day as winds shift to a more west and southwest direction ahead of the next arctic cold front. This next front is scheduled to move across the Northeast Saturday night into Sunday, with show showers accompanying its passage. Lake effect snow showers will then set up across the Great Lakes for the start of the upcoming week.
Midwest
A few lingering snow showers and flurries will be found across the Great Lakes this morning, otherwise generally dry conditions will expand across the central Plains and Midwest today. A new arctic front will enter the northern Plains and Upper Midwest by late day, producing a few snow showers there, otherwise milder conditions will be found across the region. Afternoon highs today will range from the 40s and 50s from Omaha, Kansas City, St, Louis, and Louisville, to the 20s and 30s from Minneapolis and Chicago, to Cleveland. The arctic front will sweep south into the Plains and Midwest Saturday, dropping afternoon highs into the single digits
and teens across the Upper Midwest. Highs only in the 20s will spread as far south as Omaha and Chicago. By Sunday afternoon temperatures in the 20s will reach to the Ohio River with single digits and teens across all of the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. Morning low temperatures this weekend, will drop into the single digits to below zero over much of the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. Scattered snow showers will accompany the arctic front Saturday, as it moves across the Midwest. Lake effect snow showers will then take over near the Great Lakes by Sunday.
South
High pressure will dominate the South today, resulting in plenty of sunshine in most areas. After a chilly start this morning, afternoon temperatures will rebound into the lower and middle 50s from Atlanta, Memphis, and New Orleans, to the lower 60s from Dallas, Houston, and Orlando. Lower 70s will be confined to far southern Florida. Clouds will be on the increase across parts of Texas today, as a weather disturbance moves across northern Mexico and a cold front approaches from the north. Rain showers will develop tonight across most of Texas. Saturday, the cold front will sweep rapidly south, as the weather disturbance crosses the northern Gulf of Mexico. This will spread rain showers across the Lower Mississippi River Valley during the afternoon, moving into the Southeastern states Saturday night. Rain showers will advance into southern Florida by Sunday, as the cold front pushes south. This will leave the entire South dry, but chilly, with afternoon highs only in the 40s across a widespread area.
West
High pressure will generally dominate much of the West today, resulting in fair weather conditions from Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, through Denver, into the northern Rockies. This same high pressure will also result in some low clouds, areas of dense fog, and stagnant air across parts of the Pacific Northwest this morning, affecting areas from Seattle and Portland to Spokane. One exception to the fair weather will be across north central California, north of the San Francisco area, where a weather disturbance will bring a few rain showers inland. The other exception will be over the far southern mountains near the Mexico boarder where a weather disturbance will result in areas of rain and snow. Saturday into Sunday, rain showers will linger across western and central California, as the weather disturbance slowly drifts south across that area. A few snow showers may also develop across the interior western mountains as some upslope flow develops there. It looks as if the next more significant storm system may begin to take shape across the central and southern Rockies Tuesday into Wednesday.
Thousands of Israelis seeking asylum in Canada: reports Friday, January 26, 2007 12:35 PM ET CBC News
At least 3,000 Israelis, most of them citing a fear of spousal abuse and Palestinian violence, have requested asylum in Canada since 2000, recent reports out of Israel said.Two major newspapers in Israel said that Canada has already granted refugee status to hundreds of Israelis, but thousands of others have filed applications.The reports, from the Yediot Ahronot and Maariv newspapers, both quoted figures from the Israeli Foreign Ministry that show at least 3,000 Israelis filed applications seeking asylum in Canada. Maariv said that upwards of 500 of the applications had been approved in the last six years.Yediot quoted the Israeli Ambassador to Canada, Alan Barker, as saying many of the applications Canadian officials were seeing were in fact bogus and that they were harming Israel's image and representing it as a country whose citizens are persecuted.Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said the department was aware of the number of Israelis seeking asylum in Canada, and said we have taken the matter up with the Canadians, but he did not elaborate. The Canadian embassy in Tel Aviv said it did not have the data, and referred inquiries to the government in Ottawa.With files from the Associated Press
Jean Charest seeks free trade deal with EUFriday, January 26, 2007 12:33 PM ET The Canadian Press
Quebec Premier Jean Charest wants a free-trade deal between Canada and the European Union, he said Friday.Charest said he has already spoken about the idea to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, as well as his provincial counterparts, and has received a positive response.Charest is in Davos, Switzerland, for an annual economic forum.The Quebec premier wants to tap the economic potential of the European market, which has 450 million consumers. He also said an accord would ease the exchange of workers between Canada and Europe. Canadian government data suggests a free trade deal with the European Union would boost Canada's exports by $2.4 billion annually.The Canadian Press
ISRAELS TROUBLE
JEREMIAH 30:7
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble;(ISRAEL) but he shall be saved out of it.
DANIEL 12:1,4
1 And at that time shall Michael(ISRAELS WAR ANGEL) stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:(ISRAEL) and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation(May 14,48) even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro,(WORLD TRAVEL,IMMIGRATION) and knowledge shall be increased.(COMPUTERS,CHIP IMPLANTS ETC)
WW3 THE 3 WAVES THAT MARCH TO ISRAEL
DANIEL 11:40-45
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA 2ND WAVE OF WW3) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
The Third and Final Wave of WW3 is when all Nations march to Jerusalem, but JESUS bodily returns to earth and destroys them,sets up his KINGDOM OF RULE FOR 1000 YEARS THEN FOREVER.
MUSLIM NATIONS
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
ISAIAH 17:1
PSALMS 83:3-7
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
Iran calls for summit with Iraq, Syria By STEVEN R. HURST and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writers Fri Jan 26, 6:35 PM ET
Both Iran and Syria are seen as key players in Iraq. Syria is widely believed to have done little to stop foreign fighters and al-Qaida in Iraq recruits from crossing its border to join Sunni insurgents in Iraq. It also has provided refuge for many top members of Saddam Hussein's former leadership and political corps, which is thought to have organized arms and funding for the insurgents. The Sunni insurgency, since it sprang to life in late summer 2003, has been responsible for most of the U.S. deaths in Iraq.Iran is deeply involved in training, funding and arming the two major Shiite militias in Iraq, where Tehran has deep historic ties to the current Shiite political leadership. Many Iraqi Shiites spent years in Iranian exile during Saddam's decades in power in Baghdad. One militia, the Badr Brigade, was trained in Iran by the Revolutionary Guard.An Ahmadinejad spokesman said that Talibani's visit was scheduled several weeks ago for late November to work on improving bilateral relations. But Majid Yazdi told the AP that he had no information on a coming visit by the Syrian leader.But Talabani confidants said the invitation was issued on Thursday by Iranian Ambassador Hassan Kazimi Qumi, who said Syrian President Bashar Assad also would be in Tehran for the talks with
Ahmadinejad.AP correspondents Bassem Mroue in Baghdad and Nasser Karimi in Tehran contributed to this report.
IAEA chief says attack on Iran would be catastrophe By Stella Dawson Fri Jan 26, 5:23 PM
ElBaradei, head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, has been engaged in meetings here at the gathering of world political and business leaders. He said diplomacy is the only way forward, and talk of military action can only backfire.This strengthens the hands of those in Iran who say let's develop a bomb to protect ourselves, he said.The Bush administration has said it wants a diplomatic solution and that it is not preparing to attack either Iran or Syria.Pakistan's Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also warned against an attack, while Iran's former president Mohammad Khatami urged calm to reduce tensions over Iran's nuclear program.If there is military action, it will have catastrophic results, not only in the region, but the whole world, Aziz said.I hope they would be good enough in managing the situation. We deeply need patience and understanding and not to get too emotional, Khatami said.ElBaradei said force should not be ruled out, but past experience has shown that it should not be used with haste, citing Iraq where no evidence ofnuclear weapons was found after the U.S.-led invasion.
I am convinced that the only way forward in Iran is engagement, ElBaradei said. We have to invest in peace, he said, adding that if the international community failed to do that the consequence will be 10 times worse.I hope we will stop speaking about a military option and focus on finding a solution, ElBaradei said.Iran says it needs nuclear power to generate electricity but the West fears it is secretly seeking an atom bomb. In December, the United Nations imposed sanctions on Iran's trade in sensitive nuclear materials and technology to try and stop enrichment work that could produce bomb material.
YES, ITS ALL COMING TOGETHER QUICK NOW, THE EU (REVIVED) ROME IS GETTING INTO THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS, AND WILL TAKE CONTROL OF IT AND IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, THE DICTATOR WILL COME ON THE SCENE, WILL BE ELECTED LEADER OF THE EU AND WILL SIGN THE 7 YEAR PEACE TREATY BETWEEN ISRAEL - ARABS AND MANY OF DANIEL 9:27. I LOVE THIS HEADLINE
Olmert's party proposes handing West Bank to EuropeFollows WND reports of secret talks to evacuate strategic territory under EU supervisionPosted: January 25, 2007 - By Aaron Klein - WorldNetDaily.com
JERUSALEM – A member of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima party yesterday proposed transferring control of the West Bank to a European task force until the establishment of a Palestinian state, at which time the strategic territory would be handed to security forces associated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The proposal comes after WND broke the story earlier this week that, according to top European and Egyptian diplomatic sources, Israel has been conducting behind-the-scene negotiations to hand over most of the West Bank to Abbas' security forces. The sources said the transfer of security control to
Abbas would be coordinated by the European Union and Jordan. The West Bank borders Jerusalem and is within rocket-firing range of Tel Aviv and Israel's international airport. At Israel's prestigious Herzliya Conference, Knesset Member Shlomo Breznitz, reportedly a close confidante of Olmert, said yesterday the West Bank should be transferred temporarily to the Europeans and that most of the territory's Jewish communities should be evacuated.
The only way to get out of the impasse is to transfer the territories, for a limited time, to an international mandate, that will run them until the establishment of a Palestinian state, said Breznitz at the conference. The Herzliya Conference is attended by Israel's top leadership and regularly maps out the country's agenda for the coming year. In 2004, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip at the conference. Breznitz told Israel's Maariv daily newspaper the West Bank should be transferred to the European community and not the U.S. because, he said, after the invasion of Iraq, America lost its status as an honest broker in the view of the Palestinians and the Arab states.Breznitz said his West Bank transfer proposal received a warm reception from European and Palestinian officials. I have reason to believe, and I don't want to expand on this, that the Palestinians will support the proposal. Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from European countries who were shown the proposal also believe that without international help it will not be possible to resolve the conflict, said Breznitz.
According to the Israel Resource News Agency, Olmert regularly consults with Breznitz and is known to spend vacation time with the Breznitz family. The Knesset member's plan comes after WND reported yesterday the EU is in the process of expanding its offices in Israel, including in the Palestinian areas, in anticipation of an increased security role here following what Europeandiplomatic sources say is new momentum regarding an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank. The sources, who said they were directly involved in behind-the-scene negotiations, said one proposal being considered is for the EU and Jordan to supervise the transfer of the northern West Bank to Abbas' security forces, which reportedly are receiving aid, weapons and training from the U.S. The sources said major changes in Israeli-Palestinian affairs are expected within a few weeks to two months.
According to an aide to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, speaking on condition of anonymity, there will be a historic political evolution and movement in negotiations in the next few weeks and few months, unseen since the Camp David peace talks in 2000. During the Camp David talks, then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered then-Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and eastern sections of Jerusalem. According to the diplomatic sources, still being debated in the purported West Bank negotiations is the role of Hamas, which leads the PA and maintains the majority of seats in the Palestinian parliament.
Negotiations between Abbas and Hamas leaders for a national unity government have mostly fallen through. On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz said he viewed any Palestinian elements recognizing the state of Israel as a partner for negotiations even if it is Hamas.Olmert has made similar comments. So far, Hamas has refused to recognize Israel but recently offered a 10-year truce with the Jewish state. In a series of interviews this past weekend, Hamas leaders told WND during any 10-year truce period they would build a large Palestinian army and plan for the destruction of Israel.
Olmert's office this week denied the WND reports on negotiations to evacuate the West Bank. There were no negotiations regarding a West Bank withdrawal. This would go contrary to other things we have said in the recent past, said Olmert's spokesperson, Miri Eisin. Perhaps the officials talking to WorldNetDaily were referring to general expectations for movement in the Israeli-Palestinian arena,Eisin said. But the European and Egyptian sources stood by their statements that Israel agreed in principal to transfer West Bank security control to Abbas. Israeli leaders previously have denied reports of pending withdrawals only to later carry them out. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, elected in 2001 on a platform against unilateral withdrawal, at first denied media reports Israel was planning to evacuate the Gaza Strip but later announced his Gaza withdrawal plan. Olmert was elected prime minister on the platform of carrying out a withdrawal from the West Bank, but after this summer's Lebanon war, he has stated a West Bank withdrawal would not occur. Olmert in August called the policy of unilateral withdrawal a failure and said it was no longer relevant.
But he can argue handing the West Bank to Abbas in an agreement is not unilateral.
Contradicting Olmert, Israeli Interior Minister Roni Bar-On of Olmert's Kadima party said last summer, The withdrawal plan is not dead, though its implementation has been postponed. The plan is now on the shelf or in the freezer, but when the time comes it will be accessed. Several recent public opinion polls showed the majority of Israelis now oppose a West Bank withdrawal. The leaders of Egypt and Jordan have expressed reservations about withdrawal plans, fearing terrorism can spill over into their respective countries. Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000. It had occupied a small section of Lebanon's border with Israel following repeated attacks by Palestinian terrorists in the area. Since the withdrawal, Hezbollah has staged numerous attacks against Israel, including rocket bombardments of civilian population centers, raids against military outposts and ambushes and kidnappings of Israeli troops. Hezbollah built an arsenal in south Lebanon of more than 13,000 short- and medium-range rockets capable of hitting central sections of the Jewish state Israel withdrew last August from the Gaza Strip. Since then, rockets have been fired almost daily into nearby Jewish communities, Hamas has been elected to power and both Israeli and Palestinian officials have stated al-Qaida has infiltrated the territory. Israel says the Palestinians have smuggled hundreds of tons of heavy weaponry into Gaza and are preparing for a large-scale confrontation.
Livni, Peres, Abbas Share Visions for PA State at World ForumBy Alex Traiman (INN) JAN 26,07
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tzippy Livni, Shimon Peres, and Mahmoud Abbas shared their visions for a two-state solution within the disputed borders of Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzippy Livni made the formation of Palestinian state her top diplomatic priority during her speech at the forum of world leaders. According to Livni, the formation of a state for the Arabs within the biblical territories of Judea and Samaria is not an illusion. It's there. It's achievable.I would like to negotiate, to speak, to meet, to talk, Livni said, signaling an Israeli desire to yet again restart bilateral peace talks. There is nothing I want more. ... This is part of our dream; this is part of our goal.While acknowledging that terrorism must be reigned in for a two-state solution to be viable, Livni compared any future decision by the Palestinian Authority to stop terror with the Israeli government’s decision to expel 10,000 citizens from their homes during the Gush Katif Disengagement of August 2005.There are difficult decisions to take on both sides, and fighting terrorism is one of those decisions, and we cannot afford to put this obstacle aside. I know that it is not easy, Livni said. I can say it was also difficult for me to vote in favor of the disengagement plan. I voted to uproot Israelis, in order to give peace a chance. So there are difficult decisions, but the best way is to give an answer, and not to say, Okay this is too difficult, let's find something else.
The Israeli government has already formed a committee to study the ability to remove as many as 100,000 Jewish residents from their homes in the areas considered for the creation of a Palestinian State.Livni cautioned PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas against compromising with extreme elements within the Authority, labeling Abbas one of the moderate forces within the PA. The term often is used despite calls by Abbas at a Ramallah Fatah rally last week for arms, ostensibly received to protect him and his Fatah faction from Hamas, to be turned against Israel, which he referred to as occupying forces.Livni added in her address that PA Arabscurrently living in Judea and Samaria should remain in a new state to be created on those lands, as opposed to the PA demand that they be allowed to find homes within all of Israel.While Abbas also stressed his commitment to return to the negotiating table, he reiterated long-standing Arab demands that other Arabs be resettled in Israel, and not in any newly created Palestinian nation.
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is one of the most serious conflicts that require a solution, Abbas said during his address. I am fully convinced that despite all the difficulties, an atmosphere conducive to the resumption of the peace process exists, one that could lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state.He added that a just solution must be found to solve the refugee crisis, stating that refugees wishing to return to their homes ... should be permitted to do so at the earliest practical date.Abbas stressed that a permanent resolution is necessary to end the long-standing conflict, as opposed to any temporary decisions, urging Israel to begin
discussing issues of final border status and insisting on the Israeli borders of 1967 as a starting point. We have the road map, a road map that includes the Arab initiative as well as President Bush's vision regarding the two-state solution, Abbas said. What is required now, in all honesty, is for us to trace the beginning and the end of this peace process.Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres also addressed the forum, expressing a vision of shared economic cooperation between Israel and the PA.
He said Israel and the Palestinians should work together alongside Jordan to stimulate foreign investment in the region. Peres stated that Israel, Jordan and PA have already agreed in principle to take the whole length of the frontier, a 500 kilometer-long strip along the current Israeli-Jordanian border, and convert it into an ongoing economic zone.We cannot save the Dead Sea unless we do it together. We cannot build new industry ... unless we do it together, Peretz added.US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has already announced plans to gather the Quartet committed to Middle East peace (US, UN, European Union and Russia) in Washington D.C. at the beginning of February. She will return to the Middle East for a summit between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and PA Chairman Abbas, two weeks later.
This Week with Rabbi Eckstein January 25, 2007
Dear Friend of The Fellowship,
Since her founding in 1948, Israel has faced many threats. War and terrorism have taken their toll, and the price for her continued independence and freedom has too often been paid in Jewish blood.But, despite painful losses, Israel has always prevailed. And I am convinced that one of the main reasons for this is that her righteous friends have been quick to raise their voices in prayer to God, the One who watches over Israel and neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4), for the welfare of the State of Israel and the Jewish people.This Sunday, January 28, on The Fellowship's 2007 International Day of Prayer and Solidarity for Israel, you have an opportunity to unite with Christians worldwide in raising a chorus of prayer to God for Israel's security, well-being, and protection.
This overwhelming expression of intercessory support comes as Israel faces multiple crises. Her enemies remain firmly committed to her destruction, and are even becoming bolder in their threats. Hamas, the ruling Palestinian group, still refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist. On the heels of last summer's devastating war, the Hezbollah terrorist group is solidifying its control of Lebanon, Israel's neighbor to the north - and the U.N. forces stationed there to keep the peace seem powerless to stop the re-armament. Iran continues its race toward nuclear weapons, meaning that its radical Muslim president may soon be able to realize his threat to wipe Israel off the map.In the face of these grim realities, it is especially comforting and encouraging to know that, in just a few days, Christians in churches around the world will pray for Israel. They will gather in churches of all sizes, from suburban megachurches with thousands of members to small rural congregations, and in countries as far-flung as Tanzania, Kenya,Malaysia, India and, of course the U.S. But, wherever they are, and whatever language they speak, their appeal for God's blessing and protection upon Israel will be heard by Him.
On behalf of the people of Israel, I extend my thanks to you for your prayers and heartfelt concern for Israel. On Sunday, as we pray, let us take to heart these words that express the deepest hopes of Jews and Christians alike: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels (Psalm 122: 6-7).
With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Eckstein Bestows Ambassador Award to Pastor Hagee and Bishop ButlerThursday, January 25, 2007 Honored for Outstanding Dedication to Israel Chicago, IL, January 25, 2007
Media interested in an interview with Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, founder and president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and recipients of the Ambassador's Award should contact Gregg Wooding, president of I AM PR services, (972) 567-7660 or
via email at gwooding@texasprototypes.com
Curfew imposed in Beirut after clashes By BRIAN MURPHY, Associated Press Writer JAN 26,07
BEIRUT, Lebanon - University students loyal to Lebanon's government clashed with Hezbollah supporters Thursday, setting cars ablaze and battling with homemade clubs and stones. The melee deepened worries that Lebanon cannot contain the political and sectarian rivalries threatening to push it toward civil war. At least three people were killed and dozens were injured before army troops backed by tanks and firing barrages of warning shots into the air dispersed most rioters. The military then declared Beirut's first curfew since 1996.But the fallout reaches far beyond the casualty count. The clashes, sparked by a cafeteria scuffle between pro-government Sunni Muslims and pro-Hezbollah Shiites, reinforced fears that Lebanon's sectarian divisions are erupting into violence as they did during the 1975-1990 civil war.It was the third straight day of violence, sparked by a Hezbollah-led strike Tuesday that came ahead of a crucial gathering of donor nations in Paris. The conference Thursday raised pledges of $7.6 billion to help Prime Minister Fuad Saniora's U.S.-backed government rebuild after last summer's devastating Israel-Hezbollah war.
The money and show of international support could boost the embattled Saniora. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah has vowed to bring him down unless the opposition is given more power.The chaos has paralyzed the government. Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said Wednesday that donors were backing the wrong side in the standoff and that he could topple Saniora at any time.In Paris, Saniora pleaded to his countrymen to distance themselves from tensions.No one can help a country if the people of this country don't want to help themselves, he said. I call on your wisdom and reason. Leaders on all sides called for calm. Nasrallah who has insisted in recent days he does not want Lebanon to tumble into civil war went on TV in the evening to tell followers it was a religious duty to get off the streets to allow security forces to keep order.I appeal to you in the name of Lebanon and human conscience ... It's a pity to waste Lebanon like this, said Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally. It is time we learn from the past.During Lebanon's civil war, Christians battled Muslims. But the new confrontation has taken different sectarian lines: Shiites support the opposition, Sunnis back the prime minister and Christian parties are divided between the two camps.
If sectarian divisions explode in Lebanon, it would likely further fuel Sunni-Shiite tensions around the Arab world, already heightened by Iraq's turmoil. Mainly Sunni Arab nations like Egypt and Saudi Arabia have shown alarm at Hezbollah's increasing strength in Lebanon and have backed Saniora.Thursday's clashes in Beirut showed just how quickly any spark can turn into a wildfire.Students said it began with a scuffle in the cafeteria of Beirut Arab University between Sunni Muslims and supporters of the Shiite Hezbollah. As Sunnis in the surrounding Tarik el-Jadideh district moved in, Hezbollah activists called in reinforcements.Hezbollah activists with walkie-talkies were seen coordinating as a ragtag convoy of hundreds of vigilantes raced to the campus. Gangs many wearing blue and red construction hard hats and wielding clubs made from sticks and even chair legs poured into the area and battled Sunni students and riot police and soldiers.Hezbollah backers claimed Sunni gunmen fired from apartment balconies near the school, wounding several people. The claim could not be independently confirmed.Thick black smoke rose over the campus and the neighborhood on the southern edge of Beirut as rioters set fire to vehicles, tires and trash. Bands of youths clashed with stones andclubs in running street battles as the army tried to close off streets with tanks and armored vehicles. Troops fired tear gas and warning shots into the air.We are afraid about the future of the country. We are afraid about civil war, said Mohammed Abdul-Sater, a 21-year-old Shiite student.
Three people were killed and 169 injured, security officials said. It appeared one of the dead was Sunni and the other two Shiite, judging by the district of the hospitals their bodies were taken to. Up until the 8:30 p.m. curfew was imposed, young men were in the streets around the university. Government backers set fire to the offices of a small pro-Hezbollah party and burned its banner in the street as sporadic gunfire was heard. Hezbollah supporters smashed store windows miles away in downtown Beirut as they left a protest camp ahead of the curfew. After the curfew began, most streets were emptied. The last time Lebanon imposed a curfewwas February 1996 to stop labor unions from holding anti-government protests. In 1984, the army imposed a curfew to halt street battles between the army and Muslim militias.The alarming violence signaled what Lebanese have been fearing for months: that the drawn-out confrontation between Hezbollah and Saniora's government could move into the streets and rage out of control. Nobody should be surprised when things start to spin out of control, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman said in an interview with Alhurra, the U.S. government-funded Arabic-language satellite television network that broadcasts to the Middle East.
He said he suspected Syria which backs Hezbollah and controlled Lebanon for nearly three decades was behind the current troubles, but did not provide any evidence. There was no immediate reaction from Syrian officials. A woman who answered the phone at the Syrian U.N. mission in New York said nobody was available to speak to the media. The Hezbollah-led opposition has staged two months of demonstrations and sit-ins in a bid to topple Saniora's government. But the prime minister has held out, refusing the opposition's demands for a veto-wielding share of the Cabinet. On Tuesday, the opposition stepped up the confrontation with its general strike, which erupted into street battles around the country between its activists and government supporters. Three people were killed. Gunbattles broke out for a second day Wednesday in the northern city of Tripoli. The alarming violence has stunned supporters of both sides. But the leadership of the two camps do not appear to be backing down. Hezbollah, in a statement on its television station, accused pro-government factions of provoking the clashes even as it called on its supporters to get off the streets to avoid a strife which is being inflamed by pro-government groups. I find this a very strange debate, the U.S. ambassador said. There is a government that came to power after elections, the parliamentary majority that endorsed it is still there. And a party that voluntarily pulled itself out of the government is now saying they will use all means in order to impose their will on the country.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Sat Jan 27 12:00 AM EDT
JAN 27,07MAP 2.5 CHANNEL ISLANDS REGION, CALIFORNIA
JAN 26,07
MAP 4.9 ROTA REGION, NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
MAP 4.9 CENTRAL MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
MAP 4.4 ECUADOR MAP 2.6 KENAI PENINSULA, ALASKA
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.8 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 3.2 OLYMPIC PENINSULA, WASHINGTON
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN QUEBEC, CANADA
MAP 4.7 EASTERN TURKEY
MAP 5.2 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.4 NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA
MAP 4.4 SEA OF JAPAN
MAP 5.1 TONGA
JAN 25,07
MAP 5.0 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.9 MAUI REGION, HAWAII
MAP 4.7 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.7 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.4 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 3.9 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.3 NIAS REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 2.8 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO
MAP 4.2 NICOBAR ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
MAP 3.4 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 6.0 TAIWAN REGION
MAP 4.9 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.9 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 4.1 FIJI REGION
MAP 5.0 PAPUA, INDONESIA
MAP 3.8 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 3.6 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC REGION
MAP 3.7 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 4.0 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.8 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.0 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.0 MOLUCCA SEA
Quake rocks eastern Turkey, no casualties JAN 26,07
ISTANBUL (AFP) - A moderate earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale jolted the eastern Turkish province of Elazig, causing minor damage but no casualties, officials said.The epicenter of the quake, which hit at 10:20 am (0820 GMT), was in Baskurt village near the town of Karakocan, the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory said.The tremor caused walls to crack in five houses in a nearby village, but there were no reports of injuries or deaths, Elazig Governor Muammer Musmal told Anatolia news agency.A tremor measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale on Sunday jolted the province of Agri, northeast of Elazig, again causing damage to buildings but no casualties.Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which is crossed by several major fault lines.Two violent temblors in the heavily populated, industrialised northwest claimed about 20,000 lives in August and November 1999.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Angolans face killer floods, death toll up to 81 by Manuel Muanza Fri Jan 26, 12:01 PM
ET LUANDA (AFP) - Relief and repair workers struggled to deal with havoc wreaked by torrential rain and flash floods in Angola, where the death toll around the seaside capital Luanda rose to 81. During search operations 10 more bodies were found in Luanda. The toll is now 81, fire service spokesman Faustino Sebastiao told AFP, adding that 18 people were known to be missing.Fifty-nine of the deaths were in Cacuaco, one of the worst-hit areas just north of the capital, a local official said over radio.Other parts of southern Africa have been hit by heavy downpours, including Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.Central Luanda was cut off from Monday when three key bridges were damaged by heavy rain, but two of those have been repaired, linking the downtown area to the south and north east.Officials said makeshift shelters had been set up to house 1,300 displaced families while residents of the sprawling but rundown city of 4.5 million struggled to cope with the rising waters.Despite Angola's oil riches, Luanda has a skeletal infrastructure, which still bears the scars of a brutal 27-year civil war that ravaged the former Portuguese colony.Telephone lines which were been badly hit were slowly being repaired and it had become possible to make international calls again, the head of the state-runtele phone company said over radio.
Meanwhile, heart-rending scenes were witnessed in Cacuaco, home to some 900,000 people, which was still cut off from Luanda since a link bridge has been damaged.A young man on the beach in Cacuaco wept copiously by the side of his wife's body, recovered by troops who are helping in rescue and search operations.At least I have seen her body, he said. When the rains started lashing our area, we climbed on the roof. But the currents were too strong and our house collapsed. After that I lost sight of her.Businesswomen and shoppers meanwhile traversed the river separating Cacuaco and Luanda on rocks they have put alongside the destroyed bridge.On Thursday, Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos visited Cacuaco and urge officials there to get to work.The capital was eerily still Friday with most vehicles off the roads.I walked four kilometres (three miles) before coming to a road where I could take a taxi, Marcos Costa said.Luanda's governor Job Capapinha told an emergency meeting his three main priorities were providing emergency relief, restoring road links and ensuring proper sanitation to stem the tide of cholera, which has claimed more than 2,000 lives across the country since February last year.The cholera epidemic broke out then in a sprawling Luanda slum and has been blamed on poor sanitation, an acute shortage of drinking water and inadequate infrastructure.In March 2005, flooding in northern Angola left over 10,000 people without shelter.
Storm, surge warnings prompt Cape Breton school closuresFriday, January 26, 2007 11:24 AM AT CBC News
Schools across Cape Breton are closed Friday as the island braces for a winterstorm.
Environment Canada expects the storm to hit its peak in the evening with up to 20 centimetres of snow and winds gusting to 90 kilometres per hour.Jean-Marc Couturier, a meteorologist at the Maritime weather centre in Halifax, said the expected storm surge is a concern, particularly in the St. George's Bay area where it could reach as high as one metre.It's the force of the system that's going to be building waves, and any shoreline that will be exposed to a northerly flow will see these waves crashing in, he said.
Flood cleanup begins in B.C. cityThursday, January 25, 2007 11:32 AM PT CBC News
Residents of Terrace have begun cleaning up following the heavy rain that led to serious flooding closing roads and triggering a mudslide in the northwestern B.C. city on Wednesday. Fire Chief Peter Weeber told CBC Radio Thursday that the flooding stopped almost as quickly as it started.Some streets in Terrace, B.C., were underwater on Wednesday following a heavy rainstorm.He said officials are now trying to find out why the rainwater flooded the town, instead of just draining away.If you take a step back and look at it, that volume of water coming down a frozen mountain, anything loose or anything that can be undermined, it was.Several streets were closed by the flooding on Wednesday, and Highway 16 between Terrace and Prince Rupert was closed because of the threat of an avalanche.The community is getting a break from the winter storms, with sunshine in the forecast for the next few days.
Bitter cold Northeast Wayne Verno, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel Fri Jan 26, 4:59 AM ET
Northeast
The big story will be the cold start to the day today, and again Saturday morning, as arctic air overtakes the area. After temperatures ranging from 10 to 20 below over northern New England, to the single digits and teens over the Mid-Atlantic, afternoon highs will recover only into the single digits north, to the teens and 20s south. Wind chill values this morning will be dangerous across northern New England, where readings will dip into the 30 to 40 below range. Elsewhere across the Northeast, expect wind chills in the 5 above to 15 below range today. Another cold morning will take place again Saturday morning, with temperatures similar to this morning. Wind chills, while still low, should not be as cold. A few lake effect snow showers may linger near the Great lakes today, but a general decrease in activity is expected through the day as winds shift to a more west and southwest direction ahead of the next arctic cold front. This next front is scheduled to move across the Northeast Saturday night into Sunday, with show showers accompanying its passage. Lake effect snow showers will then set up across the Great Lakes for the start of the upcoming week.
Midwest
A few lingering snow showers and flurries will be found across the Great Lakes this morning, otherwise generally dry conditions will expand across the central Plains and Midwest today. A new arctic front will enter the northern Plains and Upper Midwest by late day, producing a few snow showers there, otherwise milder conditions will be found across the region. Afternoon highs today will range from the 40s and 50s from Omaha, Kansas City, St, Louis, and Louisville, to the 20s and 30s from Minneapolis and Chicago, to Cleveland. The arctic front will sweep south into the Plains and Midwest Saturday, dropping afternoon highs into the single digits
and teens across the Upper Midwest. Highs only in the 20s will spread as far south as Omaha and Chicago. By Sunday afternoon temperatures in the 20s will reach to the Ohio River with single digits and teens across all of the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. Morning low temperatures this weekend, will drop into the single digits to below zero over much of the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. Scattered snow showers will accompany the arctic front Saturday, as it moves across the Midwest. Lake effect snow showers will then take over near the Great Lakes by Sunday.
South
High pressure will dominate the South today, resulting in plenty of sunshine in most areas. After a chilly start this morning, afternoon temperatures will rebound into the lower and middle 50s from Atlanta, Memphis, and New Orleans, to the lower 60s from Dallas, Houston, and Orlando. Lower 70s will be confined to far southern Florida. Clouds will be on the increase across parts of Texas today, as a weather disturbance moves across northern Mexico and a cold front approaches from the north. Rain showers will develop tonight across most of Texas. Saturday, the cold front will sweep rapidly south, as the weather disturbance crosses the northern Gulf of Mexico. This will spread rain showers across the Lower Mississippi River Valley during the afternoon, moving into the Southeastern states Saturday night. Rain showers will advance into southern Florida by Sunday, as the cold front pushes south. This will leave the entire South dry, but chilly, with afternoon highs only in the 40s across a widespread area.
West
High pressure will generally dominate much of the West today, resulting in fair weather conditions from Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, through Denver, into the northern Rockies. This same high pressure will also result in some low clouds, areas of dense fog, and stagnant air across parts of the Pacific Northwest this morning, affecting areas from Seattle and Portland to Spokane. One exception to the fair weather will be across north central California, north of the San Francisco area, where a weather disturbance will bring a few rain showers inland. The other exception will be over the far southern mountains near the Mexico boarder where a weather disturbance will result in areas of rain and snow. Saturday into Sunday, rain showers will linger across western and central California, as the weather disturbance slowly drifts south across that area. A few snow showers may also develop across the interior western mountains as some upslope flow develops there. It looks as if the next more significant storm system may begin to take shape across the central and southern Rockies Tuesday into Wednesday.
Thousands of Israelis seeking asylum in Canada: reports Friday, January 26, 2007 12:35 PM ET CBC News
At least 3,000 Israelis, most of them citing a fear of spousal abuse and Palestinian violence, have requested asylum in Canada since 2000, recent reports out of Israel said.Two major newspapers in Israel said that Canada has already granted refugee status to hundreds of Israelis, but thousands of others have filed applications.The reports, from the Yediot Ahronot and Maariv newspapers, both quoted figures from the Israeli Foreign Ministry that show at least 3,000 Israelis filed applications seeking asylum in Canada. Maariv said that upwards of 500 of the applications had been approved in the last six years.Yediot quoted the Israeli Ambassador to Canada, Alan Barker, as saying many of the applications Canadian officials were seeing were in fact bogus and that they were harming Israel's image and representing it as a country whose citizens are persecuted.Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said the department was aware of the number of Israelis seeking asylum in Canada, and said we have taken the matter up with the Canadians, but he did not elaborate. The Canadian embassy in Tel Aviv said it did not have the data, and referred inquiries to the government in Ottawa.With files from the Associated Press
Jean Charest seeks free trade deal with EUFriday, January 26, 2007 12:33 PM ET The Canadian Press
Quebec Premier Jean Charest wants a free-trade deal between Canada and the European Union, he said Friday.Charest said he has already spoken about the idea to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, as well as his provincial counterparts, and has received a positive response.Charest is in Davos, Switzerland, for an annual economic forum.The Quebec premier wants to tap the economic potential of the European market, which has 450 million consumers. He also said an accord would ease the exchange of workers between Canada and Europe. Canadian government data suggests a free trade deal with the European Union would boost Canada's exports by $2.4 billion annually.The Canadian Press
ISRAELS TROUBLE
JEREMIAH 30:7
7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble;(ISRAEL) but he shall be saved out of it.
DANIEL 12:1,4
1 And at that time shall Michael(ISRAELS WAR ANGEL) stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people:(ISRAEL) and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation(May 14,48) even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro,(WORLD TRAVEL,IMMIGRATION) and knowledge shall be increased.(COMPUTERS,CHIP IMPLANTS ETC)
WW3 THE 3 WAVES THAT MARCH TO ISRAEL
DANIEL 11:40-45
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA 2ND WAVE OF WW3) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
The Third and Final Wave of WW3 is when all Nations march to Jerusalem, but JESUS bodily returns to earth and destroys them,sets up his KINGDOM OF RULE FOR 1000 YEARS THEN FOREVER.
MUSLIM NATIONS
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Iran calls for summit with Iraq, Syria By STEVEN R. HURST and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writers Fri Jan 26, 6:35 PM ET
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iran has invited the Iraqi and Syrian presidents to Tehran for a weekend summit with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to hash out ways to cooperate in curbing the runaway violence that has taken Iraq to the verge of civil war and threatens to spread through the region, four key lawmakers told The Associated Press on Monday. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has accepted the invitation and will fly to the Iranian capital Saturday, a close parliamentary associate said.The Iranian diplomatic gambit appeared designed to upstage expected moves from Washington to include Syria and Iran in a wider regional effort to clamp off violence in Iraq, where more civilians have been killed in the first 20 days of November than in any other month since the AP began tallying the figures in April 2005.The Iranian move was also a display of its increasingly muscular role in the Middle East, where it already has established deep influence over Syria and Lebanon.All three countries intend to hold a three-way summit among Iraq, Iran and Syria to discuss the security situation and the repercussions for stability of the region, said Ali al-Adeeb, a lawmaker of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Dawa Party and a close aide to the prime minister.
Both Iran and Syria are seen as key players in Iraq. Syria is widely believed to have done little to stop foreign fighters and al-Qaida in Iraq recruits from crossing its border to join Sunni insurgents in Iraq. It also has provided refuge for many top members of Saddam Hussein's former leadership and political corps, which is thought to have organized arms and funding for the insurgents. The Sunni insurgency, since it sprang to life in late summer 2003, has been responsible for most of the U.S. deaths in Iraq.Iran is deeply involved in training, funding and arming the two major Shiite militias in Iraq, where Tehran has deep historic ties to the current Shiite political leadership. Many Iraqi Shiites spent years in Iranian exile during Saddam's decades in power in Baghdad. One militia, the Badr Brigade, was trained in Iran by the Revolutionary Guard.An Ahmadinejad spokesman said that Talibani's visit was scheduled several weeks ago for late November to work on improving bilateral relations. But Majid Yazdi told the AP that he had no information on a coming visit by the Syrian leader.But Talabani confidants said the invitation was issued on Thursday by Iranian Ambassador Hassan Kazimi Qumi, who said Syrian President Bashar Assad also would be in Tehran for the talks with
Ahmadinejad.AP correspondents Bassem Mroue in Baghdad and Nasser Karimi in Tehran contributed to this report.
IAEA chief says attack on Iran would be catastrophe By Stella Dawson Fri Jan 26, 5:23 PM
ET DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - An attack on Iran would be catastrophic and encourage it to develop a nuclear bomb, Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said on Thursday. It would be absolutely counterproductive, and it would be catastrophic, ElBaradei said at a discussion on nuclear proliferation at the World Economic Forum.The Bush administration in recent weeks has toughened its stance against Iran, which the West has accused of seeking to secretly build an atomic bomb, raising fears among political and business leaders that the U.S. plans an attack.President George W. Bush has moved an additional aircraft carrier into the Gulf and told Iran that he would not allow it to provide weapons and support to insurgents in Iraq.Israel has refused to rule out pre-emptive military action against Iran on the lines of its 1981 air strike against an atomic reactor in Iraq, although many analysts believe Iran's nuclear facilities are too much for Israel to destroy alone.The United Nations imposed sanctions in December to prevent Iran using its nuclear energy program for military weapons, and Iran this week banned 38 IAEA nuclear inspectors.
ElBaradei, head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, has been engaged in meetings here at the gathering of world political and business leaders. He said diplomacy is the only way forward, and talk of military action can only backfire.This strengthens the hands of those in Iran who say let's develop a bomb to protect ourselves, he said.The Bush administration has said it wants a diplomatic solution and that it is not preparing to attack either Iran or Syria.Pakistan's Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz also warned against an attack, while Iran's former president Mohammad Khatami urged calm to reduce tensions over Iran's nuclear program.If there is military action, it will have catastrophic results, not only in the region, but the whole world, Aziz said.I hope they would be good enough in managing the situation. We deeply need patience and understanding and not to get too emotional, Khatami said.ElBaradei said force should not be ruled out, but past experience has shown that it should not be used with haste, citing Iraq where no evidence ofnuclear weapons was found after the U.S.-led invasion.
I am convinced that the only way forward in Iran is engagement, ElBaradei said. We have to invest in peace, he said, adding that if the international community failed to do that the consequence will be 10 times worse.I hope we will stop speaking about a military option and focus on finding a solution, ElBaradei said.Iran says it needs nuclear power to generate electricity but the West fears it is secretly seeking an atom bomb. In December, the United Nations imposed sanctions on Iran's trade in sensitive nuclear materials and technology to try and stop enrichment work that could produce bomb material.
YES, ITS ALL COMING TOGETHER QUICK NOW, THE EU (REVIVED) ROME IS GETTING INTO THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS, AND WILL TAKE CONTROL OF IT AND IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, THE DICTATOR WILL COME ON THE SCENE, WILL BE ELECTED LEADER OF THE EU AND WILL SIGN THE 7 YEAR PEACE TREATY BETWEEN ISRAEL - ARABS AND MANY OF DANIEL 9:27. I LOVE THIS HEADLINE
Olmert's party proposes handing West Bank to EuropeFollows WND reports of secret talks to evacuate strategic territory under EU supervisionPosted: January 25, 2007 - By Aaron Klein - WorldNetDaily.com
JERUSALEM – A member of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Kadima party yesterday proposed transferring control of the West Bank to a European task force until the establishment of a Palestinian state, at which time the strategic territory would be handed to security forces associated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The proposal comes after WND broke the story earlier this week that, according to top European and Egyptian diplomatic sources, Israel has been conducting behind-the-scene negotiations to hand over most of the West Bank to Abbas' security forces. The sources said the transfer of security control to
Abbas would be coordinated by the European Union and Jordan. The West Bank borders Jerusalem and is within rocket-firing range of Tel Aviv and Israel's international airport. At Israel's prestigious Herzliya Conference, Knesset Member Shlomo Breznitz, reportedly a close confidante of Olmert, said yesterday the West Bank should be transferred temporarily to the Europeans and that most of the territory's Jewish communities should be evacuated.
The only way to get out of the impasse is to transfer the territories, for a limited time, to an international mandate, that will run them until the establishment of a Palestinian state, said Breznitz at the conference. The Herzliya Conference is attended by Israel's top leadership and regularly maps out the country's agenda for the coming year. In 2004, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip at the conference. Breznitz told Israel's Maariv daily newspaper the West Bank should be transferred to the European community and not the U.S. because, he said, after the invasion of Iraq, America lost its status as an honest broker in the view of the Palestinians and the Arab states.Breznitz said his West Bank transfer proposal received a warm reception from European and Palestinian officials. I have reason to believe, and I don't want to expand on this, that the Palestinians will support the proposal. Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives from European countries who were shown the proposal also believe that without international help it will not be possible to resolve the conflict, said Breznitz.
According to the Israel Resource News Agency, Olmert regularly consults with Breznitz and is known to spend vacation time with the Breznitz family. The Knesset member's plan comes after WND reported yesterday the EU is in the process of expanding its offices in Israel, including in the Palestinian areas, in anticipation of an increased security role here following what Europeandiplomatic sources say is new momentum regarding an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank. The sources, who said they were directly involved in behind-the-scene negotiations, said one proposal being considered is for the EU and Jordan to supervise the transfer of the northern West Bank to Abbas' security forces, which reportedly are receiving aid, weapons and training from the U.S. The sources said major changes in Israeli-Palestinian affairs are expected within a few weeks to two months.
According to an aide to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, speaking on condition of anonymity, there will be a historic political evolution and movement in negotiations in the next few weeks and few months, unseen since the Camp David peace talks in 2000. During the Camp David talks, then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered then-Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and eastern sections of Jerusalem. According to the diplomatic sources, still being debated in the purported West Bank negotiations is the role of Hamas, which leads the PA and maintains the majority of seats in the Palestinian parliament.
Negotiations between Abbas and Hamas leaders for a national unity government have mostly fallen through. On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz said he viewed any Palestinian elements recognizing the state of Israel as a partner for negotiations even if it is Hamas.Olmert has made similar comments. So far, Hamas has refused to recognize Israel but recently offered a 10-year truce with the Jewish state. In a series of interviews this past weekend, Hamas leaders told WND during any 10-year truce period they would build a large Palestinian army and plan for the destruction of Israel.
Olmert's office this week denied the WND reports on negotiations to evacuate the West Bank. There were no negotiations regarding a West Bank withdrawal. This would go contrary to other things we have said in the recent past, said Olmert's spokesperson, Miri Eisin. Perhaps the officials talking to WorldNetDaily were referring to general expectations for movement in the Israeli-Palestinian arena,Eisin said. But the European and Egyptian sources stood by their statements that Israel agreed in principal to transfer West Bank security control to Abbas. Israeli leaders previously have denied reports of pending withdrawals only to later carry them out. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, elected in 2001 on a platform against unilateral withdrawal, at first denied media reports Israel was planning to evacuate the Gaza Strip but later announced his Gaza withdrawal plan. Olmert was elected prime minister on the platform of carrying out a withdrawal from the West Bank, but after this summer's Lebanon war, he has stated a West Bank withdrawal would not occur. Olmert in August called the policy of unilateral withdrawal a failure and said it was no longer relevant.
But he can argue handing the West Bank to Abbas in an agreement is not unilateral.
Contradicting Olmert, Israeli Interior Minister Roni Bar-On of Olmert's Kadima party said last summer, The withdrawal plan is not dead, though its implementation has been postponed. The plan is now on the shelf or in the freezer, but when the time comes it will be accessed. Several recent public opinion polls showed the majority of Israelis now oppose a West Bank withdrawal. The leaders of Egypt and Jordan have expressed reservations about withdrawal plans, fearing terrorism can spill over into their respective countries. Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000. It had occupied a small section of Lebanon's border with Israel following repeated attacks by Palestinian terrorists in the area. Since the withdrawal, Hezbollah has staged numerous attacks against Israel, including rocket bombardments of civilian population centers, raids against military outposts and ambushes and kidnappings of Israeli troops. Hezbollah built an arsenal in south Lebanon of more than 13,000 short- and medium-range rockets capable of hitting central sections of the Jewish state Israel withdrew last August from the Gaza Strip. Since then, rockets have been fired almost daily into nearby Jewish communities, Hamas has been elected to power and both Israeli and Palestinian officials have stated al-Qaida has infiltrated the territory. Israel says the Palestinians have smuggled hundreds of tons of heavy weaponry into Gaza and are preparing for a large-scale confrontation.
Livni, Peres, Abbas Share Visions for PA State at World ForumBy Alex Traiman (INN) JAN 26,07
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tzippy Livni, Shimon Peres, and Mahmoud Abbas shared their visions for a two-state solution within the disputed borders of Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzippy Livni made the formation of Palestinian state her top diplomatic priority during her speech at the forum of world leaders. According to Livni, the formation of a state for the Arabs within the biblical territories of Judea and Samaria is not an illusion. It's there. It's achievable.I would like to negotiate, to speak, to meet, to talk, Livni said, signaling an Israeli desire to yet again restart bilateral peace talks. There is nothing I want more. ... This is part of our dream; this is part of our goal.While acknowledging that terrorism must be reigned in for a two-state solution to be viable, Livni compared any future decision by the Palestinian Authority to stop terror with the Israeli government’s decision to expel 10,000 citizens from their homes during the Gush Katif Disengagement of August 2005.There are difficult decisions to take on both sides, and fighting terrorism is one of those decisions, and we cannot afford to put this obstacle aside. I know that it is not easy, Livni said. I can say it was also difficult for me to vote in favor of the disengagement plan. I voted to uproot Israelis, in order to give peace a chance. So there are difficult decisions, but the best way is to give an answer, and not to say, Okay this is too difficult, let's find something else.
The Israeli government has already formed a committee to study the ability to remove as many as 100,000 Jewish residents from their homes in the areas considered for the creation of a Palestinian State.Livni cautioned PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas against compromising with extreme elements within the Authority, labeling Abbas one of the moderate forces within the PA. The term often is used despite calls by Abbas at a Ramallah Fatah rally last week for arms, ostensibly received to protect him and his Fatah faction from Hamas, to be turned against Israel, which he referred to as occupying forces.Livni added in her address that PA Arabscurrently living in Judea and Samaria should remain in a new state to be created on those lands, as opposed to the PA demand that they be allowed to find homes within all of Israel.While Abbas also stressed his commitment to return to the negotiating table, he reiterated long-standing Arab demands that other Arabs be resettled in Israel, and not in any newly created Palestinian nation.
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict is one of the most serious conflicts that require a solution, Abbas said during his address. I am fully convinced that despite all the difficulties, an atmosphere conducive to the resumption of the peace process exists, one that could lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state.He added that a just solution must be found to solve the refugee crisis, stating that refugees wishing to return to their homes ... should be permitted to do so at the earliest practical date.Abbas stressed that a permanent resolution is necessary to end the long-standing conflict, as opposed to any temporary decisions, urging Israel to begin
discussing issues of final border status and insisting on the Israeli borders of 1967 as a starting point. We have the road map, a road map that includes the Arab initiative as well as President Bush's vision regarding the two-state solution, Abbas said. What is required now, in all honesty, is for us to trace the beginning and the end of this peace process.Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres also addressed the forum, expressing a vision of shared economic cooperation between Israel and the PA.
He said Israel and the Palestinians should work together alongside Jordan to stimulate foreign investment in the region. Peres stated that Israel, Jordan and PA have already agreed in principle to take the whole length of the frontier, a 500 kilometer-long strip along the current Israeli-Jordanian border, and convert it into an ongoing economic zone.We cannot save the Dead Sea unless we do it together. We cannot build new industry ... unless we do it together, Peretz added.US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has already announced plans to gather the Quartet committed to Middle East peace (US, UN, European Union and Russia) in Washington D.C. at the beginning of February. She will return to the Middle East for a summit between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and PA Chairman Abbas, two weeks later.
This Week with Rabbi Eckstein January 25, 2007
Dear Friend of The Fellowship,
Since her founding in 1948, Israel has faced many threats. War and terrorism have taken their toll, and the price for her continued independence and freedom has too often been paid in Jewish blood.But, despite painful losses, Israel has always prevailed. And I am convinced that one of the main reasons for this is that her righteous friends have been quick to raise their voices in prayer to God, the One who watches over Israel and neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4), for the welfare of the State of Israel and the Jewish people.This Sunday, January 28, on The Fellowship's 2007 International Day of Prayer and Solidarity for Israel, you have an opportunity to unite with Christians worldwide in raising a chorus of prayer to God for Israel's security, well-being, and protection.
This overwhelming expression of intercessory support comes as Israel faces multiple crises. Her enemies remain firmly committed to her destruction, and are even becoming bolder in their threats. Hamas, the ruling Palestinian group, still refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist. On the heels of last summer's devastating war, the Hezbollah terrorist group is solidifying its control of Lebanon, Israel's neighbor to the north - and the U.N. forces stationed there to keep the peace seem powerless to stop the re-armament. Iran continues its race toward nuclear weapons, meaning that its radical Muslim president may soon be able to realize his threat to wipe Israel off the map.In the face of these grim realities, it is especially comforting and encouraging to know that, in just a few days, Christians in churches around the world will pray for Israel. They will gather in churches of all sizes, from suburban megachurches with thousands of members to small rural congregations, and in countries as far-flung as Tanzania, Kenya,Malaysia, India and, of course the U.S. But, wherever they are, and whatever language they speak, their appeal for God's blessing and protection upon Israel will be heard by Him.
On behalf of the people of Israel, I extend my thanks to you for your prayers and heartfelt concern for Israel. On Sunday, as we pray, let us take to heart these words that express the deepest hopes of Jews and Christians alike: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels (Psalm 122: 6-7).
With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel EcksteinPresident
Support The Fellowship! P.S. Online resources to help you and your church observe The Fellowship’s Day of Prayer are still available download your FREE Day of Prayer Action Kit today! http://www.ifcj.org/site/PageServer?pagename=SFI_2006DOP_FAK
Rabbi Eckstein Bestows Ambassador Award to Pastor Hagee and Bishop ButlerThursday, January 25, 2007 Honored for Outstanding Dedication to Israel Chicago, IL, January 25, 2007
The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship) presented its highest honor, the Ambassador's Award, to Pastor John Hagee of Cornerstone Church of San Antonio, TX and Bishop Keith Butler of Word of Faith International Christian Center of Southfield, MI, for their outstanding support, leadership, and dedication to Israel. The award from The Fellowship and Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, its founder and president and Goodwill Ambassador to Evangelicals for Israel, was presented during the January 7, 2007, Night to Honor Israel event held at the Word of Faith Center.It is indeed an honor to bring greetings from Jerusalem on this special evening as we honor dear friends with whom The Fellowship works alongside and who are a blessing Israel, said Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein in a video message to the audience of more than 6,000 people at Bishop Butler's mega-church in Southfield, MI. Rabbi Eckstein quoted Psalm 133:1 encouraging the audience of Christians and Jews, Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell in unity! Thanks to the generous support of Christians across America, The Fellowship's On Wings of Eagles program has helped more than 300,000 Jews make aliyah (immigrate to Israel) from countries including the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia, India and various Arab lands. And each day, The Fellowship's Guardians of Israel program provides basic necessities of food, medicine, clothing, and much more to an estimated 65,000 needy people in Israel.Rabbi Eckstein applauded Pastor Hagee for his ministry which has helped Jews return to Israel and provided assistance to orphanages, absorption centers, and hospitals.
More and more Christians are understanding their Jewish roots and the Biblical perspective that calls them to stand with Israel, declared Rabbi Eckstein. That didn’t just happen. Committed leaders like John Hagee have led the way, and for that, we are grateful.Rabbi Eckstein called Bishop Butler a hero with impeccable qualities of leadership. He has always been there in times of need. On one trip to Israel, he joined us on the front lines where we were dodging bullets. We are thankful for Bishop Butler and his commitment to stand with Israel.
Bishop Butler, who may be best known for his worldwide television outreach, The Word of Faith, is also a prolific Bible teacher, often appearing at U.S. and international churches, conferences and seminars. Both honorees expressed appreciation for The Fellowship and reaffirmed their ongoing commitment to support Israel. Pastor Hagee said, I am honored to receive the Ambassador’s Award. During these difficult days, I look forward to working with Rabbi Ecksteinand all other friends of the Jewish people to defend Israel from very serious threats looming. Butler added his thanks before his congregation, I am supremely honored by this award. My love for the nation of Israel compels me to do all I can to help.Founded by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein in 1983, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews has a two-fold mission to promote understanding and cooperation between Christians and Jews and to build broad support for Israel and Jewish people around the world. The Fellowship provides financial support to help Jews in distress make aliyah (emigrate) from countries around the world to Israel. In addition, The Fellowship provides emergency aid in times of crisis to Israel and ongoing funding to help needy Jewish children, families and the elderly throughout the world.For more information, visit www.ifcj.org.
Bishop Butler, who may be best known for his worldwide television outreach, The Word of Faith, is also a prolific Bible teacher, often appearing at U.S. and international churches, conferences and seminars. Both honorees expressed appreciation for The Fellowship and reaffirmed their ongoing commitment to support Israel. Pastor Hagee said, I am honored to receive the Ambassador’s Award. During these difficult days, I look forward to working with Rabbi Ecksteinand all other friends of the Jewish people to defend Israel from very serious threats looming. Butler added his thanks before his congregation, I am supremely honored by this award. My love for the nation of Israel compels me to do all I can to help.Founded by Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein in 1983, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews has a two-fold mission to promote understanding and cooperation between Christians and Jews and to build broad support for Israel and Jewish people around the world. The Fellowship provides financial support to help Jews in distress make aliyah (emigrate) from countries around the world to Israel. In addition, The Fellowship provides emergency aid in times of crisis to Israel and ongoing funding to help needy Jewish children, families and the elderly throughout the world.For more information, visit www.ifcj.org.
