LOTS OF MIDEAST NEWS

1-What is RFID?. 2-Ernesto remnants drench Mid-Atlantic. 3-Hurricane John cuts power in La Paz 4-Region logs 36 active forest fires. 5-Spain to build up Lebanon force. 6-EU ministers call for revival of Mideast peace process. 7-EU favours diplomacy on Iran row. 8-Arab nations request new start on Mideast peace. 9-Carrying Forward a Mideast Vision. 10-EU troops fly into chaos of Kinshasa. 11-Donors pledge Palestinians $500m. 12-EU sets deadline for Iran over nuclear issue. 13-EU plans to hold talks with Hamas cause divisions.

REVELATION 13:16-18
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:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

REVELATION 20:4
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

What is RFID?

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a system that wirelessly transmits the identity of a person or product — using a unique serial number — through electromagnetic waves.Components: A transponder (usually a microchip and antenna combined on one chip) is attached to a label or imbedded in a device, product, human or pet. A reader is then used to scan the chip, and a database is used to read the information.

Kinds of chips: An active tag is battery powered and broadcasts a signal that can be read up to 1,500 feet away. A passive tag is not self-powered and can only be activated by a reader, usually within inches or up to 15 feet away.Common Uses: Tracking products through the distribution system; gaining entry to a car or office building; cataloguing books or videos at a library; tracking baggage; wireless payment at gas stations or on toll roads; identification at resorts, amusement parks or athletic competitions; livestock management; interactive toys.History: The technology dates to World War II when it was first used to identify friendly
aircraft. Over the years, it's mostly been used to track products.Source: GNS research.

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.

Ernesto remnants drench Mid-Atlantic By KASEY JONES, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 17 minutes ago

BALTIMORE - Disrupting the start of the Labor Day weekend, the remnants of Tropical Storm Ernesto drenched the Mid-Atlantic region, cut power to more than 400,000 customers and forced evacuations. Flash flood watches were posted early Saturday for New Jersey and New York. Flood warnings were issued for North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.

Ernesto was blamed for at least five deaths in Virginia and North Carolina, where it swirled ashore late Thursday as a tropical storm, a day after severe thunderstorms had already drenched the region. It weakened Friday to a tropical depression, meaning its sustained winds had fallen below 39 mph.The storm lost much of its punch as it moved farther inland. Flood watches were canceled in Pennsylvania, and rivers and streams across the state were expected to remain well within their banks, officials said.

Eastern North Carolina got 8 to 12 inches of rain, while southeastern Virginia measured up to a foot. Seven inches fell in Worcester County on Maryland's Eastern Shore, and a wind gust of 61 mph was recorded in Ocean City, said Ed McDonough, spokesman for the Maryland Emergency Management Agency.Sheriff's deputies in St. Mary's County, Md., on Friday evacuated about 30 residents of St. George's Island, which juts into the Potomac River where the river meets the Chesapeake Bay. The county ordered the evacuation of all tidal areas, about 3,000 people.Greg Gill, 36, waded through waist-deep water to leave the island. It pushed me back and forth as I walked through it,he said.I was going to stay (in my house), but it just keep getting worse and worse.

More than 200 homes were evacuated in Richmond, Va., and about a dozen people had to leave their homes in coastal Poquoson, which is still recovering from Hurricane Isabel three years ago. About 50 homes on Chesapeake Bay's Northumberland County were also evacuated, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine said.In Gloucester, Va., a husband and wife were crushed to death when a tree fell on their modular home, said Maj. T.P. Doss, a spokesman for the county sheriff's office.Two traffic deaths in Virginia and one in North Carolina were also blamed on Ernesto.The red flags were up along the New Jersey shore on Friday, a warning to would-be bathers that the storm was on the way.You get close to that water, it'll just suck you out, Lifeguard Capt. Rob Albright said as he ate a cheeseburger on the Asbury Park boardwalk.More than 460,000 customers were without power from North Carolina to New Jersey, with more than 200,000 of those in Virginia.

The governors of North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, and the mayor of the District of Columbia, each declared a state of emergency because of the storm. Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich said he decided against one because his state has been so dry.North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley planned to take an aerial tour Saturday of the Northeast Cape Fear River. By late Friday, the river rose to over 16 feet in Chinquapin, a few inches above its flood stage of 13 feet. It was expected to crest Sunday at around 18 feet, at which point numerous roads would flood and residents would need to be evacuated, said Scott Kennedy, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Morehead City.Arlene Losaw lost her mobile home to Hurricane Fran 10 years ago.

