RUSSIA LAUNCHES NUCLEAR SUB

1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS.2-Moderate quake jolts Japan, five injured. 3-Storms cancels flights in N.Y and N.J. 4-Sask. roads at risk of flooding with sudden warm spell 5-Powerful Storm`s Fury Overspreading The East Coast. 6-Tainted food kills 2 dogs in Puerto Rico. 7-Sea lion mauls surfing teen in Australia. 8-Dearest readers: Jewish World Review. 9-Israel ready for talks with Arabs on peace plan: Olmert. 10-Statement of G-7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors. 11-This Week with Rabbi Eckstein. 12-Russia launches new generation nuclear submarine.

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 Apr 15 11:14 AM EDT

APR 15,07
MAP 5.2 KYRGYZSTAN
MAP 3.3 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA
MAP 2.5 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 2.8 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.8 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 5.2 MOLUCCA SEA
MAP 5.0 PHOENIX ISLANDS, KIRIBATI REGION
MAP 4.7 WESTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 2.5 MOUNT ST. HELENS AREA, WASHINGTON
MAP 5.8 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.7 WESTERN IRAN
MAP 5.4 WESTERN HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 4.6 ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE
MAP 2.8 WASHINGTON

APR 14,07
MAP 4.6 NEAR NORTH COAST OF NEW GUINEA, P.N.G.
MAP 2.8 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.8 NEAR NORTH COAST OF NEW GUINEA, P.N.G.
MAP 2.7 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 4.8 RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN
MAP 4.8 BOUGAINVILLE REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
MAP 2.9 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.9 NEAR NORTH COAST OF NEW GUINEA, P.N.G.
MAP 4.7 NEAR NORTH COAST OF NEW GUINEA, P.N.G.
MAP 4.4 GUADELOUPE REGION, LEEWARD ISLANDS
MAP 4.8 CENTRAL MONGOLIA
MAP 3.2 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.9 LOYALTY ISLANDS
MAP 4.7 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 2.9 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.6 MOUNT ST. HELENS AREA, WASHINGTON
MAP 3.0 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.7 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 2.6 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.4 ECUADOR
MAP 2.7 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.9 WEST CHILE RISE
MAP 3.2 MONA PASSAGE, PUERTO RICO
MAP 3.1 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.1 PHILIPPINE ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.4 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 3.1 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Moderate quake jolts Japan, five injured APR 15,07

YOKKAICHI, Japan (Reuters) - A moderate earthquake jolted central and western Japan on Sunday, injuring at least five people and damaging houses. An official at Kameyama City, one of the sites hardest hit by the magnitude 5.4 quake, said two people were injured and 46 houses and other buildings had suffered partial damage.Some 4,300 households in the region suffered a temporary power outage and five people overall were hurt, Kyodo news agency said.The focus of the tremor that occurred at 12:19 p.m. (0319 GMT) was 16 km (10 miles) below the surface of the earth, in Mie Prefecture, about 300 km (190 miles) west of Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.

The shaking was like a big thud, said Motoko Asada, a 56-year-old housewife in Yokkaichi City, just east of Kameyama and where one house had been badly damaged.Luckily, nothing fell and there's been no damage to my house, Asada told Reuters.About six hours later, a tremor with preliminary magnitude of 4.5 jolted the same area, the JMA said.Two people in Kameyama were injured by the first quake after a part of a ceiling fell in a restaurant, and a stone wall of a 16th century castle had partially collapsed, the city official said.Kameyama is home to Sharp Corp.'s flagship liquid crystal display factory and the region is often called Crystal Valley because there are numerous LCD parts and materials suppliers located there to feed into the Sharp plant.

Sharp, the world's third-largest LCD TV maker, said it had halted operations at the Kameyama plant for safety checks, but resumed work after confirming there had been no damage to the facility.