Media interested in an interview with Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, founder and president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and recipients of the Ambassador's Award should contact Gregg Wooding, president of I AM PR services, (972) 567-7660 or
via email at gwooding@texasprototypes.com
Curfew imposed in Beirut after clashes By BRIAN MURPHY, Associated Press Writer JAN 26,07
BEIRUT, Lebanon - University students loyal to Lebanon's government clashed with Hezbollah supporters Thursday, setting cars ablaze and battling with homemade clubs and stones. The melee deepened worries that Lebanon cannot contain the political and sectarian rivalries threatening to push it toward civil war. At least three people were killed and dozens were injured before army troops backed by tanks and firing barrages of warning shots into the air dispersed most rioters. The military then declared Beirut's first curfew since 1996.But the fallout reaches far beyond the casualty count. The clashes, sparked by a cafeteria scuffle between pro-government Sunni Muslims and pro-Hezbollah Shiites, reinforced fears that Lebanon's sectarian divisions are erupting into violence as they did during the 1975-1990 civil war.It was the third straight day of violence, sparked by a Hezbollah-led strike Tuesday that came ahead of a crucial gathering of donor nations in Paris. The conference Thursday raised pledges of $7.6 billion to help Prime Minister Fuad Saniora's U.S.-backed government rebuild after last summer's devastating Israel-Hezbollah war.
The money and show of international support could boost the embattled Saniora. The Iranian-backed Hezbollah has vowed to bring him down unless the opposition is given more power.The chaos has paralyzed the government. Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said Wednesday that donors were backing the wrong side in the standoff and that he could topple Saniora at any time.In Paris, Saniora pleaded to his countrymen to distance themselves from tensions.No one can help a country if the people of this country don't want to help themselves, he said. I call on your wisdom and reason. Leaders on all sides called for calm. Nasrallah who has insisted in recent days he does not want Lebanon to tumble into civil war went on TV in the evening to tell followers it was a religious duty to get off the streets to allow security forces to keep order.I appeal to you in the name of Lebanon and human conscience ... It's a pity to waste Lebanon like this, said Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally. It is time we learn from the past.During Lebanon's civil war, Christians battled Muslims. But the new confrontation has taken different sectarian lines: Shiites support the opposition, Sunnis back the prime minister and Christian parties are divided between the two camps.
If sectarian divisions explode in Lebanon, it would likely further fuel Sunni-Shiite tensions around the Arab world, already heightened by Iraq's turmoil. Mainly Sunni Arab nations like Egypt and Saudi Arabia have shown alarm at Hezbollah's increasing strength in Lebanon and have backed Saniora.Thursday's clashes in Beirut showed just how quickly any spark can turn into a wildfire.Students said it began with a scuffle in the cafeteria of Beirut Arab University between Sunni Muslims and supporters of the Shiite Hezbollah. As Sunnis in the surrounding Tarik el-Jadideh district moved in, Hezbollah activists called in reinforcements.Hezbollah activists with walkie-talkies were seen coordinating as a ragtag convoy of hundreds of vigilantes raced to the campus. Gangs many wearing blue and red construction hard hats and wielding clubs made from sticks and even chair legs poured into the area and battled Sunni students and riot police and soldiers.Hezbollah backers claimed Sunni gunmen fired from apartment balconies near the school, wounding several people. The claim could not be independently confirmed.Thick black smoke rose over the campus and the neighborhood on the southern edge of Beirut as rioters set fire to vehicles, tires and trash. Bands of youths clashed with stones andclubs in running street battles as the army tried to close off streets with tanks and armored vehicles. Troops fired tear gas and warning shots into the air.We are afraid about the future of the country. We are afraid about civil war, said Mohammed Abdul-Sater, a 21-year-old Shiite student.
Three people were killed and 169 injured, security officials said. It appeared one of the dead was Sunni and the other two Shiite, judging by the district of the hospitals their bodies were taken to. Up until the 8:30 p.m. curfew was imposed, young men were in the streets around the university. Government backers set fire to the offices of a small pro-Hezbollah party and burned its banner in the street as sporadic gunfire was heard. Hezbollah supporters smashed store windows miles away in downtown Beirut as they left a protest camp ahead of the curfew. After the curfew began, most streets were emptied. The last time Lebanon imposed a curfewwas February 1996 to stop labor unions from holding anti-government protests. In 1984, the army imposed a curfew to halt street battles between the army and Muslim militias.The alarming violence signaled what Lebanese have been fearing for months: that the drawn-out confrontation between Hezbollah and Saniora's government could move into the streets and rage out of control. Nobody should be surprised when things start to spin out of control, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman said in an interview with Alhurra, the U.S. government-funded Arabic-language satellite television network that broadcasts to the Middle East.
He said he suspected Syria which backs Hezbollah and controlled Lebanon for nearly three decades was behind the current troubles, but did not provide any evidence. There was no immediate reaction from Syrian officials. A woman who answered the phone at the Syrian U.N. mission in New York said nobody was available to speak to the media. The Hezbollah-led opposition has staged two months of demonstrations and sit-ins in a bid to topple Saniora's government. But the prime minister has held out, refusing the opposition's demands for a veto-wielding share of the Cabinet. On Tuesday, the opposition stepped up the confrontation with its general strike, which erupted into street battles around the country between its activists and government supporters. Three people were killed. Gunbattles broke out for a second day Wednesday in the northern city of Tripoli. The alarming violence has stunned supporters of both sides. But the leadership of the two camps do not appear to be backing down. Hezbollah, in a statement on its television station, accused pro-government factions of provoking the clashes even as it called on its supporters to get off the streets to avoid a strife which is being inflamed by pro-government groups. I find this a very strange debate, the U.S. ambassador said. There is a government that came to power after elections, the parliamentary majority that endorsed it is still there. And a party that voluntarily pulled itself out of the government is now saying they will use all means in order to impose their will on the country.
PERMISSIVE TREASON IN ISRAEL
1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS.2-Quake strikes off Taiwan's east coast. 3-Malaysian rain warning triggers fears of more floods. 4-Bitter cold takes hold of the Northeast. 5-71 killed in Angolan floods as relief work under way. 6-St. John's and vicinity Issued at: 11.00 AM. 7-Fence Route Changed Due to Illegal Arab Construction. 8-Olmert Slams Katzav, Hopes For Sharon Revival and Warns Iran. 9-Iran air-defense missiles obtained from Russia. 10-Netanyahu urges trial for Iran leader, fearing new Holocaust. 11-Norovirus sickens hundreds aboard QE2.12-Permissive Treason in Israel.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Fri Jan 26 12:00 AM EDT
JAN 26,07
MAP 5.1 TONGA
JAN 25,07
MAP 5.0 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 2.9 MAUI REGION, HAWAII
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.9 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.4 NIAS REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 2.8 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO
MAP 3.4 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 6.0 TAIWAN REGION
MAP 4.9 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.9 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 4.1 FIJI REGION
MAP 5.0 PAPUA, INDONESIA
MAP 3.8 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 3.6 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC REGION
MAP 3.7 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 4.0 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.8 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.0 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.0 MOLUCCA SEA
JAN 24,07
MAP 3.1 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.4 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.0 SAN JUAN URBAN AREA, PUERTO RICO
MAP 4.8 EASTERN UZBEKISTAN
MAP 3.0 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.9 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.4 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.6 NEVADA
MAP 2.8 MONA PASSAGE, PUERTO RICO
MAP 3.4 RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.8 NEVADA
MAP 2.9 NEVADA
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.2 NEVADA
MAP 4.1 NEVADA
MAP 4.9 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.1 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.1 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 5.5 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.9 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 3.9 RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.9 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO
Quake strikes off Taiwan's east coast Thu Jan 25, 6:21 AM ET
TAIPEI, Taiwan - A strong earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Taiwan on Thursday, rocking buildings in the capital of Taipei. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The Central Weather Bureau measured the quake at 6.2-magnitude. It put its epicenter 39 miles southeast of the city of Chengkung, or about 82 miles southeast of Taipei.Quakes frequently rattle Taiwan, but most are minor and cause little or no damage.However, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake in central Taiwan in September 1999 killed more than 2,300 people.
Last month a 6.7 offshore tremor south of the city of Kaohsiung severed two undersea cables, disrupting telephone and Internet service to millions of users throughout Asia.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Malaysian rain warning triggers fears of more floods Thu Jan 25, 12:06 AM ET
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Malaysia has issued its highest red stage rain warning for the southern state of Johor, triggering fears of a third wave of flooding after weeks of chaos caused by torrential downpours. The Meteorological Services Department said in a statement late Wednesday that moderate to heavy rain was expected to persist until Sunday in Johor, which borders Singapore, and central Pahang state.Residents in the flood zone, where tens of thousands were forced to shelter in evacuation centres during the crisis which has peaked twice since late December, said they were not bothering to do repairs yet in light of the warning.I only cleaned up the house a little because we fear the floods will come again, for the third time, 61-year-old Hassan Saadon told the official Bernama news agency.
Hassan said his family cleared up the flood damage after the first wave of floods in the closing days of 2006, only to be devastated again just two days later when bad weather returned.State Drainage and Irrigation Department chief Chong Chee Han said river levels had already beached their danger mark.We never had heavy flooding twice within a month, but that too has occurred. All we can hope for is that a third wave does not happen, he told The Star newspaper.The floods, the worst in a century, have claimed 17 lives and caused damage worth 350 million ringgit (100 million dollars) to infrastructure in the south. The private sector has reportedly estimated economic losses at 2.4 billion ringgit.
Bitter cold takes hold of the Northeast Wayne Verno, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel Thu Jan 25, 5:07 AM ET
Northeast
Gusty north winds flowing across the Great Lakes in the wake of a cold front will continue to bring very cold air and snow showers across much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern States today. The most persistent snow showers and squalls will occur just downwind of the Great Lakes, affecting areas from Cleveland and Pittsburgh, to Buffalo and Syracuse. Scattered snow showers will reach as far east as Philadelphia and New York City. Several inches will accumulate in the lake effect snow bets off Lake Erie and Ontario, where locally up to a foot could accumulate. Several inches will also be possible across the higher elevations further south as well. Afternoon highs will range from the teens and 20s west of the Appalachians, to the lower 30s across the eastern Mid-Atlantic. Gusty winds will push wind chill values into the single digits and teens, with below zero readings across northern New England. Even colder air will settle in Friday into Saturday, with morning low temperatures in the single digits to below zero, and afternoon highs only recovering into the single digits and teens in some locations. Wind chills both Friday and Saturday morning may reach 20 to 30 below zero over parts of New England.
Midwest
The cold temperatures which dominate the Upper Midwest and northern Great Lakes yesterday will begin to shift eastward today. It will remain chilly across the Upper Midwest and western Great Lakes though, with afternoon highs in the teens and 20s from Chicago and Minneapolis, to Fargo. Highs in the 30s will dominate the Midwest and Plains, from Louisville to Kansas City.
Lake effect snow showers will also persist across the northern and central Great Lakes, where several inches could accumulate along the eastern snow belts. Friday, another cold front will enter the Upper Midwest. This will bring milder temperatures to much of the Midwest and central Plains, as southerly flow kicks in ahead of the front. By Saturday, much colder air will begin to spill into the Great Lakes and Midwest, along with windy conditions and an increased chance of snow showers. Bitter cold temperatures will dominate the Great Lakes and Midwest this weekend, with afternoon highs in the single digits and teens, and morning low temperatures below zero. Wind chills will be well below zero at times.
South
A persistent flow of moisture across the Gulf of Mexico, coupled with a weather disturbance, will finally exit Texas. Drying conditions are expected today across the Lone Star State. The unsettled weather will continue to impact Florida, where scattered showers will dominate the central and southern parts of the state, but these too will be ending by the later portion of the day.
Across the remainder of the South, from Memphis to Atlanta, high pressure will build south bringing an end to the cloudy dreary conditions which have dominated the area. As this high pressure builds in, windy conditions will develop on its leading edge, from Georgia into South Carolina. Dry conditions will remain across much of the South through Friday, but a cold front will begin to approach the Mississippi Valley Saturday, bringing the chance of rain showers back into that area. Much colder temperatures will settle across all of the southern states Sunday into Monday.
West
High pressure remains in control of much of the West, resulting in generally dry conditions. As a result of this high pressure, morning fog, and even some freezing fog, will continue to be an issue across parts of the Pacific Northwest, while much of the Southwest, including southern California, experience above average temperatures. A weak weather disturbance will enter the western coast by Saturday, bringing a few scattered rain showers to parts of northern California, with snow showers further inland.
Snow showers will also increase across the interior Rockies. This area of disturbed weather will linger and drift slowly south, bringing scattered rain and snow showers so parts of the southern Rockies and Southwest into the first part of the upcoming week. Generally, the Pacific Northwest will remain dry through the weekend.
71 killed in Angolan floods as relief work under way by Manuel Muanza JAN 25,07
LUANDA (AFP) - Flash floods in Angola had by claimed 71 lives as authorities in the seaside capital Luanda clambered to shelter some 1,300 homeless families and repair damaged bridges and roads.
Other parts of southern Africa have been hit by heavy downpours, including Malawi where at least 20 villages are under water and Mozambique where torrential rains have claimed five lives and turned 3,500 homeless.
According to the last count, there have been 71 deaths, fire service spokesman Faustino Sebastiao told AFP, saying 65 of these were in Luanda and six in the southern province of Benguela.We are carrying out search operations for bodies with the help of the defence forces and police, he said.Luanda's centre had been cut off after three key downtown bridges were damaged following heavy rains on Monday. Two of them have repaired.Residents of the sprawling but rundown city of 4.5 million are struggling to cope with the rising waters.Despite Angola's oil riches, Luanda has a skeletal infrastructure which still bears the scars of a brutal 27-year civil war that ravaged the former Portuguese colony.Telephone lines have been badly hit and vast tracts of low-lying and sordid slums are under water.
The Angolan government meanwhile approved a 10 million dollar (7.7 million euro) emergency relief plan to shelter, re-home and provide other forms of assistance to citizens between now and June, a communique said.
This followed warnings by the national weather office that the torrential rains were set to continue until June, traditionally the end of the monsoon in the southern African country.Luanda's governor Job Capapinha told an emergency meeting that his three main priorities were providing emergency relief, restoring road links and ensuring proper sanitation to stem the tide of cholera, which has claimed more than 2,000 lives across the country since February last year.The cholera epidemic broke out in February last year in a sprawling Luanda slum and has been blamed on poor sanitation, an acute lack of drinking water and inadequate infrastructure.We will put people in tents or in roofed shelters. We are seeing to it that the roads are quickly cleared of water before enforcing measures to prevent cholera, governor Capapinha told a news conference late Wednesday.Antonio Miguel Germano, a police official from Cacuaco, Luanda's worst-hit quarter, added: There are still people who are missing. We are carrying out searches.In March 2005, flooding in northern Angola a former Portuguese colony which is still recovering from a 27-year civil war left over 10,000 people without shelter.
Environment Canada Weather Forecast St. John's and vicinity Issued at: 11.00 AM NST Thursday 25 January 2007
Wind warning in effect. Today..Cloudy with 70 percent chance of flurries or freezing drizzle. Wind west 30 km/h increasing to 50 gusting to 80 this afternoon. Temperature steady near minus 1. Tonight..Cloudy periods. 60 percent chance of flurries this evening. Wind southwest 40 km/h gusting to 60 becoming south 20 overnight. Low minus 3. Friday..Increasing cloudiness. Snow and blowing snow beginning in the afternoon. Amount 5 to 10 cm. Wind southeast 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming east 60 gusting to 100 late in the day. High zero. Saturday..Periods of snow. Windy. Low minus 5. High minus 3. Sunday..Flurries. Windy. Low minus 1. High zero. Monday..Cloudy with 60 percent chance of flurries. Low minus 3. High minus 1. Normals for the period..Low minus 8. High zero.
Fence Route Changed Due to Illegal Arab Construction
07:45 Jan 25, '07 / 6 Shevat 5767
(IsraelNN.com) The route of the security fence in Judea and Samaria has been changed drastically in at least two locations due to illegal Arab construction. The original route, which was determined in 2003, was changed after local Arabs built houses illegally along the proposed route. The changes caused the fence to be much longer in both areas, making it far more expensive than originally planned.One of the changes was near the Yakir junction west of Ariel; another is just north of the Gush Etzion town of Efrat. The new route of the fence will completely block the northern entrance to Efrat. The new route near Ariel will require the construction of an alternate road for Ariel residents. The new road is expected to be expensive, and will considerably lengthen the residents travel time.
Olmert Slams Katzav, Hopes For Sharon Revival and Warns Iran
By Ezra HaLevi(INN) JAN 25,07
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called upon President Moshe Katzav to resign and addressed the Iranian threat in his address before the Herziliya Conference Wednesday evening. The prime minister spoke following a panel on government corruption that referred to many specifics of the criminal allegations against him and his government. Immediately preceding his speech, however, was the televised address of President Moshe Katzav, which provided him the opportunity to play the prosecutor rather than the prosecuted.
I cannot speak tonight without referring to the events of the past day, and the Attorney General’s decision to hold a hearing for the President in light of the possibility that serious charges may be filed against him. In these circumstances, I have no doubt that the President cannot continue to fulfill his role and he should leave the President’s Residence. This is a sad day for the State of Israel, Olmert said.He went on to express his hope that Ariel Sharon would return to us.Olmert focused on Iran for the remainder of his speech, offering a run-down of diplomatic moves his government has been taking against Iran’s nuclear program. He cited his recent visit to China and took credit for the United Nations resolutions aimed against Iran.We know our efforts had much influence in this regard, he said.Those who believe, as we do, that a diplomatic solution is preferable, must exert pressure to bring about change in the near future, he said. Dragging our feet at this point…will only make harsher steps more necessary in the future. Iran is vulnerable and susceptible to international pressure in this regard despite its defiant and belligerent public declarations.Olmert urged the international community to act so Israel does not have to. At this stage, there is still time though not unlimited to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power that will threaten its adversaries, first and foremost Israel, he said. Israel is not spearheading the struggle against this threat. It must be dealt with first and foremost by the superpowers and other key countries. We are working to try to place this on the top of the agenda of world leaders.The prime minister stressed, though, that Israel would not rely on the world to protect it. The Jewish people, upon whose consciousness the scars of the Holocaust are deeply engraved cannot afford to ignore those who want to destroy us. In the past, the world remained silent and the results are known. Our role is to prevent the world from repeating this mistake, Olmert said. When the leader of a country announces, officially and publicly, his country’s intention to wipe off the map another country, and creates those tools which will allow them to realize their stated threat, no nation has the right to weigh its position on the matter. This is an obligation of the highest order, to act with all force against this plot.
In a direct message to the people of Iran, who would presumably be negatively impacted by an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear sites, Olmert recalled past Israeli-Iranian cooperation. We have nothing against the Iranian people, he said. Prior to the takeover of Iran we had impressive and warm relations under the Shah.Olmert concluded with an explicit assurance that Israel will reserve the military option should diplomacy leave Iran with nuclear weapons.
We have the right and freedom of defensive actions in defense of our interests, he said. Nobody should misconstrue our hesitation for reluctance to defend the State of Israel…There is no difference between right, left and center in this regard and the people stand united as well.
WW3 THE 3 WAVES THAT MARCH TO ISRAEL
DANIEL 11:40-45
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA 2ND WAVE OF WW3) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
The Third and Final Wave of WW3 is when all Nations march to Jerusalem, but JESUS bodily returns to earth and destroys them,sets up his KINGDOM OF RULE FOR 1000 YEARS THEN FOREVER.
MUSLIM NATIONS
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
Iran air-defense missiles obtained from Russia
By Nasser Karimi - The Associated Press JAN 25,07
TEHRAN, Iran Iranian officials said Wednesday they have taken delivery of advanced Russian air-defense missile systems weapons intended, according to one Russian news agency, to defend Iran's major nuclear facilities.Announcement of the delivery of the Tor-M1 mobile missile launchers came as Iran launched three days of military maneuvers, its first since the U.N. Security Council approved sanctions against Iran on Dec. 23.We have had constructive defense transactions with Russia, and we purchased Tor-M1 missiles that were recently delivered to us, the official Web site of Iranian state television quoted Minister of Defense Mostafa Mohammad Najjar as saying.Najjar did not say how many missiles were delivered or when they arrived. Russia previously said it would supply 29 of the mobile surface-to-air missile systems to Iran under a $700 million contract signed in December 2005, Russian media has reported.In New York, Richard Grenell, spokesman for the U.S. mission to the United Nations, called the development troublesome given that Iran is the leading state sponsor of terror in the world.
It certainly isn't an appropriate signal to be sending a government which is under U.N. sanctions for trying to develop a nuclear weapon, Grenell said.According to Russia's ITAR-Tass news agency, the weapons were expected to be used to protect major government and military installations such as the nuclear facilities at Isfahan, Bushehr, Tehran and in eastern Iran.ITAR-Tass on Tuesday quoted Sergei Chemezov, the head of the country's state-run weapons exporter, as saying that the Tor-M1 missiles had been delivered before the end of December 2006.It is not clear whether the sale was completed before the Security Council vote.
Russian officials have repeatedly said the sale would not violate any international obligations.Russia U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, current president of the Security Council, did not explicitly confirm the handover. But he said whatever deliveries may have been carried out, they had nothing to do with the U.N. sanctions on Iran over its uranium enrichment.Iran denies U.S. accusations that it is using its nuclear-power program as a cover to develop nuclear weapons. On Monday, Iran conducted missile tests and said it had barred 38 U.N. nuclear inspectors from entering the country.The Seattle Times Company
Netanyahu urges trial for Iran leader, fearing new Holocaust Thu Jan 25, 5:18 AM ET
LONDON (AFP) - Former Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu has called for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be put on trial to prevent what he warned could be a new Holocaust by a nuclear-armed Iran.
Comparing events in Iran to those of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, Netanyahu told BBC radio Thursday he was here as part of efforts to raise international support for such a trial.Both Britain's ruling Labour Party and opposition Conservative MPs are trying to drum up support here in Britain, a country that finally stood up against another hateful apocalyptic, hateful fanatic sect and ended up stopping it, he said.He added he was also trying to drum up support within the United States for a trial.Right now people have to understand that the combination of unbridled fanaticism of the militant Islamic government of Iran and its attempts to arm itself with nuclear weapons as it prepares another Holocaust, as it denies the previous Holocaust, is something unconscionable, he said.Men and women of conscience have to stop it, Netanyahu said.
One of the ways of stopping it is to bring Ahmadinejad to trial because he has expressly violated a 1948 convention against genocide which outlaws not only the action of genocide but the incitement to genocide, he said.When asked why Iran should comply with UN resolutions when Israel has flouted those concerning the Palestinians, Israel's former ambassador to the United Nations replied that the UN General Assembly resolutions are that the world is flat.These are not binding international conventions, he said.
Netanyahu left the door open for Israel to take unilateral action against Iran, but only after diplomacy and eventual economic sanctions are given a chance.I think those have to be tried before stiffer action is required, he said.Asked how long he would give for diplomacy and economic sanctions to work, he replied: The real timetable that you have to ask is when does Iran develop nuclear bombs.He cited estimates by Israel's domestic intelligence agency Mossad that Iran could develop nuclear weapons in three years.Diplomats in New York said Tuesday that the United States is circulating at the UN General Assembly a proposed resolution condemning any denial of the Holocaust as increasing the risk that such a terrible historic event could be repeated.According to several diplomats, the draft resolution, which does not name any country, was inspired by the behavior of Iran, where Ahmadinejad has publicly denied repeatedly that the Holocaust occurred.
DISEASES
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
Norovirus sickens hundreds aboard QE2
POSTED: 1206 GMT (2006 HKT), January 25, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) A highly contagious form of stomach flu sickened hundreds of passengers during a worldwide voyage on the famed Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship in what health officials called an unusually large outbreak.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 276 passengers and 28 crew members had come down with norovirus by the time the ship docked Wednesday in San Francisco, California, for a regularly scheduled stop, though only four passengers remained sick.The CDC boarded the QE2 on Friday in Acapulco, Mexico, to investigate the outbreak.Investigators determined the emergency sanitation measures put in place by the ship's crew, from disinfecting casino chips to halting self-service at the ship's buffet, were containing the outbreak.This one was a good example where they had a lot of cases but they did gain control over the spread of infection, Ames said.
The infections affected nearly 17 percent of the ship's 1,652 passengers, a particularly high percentage, said Jaret Ames, acting chief of the CDC's vessel sanitation program. By comparison, a norovirus outbreak last month aboard the world's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas, infected 338 passengers out of 3,823, or less than 9 percent.
In rare cases, the elderly and young children can die from dehydration caused by norovirus symptoms. The infection, which ranks second only to the common cold in reported cases, usually clears up in two or three days with no lasting effects.No passengers have canceled their tickets as a result of the outbreak, said Brian O'Connor, a spokesman for Cunard Line, the company that operates the QE2.The ship departed January 8 from New York on the first leg of its 106-day cruise around the world. It was to leave San Francisco for Honolulu, Hawaii, on Wednesday night.
Permissive Treason in Israel
Prof . Paul Eidelberg JAN 25,07
Article III, Section 3 of the American Constitution includes, in its definition of treason against the United States , adhering to their Enemies and giving them Aid and Comfort .
Israel ’s Penal Law on treason is more complex: it defines treason in terms of four kinds of acts:
1 . the category of acts which impair the sovereignty of the State of Israel —section 97(a);
2 . the category of acts which impair the integrity of the State of Israel —section 97(b);
3 . the category of acts under section 99 which give assistance to an enemy in war against Israel , which the Law specifically states includes a terrorist organization;
4 . the category of acts in section 100 which evince an intention or resolve to commit one of the acts prohibited by sections 97 and 99 .
The punishment prescribed in the Penal Law for the first three categories of acts of treason is death or imprisonment for life The harshness of the punishment emphasizes the seriousness with which the State of Israel originally viewed the crime of treason. This is no longer the case .Treason has become permissible in Israel .No less than six Israeli prime ministers, dozens of past and present cabinet ministers, and scores of past and present Knesset members are prima facie guilty of having violated at least section 99 of the law governing treason—by yielding, or by agreeing to yield, Jewish land to Israel’s implacable foe, the PLO-Palestinian
Authority .(I leave aside how often various Israeli governments have armed this enemy of the Jewish State since 1993 . ) Moreover, since various past and present members of the Supreme Court have adopted the mendacious ruling of the International Court of Justice that Judea, Samaria, and Gaza constitute belligerent occupied territory—territory over which no state other than Israel could claim sovereignty under international law—one can only conclude that Israel’s High Court of Justice has made treason legitimate and even respectable in the Jewish State .
To clinch my thesis, let us review the Geneva Accord or Geneva Initiative which was launched on December 1, 2003 at a ceremony in Geneva . Among its signatories were Israeli politician Yossi Beilin, one of the architects of the Oslo Accords, and former PLO-Palestinian Authority minister Yasser Abed Rabbo .This non-governmental agreement, reportedly distributed to two million Israelis, yields to Israel ’s enemy not only Gaza but almost all of Judea and Samaria .The agreement stipulates that the Temple Mount and most of the Old City of Jerusalem will come under Arab control . The Western Wall will remain Israeli, as will the Zion and Dung Gates—but the other city gates will be under Arab control . Jews will be permitted, according to the agreement, to walk freely from Jaffa Gate to the Jewish Quarter .Even the cities of Ariel and Efrat will be dismantled and evacuated, according to the agreement, as would most of the other Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria .As many as 200,000 Jews would thus be expelled from their homes .In return for this Israeli withdrawal, the Palestinians would limit their right to return! Whatever the term limit may mean, the Geneva Accord would return Israel close to the borders that existed before the 1967 war—which Abba Eban dubbed Israel’s Auschwitz lines .Although the Geneva Accord sanctions treason, it did not prevent Mr . Beilin from returning to the
Knesset—a return facilitated by Israel pernicious system of proportional representation and fixed party lists . But what is more, Israel ’s territorial withdrawal, as stipulated by the Beilin-Abed Rabbo agreement, appears to be the basis of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s realignment plan! Mr . Olmert need not worry about being indicted for treason .
Treason having become legitimate and respectable in Israel , he’s free to dispense with Jewish land as he might his own apartment . Aiding and abetting Israel’s enemy is not to be taken seriously in the Jewish State—certainly not so long as most Jews, too ignorant to realize that this State is their most dangerous enemy, lack the wherewithal to liberate themselves from bondage .
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Fri Jan 26 12:00 AM EDT
JAN 26,07
MAP 5.1 TONGA
JAN 25,07
MAP 5.0 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 2.9 MAUI REGION, HAWAII
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.9 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.4 NIAS REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 2.8 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 PUERTO RICO
MAP 3.4 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 6.0 TAIWAN REGION
MAP 4.9 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.9 HAWAII REGION, HAWAII
MAP 4.1 FIJI REGION
MAP 5.0 PAPUA, INDONESIA
MAP 3.8 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 3.6 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC REGION
MAP 3.7 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 4.0 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.8 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.0 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.0 MOLUCCA SEA
JAN 24,07
MAP 3.1 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.4 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.0 SAN JUAN URBAN AREA, PUERTO RICO
MAP 4.8 EASTERN UZBEKISTAN
MAP 3.0 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.9 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.4 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.6 NEVADA
MAP 2.8 MONA PASSAGE, PUERTO RICO
MAP 3.4 RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.8 NEVADA
MAP 2.9 NEVADA
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.2 NEVADA
MAP 4.1 NEVADA
MAP 4.9 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.1 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 3.1 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 5.5 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.9 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 3.9 RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.9 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO
Quake strikes off Taiwan's east coast Thu Jan 25, 6:21 AM ET
TAIPEI, Taiwan - A strong earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Taiwan on Thursday, rocking buildings in the capital of Taipei. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The Central Weather Bureau measured the quake at 6.2-magnitude. It put its epicenter 39 miles southeast of the city of Chengkung, or about 82 miles southeast of Taipei.Quakes frequently rattle Taiwan, but most are minor and cause little or no damage.However, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake in central Taiwan in September 1999 killed more than 2,300 people.
Last month a 6.7 offshore tremor south of the city of Kaohsiung severed two undersea cables, disrupting telephone and Internet service to millions of users throughout Asia.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Malaysian rain warning triggers fears of more floods Thu Jan 25, 12:06 AM ET
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Malaysia has issued its highest red stage rain warning for the southern state of Johor, triggering fears of a third wave of flooding after weeks of chaos caused by torrential downpours. The Meteorological Services Department said in a statement late Wednesday that moderate to heavy rain was expected to persist until Sunday in Johor, which borders Singapore, and central Pahang state.Residents in the flood zone, where tens of thousands were forced to shelter in evacuation centres during the crisis which has peaked twice since late December, said they were not bothering to do repairs yet in light of the warning.I only cleaned up the house a little because we fear the floods will come again, for the third time, 61-year-old Hassan Saadon told the official Bernama news agency.
Hassan said his family cleared up the flood damage after the first wave of floods in the closing days of 2006, only to be devastated again just two days later when bad weather returned.State Drainage and Irrigation Department chief Chong Chee Han said river levels had already beached their danger mark.We never had heavy flooding twice within a month, but that too has occurred. All we can hope for is that a third wave does not happen, he told The Star newspaper.The floods, the worst in a century, have claimed 17 lives and caused damage worth 350 million ringgit (100 million dollars) to infrastructure in the south. The private sector has reportedly estimated economic losses at 2.4 billion ringgit.
Bitter cold takes hold of the Northeast Wayne Verno, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel Thu Jan 25, 5:07 AM ET
Northeast
Gusty north winds flowing across the Great Lakes in the wake of a cold front will continue to bring very cold air and snow showers across much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern States today. The most persistent snow showers and squalls will occur just downwind of the Great Lakes, affecting areas from Cleveland and Pittsburgh, to Buffalo and Syracuse. Scattered snow showers will reach as far east as Philadelphia and New York City. Several inches will accumulate in the lake effect snow bets off Lake Erie and Ontario, where locally up to a foot could accumulate. Several inches will also be possible across the higher elevations further south as well. Afternoon highs will range from the teens and 20s west of the Appalachians, to the lower 30s across the eastern Mid-Atlantic. Gusty winds will push wind chill values into the single digits and teens, with below zero readings across northern New England. Even colder air will settle in Friday into Saturday, with morning low temperatures in the single digits to below zero, and afternoon highs only recovering into the single digits and teens in some locations. Wind chills both Friday and Saturday morning may reach 20 to 30 below zero over parts of New England.
Midwest
The cold temperatures which dominate the Upper Midwest and northern Great Lakes yesterday will begin to shift eastward today. It will remain chilly across the Upper Midwest and western Great Lakes though, with afternoon highs in the teens and 20s from Chicago and Minneapolis, to Fargo. Highs in the 30s will dominate the Midwest and Plains, from Louisville to Kansas City.
Lake effect snow showers will also persist across the northern and central Great Lakes, where several inches could accumulate along the eastern snow belts. Friday, another cold front will enter the Upper Midwest. This will bring milder temperatures to much of the Midwest and central Plains, as southerly flow kicks in ahead of the front. By Saturday, much colder air will begin to spill into the Great Lakes and Midwest, along with windy conditions and an increased chance of snow showers. Bitter cold temperatures will dominate the Great Lakes and Midwest this weekend, with afternoon highs in the single digits and teens, and morning low temperatures below zero. Wind chills will be well below zero at times.
South
A persistent flow of moisture across the Gulf of Mexico, coupled with a weather disturbance, will finally exit Texas. Drying conditions are expected today across the Lone Star State. The unsettled weather will continue to impact Florida, where scattered showers will dominate the central and southern parts of the state, but these too will be ending by the later portion of the day.
Across the remainder of the South, from Memphis to Atlanta, high pressure will build south bringing an end to the cloudy dreary conditions which have dominated the area. As this high pressure builds in, windy conditions will develop on its leading edge, from Georgia into South Carolina. Dry conditions will remain across much of the South through Friday, but a cold front will begin to approach the Mississippi Valley Saturday, bringing the chance of rain showers back into that area. Much colder temperatures will settle across all of the southern states Sunday into Monday.
West
High pressure remains in control of much of the West, resulting in generally dry conditions. As a result of this high pressure, morning fog, and even some freezing fog, will continue to be an issue across parts of the Pacific Northwest, while much of the Southwest, including southern California, experience above average temperatures. A weak weather disturbance will enter the western coast by Saturday, bringing a few scattered rain showers to parts of northern California, with snow showers further inland.
Snow showers will also increase across the interior Rockies. This area of disturbed weather will linger and drift slowly south, bringing scattered rain and snow showers so parts of the southern Rockies and Southwest into the first part of the upcoming week. Generally, the Pacific Northwest will remain dry through the weekend.
71 killed in Angolan floods as relief work under way by Manuel Muanza JAN 25,07
LUANDA (AFP) - Flash floods in Angola had by claimed 71 lives as authorities in the seaside capital Luanda clambered to shelter some 1,300 homeless families and repair damaged bridges and roads.
Other parts of southern Africa have been hit by heavy downpours, including Malawi where at least 20 villages are under water and Mozambique where torrential rains have claimed five lives and turned 3,500 homeless.
According to the last count, there have been 71 deaths, fire service spokesman Faustino Sebastiao told AFP, saying 65 of these were in Luanda and six in the southern province of Benguela.We are carrying out search operations for bodies with the help of the defence forces and police, he said.Luanda's centre had been cut off after three key downtown bridges were damaged following heavy rains on Monday. Two of them have repaired.Residents of the sprawling but rundown city of 4.5 million are struggling to cope with the rising waters.Despite Angola's oil riches, Luanda has a skeletal infrastructure which still bears the scars of a brutal 27-year civil war that ravaged the former Portuguese colony.Telephone lines have been badly hit and vast tracts of low-lying and sordid slums are under water.
The Angolan government meanwhile approved a 10 million dollar (7.7 million euro) emergency relief plan to shelter, re-home and provide other forms of assistance to citizens between now and June, a communique said.
This followed warnings by the national weather office that the torrential rains were set to continue until June, traditionally the end of the monsoon in the southern African country.Luanda's governor Job Capapinha told an emergency meeting that his three main priorities were providing emergency relief, restoring road links and ensuring proper sanitation to stem the tide of cholera, which has claimed more than 2,000 lives across the country since February last year.The cholera epidemic broke out in February last year in a sprawling Luanda slum and has been blamed on poor sanitation, an acute lack of drinking water and inadequate infrastructure.We will put people in tents or in roofed shelters. We are seeing to it that the roads are quickly cleared of water before enforcing measures to prevent cholera, governor Capapinha told a news conference late Wednesday.Antonio Miguel Germano, a police official from Cacuaco, Luanda's worst-hit quarter, added: There are still people who are missing. We are carrying out searches.In March 2005, flooding in northern Angola a former Portuguese colony which is still recovering from a 27-year civil war left over 10,000 people without shelter.
Environment Canada Weather Forecast St. John's and vicinity Issued at: 11.00 AM NST Thursday 25 January 2007
Wind warning in effect. Today..Cloudy with 70 percent chance of flurries or freezing drizzle. Wind west 30 km/h increasing to 50 gusting to 80 this afternoon. Temperature steady near minus 1. Tonight..Cloudy periods. 60 percent chance of flurries this evening. Wind southwest 40 km/h gusting to 60 becoming south 20 overnight. Low minus 3. Friday..Increasing cloudiness. Snow and blowing snow beginning in the afternoon. Amount 5 to 10 cm. Wind southeast 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming east 60 gusting to 100 late in the day. High zero. Saturday..Periods of snow. Windy. Low minus 5. High minus 3. Sunday..Flurries. Windy. Low minus 1. High zero. Monday..Cloudy with 60 percent chance of flurries. Low minus 3. High minus 1. Normals for the period..Low minus 8. High zero.
Fence Route Changed Due to Illegal Arab Construction
07:45 Jan 25, '07 / 6 Shevat 5767
(IsraelNN.com) The route of the security fence in Judea and Samaria has been changed drastically in at least two locations due to illegal Arab construction. The original route, which was determined in 2003, was changed after local Arabs built houses illegally along the proposed route. The changes caused the fence to be much longer in both areas, making it far more expensive than originally planned.One of the changes was near the Yakir junction west of Ariel; another is just north of the Gush Etzion town of Efrat. The new route of the fence will completely block the northern entrance to Efrat. The new route near Ariel will require the construction of an alternate road for Ariel residents. The new road is expected to be expensive, and will considerably lengthen the residents travel time.
Olmert Slams Katzav, Hopes For Sharon Revival and Warns Iran
By Ezra HaLevi(INN) JAN 25,07
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called upon President Moshe Katzav to resign and addressed the Iranian threat in his address before the Herziliya Conference Wednesday evening. The prime minister spoke following a panel on government corruption that referred to many specifics of the criminal allegations against him and his government. Immediately preceding his speech, however, was the televised address of President Moshe Katzav, which provided him the opportunity to play the prosecutor rather than the prosecuted.
I cannot speak tonight without referring to the events of the past day, and the Attorney General’s decision to hold a hearing for the President in light of the possibility that serious charges may be filed against him. In these circumstances, I have no doubt that the President cannot continue to fulfill his role and he should leave the President’s Residence. This is a sad day for the State of Israel, Olmert said.He went on to express his hope that Ariel Sharon would return to us.Olmert focused on Iran for the remainder of his speech, offering a run-down of diplomatic moves his government has been taking against Iran’s nuclear program. He cited his recent visit to China and took credit for the United Nations resolutions aimed against Iran.We know our efforts had much influence in this regard, he said.Those who believe, as we do, that a diplomatic solution is preferable, must exert pressure to bring about change in the near future, he said. Dragging our feet at this point…will only make harsher steps more necessary in the future. Iran is vulnerable and susceptible to international pressure in this regard despite its defiant and belligerent public declarations.Olmert urged the international community to act so Israel does not have to. At this stage, there is still time though not unlimited to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power that will threaten its adversaries, first and foremost Israel, he said. Israel is not spearheading the struggle against this threat. It must be dealt with first and foremost by the superpowers and other key countries. We are working to try to place this on the top of the agenda of world leaders.The prime minister stressed, though, that Israel would not rely on the world to protect it. The Jewish people, upon whose consciousness the scars of the Holocaust are deeply engraved cannot afford to ignore those who want to destroy us. In the past, the world remained silent and the results are known. Our role is to prevent the world from repeating this mistake, Olmert said. When the leader of a country announces, officially and publicly, his country’s intention to wipe off the map another country, and creates those tools which will allow them to realize their stated threat, no nation has the right to weigh its position on the matter. This is an obligation of the highest order, to act with all force against this plot.
In a direct message to the people of Iran, who would presumably be negatively impacted by an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear sites, Olmert recalled past Israeli-Iranian cooperation. We have nothing against the Iranian people, he said. Prior to the takeover of Iran we had impressive and warm relations under the Shah.Olmert concluded with an explicit assurance that Israel will reserve the military option should diplomacy leave Iran with nuclear weapons.
We have the right and freedom of defensive actions in defense of our interests, he said. Nobody should misconstrue our hesitation for reluctance to defend the State of Israel…There is no difference between right, left and center in this regard and the people stand united as well.
WW3 THE 3 WAVES THAT MARCH TO ISRAEL
DANIEL 11:40-45
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA 2ND WAVE OF WW3) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
The Third and Final Wave of WW3 is when all Nations march to Jerusalem, but JESUS bodily returns to earth and destroys them,sets up his KINGDOM OF RULE FOR 1000 YEARS THEN FOREVER.
MUSLIM NATIONS
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
Iran air-defense missiles obtained from Russia
By Nasser Karimi - The Associated Press JAN 25,07
TEHRAN, Iran Iranian officials said Wednesday they have taken delivery of advanced Russian air-defense missile systems weapons intended, according to one Russian news agency, to defend Iran's major nuclear facilities.Announcement of the delivery of the Tor-M1 mobile missile launchers came as Iran launched three days of military maneuvers, its first since the U.N. Security Council approved sanctions against Iran on Dec. 23.We have had constructive defense transactions with Russia, and we purchased Tor-M1 missiles that were recently delivered to us, the official Web site of Iranian state television quoted Minister of Defense Mostafa Mohammad Najjar as saying.Najjar did not say how many missiles were delivered or when they arrived. Russia previously said it would supply 29 of the mobile surface-to-air missile systems to Iran under a $700 million contract signed in December 2005, Russian media has reported.In New York, Richard Grenell, spokesman for the U.S. mission to the United Nations, called the development troublesome given that Iran is the leading state sponsor of terror in the world.
It certainly isn't an appropriate signal to be sending a government which is under U.N. sanctions for trying to develop a nuclear weapon, Grenell said.According to Russia's ITAR-Tass news agency, the weapons were expected to be used to protect major government and military installations such as the nuclear facilities at Isfahan, Bushehr, Tehran and in eastern Iran.ITAR-Tass on Tuesday quoted Sergei Chemezov, the head of the country's state-run weapons exporter, as saying that the Tor-M1 missiles had been delivered before the end of December 2006.It is not clear whether the sale was completed before the Security Council vote.
Russian officials have repeatedly said the sale would not violate any international obligations.Russia U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, current president of the Security Council, did not explicitly confirm the handover. But he said whatever deliveries may have been carried out, they had nothing to do with the U.N. sanctions on Iran over its uranium enrichment.Iran denies U.S. accusations that it is using its nuclear-power program as a cover to develop nuclear weapons. On Monday, Iran conducted missile tests and said it had barred 38 U.N. nuclear inspectors from entering the country.The Seattle Times Company
Netanyahu urges trial for Iran leader, fearing new Holocaust Thu Jan 25, 5:18 AM ET
LONDON (AFP) - Former Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu has called for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to be put on trial to prevent what he warned could be a new Holocaust by a nuclear-armed Iran.
Comparing events in Iran to those of Nazi Germany in the 1930s, Netanyahu told BBC radio Thursday he was here as part of efforts to raise international support for such a trial.Both Britain's ruling Labour Party and opposition Conservative MPs are trying to drum up support here in Britain, a country that finally stood up against another hateful apocalyptic, hateful fanatic sect and ended up stopping it, he said.He added he was also trying to drum up support within the United States for a trial.Right now people have to understand that the combination of unbridled fanaticism of the militant Islamic government of Iran and its attempts to arm itself with nuclear weapons as it prepares another Holocaust, as it denies the previous Holocaust, is something unconscionable, he said.Men and women of conscience have to stop it, Netanyahu said.
One of the ways of stopping it is to bring Ahmadinejad to trial because he has expressly violated a 1948 convention against genocide which outlaws not only the action of genocide but the incitement to genocide, he said.When asked why Iran should comply with UN resolutions when Israel has flouted those concerning the Palestinians, Israel's former ambassador to the United Nations replied that the UN General Assembly resolutions are that the world is flat.These are not binding international conventions, he said.
Netanyahu left the door open for Israel to take unilateral action against Iran, but only after diplomacy and eventual economic sanctions are given a chance.I think those have to be tried before stiffer action is required, he said.Asked how long he would give for diplomacy and economic sanctions to work, he replied: The real timetable that you have to ask is when does Iran develop nuclear bombs.He cited estimates by Israel's domestic intelligence agency Mossad that Iran could develop nuclear weapons in three years.Diplomats in New York said Tuesday that the United States is circulating at the UN General Assembly a proposed resolution condemning any denial of the Holocaust as increasing the risk that such a terrible historic event could be repeated.According to several diplomats, the draft resolution, which does not name any country, was inspired by the behavior of Iran, where Ahmadinejad has publicly denied repeatedly that the Holocaust occurred.
DISEASES
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
Norovirus sickens hundreds aboard QE2
POSTED: 1206 GMT (2006 HKT), January 25, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) A highly contagious form of stomach flu sickened hundreds of passengers during a worldwide voyage on the famed Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship in what health officials called an unusually large outbreak.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 276 passengers and 28 crew members had come down with norovirus by the time the ship docked Wednesday in San Francisco, California, for a regularly scheduled stop, though only four passengers remained sick.The CDC boarded the QE2 on Friday in Acapulco, Mexico, to investigate the outbreak.Investigators determined the emergency sanitation measures put in place by the ship's crew, from disinfecting casino chips to halting self-service at the ship's buffet, were containing the outbreak.This one was a good example where they had a lot of cases but they did gain control over the spread of infection, Ames said.
The infections affected nearly 17 percent of the ship's 1,652 passengers, a particularly high percentage, said Jaret Ames, acting chief of the CDC's vessel sanitation program. By comparison, a norovirus outbreak last month aboard the world's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas, infected 338 passengers out of 3,823, or less than 9 percent.
In rare cases, the elderly and young children can die from dehydration caused by norovirus symptoms. The infection, which ranks second only to the common cold in reported cases, usually clears up in two or three days with no lasting effects.No passengers have canceled their tickets as a result of the outbreak, said Brian O'Connor, a spokesman for Cunard Line, the company that operates the QE2.The ship departed January 8 from New York on the first leg of its 106-day cruise around the world. It was to leave San Francisco for Honolulu, Hawaii, on Wednesday night.
Permissive Treason in Israel
Prof . Paul Eidelberg JAN 25,07
Article III, Section 3 of the American Constitution includes, in its definition of treason against the United States , adhering to their Enemies and giving them Aid and Comfort .
Israel ’s Penal Law on treason is more complex: it defines treason in terms of four kinds of acts:
1 . the category of acts which impair the sovereignty of the State of Israel —section 97(a);
2 . the category of acts which impair the integrity of the State of Israel —section 97(b);
3 . the category of acts under section 99 which give assistance to an enemy in war against Israel , which the Law specifically states includes a terrorist organization;
4 . the category of acts in section 100 which evince an intention or resolve to commit one of the acts prohibited by sections 97 and 99 .
The punishment prescribed in the Penal Law for the first three categories of acts of treason is death or imprisonment for life The harshness of the punishment emphasizes the seriousness with which the State of Israel originally viewed the crime of treason. This is no longer the case .Treason has become permissible in Israel .No less than six Israeli prime ministers, dozens of past and present cabinet ministers, and scores of past and present Knesset members are prima facie guilty of having violated at least section 99 of the law governing treason—by yielding, or by agreeing to yield, Jewish land to Israel’s implacable foe, the PLO-Palestinian
Authority .(I leave aside how often various Israeli governments have armed this enemy of the Jewish State since 1993 . ) Moreover, since various past and present members of the Supreme Court have adopted the mendacious ruling of the International Court of Justice that Judea, Samaria, and Gaza constitute belligerent occupied territory—territory over which no state other than Israel could claim sovereignty under international law—one can only conclude that Israel’s High Court of Justice has made treason legitimate and even respectable in the Jewish State .
To clinch my thesis, let us review the Geneva Accord or Geneva Initiative which was launched on December 1, 2003 at a ceremony in Geneva . Among its signatories were Israeli politician Yossi Beilin, one of the architects of the Oslo Accords, and former PLO-Palestinian Authority minister Yasser Abed Rabbo .This non-governmental agreement, reportedly distributed to two million Israelis, yields to Israel ’s enemy not only Gaza but almost all of Judea and Samaria .The agreement stipulates that the Temple Mount and most of the Old City of Jerusalem will come under Arab control . The Western Wall will remain Israeli, as will the Zion and Dung Gates—but the other city gates will be under Arab control . Jews will be permitted, according to the agreement, to walk freely from Jaffa Gate to the Jewish Quarter .Even the cities of Ariel and Efrat will be dismantled and evacuated, according to the agreement, as would most of the other Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria .As many as 200,000 Jews would thus be expelled from their homes .In return for this Israeli withdrawal, the Palestinians would limit their right to return! Whatever the term limit may mean, the Geneva Accord would return Israel close to the borders that existed before the 1967 war—which Abba Eban dubbed Israel’s Auschwitz lines .Although the Geneva Accord sanctions treason, it did not prevent Mr . Beilin from returning to the
Knesset—a return facilitated by Israel pernicious system of proportional representation and fixed party lists . But what is more, Israel ’s territorial withdrawal, as stipulated by the Beilin-Abed Rabbo agreement, appears to be the basis of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s realignment plan! Mr . Olmert need not worry about being indicted for treason .
Treason having become legitimate and respectable in Israel , he’s free to dispense with Jewish land as he might his own apartment . Aiding and abetting Israel’s enemy is not to be taken seriously in the Jewish State—certainly not so long as most Jews, too ignorant to realize that this State is their most dangerous enemy, lack the wherewithal to liberate themselves from bondage .
Thursday, January 25, 2007
EU WANTS ISRAEL SECURITY ROLL
1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS.2-Quake shakes Indonesia's Sulawesi. 3-Heavy rains claim 53 lives in Angolan capital 4-Snow around the Great Lakes. 5-Heavy rains hammer northwestern B.C. 6-Schools close as storm sweeps across N.L. 7-Canada readies for Atlantic tsunami peril. 8-Drilling said caused Indonesia mud volcano. 9-Yemen's Last Jews Threatened and Banished. 10-Luxembourg calls off EU constitution conference. 11-Activists protest free trade pact at EU base in Kenya. 12-EU expecting role in Israel's security 13-Jewish Withdrawal from Judea and Samaria Back on the Table. 14-EU expecting role in Israel's security.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Thu Jan 25 12:27 AM EDT
JAN 25,07
MAP 3.1 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.0 MOLUCCA SEA
JAN 24,07
MAP 3.1 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 4.8 EASTERN UZBEKISTAN
MAP 2.9 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.4 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.6 NEVADA
MAP 3.4 RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.8 NEVADA
MAP 2.9 NEVADA
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.2 NEVADA
MAP 4.1 NEVADA
MAP 4.9 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.5 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.9 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 3.9 RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.9 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
JAN 23,07
MAP 2.9 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.1 AISEN, CHILE
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.9 VANUATU
MAP 4.1 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.8 MOUNT ST. HELENS AREA, WASHINGTON
MAP 2.7 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 5.1 PAPUA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.9 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.5 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.8 CENTRAL PERU
MAP 3.2 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.5 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING
MAP 2.8 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING
MAP 2.8 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.1 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 5.7 BANDA SEA
MAP 4.7 EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 3.6 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.0 TONGA
MAP 3.0 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Quake shakes Indonesia's Sulawesi Wed Jan 24, 5:10 AM ET
JAKARTA (AFP) An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 has shaken the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, seismologists said, but there were no immediate reports of any damage. The quake hit at 4:40 pm (0840 GMT) Wednesday and was centered about 98 kilometres (60 miles) southeast of the North Sulawesi provincial capital Manado at a depth of 33 kilometres under the seabed, the meteorology agency here said.The tremor was felt in Manado, an official at the agency said.A major 6.5-magnitude undersea earthquake rocked Sulawesi Sunday, causing panic but no serious damage.The Indonesian archipelago sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire where continental plates meet, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.There have been several quakes and aftershocks this week alone.Indonesia was the nation worst hit by the earthquake-triggered Asian tsunami in December 2004, which killed some 168,000 people in western Aceh province.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Heavy rains claim 53 lives in Angolan capital Wed Jan 24, 10:14 AM ET
LUANDA (AFP) Fifty-three people have died in Luanda, Angola's seaside capital, in torrential rains that have lashed the city for three days, a police spokesman has said. We have recorded 53 deaths until now, Divaldo Martins told AFP Wednesday, adding that more than 1,300 families were homeless.Luanda's governor Job Capapihna on Tuesday met with senior local officials in the city of some 4.5 million, whose creaking infrastructure has been further damaged by the downpours, to assess the damage.In March 2005, flooding in northern Angola a former Portuguese colony which is still recovering from a 27-year civil war that shattered most of its infrastructure left over 10,000 people without shelter.Makeshift shelters have been put up in Luanda to house those rendered homeless by the flash floods, which have also hit telephone lines.The country has been cut off from the rest of the world because the rains have destroyed the optic fibre cables. We will do our best to address the situation, said Manuel Cesar, spokesman of the state-run telephone firm Angolatelecom.
Snow around the Great Lakes Tom Moore, Sr. Meteorologist, The Weather Channel Wed Jan 24, 12:53 AM ET
A narrow band of lake-effect snow will continue overnight in Michigan's U. P. and northern lower Michigan. Heavier bands of lake-effect snow will continue east of Lakes Erie and Ontario. In the Tug Hill Plateau east of Lake Ontario, 10 to 20 inches are expected through Wednesday. Another area of snow will fall well to the south of Buffalo. Expect 6 to 12 inches in these areas, with locally higher amounts. Elsewhere, look for periods of rain around coastal areas of Texas and Louisiana. A plunge of polar air will sweep across the Northeast on Wednesday night and Thursday so get ready for the coldest air of the season.
Heavy rains hammer northwestern B.C.
Last Updated: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 | 2:26 PM PT CBC News
Heavy rain has flooded neighbourhoods in the Terrace area of northwestern B.C. and shut down highways across the region.Terrace fire Chief Pete Weeber said that because of the frozen ground, the water can't be absorbed, so it's flowing freely down some streets.He said a number of streets that are covered with several feet of water have been blocked off, and the water has also caused a mudslide in the eastern part of the city.Weeber also said volunteers have been busy filling sandbags, and that there have not been any widespread evacuations.Most of Highway 16 from Prince Rupert to Terrace has been closed because of avalanche danger and massive pools of water.Highway 37 from Terrace to Kitimat is open, but crews report water ponding at Furlong Bay. There is also water ponding at Morrison Creek near Kitimaat Village.Officials say they expect this rain to taper off, with sunshine in the forecast for the next few days.
Schools close as storm sweeps across N.L.
Highways hit by slippery conditions, poor visibility
Wednesday, January 24, 2007 | 6:39 PM NT CBC News
A winter storm ripped into much of Newfoundland and Labrador on Wednesday, with a treacherous combination of snow, high winds and ice pellets hitting many communities.The blizzard was powerful enough to close scores of schools, government offices, businesses and community groups.Blizzard or heavy snowfall warnings were in effect for almost all of Newfoundland and along Labrador's coast. (CBC) The storm tapered off along the eastern coast of Newfoundland by late afternoon, but was still raging in other areas.Snowfall and other warnings remained in effect Wednesday evening for southern, central and northern Newfoundland, as well as for all of Labrador's coast.The storm made for difficult driving on highways, with slippery conditions coupled with poor visibility.The provincial Department of Transportation urged motorists to stay off the Burgeo Highway. A part of the Trans-Canada
Highway was temporarily closed after a truck went off the road.