As the river rose Friday, water gradually covered her driveway and began lapping at the front stoop of her newer mobile home in Chinquapin. She and her husband, William, were hoping they wouldn't have to evacuate — or lose their home again.I thought we were done with this mess,Losaw said. It keeps coming and, depending on how bad it gets, we may have to get out of here.
Associated Press writers Sonja Barisic in Norfolk, Va., Mike Baker in Chinquapin, N.C., Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia and Jeffrey Gold in Asbury Park, N.J., contributed to this report.

Hurricane John cuts power in La Paz By Antonio Alcantar
1 hour, 35 minutes ago

LA PAZ, Mexico (Reuters) Hurricane John rumbled up Mexico's Baja California peninsula on Saturday after roughing up this tourist port overnight with wicked winds and torrential rain that knocked out power. Rescue workers began assessing damages and possible deaths in La Paz -- where about 200,000 people live -- when daylight broke.The hurricane passed close by, or right over us, and cut power to the entire city,La Paz civil protection worker Adrian Romero said in an interview.When the sun comes up we'll do a full evaluation, right now we can't, we can't see. There is no power.La Paz is capital of Baja California Sur state and roads flooded from the heavy rain, cutting off several routes.

Before John made landfall Friday as a Category 2 storm, around 4,000 people living in vulnerable low-lying areas of the city were moved to shelters to ride out the storm. Rescue worker Romero said they passed the night safely.John weakened on Saturday to a Category 1 hurricane, but was still packing winds of 85 mph (160 kph). The storm was forecast to lose more punch as it swirled over the peninsula.The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm was creeping northwest up the peninsula and now located about 10 miles northwest of La Paz.John was forecast to churn up the east coast of the peninsula and then out into the Pacific Ocean, posing no threat to the United States.

STORM SURGES

Coastal storm surges of up to 5 feet above normal tide levels with battering waves were expected, and rain of six to 12 inches with isolated deluges of 18 inches were possible, the center said.On the western tip of the peninsula in the luxurious seaside resort of Los Cabos, thousands of tourists and residents had been forced into shelters to escape John's wrath.Five-star hotels in Los Cabos had sent vacationers to sit out most of Friday on mattresses in shelters set up in conference rooms.

But when the storm brushed close by, only dumping heavy rain and whipping up winds, tourists went back to their rooms and were keen to restart their holidays on Saturday.I want to enjoy Cabos, go clubbing and go to the beach, said Lisa Perez, who was on a break from running her furniture store in California.Local residents in Los Cabos were less fortunate, however, as rescue workers forced them to spend a second night in the shelters set up for people living in areas in most danger from flooding and winds.

They were expected to return to their fragile homes early Saturday when alerts were lifted.In October, Hurricane Wilma hit Cancun and other beach resorts on Mexico's Caribbean coast. It caused heavy damage, eroding large stretches of beach and stranded tens of thousands of tourists for days. (Reporting by Noel Randewich and Armando Tovar in Los Cabos)

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.

Region logs 36 active forest fires
Tb News Source Thunder Bay

Fire fighters in Northwestern Ontario continue to battle new blazes, as the region has seen a return to the moderate to high fire hazard. Thirteen new fires have been recorded over the past two days, bringing the total number of active blazes in the region to 36.

Since April 1 the MNR has recorded 1,116 forest fires in the northwest and over 18,000 hectares have been burned. And it's not just here that the battle is taking place, over 40 personnel have been dispatched to Montana to help out crews in that state.MNR spokesperson Deb Maclean says that they have now joined the fight and are fitting in well. Their biggest hurdle to date has been getting accustomed to the mountainous terrain of the area.

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.(TRADING
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).

Spain to build up Lebanon force (BBC)

Spain is involved in peacekeeping missions around the world The Spanish government has approved plans to send 1,100 troops to Lebanon as part of a UN peacekeeping force. Defence minister Jose Antonio Alonso has instructed the armed forces to prepare for the deployment, which will be carried out in two phases. The Spanish parliament is expected to support the plan next week.

