MORE END TIME SIGNS

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY HAVE A GREAT ONE.

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.

Strong earthquake strikes Greece FEB 14,08

A strong earthquake has struck southern Greece, shaking buildings over an area from the southern Peloponnese region to the capital, Athens. The earthquake struck at about noon (1000 GMT) and geologists said its magnitude was between 6.5 and 6.7.

Seismologists said the epicentre was beneath the seabed off Kalamata, about 230km (140 miles) south of the capital. Witnesses in Athens said it lasted at least 15 seconds, and there were no reports of casualties or damage. We were shaken for quite a long time, swaying back and forth, Tanya Spiropoulou from the northern Athens suburb of Marousis told Reuters news agency. A farmer in Kalamata told the agency that the quake was not as strong as other times, but we felt it. Seismologists said aftershocks were possible, and Greek television stations warned people in areas near the epicentre, to stay away from buildings. The tremor was felt as far away as Cairo, in Egypt. Earthquakes are common in Greece, and the last serious earthquake there killed more than 100 people in September 1999.

Strong quake off Indonesia's Maluku, tsunami alert issued Wed Feb 13, 4:13 PM ET

JAKARTA (AFP) - A strong 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck off the eastern Indonesian province of Maluku early Thursday, prompting a tsunami alert that was later lifted, the meteorology and geophysics office said here. The earthquake, which struck at 2:58 am (2000 GMT Wednesday), was centred 275 kilometres (171 miles) southwest of Maluku province, some 10 kilometres under the seabed, a text message from the office said.There is the potential for a tsunami, it added.A second message sent one hour later said that the alert had been lifted.The United States Geological Survey measured the quake at 5.9 and said it occurred 299 kilometres west of Saumlaki, in Indonesia's Tanimbar Islands, and 341 kilometres east of the East Timorese capital Dili.A policeman stationed in Saumlaki district who identified himself as Kamanasa told AFP that the quake was not felt in the surrounding area.We didn't feel any shakes here, he said.Yanuarsih, from the meteorological agency in Jakarta, told AFP that the agency had not received any reports of damage from the quake.

Tsunami warnings are routinely issued in Indonesia for strong quakes occurring at a depth of 10 kilometres or less.Equipment is not currently in place to measure a change in water depth commensurate with a tsunami forming off a coast.Dili is currently under an evening-to-dusk curfew following failed assassination bids on its president and prime minister on Monday.Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire where continental plates meet, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.The archipelago nation was hardest hit by the earthquake-triggered Asian tsunami in December 2004. Some 168,000 people alone were killed in Aceh province on the northern tip of Sumatra.

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.

Flooding, power outages left in N.B. storm's wake
Thu Feb 14, 8:50 AM

A winter storm packing high winds, snow, ice pellets, freezing rain and later rain has left thousands of people in New Brunswick without power on Thursday.More than 8,500 NB Power customers are in the dark in Fredericton on Thursday morning while scattered outages are affecting Woodstock and Bouctouche.Outages started being reported around 8 p.m. Wednesday.More than 20 crews have been sent to the Fredericton area to repair the widespread damage caused by ice buildup, said NB Power officials. There is no estimate on when the power will be restored.Fredericton city services, transit and many businesses closed early on Wednesday as about 20 centimetres of snow piled up in the city.As the temperatures rose and the snow and ice pellets changed to freezing rain and then rain overnight, flooding hit Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton.

Flooding hits city streets

Roads in Fredericton were not in good shape Thursday morning, said Sean Lee, manager of the city's roads and streets.The combination of snow, ice pellets and heavy rain made a pretty heavy slush that froze over most of the catch basins in the city, Lee said.Public works crews in Moncton spent the night trying to clear the city's main streets, but there are reports of flooded and icy streets in many subdivisions.The whole city was a mess at midnight, said Mike Coster, public works supervisor. It was a real downpour. We had a hard time getting raid of the water.Salt, sand supplies depleted
With some improvement in the floodwaters on Thursday morning, crews are now turning their attention to salting the slippery streets, Coster said.Unlike Saint John, Moncton still does have a supply of road salt. The southern city was reporting Thursday morning that it is now completely out of salt and sand following the storm.Saint John city officials warned on Wednesday that motorists and pedestrians should proceed carefully because as the 10th storm hit the province they were almost out of salt and sand supplies.The city budgeted properly for snow removal and salting this winter, but the storms in the province have meant the Sussex salt supplier hasn't be able to keep up, said Shayne Galbraith, director of city works for Saint John.Saint John is also struggling with flooding that has closed Rothesay Avenue and highway ramps, Galbraith said.

On Wednesday afternoon, some areas of the city had water levels reaching the axels of cars trying to get through the roadways.Crews worked through the night to try to clear drainage areas so the 70 millimetres of rain water had somewhere to go, Galbraith said.Fire crews in the city received 55 calls overnight related to water levels, said fire Chief Eric Garland, many related to flooded basements, leaking roofs and alarms being set off.

School cancelled again

Some school districts in the province are closed, and universities have cancelled classes.The number of snow days the province has had is becoming a concern, said Karen Branscombe, superintendent of School District 2.Students at the eastern New Brunswick district's schools have lost seven days so far this winter because of weather, Branscombe said.The lost class time means teachers are having to change their plans to ensure students get their full curriculum, she said.My expectation is that when we do have students in class, we're going to focus really on what has to be taught, Branscombe said.