While crews began dealing with cleaning up the snowfall as much as 25 centimetres fell within a few hours residents were bracing for more snow, forecast for Thursday.A blizzard warning remained in effect for parts of Newfoundland's northeast coast, which received some of the toughest weather.The Bonavista Peninsula and other areas were expected to be hit by northeasterly gusts as strong as 110 kilometres per hour.It's going to be a pretty messy day, said Wanda Rideout, a meteorologist at Environment Canada's Gander office, on Wednesday morning.Schools in St. John's and in many other communities closed for the day, as did Memorial University's St. John's campus.Also closed were banks, most government offices, community centres and many businesses.The storm caused numerous cancellations and delays at St. John's International Airport.
Canada readies for Atlantic tsunami peril Tue Jan 23, 3:13 PM ET
OTTAWA (AFP) Canada has activated an Atlantic tsunami warning system to better prevent deaths or destruction from massive waves and frequent storm surges, the government said.
The devastating tsunami in southeast Asia heightened concerns about tsunami warnings in coastal areas around the world, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said in a statement.Today, I'm pleased to announce that we are taking action to strengthen our security by activating a warning system for tsunamis along Canada's east coast.More than 70 percent of tsunamis actually occur in the Pacific Ocean, produced by sea earthquakes or undersea volcanic eruptions.But the most devastating wave to hit Canada smashed its eastern seaboard, killing 29 people and damaging some 50 coastal towns in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia provinces in 1929.The new alert system would eventually become part of an international structure for issuing Atlantic tsunami warnings, operated in collaboration with the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and similar to the one existing for the Pacific Ocean, the government said.In December 2004, more than 220,000 people were killed, most of them struck without warning, as a massive tsunami battered Indian Ocean coasts.The tragedy led to worldwide calls for a more effective tsunami response system including both the technology to predict the disasters and the means to get the message out.
EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Drilling said caused Indonesia mud volcano By ANTHONY DEUTSCH,
Associated Press Writer Wed Jan 24, 3:22 AM ET
JAKARTA, Indonesia A mud volcano that inundated dozens of villages was probably triggered by commercial gas drilling, research published in a respected scientific journal shows, contradicting an Indonesian government minister who insists it was a natural disaster.
It is very likely that the mud flow on the island of Java, which has spewed a million barrels of mud a day for eight months, is manmade, four researchers say in the February issue of the Geological Society of America's GSA Today.Welfare Minister Aburizal Bakrie whose family controls the PT Lapindo Brantas drilling company at the center of the scandal has repeatedly claimed the geyser was sparked by a May 27 earthquake and that his company bears no financial liability.But the British-based scientists believe drilling at a depth of more than one mile ruptured a highly pressurized pocket of hot gas and water which created fissures in a bed of porous limestone.Once initiated, the fractures would have propagated to the surface, driven by the deep pressure, the report stated. It would be highly coincidental for an earthquake-induced fracture to form 200 meters away from this well and provide the entire fracture network required for an eruption on the earth's surface.Since May, around 163,000 cubic yards of sediment equal to about 50 Olympic swimming pools has gushed from the site. Around 11,000 people have been forced from their homes while four villages, and 25 factories have been consumed by a 30-foot layer of smelly gunk.In November, a natural gas pipeline cracked under the weight of a dam built to channel the mud to the sea, triggering a powerful explosion that killed 13 people and injured a dozen others. It took emergency workers several days to find the bodies in the sludge.The government has said it will seek an initial $420 million in damages from Lapindo, including $276 million paid to the victims, by March 2007.
Yemen's Last Jews Threatened and Banished
By Hillel Fendel (INN) JAN 23,07
Jews in Yemen have been abruptly targeted by a local sheikh, told they were moral destroyers, and ordered to leave or else and some have. Jewish sages have been killed, one woman reports. Only some 50 Jewish families remain in virulently anti-Israel Yemen, but after years of being largely ignored by the local population and authorities, they have now been targeted by Moslem extremists. Some of the families, in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, were confronted by masked men who told them that if they do not leave within ten days, things will be bad for you. Other Jews were told that the Moslems don't want to see even one Jew left in the region.
Reports of Killings
In a phone call engineered by Voice of Israel Radio on Monday, a Jewish woman living in Yemen said that the Moslems have already killed the wise men.
No confirmation of this has been received from other quarters though news from Yemen does not flow freely.The stated explanation for the Moslem anti-Semitism, according to a letter circulated by local Sheikh Yahya Sad Al Khudhair, is that the Jews are associated with groups and activities that primarily serve global Zionism that works actively to corrupt the people and cause them to abandon their ethical values and religion and disseminate all types of abominations... Our religion has ordered us to fight the corrupt people and expel them. In the Voice of Israel phone call, Masoud - a Yemenite Jew who moved to Israel six years ago and now lives in Be'er Sheva - spoke with a woman relative in Yemen. The conversation was held in Hebrew-spiced Arabic. Kif halak? Masoud asked in Arabic, meaning, How are you?, and the response came in Hebrew, Baurich Hashem, Blessed be G-d.The woman told Masoud, On Friday [11 days ago], they received letters saying that whoever doesn't leave will get killed or have his children taken away or I don't know what... Now they saw these [threatening] letters and are scared; what can they do? They took everything they had, with the children, and left, and now they're in a hotel. Some 45 Jews are now
reportedly in the Paris Tower Hotel in Saana.Asked why the remaining Jews do not come to Israel, Masoud said simply that they are currently not interested in that option.Earlier last week, according to the Yemen Observer, local authorities and tribal sheikhs held meetings to discuss the complaints from the Yemeni Jews but they resulted only in oral reassurances for the Jews, who were told to ignore the threats and go back to their villages. Yes, they received threats, the area's DeputyGovernor said Monday about the Jews, and they are now here in the hotel, but I can assure you that the problem will be solved today, and the Jews will return to their villages.
Yemenite Jews Converted to Islam
Dr. Moshe Nachum, of the Israeli Federation of Yemenite Jews, accuses modern Israel of having led indirectly to many thousands of Jewish converts to Islam. He told Arutz-7 that 56,000 Jews - roughly 2/3 of the Jewish population in Yemen - were brought over to Israel during Operation Magic Carpet (also known as Operation Eagles' Wings) in 1949-50, following murderous Muslim riots. A trickle of migration was allowed to continue until 1954, at which point it stopped. In 1962, another 2,300 Jews were allowed to immigrate, but many families were then left split between Israel and Yemen. I went to Yemen in 1977, Nachum said, at which time I learned that there were between 25,000 and 28,000 Jews there. No one was allowed to leave until 1993, at which time a trickle began, leading to a total of 900 or 1,000 Jews coming to Israel. A few hundred now remain there.A-7: What happened to the 25-28,000 Jews you said were there in 1977 and before?
Dr. Nachum: Very simple they converted to Islam. Because of uncaring behavior on the part of the officials here in Israel, we lost thousands of Jews... I started to actively lobby to have Israel bring the remaining Yemenite Jews to Israel, but in response, the officials released statements that there were no Jews left in Yemen.Dr. Nachum also blames the Satmarer Hassidim for trying to bring Yemenite Jews to New York or to Europe or even to return to Yemen - anywhere but Israel.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
Luxembourg calls off EU constitution conference
23.01.2007 - 09:26 CET | By Mark Beunderman
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS Luxembourg has called off a planned February meeting on the EU constitution in order to avoid the impression of working against the German EU presidency, while this week's friends of the constitution meeting in Madrid continues to stir controversy. The Luxembourg conference, scheduled for 27 February, was meant as a follow-up to a gathering of 18 EU states supporting the constitutional treaty which will take place as planned this Friday (26 January) in Madrid.
Spain and Luxembourg the only two countries which approved the charter by referendum took the intitiative for both meetings, but have now decided to ditch the second conference in Luxembourg in order not to interfere with the German EU presidency's efforts to revive the constitution, Luxembourg's foreign minister Jean Asselborn told EUobserver. The initial idea was that we hold a meeting in Madrid, and then a later meeting in Luxembourg. We have said now about the meeting in Luxembourg: we are not doing this for the moment, Mr Asselborn said after meeting EU counterparts in Brussels on Monday (22 January). It emerged that maybe we give the impression of disregarding the presidency. Of course we want to help the presidency, he stated. From the start this was cleared with the Germans, that we wouldn't work against the presidency. But it could be interpreted as such, he said.
French-Dutch unease
Although Germany has publicly welcomed the first friends of the constitution meeting in Madrid this week, EU diplomats say Berlin was unhappy particularly with the second meeting in February, which was scheduled just before the signing of a major declaration on the EU's 50th birthday in March. The second meeting, which would bring the pro-constitution camp and the constitution sceptics together, would also encroach on what Germany sees as the prime task of its presidency - to bridge the divide between the two camps and seek a new consensus on an EU treaty.Meanwhile, Mr Asselborn said that the meeting had also been cancelled because of resistance by France and the Netherlands, which would be forced at the Luxembourg conference to define their exact position on the constitution at an early stage.We don't want to bring France, the Netherlands and others in a difficult position.
Luxembourg and Spain do not want to force anyone to take part, he said, with France's presidential elections planned for May and the Netherlands being engaged in a cabinet formation which could take until March. Dutch foreign minister Bernard Bot told reporters that especially after the French and Dutch reactions, they have given it some re-consideration.
All invited to watch
Meanwhile, Mr Bot had in a Benelux chat with Mr Asselborn on Monday morning expressed his worry that Friday's restricted meeting could look like a ganging up of pro-constitution states.
But Mr Asselborn said I have repeated with [Spanish foreign minister] Moratinos that this initiative of the Spanish and the Luxembourgers is directed against nobody, neither against the French and the Dutch nor against anyone else.In order to counter any fears of secrecy, Spain and Luxembourg have now decided that all EU capitals, including Paris and The Hague, are free to send observers to the meeting. The official invitation has been sent to the 18 [states who have ratified the constitution]. If the others want to participate under an observer statute, we have said: everyone who wants to come, can come,according to Mr Asselborn.
We will not negotiate
The Luxembourg politician added that the 18 ratifiers will not take an official position after the meeting, which will take place at the level of EU affairs ministers. In Madrid, we will not negotiate. Those who are there, do not have a mandate of their governments, he said, but added that the 18 will produce some kind of paper.Ireland and Portugal, which have not ratified the treaty but strongly
support it, will send observers to the meeting. Germany as EU chair also chose to be represented as an observer only - sending its ambassador in Madrid to take notes of the meeting. The Netherlands appears to have politely declined the invitation to also send an observer, with Mr Bot saying that we will not go to Madrid.
Activists protest free trade pact at EU base in Kenya Wed Jan 24, 10:02 AM ET
NAIROBI (AFP) Some 2,000 anti-globalisation activists were marching in Kenya's capital Nairobi to protest against a plan to liberalise trade between developing nations and the European Union. The marchers said implementation of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the EU and a group of African, Caribbean and Pacific nations, due to come into force in 2008, should be delayed for several years.Fight poverty, stop the EPAs. We do not need euros, chanted the protesters marching from Nairobi's Uhuru (Independence) Park to the EU offices where they unsuccessfully sought an audience with the heads of mission.The protests were held during the ongoing World Social Forum, a gathering of thousands of anti-globalisation activisits which wraps up on Thursday.We are demanding a moratorium of several years on the signing of the EPAs to enable ACP countries, particularly African nations emerging from conflicts, to revamp their agriculture, said Ousainou Ngum, an activist.Ngum said African governments were willing to sign the EPAs without being worried that their markets will be flooded by goods from the more developed European countries whose agricultural sector benefits from subsidies.At a meeting between representatives of the the two blocs in Khartoum last month, the ACP regretted the lack of progress with the EPAs.
Radio tags track wasp behaviour JAN 24,07
The researchers looked at a species of paper wasp
Wasps fitted with minuscule radio tags have helped scientists shed light on the insects' behaviour. Rather than just tending their home colonies, the worker wasps also buzzed into nearby relative-holding nests, helping raise the young, the team said. The researchers believed the insects were boosting their chances of propagating their genes by nurturing relatives in multiple nests.
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) study is published in Current Biology. Nest drifting, which is where individual insects move between different nests, has been described in a few different species of social insects, but it has always been a puzzle as to why they have done this, explained lead author Seirian Sumner of ZSL. It has also been very difficult to quantify the standard way is to mark the wasps with paint and then carry out nest censuses so we developed a new method.To track the wasps, the team fitted the insects with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and placed sensors at the entrance of each nest to record their movements, in real time, in and out of the nests. Dr Sumner said she got the idea from the Oyster card touch in, touch out system used on the London Underground.
Passing genes
The researchers, working in the tropics of Panama, looked at an extended colony of 33 nests belonging to a species of paper wasp called Polistes canadensis. In each nest, they tagged every female worker (those in the colony responsible for nest maintenance, food gathering and care of the brood), fitting a total of 422 with the RFID tags. A staggering number, 56% of the population, were drifting from nest to nest, Dr Sumner told the BBC News website, many more than previous studies had estimated. After further observations, the ZSL team ruled out that the wasps were lost, confused by their tags or trying to lay eggs in their neighbours' nests in a bout of social parasitism. Instead, it found the wasps were helping to raise their relatives' young. Worker wasps do not reproduce themselves, but by raising relatives who share their genes they can pass on genes indirectly, explained Dr Sumner.
And these workers are gaining indirect fitness benefit by helping to raise relatives on lots of different nests rather just than their home nests.This would be particularly crucial with wasps that face a high likelihood of getting their nests destroyed, such as the P. canadensis, she said. If you have just put all of your efforts into one nest and then that nest gets eaten, then all of this effort is lost
and you haven't helped to pass on your genes, Dr Sumner said. The researchers expect to find similar behaviour in other insect species.
Jewish Withdrawal from Judea and Samaria Back on the Table
By Hana Levi Julian (INN) JAN 24,07
The government has agreed in principle to withdraw from most of Judea and Samaria (Yesha), in secret talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. So reports WorldNetDaily.
Egypt and the European Union (EU) have been mediating the negotiations, according to the World Net Daily (WND) news website. WND quoted high-level Egyptian diplomatic and intelligence officials, and an aide to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, as saying they have been directly involved in the talks.Negotiations have been quietly proceeding apace for the past two or three weeks, according to sources quoted by WND reporter Aaron Klein, after PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas suggested to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert late last month that the two men switch to back channel talks in order to avoid media coverage.According to Egyptian and EU sources, one of the plans currently under consideration involves handing over control of central and southern Yesha to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s security forces. In northern Yesha, the transfer of responsibility to Abbas’ security forces over the area would bemonitored by Jordan and EU observers.No word about the fate, under this plan, of the many tens of thousands of Jews living in these areas has been received.
Hamas’s role in the plan remains unclear. The terrorist organization has repeatedly vowed never to formally recognize the State of Israel, renounce terrorism or uphold agreements with Israel signed by the previous, Fatah-led, PA government. That stance is not accepted by the international community.Talks toward a unity coalition between PA Prime Minister and Hamas chairman Ismail Haniyeh and Mahmoud Abbas, who heads the Fatah faction, are all but dead, leaving Hamas in control of the PA. The streets of Gaza have become a battlefield as Hamas and Fatah struggle for control of the PA government, with bloody clashes that have resulted in the deaths of both terrorists and innocent PA residents alike in what has become a militia war.The situation may intensify further and eventually lead to escalated attacks against the Jewish State as well, in the wake of an announcement by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last week that the Bush administration has agreed to finance, arm and train Abbas’ security force.
The force will reportedly include the Fatah-controlled Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, one of the most vicious groups engaged in the terrorist war against Israel. Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades has shared responsibility with the Islamic Jihad terror group for the suicide bombings in Israel over the past two years.Rice said during her visit to the region last week that the U.S. will send Abbas $86.4 million to beef up his personal security guard, Force 17, which also polices PA areas in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. The Bush administration is hoping to strengthen Fatah which it perceives as a moderate group in its bid to wrest control of the PA government from Hamas.The last time the U.S. transferred arms to Fatah in order to strengthen its ability to police the PA, the weapons were ultimately pointed at Israel by a myriad of terrorist factions. When asked about that experience, Rice claimed that this time would be different.It was envisioned [then] that the Palestinian Authority would have security forces, she said. The problem is those security forces broke into essentially personal militias under [former PLO chairman Yasser] Arafat. They broke into too many that were often warring with each other.The current plan, she added, would be carried out in a way that would move over time, with the idea being that the U.S. would maintain control over what is being done with the weapons.
This plan is not just to equip [Abbas’ security forces] and train them, [but] it is also to professionalize them, to unify them [and] to put them under a single command, she said.
Now these newly-armed forces, trained and professionalized by the U.S. government would be given control over most of Judea and Samaria, placing them within rocket fire range of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Ben Gurion International Airport. They would also be within range of Arad in the Negev, and other cities and smaller communities located near the pre-1967 borders.Diplomatic sources said talks are moving rapidly as the PA wrestles with Israel over the precise location of the new borders. Solana’s aide told WND that diplomats are expected to see a historic political evolution and movement in negotiations in the next few weeks and few months, unseen since the Camp David peace talks in 2000.In 2000, then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered to give Arafat an official PA state in Judea, Samaria, Gaza and eastern neighborhoods in Jerusalem. Arafat turned down the offer, insisting the entire Israeli capital be transferred to the PA.
EU expecting role in Israel's security
Top diplomatic sources say secret talks held on handing West Bank to Abbas
January 24, 2007 1:00 a.m. Eastern - By Aaron Klein - 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
JERUSALEM The European Union is in the process of expanding its offices in Israel, including in the Palestinian areas, in anticipation of an increased security role here following what European diplomatic officials say is new momentum regarding an
Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank.The West Bank borders Jerusalem and is within rocket-firing range of Tel Aviv and Israel's international airport. EU sources in Israel tell WND their offices here are taking on new staffers to deal with matters of security, public relations, diplomacy and regional coordination. They say they expect an increased work load due to behind-the-scenes diplomatic initiatives they state may result in an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank. The sources said the EU would coordinate handing over security control of key West Bank areas to the Palestinians According to an aide to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, speaking on condition of anonymity, there will be a historic political evolution and movement in negotiations in the next few weeks and few months, unseen since the Camp David peace talks in 2000. During the Camp David talks, then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered then-Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and eastern sections of Jerusalem.
Earlier this week a WND report quoted top Egyptian and European diplomatic sources stating Israel and the Palestinians have been conducting behind-the-scenes negotiations regarding handing over most of the West Bank to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The diplomatic sources said they were directly involved in negotiations mediated by Egypt and the EU, with U.S. input. The sources said major changes in Israeli-Palestinian affairs are expected within a few weeks to two months. According to the diplomatic sources, Israel agreed in principal to hand over most of the West Bank in a deal with Abbas. The sources said Israel is studying the transfer of responsibility in the central and southern West Bank to Abbas' security forces, which reportedly are receiving aid, weapons and training from the U.S. They said one proposal being considered for the northern West Bank would see Jordan and the EU supervise the transfer to Abbas' security forces. Still being debated is the role of Hamas, which leads the PA and maintains the majority of seats in the Palestinian parliament. Negotiations between Abbas and Hamas leaders for a national unity government have mostly fallen through. On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz said he viewed any Palestinian elements recognizing the state of Israel as a partner for negotiations even if it is Hamas.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has made similar comments.
So far, Hamas has refused to recognize Israel but recently offered a 10-year truce with the Jewish state.
In a series of interviews this past weekend, Hamas leaders told WND during any 10-year truce period they would build a large Palestinian army and plan for the destruction of Israel. Olmert's office yesterday denied the WND report of secret negotiations for a West Bank withdrawal. There were no negotiations regarding a West Bank withdrawal. This would go contrary to other things we have said in the recent past, said Olmert's spokesperson, Miri Eisin. Perhaps the officials talking to WorldNetDaily were referring to general expectations for movement in the Israeli-Palestinian arena, Eisin said. But the European and Egyptian sources yesterday stood by their statements that Israel agreed in principal to transfer West Bank security control to Abbas. Israeli leaders previously have denied reports of pending withdrawals only to later carry them out. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, elected in 2001 on a platform against unilateral withdrawal, at first denied media reports Israel was planning to evacuate the Gaza Strip but later announced his Gaza withdrawal plan. Olmert was elected prime minister on the platform of carrying out a withdrawal from the West Bank, but after this summer's Lebanon war, he has stated a West Bank withdrawal would not occur.
Olmert in August called the policy of unilateral withdrawal a failure and said it was no longer relevant. But he can argue handing the West Bank to Abbas in an agreement is not unilateral. Contradicting Olmert, Israeli Interior Minister Roni Bar-On of Olmert's Kadima party said this summer, The withdrawal plan is not dead, though its implementation has been postponed. The plan is now on the shelf or in the freezer, but when the time comes it will be accessed. Several recent public opinion polls showed the majority of Israelis now oppose a West Bank withdrawal. The leaders of Egypt and Jordan have expressed reservations about withdrawal plans, fearing terrorism can spill over into their respective countries. Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000. It had occupied a small section of Lebanon's border with Israel following repeated attacks by Palestinian terrorists in the area. Since the withdrawal, Hezbollah has staged numerous attacks against Israel, including rocket bombardments of civilian population centers, raids against military outposts and ambushes and kidnappings of Israeli troops. Hezbollah built an arsenal in south Lebanon of more than 13,000 short- and medium-range rockets capable of hitting central sections of the Jewish state Israel withdrew last August from the Gaza Strip. Since then, rockets have been fired almost daily into nearby Jewish communities, Hamas has been elected to power and both Israeli and Palestinian officials have stated al-Qaida has infiltrated the territory. Israel says the Palestinians have smuggled hundreds of tons of heavy weaponry into Gaza and are preparing for a large-scale confrontation. Israel in June mounted a major ground invasion of Gaza after Hamas carried out a raid against a military installation in which Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was abducted.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Thu Jan 25 12:27 AM EDT
JAN 25,07
MAP 3.1 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.0 MOLUCCA SEA
JAN 24,07
MAP 3.1 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 4.8 EASTERN UZBEKISTAN
MAP 2.9 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.4 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.6 NEVADA
MAP 3.4 RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.8 NEVADA
MAP 2.9 NEVADA
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.2 NEVADA
MAP 4.1 NEVADA
MAP 4.9 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.5 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.9 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 3.9 RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.9 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
JAN 23,07
MAP 2.9 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.1 AISEN, CHILE
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.9 VANUATU
MAP 4.1 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.8 MOUNT ST. HELENS AREA, WASHINGTON
MAP 2.7 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 5.1 PAPUA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.4 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.9 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.5 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.8 CENTRAL PERU
MAP 3.2 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.5 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING
MAP 2.8 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING
MAP 2.8 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.1 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 5.7 BANDA SEA
MAP 4.7 EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 3.6 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.0 TONGA
MAP 3.0 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Quake shakes Indonesia's Sulawesi Wed Jan 24, 5:10 AM ET
JAKARTA (AFP) An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 has shaken the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, seismologists said, but there were no immediate reports of any damage. The quake hit at 4:40 pm (0840 GMT) Wednesday and was centered about 98 kilometres (60 miles) southeast of the North Sulawesi provincial capital Manado at a depth of 33 kilometres under the seabed, the meteorology agency here said.The tremor was felt in Manado, an official at the agency said.A major 6.5-magnitude undersea earthquake rocked Sulawesi Sunday, causing panic but no serious damage.The Indonesian archipelago sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire where continental plates meet, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.There have been several quakes and aftershocks this week alone.Indonesia was the nation worst hit by the earthquake-triggered Asian tsunami in December 2004, which killed some 168,000 people in western Aceh province.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Heavy rains claim 53 lives in Angolan capital Wed Jan 24, 10:14 AM ET
LUANDA (AFP) Fifty-three people have died in Luanda, Angola's seaside capital, in torrential rains that have lashed the city for three days, a police spokesman has said. We have recorded 53 deaths until now, Divaldo Martins told AFP Wednesday, adding that more than 1,300 families were homeless.Luanda's governor Job Capapihna on Tuesday met with senior local officials in the city of some 4.5 million, whose creaking infrastructure has been further damaged by the downpours, to assess the damage.In March 2005, flooding in northern Angola a former Portuguese colony which is still recovering from a 27-year civil war that shattered most of its infrastructure left over 10,000 people without shelter.Makeshift shelters have been put up in Luanda to house those rendered homeless by the flash floods, which have also hit telephone lines.The country has been cut off from the rest of the world because the rains have destroyed the optic fibre cables. We will do our best to address the situation, said Manuel Cesar, spokesman of the state-run telephone firm Angolatelecom.
Snow around the Great Lakes Tom Moore, Sr. Meteorologist, The Weather Channel Wed Jan 24, 12:53 AM ET
A narrow band of lake-effect snow will continue overnight in Michigan's U. P. and northern lower Michigan. Heavier bands of lake-effect snow will continue east of Lakes Erie and Ontario. In the Tug Hill Plateau east of Lake Ontario, 10 to 20 inches are expected through Wednesday. Another area of snow will fall well to the south of Buffalo. Expect 6 to 12 inches in these areas, with locally higher amounts. Elsewhere, look for periods of rain around coastal areas of Texas and Louisiana. A plunge of polar air will sweep across the Northeast on Wednesday night and Thursday so get ready for the coldest air of the season.
Heavy rains hammer northwestern B.C.
Last Updated: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 | 2:26 PM PT CBC News
Heavy rain has flooded neighbourhoods in the Terrace area of northwestern B.C. and shut down highways across the region.Terrace fire Chief Pete Weeber said that because of the frozen ground, the water can't be absorbed, so it's flowing freely down some streets.He said a number of streets that are covered with several feet of water have been blocked off, and the water has also caused a mudslide in the eastern part of the city.Weeber also said volunteers have been busy filling sandbags, and that there have not been any widespread evacuations.Most of Highway 16 from Prince Rupert to Terrace has been closed because of avalanche danger and massive pools of water.Highway 37 from Terrace to Kitimat is open, but crews report water ponding at Furlong Bay. There is also water ponding at Morrison Creek near Kitimaat Village.Officials say they expect this rain to taper off, with sunshine in the forecast for the next few days.
Schools close as storm sweeps across N.L.
Highways hit by slippery conditions, poor visibility
Wednesday, January 24, 2007 | 6:39 PM NT CBC News
A winter storm ripped into much of Newfoundland and Labrador on Wednesday, with a treacherous combination of snow, high winds and ice pellets hitting many communities.The blizzard was powerful enough to close scores of schools, government offices, businesses and community groups.Blizzard or heavy snowfall warnings were in effect for almost all of Newfoundland and along Labrador's coast. (CBC) The storm tapered off along the eastern coast of Newfoundland by late afternoon, but was still raging in other areas.Snowfall and other warnings remained in effect Wednesday evening for southern, central and northern Newfoundland, as well as for all of Labrador's coast.The storm made for difficult driving on highways, with slippery conditions coupled with poor visibility.The provincial Department of Transportation urged motorists to stay off the Burgeo Highway. A part of the Trans-Canada
Highway was temporarily closed after a truck went off the road.
While crews began dealing with cleaning up the snowfall as much as 25 centimetres fell within a few hours residents were bracing for more snow, forecast for Thursday.A blizzard warning remained in effect for parts of Newfoundland's northeast coast, which received some of the toughest weather.The Bonavista Peninsula and other areas were expected to be hit by northeasterly gusts as strong as 110 kilometres per hour.It's going to be a pretty messy day, said Wanda Rideout, a meteorologist at Environment Canada's Gander office, on Wednesday morning.Schools in St. John's and in many other communities closed for the day, as did Memorial University's St. John's campus.Also closed were banks, most government offices, community centres and many businesses.The storm caused numerous cancellations and delays at St. John's International Airport.
Canada readies for Atlantic tsunami peril Tue Jan 23, 3:13 PM ET
OTTAWA (AFP) Canada has activated an Atlantic tsunami warning system to better prevent deaths or destruction from massive waves and frequent storm surges, the government said.
The devastating tsunami in southeast Asia heightened concerns about tsunami warnings in coastal areas around the world, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said in a statement.Today, I'm pleased to announce that we are taking action to strengthen our security by activating a warning system for tsunamis along Canada's east coast.More than 70 percent of tsunamis actually occur in the Pacific Ocean, produced by sea earthquakes or undersea volcanic eruptions.But the most devastating wave to hit Canada smashed its eastern seaboard, killing 29 people and damaging some 50 coastal towns in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia provinces in 1929.The new alert system would eventually become part of an international structure for issuing Atlantic tsunami warnings, operated in collaboration with the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and similar to the one existing for the Pacific Ocean, the government said.In December 2004, more than 220,000 people were killed, most of them struck without warning, as a massive tsunami battered Indian Ocean coasts.The tragedy led to worldwide calls for a more effective tsunami response system including both the technology to predict the disasters and the means to get the message out.
EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Drilling said caused Indonesia mud volcano By ANTHONY DEUTSCH,
Associated Press Writer Wed Jan 24, 3:22 AM ET
JAKARTA, Indonesia A mud volcano that inundated dozens of villages was probably triggered by commercial gas drilling, research published in a respected scientific journal shows, contradicting an Indonesian government minister who insists it was a natural disaster.
It is very likely that the mud flow on the island of Java, which has spewed a million barrels of mud a day for eight months, is manmade, four researchers say in the February issue of the Geological Society of America's GSA Today.Welfare Minister Aburizal Bakrie whose family controls the PT Lapindo Brantas drilling company at the center of the scandal has repeatedly claimed the geyser was sparked by a May 27 earthquake and that his company bears no financial liability.But the British-based scientists believe drilling at a depth of more than one mile ruptured a highly pressurized pocket of hot gas and water which created fissures in a bed of porous limestone.Once initiated, the fractures would have propagated to the surface, driven by the deep pressure, the report stated. It would be highly coincidental for an earthquake-induced fracture to form 200 meters away from this well and provide the entire fracture network required for an eruption on the earth's surface.Since May, around 163,000 cubic yards of sediment equal to about 50 Olympic swimming pools has gushed from the site. Around 11,000 people have been forced from their homes while four villages, and 25 factories have been consumed by a 30-foot layer of smelly gunk.In November, a natural gas pipeline cracked under the weight of a dam built to channel the mud to the sea, triggering a powerful explosion that killed 13 people and injured a dozen others. It took emergency workers several days to find the bodies in the sludge.The government has said it will seek an initial $420 million in damages from Lapindo, including $276 million paid to the victims, by March 2007.
Yemen's Last Jews Threatened and Banished
By Hillel Fendel (INN) JAN 23,07
Jews in Yemen have been abruptly targeted by a local sheikh, told they were moral destroyers, and ordered to leave or else and some have. Jewish sages have been killed, one woman reports. Only some 50 Jewish families remain in virulently anti-Israel Yemen, but after years of being largely ignored by the local population and authorities, they have now been targeted by Moslem extremists. Some of the families, in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, were confronted by masked men who told them that if they do not leave within ten days, things will be bad for you. Other Jews were told that the Moslems don't want to see even one Jew left in the region.
Reports of Killings
In a phone call engineered by Voice of Israel Radio on Monday, a Jewish woman living in Yemen said that the Moslems have already killed the wise men.
No confirmation of this has been received from other quarters though news from Yemen does not flow freely.The stated explanation for the Moslem anti-Semitism, according to a letter circulated by local Sheikh Yahya Sad Al Khudhair, is that the Jews are associated with groups and activities that primarily serve global Zionism that works actively to corrupt the people and cause them to abandon their ethical values and religion and disseminate all types of abominations... Our religion has ordered us to fight the corrupt people and expel them. In the Voice of Israel phone call, Masoud - a Yemenite Jew who moved to Israel six years ago and now lives in Be'er Sheva - spoke with a woman relative in Yemen. The conversation was held in Hebrew-spiced Arabic. Kif halak? Masoud asked in Arabic, meaning, How are you?, and the response came in Hebrew, Baurich Hashem, Blessed be G-d.The woman told Masoud, On Friday [11 days ago], they received letters saying that whoever doesn't leave will get killed or have his children taken away or I don't know what... Now they saw these [threatening] letters and are scared; what can they do? They took everything they had, with the children, and left, and now they're in a hotel. Some 45 Jews are now
reportedly in the Paris Tower Hotel in Saana.Asked why the remaining Jews do not come to Israel, Masoud said simply that they are currently not interested in that option.Earlier last week, according to the Yemen Observer, local authorities and tribal sheikhs held meetings to discuss the complaints from the Yemeni Jews but they resulted only in oral reassurances for the Jews, who were told to ignore the threats and go back to their villages. Yes, they received threats, the area's DeputyGovernor said Monday about the Jews, and they are now here in the hotel, but I can assure you that the problem will be solved today, and the Jews will return to their villages.
Yemenite Jews Converted to Islam
Dr. Moshe Nachum, of the Israeli Federation of Yemenite Jews, accuses modern Israel of having led indirectly to many thousands of Jewish converts to Islam. He told Arutz-7 that 56,000 Jews - roughly 2/3 of the Jewish population in Yemen - were brought over to Israel during Operation Magic Carpet (also known as Operation Eagles' Wings) in 1949-50, following murderous Muslim riots. A trickle of migration was allowed to continue until 1954, at which point it stopped. In 1962, another 2,300 Jews were allowed to immigrate, but many families were then left split between Israel and Yemen. I went to Yemen in 1977, Nachum said, at which time I learned that there were between 25,000 and 28,000 Jews there. No one was allowed to leave until 1993, at which time a trickle began, leading to a total of 900 or 1,000 Jews coming to Israel. A few hundred now remain there.A-7: What happened to the 25-28,000 Jews you said were there in 1977 and before?
Dr. Nachum: Very simple they converted to Islam. Because of uncaring behavior on the part of the officials here in Israel, we lost thousands of Jews... I started to actively lobby to have Israel bring the remaining Yemenite Jews to Israel, but in response, the officials released statements that there were no Jews left in Yemen.Dr. Nachum also blames the Satmarer Hassidim for trying to bring Yemenite Jews to New York or to Europe or even to return to Yemen - anywhere but Israel.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
Luxembourg calls off EU constitution conference
23.01.2007 - 09:26 CET | By Mark Beunderman
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS Luxembourg has called off a planned February meeting on the EU constitution in order to avoid the impression of working against the German EU presidency, while this week's friends of the constitution meeting in Madrid continues to stir controversy. The Luxembourg conference, scheduled for 27 February, was meant as a follow-up to a gathering of 18 EU states supporting the constitutional treaty which will take place as planned this Friday (26 January) in Madrid.
Spain and Luxembourg the only two countries which approved the charter by referendum took the intitiative for both meetings, but have now decided to ditch the second conference in Luxembourg in order not to interfere with the German EU presidency's efforts to revive the constitution, Luxembourg's foreign minister Jean Asselborn told EUobserver. The initial idea was that we hold a meeting in Madrid, and then a later meeting in Luxembourg. We have said now about the meeting in Luxembourg: we are not doing this for the moment, Mr Asselborn said after meeting EU counterparts in Brussels on Monday (22 January). It emerged that maybe we give the impression of disregarding the presidency. Of course we want to help the presidency, he stated. From the start this was cleared with the Germans, that we wouldn't work against the presidency. But it could be interpreted as such, he said.
French-Dutch unease
Although Germany has publicly welcomed the first friends of the constitution meeting in Madrid this week, EU diplomats say Berlin was unhappy particularly with the second meeting in February, which was scheduled just before the signing of a major declaration on the EU's 50th birthday in March. The second meeting, which would bring the pro-constitution camp and the constitution sceptics together, would also encroach on what Germany sees as the prime task of its presidency - to bridge the divide between the two camps and seek a new consensus on an EU treaty.Meanwhile, Mr Asselborn said that the meeting had also been cancelled because of resistance by France and the Netherlands, which would be forced at the Luxembourg conference to define their exact position on the constitution at an early stage.We don't want to bring France, the Netherlands and others in a difficult position.
Luxembourg and Spain do not want to force anyone to take part, he said, with France's presidential elections planned for May and the Netherlands being engaged in a cabinet formation which could take until March. Dutch foreign minister Bernard Bot told reporters that especially after the French and Dutch reactions, they have given it some re-consideration.
All invited to watch
Meanwhile, Mr Bot had in a Benelux chat with Mr Asselborn on Monday morning expressed his worry that Friday's restricted meeting could look like a ganging up of pro-constitution states.
But Mr Asselborn said I have repeated with [Spanish foreign minister] Moratinos that this initiative of the Spanish and the Luxembourgers is directed against nobody, neither against the French and the Dutch nor against anyone else.In order to counter any fears of secrecy, Spain and Luxembourg have now decided that all EU capitals, including Paris and The Hague, are free to send observers to the meeting. The official invitation has been sent to the 18 [states who have ratified the constitution]. If the others want to participate under an observer statute, we have said: everyone who wants to come, can come,according to Mr Asselborn.
We will not negotiate
The Luxembourg politician added that the 18 ratifiers will not take an official position after the meeting, which will take place at the level of EU affairs ministers. In Madrid, we will not negotiate. Those who are there, do not have a mandate of their governments, he said, but added that the 18 will produce some kind of paper.Ireland and Portugal, which have not ratified the treaty but strongly
support it, will send observers to the meeting. Germany as EU chair also chose to be represented as an observer only - sending its ambassador in Madrid to take notes of the meeting. The Netherlands appears to have politely declined the invitation to also send an observer, with Mr Bot saying that we will not go to Madrid.
Activists protest free trade pact at EU base in Kenya Wed Jan 24, 10:02 AM ET
NAIROBI (AFP) Some 2,000 anti-globalisation activists were marching in Kenya's capital Nairobi to protest against a plan to liberalise trade between developing nations and the European Union. The marchers said implementation of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the EU and a group of African, Caribbean and Pacific nations, due to come into force in 2008, should be delayed for several years.Fight poverty, stop the EPAs. We do not need euros, chanted the protesters marching from Nairobi's Uhuru (Independence) Park to the EU offices where they unsuccessfully sought an audience with the heads of mission.The protests were held during the ongoing World Social Forum, a gathering of thousands of anti-globalisation activisits which wraps up on Thursday.We are demanding a moratorium of several years on the signing of the EPAs to enable ACP countries, particularly African nations emerging from conflicts, to revamp their agriculture, said Ousainou Ngum, an activist.Ngum said African governments were willing to sign the EPAs without being worried that their markets will be flooded by goods from the more developed European countries whose agricultural sector benefits from subsidies.At a meeting between representatives of the the two blocs in Khartoum last month, the ACP regretted the lack of progress with the EPAs.
Radio tags track wasp behaviour JAN 24,07
The researchers looked at a species of paper wasp
Wasps fitted with minuscule radio tags have helped scientists shed light on the insects' behaviour. Rather than just tending their home colonies, the worker wasps also buzzed into nearby relative-holding nests, helping raise the young, the team said. The researchers believed the insects were boosting their chances of propagating their genes by nurturing relatives in multiple nests.
The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) study is published in Current Biology. Nest drifting, which is where individual insects move between different nests, has been described in a few different species of social insects, but it has always been a puzzle as to why they have done this, explained lead author Seirian Sumner of ZSL. It has also been very difficult to quantify the standard way is to mark the wasps with paint and then carry out nest censuses so we developed a new method.To track the wasps, the team fitted the insects with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and placed sensors at the entrance of each nest to record their movements, in real time, in and out of the nests. Dr Sumner said she got the idea from the Oyster card touch in, touch out system used on the London Underground.
Passing genes
The researchers, working in the tropics of Panama, looked at an extended colony of 33 nests belonging to a species of paper wasp called Polistes canadensis. In each nest, they tagged every female worker (those in the colony responsible for nest maintenance, food gathering and care of the brood), fitting a total of 422 with the RFID tags. A staggering number, 56% of the population, were drifting from nest to nest, Dr Sumner told the BBC News website, many more than previous studies had estimated. After further observations, the ZSL team ruled out that the wasps were lost, confused by their tags or trying to lay eggs in their neighbours' nests in a bout of social parasitism. Instead, it found the wasps were helping to raise their relatives' young. Worker wasps do not reproduce themselves, but by raising relatives who share their genes they can pass on genes indirectly, explained Dr Sumner.
And these workers are gaining indirect fitness benefit by helping to raise relatives on lots of different nests rather just than their home nests.This would be particularly crucial with wasps that face a high likelihood of getting their nests destroyed, such as the P. canadensis, she said. If you have just put all of your efforts into one nest and then that nest gets eaten, then all of this effort is lost
and you haven't helped to pass on your genes, Dr Sumner said. The researchers expect to find similar behaviour in other insect species.
Jewish Withdrawal from Judea and Samaria Back on the Table
By Hana Levi Julian (INN) JAN 24,07
The government has agreed in principle to withdraw from most of Judea and Samaria (Yesha), in secret talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. So reports WorldNetDaily.
Egypt and the European Union (EU) have been mediating the negotiations, according to the World Net Daily (WND) news website. WND quoted high-level Egyptian diplomatic and intelligence officials, and an aide to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, as saying they have been directly involved in the talks.Negotiations have been quietly proceeding apace for the past two or three weeks, according to sources quoted by WND reporter Aaron Klein, after PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas suggested to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert late last month that the two men switch to back channel talks in order to avoid media coverage.According to Egyptian and EU sources, one of the plans currently under consideration involves handing over control of central and southern Yesha to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s security forces. In northern Yesha, the transfer of responsibility to Abbas’ security forces over the area would bemonitored by Jordan and EU observers.No word about the fate, under this plan, of the many tens of thousands of Jews living in these areas has been received.
Hamas’s role in the plan remains unclear. The terrorist organization has repeatedly vowed never to formally recognize the State of Israel, renounce terrorism or uphold agreements with Israel signed by the previous, Fatah-led, PA government. That stance is not accepted by the international community.Talks toward a unity coalition between PA Prime Minister and Hamas chairman Ismail Haniyeh and Mahmoud Abbas, who heads the Fatah faction, are all but dead, leaving Hamas in control of the PA. The streets of Gaza have become a battlefield as Hamas and Fatah struggle for control of the PA government, with bloody clashes that have resulted in the deaths of both terrorists and innocent PA residents alike in what has become a militia war.The situation may intensify further and eventually lead to escalated attacks against the Jewish State as well, in the wake of an announcement by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last week that the Bush administration has agreed to finance, arm and train Abbas’ security force.
The force will reportedly include the Fatah-controlled Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, one of the most vicious groups engaged in the terrorist war against Israel. Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades has shared responsibility with the Islamic Jihad terror group for the suicide bombings in Israel over the past two years.Rice said during her visit to the region last week that the U.S. will send Abbas $86.4 million to beef up his personal security guard, Force 17, which also polices PA areas in Judea, Samaria and Gaza. The Bush administration is hoping to strengthen Fatah which it perceives as a moderate group in its bid to wrest control of the PA government from Hamas.The last time the U.S. transferred arms to Fatah in order to strengthen its ability to police the PA, the weapons were ultimately pointed at Israel by a myriad of terrorist factions. When asked about that experience, Rice claimed that this time would be different.It was envisioned [then] that the Palestinian Authority would have security forces, she said. The problem is those security forces broke into essentially personal militias under [former PLO chairman Yasser] Arafat. They broke into too many that were often warring with each other.The current plan, she added, would be carried out in a way that would move over time, with the idea being that the U.S. would maintain control over what is being done with the weapons.
This plan is not just to equip [Abbas’ security forces] and train them, [but] it is also to professionalize them, to unify them [and] to put them under a single command, she said.
Now these newly-armed forces, trained and professionalized by the U.S. government would be given control over most of Judea and Samaria, placing them within rocket fire range of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Ben Gurion International Airport. They would also be within range of Arad in the Negev, and other cities and smaller communities located near the pre-1967 borders.Diplomatic sources said talks are moving rapidly as the PA wrestles with Israel over the precise location of the new borders. Solana’s aide told WND that diplomats are expected to see a historic political evolution and movement in negotiations in the next few weeks and few months, unseen since the Camp David peace talks in 2000.In 2000, then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered to give Arafat an official PA state in Judea, Samaria, Gaza and eastern neighborhoods in Jerusalem. Arafat turned down the offer, insisting the entire Israeli capital be transferred to the PA.
EU expecting role in Israel's security
Top diplomatic sources say secret talks held on handing West Bank to Abbas
January 24, 2007 1:00 a.m. Eastern - By Aaron Klein - 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
JERUSALEM The European Union is in the process of expanding its offices in Israel, including in the Palestinian areas, in anticipation of an increased security role here following what European diplomatic officials say is new momentum regarding an
Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank.The West Bank borders Jerusalem and is within rocket-firing range of Tel Aviv and Israel's international airport. EU sources in Israel tell WND their offices here are taking on new staffers to deal with matters of security, public relations, diplomacy and regional coordination. They say they expect an increased work load due to behind-the-scenes diplomatic initiatives they state may result in an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank. The sources said the EU would coordinate handing over security control of key West Bank areas to the Palestinians According to an aide to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, speaking on condition of anonymity, there will be a historic political evolution and movement in negotiations in the next few weeks and few months, unseen since the Camp David peace talks in 2000. During the Camp David talks, then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered then-Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and eastern sections of Jerusalem.
Earlier this week a WND report quoted top Egyptian and European diplomatic sources stating Israel and the Palestinians have been conducting behind-the-scenes negotiations regarding handing over most of the West Bank to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The diplomatic sources said they were directly involved in negotiations mediated by Egypt and the EU, with U.S. input. The sources said major changes in Israeli-Palestinian affairs are expected within a few weeks to two months. According to the diplomatic sources, Israel agreed in principal to hand over most of the West Bank in a deal with Abbas. The sources said Israel is studying the transfer of responsibility in the central and southern West Bank to Abbas' security forces, which reportedly are receiving aid, weapons and training from the U.S. They said one proposal being considered for the northern West Bank would see Jordan and the EU supervise the transfer to Abbas' security forces. Still being debated is the role of Hamas, which leads the PA and maintains the majority of seats in the Palestinian parliament. Negotiations between Abbas and Hamas leaders for a national unity government have mostly fallen through. On Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz said he viewed any Palestinian elements recognizing the state of Israel as a partner for negotiations even if it is Hamas.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has made similar comments.
So far, Hamas has refused to recognize Israel but recently offered a 10-year truce with the Jewish state.
In a series of interviews this past weekend, Hamas leaders told WND during any 10-year truce period they would build a large Palestinian army and plan for the destruction of Israel. Olmert's office yesterday denied the WND report of secret negotiations for a West Bank withdrawal. There were no negotiations regarding a West Bank withdrawal. This would go contrary to other things we have said in the recent past, said Olmert's spokesperson, Miri Eisin. Perhaps the officials talking to WorldNetDaily were referring to general expectations for movement in the Israeli-Palestinian arena, Eisin said. But the European and Egyptian sources yesterday stood by their statements that Israel agreed in principal to transfer West Bank security control to Abbas. Israeli leaders previously have denied reports of pending withdrawals only to later carry them out. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, elected in 2001 on a platform against unilateral withdrawal, at first denied media reports Israel was planning to evacuate the Gaza Strip but later announced his Gaza withdrawal plan. Olmert was elected prime minister on the platform of carrying out a withdrawal from the West Bank, but after this summer's Lebanon war, he has stated a West Bank withdrawal would not occur.
Olmert in August called the policy of unilateral withdrawal a failure and said it was no longer relevant. But he can argue handing the West Bank to Abbas in an agreement is not unilateral. Contradicting Olmert, Israeli Interior Minister Roni Bar-On of Olmert's Kadima party said this summer, The withdrawal plan is not dead, though its implementation has been postponed. The plan is now on the shelf or in the freezer, but when the time comes it will be accessed. Several recent public opinion polls showed the majority of Israelis now oppose a West Bank withdrawal. The leaders of Egypt and Jordan have expressed reservations about withdrawal plans, fearing terrorism can spill over into their respective countries. Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000. It had occupied a small section of Lebanon's border with Israel following repeated attacks by Palestinian terrorists in the area. Since the withdrawal, Hezbollah has staged numerous attacks against Israel, including rocket bombardments of civilian population centers, raids against military outposts and ambushes and kidnappings of Israeli troops. Hezbollah built an arsenal in south Lebanon of more than 13,000 short- and medium-range rockets capable of hitting central sections of the Jewish state Israel withdrew last August from the Gaza Strip. Since then, rockets have been fired almost daily into nearby Jewish communities, Hamas has been elected to power and both Israeli and Palestinian officials have stated al-Qaida has infiltrated the territory. Israel says the Palestinians have smuggled hundreds of tons of heavy weaponry into Gaza and are preparing for a large-scale confrontation. Israel in June mounted a major ground invasion of Gaza after Hamas carried out a raid against a military installation in which Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was abducted.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
EU POWER TAKER IN MIDEAST
1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS.2-Five killed, 3,500 homeless after heavy rains in Mozambique. 3-Wet in Texas; lake effect snow by Great Lakes. 4-St. John's and vicinity. 5-BAD WEATHER IN THESE VANCOUVER PLACES. 6-Auckland at risk of simultaneous volcanic eruptions. 7-Norwalk prompts N.L. hospitals to restrict visitors. 8-WHO says 35 million people die from chronic diseases in '06. 9-Jet With Anti-Missile System Leaves LAX. 10-Russia, India Set to Conduct Counter-Terrorism Exercises in 2007. 11-Peretz: Israel ready to negotiate. 12-Kuwait media: U.S. military strike on Iran seen by April. 13-Muslim leaders say Jews digging under Temple Mount. 14-Betting Their Souls: Is there such a thing as an unforgivable sin? Newsweek. 15-Secret talks handing West Bank to Abbas Top diplomatic sources tell WND. 16-Sceptical countries need to budge on EU constitution, says German FM. 17-New rules for the Middle East game.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Wed Jan 24 12:00 AM EDT
JAN 24,07 NO QUAKES YET
JAN 23,07
MAP 2.9 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.1 AISEN, CHILE
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.8 VANUATU
MAP 4.1 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.8 MOUNT ST. HELENS AREA, WASHINGTON
MAP 2.7 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 5.1 PAPUA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.5 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.9 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.5 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.8 CENTRAL PERU
MAP 3.2 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.5 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING
MAP 2.8 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING
MAP 2.8 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.1 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 5.9 BANDA SEA
MAP 4.7 EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 3.6 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.0 TONGA
MAP 3.0 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
JAN 22,07
MAP 2.6 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 5.4 BISMARCK SEA
MAP 5.3 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.9 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 5.3 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.3 SIMEULUE, INDONESIA
MAP 4.9 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.4 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.7 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.8 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.4 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.2 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.7 NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA
MAP 3.0 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.9 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.6 NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF PAPUA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.3 NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF PAPUA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.5 MOLUCCA SEA
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Five killed, 3,500 homeless after heavy rains in Mozambique JAN 23,07
MAPUTO (AFP) Torrential rains in central Mozambique have claimed five lives and rendered more than 3,500 homeless since the weekend, the National Institute for Disaster Management said. Three people died of electrocution in Quelimane and two have drowned in Namacurra district. More than 3,500 people have been housed in makeshift shelters as their homes have been flooded, institute director Paulo Zucula told AFP Tuesday.The situation is alarming in Quelimane, he said adding that almost the entire length of the coastal town in the northern Zambezia province was flooded.For the moment there is only cholera but no other epidemics, he added.In early 2000, about 1,000 people lost their lives in floods that caused widespread devastation in the southern African nation, which is also struggling to rebuild after a 16-year civil war that ended in 1992.
Wet in Texas; lake effect snow by Great Lakes Mark Avery, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel Tue Jan 23, 5:05 AM ET
South
Texas stands to have a wet day today, with the heaviest rains being near the Gulf Coast between Corpus Christi and Houston. Other areas of South and Central Texas including San Antonio, Austin, Del Rio, and Brownsville stand to get more rains today as well, helping to alleviate the drought situation in the Lone Star State to a small extent. In West Texas, snow could fall around El Paso, Midland, Marfa, and Odessa today, with up to 2 inches or so falling between Marfa and El Paso. Rain will continue to linger near the Texas Gulf Coast and the Florida Peninsula on Wednesday with a break possible by Thursday and Friday except in far South Texas and Florida (which gets a break on Friday). Showers will move to Louisiana and Southeast Texas by Saturday.
Northeast
The lake effect snow machine is on again for the interior Northeast. A lake effect snow watch is up for the eastern end of Lake Ontario, including Watertown and Syracuse, New York, with a lake effect snow advisory posted for the western slopes of the Adirondacks. Lake effect snows will continue to affect the interior Northeast through Friday, when much colder temperatures the first real arctic outbreak of the season#move in all across the region. Temperatures may bounce up slightly tomorrow before the beginning of the onset of the cold outbreak Thursday into Friday, with a slight rebound by Saturday.
Midwest
The Midwest will also be affected by the lake effect snow machine for the next several days. Some of the heaviest snows today will be across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the western and northern portions of Lower Michigan. Snow will be possible through Thursday in the Great Lakes with a break on Friday. More snow#and the return of much colder temperatures returns by Saturday.
Elsewhere in the Midwest, snow is possible in the Missouri Valley to the mid Mississippi Valley today with light (trace) amounts of snow possible. Mild temperatures for mid-January should persist through Friday (except near the Great Lakes, where it will stay cooler than average for the next few days), before the next round of much colder weather moves in by the weekend.
West
The Southwest and southern New Mexico in particular continues to feel the effects of an upper level low that's continuing to sit over northern Mexico. The threat of snow is possible continues in southern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona through Thursday. Snow is also possible in western Montana and some of the higher elevations of the Cascades in Washington. In Southern California, Santa Ana winds are set up again for today, bringing an increased fire danger#and red flag warnings as a result from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Winds relax in Southern California tonight and tomorrow. The next chance of rain and snow moves ashore Thursday in Northern California and southwestern Oregon and farther inland into Northern California and western Oregon by Friday.
Environment Canada Weather Forecast
St. John's and vicinity
Issued at: 11.00 AM NST Tuesday 23 January 2007
Snowfall warning in effect. Today..Flurries ending early this afternoon then cloudy. High minus 5. Tonight..Cloudy. Snow and blowing snow beginning overnight. Amount 2 to 4 cm. Wind becoming east 20 km/h this evening then northeast 40 gusting to 60 overnight. Temperature rising to minus 2 by morning. Wednesday..Snow at times heavy changing to ice pellets in the afternoon then to rain later in the afternoon. Snow and ice pellet amount 15 cm. Rainfall amount 5 mm. Blowing snow in the morning. Wind northeast 60 km/h gusting to 90 diminishing to 40 gusting to 60 in the afternoon. High plus 2. Thursday..Cloudy with 60 percent chance of flurries. Windy. Low minus 1. High zero. Friday..Snow mixed with rain. Low minus 6. High minus 1. Saturday..Cloudy with 60 percent chance of flurries. Windy. Low minus 8. High minus 3. Normals for the period..Low minus 8. High zero.
BAD WEATHER IN THESE VANCOUVER PLACES JAN 23,07
Abbotsford ,Campbell,River ,Comox ,Esquimalt ,EstevanPoint ,Gibsons ,Gonzales ,
Hartland ,Kitimat ,Malahat ,Nanaimo ,Pitt Meadows ,Powell River ,Prince Rupert , Sechelt , Squamish ,Stewart ,Terrace ,Tofino ,Ucluelet ,Vancouver ,Victoria ,
White Rock
EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Auckland at risk of simultaneous volcanic eruptions
Tuesday January 23, 2007
Puketutu is one of the volcanoes that may have erupted at the same time as four others. Photo / Martin Sykes.