Separately, the first group of soldiers from Italy, which aims to deploy over 2,500 soldiers, arrived to the southern Lebanese port city of Tyre. The Spanish troops will join the 15,000-strong UN force to police the ceasefire that ended the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah.The majority of Spanish lawmakers, including the opposition, are expected to support the government's decision.

But the leader of the opposition Popular party, Mariano Rajoy, has criticised the government for being willing to send the military to Lebanon, but not to Iraq, the BBC's Danny Wood reports from Madrid. In response, Mr Alonso said that the Spanish people fully understand the difference between this troop deployment and the war in Iraq. Mr Alonso says Spanish soldiers in Lebanon will be on a peacekeeping mission that complies with international law.

LAND FOR PEACE
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 9:27
27 And he (EU DICTATOR) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:(7 YRS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,( 3 1/2 yrs of 7 yr treaty) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

EU ministers call for revival of Mideast peace process
www.chinaview.cn 2006-09-02 03:13:50

HELSINKI, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- EU foreign ministers call for unanimously the revival of Middle East peace process, said Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, whose country holds the European Union's rotating presidency, on Friday at the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Lappeenranta, southern Finland. During the first day of meeting, EU foreign Ministers discussed the Middle East peace process openly and in-depth. After the talks, Tuomioja said that the discussions affirmed the unanimity of the EU member states on the need to revive the Middle East peace process. Ministers agreed that united action by the EU over the summer had made a positive impact on efforts to stabilize the situation in the Middle East.

Tuomioja said that EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana already has the mandate of the member states of EU to work to move the peace process forward and to be in contact with all the parties involved. He particularly emphasized the importance of cooperation with the United States and Arab nations. Before the first day of talks, European External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner called for head-to-head talks between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

She said that specific efforts should be taken to restore peace in the Middle East, and a meeting between Olmert and Abbas could be one of those. The European Union should initiate the reloading of the peace process, as military conflicts do not bring benefits to either side, as the recent clashes have proven, she said. Enditem

EU favours diplomacy on Iran row
[ 2 Sep, 2006 1702hrs ISTIANS ]

LAPPEENRANTA (FINLAND): European Union foreign ministers vowed to continue diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis over Iran's nuclear programme rather than rushing to impose UN sanctions on Tehran. We ... have no interest in an escalation with Iran in the UN Security Council,German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said here on Saturday. An International Atomic Energy Agency deadline expired on August 31 for Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment programme, which is widely seen as being aimed at producing nuclear weapons. Iran denies the charges. Steinmeier, speaking at a meeting of the 25 European Union foreign ministers in Lappeenranta, put the onus on Iran to show it was serious about continuing talks.

We will not slam the door but we need a signal from the other side,he said. Echoing this view, Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot termed Tehran's response disappointing. But he said cutting off contacts would be the worst thing the EU could do. Just because (Iran) behaves in an irresponsible manner does not mean that we have to be irresponsible,said Bot. The ministers on Friday backed plans by EU chief diplomat Javier Solana to hold talks early next week with senior Iranian officials. Asked about a timetable, Bot said he was unsure how long a dialogue with Iran could go on. The ministers are also seeking to deepen relations with Russia, and bring down barriers to trade and investment, said Finland, which holds the rotating EU presidency.

Arab nations request new start on Mideast peace
Fri Sep 1, 2006 2:13pm ET,By Irwin Arieff

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Arab countries have formally asked the U.N. Security Council to acknowledge that efforts to end the Arab-Israeli conflict have failed and to resuscitate and reshape the peace process.The 22-nation Arab League called on the council to formally recognize "the need to reactivate the Middle Eastern peace process and establish a mechanism for us to proceed on all tracks in the Palestinian territories, Syria and Lebanon, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in Damascus on Friday.A letter, sent to the Security Council this week by Arab League U.N. Observer Yahya Mahmassani but not yet made public, showed that concrete steps were underway to resume peace efforts, Annan said. The letter called on foreign ministers from the council's 15 members to meet this month in New York to discuss its plea.Council diplomats said the request was under study and no date had been set.

John Bolton, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, denied the peace process had failed. He said not every country in the region supported the Arab League idea, and he wanted to know whether Israel would be invited to the proposed ministerial meeting.

One always wants to know what the outcome is going to be when you ask your foreign minister to come to a meeting,he told reporters. The question of diplomatic activity should always be whether it is going to contribute to a solution to the existing problems or not.Arab League foreign ministers agreed on the proposal at an August 20 meeting in Cairo.