The Nation's Weather By WEATHER UNDERGROUND, For The Associated Press Thu Feb 14, 6:29 AM ET

Precipitation was expected to gradually cease throughout the East Coast on Thursday, although morning snow showers were likely in the Mid-Atlantic and in northern New England. Relatively cold air was expected to press into the northeastern third of the country.
Meanwhile, significant snow was forecast from the Dakotas through the Great Lakes. Dangerously low wind chills to -40 degrees were expected.Also, significant snow was predicted in the Four Corners region. The precipitation was expected to move into the Southwest as the day progresses. Strong winds of up to 45 mph are anticipated for parts of California and the Great Basin.Temperatures in the Northeast were to be in the 20s and 30s, while the Southeast should have temperatures in the 60s and 70s. The Northern Plains should struggle to rise above 0 degrees, while the Northwest was expecting temperatures in the 30s, 40s, and 50s.Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Tuesday ranged from a low of -19 degrees at International Falls, Minn., to a high of 87 degrees at El Centro, Calif.
On the Net:Weather Underground: http://www.wunderground.com
National Weather Service: http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov
Intellicast: http://www.intellicast.com

WITNESS: Hurricane Katrina was big, but God is bigger
Wed Feb 13, 11:10 PM

Jon Hurdle has been reporting for Reuters from Philadelphia since 2004. A native of England, he has been a print journalist for 25 years. In the following story he recounts his experiences as a volunteer helping to rebuild after the damage wrought by Hurricane Katrina 2-1/2 years ago.By Jon Hurdle

OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi (Reuters) - At 6 a.m., the lights come on at Camp Victor, a base run by the Lutheran Church for volunteers helping with recovery efforts 2-1/2 years after Hurricane Katrina slammed into Mississippi's Gulf Coast.I climb out of my wooden bunk and stand in the breakfast line with about 100 other volunteers from around the country.We eat oatmeal or pancakes, fuel for a long day's labor on the thousands of homes that are still in need of repair long after one of the worst natural disasters in the United States.My fellow campers are mostly middle-aged men from Lutheran churches in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa who have taken a week off work or away from retirement to cut lumber, paint walls or clear debris from the homes that were badly damaged or destroyed in the August 29, 2005 hurricane. The storm killed more than 1,400 people along the U.S. Gulf Coast.Some come with construction experience; others sweep floors or cook food; all are motivated by the goodwill that has brought more than 11,000 volunteers to the camp since the storm hit the Gulf Coast and collapsed the levees protecting nearby New Orleans from the sea.

The Lutheran Disaster Relief camp can take as many as 220 volunteers at a time. It is in a former garment factory in Ocean Springs, a pretty coastal town that seems to have been spared the worst of the storm.I went as a Quaker -- albeit an aspiring one -- rather than as a journalist, and hoped the humanitarian work would be a rewarding experience for me as well as a practical help.But long journalistic habits also led me to observe and record. I had time, given that I often stood aside while others with the necessary construction skills did the rebuilding work.

HELPING MISS HATTIE

On the first of our five days, our group of eight from a Quaker community near Philadelphia is sent to the home of Miss Hattie, an elderly black woman whose roof, previously repaired after hurricane damage, has been hit again by a falling tree.Lacking roofing skills, we are put to work chain-sawing the fallen tree into pieces and stacking them in the front yard.We cut as much as we can but our small chain saw is finally defeated by the tree's girth, and the camp managers can't find a larger saw, so we break for a lunch of spaghetti and sweet potatoes in Miss Hattie's kitchen.She is grateful, charming and glad of our company. But I wonder if clearing a tree from the yard of a perfectly habitable house is the most important thing in a state where some 13,000 hurricane victims are still living in trailers supplied by the much-maligned Federal Emergency Management Agency.Later, I help deliver a new washing machine and two clothes dryers to two homes that have been renovated after flooding by hurricane-driven seawater.Outside one house, a saucepan on a string dangles from a tree branch about 20 feet off the ground. The pan was probably blown there by the hurricane, the homeowner says.In Waveland, west of Biloxi, it's plain that Katrina did a lot more than deposit saucepans in trees.

Leaving the highway, we drive down a muddy road into an apocalyptic landscape of broken trees, bare concrete pads where houses once stood, and some piles of debris.On the cinder-block foundation of one house, a stack of belongings sits rotting in the rain. A tattered tarp, which presumably once covered these possessions, flaps in the wind.Outside a nearby church -- which occupies what looks like a large shed -- is a hand-painted sign saying Katrina was big but God is bigger.It's a more cheerful picture in Pascagoula where volunteers are making good progress rebuilding a home in which floodwaters rose near to the ceiling of the first floor. The new one is built on 9-foot (2.7-metre) stilts to ensure no repeat.The owner, 81-year-old Miss Ruby -- who lives in a trailer on the site -- cooks a fried chicken lunch for the volunteers.As we eat in the warm January sunshine, she pulls out a karaoke machine and, balancing her high heels on a sheet of plywood, serenades us with renditions of classics including Patsy Kline's Crazy and Elvis Presley's Hound Dog.Our efforts may be just a drop in the post-Katrina bucket but it's clear we've made one old lady very happy.(Editing by Michael Christie and Frances Kerry)
(To read more Reuters Witness stories click here: http://www.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/reutersWitnesses)

Dear Friend of Israel FEB 13,08

An important resolution in support of Israel is now before the U.S. House of Representatives — and your help is needed to see that it passes.

H. Res. 951 strongly condemns the ongoing Palestinian terrorist rocket and mortar attacks directed at Israeli civilians that have caused death, injury, trauma, and severe disruption of economic life in areas of Israel bordering Gaza, including the city of Sderot. It places the blame for those attacks, which have continued unabated for years, squarely on the shoulders of Hamas and other terrorist groups, as well as terrorist-supporting nations like Iran and Syria. At the same time, it reaffirms the strong and unyielding friendship between the governments and the people of Israel and the United States.