At least five volcanoes in Auckland were born together and the city remains at risk of further simultaneous eruptions, according to a study released today.The Auckland University results showed that the volcanoes of Puketutu, Crater Hill, Wiri, Mt Richmond and Taylor Hill all erupted within 50 to 100 years of each other, possibly at the same time.The research further suggested that Auckland and some other major cities could be at risk of future simultaneous multiple eruptions, Dr John Cassidy, of the University's School of Geography, Geology and Environmental Science department, said.This is the first evidence that multiple volcanic eruptions in such fields may have occurred at the same time and could have tremendous consequences for people living in these highly active areas.Dr Cassidy said several cities worldwide, including Honolulu and Mexico City, sat on volcanic fields.Most hazard planning for population centres vulnerable to volcanic eruptions assumes a single eruption at any point in time, but this research shows that this is not necessarily the correct course of thinking. The research, funded by the Earthquake Commission, was carried out by studying volcanic rocks which have recorded unusual disturbances in the ancient Earth's magnetic field.- NZPA
DISEASES
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
Norwalk prompts N.L. hospitals to restrict visitors
Last Updated: Monday, January 22, 2007 | 7:07 AM NT CBC News
Health managers in central Newfoundland have instituted strict measures to contain Norwalk virus in their institutions.The Central Health regional authority has stopped allowing visitors at hospitals in Springdale, Baie Verte and New-Wes-Valley, as well as authority-managed nursing homes in Springdale and New-Wes-Valley.As a precautionary measure, visitation is now restricted at the rest of the authority's facilities.Patients at those institutions may have only one visitor at a time, and even then visitors must be an immediate family member over 14.Norwalk, the best known of the norovirus group of viruses, attacks the gastrointestinal system.
Quick to develop and easy to spread, it causes severe diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting, headache and low-grade fever.Earlier this month, Central Health cancelled elective surgeries for several days at the Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre in Grand Falls-Windsor.Central Health has asked volunteers and clergy not to visit any sites in the region.
HLT-WHO-WORLD
WHO says 35 million people die from chronic diseases in '06
GENEVA, Jan 22 (KUNA) A report to the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday that 35 million people died in 2006 as a result of chronic diseases, equivalent to 60 percent of all deaths globally.According to the report presented to the WHO Executive Board in its twice-yearly session which will last through January 30th, these deaths are projected to increase by a further 17 percent over the next decade.The report says that 10.5 million children under the age of five years die every year.
Most of these deaths are from treatable conditions.Treatments exist, but some are not available in dosages that are suitable for children; of those that do exist in appropriate dosages, many are not available in low- and middle-income countries.The Executive Board is comprised of representatives from 34 WHO Member States. (end) hn.bs
Jet With Anti-Missile System Leaves LAX
By JOHN ANTCZAK - Associated Press Writer - January 16, 2007, 11:06 PM EST
LOS ANGELES An MD-10 cargo jet equipped with Northrop Grumman's Guardian anti-missile system took off from Los Angeles International Airport on a commercial flight Tuesday, the company said. The FedEx flight marked the start of operational testing and evaluation of the laser system designed to defend against shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles during takeoffs and landings. Adapted from military technology, Guardian is designed to detect a missile launch and then direct a laser to the seeker system on the head of the missile and disrupt its guidance signals. The laser is not visible and is eye-safe, the company said. For the first time, we will be able to collect valuable logistics data while operating Guardian on aircraft in routine commercial service, said Robert L. DelBoca, vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman's Defensive Systems Division. During the current test phase, which concludes in March 2008, nine MD-10s equipped with the Guardian system will be in commercial service. Katie Lamb-Heinz of Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems said all those aircraft will be freighters. The ultimate goal is to defend passenger airliners.
The testing is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Counter-Man Portable Air Defense Systems program. BAE Systems has also been working for the government on a similar airliner defense system and has successfully tested it. John Pike, a defense analyst at GlobalSecurity.org, an Alexandria, Va., think tank, suggested that development of the system was the lesser of issues for the airline industry.I think the problem is making the numbers work in the sense of figuring out who's going to pay for it, he said. More than capital costs, airlines are likely to be most concerned about the costs of maintenance and aircraft downtime, he said. They've gotten these airliners now (so) that they are just remarkably maintenance-free. They've also gotten these airlines to the point that they've got razor thin margins, he said. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., viewed the plane Monday and said she was encouraged.
This program is very promising because it's already met the operational testing. Now it's a question of how does it actually work in terms of stresses on the system while the airplane is in operation for several hours, said Boxer, a longtime proponent of equipping planes with anti-missile technology. Boxer said her first priority is to equip the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, more than 1,000 commercial
airplanes operated by airlines that contract with the Pentagon to make military flights during emergencies. No passenger plane has ever been downed by a shoulder-fired missile outside of a combat zone.
But terrorists linked with al-Qaida are believed to have fired two SA-7 missiles that narrowly missed an Israeli passenger jet after it took off from Mombasa, Kenya, in November 2002. The first commercial flight with the Guardian system followed 16 months of tests on an MD-11, an MD-10 and a Boeing 747 using simulated launches of shoulder-fired missiles. The Guardian system appears as a pod with eye-like features attached to the belly of the FedEx MD-10, a freight version of what was originally the three-engine widebody DC-10 airliner. DHS gave Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems $45 million each in 2004 to adapt military defense systems to civilian airliners, requiring improvements because military systems need too much maintenance and mistakenly fire too often.
A government report obtained by The Associated Press last summer said that both the Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems prototypes still don't meet the reliability standards set by the DHS, and it could be 20 years before every U.S. passenger airplane has such a system. Billions of dollars would have to be spent to protect all 6,800 commercial U.S. airliners. The report said testing showed that the systems can be installed on commercial aircraft without impairing safety; at least one company can supply 1,000 systems at a cost of $1 million each; and operation and maintenance will cost $365 per flight, above the $300-per-flight goal.
Northrop Grumman said Tuesday that during the 16-month flight test program a ground-based electronic missile surrogate was used to simulate launches and each time Guardian functioned as designed, automatically detecting the simulated launch and mock missile. Had the threats been real, an invisible laser beam safe to humans would have disrupted the missile guidance system and protected the aircraft, the company statement said.Associated Press Writer Erica Werner in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. On the Net: Northrop Grumman: http://www.northropgrumman.com BAE Systems: http://www.baesystems.com
MUSLIM NATIONS
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
Russia, India Set to Conduct Counter-Terrorism Exercises in 2007
Dated 22/1/2007 Russia and India are planning to conduct joint land and naval counter-terrorism exercises in 2007, a Russian Defense Ministry official said Saturday.INDRA-2007 is a biennial joint exercise between the armed forces of Russia and India aimed at coordinating cooperative engagement in the fight against terrorism.The details of the upcoming joint Russian-Indian exercise will be discussed during a visit of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov to India, said Colonel General Anatoly Mazurkevich, head of the Main Directorate for Foreign Military Cooperation.The naval part of INDRA-2007 will be held in April 2007 at the Pacific Ocean involving naval units of the Russian Pacific Fleet and the Indian Navy.The land part of the war games is scheduled for mid-September at the training grounds of the 76th Airborne Division near the city of Pskov in north-western Russia. Paratroopers will practice air drops with live firing, the general said adding that the counter-terrorism exercise will involve a Russian airborne battalion and a company of India paratroopers.The previous joint Russian-Indian exercise, INDRA-2005, was held in India on October 10-20, 2005.Mazurkevich also said the Russian defense minister will discuss bilateral military-technical cooperation during his visit to India on January 22-25.The main topics of talks will include the supply of spare parts to Russian-made military equipment that was previously sold to India and the licensed production of RD-33 jet engines for MiG-29 Fulcrum and Su-30MKI Flanker C fighter aircraft in service with the Indian Air Force, the general said.According to various estimates, the Indian Air Force has up to 65 MiG-29's and 50 Su-30's.
Peretz: Israel ready to negotiate JAN 23,07
JERUSALEM, (UPI) Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz says Israel is ready to negotiate with any Palestinian group that is willing to recognize the right of Israel to exist. That even goes for Hamas, the militant faction that won a majority in the Palestinian parliament. Peretz told a conference Israel must focus on settling the Palestinian issue. I view any Palestinian element recognizing the state of Israel as a partner for negotiation, even if it is Hamas, Peretz told the Herzliya Conference. We have to focus on the Palestinian arena.Peretz, whose hometown of Sderot is a frequent target of rocket attacks, recently asked a top military commander to head a team to come up with recommendations on how to defend against Qassam rockets fired from Gaza, YNetNews reported.
Kuwait media: U.S. military strike on Iran seen by April
www.chinaview.cn 2007-01-14 15:19:28 - Special report: Iran Nuclear Crisis
KUWAIT CITY, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) U.S. might launch a military strike on Iran before April 2007, Kuwait-based daily Arab Times released on Sunday said in a report.The report, written by Arab Times' Editor-in-chief Ahmed al-Jarallah citing a reliable source, said that the attack would be launched from the sea, while Patriot missiles would guard all Arab countries in the Gulf. Recent statements emanating from the United States indicated the Bush administration's new strategy for Iraq doesn't include any proposal to make a compromise or negotiate with Syria or Iran, added the report. The source told al-Jarallah that U.S. President George W. Bush recently had held a meeting with Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other assistants in the White House, where they discussed the plan to attack Iran in minute detail. Vice President Dick Cheney highlighted the threat posed by Iranto not only Saudi Arabia but also the whole Gulf region, according to the source.
Tehran is not playing politics. Iranian leaders are using their country's religious influence to support the aggressive regime's ambition to expand, Dick Cheney was quoted by the source as saying.Indicating participants of the meeting agreed to impose restrictions on the ambitions of Iranian regime before April 2007 without exposing other countries in the region to any danger, the source said they have chosen April as British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said it will be the last month in office for him.
The United States has to take action against Iran and Syria before April 2007.Claiming the attack will be launched from the sea and not from any country in the region, he said the U.S. and its allies will target the oil installations and nuclear facilities of Iran ensuring there is no environmental catastrophe or after effects.The source added that the U.S. has started sending its warships to the Gulf and the build-up would continue until Washington has the required number by the end of this month.U.S. forces in Iraq and other countries in the region will be protected against any Iranian missile attack by an advanced Patriot missile system, the source noted. The Bush administration believes that attacking Iran will create a new power balance in the region, calming down the situation in Iraq and paving the way for their democratic project, which have to be suspended due to the interference of Tehran and Damascus in Iraq, according to the source.Editor: Pan Letian
REBUILT 3RD TEMPLE
REVELATION 11:1-2
1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
DANIEL 9:27
27 And he( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Muslim leaders say Jews digging under Temple Mount
Ha'aretz - January 23, 2007
The Temple Mount in Jerusalem is the holiest site on earth to Jews, and has been for nearly 3000 years.Muslims, however, who regard the hill as Islam's third holiest site, and who hold de facto control over who does what up there, frequently incite Islamic anger against Israel by spreading rumors about Jewish excavations on or near the Mount.So it is again today as the Israeli Arab Islamic Movement accuses Jews of excavating beneath the Temple Mount.Leaders of the movement levelled their charges Monday, saying Jews had purchased a store from an Arab vendor near the mount and were working to tunnel underneath it.According to Sheikh Ra'ad Salah, Jews were digging in the area so as to create a stranglehold around Al-Aqsa Mosque, in order for the Israeli establishment to fulfill its darkest dreams of building a Jewish Temple. The Israel Antiquities Authority has said that the excavations in question were being carried ut 60 meters from the Temple Mount, and were intended to clear a tunnel that was filled with trash.
CULTS AND FALSE RELIGIONS
1 TIMOTHY 4:1-2
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
MARK 13:22-23
22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
2 TIMOTHY 3:1-7 SINS OF PEOPLE
2 TIMOTHY 3:1-7
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
DECIEVERS WAXING WORSE AND WORSE.
2 TIMOTHY 3:13
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
HES A BLASPHEMER ( THE EU DICTATOR )
DANIEL 7:25
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
REVELATION 13:5-6
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.What is the spirit of Antichrist, it puts Jesus down exactly what this future EU Dictator will do.
1 John 2:22
22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1 John 4:1-3
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
2 John 7
7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
THIS IS VERY BAD NEWS THIS STORY, BUT THESE PEOPLE ARE FORERUNNERS OF THE ULTIMATE BLASPHEMER THE EU DICTATOR THAT WILL DO THE SAME AND WORSE. ITS THESE PEOPLE THAT WILL GLADLY TAKE THE DICTATORS MARK IN THEIR RIGHT HAND OR FOREHEAD, UNFORTUNATELY THEIR TORMENT OF BURNING WILL BE DAY AND NIGHT FOREVER.
Beliefwatch: Blasphemy JAN 08,07
Hi my name is Lindy and I deny the existence of the Holy Spirit and you should too.
Betting Their Souls: Is there such a thing as an unforgivable sin? Newsweek
Jan. 8, 2006 issue With that five-second submission to YouTube, a 24-year-old who uses the name menotsimple has either condemned herself to an eternity of punishment in the afterlife or struck a courageous blow against superstition.
She's one of more than 400 mostly young people who have joined a campaign by the Web site Blasphemy Challenge.com to stake their souls against the existence of God. That, of course, is the ultimate no-win wager, as the 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal calculated—it can't be settled until you're dead, and if you lose, you go to hell.The Blasphemy Challenge is a joint project of filmmaker Brian Flemming, director of the antireligion documentary The God Who Wasn't There, and Brian Sapient, cofounder of the atheist Web site RationalResponders.com. Their intent was to encourage atheists to come forward and put their souls on the line, showing others that you don't have to be afraid of God. The particular form of the challenge was chosen because, by one interpretation, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, a part of the Christian Trinity, is the only sin that can never be forgiven. And once something you've said gets posted on YouTube, as any number of celebrities can attest, you never live it down.
See what secular teens are saying about religion
For better or worse, though, hell may not be so easy to get into. Despite the seemingly clear language in Mark 3:28-29 (all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven), most theologians are reluctant to pronounce anyone beyond repentance and salvation. Richard Land, a leader of the Southern Baptist Convention, says the passage, read in context, refers to a very narrow and specific definition of blasphemy: maliciously attributing God's miracles to a demon. Merely denying the Holy Spirit, by this reading, doesn't qualify. My response, Land says, would be to
pray for these people: forgive them, [for] they know not what they do'.To which another self-described blasphemer, whose real name is Michael Lawson, replies that he knows exactly what he's doing: he's daring God to send him to hell. We want to show that we really mean it when we say we don't believe a word in this book, he says. He means the Bible.2007 Newsweek, Inc.
Secret talks handing West Bank to Abbas Top diplomatic sources tell WND
historic changes coming in weeks - Posted: January 22, 2007
5:19 p.m. Eastern - By Aaron Klein - 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
JERUSALEM Israel and the Palestinians have been conducting behind-the-scene negotiations regarding handing over most of the West Bank to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, according to top Egyptian and European diplomatic sources who told WND they were directly involved with the talks. The West Bank borders Jerusalem and is within rocket-firing range of Tel Aviv and Israel's international airport. The Egyptian and European sources told WND the negotiations for an Israeli withdrawal were mediated by Egypt and the European Union, with U.S. input. The sources said major changes in Israeli-Palestinian affairs are expected within a few weeks to two months. According to an aid to European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, speaking on condition of anonymity, there will be a historic political evolution and movement in negotiations in the next few weeks and few months, unseen since the Camp David peace talks in 2000.
During the Camp David talks, then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered late-Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and eastern sections of Jerusalem. According to the top diplomatic sources speaking to WND, Israel has agreed in principal to hand over most of the West Bank in deal with Abbas. The sources said Israel is studying the transfer of responsibility in the central and southern West Bank to Abbas' security forces, which reportedly are receiving aid, weapons and training from the U.S. They said one proposal being considered for the northern West Bank would see Jordan and the EU supervise the transfer to Abbas' security forces.Still being debated is the role of Hamas, which leads the PA and maintains the majority of seats in the Palestinian parliament. Negotiations between Abbas and Hamas leaders for a national unity government have mostly fallen through.
Yesterday, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz said he viewed any Palestinian elements recognizing the state of Israel as a partner for negotiations even if it is Hamas.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has made similar comments.
So far, Hamas has refused to recognize Israel, but recently offered a 10-year truce with the Jewish state. In a series of interviews this past weekend, Hamas leaders told WND during any 10-year truce period they would build a large Palestinian army and plan for the destruction of Israel. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently announced she is planning to mediate talks between Olmert and Abbas next month. Asked about the alleged behind-the-scenes negotiations to hand over the West Bank, a spokesman in Olmert's office stated he doesn't know about any West Bank withdrawal.
Olmert was elected prime minister on the platform of carrying out a withdrawal from the West Bank, but after this summer's Lebanon war he has stated a West Bank withdrawal would not occur. Olmert in August called the policy of unilateral withdrawal a failure and said it was no longer relevant. But he can argue handing the West Bank to Abbas in an agreement is not unilateral. Regarding a West Bank withdrawal, Israeli Interior Minister Roni Bar-On said this summer, The withdrawal plan is not dead, though its implementation has been postponed. The plan is now on the shelf or in the freezer, but when the time comes it will be accessed.
Several recent public opinion polls showed the majority of Israelis now oppose a West Bank withdrawal. The leaders of Egypt and Jordan have expressed reservations about withdrawal plans, fearing terrorism can spill over into their respective countries. Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000. It had occupied a small section of Lebanon's border with Israel following repeated attacks by Palestinian terrorists in the area. Since the withdrawal, Hezbollah has staged numerous attacks against Israel, including rocket bombardments of civilian population centers, raids against military outposts and ambushes and kidnappings of Israeli troops. Hezbollah built an arsenal in south Lebanon of more than 13,000 short- and medium-range rockets capable of hitting central sections of the Jewish state Israel withdrew last August from the Gaza Strip. Since then, rockets have been fired almost daily into nearby Jewish communities, Hamas has been elected to power and both Israeli and Palestinian officials have stated al-Qaida has infiltrated the territory. Israel says the Palestinians have smuggled hundreds of tons of heavy weaponry into Gaza and are preparing for a large-scale confrontation. Israel in June mounted a major ground invasion of Gaza after Hamas carried out a raid against a military installation in which Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was abducted.
Sceptical countries need to budge on EU constitution, says German FM Tue Jan 23, 8:24 AM ET
BRUSSELS (AFP) The biggest opponents of the European Union's stalled constitution will have to change position if the bloc is to break the deadlock, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has warned. If a compromise is to be reached by the end of the German (EU) presidency, some of them are going to have to move, Steinmeier told the European Parliament's constitutional affairs commission in Brussels on Tuesday.Germany this month assumed the EU's rotating presidency and will hand the baton over to Portugal at the end of June.Steinmeier said that two-thirds of the 27 EU member states have already ratified the constitutional treaty which was brought to a grinding halt in 2005 when Dutch and French voters rejected it in national referendums.We must be aware that some (countries) will have to move more than others, said the German foreign minister.Although he did not cite any particular countries, Britain, the Czech Republic and Poland are widely considered to among those countries most uncomfortable with Germany's efforts to resuscitate the constitution.The German EU presidency has repeatedly said that it hopes to preserve the substance of the treaty, the fruit of three years of laborious talks.We are perfectly aware that there are certain key states where there is some scepticism as regards the whole idea of such a treaty, said Steinmeier.
But a presidency (of the EU) cannot avoid the fact that two thirds of member states have ratified the treaty; you have to reconcile the interests of the sceptics with those that have already ratified the treaty, he added.Berlin has asked all EU member states to nominate representatives for closed-door talks on the issue, in a bid to reach agreement on the way forward or at least to learn each nation's bottom line on the matter.However some members of the European Parliament have called on Germany to display more transparency in its search for a way out of the constitutional impasse.Steinmeier stressed that at first Germany was going to engage in a phase of secret consultations, with member states.These talks should begin this week at the sherpa level among the 27 EU member states.Steinmeier admitted that the objective of EU leaders to find a solution to the problem ahead of the next European Parliament elections in 2009 was ambitious.Given the time needed for some countries to ratify any agreement that could mean sorting out all the details a year and a half before the European elections, meaning by the end of this year or mid-2008, he said.But he added that he saw no virtue in pushing back the schedule.It is important to keep the pressure on. For the moment, there is no reason to increase the margins, increase the timetable, he said.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING
BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
New rules for the Middle East game
By Raanan Eliaz JAN 23,07 Haaretz
The current discussions about the future of American foreign policy in the Middle East touch directly upon Israel-U.S. relations. U.S. policymakers, however, have not yet given enough consideration to the unprecedented weight that the European Union increasingly exerts in the region. In the case of Israel as well as on other U.S. fronts, no durable progress is reachable without the agreement, not to say the active involvement, of the slowly uniting Europe. A historic window of opportunity may be brought on by the development of the EU over the past decades, the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East to include a nuclear threat, and the volatility of the U.S. role in the region. In view of this, the United States should realize the strategic value of gradually integrating Israel into the European Union. Although a full membership is not in the cards at the moment, the EU becoming Israel's second losest strategic ally, alongside the U.S., is in everybody's best interests. Over the next decade or two, relations between the U.S., the EU and Israel should be progressively formulated anew. Despite America's significant role in facilitating Israel's just struggle to survive, it has failed to ensure the county's lasting longevity and independence. Regardless of the Bush administration's intentions, Israel's strategic position has deteriorated on multiple fronts. It is still the most powerful in terms of military might, but present day Israel has to rely on America more than ever before in order to secure its political standing and its military superiority. Most tragically, Israel's peace offerings of its scarce land to Egyptian and Palestinian neighbors have not led it to better integration into the Middle East. The current Iranian nuclear threat only materializes a wider, existential fragility that Israel has failed to eliminate.
Although the U.S. still has the power to exert a unique leverage that no other outside party can, it is becoming clear that in order to stabilize the Middle East, the U.S. simply cannot go it alone.
Increasingly, the EU complements and in some cases, assumes, the U.S.'s traditional third party role in the region. For example, on the macro level, the EU took on a leading role in the Middle East Quartet and as chief negotiator with Iran, and on the micro level, the EU has an active presence in southern Lebanon and Gaza, and has, on several occasions, attempted to revive negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Europe has a clear interest in stabilizing its backyard and it can offer incentives and exert leverages the U.S. cannot. Nevertheless, the dialogue between Israel and the EU lacks strategic vision and sincere willingness to work together. In dealing with Europe, Israel is preoccupied with planning preventive measures instead of embarking proactively in shaping its future. The EU, still heavily engaged in solving internal crises, cannot follow through its own foreign policy initiatives. Only the U.S. can help both parties to shift gears.Such paradigmatic change in course will involve the creation of a durable transatlantic Middle East policy that will introduce new rules to the region's game. With the required massive financial, political and military investment, all pragmatic Arab countries would be encouraged to work together with Israel toward an agreed-upon settlement. Creative solutions may include offering NATO-like regional security guarantees, the establishment of sustainable economic incentives, and multilateral territorial swaps.
It is doubtful whether the current U.S. administration, alongside weak leaderships in the Middle East and an unfocused EU, will be able to promote such an ambitious agenda. But in order for this positive dramatic shift to assume shape over the next generation, now is the time to start preparing the ground. Raanan Eliaz, former Coordinator at the Israeli National Security Council, is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, and a consultant on European-Israeli Affairs.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Wed Jan 24 12:00 AM EDT
JAN 24,07 NO QUAKES YET
JAN 23,07
MAP 2.9 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.1 AISEN, CHILE
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.8 VANUATU
MAP 4.1 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.8 MOUNT ST. HELENS AREA, WASHINGTON
MAP 2.7 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 5.1 PAPUA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.5 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.9 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.5 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.8 CENTRAL PERU
MAP 3.2 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.5 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING
MAP 2.8 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING
MAP 2.8 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.1 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 5.9 BANDA SEA
MAP 4.7 EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 3.6 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.0 TONGA
MAP 3.0 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
JAN 22,07
MAP 2.6 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 5.4 BISMARCK SEA
MAP 5.3 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.9 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 5.3 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.3 SIMEULUE, INDONESIA
MAP 4.9 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.4 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.7 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.8 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.4 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.2 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.7 NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA
MAP 3.0 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.9 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.6 NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF PAPUA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.3 NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF PAPUA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.5 MOLUCCA SEA
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Five killed, 3,500 homeless after heavy rains in Mozambique JAN 23,07
MAPUTO (AFP) Torrential rains in central Mozambique have claimed five lives and rendered more than 3,500 homeless since the weekend, the National Institute for Disaster Management said. Three people died of electrocution in Quelimane and two have drowned in Namacurra district. More than 3,500 people have been housed in makeshift shelters as their homes have been flooded, institute director Paulo Zucula told AFP Tuesday.The situation is alarming in Quelimane, he said adding that almost the entire length of the coastal town in the northern Zambezia province was flooded.For the moment there is only cholera but no other epidemics, he added.In early 2000, about 1,000 people lost their lives in floods that caused widespread devastation in the southern African nation, which is also struggling to rebuild after a 16-year civil war that ended in 1992.
Wet in Texas; lake effect snow by Great Lakes Mark Avery, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel Tue Jan 23, 5:05 AM ET
South
Texas stands to have a wet day today, with the heaviest rains being near the Gulf Coast between Corpus Christi and Houston. Other areas of South and Central Texas including San Antonio, Austin, Del Rio, and Brownsville stand to get more rains today as well, helping to alleviate the drought situation in the Lone Star State to a small extent. In West Texas, snow could fall around El Paso, Midland, Marfa, and Odessa today, with up to 2 inches or so falling between Marfa and El Paso. Rain will continue to linger near the Texas Gulf Coast and the Florida Peninsula on Wednesday with a break possible by Thursday and Friday except in far South Texas and Florida (which gets a break on Friday). Showers will move to Louisiana and Southeast Texas by Saturday.
Northeast
The lake effect snow machine is on again for the interior Northeast. A lake effect snow watch is up for the eastern end of Lake Ontario, including Watertown and Syracuse, New York, with a lake effect snow advisory posted for the western slopes of the Adirondacks. Lake effect snows will continue to affect the interior Northeast through Friday, when much colder temperatures the first real arctic outbreak of the season#move in all across the region. Temperatures may bounce up slightly tomorrow before the beginning of the onset of the cold outbreak Thursday into Friday, with a slight rebound by Saturday.
Midwest
The Midwest will also be affected by the lake effect snow machine for the next several days. Some of the heaviest snows today will be across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the western and northern portions of Lower Michigan. Snow will be possible through Thursday in the Great Lakes with a break on Friday. More snow#and the return of much colder temperatures returns by Saturday.
Elsewhere in the Midwest, snow is possible in the Missouri Valley to the mid Mississippi Valley today with light (trace) amounts of snow possible. Mild temperatures for mid-January should persist through Friday (except near the Great Lakes, where it will stay cooler than average for the next few days), before the next round of much colder weather moves in by the weekend.
West
The Southwest and southern New Mexico in particular continues to feel the effects of an upper level low that's continuing to sit over northern Mexico. The threat of snow is possible continues in southern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona through Thursday. Snow is also possible in western Montana and some of the higher elevations of the Cascades in Washington. In Southern California, Santa Ana winds are set up again for today, bringing an increased fire danger#and red flag warnings as a result from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Winds relax in Southern California tonight and tomorrow. The next chance of rain and snow moves ashore Thursday in Northern California and southwestern Oregon and farther inland into Northern California and western Oregon by Friday.
Environment Canada Weather Forecast
St. John's and vicinity
Issued at: 11.00 AM NST Tuesday 23 January 2007
Snowfall warning in effect. Today..Flurries ending early this afternoon then cloudy. High minus 5. Tonight..Cloudy. Snow and blowing snow beginning overnight. Amount 2 to 4 cm. Wind becoming east 20 km/h this evening then northeast 40 gusting to 60 overnight. Temperature rising to minus 2 by morning. Wednesday..Snow at times heavy changing to ice pellets in the afternoon then to rain later in the afternoon. Snow and ice pellet amount 15 cm. Rainfall amount 5 mm. Blowing snow in the morning. Wind northeast 60 km/h gusting to 90 diminishing to 40 gusting to 60 in the afternoon. High plus 2. Thursday..Cloudy with 60 percent chance of flurries. Windy. Low minus 1. High zero. Friday..Snow mixed with rain. Low minus 6. High minus 1. Saturday..Cloudy with 60 percent chance of flurries. Windy. Low minus 8. High minus 3. Normals for the period..Low minus 8. High zero.
BAD WEATHER IN THESE VANCOUVER PLACES JAN 23,07
Abbotsford ,Campbell,River ,Comox ,Esquimalt ,EstevanPoint ,Gibsons ,Gonzales ,
Hartland ,Kitimat ,Malahat ,Nanaimo ,Pitt Meadows ,Powell River ,Prince Rupert , Sechelt , Squamish ,Stewart ,Terrace ,Tofino ,Ucluelet ,Vancouver ,Victoria ,
White Rock
EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Auckland at risk of simultaneous volcanic eruptions
Tuesday January 23, 2007
Puketutu is one of the volcanoes that may have erupted at the same time as four others. Photo / Martin Sykes.
At least five volcanoes in Auckland were born together and the city remains at risk of further simultaneous eruptions, according to a study released today.The Auckland University results showed that the volcanoes of Puketutu, Crater Hill, Wiri, Mt Richmond and Taylor Hill all erupted within 50 to 100 years of each other, possibly at the same time.The research further suggested that Auckland and some other major cities could be at risk of future simultaneous multiple eruptions, Dr John Cassidy, of the University's School of Geography, Geology and Environmental Science department, said.This is the first evidence that multiple volcanic eruptions in such fields may have occurred at the same time and could have tremendous consequences for people living in these highly active areas.Dr Cassidy said several cities worldwide, including Honolulu and Mexico City, sat on volcanic fields.Most hazard planning for population centres vulnerable to volcanic eruptions assumes a single eruption at any point in time, but this research shows that this is not necessarily the correct course of thinking. The research, funded by the Earthquake Commission, was carried out by studying volcanic rocks which have recorded unusual disturbances in the ancient Earth's magnetic field.- NZPA
DISEASES
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
Norwalk prompts N.L. hospitals to restrict visitors
Last Updated: Monday, January 22, 2007 | 7:07 AM NT CBC News
Health managers in central Newfoundland have instituted strict measures to contain Norwalk virus in their institutions.The Central Health regional authority has stopped allowing visitors at hospitals in Springdale, Baie Verte and New-Wes-Valley, as well as authority-managed nursing homes in Springdale and New-Wes-Valley.As a precautionary measure, visitation is now restricted at the rest of the authority's facilities.Patients at those institutions may have only one visitor at a time, and even then visitors must be an immediate family member over 14.Norwalk, the best known of the norovirus group of viruses, attacks the gastrointestinal system.
Quick to develop and easy to spread, it causes severe diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting, headache and low-grade fever.Earlier this month, Central Health cancelled elective surgeries for several days at the Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre in Grand Falls-Windsor.Central Health has asked volunteers and clergy not to visit any sites in the region.
HLT-WHO-WORLD
WHO says 35 million people die from chronic diseases in '06
GENEVA, Jan 22 (KUNA) A report to the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday that 35 million people died in 2006 as a result of chronic diseases, equivalent to 60 percent of all deaths globally.According to the report presented to the WHO Executive Board in its twice-yearly session which will last through January 30th, these deaths are projected to increase by a further 17 percent over the next decade.The report says that 10.5 million children under the age of five years die every year.
Most of these deaths are from treatable conditions.Treatments exist, but some are not available in dosages that are suitable for children; of those that do exist in appropriate dosages, many are not available in low- and middle-income countries.The Executive Board is comprised of representatives from 34 WHO Member States. (end) hn.bs
Jet With Anti-Missile System Leaves LAX
By JOHN ANTCZAK - Associated Press Writer - January 16, 2007, 11:06 PM EST
LOS ANGELES An MD-10 cargo jet equipped with Northrop Grumman's Guardian anti-missile system took off from Los Angeles International Airport on a commercial flight Tuesday, the company said. The FedEx flight marked the start of operational testing and evaluation of the laser system designed to defend against shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles during takeoffs and landings. Adapted from military technology, Guardian is designed to detect a missile launch and then direct a laser to the seeker system on the head of the missile and disrupt its guidance signals. The laser is not visible and is eye-safe, the company said. For the first time, we will be able to collect valuable logistics data while operating Guardian on aircraft in routine commercial service, said Robert L. DelBoca, vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman's Defensive Systems Division. During the current test phase, which concludes in March 2008, nine MD-10s equipped with the Guardian system will be in commercial service. Katie Lamb-Heinz of Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems said all those aircraft will be freighters. The ultimate goal is to defend passenger airliners.
The testing is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Counter-Man Portable Air Defense Systems program. BAE Systems has also been working for the government on a similar airliner defense system and has successfully tested it. John Pike, a defense analyst at GlobalSecurity.org, an Alexandria, Va., think tank, suggested that development of the system was the lesser of issues for the airline industry.I think the problem is making the numbers work in the sense of figuring out who's going to pay for it, he said. More than capital costs, airlines are likely to be most concerned about the costs of maintenance and aircraft downtime, he said. They've gotten these airliners now (so) that they are just remarkably maintenance-free. They've also gotten these airlines to the point that they've got razor thin margins, he said. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., viewed the plane Monday and said she was encouraged.
This program is very promising because it's already met the operational testing. Now it's a question of how does it actually work in terms of stresses on the system while the airplane is in operation for several hours, said Boxer, a longtime proponent of equipping planes with anti-missile technology. Boxer said her first priority is to equip the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, more than 1,000 commercial
airplanes operated by airlines that contract with the Pentagon to make military flights during emergencies. No passenger plane has ever been downed by a shoulder-fired missile outside of a combat zone.
But terrorists linked with al-Qaida are believed to have fired two SA-7 missiles that narrowly missed an Israeli passenger jet after it took off from Mombasa, Kenya, in November 2002. The first commercial flight with the Guardian system followed 16 months of tests on an MD-11, an MD-10 and a Boeing 747 using simulated launches of shoulder-fired missiles. The Guardian system appears as a pod with eye-like features attached to the belly of the FedEx MD-10, a freight version of what was originally the three-engine widebody DC-10 airliner. DHS gave Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems $45 million each in 2004 to adapt military defense systems to civilian airliners, requiring improvements because military systems need too much maintenance and mistakenly fire too often.
A government report obtained by The Associated Press last summer said that both the Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems prototypes still don't meet the reliability standards set by the DHS, and it could be 20 years before every U.S. passenger airplane has such a system. Billions of dollars would have to be spent to protect all 6,800 commercial U.S. airliners. The report said testing showed that the systems can be installed on commercial aircraft without impairing safety; at least one company can supply 1,000 systems at a cost of $1 million each; and operation and maintenance will cost $365 per flight, above the $300-per-flight goal.
Northrop Grumman said Tuesday that during the 16-month flight test program a ground-based electronic missile surrogate was used to simulate launches and each time Guardian functioned as designed, automatically detecting the simulated launch and mock missile. Had the threats been real, an invisible laser beam safe to humans would have disrupted the missile guidance system and protected the aircraft, the company statement said.Associated Press Writer Erica Werner in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. On the Net: Northrop Grumman: http://www.northropgrumman.com BAE Systems: http://www.baesystems.com
MUSLIM NATIONS
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
Russia, India Set to Conduct Counter-Terrorism Exercises in 2007
Dated 22/1/2007 Russia and India are planning to conduct joint land and naval counter-terrorism exercises in 2007, a Russian Defense Ministry official said Saturday.INDRA-2007 is a biennial joint exercise between the armed forces of Russia and India aimed at coordinating cooperative engagement in the fight against terrorism.The details of the upcoming joint Russian-Indian exercise will be discussed during a visit of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov to India, said Colonel General Anatoly Mazurkevich, head of the Main Directorate for Foreign Military Cooperation.The naval part of INDRA-2007 will be held in April 2007 at the Pacific Ocean involving naval units of the Russian Pacific Fleet and the Indian Navy.The land part of the war games is scheduled for mid-September at the training grounds of the 76th Airborne Division near the city of Pskov in north-western Russia. Paratroopers will practice air drops with live firing, the general said adding that the counter-terrorism exercise will involve a Russian airborne battalion and a company of India paratroopers.The previous joint Russian-Indian exercise, INDRA-2005, was held in India on October 10-20, 2005.Mazurkevich also said the Russian defense minister will discuss bilateral military-technical cooperation during his visit to India on January 22-25.The main topics of talks will include the supply of spare parts to Russian-made military equipment that was previously sold to India and the licensed production of RD-33 jet engines for MiG-29 Fulcrum and Su-30MKI Flanker C fighter aircraft in service with the Indian Air Force, the general said.According to various estimates, the Indian Air Force has up to 65 MiG-29's and 50 Su-30's.
Peretz: Israel ready to negotiate JAN 23,07
JERUSALEM, (UPI) Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz says Israel is ready to negotiate with any Palestinian group that is willing to recognize the right of Israel to exist. That even goes for Hamas, the militant faction that won a majority in the Palestinian parliament. Peretz told a conference Israel must focus on settling the Palestinian issue. I view any Palestinian element recognizing the state of Israel as a partner for negotiation, even if it is Hamas, Peretz told the Herzliya Conference. We have to focus on the Palestinian arena.Peretz, whose hometown of Sderot is a frequent target of rocket attacks, recently asked a top military commander to head a team to come up with recommendations on how to defend against Qassam rockets fired from Gaza, YNetNews reported.
Kuwait media: U.S. military strike on Iran seen by April
www.chinaview.cn 2007-01-14 15:19:28 - Special report: Iran Nuclear Crisis
KUWAIT CITY, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) U.S. might launch a military strike on Iran before April 2007, Kuwait-based daily Arab Times released on Sunday said in a report.The report, written by Arab Times' Editor-in-chief Ahmed al-Jarallah citing a reliable source, said that the attack would be launched from the sea, while Patriot missiles would guard all Arab countries in the Gulf. Recent statements emanating from the United States indicated the Bush administration's new strategy for Iraq doesn't include any proposal to make a compromise or negotiate with Syria or Iran, added the report. The source told al-Jarallah that U.S. President George W. Bush recently had held a meeting with Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other assistants in the White House, where they discussed the plan to attack Iran in minute detail. Vice President Dick Cheney highlighted the threat posed by Iranto not only Saudi Arabia but also the whole Gulf region, according to the source.
Tehran is not playing politics. Iranian leaders are using their country's religious influence to support the aggressive regime's ambition to expand, Dick Cheney was quoted by the source as saying.Indicating participants of the meeting agreed to impose restrictions on the ambitions of Iranian regime before April 2007 without exposing other countries in the region to any danger, the source said they have chosen April as British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said it will be the last month in office for him.
The United States has to take action against Iran and Syria before April 2007.Claiming the attack will be launched from the sea and not from any country in the region, he said the U.S. and its allies will target the oil installations and nuclear facilities of Iran ensuring there is no environmental catastrophe or after effects.The source added that the U.S. has started sending its warships to the Gulf and the build-up would continue until Washington has the required number by the end of this month.U.S. forces in Iraq and other countries in the region will be protected against any Iranian missile attack by an advanced Patriot missile system, the source noted. The Bush administration believes that attacking Iran will create a new power balance in the region, calming down the situation in Iraq and paving the way for their democratic project, which have to be suspended due to the interference of Tehran and Damascus in Iraq, according to the source.Editor: Pan Letian
REBUILT 3RD TEMPLE
REVELATION 11:1-2
1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
DANIEL 9:27
27 And he( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
Muslim leaders say Jews digging under Temple Mount
Ha'aretz - January 23, 2007
The Temple Mount in Jerusalem is the holiest site on earth to Jews, and has been for nearly 3000 years.Muslims, however, who regard the hill as Islam's third holiest site, and who hold de facto control over who does what up there, frequently incite Islamic anger against Israel by spreading rumors about Jewish excavations on or near the Mount.So it is again today as the Israeli Arab Islamic Movement accuses Jews of excavating beneath the Temple Mount.Leaders of the movement levelled their charges Monday, saying Jews had purchased a store from an Arab vendor near the mount and were working to tunnel underneath it.According to Sheikh Ra'ad Salah, Jews were digging in the area so as to create a stranglehold around Al-Aqsa Mosque, in order for the Israeli establishment to fulfill its darkest dreams of building a Jewish Temple. The Israel Antiquities Authority has said that the excavations in question were being carried ut 60 meters from the Temple Mount, and were intended to clear a tunnel that was filled with trash.
CULTS AND FALSE RELIGIONS
1 TIMOTHY 4:1-2
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
MARK 13:22-23
22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.
2 TIMOTHY 3:1-7 SINS OF PEOPLE
2 TIMOTHY 3:1-7
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
DECIEVERS WAXING WORSE AND WORSE.
2 TIMOTHY 3:13
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
HES A BLASPHEMER ( THE EU DICTATOR )
DANIEL 7:25
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
REVELATION 13:5-6
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.What is the spirit of Antichrist, it puts Jesus down exactly what this future EU Dictator will do.
1 John 2:22
22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1 John 4:1-3
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
2 John 7
7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
THIS IS VERY BAD NEWS THIS STORY, BUT THESE PEOPLE ARE FORERUNNERS OF THE ULTIMATE BLASPHEMER THE EU DICTATOR THAT WILL DO THE SAME AND WORSE. ITS THESE PEOPLE THAT WILL GLADLY TAKE THE DICTATORS MARK IN THEIR RIGHT HAND OR FOREHEAD, UNFORTUNATELY THEIR TORMENT OF BURNING WILL BE DAY AND NIGHT FOREVER.
Beliefwatch: Blasphemy JAN 08,07
Hi my name is Lindy and I deny the existence of the Holy Spirit and you should too.
Betting Their Souls: Is there such a thing as an unforgivable sin? Newsweek
Jan. 8, 2006 issue With that five-second submission to YouTube, a 24-year-old who uses the name menotsimple has either condemned herself to an eternity of punishment in the afterlife or struck a courageous blow against superstition.
She's one of more than 400 mostly young people who have joined a campaign by the Web site Blasphemy Challenge.com to stake their souls against the existence of God. That, of course, is the ultimate no-win wager, as the 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal calculated—it can't be settled until you're dead, and if you lose, you go to hell.The Blasphemy Challenge is a joint project of filmmaker Brian Flemming, director of the antireligion documentary The God Who Wasn't There, and Brian Sapient, cofounder of the atheist Web site RationalResponders.com. Their intent was to encourage atheists to come forward and put their souls on the line, showing others that you don't have to be afraid of God. The particular form of the challenge was chosen because, by one interpretation, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, a part of the Christian Trinity, is the only sin that can never be forgiven. And once something you've said gets posted on YouTube, as any number of celebrities can attest, you never live it down.
See what secular teens are saying about religion
For better or worse, though, hell may not be so easy to get into. Despite the seemingly clear language in Mark 3:28-29 (all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven), most theologians are reluctant to pronounce anyone beyond repentance and salvation. Richard Land, a leader of the Southern Baptist Convention, says the passage, read in context, refers to a very narrow and specific definition of blasphemy: maliciously attributing God's miracles to a demon. Merely denying the Holy Spirit, by this reading, doesn't qualify. My response, Land says, would be to
pray for these people: forgive them, [for] they know not what they do'.To which another self-described blasphemer, whose real name is Michael Lawson, replies that he knows exactly what he's doing: he's daring God to send him to hell. We want to show that we really mean it when we say we don't believe a word in this book, he says. He means the Bible.2007 Newsweek, Inc.
Secret talks handing West Bank to Abbas Top diplomatic sources tell WND
historic changes coming in weeks - Posted: January 22, 2007
5:19 p.m. Eastern - By Aaron Klein - 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
JERUSALEM Israel and the Palestinians have been conducting behind-the-scene negotiations regarding handing over most of the West Bank to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, according to top Egyptian and European diplomatic sources who told WND they were directly involved with the talks. The West Bank borders Jerusalem and is within rocket-firing range of Tel Aviv and Israel's international airport. The Egyptian and European sources told WND the negotiations for an Israeli withdrawal were mediated by Egypt and the European Union, with U.S. input. The sources said major changes in Israeli-Palestinian affairs are expected within a few weeks to two months. According to an aid to European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, speaking on condition of anonymity, there will be a historic political evolution and movement in negotiations in the next few weeks and few months, unseen since the Camp David peace talks in 2000.
During the Camp David talks, then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak offered late-Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and eastern sections of Jerusalem. According to the top diplomatic sources speaking to WND, Israel has agreed in principal to hand over most of the West Bank in deal with Abbas. The sources said Israel is studying the transfer of responsibility in the central and southern West Bank to Abbas' security forces, which reportedly are receiving aid, weapons and training from the U.S. They said one proposal being considered for the northern West Bank would see Jordan and the EU supervise the transfer to Abbas' security forces.Still being debated is the role of Hamas, which leads the PA and maintains the majority of seats in the Palestinian parliament. Negotiations between Abbas and Hamas leaders for a national unity government have mostly fallen through.
Yesterday, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz said he viewed any Palestinian elements recognizing the state of Israel as a partner for negotiations even if it is Hamas.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has made similar comments.
So far, Hamas has refused to recognize Israel, but recently offered a 10-year truce with the Jewish state. In a series of interviews this past weekend, Hamas leaders told WND during any 10-year truce period they would build a large Palestinian army and plan for the destruction of Israel. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently announced she is planning to mediate talks between Olmert and Abbas next month. Asked about the alleged behind-the-scenes negotiations to hand over the West Bank, a spokesman in Olmert's office stated he doesn't know about any West Bank withdrawal.
Olmert was elected prime minister on the platform of carrying out a withdrawal from the West Bank, but after this summer's Lebanon war he has stated a West Bank withdrawal would not occur. Olmert in August called the policy of unilateral withdrawal a failure and said it was no longer relevant. But he can argue handing the West Bank to Abbas in an agreement is not unilateral. Regarding a West Bank withdrawal, Israeli Interior Minister Roni Bar-On said this summer, The withdrawal plan is not dead, though its implementation has been postponed. The plan is now on the shelf or in the freezer, but when the time comes it will be accessed.
Several recent public opinion polls showed the majority of Israelis now oppose a West Bank withdrawal. The leaders of Egypt and Jordan have expressed reservations about withdrawal plans, fearing terrorism can spill over into their respective countries. Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000. It had occupied a small section of Lebanon's border with Israel following repeated attacks by Palestinian terrorists in the area. Since the withdrawal, Hezbollah has staged numerous attacks against Israel, including rocket bombardments of civilian population centers, raids against military outposts and ambushes and kidnappings of Israeli troops. Hezbollah built an arsenal in south Lebanon of more than 13,000 short- and medium-range rockets capable of hitting central sections of the Jewish state Israel withdrew last August from the Gaza Strip. Since then, rockets have been fired almost daily into nearby Jewish communities, Hamas has been elected to power and both Israeli and Palestinian officials have stated al-Qaida has infiltrated the territory. Israel says the Palestinians have smuggled hundreds of tons of heavy weaponry into Gaza and are preparing for a large-scale confrontation. Israel in June mounted a major ground invasion of Gaza after Hamas carried out a raid against a military installation in which Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was abducted.
Sceptical countries need to budge on EU constitution, says German FM Tue Jan 23, 8:24 AM ET
BRUSSELS (AFP) The biggest opponents of the European Union's stalled constitution will have to change position if the bloc is to break the deadlock, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has warned. If a compromise is to be reached by the end of the German (EU) presidency, some of them are going to have to move, Steinmeier told the European Parliament's constitutional affairs commission in Brussels on Tuesday.Germany this month assumed the EU's rotating presidency and will hand the baton over to Portugal at the end of June.Steinmeier said that two-thirds of the 27 EU member states have already ratified the constitutional treaty which was brought to a grinding halt in 2005 when Dutch and French voters rejected it in national referendums.We must be aware that some (countries) will have to move more than others, said the German foreign minister.Although he did not cite any particular countries, Britain, the Czech Republic and Poland are widely considered to among those countries most uncomfortable with Germany's efforts to resuscitate the constitution.The German EU presidency has repeatedly said that it hopes to preserve the substance of the treaty, the fruit of three years of laborious talks.We are perfectly aware that there are certain key states where there is some scepticism as regards the whole idea of such a treaty, said Steinmeier.
But a presidency (of the EU) cannot avoid the fact that two thirds of member states have ratified the treaty; you have to reconcile the interests of the sceptics with those that have already ratified the treaty, he added.Berlin has asked all EU member states to nominate representatives for closed-door talks on the issue, in a bid to reach agreement on the way forward or at least to learn each nation's bottom line on the matter.However some members of the European Parliament have called on Germany to display more transparency in its search for a way out of the constitutional impasse.Steinmeier stressed that at first Germany was going to engage in a phase of secret consultations, with member states.These talks should begin this week at the sherpa level among the 27 EU member states.Steinmeier admitted that the objective of EU leaders to find a solution to the problem ahead of the next European Parliament elections in 2009 was ambitious.Given the time needed for some countries to ratify any agreement that could mean sorting out all the details a year and a half before the European elections, meaning by the end of this year or mid-2008, he said.But he added that he saw no virtue in pushing back the schedule.It is important to keep the pressure on. For the moment, there is no reason to increase the margins, increase the timetable, he said.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING
BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
New rules for the Middle East game
By Raanan Eliaz JAN 23,07 Haaretz
The current discussions about the future of American foreign policy in the Middle East touch directly upon Israel-U.S. relations. U.S. policymakers, however, have not yet given enough consideration to the unprecedented weight that the European Union increasingly exerts in the region. In the case of Israel as well as on other U.S. fronts, no durable progress is reachable without the agreement, not to say the active involvement, of the slowly uniting Europe. A historic window of opportunity may be brought on by the development of the EU over the past decades, the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East to include a nuclear threat, and the volatility of the U.S. role in the region. In view of this, the United States should realize the strategic value of gradually integrating Israel into the European Union. Although a full membership is not in the cards at the moment, the EU becoming Israel's second losest strategic ally, alongside the U.S., is in everybody's best interests. Over the next decade or two, relations between the U.S., the EU and Israel should be progressively formulated anew. Despite America's significant role in facilitating Israel's just struggle to survive, it has failed to ensure the county's lasting longevity and independence. Regardless of the Bush administration's intentions, Israel's strategic position has deteriorated on multiple fronts. It is still the most powerful in terms of military might, but present day Israel has to rely on America more than ever before in order to secure its political standing and its military superiority. Most tragically, Israel's peace offerings of its scarce land to Egyptian and Palestinian neighbors have not led it to better integration into the Middle East. The current Iranian nuclear threat only materializes a wider, existential fragility that Israel has failed to eliminate.
Although the U.S. still has the power to exert a unique leverage that no other outside party can, it is becoming clear that in order to stabilize the Middle East, the U.S. simply cannot go it alone.
Increasingly, the EU complements and in some cases, assumes, the U.S.'s traditional third party role in the region. For example, on the macro level, the EU took on a leading role in the Middle East Quartet and as chief negotiator with Iran, and on the micro level, the EU has an active presence in southern Lebanon and Gaza, and has, on several occasions, attempted to revive negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Europe has a clear interest in stabilizing its backyard and it can offer incentives and exert leverages the U.S. cannot. Nevertheless, the dialogue between Israel and the EU lacks strategic vision and sincere willingness to work together. In dealing with Europe, Israel is preoccupied with planning preventive measures instead of embarking proactively in shaping its future. The EU, still heavily engaged in solving internal crises, cannot follow through its own foreign policy initiatives. Only the U.S. can help both parties to shift gears.Such paradigmatic change in course will involve the creation of a durable transatlantic Middle East policy that will introduce new rules to the region's game. With the required massive financial, political and military investment, all pragmatic Arab countries would be encouraged to work together with Israel toward an agreed-upon settlement. Creative solutions may include offering NATO-like regional security guarantees, the establishment of sustainable economic incentives, and multilateral territorial swaps.
It is doubtful whether the current U.S. administration, alongside weak leaderships in the Middle East and an unfocused EU, will be able to promote such an ambitious agenda. But in order for this positive dramatic shift to assume shape over the next generation, now is the time to start preparing the ground. Raanan Eliaz, former Coordinator at the Israeli National Security Council, is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, and a consultant on European-Israeli Affairs.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
GOG IS RUSSIAN LEADER
1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS.2-Strong earthquakes rock Indonesia's Papua. 3-Earthquake in Indonesia leaves 4 dead 4-The Nation's Weather. 5-Solana: There is chance to launch new political process in Mideast. 6-Rice flirts with new ideas for Mideast peace. 7-EU, Arabs want final solution to Israel question. 8-E.U. faces split on police powers. 9-Commissioner criticises Berlin's constitutional revival method. 10-Russian General Calls Planned US Anti-Missile Radar a Threat. 11-Chief Rabbi of Tzfat: Prepare to Return to Gaza. 12-Vessel leaks 200 tonnes of fuel. 13-The Coming War with Russia.
ITS DAY 1 OF WHAT SHOULD BE A YEAR LONG TRIAL OF THE MURDERER OF PROSTITUTES, ROBERT PICKTON IN BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Tue Jan 23 12:05 AM EDT
JAN 23,07
MAP 3.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.0 TONGA
MAP 3.0 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
JAN 22,07
MAP 2.6 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 5.4 BISMARCK SEA
MAP 5.3 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.9 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 5.3 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.3 SIMEULUE, INDONESIA
MAP 4.9 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.4 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.7 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.8 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.4 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.2 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.7 NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA
MAP 3.0 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.9 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.6 NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF PAPUA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.3 NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF PAPUA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.5 MOLUCCA SEA
JAN 21,07
MAP 5.6 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.7 GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.1 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.9 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 5.1 HALMAHERA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.5 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.6 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 6.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.1 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.7 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.6 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.9 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.5 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.8 OFFSHORE NAYARIT, MEXICO
MAP 5.1 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.9 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.0 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.7 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.0 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.7 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.8 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.9 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.9 ARIZONA
MAP 5.6 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 7.5 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.1 EASTERN TURKEY
Strong earthquakes rock Indonesia's Papua Mon Jan 22, 2:30 AM ET
JAKARTA (AFP) - Two strong earthquakes of 5.5 and 6.0 magnitude hit Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua just minutes apart Monday but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, seismologists said. The first quake of 5.5 magnitude hit at 1:27 pm (0427 GMT) and was centered some 570 kilometres (360 miles) west of the provincial capital Jayapura at a depth of 33 kilometres, said Fadly Yusuf from the meteorology agency headquarters here.The second quake struck at 1:33 pm and was centered about 390 kilometres west of Jayapura at a depth of 64 kilometres.Yusuf said there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.The head of the Papua geophysics office Slamet Suyitno was quoted by ElShinta radio as saying the quakes was likely to have damaged houses.The earthquakes followed a major undersea quake that hit Sulawesi island on Sunday evening and left one person killed, two injured but caused no serious damage.
Aftershocks continued to rattle the area.
More than 10 aftershocks have been recorded since the initial earthquake, with the strongest, a magnitude 6.0, striking at 3:50 am (1950 GMT Sunday), said Bayu at the meteorology agency in Jakarta.The initial 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck North Sulawesi province at 7:27 pm Sunday and was centered 160 kilometres (100 miles) southeast of the city of Manado, some 50 kilometres under the sea, the meteorology agency said.A police spokesman in North Sulawesi said one man died of a heart attack while two others were hospitalised after jumping from the second floor of a building in the panic sparked by the quake.But the spokesman, Benny Bella, said there had been no significant damage, saying: Only small cracks on walls and broken window panels were reported.The most recent aftershock, with a magnitude of 5.0, struck at 7:06 am, Bayu said.Sunday's major earthquake triggered panic in cities and towns across Northern Sulawesi, with residents fearful of a repeat of the December 2004 quake-triggered Asian tsunami that devastated Indonesia.People were seen running for higher ground immediately following the quake.The Indonesian archipelago sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where continental plates meet, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.Some 168,000 people were killed in Indonesia's Aceh province in the 2004 tsunami.
Earthquake in Indonesia leaves 4 dead JAN 22,07
MANADO, Indonesia - A powerful earthquake in northeastern Indonesia left four people dead and four injured when it rattled buildings, causing panicked residents to flee homes, churches and shopping malls, officials and witnesses said Monday.
Three men died after collapsing as they fled their houses Sunday in seaside Tuminting neighborhood in northern Manado, a regional capital on Sulawesi island, said Hani Solang, a subdistrict chief.The fourth dead victim was a woman who suffered a heart attack, apparently triggered by the shock of the quake, and one of those hurt broke his leg after jumping from the fourth floor of a building, said a doctor in Manado.The U.S. Geological Survey put the earthquake at magnitude 7.3 and the Indonesian seismological institute issued a tsunami alert via television and radio, but the feared wave never came.The quake struck six miles beneath the Molucca Sea and was centered 80 miles from the Maluku capital of Ternate and 1,400 miles northeast of the capital of Jakarta, the USGS said.