The group said on its Web site that the plan for ending the conflict should be based on past U.N. resolutions as well as on the basis of land for peace, and through establishment of effective and specific mechanisms for the swift resumption of direct talks between the parties.The group wants the Security Council to supervise negotiations and set a target date for their completion, according to the Web site.Since the outbreak in July of the month-long war between Israel and Lebanon's Hizbollah, Annan has been pushing hard for international acknowledgment that a lasting peace would come in the region only if a comprehensive approach were taken.

All parties agree the Israeli-Palestinian issue remains the core of the conflict.

Ibrahim Gambari, the U.N. political affairs chief, told the council last week it should transform the tragedy of the Israeli-Hizbollah conflict into an opportunity ... to resolve the problems and issues in the region, which have confronted us, without resolution, for far too long.Events over the past year had led to a woeful decline in confidence in the peace process, he said, expressing concern this trend could fuel support for violence and terror on the Palestinian side and for harsh and excessive military actions and unilateral measures on the Israeli side.Positions may be hardening and could harden further unless a credible political process is somehow revived,he warned.© Reuters 2006.

REVELATION 17:1-2
1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

Carrying Forward a Mideast Vision
Interview With Father David Jaeger

AUSTIN, Texas, AUG. 30, 2006 (Zenit.org).

Pope John Paul II had a vision for the Church in the Middle East that must be remembered, says Middle East expert Father David Jaeger. The Franciscan priest, new director of The Church and Israel Public Education Initiative, adds that if this vision is to be made a reality, it is necessary to implement the Fundamental Agreement.

In this interview with AsiaNews, the Israeli Franciscan comments on the formation of the new initiative that will seek to educate the

American public on Vatican-Israeli relations.

* * *

Q: It is now 14 years since the Fundamental Agreement was signed. How much has it been implemented so far?

Father Jaeger: The answer to this must be a complex and a cautious one. As is well known -- based on the Fundamental Agreement -- the Holy See and Israel signed on Nov. 10, 1997, a second significant treaty that was meant to guarantee recognition
by the state of Israel the legal personality of the Church, and of all Church bodies, from patriarchates to official associations of the lay faithful.

This was a very positive and hopeful development. It should likewise appear positive and reassuring that both agreements have been ratified and have entered into force on the international plane -- on March 10, 1994, and Feb. 3, 1999, respectively.

However, it must be admitted that neither agreement has been made into Israeli law, and specifically, most of all, that the Fundamental Agreement itself in spite of the many years that have passed since its signature and ratification has not been
made into Israeli law.

Even more perplexingly, the government itself as is well known by now has officially informed Israel's Supreme Court that it did not recognize the Fundamental Agreement as binding. This has made the agreement useless in practice, since the Church and Catholic organizations cannot rely on it in their day-to-day dealings with the state and society.

Notwithstanding the disillusionment that this has caused, we hope to inspire Catholics not to give way to despair, not to abandon John Paul II's vision as mere utopia, but instead to continue to support its preservation and implementation with determination, hope and courage. When all is said and done, the Catholic community in Israel cannot hope to survive meaningfully into the 21st century on the basis of an imprecise and unstable legal and social status that was out-of-date already in the 19th century!

Q: How does the Fundamental Agreement concern the universal Church?

Father Jaeger: The Christian presence in Israel, and throughout the Holy Land, is far from being simply a local Church, it is also a representation, as it were, of all the world's Christians who rightly regard the Holy Land as their spiritual homeland. This presence has therefore been historically guaranteed by a series of international treaties with the former Ottoman Empire, and by international
resolutions, which have, in effect, recognized its uniqueness and its consequent need for special safeguards.

The process of negotiations and agreements, started by the Fundamental Agreement and as yet unfinished is meant also to reconfirm and consolidate those earlier guarantees, in today's terms. This is a powerful additional reason for Christians everywhere to be more fully informed of this process, and to support it with conviction and perseverance.

Q: Why do you first and foremost address the United States?

Father Jaeger: The United States is Israel's closest and most influential friend, and Americans, including American Catholics, are overwhelmingly well-disposed toward the Israelis and interested in Israel. Israelis know that and appreciate it. Therefore, support by Americans for the normalization and development of Church-state relations in Israel is especially likely to be well-received in Israel.

