Saturday, June 14, 2008

RECORD BREAKING IOWA FLOODS

EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

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.

Magnitude 7 quake shakes northern Japan, no tsunami; Some injuries JUNE 13,08

TOKYO — A powerful 7.0-magnitude earthquake rocked northern Japan early Saturday, swaying buildings, cutting electricity and stopping high-speed trains. News reports said a bridge collapsed, and some people were cut by broken glass.Authorities said two nuclear power plants in the area were not damaged and continued to operate normally, national broadcaster NHK reported. There was no danger of tsunami. NHK said electricity had been cut to about 2,500 households.The 8:43 a.m. quake was centred in the northern prefecture of Iwate about 450 kilometres north of Tokyo, and was located about 10 kilometres underground. It was felt as far away as the capital.A few items fell off the shelves, such as cosmetics and pottery tea cups, Minoru Takada, 41, manager of Seven-Eleven in Oshu, in Iwate prefecture, told The Associated Press. There wasn't any panic. I didn't see any ambulances running after the quake.

The meteorological agency issued a warning of a second quake, and a 5.6-magnitude aftershock hit the same area, but it was unclear whether the warning preceded the aftershock. Japan is experimenting with an earthquake warning system.Footage from the closest large city, Sendai, showed the force of the quake shook surveillance cameras for 30 seconds. NHK interviewed an official from Miyagi prefecture, where Sendai is located, who said he saw tiles coming off the roofs of some homes.It was scary. It was difficult to stand up, said Sachiko Sugihara, a convenience store worker in Oshu in a separate interview with NHK. The TV fell over and the refrigerator shook.Windows broke at a nursery school in the area and NHK said some teachers and children were injured, though it was unclear how seriously. Fire officials said they'd received reports of fallen rocks blocking roads, elevators stopping and one case of a bridge collapsing.

Sendai appeared largely unscathed.

So far we have not received any reports of damage or injuries. Everything is normal, Hideki Hara, a police official in Sendai, told the AP. Phone lines, water and electricity are all working right now.Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone areas in the world. The most recent major quake in Japan killed more than 6,400 people in the city of Kobe in January 1995.

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.

FIRST PERSON IOWA HOSPITAL EVACUATED
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8306938&ch=4226713&src=news

RECORD BREAKING FLOODS
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8305186&ch=4226713&src=news

FLOODING JUST A CATASTROPHY
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8309844&ch=4226717&src=news

TO GO WITH THIS FLOODING, THE REPORTS SAID THERE WERE 70 TORNADO TOUCHDOWN REPORTS OVER THE LAST 3 DAYS.

Thousands flee as floods inundate U.S. Midwest cities
Officials in Iowa irritated at 100-year flood every 4 years
Friday, June 13, 2008 3:14 PM ET CBC News


Glenn Patton paddles a boat carrying belongings from his house before the mandatory evacuation of his street in Iowa City, Iowa. (Matthew Holst/Iowa City Press-Citizen/Associated Press)Officials in Des Moines, the state of Iowa's capital and largest city, issued voluntary evacuation orders Friday to people living downtown and near levees along the banks of the cresting Des Moines River.Days of heavy rain across the U.S. Midwest have swollen rivers in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kansas and Michigan. Thousands have already fled their homes before the surging flood waters.The Des Moines River was just centimetres below the tops of levees, officials said, while urging downtown businesses to shut and people living in flood-prone areas to move to higher ground.

Severe weather has plagued the state all this week.