Some buildings in Manado were left with cracks and other damage.Tsunami fears sent hundreds of people running inland to higher ground or racing off in cars and on motorcycles, causing massive traffic jams, witnesses said.Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.In December 2004, a massive earthquake off Indonesia's Sumatra island triggered a tsunami that battered much of the Indian Ocean coastline and killed more than 230,000 people 131,000 of them in Indonesia's Aceh province alone.A tsunami off Java island last year killed nearly 5,000.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
The Nation's Weather By WEATHER UNDERGROUND, For The Associated Press
Mon Jan 22, 6:30 AM ET
Forecasters predicted snow, sleet and freezing rain across the Northeast on Monday, while ice was expected in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and rain in the Southeast. Temperatures were expected to warm slightly in the East, rising above freezing in New York and northern New England.In the northwestern Plains, above normal temperatures were anticipated.In the West, snow was forecast across the Four Corners states, but the West Coast was expected to be sunny and mild, especially California. Some rain was expected to the north and east of Seattle.Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Sunday ranged from a low of minus 24 degrees at Saranac Lake, N.Y., to a high of 85 degrees at Punta Gorda, Fla.On the Net:Weather Underground: http://www.wunderground.com National Weather Service: http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov. Intellicast: http://www.intellicast.com
POL-JORDAN-EU-SOLANA
Solana: There is chance to launch new political process in Mideast
AMMAN, Jan 21 (KUNA) EU senior politician and Middle East expert said there is an opportunity to launch a new political process and resolve the Middle East conflict.There is an opportunity that should not be missed to improve living conditions of the Palestinians or open a political process to settle the conflict, EU foreign policy Chief Javier Solana said during a news conference at the conclusion of his visit to Jordan on Sunday. What we need is the political will. Time has come to change the method and approach of crisis management that has been followed so far and replace it by conflict resolution, he said.We know very well that the crisis management method has not yielded fruit; rather it has prolonged and deepened suffering of the people, said Solana before heading for Tel Aviv, the second leg of his Middle East tour.He added that the tour was aimed to rally friends in the Arab world and wield efforts and political will to start this political process as soon as possible.
Europe would like to start a political process that gives the perspective to the people, the Palestinians and the countries in the region that a solution can be reached, Solana told reporters.He said his talks with officials in the United States and in the region showed that they have had the needed political will. He added next Thursday he will meet U.S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and will have talks with the Quartet Committee in February in addition to his talks with leaders from the region with the main objective is to bring about the needed momentum and to give the political process a push forward.King Abdullah II of Jordan is playing a pivotal role in peace making and can influence events in more than way, he said.Answering a question on Israels measures designed to complicate the situation for the Palestinians, Solana said We have to put aside the crisis management approach, which has brought all these difficulties, and take another path.There is a lot that should be done to improve Palestinian peoples lives and restore stability, he added.
In reply to a question on the proposed temporary Palestinian state Solana said The Palestinian people are clear; they dont want a temporary state, noting that negotiating a temporary state would take the same amount of effort and time needed to discuss the final status solution. He hoped that this what he would see in Israel.Earlier in the day, King Abdullah affirmed the importance of the European Unions role in pushing the peace process forward and creating a relevant climate for the Palestinian and Israelis to return to the negotiating table.
During a meeting with Solana, the King urged Europe to back efforts designed to reinvigorate the peace process due to its importance in finding a permanent solution for the Palestinian issue, which is the core of the conflict in the region, a Jordanian royal court statement said.King Abdullah said there was an urgent need to activate the role of the International Quartet leading to the establishment of the aspired for peace that is based on international legitimacy resolutions, and the Arab peace initiative.The current climate is relevant to re-start the peace process between the Palestinians and Israelis, he said, stressing the need to seize every opportunity to achieve this goal.Solanas tour to the region, which would also cover the Palestinian lands is designed to remove obstacles facing the resumption of peace process before the International Quartets meeting in New York next month. (end) ab.bzKUNA 212133
Rice flirts with new ideas for Mideast peace
AFP January 21, 2007 MIDEAST TIMES
PLAN FOR PEACE: US State Secretary Condoleeza Rice plans to introduce a Mideast peace plan initiative next month. (REUETRS) WASHINGTON US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice embarks on a high-profile campaign to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks next month, but with no signs Washington is ready for a radical break with an approach that has proved fruitless for the past six years. Pushed to take a greater role in peacemaking by European and Arab allies and under intense pressure for a foreign policy success in light of the Iraq quagmire, Rice announced during her recent Middle East tour that she will broker a rare summit meeting between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in February. Washington will also host a meeting February 2 of the so-called Quartet of Middle East mediators whose 2003 road map for achieving Palestinian statehood and peace with Israel has languished since its inception. Rice said during a week-long trip to the Middle East and Europe that her aim was to accelerate implementation of the three-phase road map put forward by the United States, European Union, United Nations, and Russia.
The parties never made it past the map's first stage which, reflecting the post-September 11 US war on terrorism, required the Palestinians to halt militant attacks on Israel while requiring the Jewish state to freeze settlement activity - neither of which happened. Rice has indicated a new US willingness to move beyond the road map's strict sequencing, which gave radical militants an effective veto power over progress since attacks on Israel were enough to bring the process to a halt. Everybody understands the obligations in it, but we'd gotten to a place that it was stalled, because if they weren't making progress on the first phase of the road map, then you couldn't talk about the end of the road map and what might lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state, she said.
Instead, Washington has expressed a willingness to deal simultaneously with the confidence-building measures embodied at the start of the road map and talks on end-game issues like the shape and institutions of a Palestinian state. The revised approach reflects in part a 2002 Saudi peace plan centered on Arab states recognizing Israel in exchange for Israel withdrawing to its pre-1967 borders. But Rice, whose immediate focus is on bringing together the moderate Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to advance a possible deal, has side stepped tough questions about each man's political weakness.
Abbas and his secular Fatah party are locked in a power struggle with the radical Islamic movement Hamas, which controls the Palestinian government and has refused to recognize Israel.
Olmert's popularity has plummeted since Israel's perceived mishandling of a July-August war against Lebanon's Islamic militia, Hezbollah. While showing in interest in exploring some peacemaking ideas that President George W. Bush has previously shunned, Rice made clear over the past week that she was not ready to break the administration's taboo on engaging directly with Syria and Iran over their support for the Islamic radicals. She also insisted she would not follow her predecessors in the kind of shuttle diplomacy used by past US administrations in their efforts to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. You don't build the possibility for breakthroughs on something as intractable as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by five months of shuttle diplomacy,she told reporters accompanying her on the recent tour. There has to be a process of laying groundwork and I think we've been laying groundwork and we'll see if we've laid enough groundwork to actually produce a breakthrough, she said. I do think there's already been progress,she added. Rice argued that a realignment of forces in the Middle East caused by moderates on all sides seeing their common interest in countering the spread of Iranian-backed Islamic radicalism has created new possibilities for peace. You sense that the tectonic plates underneath this conflict have shifted, she said.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
EU, Arabs want final solution to Israel question
By Stan Goodenough - January 21, 2007
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Sunday all the parties to the Middle East peace process he had recently met with were ready to now re-launch that process because they have the political will to make it happen.Speaking in Amman, Jordan, before leaving for a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem Sunday evening, Solana said a final status solution was the goal now sought by the states of the European Union and the Middle East.Solana has long sought to position himself and the EU – sometimes called the revived Roman Empire – in a more pivotal position in Middle East peace-making and nudge the United States somewhat to the side.
The final status solution he is pushing for contrasts with the approach taken by visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last week. She sought Palestinian agreement to the idea of setting up a state with temporary borders in the short term, but this was rebuffed by the PA.Before he left Jordan, Solana heard King Abd’allah stress his belief that the EU should upgrade its role in the peace process. The monarch also expressed the hope that the role of the Quartet, scheduled to meet again on February 2, would be reactivated.A number of political leaders have publicly expressed their belief that resolving the Israel-Palestinian conflict is the key to bringing peace to the Middle East and to the world.Finding a final solution to this question is thus becomeing a top priority for the international community.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING
BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
E.U. faces split on police powers
David Rose JAN 22,07
The European Union faces a damaging split over moves led by Germany to impose a radical law and order package. If enacted into European legislation, it would allow armed police to operate with impunity outside their home countries, privatised armed sky marshals on civilian flights and a wide range of joint operations against alleged illegal migrants. Confidential documents show that Germany also wants to permit undercover officers working with criminal gangs to roam unrestricted across European borders. The plans are provoking opposition in London and among senior police officers. Many of them recall how, in 1996, a Dutch parliamentary inquiry revealed that tonnes of illegal drugs had been exported from the Netherlands to Britain with the assistance of Dutch undercover agents, who had allowed informants to run amok. We have learnt the hard way how difficult it is to regulate undercover
operations, one source said, citing a series of high-profile British Customs and Excise cases that collapsed in the Court of Appeal after irregularities came to light. We need to be extremely wary.
Germany's plans which first came to light at a meeting of E.U. Justice and Home Affairs Ministers in Dresden last week threaten to derail or delay other measures allowing European police forces to share data, such as DNA and fingerprints. These have provoked criticism from civil liberties activists, but have found broad agreement among Governments. Sources who attended the meeting say the Germans present holders of the E.U. presidency appeared to expect unanimous endorsement. Instead, they encountered solid opposition in key areas from Britain, Sweden and the Czech Republic. Further talks will be held in Brussels next month. The German package began as the Treaty of Prum, an agreement signed in the German town of that name between Germany, France, Austria and four other countries in 2005 but never negotiated by E.U. policy-making bodies. There was no consultation with the European Parliament which scrutinises law and order measures. - Guardian Newspapers Limited 2007
Commissioner criticises Berlin's constitutional revival method
22.01.2007 - 09:29 CET | By Helena Spongenberg
EUOBSERVER / BERLIN – EU communications commissioner Margot Wallström has voiced concern at plans by the German EU presidency to only involve governments in the revived talks on the bloc's constitution.Berlin has to invite and open up and say this is not something that will go on only behind closed doors…they might even get some good ideas from civil society groups or anyone with an interest [in the constitution], the commissioner told EUobserver in Berlin after a communications conference on Friday (19 January).Without engaging the citizens, this project will never succeed. You have to anchor it with ordinary citizens and especially if there are to be more referenda, she added.Her comments come after Chancellor Angela Merkel made it clear to MEPs last week that she did not intend to have broad consultations on the constitution, rather focussing on confidential talks with governments to speed up the process.
Ms Wallström admitted that in the end few people are likely to actually put pen to paper to draft the new-look document but pressed for as many people as possible to be involved until the drafting moment.I think that everyone realises that…if you want to write a declaration of this kind – that has to be a short snappy document with some political weight - you cannot have too many people involved in the specific drafting of it.But they have to signal that until that moment where they have to sit down and actually do the drafting they are always willing to listen.The Swedish commissioner also said she was against the idea of an EU-wide referendum on the constitution saying that the bloc has many different democratic traditions on the issue. I don't think this is realistic at all.
In Germany, it is against the law to hold referendums at the federal level while in some countries – such as Denmark and Ireland – a referendum is obligatory for issues concerning the country's sovereignty.Speaking more generally about the EU and how it is communicated to citizens, Ms Wallström once again criticised ministers from across the 27-member union accusing them of blaming Brussels for issues that are difficult to sell at home.I've been a minister myself, I know exactly the temptation of going home and explain - hopefully always - that you have actually won against Brussels.[The EU] is a huge compromise machine that works on a weekly basis where ministers meet, she said, adding that sometimes you have to take responsibility and more often you have to take the responsibility to explain why this compromise was a good thing for Europe and how this happened.You cannot do one thing in Brussels and then go home and pretend or defend something else, Ms Wallström stressed. I think this is too often the case as it is today.
In defence of commissioners
Ms Wallström also commented on a recent debate, started by German commissioner Günter Verheugen, that smaller member states should give up their commissioners to make the EU commission function more smoothly, amid discussion that it has become too unwieldy with 27 members.
The fact that we are more commissioners has not affected our work in a negative way, she said.On the contrary, we have been able to actually deliver more, she went on adding that instead of changing the amount of commissioners, the Brussels executive should rather become more flexible in working across differentpolicies.Commissioners from small member states are doing a great job and have important portfolios, she said.
Russian General Calls Planned US Anti-Missile Radar a Threat
By VOA News 22 January 2007
A Russian general says placing elements of a U.S. anti-missile system in Poland and the Czech Republic would be a clear threat to Moscow.
Lieutenant General Vladimir Popovkin, the chief of Russia's Space Forces, disputed the U.S. contention that the system's sole aim was to defend Europe against intercontinental missiles fired by hostile states outside the region.Poland and the Czech Republic have agreed to start detailed discussions with Washington on hosting anti-missile defenses. Russian officials have repeatedly opposed the project, calling it a veiled attempt to change the strategic balance between Russia and the West.Both Poland and the Czech Republic are former communist Warsaw Pact countries that are now NATO members.Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
Chief Rabbi of Tzfat: Prepare to Return to Gaza
By Ezra HaLevi INN JAN 22,07
Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, chief rabbi of Tzfat and son of Israel’s former chief rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, has issued a serious call for 100 brave volunteers to lead Israel’s return to Gaza. We need to take the initiative, we need to return to Gush Katif, Rabbi Eliyahu wrote in the Maayanei HaYeshuah weekly Torah sheet, distributed to synagogues across the country. It's time to save the country from the corrupt ones, the followers of Ariel Sharon.Rabbi Eliyahu did not stop at calling for others to implement his vision, but spelled out the plan. We need 100 brave people who will bring sleeping bags and equipment, he explained. We will go to N’vei Dealim, or some other community. It is ours… What is the worst that could happen? We'll be kicked out? We will return again - and another seven times… Eventually the truth will lead the way.The rabbi explained that the root of the corruption and lies that have engulfed the country and depressed its inhabitants is the lies and deceit that enabled the expulsion.We were kicked out by the use of disinformation and it is time to put the truth back in its rightful place, he said. If you were told tomorrow that behind Olmert's decision to back the 'Disengagement' stood money – lots of money, which he received under the table – would you fall off of your seats? Probably not. And if you were told that this money was European, coming from anti-Semitic or Arab organizations, it would not be surprising.
POISONED WATERS
REVELATION 8:8-11
8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood:(bitter,Poisoned) and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.(poisoned)
REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they(False World Church and Dictator) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
Vessel leaks 200 tonnes of fuel JAN 22,07
There are pollution fears after oil leaked from the MSC Napoli
Some 200 tonnes of oil have leaked from a fuel tank on the stricken cargo ship MSC Napoli, beached off the Devon coast, coastguards have confirmed.
The ship has also lost some 200 containers overboard, including two holding dangerous but low-risk goods. A sheen of oil eight kilometres (five miles) long is now on the sea surface. The ship suffered structural damage during Thursday's storms and was deliberately beached off Branscombe to stop it sinking in deep water. It is sharply listing and there are fears it could capsize and break up at any time. An operation to pump the remaining oil on board is due to begin on Monday morning. The remaining containers could also then be winched off.
3,500 tonnes of oil
The 62,000 tonne vessel was carrying 2,323 containers, 158 of which are classed as having potentially hazardous contents. We have an extremely sensitive bit of coastline; we are dealing with a World Heritage Site Julian Wardlaw, Environment Agency. Fears of harm to local area Of the 200 that have gone overboard, one contained battery acid and perfumes, and one small gas bottles for car airbags. Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman Paul Coley said these were considered dangerous goods but for us they're low-risk.Others housed a variety of goods including BMW motorbikes and car parts. Not all of the containers have been found and some have broken up. Some may have sunk while others could be far out to sea. The ship also contains a further 3,500 tonnes of heavy fuel oil in tanks, but coastguards believe these have not split.
They believe 200 tonnes is close to the maximum that will leak out of the ship's engine room.
Sensitive coastline
The ship was being towed to Portland Harbour in Dorset for a salvage operation, but on Friday coastguards decided to beach it because of its structural damage - a fracture on both sides. An eight-person salvage team is on board, and a team of divers is being flown in to join them.
Environmental damage is so far said to be minimal. Three oil-covered birds have been found. Residents in nearby Sidmouth have spoken of the concern about the leak. One man told the BBC: It's a real worry that we could get pollution and there's a lot of wildlife lives on these shores, and certain rare sea birds.Julian Wardlaw, of the Environment Agency, said: We have an extremely sensitive bit of coastline; we are dealing with a World Heritage Site and we are working to make sure that damage is minimised.Meanwhile, it has emerged that the ship previously ran aground off Singapore in 2001.
Some of the containers from the vessel have come ashore It was previously named CMA-CGM Normandie and ran aground in the Strait of Malacca in 2001. The ship subsequently had to undergo major repairs in Vietnam, according to Tore Hoifodt, senior vice president at DNV, which classes and inspects cargo ships. People who may find a washed-up container are being asked to stay well clear and report it to Portland Coastguard on 01305 760439.
A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE NEWSLETTER
The Coming War with Russia JAN 22,07
Russia will invade Israel at a time when war is not expected.
Students of Bible prophecy have long expected a Russian military move in the Middle East. Early in the 20th century, Dr. Ironside wrote. In the last days, the final head of the Russian people will look with covetous eyes upon the great developments in the land of Palestine. They will determine that Russia must have her part of the wealth there produced. Consequently, we have the picture of a vast army, augmented by warriors from Persia, Cush, Phut, marching down toward Palestine.Aggressors in Conflict
But why have prophetic experts come to this conclusion?
The reasons are found in chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel's prophecy. There a devastating war is described that takes place in the Middle East involving Israel, Russia, and a number of other nations.
The following is Ezekiel's indictment of the aggressors in the conflict:And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of amour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands: and many people with thee... (Ezekiel 38:1 - 6)
It is no secret that the majority of prophetic speakers and writers identify the prime mover among these nations named by Ezekiel as Russia. Millions of booklets, pamphlets, and books have been circulated describing the coming war between Russia and Israel.
But is there hard evidence that the conclusions of these students of prophecy are correct?Did Ezekiel really foresee Russia rising as a military power in the end time and having a special interest in the Middle East, or have present-day writers and speakers simply used today's international tensions as an opportunity to sell books and attract crowds?Is the public the victim of ecclesiastical opportunists who have themselves set the stage for what they describe as the end-time drama?How can anyone be sure that Ezekiel's prophecy has anything to do with modern nations when the words used in his description of this conflict are so unfamiliar to today's Bible reader?Who is Gog? Where is the land of Magog? Where would one look on a map to find the cities of Meshech and Tubal? To what nations did Ezekiel refer when he wrote of Gomer and Togarmah?Unless these questions can be answered satisfactorily, there is good reason to question the conclusions being so widely accepted and promoted in our time.
Convincing Evidence
Let us begin at the beginning. A table of nations is given in Genesis 10. At the opening of this important chapter, we are confronted with the key names in Ezekiel's prophecy: Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras (Genesis 10:1, 2).These key verses describe the repopulating of the earth after the flood. It was the custom in ancient times for the descendents of a man to adopt his name for their tribe. Understanding this, historians and Bible students have been able to trace the movements of some of the tribes and know where their descendents can be found today. Using this system, the editors of the Scofield Reference Bible have furnished the following information about the names that concern us in the table of nations:
Magog -- From Magog are descended the ancient Scythians or Tarters, whose descendents predominate in modern Russia.
Tubal -- Tubal's descendents peopled the region south of the Black Sea from whence they spread north and south. It is probable that Tobolsk perpetuates the tribal name.
Meshech -- Progenitor of a race mentioned in connection with Tubal, Magog, and other northern nations. Broadly speaking, Russia, excluding the conquests of Peter the Great and his successors, is the modern land of Magog, Tubal, and Meshech.The Scofield Reference Bible was published in 1909. These notes alone let us know that the identification of Russia as the main aggressor in Ezekiel's end-time battle is not the conclusion of prophetic opportunists. But there is more.In the orient al tongue, the name of the Caucasus Mountains that run through Russia means Fort of Gog or Gog's last stand. If you were to ask a Russian what he calls the heights of the Caucasus Mountains, he would say, the Gogh.
The evidence builds.
The word that is translated chief' in Ezekiel 38:3 is Rosh in the Hebrew language. For centuries prophetic scholars have generally agreed that the word Rosh is a proper name. Allowing this long-accepted conclusion in the translation of this verse would make it read, And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the Rosh prince of Meshech and Tubal.
But who is Rosh?
Rosh was the name of the tribe dwelling in the area of the Volga. And Rosh is the word for Russia today in some languages of the world. In Belgium and Holland it is Rus. Here, abbreviated, it's Russ, and often appears in that form in the headlines of newspapers. An understanding of this truth moved Robert Lowth, Bishop of London two hundred years ago, to write: Rosh, taken as a proper name in Ezekiel signifies the inhabitants of Scythia from whom the modern Russians derive their modern name. The name Russia dates only fro m the seventeenth century and was formed from the ancient name Russ.It is clear then that Ezekiel was delivering a warning to the Russian prince (leader) of Meshech and Tubal.We have already seen from Scofield's notes of 1909 that Tubal is the root of the name Tobolsk, but what about Meshech? In his note on Ezekiel 38:2, Scofield continues his work of identification, stating: That the primary reference is to the northern European powers headed by Russia, all agree... Gog is the prince, Magog his land, the reference to Meshech and Tubal (Moscow and Tobolsk) is a clear mark of identification.
As has been already shown, Dr. Scofield was by no means the first to come to this conclusion. In 1890, Arno C. Gaebelein wrote a book on Ezekiel. Commenting on chapters 38 and 39, he declared: This is Russia, Moscow, and Tobolsk.Another important voice of the past is that of Josephus. In Book I, Chapter VI of his work, this historian who lived almost two thousand years ago stated that the Scythians were called Magogites by the Greeks. Why is that important? The Scythians populated Russia.It is little wonder then that the weight of prophetic scholarship has gone with the conclusion that Russia is the chief aggressor named by Ezekiel in this end-time war with Israel. The allies of Russia in that fierce conflict will be Persia (Iran and Iraq), Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer (Eastern Germany and Slovakia), and Togarmah (Turkey).It is interesting that Daniel adds Egypt to the names of nations coming against Israel and the final world dictator, so that the invasion includes attacks from the north and the south, as well as the prospect of trouble from the east (see Dan. 11:40-44).There is no need to marshal the scholars of the past to confirm the place or purpose of this war. Ezekiel explained:
After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is broug ht forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them (Ezek. 38:8).What a clear and up-to-date description of Israel! She is certainly the land that is brought back from the sword -- gathered out of many people -- a former wasteland -- brought forth out of the nations.
The invaders of Israel will come with immense air power: Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee (Ezek. 38:9).
They will also come in full confidence of victory:
And thou shalt say, I will go u p to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that well in the midst of the land (Ezek. 38:11,12).We will continue our study in this next week.
ITS DAY 1 OF WHAT SHOULD BE A YEAR LONG TRIAL OF THE MURDERER OF PROSTITUTES, ROBERT PICKTON IN BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Tue Jan 23 12:05 AM EDT
JAN 23,07
MAP 3.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.0 TONGA
MAP 3.0 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
JAN 22,07
MAP 2.6 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 5.4 BISMARCK SEA
MAP 5.3 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.9 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 5.3 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.3 SIMEULUE, INDONESIA
MAP 4.9 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 3.4 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.7 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.8 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.4 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.2 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.7 NEAR THE COAST OF NICARAGUA
MAP 3.0 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.9 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.6 NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF PAPUA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.3 NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF PAPUA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.5 MOLUCCA SEA
JAN 21,07
MAP 5.6 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.7 GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.1 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.9 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 5.1 HALMAHERA, INDONESIA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.5 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.6 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 6.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.1 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.7 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.6 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.9 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.5 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.8 OFFSHORE NAYARIT, MEXICO
MAP 5.1 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.9 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.0 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.7 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.0 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.7 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.8 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.9 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.9 ARIZONA
MAP 5.6 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 7.5 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.1 EASTERN TURKEY
Strong earthquakes rock Indonesia's Papua Mon Jan 22, 2:30 AM ET
JAKARTA (AFP) - Two strong earthquakes of 5.5 and 6.0 magnitude hit Indonesia's easternmost province of Papua just minutes apart Monday but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties, seismologists said. The first quake of 5.5 magnitude hit at 1:27 pm (0427 GMT) and was centered some 570 kilometres (360 miles) west of the provincial capital Jayapura at a depth of 33 kilometres, said Fadly Yusuf from the meteorology agency headquarters here.The second quake struck at 1:33 pm and was centered about 390 kilometres west of Jayapura at a depth of 64 kilometres.Yusuf said there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.The head of the Papua geophysics office Slamet Suyitno was quoted by ElShinta radio as saying the quakes was likely to have damaged houses.The earthquakes followed a major undersea quake that hit Sulawesi island on Sunday evening and left one person killed, two injured but caused no serious damage.
Aftershocks continued to rattle the area.
More than 10 aftershocks have been recorded since the initial earthquake, with the strongest, a magnitude 6.0, striking at 3:50 am (1950 GMT Sunday), said Bayu at the meteorology agency in Jakarta.The initial 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck North Sulawesi province at 7:27 pm Sunday and was centered 160 kilometres (100 miles) southeast of the city of Manado, some 50 kilometres under the sea, the meteorology agency said.A police spokesman in North Sulawesi said one man died of a heart attack while two others were hospitalised after jumping from the second floor of a building in the panic sparked by the quake.But the spokesman, Benny Bella, said there had been no significant damage, saying: Only small cracks on walls and broken window panels were reported.The most recent aftershock, with a magnitude of 5.0, struck at 7:06 am, Bayu said.Sunday's major earthquake triggered panic in cities and towns across Northern Sulawesi, with residents fearful of a repeat of the December 2004 quake-triggered Asian tsunami that devastated Indonesia.People were seen running for higher ground immediately following the quake.The Indonesian archipelago sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where continental plates meet, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.Some 168,000 people were killed in Indonesia's Aceh province in the 2004 tsunami.
Earthquake in Indonesia leaves 4 dead JAN 22,07
MANADO, Indonesia - A powerful earthquake in northeastern Indonesia left four people dead and four injured when it rattled buildings, causing panicked residents to flee homes, churches and shopping malls, officials and witnesses said Monday.
Three men died after collapsing as they fled their houses Sunday in seaside Tuminting neighborhood in northern Manado, a regional capital on Sulawesi island, said Hani Solang, a subdistrict chief.The fourth dead victim was a woman who suffered a heart attack, apparently triggered by the shock of the quake, and one of those hurt broke his leg after jumping from the fourth floor of a building, said a doctor in Manado.The U.S. Geological Survey put the earthquake at magnitude 7.3 and the Indonesian seismological institute issued a tsunami alert via television and radio, but the feared wave never came.The quake struck six miles beneath the Molucca Sea and was centered 80 miles from the Maluku capital of Ternate and 1,400 miles northeast of the capital of Jakarta, the USGS said.
Some buildings in Manado were left with cracks and other damage.Tsunami fears sent hundreds of people running inland to higher ground or racing off in cars and on motorcycles, causing massive traffic jams, witnesses said.Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.In December 2004, a massive earthquake off Indonesia's Sumatra island triggered a tsunami that battered much of the Indian Ocean coastline and killed more than 230,000 people 131,000 of them in Indonesia's Aceh province alone.A tsunami off Java island last year killed nearly 5,000.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
The Nation's Weather By WEATHER UNDERGROUND, For The Associated Press
Mon Jan 22, 6:30 AM ET
Forecasters predicted snow, sleet and freezing rain across the Northeast on Monday, while ice was expected in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and rain in the Southeast. Temperatures were expected to warm slightly in the East, rising above freezing in New York and northern New England.In the northwestern Plains, above normal temperatures were anticipated.In the West, snow was forecast across the Four Corners states, but the West Coast was expected to be sunny and mild, especially California. Some rain was expected to the north and east of Seattle.Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Sunday ranged from a low of minus 24 degrees at Saranac Lake, N.Y., to a high of 85 degrees at Punta Gorda, Fla.On the Net:Weather Underground: http://www.wunderground.com National Weather Service: http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov. Intellicast: http://www.intellicast.com
POL-JORDAN-EU-SOLANA
Solana: There is chance to launch new political process in Mideast
AMMAN, Jan 21 (KUNA) EU senior politician and Middle East expert said there is an opportunity to launch a new political process and resolve the Middle East conflict.There is an opportunity that should not be missed to improve living conditions of the Palestinians or open a political process to settle the conflict, EU foreign policy Chief Javier Solana said during a news conference at the conclusion of his visit to Jordan on Sunday. What we need is the political will. Time has come to change the method and approach of crisis management that has been followed so far and replace it by conflict resolution, he said.We know very well that the crisis management method has not yielded fruit; rather it has prolonged and deepened suffering of the people, said Solana before heading for Tel Aviv, the second leg of his Middle East tour.He added that the tour was aimed to rally friends in the Arab world and wield efforts and political will to start this political process as soon as possible.
Europe would like to start a political process that gives the perspective to the people, the Palestinians and the countries in the region that a solution can be reached, Solana told reporters.He said his talks with officials in the United States and in the region showed that they have had the needed political will. He added next Thursday he will meet U.S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and will have talks with the Quartet Committee in February in addition to his talks with leaders from the region with the main objective is to bring about the needed momentum and to give the political process a push forward.King Abdullah II of Jordan is playing a pivotal role in peace making and can influence events in more than way, he said.Answering a question on Israels measures designed to complicate the situation for the Palestinians, Solana said We have to put aside the crisis management approach, which has brought all these difficulties, and take another path.There is a lot that should be done to improve Palestinian peoples lives and restore stability, he added.
In reply to a question on the proposed temporary Palestinian state Solana said The Palestinian people are clear; they dont want a temporary state, noting that negotiating a temporary state would take the same amount of effort and time needed to discuss the final status solution. He hoped that this what he would see in Israel.Earlier in the day, King Abdullah affirmed the importance of the European Unions role in pushing the peace process forward and creating a relevant climate for the Palestinian and Israelis to return to the negotiating table.
During a meeting with Solana, the King urged Europe to back efforts designed to reinvigorate the peace process due to its importance in finding a permanent solution for the Palestinian issue, which is the core of the conflict in the region, a Jordanian royal court statement said.King Abdullah said there was an urgent need to activate the role of the International Quartet leading to the establishment of the aspired for peace that is based on international legitimacy resolutions, and the Arab peace initiative.The current climate is relevant to re-start the peace process between the Palestinians and Israelis, he said, stressing the need to seize every opportunity to achieve this goal.Solanas tour to the region, which would also cover the Palestinian lands is designed to remove obstacles facing the resumption of peace process before the International Quartets meeting in New York next month. (end) ab.bzKUNA 212133
Rice flirts with new ideas for Mideast peace
AFP January 21, 2007 MIDEAST TIMES
PLAN FOR PEACE: US State Secretary Condoleeza Rice plans to introduce a Mideast peace plan initiative next month. (REUETRS) WASHINGTON US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice embarks on a high-profile campaign to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks next month, but with no signs Washington is ready for a radical break with an approach that has proved fruitless for the past six years. Pushed to take a greater role in peacemaking by European and Arab allies and under intense pressure for a foreign policy success in light of the Iraq quagmire, Rice announced during her recent Middle East tour that she will broker a rare summit meeting between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in February. Washington will also host a meeting February 2 of the so-called Quartet of Middle East mediators whose 2003 road map for achieving Palestinian statehood and peace with Israel has languished since its inception. Rice said during a week-long trip to the Middle East and Europe that her aim was to accelerate implementation of the three-phase road map put forward by the United States, European Union, United Nations, and Russia.
The parties never made it past the map's first stage which, reflecting the post-September 11 US war on terrorism, required the Palestinians to halt militant attacks on Israel while requiring the Jewish state to freeze settlement activity - neither of which happened. Rice has indicated a new US willingness to move beyond the road map's strict sequencing, which gave radical militants an effective veto power over progress since attacks on Israel were enough to bring the process to a halt. Everybody understands the obligations in it, but we'd gotten to a place that it was stalled, because if they weren't making progress on the first phase of the road map, then you couldn't talk about the end of the road map and what might lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state, she said.
Instead, Washington has expressed a willingness to deal simultaneously with the confidence-building measures embodied at the start of the road map and talks on end-game issues like the shape and institutions of a Palestinian state. The revised approach reflects in part a 2002 Saudi peace plan centered on Arab states recognizing Israel in exchange for Israel withdrawing to its pre-1967 borders. But Rice, whose immediate focus is on bringing together the moderate Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to advance a possible deal, has side stepped tough questions about each man's political weakness.
Abbas and his secular Fatah party are locked in a power struggle with the radical Islamic movement Hamas, which controls the Palestinian government and has refused to recognize Israel.
Olmert's popularity has plummeted since Israel's perceived mishandling of a July-August war against Lebanon's Islamic militia, Hezbollah. While showing in interest in exploring some peacemaking ideas that President George W. Bush has previously shunned, Rice made clear over the past week that she was not ready to break the administration's taboo on engaging directly with Syria and Iran over their support for the Islamic radicals. She also insisted she would not follow her predecessors in the kind of shuttle diplomacy used by past US administrations in their efforts to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. You don't build the possibility for breakthroughs on something as intractable as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by five months of shuttle diplomacy,she told reporters accompanying her on the recent tour. There has to be a process of laying groundwork and I think we've been laying groundwork and we'll see if we've laid enough groundwork to actually produce a breakthrough, she said. I do think there's already been progress,she added. Rice argued that a realignment of forces in the Middle East caused by moderates on all sides seeing their common interest in countering the spread of Iranian-backed Islamic radicalism has created new possibilities for peace. You sense that the tectonic plates underneath this conflict have shifted, she said.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
EU, Arabs want final solution to Israel question
By Stan Goodenough - January 21, 2007
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Sunday all the parties to the Middle East peace process he had recently met with were ready to now re-launch that process because they have the political will to make it happen.Speaking in Amman, Jordan, before leaving for a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem Sunday evening, Solana said a final status solution was the goal now sought by the states of the European Union and the Middle East.Solana has long sought to position himself and the EU – sometimes called the revived Roman Empire – in a more pivotal position in Middle East peace-making and nudge the United States somewhat to the side.
The final status solution he is pushing for contrasts with the approach taken by visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice last week. She sought Palestinian agreement to the idea of setting up a state with temporary borders in the short term, but this was rebuffed by the PA.Before he left Jordan, Solana heard King Abd’allah stress his belief that the EU should upgrade its role in the peace process. The monarch also expressed the hope that the role of the Quartet, scheduled to meet again on February 2, would be reactivated.A number of political leaders have publicly expressed their belief that resolving the Israel-Palestinian conflict is the key to bringing peace to the Middle East and to the world.Finding a final solution to this question is thus becomeing a top priority for the international community.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING
BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
E.U. faces split on police powers
David Rose JAN 22,07
The European Union faces a damaging split over moves led by Germany to impose a radical law and order package. If enacted into European legislation, it would allow armed police to operate with impunity outside their home countries, privatised armed sky marshals on civilian flights and a wide range of joint operations against alleged illegal migrants. Confidential documents show that Germany also wants to permit undercover officers working with criminal gangs to roam unrestricted across European borders. The plans are provoking opposition in London and among senior police officers. Many of them recall how, in 1996, a Dutch parliamentary inquiry revealed that tonnes of illegal drugs had been exported from the Netherlands to Britain with the assistance of Dutch undercover agents, who had allowed informants to run amok. We have learnt the hard way how difficult it is to regulate undercover
operations, one source said, citing a series of high-profile British Customs and Excise cases that collapsed in the Court of Appeal after irregularities came to light. We need to be extremely wary.
Germany's plans which first came to light at a meeting of E.U. Justice and Home Affairs Ministers in Dresden last week threaten to derail or delay other measures allowing European police forces to share data, such as DNA and fingerprints. These have provoked criticism from civil liberties activists, but have found broad agreement among Governments. Sources who attended the meeting say the Germans present holders of the E.U. presidency appeared to expect unanimous endorsement. Instead, they encountered solid opposition in key areas from Britain, Sweden and the Czech Republic. Further talks will be held in Brussels next month. The German package began as the Treaty of Prum, an agreement signed in the German town of that name between Germany, France, Austria and four other countries in 2005 but never negotiated by E.U. policy-making bodies. There was no consultation with the European Parliament which scrutinises law and order measures. - Guardian Newspapers Limited 2007
Commissioner criticises Berlin's constitutional revival method
22.01.2007 - 09:29 CET | By Helena Spongenberg
EUOBSERVER / BERLIN – EU communications commissioner Margot Wallström has voiced concern at plans by the German EU presidency to only involve governments in the revived talks on the bloc's constitution.Berlin has to invite and open up and say this is not something that will go on only behind closed doors…they might even get some good ideas from civil society groups or anyone with an interest [in the constitution], the commissioner told EUobserver in Berlin after a communications conference on Friday (19 January).Without engaging the citizens, this project will never succeed. You have to anchor it with ordinary citizens and especially if there are to be more referenda, she added.Her comments come after Chancellor Angela Merkel made it clear to MEPs last week that she did not intend to have broad consultations on the constitution, rather focussing on confidential talks with governments to speed up the process.
Ms Wallström admitted that in the end few people are likely to actually put pen to paper to draft the new-look document but pressed for as many people as possible to be involved until the drafting moment.I think that everyone realises that…if you want to write a declaration of this kind – that has to be a short snappy document with some political weight - you cannot have too many people involved in the specific drafting of it.But they have to signal that until that moment where they have to sit down and actually do the drafting they are always willing to listen.The Swedish commissioner also said she was against the idea of an EU-wide referendum on the constitution saying that the bloc has many different democratic traditions on the issue. I don't think this is realistic at all.
In Germany, it is against the law to hold referendums at the federal level while in some countries – such as Denmark and Ireland – a referendum is obligatory for issues concerning the country's sovereignty.Speaking more generally about the EU and how it is communicated to citizens, Ms Wallström once again criticised ministers from across the 27-member union accusing them of blaming Brussels for issues that are difficult to sell at home.I've been a minister myself, I know exactly the temptation of going home and explain - hopefully always - that you have actually won against Brussels.[The EU] is a huge compromise machine that works on a weekly basis where ministers meet, she said, adding that sometimes you have to take responsibility and more often you have to take the responsibility to explain why this compromise was a good thing for Europe and how this happened.You cannot do one thing in Brussels and then go home and pretend or defend something else, Ms Wallström stressed. I think this is too often the case as it is today.
In defence of commissioners
Ms Wallström also commented on a recent debate, started by German commissioner Günter Verheugen, that smaller member states should give up their commissioners to make the EU commission function more smoothly, amid discussion that it has become too unwieldy with 27 members.
The fact that we are more commissioners has not affected our work in a negative way, she said.On the contrary, we have been able to actually deliver more, she went on adding that instead of changing the amount of commissioners, the Brussels executive should rather become more flexible in working across differentpolicies.Commissioners from small member states are doing a great job and have important portfolios, she said.
Russian General Calls Planned US Anti-Missile Radar a Threat
By VOA News 22 January 2007
A Russian general says placing elements of a U.S. anti-missile system in Poland and the Czech Republic would be a clear threat to Moscow.
Lieutenant General Vladimir Popovkin, the chief of Russia's Space Forces, disputed the U.S. contention that the system's sole aim was to defend Europe against intercontinental missiles fired by hostile states outside the region.Poland and the Czech Republic have agreed to start detailed discussions with Washington on hosting anti-missile defenses. Russian officials have repeatedly opposed the project, calling it a veiled attempt to change the strategic balance between Russia and the West.Both Poland and the Czech Republic are former communist Warsaw Pact countries that are now NATO members.Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
Chief Rabbi of Tzfat: Prepare to Return to Gaza
By Ezra HaLevi INN JAN 22,07
Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, chief rabbi of Tzfat and son of Israel’s former chief rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, has issued a serious call for 100 brave volunteers to lead Israel’s return to Gaza. We need to take the initiative, we need to return to Gush Katif, Rabbi Eliyahu wrote in the Maayanei HaYeshuah weekly Torah sheet, distributed to synagogues across the country. It's time to save the country from the corrupt ones, the followers of Ariel Sharon.Rabbi Eliyahu did not stop at calling for others to implement his vision, but spelled out the plan. We need 100 brave people who will bring sleeping bags and equipment, he explained. We will go to N’vei Dealim, or some other community. It is ours… What is the worst that could happen? We'll be kicked out? We will return again - and another seven times… Eventually the truth will lead the way.The rabbi explained that the root of the corruption and lies that have engulfed the country and depressed its inhabitants is the lies and deceit that enabled the expulsion.We were kicked out by the use of disinformation and it is time to put the truth back in its rightful place, he said. If you were told tomorrow that behind Olmert's decision to back the 'Disengagement' stood money – lots of money, which he received under the table – would you fall off of your seats? Probably not. And if you were told that this money was European, coming from anti-Semitic or Arab organizations, it would not be surprising.
POISONED WATERS
REVELATION 8:8-11
8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood:(bitter,Poisoned) and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.(poisoned)
REVELATION 16:3-7
3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.(enviromentalists won't like this result)
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they(False World Church and Dictator) have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
Vessel leaks 200 tonnes of fuel JAN 22,07
There are pollution fears after oil leaked from the MSC Napoli
Some 200 tonnes of oil have leaked from a fuel tank on the stricken cargo ship MSC Napoli, beached off the Devon coast, coastguards have confirmed.
The ship has also lost some 200 containers overboard, including two holding dangerous but low-risk goods. A sheen of oil eight kilometres (five miles) long is now on the sea surface. The ship suffered structural damage during Thursday's storms and was deliberately beached off Branscombe to stop it sinking in deep water. It is sharply listing and there are fears it could capsize and break up at any time. An operation to pump the remaining oil on board is due to begin on Monday morning. The remaining containers could also then be winched off.
3,500 tonnes of oil
The 62,000 tonne vessel was carrying 2,323 containers, 158 of which are classed as having potentially hazardous contents. We have an extremely sensitive bit of coastline; we are dealing with a World Heritage Site Julian Wardlaw, Environment Agency. Fears of harm to local area Of the 200 that have gone overboard, one contained battery acid and perfumes, and one small gas bottles for car airbags. Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman Paul Coley said these were considered dangerous goods but for us they're low-risk.Others housed a variety of goods including BMW motorbikes and car parts. Not all of the containers have been found and some have broken up. Some may have sunk while others could be far out to sea. The ship also contains a further 3,500 tonnes of heavy fuel oil in tanks, but coastguards believe these have not split.
They believe 200 tonnes is close to the maximum that will leak out of the ship's engine room.
Sensitive coastline
The ship was being towed to Portland Harbour in Dorset for a salvage operation, but on Friday coastguards decided to beach it because of its structural damage - a fracture on both sides. An eight-person salvage team is on board, and a team of divers is being flown in to join them.
Environmental damage is so far said to be minimal. Three oil-covered birds have been found. Residents in nearby Sidmouth have spoken of the concern about the leak. One man told the BBC: It's a real worry that we could get pollution and there's a lot of wildlife lives on these shores, and certain rare sea birds.Julian Wardlaw, of the Environment Agency, said: We have an extremely sensitive bit of coastline; we are dealing with a World Heritage Site and we are working to make sure that damage is minimised.Meanwhile, it has emerged that the ship previously ran aground off Singapore in 2001.
Some of the containers from the vessel have come ashore It was previously named CMA-CGM Normandie and ran aground in the Strait of Malacca in 2001. The ship subsequently had to undergo major repairs in Vietnam, according to Tore Hoifodt, senior vice president at DNV, which classes and inspects cargo ships. People who may find a washed-up container are being asked to stay well clear and report it to Portland Coastguard on 01305 760439.
A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE NEWSLETTER
The Coming War with Russia JAN 22,07
Russia will invade Israel at a time when war is not expected.
Students of Bible prophecy have long expected a Russian military move in the Middle East. Early in the 20th century, Dr. Ironside wrote. In the last days, the final head of the Russian people will look with covetous eyes upon the great developments in the land of Palestine. They will determine that Russia must have her part of the wealth there produced. Consequently, we have the picture of a vast army, augmented by warriors from Persia, Cush, Phut, marching down toward Palestine.Aggressors in Conflict
But why have prophetic experts come to this conclusion?
The reasons are found in chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel's prophecy. There a devastating war is described that takes place in the Middle East involving Israel, Russia, and a number of other nations.
The following is Ezekiel's indictment of the aggressors in the conflict:And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of amour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands: and many people with thee... (Ezekiel 38:1 - 6)
It is no secret that the majority of prophetic speakers and writers identify the prime mover among these nations named by Ezekiel as Russia. Millions of booklets, pamphlets, and books have been circulated describing the coming war between Russia and Israel.
But is there hard evidence that the conclusions of these students of prophecy are correct?Did Ezekiel really foresee Russia rising as a military power in the end time and having a special interest in the Middle East, or have present-day writers and speakers simply used today's international tensions as an opportunity to sell books and attract crowds?Is the public the victim of ecclesiastical opportunists who have themselves set the stage for what they describe as the end-time drama?How can anyone be sure that Ezekiel's prophecy has anything to do with modern nations when the words used in his description of this conflict are so unfamiliar to today's Bible reader?Who is Gog? Where is the land of Magog? Where would one look on a map to find the cities of Meshech and Tubal? To what nations did Ezekiel refer when he wrote of Gomer and Togarmah?Unless these questions can be answered satisfactorily, there is good reason to question the conclusions being so widely accepted and promoted in our time.
Convincing Evidence
Let us begin at the beginning. A table of nations is given in Genesis 10. At the opening of this important chapter, we are confronted with the key names in Ezekiel's prophecy: Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras (Genesis 10:1, 2).These key verses describe the repopulating of the earth after the flood. It was the custom in ancient times for the descendents of a man to adopt his name for their tribe. Understanding this, historians and Bible students have been able to trace the movements of some of the tribes and know where their descendents can be found today. Using this system, the editors of the Scofield Reference Bible have furnished the following information about the names that concern us in the table of nations:
Magog -- From Magog are descended the ancient Scythians or Tarters, whose descendents predominate in modern Russia.
Tubal -- Tubal's descendents peopled the region south of the Black Sea from whence they spread north and south. It is probable that Tobolsk perpetuates the tribal name.
Meshech -- Progenitor of a race mentioned in connection with Tubal, Magog, and other northern nations. Broadly speaking, Russia, excluding the conquests of Peter the Great and his successors, is the modern land of Magog, Tubal, and Meshech.The Scofield Reference Bible was published in 1909. These notes alone let us know that the identification of Russia as the main aggressor in Ezekiel's end-time battle is not the conclusion of prophetic opportunists. But there is more.In the orient al tongue, the name of the Caucasus Mountains that run through Russia means Fort of Gog or Gog's last stand. If you were to ask a Russian what he calls the heights of the Caucasus Mountains, he would say, the Gogh.
The evidence builds.
The word that is translated chief' in Ezekiel 38:3 is Rosh in the Hebrew language. For centuries prophetic scholars have generally agreed that the word Rosh is a proper name. Allowing this long-accepted conclusion in the translation of this verse would make it read, And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the Rosh prince of Meshech and Tubal.
But who is Rosh?
Rosh was the name of the tribe dwelling in the area of the Volga. And Rosh is the word for Russia today in some languages of the world. In Belgium and Holland it is Rus. Here, abbreviated, it's Russ, and often appears in that form in the headlines of newspapers. An understanding of this truth moved Robert Lowth, Bishop of London two hundred years ago, to write: Rosh, taken as a proper name in Ezekiel signifies the inhabitants of Scythia from whom the modern Russians derive their modern name. The name Russia dates only fro m the seventeenth century and was formed from the ancient name Russ.It is clear then that Ezekiel was delivering a warning to the Russian prince (leader) of Meshech and Tubal.We have already seen from Scofield's notes of 1909 that Tubal is the root of the name Tobolsk, but what about Meshech? In his note on Ezekiel 38:2, Scofield continues his work of identification, stating: That the primary reference is to the northern European powers headed by Russia, all agree... Gog is the prince, Magog his land, the reference to Meshech and Tubal (Moscow and Tobolsk) is a clear mark of identification.
As has been already shown, Dr. Scofield was by no means the first to come to this conclusion. In 1890, Arno C. Gaebelein wrote a book on Ezekiel. Commenting on chapters 38 and 39, he declared: This is Russia, Moscow, and Tobolsk.Another important voice of the past is that of Josephus. In Book I, Chapter VI of his work, this historian who lived almost two thousand years ago stated that the Scythians were called Magogites by the Greeks. Why is that important? The Scythians populated Russia.It is little wonder then that the weight of prophetic scholarship has gone with the conclusion that Russia is the chief aggressor named by Ezekiel in this end-time war with Israel. The allies of Russia in that fierce conflict will be Persia (Iran and Iraq), Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer (Eastern Germany and Slovakia), and Togarmah (Turkey).It is interesting that Daniel adds Egypt to the names of nations coming against Israel and the final world dictator, so that the invasion includes attacks from the north and the south, as well as the prospect of trouble from the east (see Dan. 11:40-44).There is no need to marshal the scholars of the past to confirm the place or purpose of this war. Ezekiel explained:
After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is broug ht forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them (Ezek. 38:8).What a clear and up-to-date description of Israel! She is certainly the land that is brought back from the sword -- gathered out of many people -- a former wasteland -- brought forth out of the nations.
The invaders of Israel will come with immense air power: Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee (Ezek. 38:9).
They will also come in full confidence of victory:
And thou shalt say, I will go u p to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that well in the midst of the land (Ezek. 38:11,12).We will continue our study in this next week.
Monday, January 22, 2007
BIBI WORLD STOP IRAN
1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS. 2-Strong Indonesia earthquake panics residents. 3-Quake causes damage in eastern Turkey. 4-Moderate quake rattles eastern S.Korea. 5-The Nation's Weather By WEATHER UNDERGROUND. 6-Midwest snow, Mid-Atlantic mix, southern rain. 7-High winds, heavy snow battering Maritime region. 8-Palestinian PM says U.S. aims to topple his govt. 9-Merkel meets Putin for EU energy security talks. 10-Iran plans to conduct missile war games. 11-Vatican seeks ties with China. 12-Israel Again Impatient to Make Peace - Even Without Partner. 13-Ex-PM Netanyahu Calls on World to Stop Iran.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Mon Jan 22 12:06 AM EDT
JAN 22,07 NO QUAKES YET
JAN 21,07
MAP 6.1 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.1 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.7 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.6 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.9 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.5 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.8 OFFSHORE NAYARIT, MEXICO
MAP 5.8 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.9 ARIZONA
MAP 7.3 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.1 EASTERN TURKEY
JAN 20,07
MAP 3.2 NORTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.3 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 3.1 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 3.1 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.7 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.4 SOUTH KOREA
MAP 3.3 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.8 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 OREGON
MAP 2.6 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 5.8 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.9 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 4.8 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.9 BANDA SEA
MAP 2.7 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 2.6 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
Strong Indonesia earthquake panics residents Sun Jan 21, 9:28 AM ET
MANADO, Indonesia (Reuters) - A strong earthquake shook buildings in an Indonesian provincial capital on Sunday evening, sending residents fleeing from their homes, witnesses said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties from the magnitude 7.3 quake but local television said some buildings were cracked in Manado, a city of 400,000 people in northern Sulawesi island, 2,200 km (1,365 miles) northeast of Jakarta.People panicked and ran out of their homes. They are still outside their homes, a Reuters witness said about 30 minutes after the quake struck in the Molucca Sea, 165 km (100 miles) east of Manado near the northern tip of Sulawesi.The tremors lasted about a minute, he said.Arifin, a teacher in the north Moluccas capital of Ternate, said people there had fled to high ground in fear of a tsunami, but none had materialized.
The U.S. Geological Survey Web site put the quake's magnitude at 7.3 while Indonesia's meteorology and geophysics agency gave its strength as 6.5 on the Richter scale and initially said it could pose a tsunami risk.But agency official Nurpuji told Reuters later: There is no report of significant damage so far.Poor communications in Indonesia often mean information on a disaster's impact is considerably delayed.The USGS said the quake had occurred at 7:27 p.m. (1127 GMT).A massive tsunami triggered by a quake in the Indian Ocean in December 2004 left about 170,000 people dead or missing in Indonesia's Aceh province in Sumatra.(Additional reporting by Telly Nathalia in Jakarta)
Quake causes damage in eastern Turkey Sun Jan 21, 5:32 AM ET
ANKARA (AFP) - An earthquake measuring 5.0 on the open-ended Richter scale has jolted the eastern Turkish province of Agri, causing damage in several villages. Buildings in several villages were damaged. We have no information so far about injuries or deaths, Agri Governor Halil Ibrahim Akpinar told NTV television.The epicenter of the tremor, which hit at 9:38 am (0738 GMT), was at the town of Tutak, near the borders with Armenia and Iran, the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory said Sunday.
The tremor sparked panic among residents, sending them running into the streets, the Anatolia news agency reported.The authorities are looking into the situation across the province, Akpinar said, adding that snowed roads in some areas were creating difficulties.Tutak Mayor Bulent Osman Agaoglu told Anatolia that the walls of several houses in three nearby villages were cracked and the windows of many buildings shattered.Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which is crossed by several major fault lines.Two violent temblors in the heavily populated, industrialised northwest of the country claimed about 20,000 lives in August and November 1999.
Moderate quake rattles eastern S.Korea Sun Jan 21, 12:05 AM ET
SEOUL, South Korea - A moderate earthquake shook eastern South Korea but no injuries or damage were reported, the country's emergency agency said Sunday.
The magnitude-4.8 quake hit about 9 p.m. local time Saturday and was centered 14 miles west of Gangneung, a coastal city about 150 miles east of Seoul, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.Three minor aftershocks were also reported, the agency said.Unlike quake-prone Japan, South Korea is considered relatively safe from earthquakes. Saturday's was one of the strongest temblors to hit South Korea since 1978, when a 5.2-magnitude quake hit, the agency said.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
The Nation's Weather By WEATHER UNDERGROUND, For The Associated Press Sun Jan 21, 5:14 AM ET
Forecasters predicted more than a half foot of snow in the central Plains and widespread rain from the lower Mississippi Valley to the Southeast on Sunday.More snow was predicted for the Rockies and the Southwest, and the white stuff was also expected in parts of New England. Areas of freezing rain were possible in the Mid-Atlantic.In the Northwest, rain and, in mountainous areas, snow, were expected in parts of Washington and Idaho.Temperatures in the Southeast were expected to rise into the 50s and 60s, while temperatures were expected to reach only as high as the 30s in the northern Plains, upper Midwest, Rockies and Northeast.Temperatures in the Northwest were expected to reach into the 40s, and inland areas of California were expected to rise into 60s.Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Saturday ranged from a low of minus 19 degrees at Wakefield, Mich., to a high of 81 degrees at Naples, Fla.
Midwest snow, Mid-Atlantic mix, southern rain Mark Avery, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel Sun Jan 21, 10:06 AM ET
Midwest
A winter storm that brought snow to the Texas Panhandle north and eastward into western Missouri on Saturday continues to move through the Midwest today. Snow is possible from the Dakotas to western Pennsylvania. The heaviest snow is expected over Lower Michigan and from southeastern Ohio into central West Virginia. Along the Ohio River, snow could mix with sleet during the day.
Temperatures are expected to remain seasonably cool all across the region today, with the only above average temperatures expected over Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, and northern North Dakota. The next chance of precipitation comes into the region on Tuesday in the Red River Valley of the North and in Michigan in the form of some light snow showers, increasing in coverage on Wednesday through the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys. More snow is possible near the Great Lakes on Thursday.
South
The South stands to get some heavy rain today. The heaviest rains should fall over the Louisiana coast, southern Mississippi, most of Alabama, northern Georgia, eastern and middle Tennessee, and upstate South Carolina. A mix of rain, sleet, and snow is possible in the North Carolina mountains and Piedmont, southern Virginia, and the mountains of Tennessee and Kentucky. Rain will persist into Monday and Tuesday near the Gulf Coast. A storm system is forecast to develop in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday and bring more rain across the region on Wednesday and Thursday, with colder air moving in Thursday and Friday.
Northeast.