This resolution will soon come up for vote in the House. By mobilizing now, we can ensure that a strong message of solidarity will be sent to Israel and her people. We’ve made it easy for you to email your representative today and urge him or her to support H. Res. 951. Read the text of H. Res. 951 or take action now!
https://secure2.convio.net/ifcj/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=211&JServSessionIdr004=lr66onqgp1.app7b

No Justification for Shas to Remain in the Government
February 13, 2008...

The Shas party of Israel has stated publicly that it will leave ruling government coalition should Prime Minister Olmert make any concessions to the Arabs about the status of Jerusalem . Should Shas leave Olmert's government, this action very well could take down the coalition, bring about new elections and end the ongoing peace process charade.In Israel , though, things are not always as they seem.Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has assured Shas that Jerusalem will not be discussed until the end of the negotiations. Olmert is using the loophole that Shas handed to him to enable him to further his concessions to the Arab enemy which will be suicidal for Israel . It appears that Shas is willing to sit in the Olmert government until G-D forbid it is too late, just as Bibi Netanyahu sat in the Sharon government until it was too late to save Gush Katif and northern Samaria It is clear to all observers that Sharon's Expulsion has been a disaster for Israel on all levels.

Netanyahu voted in favor of Sharon 's Disengagement plan in the Knesset. He constantly threatened to resign his post which probably would have ended all chances of Sharon being able to achieve the necessary approvals. In a crass political maneuver, Netanyahu finally resigned his post one week prior to the plan's implementation - after it was already too late to stop the plan by legal means. Manhigut Yehudit would like to make it clear to Shas that by keeping Olmert in power, they share in the responsibility for the harm that the government is causing and for the coming Jewish bloodshed due to this government which makes decisions without Jewish values.Shas has had every opportunity to leave this coalition. Why do they remain? The Labor party's chairman, Ehud Barak, just reneged on a promise to pull Labor out of the coalition after the issuance of the Winograd report on the 2006 Lebanon War. Why does Labor remain? Moshe Feiglin, head of the Manhigut Yehudit faction in Likud stated that he suspects that the deal was closed with Shas and the Labor party before [Yisrael Beiteinu] was forced out of the government. Shas received its hush money and the Labor party got the war against the [settlements], creating more pressure on Barak to stay in the government. That suits him well, because he prefers to stay. When all the elites want the government to remain in power, that is exactly what will happen.

Moshe Feiglin says he can see no justification for the actions of the Shas party, but hopes that its voters will draw the correct conclusions. Our goal, he said, is to create a Jewish leadership alternative for the Nation of Israel so that all the people disenchanted from their previous political allegiances will have a political home on election day.Feiglin added that it is time for the Religious Zionist camp to lead the country. When we flee the call to lead, neither Shas nor the conventional Likud politicians will lead as we see fit. No matter who wins, the Left’s policies will continue to rule. It is our obligation to lead Israel with fear of Heaven in our hearts.Manhigut Yehudit officials point out that the practice of courting religious parties - like Shas - with major financial incentives and promises in exchange for supporting policies that endanger all Jews is tantamount to bribery by those offering the incentives, and at best, an error in judgment on the part of those who accept them. It comes as no shock that those who brought about and/or continued the suicidal Oslo Accords would employ such methods.Much more problematic is the acceptance by religious parties of benefits and protexia from the above mentioned sources. The land-for-peace formula has proven to have cost in Jewish blood. The direct correlation between the amount of land that Israel cedes and the amount of Jews who are murdered is a fact that can not and must not be ignored by any of us.The Torah is clear about Israel 's Biblical borders. Therefore it is a matter of pikuah nefesh (saving a life) NOT to use our Land as a bargaining chip. How will the leaders of Shas explain to the future grieving mothers that it was worthwhile to take this money from Olmert?

EU executive calls for creation of a European border patrol
By Stephen Castle Published: February 13, 2008 IHT

BRUSSELS: The European Commission called Wednesday for the creation of a European border patrol as it published plans to strengthen frontiers by requiring travelers to submit their fingerprints before entering European Union countries.The far-reaching package, designed to combat terrorism, illegal migration and organized crime, would involve setting up a comprehensive electronic register of travelers' biometric data.It also proposes greater cooperation and use of technology, including high resolution satellites and unmanned aircraft, to monitor remote areas for movements of migrants.We cannot have mafia, or traffickers, or terrorists, using better technology than our police, said Franco Frattini, the European justice and home affairs commissioner. He added that he would like to see border guards from EU member states wearing national uniforms with a European flag, forming a corps, trained according to the same standards and ready to react.The measures would apply to the 24 nations within the EU's Schengen zone for passport-free travel. EU states except Britain, Ireland, Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria are part of the border-free area, to which non-EU members Norway and Iceland also belong. Britain, which could opt into the arrangements, said it was studying them.

Today in Europe

EU executive calls for creation of a European border patrolIn exile in London, Georgian opposition figure dies suddenlyCartoons of Muhammad reprinted as Denmark protests plot to murder artistThe plans are sensitive in Europe where many governments regard the policing of frontiers as a fundamental aspect of national sovereignty. And there are growing reservations in some countries about the extent to which personal data is being collected by the authorities.Under the proposals, all non-Europeans would have to submit biometric data to enter the EU even if they come from countries, such as the United States and Canada, from which visa-free travel is currently permitted.Frattini said that the EU would open to non-Europeans the possibility of using fast-track, automated, frontier crossing points if they submitted biometric data in advance. These would be available to European nationals who carry travel documents with biometric data.The commission said that there were up to eight million illegal immigrants living within the European Union in 2006, about four-fifths of them within the Schengen area.The commission believes that more than half of all illegal immigrants enter the EU with valid paperwork but overstay their permitted time. The EU has no centralized system for registering when visitors enter and exit, and the movements of those who leave from a different country than their point of entry are often not recorded.The proposed electronic register, similar to a policy adopted by the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, could go into effect by 2015 if governments and European legislators agree. Once a visitor overstayed the allotted time, an alert would be sent to all member states.