A tornado struck a boy scout camp in central Iowa Wednesday, killing four people and forcing dozens to flee for their lives.On Thursday, the Cedar River in eastern Iowa poured over its banks. forcing the evacuation of more than 3,000 homes, causing a railroad bridge to collapse and leaving cars under water on downtown streets.
Officials estimated that 100 blocks were under water in the town of Cedar Rapids, where several days of sandbagging work could not hold back the rain-swollen river. Rescuers used boats to reach many stranded residents, and people could be seen dragging suitcases up closed highway exit ramps to escape the water.We're just kind of at God's mercy right now, so hopefully people that never prayed before this, it might be a good time to start, Linn County Sheriff Don Zeller said.Officials estimated that 3,200 homes were evacuated and some 8,000 residents displaced. Disabled and elderly residents of a downtown hospital and nursing home in downtown Cedar Rapids had to be moved by emergency crews, officials said.Residents were already steeling themselves for floods before storms late Wednesday and early Thursday brought up to 127 millimetres of rain across west central Iowa.

Unprecedented river levels
We are seeing a historic hydrological event taking place with unprecedented river levels occurring, said Brian Pierce, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Davenport.We're in uncharted territory. This is an event beyond what anybody could even imagine.Gov. Chet Culver has declared 55 of the state's 99 counties as state disaster areas.In Cedar Rapids, a city of about 124,000, flood waters downtown neared the top of stop signs and cars were nearly covered in water. It wasn't clear just how high the river had risen because a flood gauge was swept away by the swirling water.The surging river caused part of a railroad bridge and about 20 hopper cars loaded with rocks to collapse into the river. The cars had been positioned on the bridge in hopes of weighing it down against the rising water.Prisoners had to be moved from the jail in Linn County, which includes Cedar Rapids. The sheriff's office also was under water, Zeller said. Several emergency shelters were opened, and the city had closed all but one of its bridges over the Cedar River.I believe that this is God's way of doing things, and I've got insurance, so I'm not worried about it, said Tim Grimm, who was forced to leave his home in the city's Czech Village area.

We're having the 100-year flood every 4 years
At least two deaths are being reported in flood-related traffic accidents in neighbouring Minnesota, police said.In Austin, Minn., the Cedar River crested 2.3 metres above flood stage, slightly below a 2004 flood that caused major damage in the city.It seems like we're having the hundred-year flood every four years. It's absurd, said Mark Dulitz, who had 10 centimetres of water in his basement and a ring of sandbags around his house.The flood waters claimed the life of a man whose vehicle became submerged when the road washed out from under it just west of Austin.Flooding this week also caused damage across southern Wisconsin, where thunderstorms continued pounding the area on Thursday.Power was shut off to hundreds of people in the Wisconsin village of Avoca, west of Madison, and they were urged to leave their homes after the Wisconsin River and other streams flooded, said Chief Deputy Jon Pepper of the Iowa County sheriff's department.The weather service issued flash flood watches for southern Wisconsin with tornado watches in central and eastern areas. Several tornadoes briefly touched down, but no injuries were reported.

Missouri bracing itself, sandbagging
Violent thunderstorms Thursday night rattled Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula, where tornado watches and warnings were in effect.
Just southeast of Grand Rapids, Mich., crews pulled the body of a motorist from a car found drifting in the swollen Thornapple River. State police said they believe the 57-year-old man called on his cellphone, but didn't say what happened or where he was; they found him using global positioning equipment.People in several northern Missouri communities, meanwhile, were piling up sandbags to prepare for flooding in the Missouri River, expected to crest over the weekend, and a more significant rise in the Mississippi River expected next Wednesday.

Upper Midwest flooding forces evacuations By AMY LORENTZEN, Associated Press Writer JUNE 13,08

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Rising water from the Cedar River forced the evacuation of a downtown hospital Friday after residents of more than 3,000 homes fled for higher ground. A railroad bridge collapsed, and 400 city blocks were under water. In Des Moines, 100 miles to the southwest, officials issued a voluntary evacuation order for much of downtown and other areas bordering the Des Moines River. Mayor Frank Cownie said the evacuations were an attempt to err on the side of citizens and residents.Des Moines is Iowa's capital and largest city, with about 190,000 residents. But the hardest-hit was Cedar Rapids, a city of 124,000 people.Gov. Chet Culver declared 83 of the state's 99 counties to be state disaster areas, and nine rivers were at or above historic flood levels. Elsewhere in the upper Midwest, rivers and streams tipping their banks forced evacuations, closed roads, and even threatened drinking water.The hospital's 176 patients, including about 30 patients in a nursing home facility at the hospital, were being evacuated to other hospitals in the region. The evacuation started late Thursday night and continued Friday morning in the city of 124,000 residents.Some are frail and so it's a very delicate process with them, said Karen Vander Sanden, a hospital spokeswoman.