The Northeast is break from the winds of Saturday. Gusts over 40 mph were common across the region, with the highest being at Mount Washington, New Hampshire, at 121 mph. Today should be dry day with the only precipitation (light snow) being found in western Pennsylvania into Maryland. The next best chance of snow comes Tuesday through Thursday with a clipper system and lake effect snows after the system moves through. Temperatures should moderate through mid-week, with another cool down expected by the end of the week.
West
More snow is expected in the Rockies today, with the heaviest snows expected in Wyoming and central Colorado. This snow will help to prolong the snow pack in Denver, which has had measurable snow (1 inch or more) on the ground since December, 21st, or 31 straight days and counting: this is Denver's 9th longest streak of days with snow on the ground (the longest being 63 straight days, set between November 26, 1983, and January 27, 1984). Along the West Coast, some light showers are possible in Washington and Oregon today. In the Southwest, Southern California will see an increased fire danger today due to Santa Ana winds. Most of the week ahead should remain dry across the West, with snow possible in New Mexico on Monday
High winds, heavy snow battering Maritime region
Updated Fri. Jan. 19 2007 11:32 PM ET - CTV.ca News Staff
High winds mixed with heavy snow and rain are battering parts of the Maritimes on Friday as a blast of winter pummels the region.The forecast is calling for at least 30 centimetres of snow in some areas, up to 40 millimetres of rain in other places, and winds gusting to at least 90 kilometres an hour.We did get about 10 centimetres of snow in just a few short hours. Now, of course, that has turned slick and slushy and just in time for the rush hour traffic. So it has changed things around the region quite a bit, CTV Atlantic's Jodi Cooke reported from Moncton.In fact, the Confederation Bridge, the 18-kilometre long bridge that takes you into Prince Edward Island, was closed for about an hour today to high vehicles and it's actually remaining closed to trucks right now, she said Friday afternoon.Norval McConnell of School District 2 says they made the right decision to cancel class.
This morning at 5 o'clock, when we were in the position that a decision needed to be made, those were the conditions projected and in several of the areas of our school district, that's exactly what we're facing, he told CTV Atlantic.In New Brunswick, all schools are closed in the area covering Fredericton, Oromocto and Woodstock.The Fredericton-Oromocto area is expecting 10 centimetres of snow before it changes to rain and then back to snow.The transit system in Fredericton has taken all buses off the road shortly after 5 p.m. Friday, Cooke said.The Stanley-Doaktown area could see up to 25 centimetres of snow by late tonight.Meanwhile, Prince Edward Island is expected to receive more than 15 centimetres of snow, before it turns to rain.CTV Meteorologist Peter Coade says this winter storm divides the Maritimes in two. It's pretty much moving up the Bay of Fundy, and we're seeing mostly snow in New Brunswick and mostly rain in Prince Edward Island and in Nova Scotia, he said. But not everyone is unhappy with the weather, like Rick Snyder.Snyder says business at his ski shop has already improved, thanks to what he calls white gold.We expect a gold rush, hopefully. We see it already since Tuesday's storm people are in buying skis and snowshoes. Now that they can use them, they don't mind spending the money, he said.With a report from CTV Atlantic's Jodi Cooke and files from The Canadian Press
MUSLIM NATIONS
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Palestinian PM says U.S. aims to topple his govt By Nidal al-Mughrabi JAN 21,07
GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said on Sunday the United States was determined to bring down his government despite the Islamist group's standing offer of a long-term truce with Israel. Haniyeh, speaking before talks in Damascus between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, reiterated that any such accommodation with Israel did not entail recognition of the Jewish state.We accept a Palestinian state on the lands (Israel) occupied in 1967, but in return for a long-term truce and not recognition, Haniyeh said in a speech.He described the offer as an alternative to Western demands for Hamas to recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept existing interim peace agreements.
With respect to the resistance, we say that there is calm, Haniyeh said. As for the agreements, we say there is respect for them.A Gaza ceasefire in November sharply reduced rocket attacks launched by militants against southern Israel and Israeli forces halted an offensive in the coastal territory.Calling for a dialogue with the Quartet of Middle East peace mediators the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations Haniyeh urged the international community to lift an aid boycott against the Hamas-led government.
But he said the United States and other members of the Quartet practically and effectively want to bring down the government, which came to power in elections last year.Aides to Abbas and Meshaal said in Damascus the two leaders hoped their meeting would ease a Palestinian political crisis that has led to fighting between Hamas and Fatah in Gaza and the West Bank.Talks between Hamas and Fatah on forming a unity government broke down last year and Abbas called for new elections, balloting which Hamas said would be tantamount to a coup.While the two factions spar, the United States and Israel have been trying to bolster Abbas in his struggle against Hamas.Washington has put together an $86 million U.S. program to strengthen Abbas's presidential guard and Israel transferred $100 million in withheld Palestinian tax revenues to the moderate leader on Friday.
Merkel meets Putin for EU energy security talks by Valerie Leroux JAN 21,07
SOCHI, Russia (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has met with President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi for talks set to focus on securing guarantees for energy supplies to the European Union. Merkel was the first foreign leader to visit Russia after an oil dispute between Russia and Belarus earlier this month that hampered supplies to western Europe and further eroded trust in Moscow as an energy partner.
The European Union depends on Russia for a quarter of its energy needs and EU leaders have announced plans to include energy guarantees in a new partnership agreement due to be worked out with Russia.Taking into account our good relations with Germany, we very much expect your presidency of the EU will help us build relations with other countries and the organisation as a whole, Putin told Merkel at the start of the meeting Sunday.During the oil row, Merkel had criticised Moscow's sudden suspension of oil deliveries through Belarus, saying: That repeatedly destroys confidence and you cannot build cooperation based on true mutual trust in this way.Germany has traditionally been Russia's main ally in the European Union and the two are key trade partners but relations appear cooler than under Merkel's predecessor,Gerhard Schroeder, who was openly friendly with Putin.
The disputes with Ukraine and Belarus have raised concern. Moscow cannot be indifferent, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a recent interview with the German daily General Anzeiger.Escalations like the ones we have seen must be avoided, Steinmeier said.Another issue on the agenda will be a timetable for partnership talks between the European Union and Russia, which have been held up by Warsaw in protest against a Russian ban on meat imports from EU newcomer Poland.
Merkel said on Saturday that the issue of the embargo, which Russia says is due to food safety concerns, had been resolved. A Russian veterinary official said on Sunday that the row had been resolved in principle.Merkel and Putin were also expected to discuss efforts to revive the Middle East peace process andinternational diplomacy surrounding Iran's nuclear ambitions, officials said.Merkel is set to hold talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on the sidelines of the Davos economic forum in Switzerland on Wednesday and will meet King Abdullah II of Jordan on January 28.On January 1, Germany assumed the six-month presidency of the 27-member EU and the chairmanship for 2007 of the Group of Eight major economies comprising Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.
Iran plans to conduct missile war games By NASSER KARIMI, Associated Press Writer Sun Jan 21, 9:08 AM ET
TEHRAN, Iran /Iran plans three days of military maneuvers, including short-range missile tests, beginning Sunday its first since the U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions against it in late December, state-run television said. The elite Revolutionary Guards plans to begin a three-day missile maneuver on Sunday near Garmsar city, said the broadcast.
The city is located in northern Iran on the edge of Kavir desert, about 60 miles southeast of Tehran.Zalzal and Fajr-5 missiles will be test fired in the war game, the television quoted an unnamed commander of the guards, as saying. Both are considered short-range missiles.Iran conducted three large-scale military exercises last year as tensions with the West and the United States rose.In November, for example, it test-fired dozens of missiles, including the Shahab-3 that can reach Israel, in military maneuvers that it said were aimed at putting a stop to the role of world powers in the Persian Gulf region.Sunday's maneuvers are to be the first by Iran since the U.N. Security Council imposed limited sanctions on the country on Dec. 23, banning selling materials andtechnology that could be used in Iran's nuclear and missile programs and freezing assets abroad of 10 Iranian companies and individuals.
Iran regularly holds large maneuvers, often using them to test weapons developed by its arms industry.The latest Iranian maneuvers also come just days after the U.S. announced it would deploy a second aircraft carrier to the Gulf, the USS Stennis.That appeared to have alarmed some in Iran's hard-line leadership. A prominent member of a powerful cleric-run body this week warned that the U.S. plans to attack Iran in the coming months, possibly by striking its nuclear facilities.The United States has said it is focusing on diplomacy but will not rule out other options.Washington has accused Iran of backing militants fueling Iraq's violence and has tried to rally its Arab allies in isolating Tehran.Last year, Iran held three large-scale military exercises. In April, Iran tested what it called an ultra-horizon missile, fired from helicopters and jet fighters, and the Fajr-3 missile, which can reportedly evade radar and use multiple warheads to hit several targets simultaneously.While U.S. officials have suggested that Iran is exaggerating the capabilities of its newly developed weapons, Washington and its allies have been watching the country's progress in missile technology with concern.
In October, the U.S. led maneuvers of its own in the Gulf, focusing on surveillance, with warships tracking a ship suspected of carrying components of illegal weapons.
In December 2005, Israel successfully tested its Arrow missile defense system against a rocket similar to Iran's Shahab-3. The Arrow was developed jointly with the United States.While the Zalzal is a solid fuel missile, the Fajr-5 missile, from the Persian word meaning dawn, is an artillery rocket developed by Iran in early 2006. It includes a mobile platform and its primary role is to engage land targets, with a range of 50 miles.Iran has recently urged Arab Gulf nations to kick the U.S. military out of the region and join Iran in a new regional security alliance, an offer mostly ignored by the Gulf states.
WW3 THE 3 WAVES THAT MARCH TO ISRAEL
DANIEL 11:40-45
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA 2ND WAVE OF WW3) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
The Third and Final Wave of WW3 is when all Nations march to Jerusalem, but JESUS bodily returns to earth and destroys them,sets up his KINGDOM OF RULE FOR 1000 YEARS THEN FOREVER.
2ND WAVE CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL
REVELATION 16:12
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THIS IS THE ATATURK DAM IN TURKEY,THEY CROSS OVER).
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(IRAQ-SYRIA)
15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
Vatican seeks ties with China
POSTED: 0320 GMT (1120 HKT), January 20, 2007
VATICAN CITY (AP) The Vatican has pledged to pursue dialogue with the Chinese communist government aimed at establishing diplomatic ties, while Pope Benedict XVI is preparing a message for his suffering flock in China, where Catholics have sometimes been jailed or arrested for their loyalty to the pontiff.A twofold strategy emerged from two days of high-level debate on China at the Vatican: continue to champion religious freedom in China while pursuing normalization with Beijing.Benedict, who called but did not attend the meeting on Saturday, received a detailed briefing on proposals made during what the Vatican described as frank debate.
Participants included Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who is the pope's top aide, and leading prelates from China, among them Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen, who is an outspoken advocate for freedom of worship.Following the talks, Benedict benevolently has decided to write a letter to Catholics in China, the Vatican said in a statement, without indicating when the letter might be issued.
Asia News, a Vatican-affiliated news agency, said that it was likely Benedict would directly take up specific questions as how to deal with illicit ordinations in the state-sanctioned Catholic church, which does not accept papal authority.Emerging from the discussions was the will to continue on the journey of arespectful and constructive dialogue with the governing authorities, to overcome past difficulties, the Vatican said.In addition, the hope was expressed that a normalization of relations on various levels, with the aim of allowing the peaceful and fruitful life of the faith of the Church and of working together for the good of the Chinese people and peace in the world, would be achieved, it said.Vatican officials said that on various levels included diplomatic relations.The Vatican has long indicated that it wants to establish diplomatic relations with Beijing, even at the cost of moving its embassy from Taiwan, but will not compromise on the tradition dictating that only the pope and not a local church can appoint bishops.The Vatican has vigorously denounced Beijing's insistence on ordaining bishops without papal approval. Last month, Benedict expressed great sorrow over the latest such ordination, the third known case in 2006.
Zen has accused Beijing of reneging on a promise to stop the practice. China views papal appointments as interference in its internal affairs.The last months have also seen a series of arrests of priests, according to Asia News. At least 17 underground bishops have disappeared, been arrested or detained in isolation, and 20 priests have been arrested, with at least five priests, arrested on December 27 in Hebei, still in prison, the news agency said.Beijing severed ties with the Holy See in 1951 after communists took power and set up a separate Catholic church outside the pope's authority. Local faithful are allowed to worship only with the state-sanctioned church, the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.Bishops, clergy and rank-and-file Catholics in the underground church in China loyal to the pope have suffered
harassment and persecution, including jailing, and participants in the Vatican talks paid tribute to this price of great suffering.With special joy, it was noted that today, almost all the bishops and priests (in China) are in communion with the pope, the Vatican statement said.
The Vatican said that the Church community in China was growing.
Benedict has been championing religious freedom around the world. He has also made improved international relations with the Holy See a priority of his papacy, and in particular with China, leaving him and his diplomats to chart a delicate course that could make progress toward both goals.Among the prelates participating in the Vatican strategy session on China were bishops from Taiwan and Macau, a former Portuguese enclave.Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.
Israel Again Impatient to Make Peace - Even Without Partner
By Hillel Fendel (INN) jAN 21,07
The Foreign Affairs and Defense Ministries have set up a joint task force to prepare a plan for another one-sided disengagement this time, from Judea and Samaria. The PA does not agree. Israel's second-largest daily, Maariv, reports that taking part in the on-paper preparations for a unilateral Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria are also IDF and General Security Service (Shabak) officials. The Prime Minister's Office's official comment to the Maariv report: We know nothing about such a plan.The plan currently being worked on in the Foreign Affairs Ministry, together with the Defense Ministry, includes the establishment of a PA state even without the consent of the Palestinian Authority.Prime Minister Olmert has flip-flopped in the past on another Disengagement. One of the original champions of the unilateral withdrawal from Gush Katif and northern Shomron, he led the Kadima Party to victory in last year's national election on a platform of unilateral withdrawal from Yesha.
During the Lebanon War, he was roundly attacked for saying that a victory would bring such a withdrawal closer. He later withdrew these remarks, and even said that a withdrawal from Yesha which he called a Convergence was no longer on the agenda. He later said he believed the plan was no longer relevant.Following Olmert's above comment, Interior Minister Roni Bar-On of Kadima said, The withdrawal plan is not dead, though its implementation has been postponed. The plan is now on the shelf or in the freezer, but when the time comes it will be accessed.Just two weeks ago, Olmert told the Chinese news agency Xinhua that unilateral withdrawal has proven to be a failed policy, and that a withdrawal from most of Judea and Samaria would only be done in the framework of bilateral negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.
Foreign Minister Tzippy Livny has appointed Yossi Amrani, former Israeli consul in San Francisco, to oversee work on the plan, Maariv reports. Amrani's team must prepare the plan and present it within the coming weeks. It is to include various aspects of the establishment of a Palestinian state with temporary borders to be unilaterally determined by Israel. The way will be left open for border changes in the future, if the PA begins to cooperate.A withdrawal from Judea and Samaria means the destruction of an untold number of Jewish communities and the expulsion of many more thousands of Jews than those expelled from Gush Katif.
Most of the latter are still without permanent homes or jobs.The plan in the works is predicated upon the assumption that the PA will not succeed in forming a Fatah-Hamas unity government in the near future, and that therefore the Hamas-led PA will continue to refuse to recognize Israel's existence. It is also assumed that PA Chairman Abu Mazen (Fatah) will never be strong enough to sign agreements with Israel.The Prime Minister's Office's denial must be taken in context with a similar denial last week of Israeli-Syrian contacts; today, the PM's office confirmed that such contacts had taken place.
I WANT BIBI TO WIN THE NEXT ISRAELI ELECTIONS....GO BIBI GO.
Ex-PM Netanyahu Calls on World to Stop Iran
By Hillel Fendel(INN) JAN 21,07
The world, which did not stop the Holocaust, must try to stop the genocide being planned by Iran, Netanyahu said, pointing a finger at US pension funds investing with companies trading with Iran. Speaking Sunday at the prestigious Herzliya Conference, Netanyahu said, I want to call upon the world, which did not stop the Holocaust, to try and stop the one that Iran is planning: Stop investments in Iran - in order to stop a genocide... You remember the companies that arose against the apartheid in South Africa?
The same thing can be done against Iran. We can start with the pension funds in the U.S. They invest enormous sums in 50 companies that trade with Iran. If these investments are stopped, this will place tremendous pressure upon Iran... Once the snowball of voluntary sanctions against Iran starts rolling, the citizens of Iran will start asking themselves if they are willing to pay this economic price.Israel has a key role in the international campaign against Iran. Israel must lead a coordinated, comprehensive campaign. We have to move world opinion, both Jewish and non-Jewish, and explain where the justice lies and where is evil. If another Holocaust is being threatened against the Jewish nation, who is going to respond if not us?
Netanyahu said that he and other international political figures are working to have Ahmadinajad tried in an international court for his crimes: If we succeed in drying out the Iran source, the Hamas and Hizbullah roots will be weakened as well. Without the Iranian checkbook, Hamas will be destabilized.Relating to Prime Minister Olmert's not-quite shelved plan for a unilateral withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, Netanyahu said, Such plans will only bring Palestinian rockets closer to the Tel Aviv area... Good neighborly relations with the Palestinians will come only by toppling the Hamas government, not by concessions or various other programs.
Having served as Finance Minister under Ariel Sharon, Netanyahu said, We can bring Israel's economy to an annual growth rate of 6%; over the course of a decade, this will double our economy. For this, we need to take three steps: a stepped-up decrease in taxes, streamlining the public service sector, and continued economic structural reforms. We did all this when we in power, and a government headed by us will take the necessary steps to do this.Netanyahu concluded, A new spirit, that's what Israel needs today. This isn't only dependent on us. Israel is a just country - historically, legally, and humanely. We want peace and are prepared to make concessions to achieve it.The Herzliya Conference opened today, featuring worldwide experts and politicians on various social, military and political topics centering around the theme, Israel's Balance of Strength. Ever since Ariel Sharon announced his Disengagement at the Herzliya Conference of 2003, other politicians have similarly used that forum to make important declarations.Others scheduled to speak at the conference today include US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, US Ambassador to Israel Richard H. Jones, US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns, Education Minister Yuli Tamir, Birthright Chairman Dr. Shimshon Shoshani, Former National Security Adviser to the German Chancellor Dr. Horst Teltschik, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee members MK Maj.-Gen. (res.) Matan Vilnai and MK Brig.-Gen. (res.) Effie Eitam, Prof. Alan Dershowitz of Harvard Law School (via satellite), and others. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will address the conference on Wednesday evening.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Mon Jan 22 12:06 AM EDT
JAN 22,07 NO QUAKES YET
JAN 21,07
MAP 6.1 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.1 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.7 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 5.6 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.9 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.5 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 4.8 OFFSHORE NAYARIT, MEXICO
MAP 5.8 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 2.9 ARIZONA
MAP 7.3 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.1 EASTERN TURKEY
JAN 20,07
MAP 3.2 NORTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.3 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 3.1 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 3.1 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.7 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.4 SOUTH KOREA
MAP 3.3 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.8 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 OREGON
MAP 2.6 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 5.8 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.9 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 4.8 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.9 BANDA SEA
MAP 2.7 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 2.6 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
Strong Indonesia earthquake panics residents Sun Jan 21, 9:28 AM ET
MANADO, Indonesia (Reuters) - A strong earthquake shook buildings in an Indonesian provincial capital on Sunday evening, sending residents fleeing from their homes, witnesses said.
There were no immediate reports of casualties from the magnitude 7.3 quake but local television said some buildings were cracked in Manado, a city of 400,000 people in northern Sulawesi island, 2,200 km (1,365 miles) northeast of Jakarta.People panicked and ran out of their homes. They are still outside their homes, a Reuters witness said about 30 minutes after the quake struck in the Molucca Sea, 165 km (100 miles) east of Manado near the northern tip of Sulawesi.The tremors lasted about a minute, he said.Arifin, a teacher in the north Moluccas capital of Ternate, said people there had fled to high ground in fear of a tsunami, but none had materialized.
The U.S. Geological Survey Web site put the quake's magnitude at 7.3 while Indonesia's meteorology and geophysics agency gave its strength as 6.5 on the Richter scale and initially said it could pose a tsunami risk.But agency official Nurpuji told Reuters later: There is no report of significant damage so far.Poor communications in Indonesia often mean information on a disaster's impact is considerably delayed.The USGS said the quake had occurred at 7:27 p.m. (1127 GMT).A massive tsunami triggered by a quake in the Indian Ocean in December 2004 left about 170,000 people dead or missing in Indonesia's Aceh province in Sumatra.(Additional reporting by Telly Nathalia in Jakarta)
Quake causes damage in eastern Turkey Sun Jan 21, 5:32 AM ET
ANKARA (AFP) - An earthquake measuring 5.0 on the open-ended Richter scale has jolted the eastern Turkish province of Agri, causing damage in several villages. Buildings in several villages were damaged. We have no information so far about injuries or deaths, Agri Governor Halil Ibrahim Akpinar told NTV television.The epicenter of the tremor, which hit at 9:38 am (0738 GMT), was at the town of Tutak, near the borders with Armenia and Iran, the Istanbul-based Kandilli observatory said Sunday.
The tremor sparked panic among residents, sending them running into the streets, the Anatolia news agency reported.The authorities are looking into the situation across the province, Akpinar said, adding that snowed roads in some areas were creating difficulties.Tutak Mayor Bulent Osman Agaoglu told Anatolia that the walls of several houses in three nearby villages were cracked and the windows of many buildings shattered.Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which is crossed by several major fault lines.Two violent temblors in the heavily populated, industrialised northwest of the country claimed about 20,000 lives in August and November 1999.
Moderate quake rattles eastern S.Korea Sun Jan 21, 12:05 AM ET
SEOUL, South Korea - A moderate earthquake shook eastern South Korea but no injuries or damage were reported, the country's emergency agency said Sunday.
The magnitude-4.8 quake hit about 9 p.m. local time Saturday and was centered 14 miles west of Gangneung, a coastal city about 150 miles east of Seoul, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.Three minor aftershocks were also reported, the agency said.Unlike quake-prone Japan, South Korea is considered relatively safe from earthquakes. Saturday's was one of the strongest temblors to hit South Korea since 1978, when a 5.2-magnitude quake hit, the agency said.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
The Nation's Weather By WEATHER UNDERGROUND, For The Associated Press Sun Jan 21, 5:14 AM ET
Forecasters predicted more than a half foot of snow in the central Plains and widespread rain from the lower Mississippi Valley to the Southeast on Sunday.More snow was predicted for the Rockies and the Southwest, and the white stuff was also expected in parts of New England. Areas of freezing rain were possible in the Mid-Atlantic.In the Northwest, rain and, in mountainous areas, snow, were expected in parts of Washington and Idaho.Temperatures in the Southeast were expected to rise into the 50s and 60s, while temperatures were expected to reach only as high as the 30s in the northern Plains, upper Midwest, Rockies and Northeast.Temperatures in the Northwest were expected to reach into the 40s, and inland areas of California were expected to rise into 60s.Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Saturday ranged from a low of minus 19 degrees at Wakefield, Mich., to a high of 81 degrees at Naples, Fla.
Midwest snow, Mid-Atlantic mix, southern rain Mark Avery, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel Sun Jan 21, 10:06 AM ET
Midwest
A winter storm that brought snow to the Texas Panhandle north and eastward into western Missouri on Saturday continues to move through the Midwest today. Snow is possible from the Dakotas to western Pennsylvania. The heaviest snow is expected over Lower Michigan and from southeastern Ohio into central West Virginia. Along the Ohio River, snow could mix with sleet during the day.
Temperatures are expected to remain seasonably cool all across the region today, with the only above average temperatures expected over Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, and northern North Dakota. The next chance of precipitation comes into the region on Tuesday in the Red River Valley of the North and in Michigan in the form of some light snow showers, increasing in coverage on Wednesday through the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys. More snow is possible near the Great Lakes on Thursday.
South
The South stands to get some heavy rain today. The heaviest rains should fall over the Louisiana coast, southern Mississippi, most of Alabama, northern Georgia, eastern and middle Tennessee, and upstate South Carolina. A mix of rain, sleet, and snow is possible in the North Carolina mountains and Piedmont, southern Virginia, and the mountains of Tennessee and Kentucky. Rain will persist into Monday and Tuesday near the Gulf Coast. A storm system is forecast to develop in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday and bring more rain across the region on Wednesday and Thursday, with colder air moving in Thursday and Friday.
Northeast.
The Northeast is break from the winds of Saturday. Gusts over 40 mph were common across the region, with the highest being at Mount Washington, New Hampshire, at 121 mph. Today should be dry day with the only precipitation (light snow) being found in western Pennsylvania into Maryland. The next best chance of snow comes Tuesday through Thursday with a clipper system and lake effect snows after the system moves through. Temperatures should moderate through mid-week, with another cool down expected by the end of the week.
West
More snow is expected in the Rockies today, with the heaviest snows expected in Wyoming and central Colorado. This snow will help to prolong the snow pack in Denver, which has had measurable snow (1 inch or more) on the ground since December, 21st, or 31 straight days and counting: this is Denver's 9th longest streak of days with snow on the ground (the longest being 63 straight days, set between November 26, 1983, and January 27, 1984). Along the West Coast, some light showers are possible in Washington and Oregon today. In the Southwest, Southern California will see an increased fire danger today due to Santa Ana winds. Most of the week ahead should remain dry across the West, with snow possible in New Mexico on Monday
High winds, heavy snow battering Maritime region
Updated Fri. Jan. 19 2007 11:32 PM ET - CTV.ca News Staff
High winds mixed with heavy snow and rain are battering parts of the Maritimes on Friday as a blast of winter pummels the region.The forecast is calling for at least 30 centimetres of snow in some areas, up to 40 millimetres of rain in other places, and winds gusting to at least 90 kilometres an hour.We did get about 10 centimetres of snow in just a few short hours. Now, of course, that has turned slick and slushy and just in time for the rush hour traffic. So it has changed things around the region quite a bit, CTV Atlantic's Jodi Cooke reported from Moncton.In fact, the Confederation Bridge, the 18-kilometre long bridge that takes you into Prince Edward Island, was closed for about an hour today to high vehicles and it's actually remaining closed to trucks right now, she said Friday afternoon.Norval McConnell of School District 2 says they made the right decision to cancel class.
This morning at 5 o'clock, when we were in the position that a decision needed to be made, those were the conditions projected and in several of the areas of our school district, that's exactly what we're facing, he told CTV Atlantic.In New Brunswick, all schools are closed in the area covering Fredericton, Oromocto and Woodstock.The Fredericton-Oromocto area is expecting 10 centimetres of snow before it changes to rain and then back to snow.The transit system in Fredericton has taken all buses off the road shortly after 5 p.m. Friday, Cooke said.The Stanley-Doaktown area could see up to 25 centimetres of snow by late tonight.Meanwhile, Prince Edward Island is expected to receive more than 15 centimetres of snow, before it turns to rain.CTV Meteorologist Peter Coade says this winter storm divides the Maritimes in two. It's pretty much moving up the Bay of Fundy, and we're seeing mostly snow in New Brunswick and mostly rain in Prince Edward Island and in Nova Scotia, he said. But not everyone is unhappy with the weather, like Rick Snyder.Snyder says business at his ski shop has already improved, thanks to what he calls white gold.We expect a gold rush, hopefully. We see it already since Tuesday's storm people are in buying skis and snowshoes. Now that they can use them, they don't mind spending the money, he said.With a report from CTV Atlantic's Jodi Cooke and files from The Canadian Press
MUSLIM NATIONS
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Palestinian PM says U.S. aims to topple his govt By Nidal al-Mughrabi JAN 21,07
GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said on Sunday the United States was determined to bring down his government despite the Islamist group's standing offer of a long-term truce with Israel. Haniyeh, speaking before talks in Damascus between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, reiterated that any such accommodation with Israel did not entail recognition of the Jewish state.We accept a Palestinian state on the lands (Israel) occupied in 1967, but in return for a long-term truce and not recognition, Haniyeh said in a speech.He described the offer as an alternative to Western demands for Hamas to recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept existing interim peace agreements.
With respect to the resistance, we say that there is calm, Haniyeh said. As for the agreements, we say there is respect for them.A Gaza ceasefire in November sharply reduced rocket attacks launched by militants against southern Israel and Israeli forces halted an offensive in the coastal territory.Calling for a dialogue with the Quartet of Middle East peace mediators the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations Haniyeh urged the international community to lift an aid boycott against the Hamas-led government.
But he said the United States and other members of the Quartet practically and effectively want to bring down the government, which came to power in elections last year.Aides to Abbas and Meshaal said in Damascus the two leaders hoped their meeting would ease a Palestinian political crisis that has led to fighting between Hamas and Fatah in Gaza and the West Bank.Talks between Hamas and Fatah on forming a unity government broke down last year and Abbas called for new elections, balloting which Hamas said would be tantamount to a coup.While the two factions spar, the United States and Israel have been trying to bolster Abbas in his struggle against Hamas.Washington has put together an $86 million U.S. program to strengthen Abbas's presidential guard and Israel transferred $100 million in withheld Palestinian tax revenues to the moderate leader on Friday.
Merkel meets Putin for EU energy security talks by Valerie Leroux JAN 21,07
SOCHI, Russia (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has met with President Vladimir Putin in the Black Sea resort of Sochi for talks set to focus on securing guarantees for energy supplies to the European Union. Merkel was the first foreign leader to visit Russia after an oil dispute between Russia and Belarus earlier this month that hampered supplies to western Europe and further eroded trust in Moscow as an energy partner.
The European Union depends on Russia for a quarter of its energy needs and EU leaders have announced plans to include energy guarantees in a new partnership agreement due to be worked out with Russia.Taking into account our good relations with Germany, we very much expect your presidency of the EU will help us build relations with other countries and the organisation as a whole, Putin told Merkel at the start of the meeting Sunday.During the oil row, Merkel had criticised Moscow's sudden suspension of oil deliveries through Belarus, saying: That repeatedly destroys confidence and you cannot build cooperation based on true mutual trust in this way.Germany has traditionally been Russia's main ally in the European Union and the two are key trade partners but relations appear cooler than under Merkel's predecessor,Gerhard Schroeder, who was openly friendly with Putin.
The disputes with Ukraine and Belarus have raised concern. Moscow cannot be indifferent, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in a recent interview with the German daily General Anzeiger.Escalations like the ones we have seen must be avoided, Steinmeier said.Another issue on the agenda will be a timetable for partnership talks between the European Union and Russia, which have been held up by Warsaw in protest against a Russian ban on meat imports from EU newcomer Poland.
Merkel said on Saturday that the issue of the embargo, which Russia says is due to food safety concerns, had been resolved. A Russian veterinary official said on Sunday that the row had been resolved in principle.Merkel and Putin were also expected to discuss efforts to revive the Middle East peace process andinternational diplomacy surrounding Iran's nuclear ambitions, officials said.Merkel is set to hold talks with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on the sidelines of the Davos economic forum in Switzerland on Wednesday and will meet King Abdullah II of Jordan on January 28.On January 1, Germany assumed the six-month presidency of the 27-member EU and the chairmanship for 2007 of the Group of Eight major economies comprising Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.
Iran plans to conduct missile war games By NASSER KARIMI, Associated Press Writer Sun Jan 21, 9:08 AM ET
TEHRAN, Iran /Iran plans three days of military maneuvers, including short-range missile tests, beginning Sunday its first since the U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions against it in late December, state-run television said. The elite Revolutionary Guards plans to begin a three-day missile maneuver on Sunday near Garmsar city, said the broadcast.
The city is located in northern Iran on the edge of Kavir desert, about 60 miles southeast of Tehran.Zalzal and Fajr-5 missiles will be test fired in the war game, the television quoted an unnamed commander of the guards, as saying. Both are considered short-range missiles.Iran conducted three large-scale military exercises last year as tensions with the West and the United States rose.In November, for example, it test-fired dozens of missiles, including the Shahab-3 that can reach Israel, in military maneuvers that it said were aimed at putting a stop to the role of world powers in the Persian Gulf region.Sunday's maneuvers are to be the first by Iran since the U.N. Security Council imposed limited sanctions on the country on Dec. 23, banning selling materials andtechnology that could be used in Iran's nuclear and missile programs and freezing assets abroad of 10 Iranian companies and individuals.
Iran regularly holds large maneuvers, often using them to test weapons developed by its arms industry.The latest Iranian maneuvers also come just days after the U.S. announced it would deploy a second aircraft carrier to the Gulf, the USS Stennis.That appeared to have alarmed some in Iran's hard-line leadership. A prominent member of a powerful cleric-run body this week warned that the U.S. plans to attack Iran in the coming months, possibly by striking its nuclear facilities.The United States has said it is focusing on diplomacy but will not rule out other options.Washington has accused Iran of backing militants fueling Iraq's violence and has tried to rally its Arab allies in isolating Tehran.Last year, Iran held three large-scale military exercises. In April, Iran tested what it called an ultra-horizon missile, fired from helicopters and jet fighters, and the Fajr-3 missile, which can reportedly evade radar and use multiple warheads to hit several targets simultaneously.While U.S. officials have suggested that Iran is exaggerating the capabilities of its newly developed weapons, Washington and its allies have been watching the country's progress in missile technology with concern.
In October, the U.S. led maneuvers of its own in the Gulf, focusing on surveillance, with warships tracking a ship suspected of carrying components of illegal weapons.
In December 2005, Israel successfully tested its Arrow missile defense system against a rocket similar to Iran's Shahab-3. The Arrow was developed jointly with the United States.While the Zalzal is a solid fuel missile, the Fajr-5 missile, from the Persian word meaning dawn, is an artillery rocket developed by Iran in early 2006. It includes a mobile platform and its primary role is to engage land targets, with a range of 50 miles.Iran has recently urged Arab Gulf nations to kick the U.S. military out of the region and join Iran in a new regional security alliance, an offer mostly ignored by the Gulf states.
WW3 THE 3 WAVES THAT MARCH TO ISRAEL
DANIEL 11:40-45
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA 2ND WAVE OF WW3) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
The Third and Final Wave of WW3 is when all Nations march to Jerusalem, but JESUS bodily returns to earth and destroys them,sets up his KINGDOM OF RULE FOR 1000 YEARS THEN FOREVER.
2ND WAVE CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL
REVELATION 16:12
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THIS IS THE ATATURK DAM IN TURKEY,THEY CROSS OVER).
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(IRAQ-SYRIA)
15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
Vatican seeks ties with China
POSTED: 0320 GMT (1120 HKT), January 20, 2007
VATICAN CITY (AP) The Vatican has pledged to pursue dialogue with the Chinese communist government aimed at establishing diplomatic ties, while Pope Benedict XVI is preparing a message for his suffering flock in China, where Catholics have sometimes been jailed or arrested for their loyalty to the pontiff.A twofold strategy emerged from two days of high-level debate on China at the Vatican: continue to champion religious freedom in China while pursuing normalization with Beijing.Benedict, who called but did not attend the meeting on Saturday, received a detailed briefing on proposals made during what the Vatican described as frank debate.
Participants included Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who is the pope's top aide, and leading prelates from China, among them Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen, who is an outspoken advocate for freedom of worship.Following the talks, Benedict benevolently has decided to write a letter to Catholics in China, the Vatican said in a statement, without indicating when the letter might be issued.
Asia News, a Vatican-affiliated news agency, said that it was likely Benedict would directly take up specific questions as how to deal with illicit ordinations in the state-sanctioned Catholic church, which does not accept papal authority.Emerging from the discussions was the will to continue on the journey of arespectful and constructive dialogue with the governing authorities, to overcome past difficulties, the Vatican said.In addition, the hope was expressed that a normalization of relations on various levels, with the aim of allowing the peaceful and fruitful life of the faith of the Church and of working together for the good of the Chinese people and peace in the world, would be achieved, it said.Vatican officials said that on various levels included diplomatic relations.The Vatican has long indicated that it wants to establish diplomatic relations with Beijing, even at the cost of moving its embassy from Taiwan, but will not compromise on the tradition dictating that only the pope and not a local church can appoint bishops.The Vatican has vigorously denounced Beijing's insistence on ordaining bishops without papal approval. Last month, Benedict expressed great sorrow over the latest such ordination, the third known case in 2006.
Zen has accused Beijing of reneging on a promise to stop the practice. China views papal appointments as interference in its internal affairs.The last months have also seen a series of arrests of priests, according to Asia News. At least 17 underground bishops have disappeared, been arrested or detained in isolation, and 20 priests have been arrested, with at least five priests, arrested on December 27 in Hebei, still in prison, the news agency said.Beijing severed ties with the Holy See in 1951 after communists took power and set up a separate Catholic church outside the pope's authority. Local faithful are allowed to worship only with the state-sanctioned church, the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.Bishops, clergy and rank-and-file Catholics in the underground church in China loyal to the pope have suffered
harassment and persecution, including jailing, and participants in the Vatican talks paid tribute to this price of great suffering.With special joy, it was noted that today, almost all the bishops and priests (in China) are in communion with the pope, the Vatican statement said.
The Vatican said that the Church community in China was growing.
Benedict has been championing religious freedom around the world. He has also made improved international relations with the Holy See a priority of his papacy, and in particular with China, leaving him and his diplomats to chart a delicate course that could make progress toward both goals.Among the prelates participating in the Vatican strategy session on China were bishops from Taiwan and Macau, a former Portuguese enclave.Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.
Israel Again Impatient to Make Peace - Even Without Partner
By Hillel Fendel (INN) jAN 21,07
The Foreign Affairs and Defense Ministries have set up a joint task force to prepare a plan for another one-sided disengagement this time, from Judea and Samaria. The PA does not agree. Israel's second-largest daily, Maariv, reports that taking part in the on-paper preparations for a unilateral Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria are also IDF and General Security Service (Shabak) officials. The Prime Minister's Office's official comment to the Maariv report: We know nothing about such a plan.The plan currently being worked on in the Foreign Affairs Ministry, together with the Defense Ministry, includes the establishment of a PA state even without the consent of the Palestinian Authority.Prime Minister Olmert has flip-flopped in the past on another Disengagement. One of the original champions of the unilateral withdrawal from Gush Katif and northern Shomron, he led the Kadima Party to victory in last year's national election on a platform of unilateral withdrawal from Yesha.
During the Lebanon War, he was roundly attacked for saying that a victory would bring such a withdrawal closer. He later withdrew these remarks, and even said that a withdrawal from Yesha which he called a Convergence was no longer on the agenda. He later said he believed the plan was no longer relevant.Following Olmert's above comment, Interior Minister Roni Bar-On of Kadima said, The withdrawal plan is not dead, though its implementation has been postponed. The plan is now on the shelf or in the freezer, but when the time comes it will be accessed.Just two weeks ago, Olmert told the Chinese news agency Xinhua that unilateral withdrawal has proven to be a failed policy, and that a withdrawal from most of Judea and Samaria would only be done in the framework of bilateral negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.
Foreign Minister Tzippy Livny has appointed Yossi Amrani, former Israeli consul in San Francisco, to oversee work on the plan, Maariv reports. Amrani's team must prepare the plan and present it within the coming weeks. It is to include various aspects of the establishment of a Palestinian state with temporary borders to be unilaterally determined by Israel. The way will be left open for border changes in the future, if the PA begins to cooperate.A withdrawal from Judea and Samaria means the destruction of an untold number of Jewish communities and the expulsion of many more thousands of Jews than those expelled from Gush Katif.
Most of the latter are still without permanent homes or jobs.The plan in the works is predicated upon the assumption that the PA will not succeed in forming a Fatah-Hamas unity government in the near future, and that therefore the Hamas-led PA will continue to refuse to recognize Israel's existence. It is also assumed that PA Chairman Abu Mazen (Fatah) will never be strong enough to sign agreements with Israel.The Prime Minister's Office's denial must be taken in context with a similar denial last week of Israeli-Syrian contacts; today, the PM's office confirmed that such contacts had taken place.
I WANT BIBI TO WIN THE NEXT ISRAELI ELECTIONS....GO BIBI GO.
Ex-PM Netanyahu Calls on World to Stop Iran
By Hillel Fendel(INN) JAN 21,07
The world, which did not stop the Holocaust, must try to stop the genocide being planned by Iran, Netanyahu said, pointing a finger at US pension funds investing with companies trading with Iran. Speaking Sunday at the prestigious Herzliya Conference, Netanyahu said, I want to call upon the world, which did not stop the Holocaust, to try and stop the one that Iran is planning: Stop investments in Iran - in order to stop a genocide... You remember the companies that arose against the apartheid in South Africa?
The same thing can be done against Iran. We can start with the pension funds in the U.S. They invest enormous sums in 50 companies that trade with Iran. If these investments are stopped, this will place tremendous pressure upon Iran... Once the snowball of voluntary sanctions against Iran starts rolling, the citizens of Iran will start asking themselves if they are willing to pay this economic price.Israel has a key role in the international campaign against Iran. Israel must lead a coordinated, comprehensive campaign. We have to move world opinion, both Jewish and non-Jewish, and explain where the justice lies and where is evil. If another Holocaust is being threatened against the Jewish nation, who is going to respond if not us?
Netanyahu said that he and other international political figures are working to have Ahmadinajad tried in an international court for his crimes: If we succeed in drying out the Iran source, the Hamas and Hizbullah roots will be weakened as well. Without the Iranian checkbook, Hamas will be destabilized.Relating to Prime Minister Olmert's not-quite shelved plan for a unilateral withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, Netanyahu said, Such plans will only bring Palestinian rockets closer to the Tel Aviv area... Good neighborly relations with the Palestinians will come only by toppling the Hamas government, not by concessions or various other programs.
Having served as Finance Minister under Ariel Sharon, Netanyahu said, We can bring Israel's economy to an annual growth rate of 6%; over the course of a decade, this will double our economy. For this, we need to take three steps: a stepped-up decrease in taxes, streamlining the public service sector, and continued economic structural reforms. We did all this when we in power, and a government headed by us will take the necessary steps to do this.Netanyahu concluded, A new spirit, that's what Israel needs today. This isn't only dependent on us. Israel is a just country - historically, legally, and humanely. We want peace and are prepared to make concessions to achieve it.The Herzliya Conference opened today, featuring worldwide experts and politicians on various social, military and political topics centering around the theme, Israel's Balance of Strength. Ever since Ariel Sharon announced his Disengagement at the Herzliya Conference of 2003, other politicians have similarly used that forum to make important declarations.Others scheduled to speak at the conference today include US Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, US Ambassador to Israel Richard H. Jones, US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns, Education Minister Yuli Tamir, Birthright Chairman Dr. Shimshon Shoshani, Former National Security Adviser to the German Chancellor Dr. Horst Teltschik, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee members MK Maj.-Gen. (res.) Matan Vilnai and MK Brig.-Gen. (res.) Effie Eitam, Prof. Alan Dershowitz of Harvard Law School (via satellite), and others. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will address the conference on Wednesday evening.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
CANADA GIVES GAZA MONEY
1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS. 2-Moderate earthquake rattles Indonesia 3-GASPE QUEBEC GETS 63 CM OF SNOW. 4-Environment Canada Weather Forecast VANCOUVER. 5-Hurricane-force winds batter Europe for 2nd day. 6-Floods swamp homes, roads in South Australia. 7-Torrential rains in Mozambique cause havoc, claim four lives. 8-Europe counts cost of storms as stricken freighter is beached. 9-Jordan wants peaceful nuclear program: King Abdullah. 10-Police probe Quebec bomb threat letter. 11-DNA confirms death of Abu Sayyaf chief. 12-Moving day: B'nai Israel goes to modern new home. 13-EU aid masks big bully tactics in developing world. 14-White beetle dazzles scientists. 15-Hamas leader offers 10-year truce with Israel. 16-MacKay pledges new money for Gaza crossing.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Sun Jan 21 1:12:09 AM EDT
JAN 21 NO QUAKES YET
JAN 20,07
MAP 3.2 NORTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.3 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 3.1 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 3.1 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.7 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.4 SOUTH KOREA
MAP 3.3 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.8 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 OREGON
MAP 2.6 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 5.8 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.9 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 4.8 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.9 BANDA SEA
MAP 2.7 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 2.6 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
JAN 19,07
MAP 3.2 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 3.5 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.9 NORTHERN MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.0 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.3 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC REGION
MAP 3.2 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.5 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.9 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.7 NEVADA
MAP 3.3 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 3.4 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.8 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 3.3 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 4.3 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 3.4 NORTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.7 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 3.3 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 5.9 SOUTH OF JAVA, INDONESIA
MAP 2.6 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 5.4 OFFSHORE EL SALVADOR
MAP 2.6 PUERTO RICO REGION
Moderate earthquake rattles Indonesia Fri Jan 19, 11:59 PM ET
JAKARTA, Indonesia - A moderate earthquake rocked parts of eastern Indonesia on Saturday but there were no reports of damage and no tsunami warning was issued, officials said. The 5.9-magnitude quake was centered 80 miles-deep under the Banda Sea, 200 miles southeast of Ambon, the provincial capital of Mollucan islands, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said that no tsunami warning had been issued.Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.In December 2004, a massive earthquake struck off Indonesia's Sumatra island and triggered a tsunami that killed more than 131,000 people in Indonesia's Aceh province alone and left half a million homeless.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
ITS BEEN COOOOOOOOOLD WERE I LIVE TO AND I LOVE THE WARMTH. THESE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE NOT JUST GLOBAL WARMING FOLKS, GOD IS GIVING THE WORLD A REPENTENCE WAKE UP CALL.
GASPE QUEBEC GETS 63 CM OF SNOW
Environment Canada Weather Forecast
Forillon National Park - Gaspé - Percé
Issued at: 5.00 AM EST Saturday 20 January 2007
Snowfall warning in effect .Blowing snow warning in effect. Today..Snow and blowing snow. Amount 5 cm. Wind west 40 km/h gusting to 70. Temperature falling to minus 5 this afternoon. Tonight..Cloudy. A few flurries in Forillon Park. Blowing snow. Wind west 40 km/h gusting to 70. Low minus 14. Sunday..Cloudy with sunny periods. A few flurries in Forillon Park. Local blowing snow. Wind northwest 40 km/h gusting to 70. High minus 10. Monday..Sunny. Low minus 15. High minus 8. Tuesday..Cloudy with 70 percent chance of flurries. Low minus 16. High minus 8. Wednesday..A mix of sun and cloud. Low minus 10. High minus 4.
Normals for the period..Low minus 18. High minus 6.
Environment Canada Weather Forecast VANCOUVER
Greater Vancouver Issued at: 6.45 AM PST Saturday 20 January 2007
Today..A mix of sun and cloud. Fog patches dissipating late this morning. High 6. Tonight..Cloudy. Periods of rain beginning overnight except periods of wet snow over higher terrain. Low plus 1. Sunday..Periods of rain except periods of wet snow over higher terrain early in the morning. High plus 5. Monday..Rain. Low plus 3. High 6. Tuesday..Rain. Low plus 5. High 7. Wednesday..Cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers. Low plus 5. High 8. Normals for the period..Low plus 1. High 6.
Hurricane-force winds batter Europe for 2nd day
Britain and Germany hit hardest, with at least 46 dead overall in several countries
Last Updated: Friday, January 19, 2007 | 2:11 PM ET - CBC News
The worst storm in years is pounding Northern Europe, killing at least 46 people, knocking out power to millions and bringing most travel to a standstill.A man tries to walk along the shore Thursday as fierce winds and waves batter Blackpool, on England's west coast.(John Giles/PA/Associated Press) Britain and Germany were hit hardest, with snow, rain and wind gusts reaching up to 190 km/h in some areas on Thursday. Scotland saw up to 25 centimetres of snow.As the storm moved east on Friday, forecasters reported winds of 200 km/h.At least 14 people were reported dead in Britain alone, including a two-year-old boy who was killed by a falling wall in London.Winds of up to 160 km/h roared through England Thursday evening. Many roads in the capital were closed because of debris blowing off buildings.
Europe's busiest highway, the M-25 around London, had traffic jams stretching for kilometres after a single gust of wind in the early afternoon knocked three trucks onto their sides.Hundreds of flights, ferry and train trips were cancelled across Britain.The storm led to the deaths of at least three people in the Czech Republic, 12 in Germany, 14 in Britain, six in the Netherlands, three in France, two in Belgium and six in Poland.In Germany, those killed included an 18-month-old child hit by a terrace door that was ripped from its hinges.
Europeans cancel flights, train services
Strong winds in Germany forced dozens of flight cancellations, prompted the national railway to suspend services across the country, and shut schools.Strong winds toss the hair of a woman in Frankfurt, Germany, on Thursday, as fierce storms swept across Europe.(Michael Probst/Associated Press) Most long-distance train services in Germany were suspended.Berlin's new main train station was shut down after a two-tonne girder was ripped out of its facade Thursday night. No one was injured.In Utrecht, the Netherlands, strong winds toppled a construction crane onto a university building, crumpling the roof and injuring six people.In Amsterdam, bicyclists were blown over or, in some cases, blown backward. The city's historic canals were littered with trash barrels, piles of toppled bikes and dozens of broken umbrellas.Traffic on the Eurostar, the train service connecting Britain to continental Europe through the Channel Tunnel, was suspended after an electrical cable holder fell onto the tracks near Lille in northern France, France's national railway company said.Eurostar was running full service again on Friday, after one early Paris-to-London train was cancelled. But British train companies warned of delays through the day as repairs were carried out.
Heathrow Airport cancels 280 flights
Heathrow Airport, Europe's largest, cancelled 280 flights on Thursday. Other major airports including Frankfurt, Munich, Amsterdam and Vienna reported delays and cancellations.In Ireland and Latvia, winds kept rescue crews from helping ships damaged or missing after storms earlier in the week.Seven fishermen from Ireland, Poland and Ukraine are missing and presumed dead off the Irish coast, while Latvian rescuers were unable to attempt to salvage a cargo ship that ran aground Tuesday off the Baltic port Ventspils and has been leaking oil.With files from the Associated Press
Floods swamp homes, roads in South Australia
Saturday, January 20, 2007 | 11:17 AM ET CBC News
Heavy rain has caused severe flooding in South Australia state, isolating four communities.The worst hit is the town of Hawker, where 150 millimetres of rain, seven times the January average, has fallen in the past three days.It's feared the entire town could be submerged by water from the local dam if the rain doesn't stop soon.Roads around the towns of Oodnadatta, Whyalla and Port Pirie were also closed by rising waters.In Oodnadatta, the local hospital said medical supplies were running low.The State Emergency Service is using thousands of sandbags to stem the flow of water into homes.As the outback storm moved east across Australia it also caused flooding in the states of New South Wales and Victoria, where drought conditions sparked several weeks of wildfires.
Torrential rains in Mozambique cause havoc, claim four lives Fri Jan 19, 1:57 PM ET
MAPUTO (AFP) - Four people have died, hundreds of homes destroyed and more than 6,000 affected by torrential rains in Mozambique over the last two days, officials said. One person was electrocuted to death yesterday at Dondo in the Sofala province while three others suffered a similar fate in the town of Quelimane in Zambezia province, Joao Ribeiro, deputy director of the National Disaster Management Institute said.In all, more than 6,000 people have been directly affected nationwide, he said, adding that some 1,200 shacks were washed away in the northern Nampula province and another 150 risked collapse.In the central Manica province, the rains damaged a dam under construction.A preliminary survey estimates the damage at 100,000 dollars (77,400 euros), Manica's governor Raimundo Diomba told AFP.The rainy season in Mozambique begins in December and usually lasts until March.
In early 2000, about 1,000 people lost their lives in floods that caused widespread devastation in the southern African nation, which is also struggling to rebuild after a 16-year civil war that ended in 1992.
Europe counts cost of storms as stricken freighter is beached JAN 20,07
LONDON (AFP) - Salvage crews were beaching a badly holed, waterlogged British freighter carrying hazardous cargo while Europe counted the cost of the deadly storms that battered the continent earlier in the week. Tens of thousands of homes across Europe were still without power on Saturday.The MSC Napoli container ship was deliberately run aground on the southwest English coast to stop it from breaking apart in the English Channel, one of the world's busiest waterways.The 62,000-tonne cargo ship was transporting 2,394 containers, whose contents included 1,700 tonnes of hazardous industrial and agricultural chemicals.French officials said a long oil slick had spilt from the vessel into the English Channel.The MSC Napoli has suffered serious structural failure, said the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency.The large cracks on both sides of the ship have worsened. The stern of the ship is gradually settling lower in the water and deteriorating.
Risk assessments have been carried out and continually updated. The priority is to gain as much shelter as possible and keep the vessel in one piece. Therefore the decision has been made to beach the vessel and ballast it down east of Sidmouth.The beaching location was selected based on minimising the impact of any spillage and enabling salvage work to remove the vessel and cargo to take place, the MCA said.The 275-metre (900-foot) container ship developed long gashes on both sides just above the water line during stormy weather on Thursday and has since been under tow.Television footage showed the ship, registered in London and owned by the Swiss Mediterranean Shipping Company, with its stern low in the water close to the shoreline in Lyme Bay.The Napoli was being hauled by two French tug boats, whose progress was hampered by rough seas and the cargo ship's jammed rudder.
When the engine room flooded and the vessel began listing badly, the 26-man crew abandoned ship. Three British Sea King helicopters winched them to safety from their lifeboat in nine-metre (30-feet) high waves and flew them to a navy base in southern England.Calmer weather returned to Europe on Saturday but tens of thousands of homes in England, Germany and apparently Poland were still without power.
Around 19,000 households in eastern England had no electricity.
In Germany, where the storms claimed 11 lives, around 12,000 of the 60,000 homes whose power was cut were still in the dark, 10,000 of them in the central state of Thuringia.Our objective is to reconnect all the 55 areas concerned between now and this evening, said Olaf Werner, a spokesman for German energy group E.ON.German rail services were largely back to normal after the appalling weather forced the Deutsche Bahn national railway company on Thursday to suspend all services for the first time in its history.In Poland where the storms killed six and injured 30, including nine emergency service workers it was unclear how many households were still in the dark. There is no information on the number of homes still without electricity this morning but on Friday afternoon, 800,000 were without power," fire brigade spokesman Dariusz Malinowski told AFP.
The new terminal of Warsaw's Okecia airport, which had been damaged, remained partially closed. The Netherlands was also counting the cost of the storms, which killed seven there. Insurers in the low-lying kingdom said their bill could come to at least 160 million euros (208 million dollars). That sum did not include damage to Amsterdam's Schiphol airport and the railways, which could add another 40 million euros to the bill. In Ukraine, the emergency situations ministry said one woman had been killed on Friday by a falling tree, power lines had been damaged and telephone connections severed. Russian oil deliveries to European Union countries were interrupted on Friday after high winds knocked out electricity at a pumping station on the section of a pipeline that transits Ukraine.
NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.
ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die).
ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.
JOEL 2:20,30
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).
MATTHEW 24:37-51
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
NOTICE ALL THE COUNTRIES THAT WANT NUCLEAR POWER IN THE MIDEAST LATELY SAUDI ARABIA, NOW JORDAN, EGYPT, ALL BECAUSE OF IRAN. WW3 IS GETTING SET UP QUICKLY TO BE FULFILLED.
COUNTRIES WITH ISRAEL
EZEKIEL 38:10-19
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
13 Sheba, and Dedan,(SAUDIA ARABIA) and the merchants of Tarshish,(ENGLAND) with all the young lions thereof,(USA,CANADA,AUSTRALIA,NEW ZEALAND,EU,ENGLISH SPEAKING shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?
15 And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:
16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
17 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?
18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face.
19 For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;
Jordan wants peaceful nuclear program: King Abdullah
CBC News JAN 20,07
Jordan is pursuing plans to develop a nuclear program for peaceful purposes, King Abdullah told an Israeli newspaper.In an interview published Friday in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the Jordanian ruler said the rules have changed on the nuclear issue, noting Egypt and several Gulf states would like nuclear programs.King Abdullah II of Jordan, left, shown here with Iraqi Vice-President Tareq Al-Hashimi at the Royal Palace in Amman on Thursday, said the linch-pin for peace in the region is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Yousef Allan, Jordan Royal Palace/ Associated Press) We are actually looking at nuclear power for peaceful and energy purposes. We've been discussing it with the West, said Abdullah.While Jordan would rather see a nuclear-free zone, he said countries with such programs have responsibilities.I personally believe that any country that has a nuclear program should conform to international regulations and should have international regulatory bodies that check to make sure that any nuclear program moves in the right direction.What's expected from us should be a standard across the board. We want to make sure this is used for energy. What we don't want is an arms race to come out of this. As we become part of an international body and its international regulations are accepted by all of us, then we become a united front.