However the plans come at a time of growing concern in Europe about surveillance of individuals and storage of personal data. The German justice minister, Brigitte Zypries, said she was concerned that the proposals marked a step toward a state that is already monitoring and policing citizens without prior cause.Hugo Brady, research fellow at the Center for European Reform research institute in London, said that the proposals reflected the new possibilities to track individuals created by technology.This is the first time that technology has moved closer to public demands for certainty over borders, Brady said. Progress on technology has got to the point where we can move forward on border security and it is probably one are in which all member states can agree to try.

Plans for a European border guard were controversial but might be acceptable to governments which face an influx of migrants and are anxious to share the burden of policing their frontiers, he added. If people want 100 percent security at borders, these are the sort of technocratic solutions you will find, he said.Meanwhile, the European Commission criticized apparent efforts by the United States to negotiate bilaterally with some countries that joined the EU in 2004 the terms under which they could take part in America's visa waiver program.Jonathan Faull, the director general for justice and home affairs, said the EU did not negotiate with individual U.S. states on issues that were the responsibility of the federal government.That would be disrespectful and we expect the U.S to be similarly respectful of our law and of our system here, Faull said.

Chad rebels say French EU peacekeepers not neutral
12.02.2008 - 09:30 CET | By Leigh Phillips

Chad's rebels have warned the EU not to send peacekeepers to the country, fearing the troops will not be neutral in the dispute between them and General Idriss Deby, the country's ruler.The rebel alliance issued a statement on Monday (11 February) from Gabon saying they do not trust a force composed mainly of French troops, the former colonial master. They believe the troops will be there to support the Deby government.European commanders say they are to remain neutral and are only there to ensure the safety of refugees displaced from Sudan's Darfur region and due to other regional conflicts.Deployment of a European peacekeeping force, EUFOR-Chad-CAR, was delayed at the start of February when rebels made a lightning advance on the capital, N'Djamena. However, the N'Djamena airport reopened on Monday, permitting deployment of the 3,700-strong EU force. A spokesperson for the force said that if the airport allowed EUFOR-Chad-CAR's cargo planes to land, the deployment could resume today (12 February), according to an AFP report.During the rebel advance, French troops on the ground offered medical and logistical support to government forces.

France has denied reports in their domestic press that French special forces have already engaged in combat with rebels.French daily La Croix reported that Deby's forces pushed rebels back from the capital with help from members of the French special operations command.Responding to the reports, French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner said: There was no involvement of the French special forces - not by Thursday night, in any case, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, the 400 Irish troops that are taking part in the deployment have been told they will be viewed as a hostile force if they arrive along with the French troops. The rebels have called on Ireland to pull out of the EU force, according to the Irish Times.
If EUFOR is made up of forces other than French, we don't have a problem with it, a rebel spokesperson said, the Irish daily reports.

Blair wins backing of minister for EU President job
Last updated at 21:33pm on 13th February 2008

It is the first indication that the Government is prepared to back the ex-Prime Minister in an attempt later this year to become full-time president of the EU council. The move would infuriate Eurosceptics in Britain, since the post is being created under the revived EU constitution which Mr Blair negotiated. The Government has since reneged on its promise of a referendum on the blueprint, arguing the constitutional elements have been abandoned. Mr Blair, currently the Middle East envoy for the U.S., Russia, EU and the UN, is said to be willing to put himself forward for the EU job if it comes with real powers. It is also expected to command a salary of £200,000 plus generous expenses, accommodation and chauffeur-driven cars, making the whole package worth nearly half a million pounds. Mr Blair is being actively promoted by the French president Nicolas Sarkozy but Jim Murphy's endorsement is the first from a senior Government minister.

U.N. Weighs a Ban on Weapons in Space, but U.S. Still Objects By NICK CUMMING-BRUCE February 13, 2008

GENEVA — The Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, on Tuesday presented a Russian-Chinese draft treaty banning weapons in space to the United Nations Conference on Disarmament, an idea that was quickly rejected by the United States.Russia and China have pushed for years for a treaty to prevent an arms race in space, a threat underlined by China last year after it shot down one of its own aging satellites. Responding to previous American assertions that there is no arms race in space and therefore no need for a treaty, Mr. Lavrov instead submitted a draft on prevention of the placement of weapons in outer space, the threat or use of force against outer space objects. Weapons deployment in space by one state will inevitably result in a chain reaction, Mr. Lavrov warned. And this in turn is fraught with a new spiral in the arms race, both in space and on the earth.

The draft treaty aims to fill gaps in existing law, create conditions for further exploration and use of space, and strengthen general security and arms control, Mr. Lavrov said. It is time to start serious practical work in this field, he said. The White House responded to the proposal on Tuesday afternoon, saying it opposed any treaty that sought to prohibit or limit access to or use of space.Dana M. Perino, the White House press secretary, said such a treaty would also be impossible to enforce. Any object orbiting or transiting through space can be a weapon if that object is intentionally placed onto a collision course with another space object, she said in an e-mail message. This makes treaty verification impossible.Instead, she said, the White House favored discussions aimed at promoting transparency and confidence-building measures.