Water was seeping into the hospital's lower levels, where the emergency generator is located, said Dustin Hinrichs of the Linn County emergency operations center.They proactively and preventatively started evacuation basically guessing on the fact they were going to lose power, he said.Dave Koch, a spokesman for the Cedar Rapids fire department, said the river will crest Friday at about 31.8 feet. It was at 30.9 feet early in the morning. In a 1993 flood, considered the worst flood in recent history, it was at 19.27 feet.The weather conditions that triggered the floods were the same as those in 1993: hot air from a ridge of high pressure on the East Coast colliding with cooler air from the West Coast, according to Ken Kunkel, interim director of the Illinois Water Survey.Steve Hilberg, director of the Midwest Regional Climate Center in Champaign, Ill., says rain is expected through the weekend, but next week is expected to be sunny and dry.At least 438 city blocks in downtown Cedar Rapids were under water, Koch said. There was more flooding outside of downtown, but authorities don't know what widespread it is.Flooding also closed Interstate 80 from east of Iowa City to Davenport. The flooded Cedar River crosses the interstate in Cedar County, about 20 miles east of Iowa City.No deaths or serious injuries were reported in Iowa, but one man was killed in southern Minnesota after his car plunged from a washed-out road into floodwaters. Another person was rescued from a nearby vehicle in the town of Albert Lea.Just southeast of Grand Rapids, Mich., crews pulled the body of a motorist from a car found drifting in the swollen Thornapple River. State police said they believe the 57-year-old man called on his cell phone but didn't say what happened or where he was; they found him using global positioning equipment.Violent thunderstorms Thursday and Friday brought widespread flooding to Michigan's Lower Peninsula that authorities say left some roads and bridges unstable or impassable. Utilities said about 28,000 new power outages were reported Friday morning, in addition to about 36,000 customers who lost power in earlier storms.

In Wisconsin, amphibious vehicles that carry tourists on the Wisconsin River were used to evacuate homes and businesses in Baraboo, north of Madison. Hundreds of people lost power in Avoca, west of Madison, and were strongly encouraged to evacuate because of flooding of the Wisconsin River and other streams, said Chief Deputy Jon Pepper of the Iowa County Sheriff's Department.The rising Fond du Lac River forced hundreds from homes in Fond du Lac.

People in several northern Missouri communities, meanwhile, were piling up sandbags to prepare for flooding in the Missouri River, expected to crest over the weekend, and a more significant rise in the Mississippi River expected Wednesday. Des Moines officials recommended people leave parts of downtown on either side of the Des Moines River by 6 p.m. Friday. Included are all areas in Des Moines' 500-year floodplain. The alert was prompted by rising river levels expected to peak at 8 p.m. Friday. About 300 volunteers and members of the Iowa Army National Guard worked late Thursday into Friday to shore up a levee showing some soft spots north of downtown. The levee protects a neighborhood along the river.

Amtrak's California Zephyr line was suspended across Iowa because of flooding along the BNSF Railway. Despite all the water in Cedar Rapids, there was precious little for toilets, cleaning, or drinking. Koch said the city is at critical levels and only one well was operating. It was in a flood area protected by sandbags, and generators were pumping water away. Normally, the city has six or more functioning wells, he said. If we lost that one we would be in serious trouble. Basically we are using more water than we are producing, he said. We really need to reduce the amount of water we are using ... even using paper plates, hand sanitizer.Area hotels issued water warnings, including the Marriott Hotel, which issued a statement imploring guests to cut their usage and use water only for drinking. Any flushing of the toilet, running the sink, or showering should be kept to a minimum. We understand this is asking a lot, but anyway you may be able to assist us in this time of crisis would go a long way to avoid an even greater disaster.Other Midwestern cities faced similar shortages: Lawrenceville, Ill., a town of 4,600 people near the Indiana line, grappled for a second day Thursday with a broken water system that left businesses with no usable tap water, forcing them to close. AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this story.