The high speed bullet train service was also briefly halted for checks but resumed service, and some highways were temporarily closed for inspections.Late last month, a 6.9-magnitude quake struck the Noto peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture, about 300 km west of Tokyo, killing one person, injuring more than 200 people and destroying many homes.Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas. The country accounts for about 20 percent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

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 cancels flights in N.Y and N.J. By DAVID B. CARUSO, Associated Press Writer APR 15,07

NEW YORK - Airlines canceled 300 flights Sunday as a hard-blowing nor'easter gathered strength along the East Coast and threatened to deliver some of the worst flooding to coastal Long Island in 14 years. The cancellations at the New York area's three major airports affected most carriers, said Steve Coleman, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. More cancellations were expected throughout the day.Forecasters expected sustained wind of 40 mph and a storm surge of 3 to 5 feet, a combination that could cause as much coastal damage as a winter storm that wreaked havoc on the island in late 1992, Gov. Eliot Spitzer said.Heavy rain and thunderstorms extended from Florida up the coast to southern New England on Sunday morning.

Spitzer said some low-lying areas of Long Island may need to be evacuated, and he deployed 3,200 members of the National Guard to potential flood areas.The weather system was forecast to strengthen along the East Coast and form a nor'easter, a storm that follows the coast northward with northeasterly wind driving waves and heavy rain.The National Weather Service posted storm warnings and watches all along the East Coast, with tornado warnings in South Carolina and flood warnings extending from Virginia north to the New York area. Winter storm warnings were in effect for parts of New England.Two to 4 inches of rain was forecast for the New York City region with wind gusting to 50 mph. Snow and sleet were possible inland, the weather service said.The weather service said as much as 20 inches of snow was possible at higher elevations of New York's Adirondacks by the time the storm passes late Monday and Tuesday.Pennsylvania officials activated the state emergency operations center in anticipation of the storm. While snowfall in April is highly unusual, it is critical to remain vigilant in executing winter weather preparedness plans, Gov. Ed Rendell said in a statement.New Jersey made preparations for heavy snow in the state's northwest corner and possible flooding elsewhere.

We're ready for everything, which based upon the forecast, is pretty much what we could get, said Joe Orlando, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.The storm also rained out Sunday's Washington Nationals game with the New York Mets at New York's Shea Stadium. Last weekend, snow dumped by another major storm system wiped out scheduled Mariners-Indians games at Cleveland for four straight days.Organizers canceled the Greek-American Independence Day parade that had been planned on Fifth Avenue.

It is unusual for this time of year. We probably see a storm like this, at this time of year, probably once every 25 years or so, said Brian Korty, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Camp Springs, Md.The storm had been blamed for five deaths as it blew out of the Plains late in the week, two in violent thunderstorms in Texas and three on slippery roads in Kansas, where more than a foot of snow fell. Two tornadoes caused damage Friday in Texas.

Sask. roads at risk of flooding with sudden warm spell
Last Updated: Saturday, April 14, 2007 | 4:49 PM ET CBC News

Rising temperatures in Saskatchewan this weekend will mean a lot of melting snow and possibly flooded country roads, according to the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority.Authority spokesman Doug Johnson says a rapid melting will create fast moving water in some areas.

We're expecting flows in the once-in-25-year range. There'll be a number of grid roads — significant number of grid roads— and a number of farm access roads that are going to be impacted.Johnson says the Watershed Authority is monitoring a number of communities for high water levels. The risk of flooding is highest along Highway 5 between Canora and Humboldt and in the communities of Wolsley Lake and Lanigan.When we start to see double digits, 15-20 degrees … and we tend to see the nighttime temperatures not dropping below zero, then we start to see a rapid runoff, and that's a problem, he told CBC.

Johnson says flooding was confined to a relatively small area last year, but he adds that isn't the case this year.This year, it's not only the Red Deer River system but the Carrot River basin and some of the basins like Duck Creek that are going into the South Saskatchewan [River], Saskatchewan basin, so it's a much wider area.Spring run-off warnings and water level advisories have been popping up from British Columbia to Manitoba in recent weeks with potential for ice-jam flooding on major rivers.