The Russian-Chinese proposal was first circulated last year, but the presentation on Tuesday provided the 65-member conference with a basis to discuss a future treaty. Mr. Lavrov was the latest in a series of dignitaries seeking to inject momentum into an organization that is the only forum for multilateral disarmament negotiations but which last delivered an arms-control measure — on chemical weapons — in 1997. The United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, opened the current session last month by reminding the conference that its successes were distant memories and that we need progress.Last week, Britain’s defense secretary, Des Browne, called for a meeting of the five signatories to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to discuss verifying nuclear disarmament. Thomas P. D’Agostino, administrator of the United States National Nuclear Security Administration, also attended last week, reviewing American progress in dismantling nuclear weapons. The fact that these governments are sending very high-level people to the conference means they want to get things going, said Patrick McCarthy, coordinator of the Geneva Forum, a tripartite body that includes the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. We’re at a rather decisive point where we either move onto substantive negotiations or back to more years of fruitless discussion, Mr. McCarthy said.

EU crisis has parallels with collapse of Austro-Hungarian empire FEB 13,08By WES MITCHELLDirector of research, Centre for European Policy Analysis, Washington DC

IF A European Union bureaucrat could travel to fin de siècle Vienna, he would be surprised by how closely the Hapsburg Empire resembled today's European Union. Like the EU, Austria-Hungary was an experiment in supra-national engineering, comprising 51 million inhabitants, 11 nationalities and 14 languages. Presiding over this microcosm of Europe was a double-throned emperor-king and twin parliaments representing the largely independent Austrian and Hungarian halves of the realm. The Hapsburg Empire acted as a stabilising force for its peoples and for Europe. To its scattered ethnic groups, it performed the twin roles of referee and bouncer, pacifying indigenous rivalries and protecting pint-sized nations from predatory states. It also filled a geopolitical vacuum at the heart of the continent, placing a check on Germany and Russia.

So long as it performed these functions, Austria was viewed as a European necessity – a balancer of nationalities and of nations for which there was no conceivable substitute. But, by the early 1900s, the empire faced two problems that cast doubt on its ability to fulfil these missions. First, it proved incapable of reconciling and representing its constituents' interests. The heart of the problem was the 1867 Compromise, which divided the empire into Austrian and Hungarian halves. By excluding the Slavs – who accounted for half the empire's population – the compromise was seen as a vehicle for German/Magyar domination. All attempts at modifying the arrangement stopped short of what was needed: a political settlement between Germans and Slavs like that between Germans and Magyars.

Second, due in part to internal nationalist crises, the empire found it increasingly difficult to chart a unified, independent course in international affairs. Confronted after 1906 with a more assertive Russia, Austria-Hungary resorted to increasing reliance on Germany, thereby relinquishing the empire's status as a geopolitical stabiliser. These problems inflicted irreparable damage to Austria-Hungary's image as a necessity – both for its subjects, who came to see national self-determination as a superior alternative to supra-nationalism, and for outside powers, which dismembered the empire in 1918. So ended the first European union.

Like Austria-Hungary, the EU's raison d'être consists in its ability to transcend the indigenous balance of power among its members, and the service this renders to the international system. On both counts, the EU confronted challenges in 2007 much like those confronting Austria-Hungary in 1907. Many of the EU's newest members continue to grapple with questions of geopolitical trust. This is revealed in the tensions that have existed between Poland, which fears domination by the EU's steering group, and Germany, which is reluctant to shoulder the financial burden for a union in which it is under-represented. If allowed to fester, this feud could metastasise, leaving the EU in a state of crisis like that which plagued Austria-Hungary.

THIS IS JUST TO MUCH BY HAMAS AS USUAL.

Hamas TV unveils Jew-eating bunnyBy staff writers
February 13, 2008 04:31pm

A JEW-eating rabbit named Assud has become the newest star of a militant Palestinian children's television show after the death of his brother.The Pioneers of Tomorrow children’s series produced by Palestinian group Hamas and made famous by a Mickey Mouse-looking character declaring jihad on Israel and the US, introduced Assud the Bunny. Assud - who said in his first episode that he would get rid of the Jews, Allah willing, and… will eat them up - replaced his brother, Nahoul the Bee, according to the translation from the Middle East Media Research Institute. In an interview with the program’s host, a young girl purportedly named Saraa Barhoum, Assud talked about becoming martyrdom. We are all martyrdom-seekers, are we not, Saraa? Assud said on the show. Saraa said: Of course we are. We are all ready to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of our homeland. We will sacrifice our souls and everything we own for the homeland.According to the program’s plotline, Nahoul died because he could not leave Gaza to seek medical treatment from neighbouring Egypt. Nahoul himself replaced the program’s original star, Farfur the Mouse, who was killed by an Israeli soldier.

Sarkozy pleads for coherent EU space policy
12.02.2008 - 17:31 CET | By Honor Mahony

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – French President Nicolas Sarkozy has added planet Mars to the already long to-do list he has planned for the EU saying he wants space policy cooperation with the US, particularly regarding the exploration of this little-known planet.
Speaking in French Guyana on Tuesday (12 February), Mr Sarkozy, who has a reputation for getting personally involved in a wide range of issues, said the EU should have a sensible and coherent space policy.I speak for France, and suggest to our European partners, that it is out of the question that we reduce our efforts or our ambitions for the area of space, said the president, according to AFP news agency.Because Mars is there and Mars is accessible to the technologies available to humanity, we cannot refuse to attempt this adventure, he continued, speaking to journalists at the launch site for Ariane rockets.He pointed out that Europe had experts in areas such as transport and technology while the US, which already has a Mars exploration programme, had the technical and scientific competences.I am convinced that an exploration programme can only be global, without exclusivity or appropriation by one nation or another... Each will be able to take part with their capabilities, their strengths and their choices, he said, according to Reuters.