Tornado watches issued in southern Manitoba
Friday, June 13, 2008 | 12:30 PM CT CBC News


Environment Canada issued tornado watches for a wide area of southern Manitoba, including Winnipeg, on Friday afternoon after a funnel cloud was spotted near St. Andrews.

Tornadoes: Taking cover

According to most weather authorities, your best option in the event of a tornado is to head for your basement.If you don't have one, get in a closet or small room near the centre of the building, away from windows or doors.Environment Canada suggests getting into the bathtub and covering yourself with a mattress. Otherwise, get underneath a sturdy piece of furniture which can help shield you from falling or flying debris.If you're caught outdoors or in a vehicle, find the nearest ditch and lie low with your head shielded by your arms.If you're in a mobile home, get out and find a permanent shelter (preferably with a basement) or find a ditch. According to Environment Canada, more than half of all tornado deaths occur in mobile homes.The watches were issued shortly after 11 a.m. for the province's southeast, from Portage la Prairie in the west to the Ontario border in the east, and from the Interlake to the U.S. border.A funnel cloud was seen near St.Andrews, Man., about 20 kilometres north of Winnipeg, around 11 a.m.. It lasted a few minutes and did not touch the ground.CBC meteorologist John Sauder said the funnel clouds are as a result of weak, single cell thunderstorms.They don't generally do a whole lot of damage, but we have to take them seriously because they can be destructive if they hit the wrong areas, he said. We want to be on the lookout for that for the rest of today, as these little single-cell thunderstorms move through.A tornado watch is issued when severe thunderstorms have developed and there is the possibility of one or more tornadoes developing. It is considered less urgent than a tornado warning, which is issued when tornadoes are occurring or are detected on radar.

During a watch, people should make a plan for what they will do if a tornado occurs, Environment Canada recommends. During a warning, they should take shelter.Brief, heavy rain showers and small hail may also occur with this weather system, Environment Canada said.
People who see funnels or tornadoes are encouraged to report them to Environment Canada at 1-800-239-0484, once it is safe to do so.

Quebecers left without power by storm get helping hand
Last Updated: Friday, June 13, 2008 | 1:20 PM ET CBC News


Nearly 5,000 Hydro-Québec clients were still waiting for power to be restored Friday, three days after a violent wind storm knocked out sections of the electric grid.The utility said about 3,900 of the affected households are in Longueuil, Saint-Lambert and Chambly, on the South Shore.Hydro-Québec said it may be the end of the weekend before power is restored to some clients, depending on their location.In the Eastern Townships, about 450 clients still don't have power after the storm.About 240 teams of technicians are working on restoring the grid.Tuesday's storm brought 110-kilometre-an-hour wind gusts, thunder and lightning, and dumped hail and heavy rain on the greater Montreal region and Quebec City.

Montreal's Champlain bridge was closed for several hours at the peak of the storm after strong winds overturned some trucks while others spun around and rear-ended cars.More than 250,000 people lost power during the storm. In some areas, neighbours banded together to help people stranded without electricity. Eva Shepherd, a Brossard resident, is running orange and yellow extension cords from her home on Bellerive Street to neighbours across the way.

Unfortunately, one side of our street does not have power and the other does, she explained Friday. Oddly enough. So we're helping our neighbours, by extending extension cords across the street, so they can use our electricity.Charles Lauzon lives on the other side of the street and can still use his fridge even though his power hasn't been restored. My neighbour in front here offered us the electricity, and it was so nice, he said. At least we can have the fridge connected.Lolita Rochon lives a few doors down from Lauzon. She said within hours of the storm hitting Tuesday, her neighbours were knocking at her door, offering to connect her to their outdoor outlet. It's amazing how people are generous in times like this, she said in French.