The comments marked the first time Abdullah spoke openly about desires for a Jordanian nuclear program for peaceful purposes.
As signatories of the 1968 Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, the U.S., Russia, the U.K., France and China are the only countries in the world officially recognized as nuclear weapons states.Israel is widely believed to have nuclear weapons, while India, Pakistan and North Korea have tested nuclear weapons. Washington believes Iran is developing a nuclear weapons program.
Israeli-Palestinian conflict linchpin
In speaking about the general security situation in the Middle East, Abdullah said peace between Israel and the Palestinians was the key to broader Middle East stability. Jordan has a peace deal with Israel, with which it shares a border.All of us are looking at Iraq with concern. We don't know what's going to happen in Lebanon, although we hope that they're moving in the right direction, he told the paper.Whether people like it or not, the linchpin is always the Israeli-Palestinian problem.Abdullah also said Iran, through its support of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, has carved out a role for itself in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hamas won a surprise victory in parliamentary elections last year.With files from the Associated Press
WORLD TERRORISM
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
2 PETER 2:5
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
2 PETER 3:7
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men
LEVITICUS 26:16
16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you( sudden) terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
ISAIAH 33:1,18-19 Woe to thee that spoilest,(destroys) and thou wast not spoiled;(destroyed) and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil,(destroy) thou shalt be spoiled;(destroyed) and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.
18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?
19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
Police probe Quebec bomb threat letter Fri Jan 19, 10:48 AM ET
MONTREAL (Reuters) - Police said on Friday they are investigating a threatening letter that claims to come from a violent Quebec militant group, but said there are no clues whether the group exists, or whether the threat is real. Police said the letter, dated January 15, threatens to place bombs at strategic targets of importance between February 15 and March 15, seeking maximum impact. That could include airports, roads, railways and shopping centers in the Montreal area.We have no indication that they are able to carry out what they threaten, said Corporal Luc Bessette, of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Is a hoax? That's possible. Is is real? That's possible too. The RCMP takes seriously all threats against our citizens.The letter was addressed to Quebec Premier Jean Charest, French President Jacques Chirac and mayors in Montreal area towns and boroughs that have large numbers of English-speaking residents. It is similar to another letter sent November 15.The letterhead of the document refers to the Camille Laurin cell of the Front de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ), a militant separatist group that conducted a deadly series of bombings in Montreal during the 1960s and kidnapped several people in 1970, one of whom was later found dead.
There were generally no warning letters before those incidents.
Camille Laurin was a Quebec cabinet minister largely credited with creating language laws and regulations that restricted the use of English on signs in the mainly French-speaking Canadian province.Laurin died in 1999 and there is no indication that an FLQ cell named after him actually exists.The threatening letter comes as Quebec appears headed for a provincial election in the spring.
Public opinion polls indicate that the ruling Liberals, who want the province of 7.4 million to remain part of Canada, will be in a close contest with the opposition Parti Quebecois, which wants Quebec to separate.
DNA confirms death of Abu Sayyaf chief By OLIVER TEVES, Associated Press Writer JAN 20,07
MANILA, Philippines - DNA tests confirmed the death of the leader of the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf terror group that was responsible for the beheading of a California tourist and the kidnapping of two American missionaries, officials said Saturday.
The Abu Sayyaf leader, Khadaffy Janjalani, was killed in September in fighting with U.S.-backed Philippine troops, who also killed Janjalani's possible successor in an operation on Tuesday.The deaths of Janjalani and Abu Sulaiman, who was wanted in the abduction of the three Americans and the deaths of two of them, mark a major victory in the campaign against Islamic militants in the south of the archipelago after years of bombings and kidnappings.The FBI conducted the tests on remains found buried in the jungles of southern Jolo island in December, comparing the DNA with that of Janjalani's imprisoned brother, said military Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon.The Armed Forces of the Philippines is proud to announce that we have neutralized the center of gravity of terrorism in the Philippines, Esperon said.
Martin and Gracia Burnham, a missionary couple from Wichita, Kan., and Guillermo Sobero of Corona, Calif., were taken by Abu Sayyaf from a resort island in May 2001. Sobero was beheaded by the militants and Martin Burnham was killed during a military rescue in June 2002 in which his wife was wounded.The U.S. Embassy said Janjalani's death marks an important and positive step forward in the ultimate goal of eliminating the ruthless and dangerous Abu Sayyaf group, and in destroying its links with international terrorist groups, such as Indonesian-based Jemaah Islamiyah. Police warned that Abu Sayyaf could stage retaliatory attacks.It is like wounded animal or a fighting cock it can still throw a kick, said Romeo Ricardo, chief of the national police Intelligence Group.
Janjalani, who had a $5 million U.S. bounty for his capture or death, escaped from police detention in 1995. He took over Abu Sayyaf from his older brother, group founder Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani, after he was killed in 1998.Abu Sayyaf has been linked to several deadly attacks in the Philippines, including a 2004 bombing that gutted a ferry, killing 116 people.The group, which is believed to have about 400 followers and says it is fighting to establish a separate Muslim state in the southern Philippines, has also carried out mass kidnappings. Among them was the seizure of dozens of students and teachers in the southern island province of Basilan in 2000, and the abduction of 17 Filipinos and the three Americans.Janjalani was killed in a clash with soldiers on southern Jolo island on Sept. 4, about a month after the military launched a major offensive backed by U.S. troops, which provide training and intelligence support.The offensive on Jolo, about 600 miles south of Manila, has targeted Janjalani, Sulaiman, and two top Indonesian terror suspects blamed for the October 2002 Bali, Indonesia, bombings that killed 202 people.Associated Press Writers Jim Gomez and Hrvoje Hranjski contributed to this report.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Moving day: B'nai Israel goes to modern new home
By DAVID YONKE - BLADE RELIGION EDITOR
It's a bittersweet weekend for Congregation B'nai Israel.Members of the Conservative Jewish synagogue, the oldest in the Toledo area, will say goodbye to their temple on Kenwood Boulevard tomorrow and move into a sparkling new $4 million facility in Sylvania.
On the one hand, it will be sad leaving the synagogue in the Old Orchard neighborhood where B'nai Israel has been since 1955, but on the other hand, it is a joyous occasion to move into the new building, said Miriam Beckerman, a member of the temple's Torah relocation committee.I've only been here 15 years, but for some people, like my daughter who will be 17 next month, this is the only synagogue they've ever known, Ms. Beckerman said this week. It's sad to be leaving the old temple, but look what we're moving into! She raised both hands to point out the beauty of the new building's main sanctuary.
Circular in shape, with a central platform - called a bema - surrounded by rows of movable chairs, the room is brightly lighted by the sun's rays that stream through clerestory and stained glass windows.The carpet is a light purple and the oak chairs are padded with purple cloth. The sanctuary walls are trimmed with oak and matching acoustical panels.Verses from the Book of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3, To everything there is a season..are carved in Hebrew into stone squares that encircle the room.At the south end of the sanctuary is another bema, above which hangs the Ner Tamid, or eternal light. In the old building, the Ner Tamid was a symbolic electric light. Here it is an actual flame of fire burning from a natural gas line.A crying room, suggested by Rabbi Barry Leff's wife, Lauri Donahue, provides a place where mothers can nurse babies in peace while looking directly into the sanctuary through a one-way window.Rabbi Leff said he and leaders of the synagogue visited other newly built synagogues for medium-sized Conservative congregations in New Jersey, Florida, and Detroit to gather ideas for their building.For a rabbi, this is a once-in -a-lifetime opportunity, he said. We wanted to look at the best synagogues in the country.The building was designed by Abraham Musher-Eizenman, an architect who is a member of B'nai Israel, and he emphasized a building that is flexible with space that can be adapted for different purposes.At 19,700 square feet, the new building is about half the size of the one on Kenwood Boulevard, Rabbi Leff said. By using partitions, movable walls, and free-standing chairs, its sanctuary, classrooms, and social hall can all be moved as needed.
Normally, the sanctuary will seat about 200, but during the High Holy Days the rear wall can be opened and the seating arranged to accommodate 600 people.Hazzan James Gloth said acoustic engineers helped set up the room for optimal sound, although he is eager to test it in an actual service.Tomorrow, the synagogue will hold an Ark to Ark service, removing 13 Torah scrolls from the ark in the old building and placing them into the ark in the new temple.Ms. Beckerman said the scrolls will be carried under a chuppa, or tent-like structure often associated with weddings.The ceremony will include a procession, a shofar blast with people sounding the shofar, or ram's horn, and placement of the scrolls into the ark, followed by a social gathering.One of the innovations unique to B'nai Israel is an LCD monitor set into a light-gold stone section outside the sanctuary that will be used for yartzeit, a Jewish tradition of remembering the anniversary of a person's death. In the old building, each name had a brass plaque with an electric light that was lit during the anniversary week. In the new facility, the names of the deceased will be illuminated on the LCD screen during the week of the anniversary, and the names will be on permanent display on plaques inside the sanctuary.
B'nai Israel was organized around the time of the Civil War and celebrated its centenary in 1966. It sold the Kenwood Boulevard property to the University of Toledo Foundation in 2004 for $1.75 million.The weekend celebration will include a farewell concert tonight at 8 in the old temple, 2727 Kenwood Blvd., by noted Jewish singer Neshama Carlebach. Tomorrow, the event begins at 1 p.m. at the Kenwood Boulevard temple and then will proceed to the new venue, located in the rear of the Jewish Community Center campus, 6465 West Sylvania Ave., Sylvania.Contact David Yonke at:dyonke@theblade.comor 419-724-6154.
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
[Comment] EU aid masks big bully tactics in developing world
19.01.2007 - 09:32 CET | By Florent Sebban
EUOBSERVER / COMMENT - When rich nations impose an agenda tailor-made for their own interests on poorer ones, there is only one word that aptly describes their tactics: bullying. One of the topics addressed at this year's World Social Forum in Nairobi (20-25 January) will be how the European Commission resorts to bullying in its relations with developing countries. In public relations exercises, the EU institutions like to portray themselves as best friends of the poor. On a superficial level, this looks like an accurate depiction. At €46 billion per year - €6 billion of which is channeled through the Commission – the EU is the world's biggest donor of official development assistance (ODA). Thanks to decisions taken in 2005, the Union is scheduled to provide 66% of all ODA by 2010, with the Commission handling twice as much aid as the World Bank. But if you delve beneath the spin, the reality is that the Commission can be the kind of friend who twists the arms and pulls the ears of developing countries until they accept exactly what the Brussels bureaucracy wants. This is despite how Louis Michel and Benita Ferrero Waldner, the commissioners for development and external relations, repeatedly refer to recipients of EU aid as their partners and insist that they have ownership of EU-financed projects. Earlier this month, the European Parliament began examining a series of country strategy papers drawn up by the Commission for spending aid in its partners over the 2007-13 period. In theory, these were drafted following extensive consultations with governments, parliaments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in recipient countries.
What about health and education?
However, there are several examples to illustrate how the Commission ignored the views of those consulted. Perhaps worst of all, it has been known to overrule calls for health and education to be prioritised in the expenditure of EU aid, even though these are of fundamental importance for attaining the UN's Millennium Development Goals of dramatically reducing extreme poverty by 2015.
In November, Jamaica's then Ambassador to the EU Evadne Coye gave a detailed account of the consultation which occurred when the strategy paper for her country was being prepared. Coye said that one issue that was raised by the Jamaican participants in all consultations was that education had to be a top priority, with the emphasis placed particularly on primary schooling, the training of the teachers and addressing children with special needs. Yet Coye said that the Commission then told her government that education must only be a component in one of two central themes for the strategy paper. As a result, education would be subsumed as part of a general area called 'governance'; the second focal area would be known as competitiveness, and would be geared towards supporting Jamaica adapt to the Economic Partnership Agreements which the Commission is negotiating with countries in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) bloc. While the Commission is correct to demand that there should be good governance and a crackdown on corruption in developing countries, it is taking a narrow view of what 'governance' entails. Surely, meeting the basic health and literacy needs of a population is a prerequisite for good governance and should be central to the EU's development aid activities.
Promoting Western firms interests
In Nairobi, Eurostep, a network of European NGOs, will be presenting a series of case studies on EU aid to Africa. These illustrate how the Commission has promoted the narrow interests of Western firms, rather than those of Africa's poorest citizens. A strategy paper for Burundi, for example, overlooks a national pledge of guaranteeing free primary schooling to all children. Meanwhile, in Cameroon, the Commission has decided to make a totally inappropriate use of development assistance by diverting part of it to promoting trade. Peter Mandelson, the trade commissioner, unveiled an external competitiveness strategy for Europe in October. European companies must be enabled to gain access to, and to operate securely, in world markets, he said. That is our agenda.
During recent contacts with the Pacific region, high-ranking Commission officials made it clear that the region's governments will only receive additional aid if they sign Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the Union. These accords would severely limit the ability of ACP countries to choose the development model they deem necessary for their own people and economies. Last month, a grouping of anti-poverty activists known as the Africa Trade Network said that the conduct of the EPA talks so far reinforced concerns that their aim is to deregulate developing countries in favour of European investors and that the Commission has rejected all studies on the potential effects of the accords whose outcomes it does not like.Before they next trumpet their commitment to ending poverty, the European Commission and EU governments should examine the criticisms directed towards them in Nairobi. If they analyses these seriously, they might just realise that friends to the poor should not behave as bullies.
Florent Sebban, a policy adviser with Eurostep, a network of organisations specialising in EU-financed development cooperation, is currently participating in the World Social Forum.
SIGNS OF THE END OF THE AGE (NOT THE WORLD) THE WORLD GOES ON FOREVER.
GENESIS 1:14
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:(ISRAELS HOLY DAYS AND SABBATH STARTS AT 6PM) And for SIGNS (PROPHECY SIGNS TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, OUR DAY)
White beetle dazzles scientists JAN 20,07
The researchers looked at the beetle close up
A dazzling insect could help the development of brilliant white, ultra-thin materials, a study suggests. The finger-tip sized Cyphochilus beetle, found in south-east Asia, had a shell whiter than most other materials found in nature, UK researchers said.
Close inspection reveals a unique surface structure covered with scales 10 times thinner than human hair. A report in Science magazine claims mimicking these scales could provide a range of applications for industry. When I put them under the electron microscope, it was like another world had opened up Dr Pete Vukusic, Exeter University Such pure bright whiteness is uncommon in insects, explained lead scientist Dr Pete Vukusic of Exeter University. You do see the odd bit of whiteness here and there, mainly in butterflies, but the whiteness is really incomparable with this little beetle.In the study of the insect, Vukusic's team used a number of techniques such as optical microscopy, laser analysis and spectrometry. The researchers found, according to the International Organization for Standardization measurements, the beetle was much brighter and whiter than milk and the average human tooth.
Another world
But, said Dr Vukusic, the group also wanted to find out the sort of system that would physically create such dazzling whiteness.
And when I put them under the electron microscope, it was like another world had opened up; it was totally remarkable. The team found out why the beetles were so white.The researchers found the beetle's shell was covered with ultra-thin scales, measuring just five micrometres (millionths of a metre), with highly random internal 3D structures. This irregular structure, explained Dr Vukusic, was the cause of the beetle's whiteness.While colour, he explained, could be created through highly ordered structures, whiteness is achieved through very random features that scatter all colours simultaneously. The degree of whiteness given the scales' thinness is the really impressive thing, Dr Vukusic added. We can create this quality of white synthetically, but the materials need to be much thicker. This could have many applications. The researchers believe industry might draw inspiration from the beetle to enhance the whiteness of synthetic objects, such as papers, plastics, paints or white-light displays. The team thinks the beetle evolved to be so white because the colour provides camouflage in amongst the white fungi common to where it is found.
LAND FOR PEACE (THE FUTURE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH)
JOEL 3:2
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
IF THE FUTURE CONTRACT IS TO WORK OUT, IT HAS TO BE A 7 YEAR CONTRACT AND THE EUROPEAN UNION HAS TO DO THE CONTRACT. THIS IS JUST THE ARABS PLAYIN HEADS GAMES AGAIN. AND BESIDES IT HAS TO BE A LAND FOR PEACE DEAL.
Hamas leader offers 10-year truce with Israel
But terror group tells WND of long-term plan to destroy Jewish state
January 20, 2007 - 4:12 p.m. Eastern - By Aaron Klein - WorldNetDaily.com
JERUSALEM -- Hamas is willing to accept a temporary Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and eastern sections of Jerusalem in exchange for a 10-year truce with Israel, Ismail Haniyeh, prime minister of the Hamas-led Palestinian government, announced today. But top Hamas officials and spokesmen for the terror group told WND the truce was meant to show some flexibility to the international community. They said Hamas' goal of destroying Israel had not changed, and that the terror group has a 10-year plan to build a large army and defeat the Jewish state. We are with liberating any inch of Palestine, but we will not close the door for the next generation, because the weak don't always stay weak, and the strong won't stay strong, Haniyeh said today in a televised address, explaining his 10-year truce proposal. His comments come as the U.S. is set to mediate a meeting within the next few weeks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to begin discussions on establishing a Palestinian state.
Haniyeh's statements could be seized upon by Abbas as proof Israel can make peace with the Palestinians even while Hamas runs the Palestinian government. But Hamad al-Ruqb, a top Hamas spokesman, said Hamas is working to destroy the entire state of Israel: Hamas will be able to free most of the territories of the historical Palestine occupied in 1948 (the state of Israel) and bring back the Palestinian refugees to their lands and houses. This step will be followed by a struggle to release the rest of the lands that will remain under occupation, al-Ruqb said. Al-Raqb said Hamas has a 10-year plan to defeat Israel that includes setting up a massive army comprised of all Palestinian factions that would train for a period of ten years. A senior Hamas official in the Palestinian parliament told WND al-Raqb's remarks were proof Hamas has not abandoned its main goal of destroying Israel.
The legislative member, who spoke on condition his name be withheld, slammed attempts by Abbas to present Hamas to the international community as a movement that would recognize a peace agreement with the Jewish state. Fatah attempts to present Hamas like a movement that gave up its ideology in order to keep its power, but these attempts failed. You see with the calls for a truce that Hamas can show some flexibility in its tactical policy but the strategic goals [of defeating Israel] are unchanged, the Hamas official said. Abu Abdullah, considered one of the most important operational members of Hamas' so-called military wing, told WND Hamas is preparing for a military confrontation with Israel in spite of Haniyeh's calls for a 10-year truce. The efforts in the field of preparations are running very well, Abu Abdullah said. He said other Palestinian factions, including parts of Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatah's declared military wing, are sharing their knowledge, their technological experience, connections and trainings with us. Abu Abdullah confirmed recent reports members of Hamas and other Palestinian organizations have been receiving training abroad, although he would not list specific locations.
WND earlier this month quoted Israeli and Palestinian intelligence officials stating Hamas members traveled to Iran and Lebanon for advanced military training. Haniyeh's calls for a 10-year truce with Israel in exchange for the West Bank, Gaza and parts of Jerusalem come exactly one year after WND conducted a well-circulated exclusive interview in which a top Hamas leader said his group would make public a peace initiative offering to trade strategic land with Israel, cease attempts to capture parts of Jerusalem, and sign a 10-year renewable cease-fire with the Jewish state. But the Hamas leader said the plan, which he justified using Islamic tradition, is a temporary machination to ease international and U.S. hostility toward his group. We will be ready for a long interim agreement based on a period of cease-fire that can go to 10 or even 15 years like it was done by the Prophet Muhammad with the enemies of the Muslims. During this period we will build our state on the strong basis of honor and with an honest administration, the top Hamas leader said. Hamas officials, including overall Hamas leader Khaled Meshal, who resides in Syria, formulated a peace proposal they said would be acceptable to their group in which the Palestinians would offer to trade certain lands with Israel, the top Hamas official revealed. With the territories we will be ready to discuss the possibility that the three big settlement compounds will remain under the power of the occupation (Israel) and in exchange we will receive territories for the Palestinian independent state, said the Hamas leader.
The leader told WND the three settlements he was referring to are Ariel and Gush Etzion, two large regions in the West Bank that contain many of the area's major Jewish communities, and western and peripheral sections of Jerusalem, which he said Hamas considers Israeli settlements. Hamas, in exchange, would want the eastern sections of Jerusalem, the parts of the southern Israeli Negev desert that border the Gaza Strip and the Jordan Valley, which extends from outside Jerusalem toward Jordan and encompasses most of Israel's major water supplies. The Hamas official said his group would be willing to compromise on its territorial demands. We are most interested in Jerusalem and the Negev, the leader said. The leader then justified the Hamas peace plan using Islamic history. The Muslim hero Saladin gave up land when he gave Acco to the Crusaders in order to keep Jerusalem. Therefore, I say that the possibility of the exchange of territories existed already in the history of Islam and it cohabitates with our principle that all of Palestine is a dedicated land from Allah, may he be blessed to the Muslims, and no one has the right to give up any part of it, said the leader. The leader insisted the policies are based on the formulation Hamas will not be able to defeat Israel in the near future, but he said his group is confident it ultimately will be victorious. I do not see the Palestinian people and Islamic nation succeeding to liberate this blessed land of Palestine in the very near future, he said. This is an Islamic land and the Jews are invited to live in Palestine and the Muslims will guaranty their safety and honor. ... But we will never give up our right for the whole of Palestine. We should be realistic to admit that the mission for the liberation of Palestine will pass on to the coming generations.
MacKay pledges new money for Gaza crossing
Last Updated: Saturday, January 20, 2007 | 4:45 PM ET CBC News
Canada has pledged $1.2 million to buy equipment for the Karni border crossing in the Gaza Strip, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay announced on Saturday.MacKay made the announcement after travelling to Jerusalem for a meeting with Lt.-Gen Keith Dayton, the U.S. security co-ordinator for the region.Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, shake hands with Canada's Foreign Minister Peter MacKay in Amman, Jordan on Friday. (Nader Daoud/Associated Press) The money will be spent on unspecified equipment to help goods and services move more freely in and out of Gaza.
Canadians make up about a fifth of Dayton's staff.
MacKay met earlier on Saturday in Amman with Jordanian Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit and Foreign Minister Abdul-Ilah al-Khatib on day two of his five-day trip to Jordan, Israel and the occupied territories.Jordan, as one of only two Arab peace partners of Israel the other is Egypt has an effective role to play in solving the long-simmering conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, MacKay said.MacKay said his first Middle East tour got off to a productive start on Friday with a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman.It was very much an opportunity for me to listen, and that again is behind my visit here to the region, he said. There's an accumulated knowledge in our country and an experience that many Canadians bring to this, and that's what I hope to do, as well.The Canadian foreign minister expressed a willingness to accept every possible effort in order to see to it that the road map [peace plan] is fully implemented, said Saeb Erekat, chief Palestinian negotiator.On Sunday, MacKay will visit Bethlehem, which is in the shadow of the security barrier that winds around the town. He'll also meet with the Israeli prime minister, deputy prime minister and foreign minister.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Sun Jan 21 1:12:09 AM EDT
JAN 21 NO QUAKES YET
JAN 20,07
MAP 3.2 NORTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.3 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 3.1 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 3.1 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.7 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.4 SOUTH KOREA
MAP 3.3 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.8 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.0 OREGON
MAP 2.6 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 5.8 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.9 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 4.8 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 5.9 BANDA SEA
MAP 2.7 BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP 2.6 KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
JAN 19,07
MAP 3.2 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 3.5 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.8 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.9 NORTHERN MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
MAP 2.7 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.0 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.3 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC REGION
MAP 3.2 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.5 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.9 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.7 NEVADA
MAP 3.3 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 3.4 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.8 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 3.3 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 4.3 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 3.4 NORTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.7 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 3.3 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 5.9 SOUTH OF JAVA, INDONESIA
MAP 2.6 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 5.4 OFFSHORE EL SALVADOR
MAP 2.6 PUERTO RICO REGION
Moderate earthquake rattles Indonesia Fri Jan 19, 11:59 PM ET
JAKARTA, Indonesia - A moderate earthquake rocked parts of eastern Indonesia on Saturday but there were no reports of damage and no tsunami warning was issued, officials said. The 5.9-magnitude quake was centered 80 miles-deep under the Banda Sea, 200 miles southeast of Ambon, the provincial capital of Mollucan islands, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said that no tsunami warning had been issued.Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.In December 2004, a massive earthquake struck off Indonesia's Sumatra island and triggered a tsunami that killed more than 131,000 people in Indonesia's Aceh province alone and left half a million homeless.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
ITS BEEN COOOOOOOOOLD WERE I LIVE TO AND I LOVE THE WARMTH. THESE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE NOT JUST GLOBAL WARMING FOLKS, GOD IS GIVING THE WORLD A REPENTENCE WAKE UP CALL.
GASPE QUEBEC GETS 63 CM OF SNOW
Environment Canada Weather Forecast
Forillon National Park - Gaspé - Percé
Issued at: 5.00 AM EST Saturday 20 January 2007
Snowfall warning in effect .Blowing snow warning in effect. Today..Snow and blowing snow. Amount 5 cm. Wind west 40 km/h gusting to 70. Temperature falling to minus 5 this afternoon. Tonight..Cloudy. A few flurries in Forillon Park. Blowing snow. Wind west 40 km/h gusting to 70. Low minus 14. Sunday..Cloudy with sunny periods. A few flurries in Forillon Park. Local blowing snow. Wind northwest 40 km/h gusting to 70. High minus 10. Monday..Sunny. Low minus 15. High minus 8. Tuesday..Cloudy with 70 percent chance of flurries. Low minus 16. High minus 8. Wednesday..A mix of sun and cloud. Low minus 10. High minus 4.
Normals for the period..Low minus 18. High minus 6.
Environment Canada Weather Forecast VANCOUVER
Greater Vancouver Issued at: 6.45 AM PST Saturday 20 January 2007
Today..A mix of sun and cloud. Fog patches dissipating late this morning. High 6. Tonight..Cloudy. Periods of rain beginning overnight except periods of wet snow over higher terrain. Low plus 1. Sunday..Periods of rain except periods of wet snow over higher terrain early in the morning. High plus 5. Monday..Rain. Low plus 3. High 6. Tuesday..Rain. Low plus 5. High 7. Wednesday..Cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers. Low plus 5. High 8. Normals for the period..Low plus 1. High 6.
Hurricane-force winds batter Europe for 2nd day
Britain and Germany hit hardest, with at least 46 dead overall in several countries
Last Updated: Friday, January 19, 2007 | 2:11 PM ET - CBC News
The worst storm in years is pounding Northern Europe, killing at least 46 people, knocking out power to millions and bringing most travel to a standstill.A man tries to walk along the shore Thursday as fierce winds and waves batter Blackpool, on England's west coast.(John Giles/PA/Associated Press) Britain and Germany were hit hardest, with snow, rain and wind gusts reaching up to 190 km/h in some areas on Thursday. Scotland saw up to 25 centimetres of snow.As the storm moved east on Friday, forecasters reported winds of 200 km/h.At least 14 people were reported dead in Britain alone, including a two-year-old boy who was killed by a falling wall in London.Winds of up to 160 km/h roared through England Thursday evening. Many roads in the capital were closed because of debris blowing off buildings.
Europe's busiest highway, the M-25 around London, had traffic jams stretching for kilometres after a single gust of wind in the early afternoon knocked three trucks onto their sides.Hundreds of flights, ferry and train trips were cancelled across Britain.The storm led to the deaths of at least three people in the Czech Republic, 12 in Germany, 14 in Britain, six in the Netherlands, three in France, two in Belgium and six in Poland.In Germany, those killed included an 18-month-old child hit by a terrace door that was ripped from its hinges.
Europeans cancel flights, train services
Strong winds in Germany forced dozens of flight cancellations, prompted the national railway to suspend services across the country, and shut schools.Strong winds toss the hair of a woman in Frankfurt, Germany, on Thursday, as fierce storms swept across Europe.(Michael Probst/Associated Press) Most long-distance train services in Germany were suspended.Berlin's new main train station was shut down after a two-tonne girder was ripped out of its facade Thursday night. No one was injured.In Utrecht, the Netherlands, strong winds toppled a construction crane onto a university building, crumpling the roof and injuring six people.In Amsterdam, bicyclists were blown over or, in some cases, blown backward. The city's historic canals were littered with trash barrels, piles of toppled bikes and dozens of broken umbrellas.Traffic on the Eurostar, the train service connecting Britain to continental Europe through the Channel Tunnel, was suspended after an electrical cable holder fell onto the tracks near Lille in northern France, France's national railway company said.Eurostar was running full service again on Friday, after one early Paris-to-London train was cancelled. But British train companies warned of delays through the day as repairs were carried out.
Heathrow Airport cancels 280 flights
Heathrow Airport, Europe's largest, cancelled 280 flights on Thursday. Other major airports including Frankfurt, Munich, Amsterdam and Vienna reported delays and cancellations.In Ireland and Latvia, winds kept rescue crews from helping ships damaged or missing after storms earlier in the week.Seven fishermen from Ireland, Poland and Ukraine are missing and presumed dead off the Irish coast, while Latvian rescuers were unable to attempt to salvage a cargo ship that ran aground Tuesday off the Baltic port Ventspils and has been leaking oil.With files from the Associated Press
Floods swamp homes, roads in South Australia
Saturday, January 20, 2007 | 11:17 AM ET CBC News
Heavy rain has caused severe flooding in South Australia state, isolating four communities.The worst hit is the town of Hawker, where 150 millimetres of rain, seven times the January average, has fallen in the past three days.It's feared the entire town could be submerged by water from the local dam if the rain doesn't stop soon.Roads around the towns of Oodnadatta, Whyalla and Port Pirie were also closed by rising waters.In Oodnadatta, the local hospital said medical supplies were running low.The State Emergency Service is using thousands of sandbags to stem the flow of water into homes.As the outback storm moved east across Australia it also caused flooding in the states of New South Wales and Victoria, where drought conditions sparked several weeks of wildfires.
Torrential rains in Mozambique cause havoc, claim four lives Fri Jan 19, 1:57 PM ET
MAPUTO (AFP) - Four people have died, hundreds of homes destroyed and more than 6,000 affected by torrential rains in Mozambique over the last two days, officials said. One person was electrocuted to death yesterday at Dondo in the Sofala province while three others suffered a similar fate in the town of Quelimane in Zambezia province, Joao Ribeiro, deputy director of the National Disaster Management Institute said.In all, more than 6,000 people have been directly affected nationwide, he said, adding that some 1,200 shacks were washed away in the northern Nampula province and another 150 risked collapse.In the central Manica province, the rains damaged a dam under construction.A preliminary survey estimates the damage at 100,000 dollars (77,400 euros), Manica's governor Raimundo Diomba told AFP.The rainy season in Mozambique begins in December and usually lasts until March.
In early 2000, about 1,000 people lost their lives in floods that caused widespread devastation in the southern African nation, which is also struggling to rebuild after a 16-year civil war that ended in 1992.
Europe counts cost of storms as stricken freighter is beached JAN 20,07
LONDON (AFP) - Salvage crews were beaching a badly holed, waterlogged British freighter carrying hazardous cargo while Europe counted the cost of the deadly storms that battered the continent earlier in the week. Tens of thousands of homes across Europe were still without power on Saturday.The MSC Napoli container ship was deliberately run aground on the southwest English coast to stop it from breaking apart in the English Channel, one of the world's busiest waterways.The 62,000-tonne cargo ship was transporting 2,394 containers, whose contents included 1,700 tonnes of hazardous industrial and agricultural chemicals.French officials said a long oil slick had spilt from the vessel into the English Channel.The MSC Napoli has suffered serious structural failure, said the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency.The large cracks on both sides of the ship have worsened. The stern of the ship is gradually settling lower in the water and deteriorating.
Risk assessments have been carried out and continually updated. The priority is to gain as much shelter as possible and keep the vessel in one piece. Therefore the decision has been made to beach the vessel and ballast it down east of Sidmouth.The beaching location was selected based on minimising the impact of any spillage and enabling salvage work to remove the vessel and cargo to take place, the MCA said.The 275-metre (900-foot) container ship developed long gashes on both sides just above the water line during stormy weather on Thursday and has since been under tow.Television footage showed the ship, registered in London and owned by the Swiss Mediterranean Shipping Company, with its stern low in the water close to the shoreline in Lyme Bay.The Napoli was being hauled by two French tug boats, whose progress was hampered by rough seas and the cargo ship's jammed rudder.
When the engine room flooded and the vessel began listing badly, the 26-man crew abandoned ship. Three British Sea King helicopters winched them to safety from their lifeboat in nine-metre (30-feet) high waves and flew them to a navy base in southern England.Calmer weather returned to Europe on Saturday but tens of thousands of homes in England, Germany and apparently Poland were still without power.
Around 19,000 households in eastern England had no electricity.
In Germany, where the storms claimed 11 lives, around 12,000 of the 60,000 homes whose power was cut were still in the dark, 10,000 of them in the central state of Thuringia.Our objective is to reconnect all the 55 areas concerned between now and this evening, said Olaf Werner, a spokesman for German energy group E.ON.German rail services were largely back to normal after the appalling weather forced the Deutsche Bahn national railway company on Thursday to suspend all services for the first time in its history.In Poland where the storms killed six and injured 30, including nine emergency service workers it was unclear how many households were still in the dark. There is no information on the number of homes still without electricity this morning but on Friday afternoon, 800,000 were without power," fire brigade spokesman Dariusz Malinowski told AFP.
The new terminal of Warsaw's Okecia airport, which had been damaged, remained partially closed. The Netherlands was also counting the cost of the storms, which killed seven there. Insurers in the low-lying kingdom said their bill could come to at least 160 million euros (208 million dollars). That sum did not include damage to Amsterdam's Schiphol airport and the railways, which could add another 40 million euros to the bill. In Ukraine, the emergency situations ministry said one woman had been killed on Friday by a falling tree, power lines had been damaged and telephone connections severed. Russian oil deliveries to European Union countries were interrupted on Friday after high winds knocked out electricity at a pumping station on the section of a pipeline that transits Ukraine.
NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.
ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die).
ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.
JOEL 2:20,30
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
REVELATION 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).
MATTHEW 24:37-51
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
NOTICE ALL THE COUNTRIES THAT WANT NUCLEAR POWER IN THE MIDEAST LATELY SAUDI ARABIA, NOW JORDAN, EGYPT, ALL BECAUSE OF IRAN. WW3 IS GETTING SET UP QUICKLY TO BE FULFILLED.
COUNTRIES WITH ISRAEL
EZEKIEL 38:10-19
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
13 Sheba, and Dedan,(SAUDIA ARABIA) and the merchants of Tarshish,(ENGLAND) with all the young lions thereof,(USA,CANADA,AUSTRALIA,NEW ZEALAND,EU,ENGLISH SPEAKING shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?
15 And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:
16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
17 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?
18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face.
19 For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;
Jordan wants peaceful nuclear program: King Abdullah
CBC News JAN 20,07
Jordan is pursuing plans to develop a nuclear program for peaceful purposes, King Abdullah told an Israeli newspaper.In an interview published Friday in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the Jordanian ruler said the rules have changed on the nuclear issue, noting Egypt and several Gulf states would like nuclear programs.King Abdullah II of Jordan, left, shown here with Iraqi Vice-President Tareq Al-Hashimi at the Royal Palace in Amman on Thursday, said the linch-pin for peace in the region is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Yousef Allan, Jordan Royal Palace/ Associated Press) We are actually looking at nuclear power for peaceful and energy purposes. We've been discussing it with the West, said Abdullah.While Jordan would rather see a nuclear-free zone, he said countries with such programs have responsibilities.I personally believe that any country that has a nuclear program should conform to international regulations and should have international regulatory bodies that check to make sure that any nuclear program moves in the right direction.What's expected from us should be a standard across the board. We want to make sure this is used for energy. What we don't want is an arms race to come out of this. As we become part of an international body and its international regulations are accepted by all of us, then we become a united front.
The comments marked the first time Abdullah spoke openly about desires for a Jordanian nuclear program for peaceful purposes.
As signatories of the 1968 Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, the U.S., Russia, the U.K., France and China are the only countries in the world officially recognized as nuclear weapons states.Israel is widely believed to have nuclear weapons, while India, Pakistan and North Korea have tested nuclear weapons. Washington believes Iran is developing a nuclear weapons program.
Israeli-Palestinian conflict linchpin
In speaking about the general security situation in the Middle East, Abdullah said peace between Israel and the Palestinians was the key to broader Middle East stability. Jordan has a peace deal with Israel, with which it shares a border.All of us are looking at Iraq with concern. We don't know what's going to happen in Lebanon, although we hope that they're moving in the right direction, he told the paper.Whether people like it or not, the linchpin is always the Israeli-Palestinian problem.Abdullah also said Iran, through its support of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, has carved out a role for itself in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hamas won a surprise victory in parliamentary elections last year.With files from the Associated Press
WORLD TERRORISM
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
2 PETER 2:5
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
2 PETER 3:7
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men
LEVITICUS 26:16
16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you( sudden) terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
GENESIS 16:11-12
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
ISAIAH 33:1,18-19 Woe to thee that spoilest,(destroys) and thou wast not spoiled;(destroyed) and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil,(destroy) thou shalt be spoiled;(destroyed) and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee.
18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?
19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.
JOHN 16:2
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
Police probe Quebec bomb threat letter Fri Jan 19, 10:48 AM ET
MONTREAL (Reuters) - Police said on Friday they are investigating a threatening letter that claims to come from a violent Quebec militant group, but said there are no clues whether the group exists, or whether the threat is real. Police said the letter, dated January 15, threatens to place bombs at strategic targets of importance between February 15 and March 15, seeking maximum impact. That could include airports, roads, railways and shopping centers in the Montreal area.We have no indication that they are able to carry out what they threaten, said Corporal Luc Bessette, of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Is a hoax? That's possible. Is is real? That's possible too. The RCMP takes seriously all threats against our citizens.The letter was addressed to Quebec Premier Jean Charest, French President Jacques Chirac and mayors in Montreal area towns and boroughs that have large numbers of English-speaking residents. It is similar to another letter sent November 15.The letterhead of the document refers to the Camille Laurin cell of the Front de Liberation du Quebec (FLQ), a militant separatist group that conducted a deadly series of bombings in Montreal during the 1960s and kidnapped several people in 1970, one of whom was later found dead.
There were generally no warning letters before those incidents.
Camille Laurin was a Quebec cabinet minister largely credited with creating language laws and regulations that restricted the use of English on signs in the mainly French-speaking Canadian province.Laurin died in 1999 and there is no indication that an FLQ cell named after him actually exists.The threatening letter comes as Quebec appears headed for a provincial election in the spring.
Public opinion polls indicate that the ruling Liberals, who want the province of 7.4 million to remain part of Canada, will be in a close contest with the opposition Parti Quebecois, which wants Quebec to separate.
DNA confirms death of Abu Sayyaf chief By OLIVER TEVES, Associated Press Writer JAN 20,07
MANILA, Philippines - DNA tests confirmed the death of the leader of the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf terror group that was responsible for the beheading of a California tourist and the kidnapping of two American missionaries, officials said Saturday.
The Abu Sayyaf leader, Khadaffy Janjalani, was killed in September in fighting with U.S.-backed Philippine troops, who also killed Janjalani's possible successor in an operation on Tuesday.The deaths of Janjalani and Abu Sulaiman, who was wanted in the abduction of the three Americans and the deaths of two of them, mark a major victory in the campaign against Islamic militants in the south of the archipelago after years of bombings and kidnappings.The FBI conducted the tests on remains found buried in the jungles of southern Jolo island in December, comparing the DNA with that of Janjalani's imprisoned brother, said military Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon.The Armed Forces of the Philippines is proud to announce that we have neutralized the center of gravity of terrorism in the Philippines, Esperon said.
Martin and Gracia Burnham, a missionary couple from Wichita, Kan., and Guillermo Sobero of Corona, Calif., were taken by Abu Sayyaf from a resort island in May 2001. Sobero was beheaded by the militants and Martin Burnham was killed during a military rescue in June 2002 in which his wife was wounded.The U.S. Embassy said Janjalani's death marks an important and positive step forward in the ultimate goal of eliminating the ruthless and dangerous Abu Sayyaf group, and in destroying its links with international terrorist groups, such as Indonesian-based Jemaah Islamiyah. Police warned that Abu Sayyaf could stage retaliatory attacks.It is like wounded animal or a fighting cock it can still throw a kick, said Romeo Ricardo, chief of the national police Intelligence Group.
Janjalani, who had a $5 million U.S. bounty for his capture or death, escaped from police detention in 1995. He took over Abu Sayyaf from his older brother, group founder Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani, after he was killed in 1998.Abu Sayyaf has been linked to several deadly attacks in the Philippines, including a 2004 bombing that gutted a ferry, killing 116 people.The group, which is believed to have about 400 followers and says it is fighting to establish a separate Muslim state in the southern Philippines, has also carried out mass kidnappings. Among them was the seizure of dozens of students and teachers in the southern island province of Basilan in 2000, and the abduction of 17 Filipinos and the three Americans.Janjalani was killed in a clash with soldiers on southern Jolo island on Sept. 4, about a month after the military launched a major offensive backed by U.S. troops, which provide training and intelligence support.The offensive on Jolo, about 600 miles south of Manila, has targeted Janjalani, Sulaiman, and two top Indonesian terror suspects blamed for the October 2002 Bali, Indonesia, bombings that killed 202 people.Associated Press Writers Jim Gomez and Hrvoje Hranjski contributed to this report.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Moving day: B'nai Israel goes to modern new home
By DAVID YONKE - BLADE RELIGION EDITOR
It's a bittersweet weekend for Congregation B'nai Israel.Members of the Conservative Jewish synagogue, the oldest in the Toledo area, will say goodbye to their temple on Kenwood Boulevard tomorrow and move into a sparkling new $4 million facility in Sylvania.
On the one hand, it will be sad leaving the synagogue in the Old Orchard neighborhood where B'nai Israel has been since 1955, but on the other hand, it is a joyous occasion to move into the new building, said Miriam Beckerman, a member of the temple's Torah relocation committee.I've only been here 15 years, but for some people, like my daughter who will be 17 next month, this is the only synagogue they've ever known, Ms. Beckerman said this week. It's sad to be leaving the old temple, but look what we're moving into! She raised both hands to point out the beauty of the new building's main sanctuary.
Circular in shape, with a central platform - called a bema - surrounded by rows of movable chairs, the room is brightly lighted by the sun's rays that stream through clerestory and stained glass windows.The carpet is a light purple and the oak chairs are padded with purple cloth. The sanctuary walls are trimmed with oak and matching acoustical panels.Verses from the Book of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3, To everything there is a season..are carved in Hebrew into stone squares that encircle the room.At the south end of the sanctuary is another bema, above which hangs the Ner Tamid, or eternal light. In the old building, the Ner Tamid was a symbolic electric light. Here it is an actual flame of fire burning from a natural gas line.A crying room, suggested by Rabbi Barry Leff's wife, Lauri Donahue, provides a place where mothers can nurse babies in peace while looking directly into the sanctuary through a one-way window.Rabbi Leff said he and leaders of the synagogue visited other newly built synagogues for medium-sized Conservative congregations in New Jersey, Florida, and Detroit to gather ideas for their building.For a rabbi, this is a once-in -a-lifetime opportunity, he said. We wanted to look at the best synagogues in the country.The building was designed by Abraham Musher-Eizenman, an architect who is a member of B'nai Israel, and he emphasized a building that is flexible with space that can be adapted for different purposes.At 19,700 square feet, the new building is about half the size of the one on Kenwood Boulevard, Rabbi Leff said. By using partitions, movable walls, and free-standing chairs, its sanctuary, classrooms, and social hall can all be moved as needed.
Normally, the sanctuary will seat about 200, but during the High Holy Days the rear wall can be opened and the seating arranged to accommodate 600 people.Hazzan James Gloth said acoustic engineers helped set up the room for optimal sound, although he is eager to test it in an actual service.Tomorrow, the synagogue will hold an Ark to Ark service, removing 13 Torah scrolls from the ark in the old building and placing them into the ark in the new temple.Ms. Beckerman said the scrolls will be carried under a chuppa, or tent-like structure often associated with weddings.The ceremony will include a procession, a shofar blast with people sounding the shofar, or ram's horn, and placement of the scrolls into the ark, followed by a social gathering.One of the innovations unique to B'nai Israel is an LCD monitor set into a light-gold stone section outside the sanctuary that will be used for yartzeit, a Jewish tradition of remembering the anniversary of a person's death. In the old building, each name had a brass plaque with an electric light that was lit during the anniversary week. In the new facility, the names of the deceased will be illuminated on the LCD screen during the week of the anniversary, and the names will be on permanent display on plaques inside the sanctuary.
B'nai Israel was organized around the time of the Civil War and celebrated its centenary in 1966. It sold the Kenwood Boulevard property to the University of Toledo Foundation in 2004 for $1.75 million.The weekend celebration will include a farewell concert tonight at 8 in the old temple, 2727 Kenwood Blvd., by noted Jewish singer Neshama Carlebach. Tomorrow, the event begins at 1 p.m. at the Kenwood Boulevard temple and then will proceed to the new venue, located in the rear of the Jewish Community Center campus, 6465 West Sylvania Ave., Sylvania.Contact David Yonke at:dyonke@theblade.comor 419-724-6154.
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
[Comment] EU aid masks big bully tactics in developing world
19.01.2007 - 09:32 CET | By Florent Sebban
EUOBSERVER / COMMENT - When rich nations impose an agenda tailor-made for their own interests on poorer ones, there is only one word that aptly describes their tactics: bullying. One of the topics addressed at this year's World Social Forum in Nairobi (20-25 January) will be how the European Commission resorts to bullying in its relations with developing countries. In public relations exercises, the EU institutions like to portray themselves as best friends of the poor. On a superficial level, this looks like an accurate depiction. At €46 billion per year - €6 billion of which is channeled through the Commission – the EU is the world's biggest donor of official development assistance (ODA). Thanks to decisions taken in 2005, the Union is scheduled to provide 66% of all ODA by 2010, with the Commission handling twice as much aid as the World Bank. But if you delve beneath the spin, the reality is that the Commission can be the kind of friend who twists the arms and pulls the ears of developing countries until they accept exactly what the Brussels bureaucracy wants. This is despite how Louis Michel and Benita Ferrero Waldner, the commissioners for development and external relations, repeatedly refer to recipients of EU aid as their partners and insist that they have ownership of EU-financed projects. Earlier this month, the European Parliament began examining a series of country strategy papers drawn up by the Commission for spending aid in its partners over the 2007-13 period. In theory, these were drafted following extensive consultations with governments, parliaments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in recipient countries.
What about health and education?
However, there are several examples to illustrate how the Commission ignored the views of those consulted. Perhaps worst of all, it has been known to overrule calls for health and education to be prioritised in the expenditure of EU aid, even though these are of fundamental importance for attaining the UN's Millennium Development Goals of dramatically reducing extreme poverty by 2015.
In November, Jamaica's then Ambassador to the EU Evadne Coye gave a detailed account of the consultation which occurred when the strategy paper for her country was being prepared. Coye said that one issue that was raised by the Jamaican participants in all consultations was that education had to be a top priority, with the emphasis placed particularly on primary schooling, the training of the teachers and addressing children with special needs. Yet Coye said that the Commission then told her government that education must only be a component in one of two central themes for the strategy paper. As a result, education would be subsumed as part of a general area called 'governance'; the second focal area would be known as competitiveness, and would be geared towards supporting Jamaica adapt to the Economic Partnership Agreements which the Commission is negotiating with countries in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) bloc. While the Commission is correct to demand that there should be good governance and a crackdown on corruption in developing countries, it is taking a narrow view of what 'governance' entails. Surely, meeting the basic health and literacy needs of a population is a prerequisite for good governance and should be central to the EU's development aid activities.
Promoting Western firms interests
In Nairobi, Eurostep, a network of European NGOs, will be presenting a series of case studies on EU aid to Africa. These illustrate how the Commission has promoted the narrow interests of Western firms, rather than those of Africa's poorest citizens. A strategy paper for Burundi, for example, overlooks a national pledge of guaranteeing free primary schooling to all children. Meanwhile, in Cameroon, the Commission has decided to make a totally inappropriate use of development assistance by diverting part of it to promoting trade. Peter Mandelson, the trade commissioner, unveiled an external competitiveness strategy for Europe in October. European companies must be enabled to gain access to, and to operate securely, in world markets, he said. That is our agenda.
During recent contacts with the Pacific region, high-ranking Commission officials made it clear that the region's governments will only receive additional aid if they sign Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the Union. These accords would severely limit the ability of ACP countries to choose the development model they deem necessary for their own people and economies. Last month, a grouping of anti-poverty activists known as the Africa Trade Network said that the conduct of the EPA talks so far reinforced concerns that their aim is to deregulate developing countries in favour of European investors and that the Commission has rejected all studies on the potential effects of the accords whose outcomes it does not like.Before they next trumpet their commitment to ending poverty, the European Commission and EU governments should examine the criticisms directed towards them in Nairobi. If they analyses these seriously, they might just realise that friends to the poor should not behave as bullies.
Florent Sebban, a policy adviser with Eurostep, a network of organisations specialising in EU-financed development cooperation, is currently participating in the World Social Forum.
SIGNS OF THE END OF THE AGE (NOT THE WORLD) THE WORLD GOES ON FOREVER.
GENESIS 1:14
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:(ISRAELS HOLY DAYS AND SABBATH STARTS AT 6PM) And for SIGNS (PROPHECY SIGNS TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, OUR DAY)
White beetle dazzles scientists JAN 20,07
The researchers looked at the beetle close up
A dazzling insect could help the development of brilliant white, ultra-thin materials, a study suggests. The finger-tip sized Cyphochilus beetle, found in south-east Asia, had a shell whiter than most other materials found in nature, UK researchers said.
Close inspection reveals a unique surface structure covered with scales 10 times thinner than human hair. A report in Science magazine claims mimicking these scales could provide a range of applications for industry. When I put them under the electron microscope, it was like another world had opened up Dr Pete Vukusic, Exeter University Such pure bright whiteness is uncommon in insects, explained lead scientist Dr Pete Vukusic of Exeter University. You do see the odd bit of whiteness here and there, mainly in butterflies, but the whiteness is really incomparable with this little beetle.In the study of the insect, Vukusic's team used a number of techniques such as optical microscopy, laser analysis and spectrometry. The researchers found, according to the International Organization for Standardization measurements, the beetle was much brighter and whiter than milk and the average human tooth.
Another world
But, said Dr Vukusic, the group also wanted to find out the sort of system that would physically create such dazzling whiteness.
And when I put them under the electron microscope, it was like another world had opened up; it was totally remarkable. The team found out why the beetles were so white.The researchers found the beetle's shell was covered with ultra-thin scales, measuring just five micrometres (millionths of a metre), with highly random internal 3D structures. This irregular structure, explained Dr Vukusic, was the cause of the beetle's whiteness.While colour, he explained, could be created through highly ordered structures, whiteness is achieved through very random features that scatter all colours simultaneously. The degree of whiteness given the scales' thinness is the really impressive thing, Dr Vukusic added. We can create this quality of white synthetically, but the materials need to be much thicker. This could have many applications. The researchers believe industry might draw inspiration from the beetle to enhance the whiteness of synthetic objects, such as papers, plastics, paints or white-light displays. The team thinks the beetle evolved to be so white because the colour provides camouflage in amongst the white fungi common to where it is found.
LAND FOR PEACE (THE FUTURE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH)
JOEL 3:2
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks(62X7=434 YEARS+7X7=49 YEARS=TOTAL OF 69 WEEKS OR 483 YRS) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMAN LEADERS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.(THERE HAS TO BE 70 WEEKS OR 490 YRS TO FUFILL THE VISION AND PROPHECY OF DAN 9:24).(THE NEXT VERSE IS THAT 7 YR WEEK OR (70TH FINAL WEEK).
27 And he( THE ROMAN,EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:(1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
IF THE FUTURE CONTRACT IS TO WORK OUT, IT HAS TO BE A 7 YEAR CONTRACT AND THE EUROPEAN UNION HAS TO DO THE CONTRACT. THIS IS JUST THE ARABS PLAYIN HEADS GAMES AGAIN. AND BESIDES IT HAS TO BE A LAND FOR PEACE DEAL.
Hamas leader offers 10-year truce with Israel
But terror group tells WND of long-term plan to destroy Jewish state
January 20, 2007 - 4:12 p.m. Eastern - By Aaron Klein - WorldNetDaily.com
JERUSALEM -- Hamas is willing to accept a temporary Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and eastern sections of Jerusalem in exchange for a 10-year truce with Israel, Ismail Haniyeh, prime minister of the Hamas-led Palestinian government, announced today. But top Hamas officials and spokesmen for the terror group told WND the truce was meant to show some flexibility to the international community. They said Hamas' goal of destroying Israel had not changed, and that the terror group has a 10-year plan to build a large army and defeat the Jewish state. We are with liberating any inch of Palestine, but we will not close the door for the next generation, because the weak don't always stay weak, and the strong won't stay strong, Haniyeh said today in a televised address, explaining his 10-year truce proposal. His comments come as the U.S. is set to mediate a meeting within the next few weeks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to begin discussions on establishing a Palestinian state.
Haniyeh's statements could be seized upon by Abbas as proof Israel can make peace with the Palestinians even while Hamas runs the Palestinian government. But Hamad al-Ruqb, a top Hamas spokesman, said Hamas is working to destroy the entire state of Israel: Hamas will be able to free most of the territories of the historical Palestine occupied in 1948 (the state of Israel) and bring back the Palestinian refugees to their lands and houses. This step will be followed by a struggle to release the rest of the lands that will remain under occupation, al-Ruqb said. Al-Raqb said Hamas has a 10-year plan to defeat Israel that includes setting up a massive army comprised of all Palestinian factions that would train for a period of ten years. A senior Hamas official in the Palestinian parliament told WND al-Raqb's remarks were proof Hamas has not abandoned its main goal of destroying Israel.
The legislative member, who spoke on condition his name be withheld, slammed attempts by Abbas to present Hamas to the international community as a movement that would recognize a peace agreement with the Jewish state. Fatah attempts to present Hamas like a movement that gave up its ideology in order to keep its power, but these attempts failed. You see with the calls for a truce that Hamas can show some flexibility in its tactical policy but the strategic goals [of defeating Israel] are unchanged, the Hamas official said. Abu Abdullah, considered one of the most important operational members of Hamas' so-called military wing, told WND Hamas is preparing for a military confrontation with Israel in spite of Haniyeh's calls for a 10-year truce. The efforts in the field of preparations are running very well, Abu Abdullah said. He said other Palestinian factions, including parts of Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatah's declared military wing, are sharing their knowledge, their technological experience, connections and trainings with us. Abu Abdullah confirmed recent reports members of Hamas and other Palestinian organizations have been receiving training abroad, although he would not list specific locations.
WND earlier this month quoted Israeli and Palestinian intelligence officials stating Hamas members traveled to Iran and Lebanon for advanced military training. Haniyeh's calls for a 10-year truce with Israel in exchange for the West Bank, Gaza and parts of Jerusalem come exactly one year after WND conducted a well-circulated exclusive interview in which a top Hamas leader said his group would make public a peace initiative offering to trade strategic land with Israel, cease attempts to capture parts of Jerusalem, and sign a 10-year renewable cease-fire with the Jewish state. But the Hamas leader said the plan, which he justified using Islamic tradition, is a temporary machination to ease international and U.S. hostility toward his group. We will be ready for a long interim agreement based on a period of cease-fire that can go to 10 or even 15 years like it was done by the Prophet Muhammad with the enemies of the Muslims. During this period we will build our state on the strong basis of honor and with an honest administration, the top Hamas leader said. Hamas officials, including overall Hamas leader Khaled Meshal, who resides in Syria, formulated a peace proposal they said would be acceptable to their group in which the Palestinians would offer to trade certain lands with Israel, the top Hamas official revealed. With the territories we will be ready to discuss the possibility that the three big settlement compounds will remain under the power of the occupation (Israel) and in exchange we will receive territories for the Palestinian independent state, said the Hamas leader.