While emphasising that he did not want Europe to be in competition with the US, Mr Sarkozy also referred to military space policy, which he said is the price for strategic autonomy and freedom to manoeuvre for European governments.In an aside to France's nuclear strength, the French president said there should be a decided rise in the military space budget. He spoke particularly of surveillance and spy satellites, for which the EU is strongly dependent on the US.Despite Mr Sarkozy's vision, Europe has in the past been slow to commit to itself to space. Its flagship satellite project, known as Galileo, was agreed only at the eleventh hour last year after protracted wrangling over how it should be financed.To be in place by 2013, five years after originally planned, it is supposed to end the EU's reliance on Washington's Global Positioning System.

Meanwhile, the European Commission early last year proposed a collective space policy in the EU but the communication only set out a loose set of aspirations in the area, rather than concrete measures.But reticence in other member states about certain EU policies has not thwarted Mr Sarkozy's enthusiasm in the past.In what is expected to be a very busy French EU presidency in the second half of this year, Mr Sarkozy has said he wants Europe to have an immigration policy, a defence policy, an energy policy and an environment policy by the end of 2008.

Report: Livni Holding Secret Talks on Dividing Jerusalem
Is Olmert Lying to Shas? By Amihai Zippor

(IHC News Analysis, 12 February 2008) According to a Jerusalem Post report, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has been holding secret talks with Palestinian negotiators over dividing Jerusalem. Livni’s office has not denied the reports and it is unclear if Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been instructing her.Olmert had promised Shas that there would not be any discussions over Jerusalem until all other issues were resolved. The promise was made in order to keep Shas in the government at a time when the coalition is on its last legs and Olmert hopes to reach a final agreement with the Palestinians by the end of the year. However, on Tuesday, 12 February 2008 a top Shas official said the party is not optimistic on the matter but is waiting for Olmert to return from a trip to Germany to question him. We get the impression that Jerusalem is being discussed, Communication Minister Ariel Atias said.Olmert has to decide whether he wants Shas in the government or whether he wants what Livni is doing, Atias said. When the story broke early Monday Shas Chairman Eli Yishai told The Post, I will check the story and if it's true, Shas will leave the government.If it is true it will mean Olmert lied to Shas and will further deteriorate any credibility the beleaguered PM has with the people around him or the Israeli public. Israel Hasbara Committee, 12 February 2008.

A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE FEB 13,08

What about earthquakes, global crime, and the
many strange activities presently occurring in
space? How do these signs suggest that
Christ’s return is at hand?

Earthquakes

When they read Matthew 24:7, Mark 13:8, or Luke 21:11, some men foolishly observe, We've always had earthquakes. How can this be a sign? The Lord made this prediction around A.D. 30. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, from 1890 to 1930 there were only 8 quakes measuring 6.0 or larger. From 1930 to 1960, there were only 18. From 1960 to 1979, however; there were 64 killer quakes. And from 1980 to the present, there have been more than 200. Think of it! More than 200 major quakes in less than three decades-an earth-rattling reminder that the Rapture is near.

Crimes against Humanity

Christ went on to say in His pronouncement of signs, And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold (Matthew 24:12). What a portrait of modern-day America and the world! The U.S. Justice Department reports that about 30 percent or more of the nation's households are victimized by serious crime every year. The U.S. attorney general says that on average one of every sixteen American families is brutalized by violent crimes such as murder, rape, and aggravated assault. The FBI index also paints a grim picture, giving us the unsettling information that a murder occurs every twenty-four minutes, a forcible rape each seven minutes, a robbery every sixty-eight seconds, and an aggravated assault each fifty-one seconds. The total figures show that a violent crime is committed every twenty-seven seconds, a property crime every three seconds. Judge for yourself: Are things getting better or worse? The answer is obvious.

Signs in Space

Matthew 24:27-31 tells us: For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

I quote from these scriptures in Matthew because many believers are confused by this scenario. It is important to note that the reference here is to the Revelation-the revealing of Christ to the entire world as He returns to earth as King of kings-not the Rapture. The elect mentioned in this text are the elect Israelites of Romans 11:28. He gathers them together from the four winds. Gentile believers are not listed with the twelve tribes who mourn as Christ returns. Again, these are Jewish signs pointing to Christ's coming as King of kings and LORD of lords. The people of the Tribulation Hour will know when the momentous event is near because Matthew 24:29 pinpoints the time: Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. The space signs are for the close of the Tribulation Hour. There is no way that they could point to the pretribulation Rapture, for we Christians will be gone when the dreadful bombardment of earth, probably with meteorites from space, occurs.

Luke adds to this account, 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; the sea and the waves roaring; 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 (Luke 21:25-26). These signs point to the close of the Tribulation Hour because they signal the return of the King to earth. Verse 27 adds, Then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. This describes the coming of Christ to set up His glorious millennial reign (Revelation 20:4).

Space signs, which are to take place at the conclusion of the Tribulation Hour or almost seven years after the believers' departure via the Rapture, are already showing partial fulfillment. Such feats as humans walking, driving, and planting a flag on the moon make us realize these signs are only for twentieth-century citizens-for you and me. If a person had made such a prediction at the turn of the century, he would have become a candidate for a mental hospital. Space activity has become so commonplace today that no one even talks about the first step Neil Armstrong took on the moon in 1969.