Town of High River urges caution as river crests
Thursday, June 12, 2008 | 10:44 AM MT CBC News


The town of High River, near Calgary, is urging people to stay well back from the Highwood River and to keep a close watch on kids and pets.Alberta Environment has issued a high stream flow advisory for the Highwood River. The river crested at 7:30 a.m. Thursday and is expected to remain high for some time because of snowmelt.The town of High River said Thursday that its drinking water remains safe. Still, it is asking residents to reduce the stress on the sewage lagoons by cutting back on their use of washing machines, dishwashers and showers. It is also asking residents to minimize the flushing of toilets.Meanwhile, flood watches remain in effect for Fish Creek, which has already overflowed its banks in some areas, and for Threepoint Creek near Millarville.High stream flow advisories are also still in effect for the Bow and Elbow Rivers through Calgary.

CALIFORNIA BURNING
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8309199&ch=4226713&src=news

EU DICTATOR (WORLD LEADER)

REVELATION 17:12-13
12 And the ten horns (NATIONS) which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

REVELATION 6:1-2
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse:(PEACE) and he that sat on him had a bow;(EU DICTATOR) and a crown was given unto him:(PRESIDENT OF THE EU) and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(MILITARY GENIUS)

REVELATION 13:1-10
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(THE EU AND ITS DICTATOR IS GODLESS)
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.(DICTATOR COMES FROM NEW AGE OR OCCULT)
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death;(MURDERERD) and his deadly wound was healed:(COMES BACK TO LIFE) and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE WORLD THINKS ITS GOD IN THE FLESH, MESSIAH TO ISRAEL)
4 And they worshipped the dragon (SATAN) which gave power unto the beast:(JEWISH EU DICTATOR) and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?(FALSE RESURRECTION,SATAN BRINGS HIM TO LIFE)
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.(GIVEN WORLD CONTROL FOR 3 1/2YRS)
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God,(HES A GOD HATER) to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.(HES A LIBERAL OR DEMOCRAT,WILL PUT ANYTHING ABOUT GOD DOWN)
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints,(BEHEAD THEM) and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.(WORLD DOMINATION)
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.(WORLD DICTATOR)
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.(SAVED CHRISTIANS AND JEWS DIE FOR THEIR FAITH AT THIS TIME,NOW WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE BUT DURING THE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH, PEOPLE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH (BEHEADINGS) FOR THEIR BELIEF IN GOD (JESUS) OR THE BIBLE.

DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come (ROMANS IN AD 70) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMANS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he( EU ROMAN, JEWISH DICTATOR) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:(7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,( 3 1/2 YRS) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

IRISH PM DISAPPOINTED AT NO VOTE
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8309517&ch=4226714&src=news

IRELAND SAYS NO
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8309965&ch=4226714&src=news

Ireland rejects European Union reform treaty By SHAWN POGATCHNIK, Associated Press Writer JUNE 13,08

DUBLIN, Ireland - Ireland's voters have rejected the European Union reform treaty, a blueprint for modernizing the 27-nation bloc that cannot become law without Irish approval, electoral officials said Friday. In a major blow to the EU, 53.4 percent of Irish voters said no to the treaty. Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen now will join other EU leaders at a summit next week to try to negotiate a new way forward.Anti-treaty groups from the far left and right mobilized no voters by claiming that the treaty would empower EU chiefs in Brussels, Belgium, to force Ireland to change core policies — including its low business tax rates, its military neutrality and its ban on abortion.This is a very clear and loud voice that has been sent yet again by citizens of Europe rejecting the anti-democratic nature of Brussels governance, said Declan Ganley, leader of Libertas, the most prominent anti-treaty campaign group in Ireland.