Unseasonably cool, wet weather in early April has delayed some of the normal melting and set the stage for flooding problems, said Environment Canada senior climatologist David Phillips.

Powerful Storm`s Fury Overspreading The East Coast APR 15,07

(State College, PA) - The powerful storm that has been the culprit behind severe weather and a snowstorm the past couple of days will strengthen into a major nor'easter today. While the Northeast is just beginning to feel the storm's fury which will persist into Monday, gusty winds will follow this morning's severe thunderstorms over much of the Southeast.

Our Severe Weather Center's page displays all the watches and warnings related to the potent storm that will batter the East Coast the next couple of days as it strengthens into a powerful and slow-moving nor'easter. As it begins to transition into the major nor'easter, the storm will continue to be responsible for triggering damaging thunderstorms and a couple of destructive tornadoes across the Southeast today. Our SevereWeather Center states that the severe weather will be limited to the morning hours across the Southeast coastline, and bear similar characteristics to what the News Summaries page reports ignited Saturday.

The severe weather threat will only persist into the afternoon hours over the Outer Banks of North Carolina and South Florida, including Miami. North of the severe weather, the East Regional News story details that the band of soaking rain, shown on the Northeast Regional Radar, will continue to spread from north to south over the Interstate 95 corridor from Richmond, Va., to Bangor, Maine, through tonight. Since rain gauges will fill up to the three-inch mark, with locally higher amounts, flooding problems are likely, especially in low-lying and poor drainage areas. Flooding in not only a concern along the immediate coastline due to the drenching rain, but also because the storm's strong winds will pile water up against the shore. In addition, the winds, gusting past 50 mph, will rough up the ocean and cause potentially beach-altering erosion. With a plethora of moisture wrapping around the storm's center and meeting up with colder air, snow will make a late-season appearance across the interior.

According to our Winter Weather Center, up to a foot of snow will blanket the majority of New York to far western Maine through Monday. The higher terrain will top the snowfall totals list with one to two feet. Not only will the snow make travel extremely difficult, but its weight could down tree limbs and power lines, leading to power outages, and cause roofs to fail. With temperatures staying close to the freezing mark, the snow will be a heavy, packing snow, not light and fluffy. As the storm departs and temperatures begin to moderate, the melting of this snow will bring a threat of flooding during the middle of the workweek. The threat for downed trees and power lines, and other minor structural damage, will also exist over the rest of the Northeast, as well as the Southeast, as strong winds howl around the storm through Monday. Drivers of high-profile vehicles should be advised that the winds could easily overturn or steer these vehicles off roadways. The intense weather all across the East this weekend could impact other travelers. Air travelers should check the FAA's Flight Delay map and their specific airline before heading to airports. On the ground, motorists heading where the storm's heavy rain and severe thunderstorms will occur should be prepared for slow travel. The heavy, wet and wind-swept snow across the interior Northeast will make for even worse driving conditions.

Tainted food kills 2 dogs in Puerto Rico Sun Apr 15, 11:23 PM ET

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Two dogs in Puerto Rico died of kidney failure after eating dog biscuits that were among the 100-plus brands of pet foods and treats contaminated with an industrial chemical, a veterinarians' group said Saturday. The Ol'Roy dog biscuits were purchased at Amigo, a supermarket chain owned by Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc., according to Victor Collazo, chief of Puerto Rico's Veterinary Medical Association.The deaths of the miniature schnauzers were the first in the U.S. Caribbean territory stemming from the contaminated pet food, Collazo said in a statement.Testing has revealed that wheat gluten, a protein source, imported from China was contaminated with melamine, used to make plastics and other industrial products.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received thousands of complaints but has confirmed only about 16 pet deaths. Other sources put the death toll much higher.