We have always had signs, some skeptics say. Nothing has changed. It's the same as it was in Grandma's day. My response to that ostrich stance is simply to get your head out of the sand and fix your eyes on the heavens. The Space Age is with us, and Christ's prophecies are occurring with such rapidity that only a hardened heart could doubt it. Each new venture will incorporate additional methods of placing the potentials of space on earth. Christ's astounding prophetic statements about space are beginning to fill the skies. Some scientists and space writers are raising the possibility that the next large-scale war could be fought entirely in space. This possibility means that Satan and his demonic hosts could use the world's inventions for the war of wars described in Revelation 12:7-9: And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

The Signs and Space Phenomena

I believe the rash of reports about UFOs are connected with the spirit world. The question Is there life on other planets? is unimportant. There is life in the heavens, for they are full of live, demonic spirits. This could easily explain the thousands of saucer sightings in recent years. Ezekiel 1 and 2 Kings 2:11 talk about angels and chariots of fire. Whoever controls them is incidental. What is important is that these strange signs in space are prophesied for the latter days. Those days are now upon us and should make us realize the coming of the Savior is near.

Do Old Testament signs primarily
speak of Christ’s return to earth?
What about the signs
in the Epistles?

I am asked this question repeatedly. While the Old Testament and four Gospels are filled with scores of references to Christ's return or the Revelation, the Epistles also contain a rich storehouse of scripture that speaks about Christ's return to earth. Look at the description in 2 Timothy 3:1-5: This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good. Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.Let's look at several of the signs-as recorded in the Epistles-concerning the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to earth.

Selfishness

Men shall be lovers of their own selves. What a picture of the hour in which we live. You do not need to watch CNN for more than a few minutes to understand that people are living a life dedicated to self. Moreover, it is not only unbelievers who live such lives. When church members are so busy satisfying their flesh with the world's goodies and pleasures that they have no time to pray or witness to lost souls-that is the height of selfishness. You will remember the Bible passage about the scribe who came to Jesus in Matthew 22:36-40 and said, Master, which is the great commandment... ? Jesus said unto him. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

How different are we today, really? We, too, are lovers of our own selves. A person might expect this attitude in the ungodly world of pagans, but how sad when it occurs among those who are supposedly of the family of God. As selfishness accelerates and becomes the central theme at the beginning of a new century, you can be sure it is a sign that the end of the age is near.

The Love of Money

In the first century, Peter could say, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee; In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk (Acts 3:6). Churches today have incredible wealth. We build huge buildings and enjoy elaborate campuses. Much of this is good. However it is also a problem for many ministries, because the tail is wagging the dog. Furthermore, money does not have the power to perform miracles. As we approach the return of Christ, we need to recognize that we are living in the Laodicean age. Revelation 3:15-16 declares, I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. God is saying, You lukewarm parishioners make Me sick! Why? Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing: and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked (v. 17).

In our churches, many regard themselves as upper crust. They have money, power, and influence. Many of these Christian elite personalities feel they are too important to help others or to carry out acts of kindness in the Savior's name-no time for anything except to earn a few more dollars. God declares, The love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (1 Timothy 6:10).

Pride

God says, Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up (James 4:10). Satan fell because of pride. Moreover millions more have followed in his wake. Imagine the gall Satan must have had to say, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High (Isaiah 14:13-14).

Satan has infiltrated the hearts of millions of Christians. A man with tears in his eyes once came to me and said, I was trying to win a young lady to Christ. She was poor and needy. Her parents are alcoholics. She was so destitute that all she had to wear was an old tattered dress. I took her to our church-a Bible-believing fellowship. When she and I walked down the aisle to our seats, I overheard a few snooty people behind me say, Why do they bring that kind of trash to our church! That kind of story breaks my heart, and I hope it breaks yours. However, if you feel your pedigree is better or more important than others, then I pray that God will speak to you and show you that you are one of the signs that Jesus Christ is coming again. Our Savior said, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).

Iran has capacity to produce nuclear arms: US intelligence
FEB 13,08

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Iran still possesses the capacity to produce nuclear weapons even though it may have stopped its atomic arms development program, a senior US intelligence official said Wednesday.Thomas Fingar, deputy US director of national intelligence for analysis, told a Congressional hearing that the Islamic republic continues to develop capabilities that could be swiftly adopted for production of nuclear weapons.We judge it has the technical and industrial capability to produce nuclear weapons, he told the House of Representatives armed services committee which held the hearing to make a global security assessment.Lawmakers were particularly keen to find out from senior intelligence officials who testified Wednesday the background behind a new intelligence report in December saying Iran halted its nuclear weapons drive in 2003 and that US charges about Tehran's atomic goals were overblown.The National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), a consensus view of all 16 US spy agencies, had also cautioned that Iran was keeping its nuclear options open, still bucked international demands to freeze uranium enrichment, and could have the technical ability to make a nuclear weapon sometime between 2010and 2015.

Asked by one lawmaker whether Iran, by continuing its uranium enrichment activities, was still within striking distance of developing a nuclear weapon, Fingar said, your logic point is that they have the capacity to resume a weapons program if they wanted to do so.He said the US time frame prediction for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon was based on an indigenous capability for enriching uranium, which could be used to make nuclear fuel but also to make fissile material for atomic bombs.The time frame could be shortened if they procure fissile material elsewhere, he said. It's the centrifuge program -- fissile material production -- which is the main variable, he said.Media reports have said Iran is testing advanced centrifuges to enrich uranium, in flagrant defiance of UN resolutions to suspend all enrichment activity until the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, can verify that such activities are entirely peaceful.Iran's refusal to suspend enrichment activities, in defiance of two sets of UN sanctions and the threat of a possible third, have fuelled western suspicions that Tehran is seeking to develop the atomic bomb. Iran insists it has an inalienable right to develop the technology to generate nuclear power to meet the energy needs of a growing population.