Americans should be able to persuade Israelis that faithfulness to Israel's agreements with the Catholic Church will truly be to the benefit of both the Church and Israel. This is our approach. We hope that Americans, when properly informed of the hopes and needs of the relationship between the Church and Israel, will pro-actively make a positive contribution to this relationship.

We intend to address all Christians, since the development of the relationship between the Church and Israel should, in effect, interest and benefit all those who believe in Christ. Indeed I am looking forward to opportunities to cooperate with Jewish communities and organizations, and have already done so. American Catholics and Jews have an exceptionally close, friendly and collaborative relationship, which can turn out to be extremely significant in the context of the Church and Israel. Making a special reference to the United States, however, does not mean that we fail to put a high value on the possible role of Europe and Europeans. Many Europeans may now also be in a position to speak to Israel, and it may, therefore, be no less fruitful to extend our organization's modest activity to Europe as well.

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 troops fly into chaos of Kinshasa
By Mike Pflanz in Nairobi

Five hundred European Union troops arrived in Kinshasa yesterday as the city was gripped by savage fighting for a third day.The German and Dutch soldiers from a rapid reaction force found the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo echoing to the sound of small arms fire and the thump of heavy artillery.Smoke rises near Jean-Pierre Bemba's house Bodies were littering the streets after fighting between gunmen supporting rivals in the presidential election.The battles were fiercest in the upmarket suburb of Gombe, home to President Joseph Kabila and his principal rival, vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba. Both men are contesting the presidency in the election's second round due on Oct 29.The clashes were raging between men loyal to former rebel leader Mr Bemba and Mr Kabila's presidential guard. They began when the president's forces apparently attacked Mr Bemba's residence. At least five people had died by Monday night and an unknown number of bodies lay in the streets yesterday.

The EU's rapid reaction force, which had been holding 1,200 troops in reserve in nearby Gabon, sent in special forces and helicopter-borne infantry.Mr Kabila responded by appealing for calm and publicly ordering all of his troops to return to barracks.

But the same order was given on Monday when fighting trapped 11 ambassadors, including Andrew Sparkes, the British envoy, in the cellar of Mr Bemba's house.It was not clear whether Mr Kabila's latest order made any difference or whether he gave the command purely for foreign consumption.Sources in Kinshasa said the order for the first attack on Mr Bemba's home came directly from Mr Kabila. The aides of both men met yesterday, apparently paving the way for the two rivals to meet. The fighting has dashed hopes for a peaceful election in the DRC, where a civil war has claimed 3.9 million lives since 1998 - mainly due to war-induced starvation and disease.

Until the gun battles broke out, the election had been peaceful and the United Nations, which already has 17,000 peacekeepers in the DRC, had claimed a qualified success.Jason Stearns, senior Africa analyst for the International Crisis Group in Nairobi, said: It's hard to imagine these two guys going head to head in a second round when you have bodies strewn around Kinshasa.

We need the troops from the presidential guard back in their barracks, which will encourage Bemba to scale down his personal protection force, we need a new security plan for Kinshasa and we need the two men to talk to each other.William Swing, head of the UN mission in the DRC, made a plea for calm and for both Mr Kabila and Mr Bemba to restrain their armed followers.It is imperative that the fighting ends immediately, he said. The two candidates must meet each other urgently for the well-being of the democratic process and above all for the Congolese population that has already suffered too much armed conflict.

Mr Bemba, who enjoys huge support in Kinshasa, has repeatedly whipped up popular sentiment against foreigners. He claims the West has chosen Mr Kabila as its favoured candidate and he believes it is determined to see the president re-elected.Mr Kabila won 44.8 percent of the 16.9 million votes cast nationwide on July 30, the first contested elections held in the DRC since independence from Belgium in 1960. Mr Bemba came second with 20.3 percent.Most airlines have now suspended flights to N'djili airport in Kinshasa.

NOW THIS IS REDICULAS, POOR ISRAEL SURE DOESN'T GET NO AID FOR THE MURDERS SHOOTING ROCKETS INTO ISRAELI CITIES, WHY SHOULD THESE MUDERERS GET AID, TO BUY MORE ROCKETS TO SHOOT OVER IN ISRAEL AGAIN.

WHAT ARE THESE LUKEWARM LEFTIES THINKING ABOUT.