Sea lion mauls surfing teen in Australia Sun Apr 15, 1:01 AM ET

SYDNEY (AFP) - An Australian teenager was lucky to be alive on Sunday after she survived being mauled by a massive sea lion while surfing. Ella Murphy was attacked by the creature, thought to weigh about 300 kilograms (660 pounds), as she stood on a surfboard being towed behind a boat on Saturday.The animal was close to charging the 13-year-old girl a second time as she floundered in the water off the coast of the small town of Lancelin in Western Australia when she was rescued by the driver of the boat, Chris Thomas.

You can only describe it as like a white pointer (shark) jumping out of the water, he told News Limited newspapers.It was really sort of movie-like. This thing just exploded in a full-on, frontal attack.It actually lined her up. It jumped out of the water at her and hit her head-on. It must have been travelling at an enormous speed.It opened its mouth and grabbed her head. It latched on.Thomas manoeuvred his boat between the sea lion and the girl to prevent a second mauling.It was going back for her, it was looking for her and it spotted her, he said. I had this horrible feeling I was not going to make it back in time.

Ella, who suffered a broken jaw and lost three teeth in the attack, was in a stable condition at Princess Margaret Hospital late Saturday.Her mother, Michelle Forbes, said her daughter had a gash under her chin which was quite close to her carotid artery.We could have lost her, she said.Sea lions are a protected species and it is thought that environmental officers will attempt to move it into another area rather than kill it.

Dearest readers: Jewish World Review APR 15,07

I believe in the Power of Prayer. I TRULY BELIEVE IN IT.This is one of the hardest letters I'm likely to ever write.My father is in his 80s and his life is now hanging in the balance.There are tens of thousands who receive JWR daily. I'm asking that each of you take a moment and recite a prayer on behalf of Yehudah ben (son of ) Rivka.I don't care if you identify as a Jew, Christian, Hindu, or member of any other faith or no faith. Please beseech the One Who Grants Life to allow my father
to live!

Israel ready for talks with Arabs on peace plan: Olmert by Ron Bousso APR 15,07

JERUSALEM (AFP) - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Sunday that Israel was ready to talk with Arab states over their peace plan as he held the first round of planned regular meetings with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

We are ready to hold talks with any combination of Arab states on their ideas and I would be glad to hear their ideas on the Saudi initiative, Olmert said at the weekly cabinet meeting.I'll be glad to hear their ideas and for them to listen to ours, he said. I hope there will be a chance for such meetings.He was referring to a blueprint revived during an Arab League summit last month which offers Israel peace and normal ties with Arab countries in exchange for withdrawing from Arab land occupied during the 1967 Six Day War, allowing the creation of a Palestinian state and the return of refugees.

Israel, which initially rejected the plan when it was first unveiled in 2002, has said recently it could provide a basis for talks, provided there are amendments to the refugee issue something the Arab states have refused.

We are looking for a way to advance the Saudi initiative, Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres said. Both sides can come with their positions and since there are disagreements between the two sides, we have to find a way to bridge them.Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani, meanwhile, Sunday urged Israel to respond to Arab gestures for peace in order to avoid a catastrophe.The statements came ahead of a meeting of 12 Arab ministers in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the Saudi-drafted peace initiative. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni was later Sunday to hold talks with her Jordanian counterpart in Amman in preparation for Wednesday's meeting, a senior official in her ministry said.

Critics have accused Olmert, whose ratings are approaching zero, of being disingenuous in turning to the dormant peace process as an attempt to divert attention from criticism over last year's war against Hezbollah and a string of corruption scandals.Earlier this month, Arab League chief Amr Mussa rejected Olmert's offer to participate in a meeting of Israelis, Palestinians and moderate Arab nations because the Israelis described the return of refugees as a red line.Its only goal was to get normalisation for free, Mussa said of the offer, adding that it wasn't serious and offered nothing new.