EU Diplomats: Iran Advancing Nuclear Program
By VOA News 13 February 2008

A general view shows the reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, in southern Iran (File) European Union diplomats say Iran has begun processing small amounts of uranium gas in a further step toward enhancing its nuclear capability.Unnamed diplomats told reporters Wednesday that Iran's new high-tech centrifuges are designed to enrich uranium by at least twice the rate of previous ones. Reuters quoted a diplomat as saying the move is a stunning rejection of repeated U.N. Security Council demands that Iran suspend sensitive nuclear activity.The Council has already imposed two sets of sanctions on Iran for its failure to suspend uranium enrichment, a process that can be used to make nuclear weapons. Officials from Germany and the five permanent members of the Council recently agreed on the text of a resolution that will impose a third round of sanctions against Iran.Earlier Wednesday Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Russian news agencies that Moscow disapproves of Iran's efforts to enrich uranium and develop rocket technology.

Lavrov says Iran's activities are not forbidden by international law. But he said recent years have shown there are a number of problems related to Tehran's disputed nuclear program. Lavrov warned Iran to refrain from actions that raise tensions and create the impression that Tehran is ignoring the decisions of the international community, the United Nations Security Council, and the IAEA.

Earlier this month, Iran announced it had test-launched a rocket that it said was designed to carry its first homemade research satellite into space.Washington and its allies accuse Iran of trying to master technology to build nuclear weapons, a charge Tehran denies.Iran has been building its first nuclear power plant near the southern city of Bushehr. Officials say Russia has delivered enough nuclear fuel to run that plant, and that the facility will open later this year.Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

Israel, embassies on high alert after assassination of Terrorist No. 1 / Imad Mughniyah killed in Damascus By Barak Ravid, Yoav Stern, and Amos Harel , Haaretz Correspondents and Agencies

Israel denied yesterday any involvement in the assassination of Hezbollah's most senior military commander, Imad Mughniyah, 45, in an official statement issued by the Prime Minister's Bureau. However, Syria, Hezbollah and its patron Iran accused Israel of being behind the blast in Damascus, which killed the chief of operations of the Lebanese Shi'ite organization believed to be responsible for a decades-long series of mass terrorist attacks throughout the world.Washington welcomed the demise of Mughniyah, who is believed to be the mastermind, most famously, behind attacks on the Marines barracks in Beirut in 1983, as well as the hijacking of American citizens in Beirut during the 1980s. The assassination occurred late Tuesday night when the SUV Mughniyah had entered exploded in an upscale neighborhood of Damascus, not far from an Iranian educational institution. Mughniyah was implicated in the 1983 bombings of the U.S. Embassy and U.S. Marine and French peacekeeping barracks in Beirut, which killed over 350 people, as well as the 1992 bombing of the Israel Embassy, and the 1994 Jewish cultural center bombing, both in Buenos Aires. More than 100 people died in those two attacks. The United States indicted him for his role in planning and participating in the June 1985 hijacking of a U.S. TWA airliner and the shooting death of 23-year-old Navy diver Robert D. Stethem.

The world is a better place without this man in it, said State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack. He was a cold-blooded killer, a mass-murderer and a terrorist responsible for countless innocent lives lost.Israel considered Mughniyah responsible for the Hezbollah raids which captured Israeli soldiers, both at Har Dov in 2000 and in 2006, and also the key liaison between the organization and Iran. He was not only being targeted by Israel, but also by the Americans and many other parties, said former Mossad head Danny Yatom on Israel Radio. He was one of the terrorists with the most amount of intelligence agencies and states chasing him. He behaved with extreme caution for many years. It was impossible even to obtain his picture. He never appeared or spoke before the media. His identity was hidden. His steps were hidden, Yatom said. In an official statement, the Prime Minister's Bureau denied any involvement in the assassination adding that Israel learned from the Lebanese and Syrian media about the assassination of a senior Hezbollah figure, and is still examining relevant details. The statement also rejected the attempt by terrorist organizations to attribute to it any involvement in this incident. We have nothing further to add.Israel's denials do not seem to have affected the impression in the Arab world and Iran that its secret service was behind the killing. Anticipating the possibility that Hezbollah would try to carry out a major attack against Israeli or Jewish targets worldwide in response to the killing, Israel's security issued orders to embassies and delegations abroad to be on high alert. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mohammed Ali Hosseini, described the assassination as yet another example of state-sponsored terrorism, and the kind of organized crime promoted by Israel.

Describing Mughniyah's actions and period as a senior commander in Hezbollah as a golden age in the period of resistance against Israel, Hosseini said that the free nations will remember forever and with pride the path of this warrior martyr.Syria's reaction to the killing in its own capital of one of the world's most wanted terrorist masterminds was surprisingly muted. The Syrian media did not announce details of the assassination or the identity of the target until well after the news had been released by media in the Arab world. Initially the Syrian Interior Ministry stated that a man was killed in a blast in Damascus, but did not identify him. In the first official reaction, Syrian Interior Minister Bassam Abdel Majeed condemned the attack as a terrorist act, and said that an investigation was under way. Syria condemns this cowardly terrorist act and presents its condolences to the Lebanese people and to the family of the martyr, the official SANA news agency quoted him as saying. Hezbollah also blamed Israel for the assassination. Former Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh said yesterday that the killing is Israel's revenge for the defeat it suffered at the hands of the organization during the Second Lebanon War.

Hezbollah is set to hold an official funeral for Mughniyah in Beirut today at 2 PM, with the main event being a prerecorded address by the group's general secretary, Hassan Nasrallah. Yesterday, Mughniyah's coffin, draped in a Hezbollah flag and flanked by four men in military uniform, was displayed in a hall where his family and leaders of the Shi'ite group received condolences.