Donors pledge Palestinians $500m(BBC)

Scores of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli action in Gaza International donors meeting in the Swedish capital, Stockholm, have promised $500m (£262m) in aid for the Palestinian territories. UN aid chief Jan Egeland, who warned that lack of aid had made Gaza a time bomb, welcomed the news but said a new peace process with Israel was vital. Palestinian aid has been hit since Hamas, which many Western countries say is a terrorist group, won power. On Thursday, donors pledged $940m of help to rebuild Lebanon. Reporting from Stockholm, the BBC's Alix Kroeger notes that donations for the Palestinian territories have been significantly less. Mr Egeland had earlier told the conference that the Palestinians needed at least as much aid and money as the Lebanese.

Earlier this year the US and European Union froze aid to the Palestinian Authority because of Hamas's refusal to renounce violence and recognise Israel. A limited flow was later restored though aid workers say it is not enough. One European official described the new money as a band aid for a deeper political problem, our correspondent says. It buys time and makes people's lives more tolerable, the official added, but it is not a solution.

Rock bottom

Swedish Aid Minister Carin Jamtin, the conference's host, hailed the donors pledges as a fantastic result.She said that $55m of the funds would go towards the UN's emergency appeal which was launched last year, but which has struggled to meet its target. A total of $114m would be spent on humanitarian aid, with the rest going towards the rebuilding of infrastructure and other projects, she added. Ms Jamtin was quoted by The Associated Press as saying that many Arab countries would channel their donations not via the UN but through the Arab League or directly to the Hamas-led Palestinian authorities.

The benefit of giving to the UN is that then we have a system for distributing the money, she added. Social tensions Mohammad Mustafa, an adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the new aid would help save lives. Mr Egeland also hailed the pledges for the Palestinians: I hope that this conference here could represent some kind of a rock bottom for how deep we could sink in despair for the Palestinian territories and that we now move forward.Civil servants have not received their full wages for months He had told those attending the meeting that 1.4 million Palestinians were living in a cage with border crossings closed and
electricity and water shortages. In the 25 years he had been visiting the Palestinian territories, he said he had never seen so much hatred and bitterness as during his last visit and he urged both Israel and Palestinian militants to cease hostilities.

It's not only a question of more money... it's also a question of third parties going in and mediating a solution between the Palestinians and the Israelis, he said. Israel has been conducting military operations in the coastal Gaza Strip since Palestinian militants captured an Israeli soldier in June. More than 200 Palestinians have been killed while 11 Israeli civilians have been wounded by rocket fire from Gaza. Strike appeal :One aid worker who returned from Gaza 10 days ago warned in Stockholm that malnutrition was widespread and many new mothers were unable to breastfeed their babies. Unemployment is high, and in Gaza, the UN says nearly 80% of people live in poverty.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya has urged public sector workers in Gaza and the West Bank to abandon plans for an open-ended strike over the non-payment of their wages. He said Palestinians needed to remain united in difficult circumstances and he appealed to teachers to attend their schools at the start of the new academic year on Saturday. Mr Haniya was speaking after taking part in a clean-up of streets in Gaza City, where rubbish has piled up because of strikes by refuse collectors.

EU sets deadline for Iran over nuclear issue By Rex Merrifield and Ingrid Melander Sat Sep 2, 7:22 AM ET

LAPPEENRANTA, Finland (Reuters) -European Union foreign ministers agreed on Saturday to take two more weeks to try to clarify Iran's stance on halting sensitive nuclear work after Tehran ignored a U.N. deadline to stop uranium enrichment. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana will meet Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, in Europe early next week to clear up ambiguities in Tehran's 21-page reply to a major power offer of cooperation if it stops work that could help build a bomb.Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel told Reuters after the 25 ministers discussed the issue at a meeting in Finland: We give Solana two weeks for his clarification talks.Solana and other ministers insisted there was no deadline, but he said time was short and he would report to ministers at their next regular meeting on September 15.

He said he would be talking with Larijani also on behalf of the six powers which agreed on the package of economic, technological and political incentives -- the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany.An EU official said there could be consultations among United Nations Security Council members before then but the Council would not formally take up the matter.Iran defied an August 31 U.N. deadline to halt uranium enrichment and has given no sign it is prepared to meet the international community's key condition for opening negotiations on economic, technological and political cooperation.Asked when he now expected Tehran to comply with the U.N. resolution, Solana said: Yesterday.