Olmert and Abbas met in Jerusalem on Sunday in the first of what are due to be regular meetings between the two leaders aimed at jumpstarting peace talks, which have been largely stalled for six years, and that were agreed during a visit last month by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Olmert and Abu Mazen (Abbas) discussed mainly the diplomatic horizon without delving into core issues of negotiations, a senior Israeli government official told AFP.The Israeli premier again urged Abbas to do all to secure the release of an Israeli soldier seized by Gaza-based militants last June, which has since been a main stumbling block between Israelis and Palestinians, the official said. The two sides did not discuss the details of a possible Palestinian prisoner release in exchange for Shalit, drawn-out negotiations that have been mediated by Egypt, he said.

Palestinians have demanded that Israel release hundreds of prisoners in exchange for Shalit, but the Olmert government has so far refused to free any detainees with blood on their hands those involved in attacks that have killed Israelis.The Palestinians said they would deploy forces of the presidential guard, loyal to Abbas, along the so-called Philadelphi Route on the border of Gaza and Egypt to stem the alleged smuggling of arms into the coastal strip, the official said. The two leaders agreed to hold the next round of talks before the end of the month in the West Bank town of Jericho, the first such high-level meeting in a Palestinian city, said Palestinian chief negotiation Saeb Erakat.

Statement of G-7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors APR 15,07

Washington, DC- We, Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, met today to evaluate the global economic outlook. Although risks remain, the global economy is having its strongest sustained expansion in more than 30 years and is becoming more balanced. In our economies, U.S. economic activity remains solid even as domestic demand moderates to a more sustainable growth path.

The euro-area is experiencing a healthy upswing. UK growth remains robust and Canadian growth is accelerating. Japan's recovery is on track and expected to continue. We remain confident that the implications of these developments will be recognized by market participants and will be incorporated in their assessments of risks.Further strengthening and rebalancing of domestic demand is desirable to help ensure the global economic expansion remains robust. We continue to be committed to maintaining price stability as the best contribution that monetary policy can make to sustained global growth. We will do more to increase trend economic growth rates, especially through structural reforms such as improving labor markets and long-term fiscal sustainability. We are confident that the continuation of our policies will support economic growth and contribute to reduce international imbalances. We will continue to work together to support the global adjustment process and urge others to do likewise.We reaffirm that exchange rates should reflect economic fundamentals. Excess volatility and disorderly movements in exchange rates are undesirable for economic growth.

We continue to monitor exchange markets closely, and cooperate as appropriate. In emerging economies with large and growing current account surpluses, especially China, it is desirable that their effective exchange rates move so that necessary adjustments will occur.We believe that a successful conclusion of the Doha Development round is imperative. We are committed to resisting protectionist sentiment.

Substantially lowering tariffs and other barriers is essential to spur new growth in global trade and reduce poverty. We welcome recent steps to intensify engagement, recognizing that substantive movement towards a comprehensive final outcome requires all parties to make additional efforts. We expect spending on Aid for Trade to increase to $4 billion, including through enhancing the Integrated Framework. We support initiatives to enhance cooperation to enforce intellectual property rights and combat counterfeiting which are crucial to our knowledge-based economies. We continued our discussions on how to develop local currency bond markets to enhance the contribution of financial markets to sustainable economic growth and to reduce emerging market economies' vulnerability to external shocks and financial crises. We look forward to the results of the high level conference on May 9-10 in Frankfurt, which will help to identify concrete recommendations to sustain the momentum of reform.We discussed recent developments in global financial markets, including hedge funds, which along with the emergence of advanced financial techniques such as credit derivatives, have contributed significantly to the efficiency of the financial system. We will continue to monitor the implications of thesedevelopments. Market-led and official initiatives focused on issues around private pools of capital intended to strengthen market discipline, risk management, market infrastructure, information and valuation practices, are essential contributions to global financial stability.