The leader told WND the three settlements he was referring to are Ariel and Gush Etzion, two large regions in the West Bank that contain many of the area's major Jewish communities, and western and peripheral sections of Jerusalem, which he said Hamas considers Israeli settlements. Hamas, in exchange, would want the eastern sections of Jerusalem, the parts of the southern Israeli Negev desert that border the Gaza Strip and the Jordan Valley, which extends from outside Jerusalem toward Jordan and encompasses most of Israel's major water supplies. The Hamas official said his group would be willing to compromise on its territorial demands. We are most interested in Jerusalem and the Negev, the leader said. The leader then justified the Hamas peace plan using Islamic history. The Muslim hero Saladin gave up land when he gave Acco to the Crusaders in order to keep Jerusalem. Therefore, I say that the possibility of the exchange of territories existed already in the history of Islam and it cohabitates with our principle that all of Palestine is a dedicated land from Allah, may he be blessed to the Muslims, and no one has the right to give up any part of it, said the leader. The leader insisted the policies are based on the formulation Hamas will not be able to defeat Israel in the near future, but he said his group is confident it ultimately will be victorious. I do not see the Palestinian people and Islamic nation succeeding to liberate this blessed land of Palestine in the very near future, he said. This is an Islamic land and the Jews are invited to live in Palestine and the Muslims will guaranty their safety and honor. ... But we will never give up our right for the whole of Palestine. We should be realistic to admit that the mission for the liberation of Palestine will pass on to the coming generations.
MacKay pledges new money for Gaza crossing
Last Updated: Saturday, January 20, 2007 | 4:45 PM ET CBC News
Canada has pledged $1.2 million to buy equipment for the Karni border crossing in the Gaza Strip, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay announced on Saturday.MacKay made the announcement after travelling to Jerusalem for a meeting with Lt.-Gen Keith Dayton, the U.S. security co-ordinator for the region.Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, shake hands with Canada's Foreign Minister Peter MacKay in Amman, Jordan on Friday. (Nader Daoud/Associated Press) The money will be spent on unspecified equipment to help goods and services move more freely in and out of Gaza.
Canadians make up about a fifth of Dayton's staff.
MacKay met earlier on Saturday in Amman with Jordanian Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit and Foreign Minister Abdul-Ilah al-Khatib on day two of his five-day trip to Jordan, Israel and the occupied territories.Jordan, as one of only two Arab peace partners of Israel the other is Egypt has an effective role to play in solving the long-simmering conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, MacKay said.MacKay said his first Middle East tour got off to a productive start on Friday with a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman.It was very much an opportunity for me to listen, and that again is behind my visit here to the region, he said. There's an accumulated knowledge in our country and an experience that many Canadians bring to this, and that's what I hope to do, as well.The Canadian foreign minister expressed a willingness to accept every possible effort in order to see to it that the road map [peace plan] is fully implemented, said Saeb Erekat, chief Palestinian negotiator.On Sunday, MacKay will visit Bethlehem, which is in the shadow of the security barrier that winds around the town. He'll also meet with the Israeli prime minister, deputy prime minister and foreign minister.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
CHINA SATELLITE KILLER TEST
1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS. 2-Moderate earthquake strikes El Salvador. 3-Storms in Europe kill 46, disrupt travel. 4-Two winter storms taking shape.5-Three dead after heavy rains hit Angola. 6-Storm hits southern New Mexico; wet, heavy snowfall possible throughout state 7-Concern over China satellite-killer test. 8-Dutch open to new-style EU constitution, poll shows. 9-EU ready for more military operations, Solana says. 10-EU seeks fast, full move on U.N. Iran sanctions. 11-Storm Worm rages across the globe. 12-Israel unfreezes $100M before summit. 13-Peretz Reneges on Promise to Build Maskiot. 14-Religious Persecution Growing Worldwide, Group Says. 15-One third of fish species in Yellow River dead. 16-This Week with Rabbi Eckstein. 17-Iran, Syria, UN should assist in Iraq settlement - Lavrov.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Sat Jan 20 12:09 AM EDT
SAT JAN 20,07 NO QUAKES YET
JAN 19,07
MAP 3.0 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.2 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.5 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.9 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.7 NEVADA
MAP 3.3 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 3.4 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.8 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 3.3 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 4.3 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 3.4 NORTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.7 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 3.3 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 5.9 SOUTH OF JAVA, INDONESIA
MAP 2.6 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 5.4 OFFSHORE EL SALVADOR
MAP 2.6 PUERTO RICO REGION
JAN 18,07
MAP 4.8 CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN SEA
MAP 2.7 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING
MAP 3.1 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 CHANNEL ISLANDS REGION, CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.7 NEVADA
MAP 5.9 SOUTHWEST OF SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 4.5 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.2 WESTERN TURKEY
MAP 4.1 HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN
MAP 2.5 UTAH
MAP 2.9 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 4.1 GULF OF CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.2 MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
MAP 3.7 ALASKA PENINSULA
Moderate earthquake strikes El Salvador Thu Jan 18, 10:59 PM ET
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador An earthquake shook parts of El Salvador on Thursday night, but there were no immediate reports of damages or injuries, authorities said.The quake, with a magnitude of 5.4, was centered 35 miles south of the capital, San Salvador, and occurred at 7:43 p.m., the United States Geological Survey in Colorado reported.The temblor was felt in the capital and in several western provinces of the country, but did not affect communications or power, or threaten to create atsunami, national scientists said.Civil protection officials said they had received no reports of injuries.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Storms in Europe kill 46, disrupt travel By DAVID RISING, Associated Press Writer JAN 19,07
BERLIN - Europeans labored Friday to restore services across the continent after hurricane-force winds toppled trees, brought down power lines and damaged buildings, killing at least 46 people and disrupting travel for tens of thousands. Berlin's new main train station was shut down after a two-ton girder fell from the side of the glass facade onto an outdoor staircase. The station was evacuated after the beam plummeted 130 feet Thursday night, but there were no injuries.I can see maybe the glass falling, but not the steel, said Thomas Mueller, an electrician who had stopped by the downtown station to survey the damage. They just built this thing eight months ago.Virtually the entire German national railway system shut down during the storm, with trees over many tracks and overhead power lines down, and services were being restored gradually Friday.We've never had such a situation in Germany, Deutsche Bahn CEO Hartmut Mehdorn said.
Off the coast of France, a coast guard tug was called upon to tow a damaged British container ship containing explosives to safety, a day after its crew of 26 was rescued from the stormy seas.More than 1 million homes had no electricity in the Czech Republic, which was hit by winds of up to 112 mph, another 1 million households in Germany suffered power losses, while tens of thousands in Poland and Austria also were hit with outages.The flow of Russian oil through a Ukrainian pipeline to other parts of Europe was restored Friday after a temporary shutdown caused when the storm knocked out power to a pumping station. The interruption
occurred Thursday night on a section of the Druzhba, or Friendship, pipeline from the city of Brody in western Ukraine to Slovakia and Hungary, but Oleksandr Dikusarov, a spokesman for the Ukrtransnafta pipeline company, said the flow of oil was fully restored Friday afternoon.The storm led to the deaths of at least three people in the Czech Republic, 12 in Germany, 14 in Britain, six in the Netherlands, three in France, two in Belgium and six in Poland.It was the highest death toll from a storm in Europe since 1999, when gales downed trees and driving snow brought on avalanches, killing more than 120 in three days.Climate researchers had been predicting stormy weather this year for parts of Europe, saying that unusually high temperatures in the North Atlantic, around 1 to 2 degrees above normal would allow winds to accumulate more moisture and surge in energy.In times of rapid climactic change, extreme events arise more frequently, said Peter Werner of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research.Europe has been experiencing an extremely warm winter and has already been hit by several wind storms.Most of the people killed in the storm were motorists, but in Germany they also included two firefighters one hit by a falling tree and the other dying of a heart attack and an 18-month old infant in Munich hit by a terrace door that was ripped from its hinges.In London, a toddler was killed when a brick wall was knocked over by the wind and collapsed on him. Frankfurt Airport reported that flights were again leaving regularly Friday after some morning delays and 200 cancellations Thursday.National carrier Lufthansa canceled 331 flights across Germany on Thursday, affecting nearly 19,000 passengers, but intercontinental flights were largely on time again Friday, spokesman Thomas Jachnow said.British Airways canceled 34 incoming flights to London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports and the two main London-to-Scotland rail routes ran reduced services.
Eurostar was running full service again, after one early Paris-to-London train was canceled. Meanwhile, London Bridge station was reopened after being closed after part of a roof collapsed. British train companies warned of delays through the day as repairs were carried out. Thousands of Dutch commuters were stranded overnight when the service was halted on all trains because of obstructions to the tracks and downed power cables.By early Friday, most Dutch trains were running again after engineers worked through the night to clear debris and repair power lines, the railway said. German subways, trams and buses were largely back in service, but only a few long-distance trains were running. Bringing the service back is like a puzzle it goes bit by bit and we're now at the first pieces, railway spokesman Martin Walden said. The German Weather Service said the storm was the strongest to hit the country since 1999. The highest winds were felt in the southern state of Bavaria, where gusts of up to 126 mph were recorded. Associated Press writers around Europe contributed to this report.
Two winter storms taking shape Wayne Verno and M. Ressler, Meteorologists, The Weather Channel JAN 19,07
South
A developing winter storm increasingly impacts parts of Texas with snow for the west-central counties and the panhandle, sleet and freezing rain from the Davis Mountains to Wichita Falls and rain over the remainder of the state.
As the storm evolves overnight and Saturday, heavy snow will accumulate to a foot in parts of west Texas and advance into western Oklahoma. Sleet and freezing will will expand northward across a diagonal slice of Oklahoma from the southwest to northeast corners including Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Also wintry mix will develop over northern Arkansas. Steady rain will develop through central and east Texas and southeast Oklahoma, moving across the Lower Mississippi River Valley into Sunday. Meanwhile, a few scattered rain showers will impact parts of the Deep South, while most of Florida remains dry.
Northeast
A weather disturbance moving through the Great Lakes is generating areas of snow showers from the Great Lakes, into the Upper Ohio Valley and parts of the Northeast. Meanwhile, a wave of low pressure will move north just off the eastern coast, bringing heavy snow to Maine as the low pressure deepens later today into Saturday. With this deepening low pressure, northwest winds will become strong and gusty across all of the Great Lakes and Northeast today, through Saturday. On Saturday, New England could see occasional wind gusts between 40 and 60 mph. Lake effect snow showers will increase off the Great Lakes tonight through Saturday, and a foot of snow could fall in areas between Cleveland and Buffalo and across the Upstate New York counties southeast of Lake Ontario. By Sunday, the lake effect snow will decrease, but a new winter storm will move into the Tennessee Valley. This will spread a wintry mix into the southern Mid-Atlantic with snow moving up the Ohio River Valley.
Midwest
A reinforcing shot of cold air will move across the Great Lakes today, increasing the ongoing snow showers across the region. Lake effect snow showers and squalls will increase in the favored snow belts, with at 6 to 12 inches possible across parts of Upper Michigan and northwest Lower Michigan. The rest of the Plains will remain dry today, but a developing winter storm over the southern Plains will spread snow from the central Plains to the southern Great Lakes and northern side of the Ohio Valley this weekend with some sleet and freezing rain from southern Missouri to West Virginia. Snow showers will also increase across the northern Plains and into the Great Lakes, as a series of weather disturbances move across those areas. Temperatures will remain chilly, with 20s and 30s common thought the weekend; teens across the far north.
West
A series of weather disturbances will pass just northwest of the Pacific Northwest into the weekend, which will keep the chance for rain and snow in that region. The northern Washington Cascades could pick up an additional foot of new snow. Meanwhile a developing winter storm over the southern mountains will bring rain and snow to parts of Arizona and New Mexico today and Saturday. Parts of New Mexico could see one to two feet of snow. High pressure will build across the remainder of the western states, providing generally dry conditions, and a slow warming of temperatures along the western coast. Morning low temperatures through central California will still remain chilly into the weekend.
Three dead after heavy rains hit Angola Thu Jan 18, 4:27 PM ET
LISBON (AFP) - Three people were killed and a fourth is missing in Angola after torrential rains caused flooding in the southwestern African nation's capital Luanda, the Lusa news agency reported. The downpours which hit the city of some 4.5 million people on Wednesday caused over 20 buildings to collapse, knocked down trees and destroyed a key bridge, Luanda fire department spokesman Faustino Sebastiao told the agency.When the rains fell many people were at work and only children were at home so many people lost all their belongings, he said.Firefighters rescued five children from flooded homes, he added.In March 2005 flooding in northern Angola, a former Portuguese colony which is still recovering from a 27-year civil war that shattered most of its infrastructure, left over 10,000 people without shelter.
9:18 am: Storm hits southern New Mexico; wet, heavy snowfall possible throughout state JAN 19,07 By PETE HERRERA | Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - It was literally the calm before the slow poke storm.
The system that readied the snow plows across much of New Mexico paused in a holding pattern over northern Baja California, said Albuquerque meteorologist Ken Drozd.But moisture increased as the storm hit the southern edge of the state and began a slow march that is expected to continue into Sunday.Snow began falling over the southwestern portion of the state late Thursday, and the National Weather Service said it would likely move northward Friday, eventually reaching the Colorado border.The Cobre school district in southwestern New Mexico, as well as schools in Truth or Consequences, Arrey and Hatch, canceled classes Friday.
Hobbs and Silver City delayed the start of school.Anywhere from 3 to 6 inches were forecast for Albuquerque and Las Cruces. Higher amounts were likely along the foothills and other higher elevation areas. Drozd said Valencia County could get higher amounts than Albuquerque. Even El Paso could get from 3 to 5 inches of snow.
Drozd said the storm won't be in a hurry to leave.
We're going to have snow off and on through Saturday, he said. The northern areas will be the last to get it, but it will linger there the longest.Drozd said virtually all areas of the state will get moisture.The scope will be broad across the state, Drozd said.Forecasters issued winter storm warnings and heavy snow warnings into Saturday for southern New Mexico, winter storm warnings through
Saturday for central New Mexico and a winter storm watch through Saturday for northern New Mexico.By Friday night, snow will spread north across the state before tapering off from the southwest Saturday afternoon and evening, the weather service said. The snow often will be moderate to heavy, creating dangerous driving conditions. Winds also are expected to increase Saturday, causing areas of blowing and drifting snow.In advance of the rain and snow, the sun was a no show over much of the state Thursday. The heavy cloud cover was provided by a stream of cold air moving across the state.Temperatures Thursday ranged from the low 20s across the northern mountains to the low 50s across the southeast plains, with most highs in the 30s and 40s. The range was from 23 at Taos to 53 at Hobbs.Morning lows Friday were generally in the teens and 20s, with the range from 3 at Taos to 36 at Truth or Consequences.
This week's storm is the latest to target New Mexico, which still has remnants of the one over the New Year's holiday that left many New Mexicans stranded in their homes, played havoc with travelers and prompted Gov.
Bill Richardson to seek federal assistance.The unsettled and unseasonably cold weather is expected to continue into midweek. Another weather system could bring more snow to parts of the state late Sunday into Tuesday, although the weather service said that system was weaker.State Transportation Department spokesman S.U. Mahesh said the agency opened its Transportation Management Center in Albuquerque and it will be open around the clock until the storm subsides.It's a new tool in our tool box, said Mahesh, explaining that the center will allow the agency to coordinate with law enforcement and emergency management officials as they monitor road conditions around the state.Tim Manning, director of the state's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, urged people to be prepared.
I encourage each family ... to make a preparedness plan and prepare a supply kit for both the home and winter travel, Manning said. Since southern New Mexico has not seen significant snow recently, we especially want to remind residents (there) to be vigilant in their preparations.Supplies at home should include a gallon of water for each family member for at least three days, nonperishable food, first aid supplies, clothing and bedding, tools and emergency supplies, and an additional month's supply of any medications, he said.Manning said additional items to consider include battery-powered radios, flashlights with extra batteries, diapers, baby formula and food for pets.
For travelers, suggested items include sleeping bags or blankets, road flares, maps, a heavy sack of sand or kitty litter for tire traction, a tow rope and windshield scraper.Manning described the list as logical and necessary to survive regardless of the type of emergency.
WW3 THE 3 WAVES THAT MARCH TO ISRAEL
DANIEL 11:40-45
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA 2ND WAVE OF WW3) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
The Third and Final Wave of WW3 is when all Nations march to Jerusalem, but JESUS bodily returns to earth and destroys them,sets up his KINGDOM OF RULE FOR 1000 YEARS THEN FOREVER.
2ND WAVE CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL
REVELATION 16:12
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THIS IS THE ATATURK DAM IN TURKEY,THEY CROSS OVER).
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(IRAQ-SYRIA)
15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
Concern over China satellite-killer test Agencies JAN 19,2007 (12AM UAE)
Washington: The United States, Japan, Australia and Canada have voiced concerns to China over the first known satellite-killing test in space in more than 20 years, the White House said on Thursday. The successful test means China could now theoretically shoot down spy satellites operated by other nations. The test was first reported by US magazine Aviation Week and Space Technology and confirmed by the White House. The US believes China's development and testing of such weapons is inconsistent with the spirit of cooperation that both countries aspire to in the civil space area, National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. We and other countries have expressed our concern regarding this action to the Chinese.Using a ground-based medium-range ballistic missile, the test knocked out an aging Chinese weather satellite about 865 km above the Earth on January 11 through kinetic impact, or by slamming into it, Johndroe said. Canada and Australia had joined in voicing concern, he said.
Britain and South Korea were expected to follow suit, an administration official added. Japan also voiced concerns on Friday over the Chinese test and sought explanations from Beijing. From the view of the peaceful use of space and international security, we naturally have concerns about it, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki, the government spokesman, told a news conference. He said Japan was asking the Chinese foreign ministry to explain details about the test.
On a visit to New York, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia raised concerns with the Chinese some days ago. So far, the answer from the foreign affairs people in China, including the ambassador in Canberra, is that they are not aware of the incident and they are getting back to us, Downer told reporters. What we don't want to see is some sort of spread, if you like, of an arms race into outer space. The danger there is that you get into a situation where other countries, including the US I suppose, would have to start to look for ways to protect satellites in space, he said. The other concern is that the debris from the destroyed satellite could hit other satellites and damage (them), Downer said. The last US anti-satellite test took place on September 13, 1985. Washington then halted such Cold War-era testing, concerned by debris that could harm civilian and military satellite operations on which the West increasingly relies for everything from pinpoint navigation to Internet access to automated teller machines.
According to David Wright of the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Union of Concerned Scientists, the satellite pulverised by China could have broken into nearly 40,000 fragments from 1 cm to 10 cm or up to 4 inches, roughly half of which would stay in orbit for more than a decade. On the day of the test, a US. defense official said the United States was unable to communicate with an experimental spy satellite launched last year by the Pentagon's National Reconnaissance Office. There was no immediate indication that that was a result of the Chinese test. Aviation Week & Space Technology, the first to report the test, cited space sources as saying a Chinese Feng Yun 1C polar orbit weather satellite, launched in 1999, was destroyed by an antisatellite system launched from or near China's Xichang Space Center in Sichuan Province. The capability demonstrated by China was no surprise to the Bush administration, which revised U.S. national space policy in October to assert a right to deny space access to anyone hostile to U.S. interests. The United States has been researching satellite-killers of its own, experimenting with lasers on the ground that could disable, disrupt and destroy spacecraft.
Marco Caceres, a space expert at the Teal Group, an aerospace consulting firm in Fairfax, Virginia, said China's test could bolster a host of costly military space programs, almost all of which are over budget and behind schedule. They are going to use this for as much as they can, he said, referring to Pentagon officials. Major corporate beneficiaries could be Lockheed Martin Corp., Boeing Co. and Northrop Grumman Corporation, which build US communications, surveillance and early warning satellites, Caceres said.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
Dutch open to new-style EU constitution, poll shows
19.01.2007 - 09:23 CET | By Mark Beunderman (Eu Observer)
Dutch voters are increasingly open to the idea of a revised version of the EU constitution, but would still reject the current text of the charter, according to a fresh poll. A survey conducted by polling firm TNS NIPO suggests that the Dutch people's overwhelming rejection of the EU constitution in a 2005 referendum does not mean they are against the general idea of a European constitution.
The poll, released by Dutch RTL television on Wednesday (17 January), shows that 47 percent of the Dutch are positive about the idea of a European constitution - representing a surge of optimism compared to the eve of the June 2005 referendum, when this figure stood at 30 percent. A minority of 18 percent today feels negative about the idea of a constitution whereas 33 percent are neutral and 8 percent do not know, according to the survey. The Dutch poll comes just as Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, is pushing the revival of the constitutional process, planning to present a roadmap towards a new treaty at the end of the German EU presidency in June. When asked by pollsters about Ms Merkel's efforts to revive a [new] European treaty, almost half of the Dutch (47 percent) said they are positive about the German initiative, while 17 percent said they are negative and 36 percent neutral. But the survey is not all good news for Berlin, which wants to stick closely to the current text of the constitution in the upcoming re-negotiations on the charter, with German politicians highlighting that it has already been ratified by 18 member states. If the document remains unchanged, a clear majority of 60 percent of the Dutch would still vote no if a new referendum were held, roughly the same figure as in 2005 (61.5%).
Pressure on The Hague
The poll results put pressure on the Dutch government to secure changes to the document that would tackle Dutch people's concerns about the EU primarily focusing on European integration being too quick and the loss of Dutch sovereignty.
Outgoing Dutch foreign minister Bernard Bot said in November that a new EU treaty should include substantial safeguards against further Brussels powers and uncontrolled enlargement. The Netherlands is currently engaged in talks on the formation of a new centre-left government involving the Christian Democrats, Labour and the protestant Christian Union, to be led by current prime minister Jan-Peter Balkenende.The three parties are also discussing a future government's stance towards a new EU treaty, as well as the possibility to hold a new referendum once a new text is agreed at EU level. A majority of 64 percent of the Dutch believe the EU constitution should play a role in the cabinet formation, according to Wednesday's poll, with Dutch media reporting that a new Balkenende cabinet could take office in March.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING
BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
EU ready for more military operations, Solana says
19.01.2007 - 17:43 CET | By Andrew Rettman
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Europe says it is ready for more military action under the EU flag in 2007 after its success in Congo last year, with the German EU presidency putting Kosovo, Bosnia, Lebanon and Afghanistan at the top of its defence agenda for the next six months. We begin 2007 ready to take up our responsibilities if needed - which I sincerely hope won't be the case - but we are in a position of readiness, EU top diplomat Javier Solana said in Brussels on Wednesday (17 January), after recalling that the EU's battle group structure reached full operational capacity on 1 January.
The EU now has two units that can be deployed for crisis-management anywhere in the world 10 days after member states take a unanimous vote, in a decision that would as a rule follow a UN security council resolution but that could also see the EU go it alone. Each group brings together 1,500 soldiers from two or three member states, which hold joint training exercises and wear both national and EU insignia a blue disk with 12 gold stars on the model of EU police missions in Bosnia andMacedonia. Europe can assume very important peacekeeping and peacemaking functions in this world, German defence minister Franz Josef Jung said, while standing next to Mr Solana. Europe is a great peace project and we will continue to make our contribution [to global stability].
EU army by stealth?
No EU battle group has ever been tested in a real operation, but last year saw two major EU military projects: member states coordinated sending 9,000 European peacekeepers under a UN flag to Lebanon and dispatched 1,400 soldiers under an EU flag to Congo.Now we really have the beginning of a European army, French general Christian Damay said in Kinshasa in December, with France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Poland broadly supporting a gradual move toward a permanently standing EU force that could number several thousands of soldiers.Other states, such as the UK and the Netherlands, are more worried about trespassing on NATO turf however, with no high-profile discussion of the concept taking place at EU level for now. An EU army is a very big word, but [any army] would be something very small, an EU official told EUobserver. The notion of an EU army is a red rag to eurosceptic parties in Europe, but some pro-integration politicians such as British liberal MEP Graham Watson also believe the trend toward ever-closer practical defence co-operation should be subject to open discussion on political implications. I don't think governments can go on building a European army by stealth we need a proper public debate, Mr Watson stated, adding that more and more policies are being done in the council [the EU member states' secretariat] and reported after the fact.
Kosovo to dominate 2007 agenda
Apart from building-up battle group capacity, the German EU presidency will focus on managing the EU-dominated force in Lebanon and exploring ways for EU police to support NATO in Afghanistan. A gradual pull-out of the EU police mission from Bosnia is also on the agenda - but a new EU police force will replace NATO soldiers in Kosovo after the region's final status is settled, Germany's Mr Jung said. The EU is currently preparing what is expected to be the biggest-ever security operation in its history in Kosovo, involving policing but also institution-building, due to start this summer at the earliest. Brussels is currently awaiting the result of
Serbian elections on Sunday before UN envoy Marti Ahtisaari presents a proposal for the final status of the territory in February.
EU seeks fast, full move on U.N. Iran sanctions By Sophie Walker JAN 19,07
LONDON (Reuters) - The European Union wants to apply United Nations sanctions on Iran fully and rapidly and may expand the list of people linked to Tehran's nuclear programme targeted by the U.N. resolution, diplomats said on Friday. Tehran maintains that its nuclear ambitions are limited to generating electricity. The European Union and the United States suspect Tehran is secretly seeking to build nuclear bombs.They say it will face harsher sanctions if it ignores the resolution unanimously passed on December 23 at the behest of the United States, Britain, Russia, China and France. The resolution gave Iran 60 days to suspend nuclear fuel-enrichment activity.
Foreign ministers from EU states are due to meet on Monday to coordinate moves to apply the current range of sanctions across Europe. Diplomats said the bloc's 27 members wanted to deliver a strong broadside to Iran urging it to halt enrichment.We are looking at a fast and strict implementation of all of the measures in the resolution, one EU diplomat said.
The U.N. sanctions resolution bans transfers of sensitive nuclear materials to Iran, freezes financial assets of those associated with the nuclear programme and asks countries to pass on information about the whereabouts of individuals on the list.We want the outcome (of the meeting) to reinforce the resolution so that the EU interpretation will not be limited to the names currently on the resolution's annexe, a second diplomatic source said.We will be looking to broaden the resolutions to allow us to impose travel bans and freeze assets of other individuals, the source said.One EU official said the bloc would also look at measures to stop Iranians coming to the EU to study proliferation-sensitive subjects, although not necessarily by outright visa bans.
DOOR REMAINS OPEN
An original proposal to make legally binding the existing EU arrangements which effectively bar arms sales to Iran will not be on the agenda of Monday's meeting, diplomats said.The EU has had a de facto arms ban on Iran for the past 10 years. When and if we now legally formalize it is not important the key issue now is its nuclear programme, said one.The EU has led international diplomacy based on the offer of trade, political and technical incentives for Iran to give up uranium enrichment, and diplomats say that offer remained on the table despite the move toward sanctions.We've always said the door remains open but someone has to go through it, said one diplomat.Iran said earlier this week it was ready to begin installing 3,000 centrifuges for industrial-scale production of nuclear fuel. That prompted a warning from British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett that Tehran's stance was not cost-free.Diplomats confirmed Iran's statement on Thursday, saying it had completed preparations at an underground plant where the 3,000 centrifuges are to be rigged up, expanding what to date has been a limited, research-level enrichment programme.
Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency visited the Natanz enrichment complex over the past week to gather material for an IAEA report due to be issued to the U.N. Security Council on February 21, the 60-day deadline.(With reporting by
Louis Charbonneau, Mark John, Ingrid Melander and Mark Heinrich)
Storm Worm rages across the globe. Worm baits people with timely information about a real-life front in Europe, creating one of the larger attacks in recent years. By Dawn Kawamoto Staff Writer, CNET News.com - January 19, 2007, 8:15 AM PST
update The new Storm Worm is baiting people with timely information about a real-life, deadly front in Europe and is creating one of the larger worm attacks in recent years, security researchers said Friday. Over an eight-hour period Thursday, the worm sent malicious e-mails across the globe to hundreds of thousands of people, who unknowingly were part of a botnet, said Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer for F-Secure. A botnet serves as an army of commandeered computers, which are used by attackers to distribute malicious payloads without their owners' knowledge. Storm Worm carries the subject line 230 dead as storm batters Europe, Hypponen said, noting the unusual twist to the e-mail. The e-mail was started 15 hours ago, when the storm was peaking in Central Europe, Hypponen said. This is unusual in that it was very timely. The attached file contains malicious code. That e-mail, via the botnet, has quickly spread the worm. The worm is already close to being as large as the bigger ones of 2006, Hypponen said, though it's still smaller than Sasser and Slammer. Hypponen also noted that the worm is unusual because most attacks these days tend to be smaller and targeted, as criminals seek to pilfer personal information for financial gain, rather than fame. Though the worm is widespread, the damage may ultimately be minimal in the U.S. because most tech security companies will have already added the virus to their blocking list before people get into work, he added. Other e-mail subject lines for the worm include U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza… and A killer at 11, he's free at 21 and...Hypponen told Reuters that most people would not notice the malicious software, which creates a back door to a computer that can be exploited later to steal data or to use the computer to post spam.
Israel unfreezes $100M before summit By STEVE WEIZMAN, Associated Press Writer Fri Jan 19, 9:16 AM ET
JERUSALEM Israel said Friday it had paid $100 million in frozen tax funds to the Palestinians and rescinded a contentious decision for a new West Bank settlement, strengthening the hand of moderate President Mahmoud Abbas ahead of crucial weekend
talks in Damascus with his Hamas rivals. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said the payment, the first such transfer since the militant Islamic Hamas won control of the Palestinian government in March 2006, was made Thursday night.Defense Minister Amir Peretz, meanwhile, ordered plans for the Maskiot settlement frozen indefinitely in order to look carefully at the implications, ministry officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the issue's sensitivity.Israel drew international condemnation with its announcement last month that it had approved the construction of Maskiot to house those settlers removed from the Gaza Strip in Israel's 2005 pullout. It was the first new West Bank settlement officially approved since the early 1990s, when Israel promised to halt such construction as part of interim peace acco
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)
Update time = Sat Jan 20 12:09 AM EDT
SAT JAN 20,07 NO QUAKES YET
JAN 19,07
MAP 3.0 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.2 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.5 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.9 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.7 NEVADA
MAP 3.3 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 3.4 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.8 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 3.3 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 4.3 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 3.4 NORTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 4.7 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 3.3 VIRGIN ISLANDS REGION
MAP 5.9 SOUTH OF JAVA, INDONESIA
MAP 2.6 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 5.4 OFFSHORE EL SALVADOR
MAP 2.6 PUERTO RICO REGION
JAN 18,07
MAP 4.8 CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN SEA
MAP 2.7 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING
MAP 3.1 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 CHANNEL ISLANDS REGION, CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.7 NEVADA
MAP 5.9 SOUTHWEST OF SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 4.5 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.2 WESTERN TURKEY
MAP 4.1 HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN
MAP 2.5 UTAH
MAP 2.9 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 4.1 GULF OF CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.2 MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
MAP 3.7 ALASKA PENINSULA
Moderate earthquake strikes El Salvador Thu Jan 18, 10:59 PM ET
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador An earthquake shook parts of El Salvador on Thursday night, but there were no immediate reports of damages or injuries, authorities said.The quake, with a magnitude of 5.4, was centered 35 miles south of the capital, San Salvador, and occurred at 7:43 p.m., the United States Geological Survey in Colorado reported.The temblor was felt in the capital and in several western provinces of the country, but did not affect communications or power, or threaten to create atsunami, national scientists said.Civil protection officials said they had received no reports of injuries.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Storms in Europe kill 46, disrupt travel By DAVID RISING, Associated Press Writer JAN 19,07
BERLIN - Europeans labored Friday to restore services across the continent after hurricane-force winds toppled trees, brought down power lines and damaged buildings, killing at least 46 people and disrupting travel for tens of thousands. Berlin's new main train station was shut down after a two-ton girder fell from the side of the glass facade onto an outdoor staircase. The station was evacuated after the beam plummeted 130 feet Thursday night, but there were no injuries.I can see maybe the glass falling, but not the steel, said Thomas Mueller, an electrician who had stopped by the downtown station to survey the damage. They just built this thing eight months ago.Virtually the entire German national railway system shut down during the storm, with trees over many tracks and overhead power lines down, and services were being restored gradually Friday.We've never had such a situation in Germany, Deutsche Bahn CEO Hartmut Mehdorn said.
Off the coast of France, a coast guard tug was called upon to tow a damaged British container ship containing explosives to safety, a day after its crew of 26 was rescued from the stormy seas.More than 1 million homes had no electricity in the Czech Republic, which was hit by winds of up to 112 mph, another 1 million households in Germany suffered power losses, while tens of thousands in Poland and Austria also were hit with outages.The flow of Russian oil through a Ukrainian pipeline to other parts of Europe was restored Friday after a temporary shutdown caused when the storm knocked out power to a pumping station. The interruption
occurred Thursday night on a section of the Druzhba, or Friendship, pipeline from the city of Brody in western Ukraine to Slovakia and Hungary, but Oleksandr Dikusarov, a spokesman for the Ukrtransnafta pipeline company, said the flow of oil was fully restored Friday afternoon.The storm led to the deaths of at least three people in the Czech Republic, 12 in Germany, 14 in Britain, six in the Netherlands, three in France, two in Belgium and six in Poland.It was the highest death toll from a storm in Europe since 1999, when gales downed trees and driving snow brought on avalanches, killing more than 120 in three days.Climate researchers had been predicting stormy weather this year for parts of Europe, saying that unusually high temperatures in the North Atlantic, around 1 to 2 degrees above normal would allow winds to accumulate more moisture and surge in energy.In times of rapid climactic change, extreme events arise more frequently, said Peter Werner of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research.Europe has been experiencing an extremely warm winter and has already been hit by several wind storms.Most of the people killed in the storm were motorists, but in Germany they also included two firefighters one hit by a falling tree and the other dying of a heart attack and an 18-month old infant in Munich hit by a terrace door that was ripped from its hinges.In London, a toddler was killed when a brick wall was knocked over by the wind and collapsed on him. Frankfurt Airport reported that flights were again leaving regularly Friday after some morning delays and 200 cancellations Thursday.National carrier Lufthansa canceled 331 flights across Germany on Thursday, affecting nearly 19,000 passengers, but intercontinental flights were largely on time again Friday, spokesman Thomas Jachnow said.British Airways canceled 34 incoming flights to London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports and the two main London-to-Scotland rail routes ran reduced services.
Eurostar was running full service again, after one early Paris-to-London train was canceled. Meanwhile, London Bridge station was reopened after being closed after part of a roof collapsed. British train companies warned of delays through the day as repairs were carried out. Thousands of Dutch commuters were stranded overnight when the service was halted on all trains because of obstructions to the tracks and downed power cables.By early Friday, most Dutch trains were running again after engineers worked through the night to clear debris and repair power lines, the railway said. German subways, trams and buses were largely back in service, but only a few long-distance trains were running. Bringing the service back is like a puzzle it goes bit by bit and we're now at the first pieces, railway spokesman Martin Walden said. The German Weather Service said the storm was the strongest to hit the country since 1999. The highest winds were felt in the southern state of Bavaria, where gusts of up to 126 mph were recorded. Associated Press writers around Europe contributed to this report.
Two winter storms taking shape Wayne Verno and M. Ressler, Meteorologists, The Weather Channel JAN 19,07
South
A developing winter storm increasingly impacts parts of Texas with snow for the west-central counties and the panhandle, sleet and freezing rain from the Davis Mountains to Wichita Falls and rain over the remainder of the state.
As the storm evolves overnight and Saturday, heavy snow will accumulate to a foot in parts of west Texas and advance into western Oklahoma. Sleet and freezing will will expand northward across a diagonal slice of Oklahoma from the southwest to northeast corners including Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Also wintry mix will develop over northern Arkansas. Steady rain will develop through central and east Texas and southeast Oklahoma, moving across the Lower Mississippi River Valley into Sunday. Meanwhile, a few scattered rain showers will impact parts of the Deep South, while most of Florida remains dry.
Northeast
A weather disturbance moving through the Great Lakes is generating areas of snow showers from the Great Lakes, into the Upper Ohio Valley and parts of the Northeast. Meanwhile, a wave of low pressure will move north just off the eastern coast, bringing heavy snow to Maine as the low pressure deepens later today into Saturday. With this deepening low pressure, northwest winds will become strong and gusty across all of the Great Lakes and Northeast today, through Saturday. On Saturday, New England could see occasional wind gusts between 40 and 60 mph. Lake effect snow showers will increase off the Great Lakes tonight through Saturday, and a foot of snow could fall in areas between Cleveland and Buffalo and across the Upstate New York counties southeast of Lake Ontario. By Sunday, the lake effect snow will decrease, but a new winter storm will move into the Tennessee Valley. This will spread a wintry mix into the southern Mid-Atlantic with snow moving up the Ohio River Valley.
Midwest
A reinforcing shot of cold air will move across the Great Lakes today, increasing the ongoing snow showers across the region. Lake effect snow showers and squalls will increase in the favored snow belts, with at 6 to 12 inches possible across parts of Upper Michigan and northwest Lower Michigan. The rest of the Plains will remain dry today, but a developing winter storm over the southern Plains will spread snow from the central Plains to the southern Great Lakes and northern side of the Ohio Valley this weekend with some sleet and freezing rain from southern Missouri to West Virginia. Snow showers will also increase across the northern Plains and into the Great Lakes, as a series of weather disturbances move across those areas. Temperatures will remain chilly, with 20s and 30s common thought the weekend; teens across the far north.
West
A series of weather disturbances will pass just northwest of the Pacific Northwest into the weekend, which will keep the chance for rain and snow in that region. The northern Washington Cascades could pick up an additional foot of new snow. Meanwhile a developing winter storm over the southern mountains will bring rain and snow to parts of Arizona and New Mexico today and Saturday. Parts of New Mexico could see one to two feet of snow. High pressure will build across the remainder of the western states, providing generally dry conditions, and a slow warming of temperatures along the western coast. Morning low temperatures through central California will still remain chilly into the weekend.
Three dead after heavy rains hit Angola Thu Jan 18, 4:27 PM ET
LISBON (AFP) - Three people were killed and a fourth is missing in Angola after torrential rains caused flooding in the southwestern African nation's capital Luanda, the Lusa news agency reported. The downpours which hit the city of some 4.5 million people on Wednesday caused over 20 buildings to collapse, knocked down trees and destroyed a key bridge, Luanda fire department spokesman Faustino Sebastiao told the agency.When the rains fell many people were at work and only children were at home so many people lost all their belongings, he said.Firefighters rescued five children from flooded homes, he added.In March 2005 flooding in northern Angola, a former Portuguese colony which is still recovering from a 27-year civil war that shattered most of its infrastructure, left over 10,000 people without shelter.
9:18 am: Storm hits southern New Mexico; wet, heavy snowfall possible throughout state JAN 19,07 By PETE HERRERA | Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - It was literally the calm before the slow poke storm.
The system that readied the snow plows across much of New Mexico paused in a holding pattern over northern Baja California, said Albuquerque meteorologist Ken Drozd.But moisture increased as the storm hit the southern edge of the state and began a slow march that is expected to continue into Sunday.Snow began falling over the southwestern portion of the state late Thursday, and the National Weather Service said it would likely move northward Friday, eventually reaching the Colorado border.The Cobre school district in southwestern New Mexico, as well as schools in Truth or Consequences, Arrey and Hatch, canceled classes Friday.
Hobbs and Silver City delayed the start of school.Anywhere from 3 to 6 inches were forecast for Albuquerque and Las Cruces. Higher amounts were likely along the foothills and other higher elevation areas. Drozd said Valencia County could get higher amounts than Albuquerque. Even El Paso could get from 3 to 5 inches of snow.
Drozd said the storm won't be in a hurry to leave.
We're going to have snow off and on through Saturday, he said. The northern areas will be the last to get it, but it will linger there the longest.Drozd said virtually all areas of the state will get moisture.The scope will be broad across the state, Drozd said.Forecasters issued winter storm warnings and heavy snow warnings into Saturday for southern New Mexico, winter storm warnings through
Saturday for central New Mexico and a winter storm watch through Saturday for northern New Mexico.By Friday night, snow will spread north across the state before tapering off from the southwest Saturday afternoon and evening, the weather service said. The snow often will be moderate to heavy, creating dangerous driving conditions. Winds also are expected to increase Saturday, causing areas of blowing and drifting snow.In advance of the rain and snow, the sun was a no show over much of the state Thursday. The heavy cloud cover was provided by a stream of cold air moving across the state.Temperatures Thursday ranged from the low 20s across the northern mountains to the low 50s across the southeast plains, with most highs in the 30s and 40s. The range was from 23 at Taos to 53 at Hobbs.Morning lows Friday were generally in the teens and 20s, with the range from 3 at Taos to 36 at Truth or Consequences.
This week's storm is the latest to target New Mexico, which still has remnants of the one over the New Year's holiday that left many New Mexicans stranded in their homes, played havoc with travelers and prompted Gov.
Bill Richardson to seek federal assistance.The unsettled and unseasonably cold weather is expected to continue into midweek. Another weather system could bring more snow to parts of the state late Sunday into Tuesday, although the weather service said that system was weaker.State Transportation Department spokesman S.U. Mahesh said the agency opened its Transportation Management Center in Albuquerque and it will be open around the clock until the storm subsides.It's a new tool in our tool box, said Mahesh, explaining that the center will allow the agency to coordinate with law enforcement and emergency management officials as they monitor road conditions around the state.Tim Manning, director of the state's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, urged people to be prepared.
I encourage each family ... to make a preparedness plan and prepare a supply kit for both the home and winter travel, Manning said. Since southern New Mexico has not seen significant snow recently, we especially want to remind residents (there) to be vigilant in their preparations.Supplies at home should include a gallon of water for each family member for at least three days, nonperishable food, first aid supplies, clothing and bedding, tools and emergency supplies, and an additional month's supply of any medications, he said.Manning said additional items to consider include battery-powered radios, flashlights with extra batteries, diapers, baby formula and food for pets.
For travelers, suggested items include sleeping bags or blankets, road flares, maps, a heavy sack of sand or kitty litter for tire traction, a tow rope and windshield scraper.Manning described the list as logical and necessary to survive regardless of the type of emergency.
WW3 THE 3 WAVES THAT MARCH TO ISRAEL
DANIEL 11:40-45
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA 2ND WAVE OF WW3) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
The Third and Final Wave of WW3 is when all Nations march to Jerusalem, but JESUS bodily returns to earth and destroys them,sets up his KINGDOM OF RULE FOR 1000 YEARS THEN FOREVER.
2ND WAVE CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL
REVELATION 16:12
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THIS IS THE ATATURK DAM IN TURKEY,THEY CROSS OVER).
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(IRAQ-SYRIA)
15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
Concern over China satellite-killer test Agencies JAN 19,2007 (12AM UAE)
Washington: The United States, Japan, Australia and Canada have voiced concerns to China over the first known satellite-killing test in space in more than 20 years, the White House said on Thursday. The successful test means China could now theoretically shoot down spy satellites operated by other nations. The test was first reported by US magazine Aviation Week and Space Technology and confirmed by the White House. The US believes China's development and testing of such weapons is inconsistent with the spirit of cooperation that both countries aspire to in the civil space area, National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. We and other countries have expressed our concern regarding this action to the Chinese.Using a ground-based medium-range ballistic missile, the test knocked out an aging Chinese weather satellite about 865 km above the Earth on January 11 through kinetic impact, or by slamming into it, Johndroe said. Canada and Australia had joined in voicing concern, he said.
Britain and South Korea were expected to follow suit, an administration official added. Japan also voiced concerns on Friday over the Chinese test and sought explanations from Beijing. From the view of the peaceful use of space and international security, we naturally have concerns about it, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki, the government spokesman, told a news conference. He said Japan was asking the Chinese foreign ministry to explain details about the test.
On a visit to New York, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Australia raised concerns with the Chinese some days ago. So far, the answer from the foreign affairs people in China, including the ambassador in Canberra, is that they are not aware of the incident and they are getting back to us, Downer told reporters. What we don't want to see is some sort of spread, if you like, of an arms race into outer space. The danger there is that you get into a situation where other countries, including the US I suppose, would have to start to look for ways to protect satellites in space, he said. The other concern is that the debris from the destroyed satellite could hit other satellites and damage (them), Downer said. The last US anti-satellite test took place on September 13, 1985. Washington then halted such Cold War-era testing, concerned by debris that could harm civilian and military satellite operations on which the West increasingly relies for everything from pinpoint navigation to Internet access to automated teller machines.
According to David Wright of the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Union of Concerned Scientists, the satellite pulverised by China could have broken into nearly 40,000 fragments from 1 cm to 10 cm or up to 4 inches, roughly half of which would stay in orbit for more than a decade. On the day of the test, a US. defense official said the United States was unable to communicate with an experimental spy satellite launched last year by the Pentagon's National Reconnaissance Office. There was no immediate indication that that was a result of the Chinese test. Aviation Week & Space Technology, the first to report the test, cited space sources as saying a Chinese Feng Yun 1C polar orbit weather satellite, launched in 1999, was destroyed by an antisatellite system launched from or near China's Xichang Space Center in Sichuan Province. The capability demonstrated by China was no surprise to the Bush administration, which revised U.S. national space policy in October to assert a right to deny space access to anyone hostile to U.S. interests. The United States has been researching satellite-killers of its own, experimenting with lasers on the ground that could disable, disrupt and destroy spacecraft.
Marco Caceres, a space expert at the Teal Group, an aerospace consulting firm in Fairfax, Virginia, said China's test could bolster a host of costly military space programs, almost all of which are over budget and behind schedule. They are going to use this for as much as they can, he said, referring to Pentagon officials. Major corporate beneficiaries could be Lockheed Martin Corp., Boeing Co. and Northrop Grumman Corporation, which build US communications, surveillance and early warning satellites, Caceres said.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TR BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
Dutch open to new-style EU constitution, poll shows
19.01.2007 - 09:23 CET | By Mark Beunderman (Eu Observer)
Dutch voters are increasingly open to the idea of a revised version of the EU constitution, but would still reject the current text of the charter, according to a fresh poll. A survey conducted by polling firm TNS NIPO suggests that the Dutch people's overwhelming rejection of the EU constitution in a 2005 referendum does not mean they are against the general idea of a European constitution.
The poll, released by Dutch RTL television on Wednesday (17 January), shows that 47 percent of the Dutch are positive about the idea of a European constitution - representing a surge of optimism compared to the eve of the June 2005 referendum, when this figure stood at 30 percent. A minority of 18 percent today feels negative about the idea of a constitution whereas 33 percent are neutral and 8 percent do not know, according to the survey. The Dutch poll comes just as Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, is pushing the revival of the constitutional process, planning to present a roadmap towards a new treaty at the end of the German EU presidency in June. When asked by pollsters about Ms Merkel's efforts to revive a [new] European treaty, almost half of the Dutch (47 percent) said they are positive about the German initiative, while 17 percent said they are negative and 36 percent neutral. But the survey is not all good news for Berlin, which wants to stick closely to the current text of the constitution in the upcoming re-negotiations on the charter, with German politicians highlighting that it has already been ratified by 18 member states. If the document remains unchanged, a clear majority of 60 percent of the Dutch would still vote no if a new referendum were held, roughly the same figure as in 2005 (61.5%).
Pressure on The Hague
The poll results put pressure on the Dutch government to secure changes to the document that would tackle Dutch people's concerns about the EU primarily focusing on European integration being too quick and the loss of Dutch sovereignty.
Outgoing Dutch foreign minister Bernard Bot said in November that a new EU treaty should include substantial safeguards against further Brussels powers and uncontrolled enlargement. The Netherlands is currently engaged in talks on the formation of a new centre-left government involving the Christian Democrats, Labour and the protestant Christian Union, to be led by current prime minister Jan-Peter Balkenende.The three parties are also discussing a future government's stance towards a new EU treaty, as well as the possibility to hold a new referendum once a new text is agreed at EU level. A majority of 64 percent of the Dutch believe the EU constitution should play a role in the cabinet formation, according to Wednesday's poll, with Dutch media reporting that a new Balkenende cabinet could take office in March.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING
BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
EU ready for more military operations, Solana says
19.01.2007 - 17:43 CET | By Andrew Rettman
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Europe says it is ready for more military action under the EU flag in 2007 after its success in Congo last year, with the German EU presidency putting Kosovo, Bosnia, Lebanon and Afghanistan at the top of its defence agenda for the next six months. We begin 2007 ready to take up our responsibilities if needed - which I sincerely hope won't be the case - but we are in a position of readiness, EU top diplomat Javier Solana said in Brussels on Wednesday (17 January), after recalling that the EU's battle group structure reached full operational capacity on 1 January.
The EU now has two units that can be deployed for crisis-management anywhere in the world 10 days after member states take a unanimous vote, in a decision that would as a rule follow a UN security council resolution but that could also see the EU go it alone. Each group brings together 1,500 soldiers from two or three member states, which hold joint training exercises and wear both national and EU insignia a blue disk with 12 gold stars on the model of EU police missions in Bosnia andMacedonia. Europe can assume very important peacekeeping and peacemaking functions in this world, German defence minister Franz Josef Jung said, while standing next to Mr Solana. Europe is a great peace project and we will continue to make our contribution [to global stability].
EU army by stealth?
No EU battle group has ever been tested in a real operation, but last year saw two major EU military projects: member states coordinated sending 9,000 European peacekeepers under a UN flag to Lebanon and dispatched 1,400 soldiers under an EU flag to Congo.Now we really have the beginning of a European army, French general Christian Damay said in Kinshasa in December, with France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Poland broadly supporting a gradual move toward a permanently standing EU force that could number several thousands of soldiers.Other states, such as the UK and the Netherlands, are more worried about trespassing on NATO turf however, with no high-profile discussion of the concept taking place at EU level for now. An EU army is a very big word, but [any army] would be something very small, an EU official told EUobserver. The notion of an EU army is a red rag to eurosceptic parties in Europe, but some pro-integration politicians such as British liberal MEP Graham Watson also believe the trend toward ever-closer practical defence co-operation should be subject to open discussion on political implications. I don't think governments can go on building a European army by stealth we need a proper public debate, Mr Watson stated, adding that more and more policies are being done in the council [the EU member states' secretariat] and reported after the fact.
Kosovo to dominate 2007 agenda
Apart from building-up battle group capacity, the German EU presidency will focus on managing the EU-dominated force in Lebanon and exploring ways for EU police to support NATO in Afghanistan. A gradual pull-out of the EU police mission from Bosnia is also on the agenda - but a new EU police force will replace NATO soldiers in Kosovo after the region's final status is settled, Germany's Mr Jung said. The EU is currently preparing what is expected to be the biggest-ever security operation in its history in Kosovo, involving policing but also institution-building, due to start this summer at the earliest. Brussels is currently awaiting the result of
Serbian elections on Sunday before UN envoy Marti Ahtisaari presents a proposal for the final status of the territory in February.
EU seeks fast, full move on U.N. Iran sanctions By Sophie Walker JAN 19,07
LONDON (Reuters) - The European Union wants to apply United Nations sanctions on Iran fully and rapidly and may expand the list of people linked to Tehran's nuclear programme targeted by the U.N. resolution, diplomats said on Friday. Tehran maintains that its nuclear ambitions are limited to generating electricity. The European Union and the United States suspect Tehran is secretly seeking to build nuclear bombs.They say it will face harsher sanctions if it ignores the resolution unanimously passed on December 23 at the behest of the United States, Britain, Russia, China and France. The resolution gave Iran 60 days to suspend nuclear fuel-enrichment activity.
Foreign ministers from EU states are due to meet on Monday to coordinate moves to apply the current range of sanctions across Europe. Diplomats said the bloc's 27 members wanted to deliver a strong broadside to Iran urging it to halt enrichment.We are looking at a fast and strict implementation of all of the measures in the resolution, one EU diplomat said.
The U.N. sanctions resolution bans transfers of sensitive nuclear materials to Iran, freezes financial assets of those associated with the nuclear programme and asks countries to pass on information about the whereabouts of individuals on the list.We want the outcome (of the meeting) to reinforce the resolution so that the EU interpretation will not be limited to the names currently on the resolution's annexe, a second diplomatic source said.We will be looking to broaden the resolutions to allow us to impose travel bans and freeze assets of other individuals, the source said.One EU official said the bloc would also look at measures to stop Iranians coming to the EU to study proliferation-sensitive subjects, although not necessarily by outright visa bans.
DOOR REMAINS OPEN
An original proposal to make legally binding the existing EU arrangements which effectively bar arms sales to Iran will not be on the agenda of Monday's meeting, diplomats said.The EU has had a de facto arms ban on Iran for the past 10 years. When and if we now legally formalize it is not important the key issue now is its nuclear programme, said one.The EU has led international diplomacy based on the offer of trade, political and technical incentives for Iran to give up uranium enrichment, and diplomats say that offer remained on the table despite the move toward sanctions.We've always said the door remains open but someone has to go through it, said one diplomat.Iran said earlier this week it was ready to begin installing 3,000 centrifuges for industrial-scale production of nuclear fuel. That prompted a warning from British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett that Tehran's stance was not cost-free.Diplomats confirmed Iran's statement on Thursday, saying it had completed preparations at an underground plant where the 3,000 centrifuges are to be rigged up, expanding what to date has been a limited, research-level enrichment programme.
Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency visited the Natanz enrichment complex over the past week to gather material for an IAEA report due to be issued to the U.N. Security Council on February 21, the 60-day deadline.(With reporting by
Louis Charbonneau, Mark John, Ingrid Melander and Mark Heinrich)
Storm Worm rages across the globe. Worm baits people with timely information about a real-life front in Europe, creating one of the larger attacks in recent years. By Dawn Kawamoto Staff Writer, CNET News.com - January 19, 2007, 8:15 AM PST
update The new Storm Worm is baiting people with timely information about a real-life, deadly front in Europe and is creating one of the larger worm attacks in recent years, security researchers said Friday. Over an eight-hour period Thursday, the worm sent malicious e-mails across the globe to hundreds of thousands of people, who unknowingly were part of a botnet, said Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer for F-Secure. A botnet serves as an army of commandeered computers, which are used by attackers to distribute malicious payloads without their owners' knowledge. Storm Worm carries the subject line 230 dead as storm batters Europe, Hypponen said, noting the unusual twist to the e-mail. The e-mail was started 15 hours ago, when the storm was peaking in Central Europe, Hypponen said. This is unusual in that it was very timely. The attached file contains malicious code. That e-mail, via the botnet, has quickly spread the worm. The worm is already close to being as large as the bigger ones of 2006, Hypponen said, though it's still smaller than Sasser and Slammer. Hypponen also noted that the worm is unusual because most attacks these days tend to be smaller and targeted, as criminals seek to pilfer personal information for financial gain, rather than fame. Though the worm is widespread, the damage may ultimately be minimal in the U.S. because most tech security companies will have already added the virus to their blocking list before people get into work, he added. Other e-mail subject lines for the worm include U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza… and A killer at 11, he's free at 21 and...Hypponen told Reuters that most people would not notice the malicious software, which creates a back door to a computer that can be exploited later to steal data or to use the computer to post spam.
Israel unfreezes $100M before summit By STEVE WEIZMAN, Associated Press Writer Fri Jan 19, 9:16 AM ET
JERUSALEM Israel said Friday it had paid $100 million in frozen tax funds to the Palestinians and rescinded a contentious decision for a new West Bank settlement, strengthening the hand of moderate President Mahmoud Abbas ahead of crucial weekend
talks in Damascus with his Hamas rivals. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said the payment, the first such transfer since the militant Islamic Hamas won control of the Palestinian government in March 2006, was made Thursday night.Defense Minister Amir Peretz, meanwhile, ordered plans for the Maskiot settlement frozen indefinitely in order to look carefully at the implications, ministry officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the issue's sensitivity.Israel drew international condemnation with its announcement last month that it had approved the construction of Maskiot to house those settlers removed from the Gaza Strip in Israel's 2005 pullout. It was the first new West Bank settlement officially approved since the early 1990s, when Israel promised to halt such construction as part of interim peace acco