IRAN DEFIANT

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad remained defiant on Saturday as U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan visited Tehran for talks on Lebanon and the nuclear dispute.Our nation is a supporter of peace but it will not retreat an iota from its right to nuclear technology,the ISNA student news agency quoted him as saying.EU diplomats said ministers wanted to take a bit more time not so much because they believed Tehran would have a change of heart but more to show public opinion and sceptical Security Council powers Russia and China they had explored every avenue.After what happened on Iraq and weapons of mass destruction, we really have to convince people that we have gone the extra mile,one said.Ministers declined to talk publicly about what sanctions they might apply if Tehran did not comply.

However, British Europe Minister Geoff Hoon said Iran had had plenty of time to respond to what he called the perfectly reasonable request and he had called for robust action.Despite our intensive efforts of the last six months, there has up to today unfortunately been no signal of reciprocity from Iran,German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters.But he added: We in the EU and Germany have no interest in an escalation in the coming days and weeks due to deliberations in the Security Council.French Europe Minister Catherine Colonna said it was important to continue the dialogue with Tehran while reminding Iran of the international community's conditions. Asked how long Iran had to comply with the Security Council's demands on its nuclear programme, she said: Rendezvous in a few days. (Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom, Yves Clarisse and Carsten Lietz)

EU plans to hold talks with Hamas cause divisions
01.09.2006 - 20:07 CET | By Mark Beunderman

EUOBSERVER / LAPPEENRANTA EU foreign ministers meeting in Finland agreed that the bloc should take the lead in reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process but member states are divided over plans to hold talks with the Palestinian Hamas
movement. Finnish foreign minister Erkki Tuomioja said after informal discussions in the lakeside town of Lappeenranta on Friday (1 September) that ministers had demonstrated very big unanimity on the need for the EU to be engaged in the Middle East.

Ministers agreed that after a summer of intense violence in Lebanon, the bloc should take the lead in refocusing attention on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana declaring before the talks that I insist that we have to go back to the central theme. With the EU providing almost half of the troops in the UN's Lebanon force, the time is now ripe for the Europeans to push for a broader peace settlement in the region, diplomats said. The Americans are focused on the November elections in Iraq. They are not very engaged in the Israeli-Palestinian issue,said one source.

There is a general feeling that the EU is now the central player and that there is a new window of opportunity, Dutch foreign minister Bernard Bot said, adding that the EU as largest cash provider to the Palestinians should be a player not only a payer.

Divisions on Hamas

But behind the façade of unity on a more assertive EU role, important divisions exist on what strategy the bloc should follow towards the Islamist Hamas group which been leading the Palestinian government since it won elections earlier this year - but which also figures on the EU's list of terrorist groups.Just before the talks on Thursday, Mr Tuomioja appeared to propose a major EU policy change towards Hamas by suggesting that the bloc should open contact with the movement, telling German daily Financial Times Deutschland Hamas is not the same party it was before the elections. On Friday, however, Mr Tuomioja appeared to backtrack by saying that we have not changed our policy, adding that the EU would stick to its line that it will only talk with Hamas if it recognises Israel, renounces violence and respects past agreements.

But Mr Bot indicated that the line towards Hamas is under discussion, telling reporters that I see a shift towards the idea that we should include them [Hamas] in the game.But here I am tough. As far as the Netherlands is concerned they should recognise [Israel] first, he added. EU diplomats said that the possible formation of a Palestinian government of national unity, composed of both Hamas and the moderate Fatah movement of president Mahmud Abbas, could open the door for contacts with Hamas.

Whenever the government of national unity comes about, we will talk to them,said one contact explaining that such a government would have to be agreed upon by president Abbas - who supports the EU conditions put on Hamas.

Hopes are being put on more moderate forces within Hamas, who in June endorsed a document which supports the idea of a Palestinian state alongside Israel drawn up together with the rival Fatah faction.

Is the roadmap dead?

Meanwhile, ministers were not sure either how to deal with the 2003 Road Map, a plan agreed by international powers including the EU to establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Mr Tuomioja said that we do not need to reinvent the wheel. We have the Road Map, but Mr Bot said that the plan has meanwhile become a bit broke. German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that during travels in the Middle East he got the impression that referring to the roadmap is not very credible,but he added the EU should ontinue to work with elements of the plan.