In this context, we welcomed the work of the United States' President's Working Group on Financial Markets and its Principles and Guidelines Regarding Private Pools of Capital and look forward to the Financial Stability Forum's update of its 2000 Report on Highly Leveraged Institutions. We discussed the issue of mutual recognition of comparable regimes and look forward to further progress being made on cross-border access by investors to our securities markets.

We agree to push forward the ambitious package of bold and fundamental reforms in order to retain the IMF's relevance and legitimacy. Reforms should ensure that actual IMF quota shares, especially those of the most dynamic members, many of which are emerging markets, better reflect relative weights and roles in the global economy. We agree that the voice of low-income countries should be enhanced. A necessary element of IMF reform is improved surveillance over exchange rates.

Surveillance must focus on external stability and be applied equally and even-handedly without creating new obligations. In this context, we welcome the Managing Director's proposals to update the 1977 Decision on Surveillance over Exchange Rate Policies and to develop a surveillance remit. We look forward to finalizing these proposals rapidly after the Spring Meetings. We took note of the work of the External Review Committee on IMF-World Bank Collaboration as well as of the report of the Committee to Study Sustainable Long-term Financing of the IMF. We agreed to consider the latter proposal in time alongside measures to further reduce administrative expenditures.

We encourage the use of the debt sustainability framework by all borrowers and creditors. We welcome continued work on principles for responsible lending and seek to involve other interested parties. We advocate a rapid resolution to Liberia's arrears to the international financial institutions.

Available internal resources should be fully used to this end. We are prepared to make additional financial contributions. We look forward to the forthcoming International Conference on Education in Brussels.In order to ensure energy security and to address climate change, we consider energy efficiency and the promotion of energy diversification to be important issues for both developed and developing economies. Diversification can include advanced energy technologies such as renewable, nuclear, and clean coal. We agree that market based policy measures should be effectively designed to meet specific conditions in each country.

We commit to continue the fight against money laundering, terrorist financing, and other illicit finance that risks the stability and integrity of the global financial system. We call for the effective and timely implementation of UN Resolutions 1540, 1718, 1737 and 1747.

We commend the Financial Action Task Force on its commitment to examine the risks of weapons of mass destruction proliferation finance. We urge that as it reviews its strategic direction, the FATF consider expanding its mandate, enhancing global implementation of its standards, improving its strategic surveillance, and examining ways to bolster accountability and outreach activities. We look forward to the successful launch of the International Compact for Iraq in Sharm El Sheik on May 3. We discussed economic prospects in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and agreed to keep this under review.

This Week with Rabbi Eckstein April 12, 2007
Dear Friend of The Fellowship,

This Sunday, Jews around the world will observe Yom Ha'Shoah - Holocaust Remembrance Day, which commemorates one of the most terrible chapters in Jewish and human history. Motivated by a fanatical hatred of Jews and a desire to rid society of undesirable elements, the Nazi regime that ruled Germany during the mid-20th century engaged in a systematic, methodical, and brutal campaign to destroy the Jewish people. They nearly succeeded, murdering six millions Jews - about one third of the world's Jewish population at the time.The full name of Holocaust Remembrance Day in Hebrew is actually Yom Ha'Shoah Ve-Hagevurah, meaning the Day of (remembrance of) the Holocaust and the Heroism. This reminds us that even though a shockingly high number of people looked the other way when presented with evidence of Nazi crimes, there were those who went to great lengths to save Jews.

Not all of these were Jewish. In fact, many remembered today as righteous gentiles were Christian. There was Corrie ten Boom, whose home in Holland sheltered those fleeing Nazi oppression. In France, Pastor Andre Trocme helped make an entire town, Le Chambon, a haven for persecuted Jews. Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish Christian, rescued thousands of Jews from the Nazi death machine. And there were, of course, many more who are less well-known, but no less deserving of our gratitude.

Some say the Holocaust is too terrible to remember. But there is a reason that the Jewish people promise to never forget. We remember so that we may prevent such horrible events from ever occurring again.

Today there seems to be a trend to forget the lessons of history taught by the Holocaust, or even to rewrite history as if it never occurred. The radical Muslim regime of Iran, which has dedicated itself to Israel's destruction, held a Holocaust denial conference last year that attracted not only Islamist fanatics, but a disturbingly high number of Western academics and other public figures as well. A
recent study found that many British schools are dropping Holocaust education for fear that Britain's rising Muslim population will take offense. If indeed it is true that those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it, we have very real cause for alarm today making observance of Holocaust Remembrance Day all the more important.No one who experiences Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel ever forgets it. For two minutes, as sirens sound across the country, all activity literally comes to a halt. People stop working, pedestrians pause, cars pull over to the side of the road, and Israel is united in silent remembrance of the six million murdered.

Holocaust Remembrance Day is not observed in the United States outside of the Jewish community. But even so, I invite you to pause on Sunday to remember the six million who were killed for being Jewish, to give thanks to God for the righteous gentiles whose faith led them to risk their lives saving Jews, and to renew the vow to never forget the horrors of the Holocaust. During these days when the threats to Israel's existence are all too real and she faces the dire prospect of a similar fate, it is critical that we stand with her. The need to remember - and to pray for the peace of Jerusalem - is greater than ever.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President International Fellowship of Christians and Jews

DANIEL 11:40
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.

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.

Russia launches new generation nuclear submarine By Guy Faulconbridge APR 15,07

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia launched its first new generation nuclear submarine since the fall of the Soviet Union on Sunday, as the Kremlin seeks to upgrade its undersea nuclear strike force. The long-delayed Yuri Dolgoruky, the first Borei-class (Arctic Wind) nuclear submarine, was moved to the dry docks at a highly secret submarine base in the Arctic town of Severodvinsk, the heart of Russia's northern submarine fleet.Sergei Ivanov, Russia's powerful first deputy prime minister who rules the military-industrial sector, took part in the ceremony along with the navy top brass and Kremlin advisers.For the first time in 17 years we are launching such a vessel --in essence this is the first Russian strategic submarine, a submarine of the new generation, the RIA news agency quoted Ivanov as saying.

The launch of the new submarine is part of a plan, approved by President Vladimir Putin, to upgrade the core of Russia's undersea nuclear attack forces, military analysts said.Putin has boosted funding for the submarine fleet, which has been involved in a string of fatal accidents including the sinking of the Kursk nuclear submarine in the Barents Sea in August 2000. All 118 sailors aboard the Kursk
perished.The Yuri Dolgoruky has taken 12 years to build following funding problems in the chaos of the 1990s, when the post-Soviet navy and shipbuilding sector lost much of its talent.Russia wants to show that she remains a nuclear power and -- as the Putin administration says -- still a great power and for them the greatness of that power is measured by its weapons, Alexander Nikitin, a former Russian navy engineer now working as an environmental campaigner, told Reuters from Oslo.

Russia has the second largest nuclear submarine fleet in the world after the United States.Russia's attack submarines fulfil the function of preventing the United States's freedom of action at sea, said Ivan Safranchuk, head of the World Security Institute's Moscow office.The development of this submarine fleet illustrates the intentions of Russia to preserve its position on the world ocean, he said.
The Yuri Dolgoruky, which takes its name from a Slavic prince who helped defend Moscow, can descend to a depth of 450 meters (1,500 feet) and can carry 107 sailors for 100 days without rising to the surface.

The submarine, which Interfax said had cost about 23 billion roubles ($890 million), should have been ready in 2002 but will enter full service in the northern fleet in 2008.Russia will build 8 of the new generation submarines by 2018, defence officials said.But Russia has had problems developing the Bulava-M ballistic missiles, which the new submarines will carry. The missiles, which have a range of 8,000 km (5,000 miles), have misfired in four out the five recent tests.