The euro common currency fell to a one-month low on the news.

An EU constitution failed after French and Dutch voters rejected it in 2005. Ireland was the only member that subjected its would-be successor, the Lisbon Treaty, to a national vote. The Irish constitution requires all EU treaties to be ratified by referendum.

Ireland's minister for European affairs, Dick Roche, said the country was constitutionally barred from passing the treaty now. He predicted it would be difficult, if not impossible, for EU leaders to find a solution that would permit a second Irish referendum.As far as I'm concerned, this treaty is a dead letter, Roche said, adding that Ireland's voters have made life very difficult for us going out to Brussels. We are in completely uncharted territory here, a very strange position.In the EU's power base of Brussels and other European capitals, leaders vowed to complete ratification of the Lisbon Treaty through the governments of the other 26 members — even though, legally, the treaty cannot come into force because of the Irish rejection.At the major ballot-counting center in Dublin, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan struggled to speak to reporters as anti-treaty activists jubilantly drowned him out with songs and chants of No! He eventually gave up and walked out, as one activist waved a sign reading No to foreign rule over his head.

Rural and working-class areas were almost universally anti-treaty. Better-off parts of Dublin registered stronger support for the EU. In suburban south Dublin, a largely wealthy and highly educated district, the yes camp triumphed with 63 percent of the vote. But a neighboring, scruffier district voted 65 percent no.The Lisbon Treaty and the failed constitution before it sought to reshape EU powers and institutions in line with the bloc's rapid growth in size and population since 2004.Both documents proposed to strengthen the roles of the EU's president and foreign policy chief, reduce the areas where individual nations could veto policy changes and increase the powers of the European Parliament to scrutinize EU laws.Ireland views itself as a pro-EU state that has broadly benefited from 35 years of membership. Yet even here, a majority of voters appeared determined to register their opposition to the growth of a continental government that would erode Ireland's sense of independence.Anti-treaty pressure groups warned that the EU would use treaty powers to reduce Ireland's ability to control its own tax rates and maintain a ban on abortion. Such claims were vociferously rejected by the government and major opposition parties, all of whom campaigned for the treaty's ratification.People felt a convincing case for the treaty had not been made, and they felt hectored and bullied into supporting it while the wool was being pulled over their eyes, said Richard Boyd Barrett, leader of a hard-left pressure group called People Before Profit.

Nicolas Sarkozy plans to bypass Irish no vote
By Bruno Waterfield in Brussels 7:56 PM BST 13/06/2008


Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, is working with European Union officials and diplomats to plan a special legal arrangement to bypass Ireland's referendum rejection. Mr Sarkozy takes over the EU's rotating presidency in July and will be tasked with resurrecting, for a second time, Lisbon Treaty proposals first contained in the European Constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters three years ago.Diplomats and officials have no intention of letting the Irish no vote sink a blueprint to boost the EU's powers on the international stage and to create a President of Europe.

Gordon Brown has already phoned Paris to promise Mr Sarkozy that Britain will ignore Ireland to continue parliamentary ratification of the EU Treaty.Jean-Pierre Jouyet, the French Europe Minister, has hinted that Paris already has a legal fix, such as plans revealed in The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday, to keep the EU Treaty alive.The most important thing is that the ratification process must continue in the other countries and then we shall see with the Irish what type of legal arrangement could be found, he said.We must remain within the framework of the Lisbon treaty.Eight countries are still engaged in parliamentary ratification of the Treaty but are expected to have finished, without any upsets by the autumn.Plans to find a mechanism keeping Ireland within the EU but temporarily outside the Lisbon Treaty will then be tabled at an October or December meeting of Europe's leaders.Ireland must not stop the process of getting the Treaty through. Then we can take stock, said a diplomat close to negotiations.Mr Brown will join Mr Sarkozy and other EU leaders at a Brussels summit next Thursday to vow that it is business as usual on pushing the Treaty through.

Brian Cowen, the Irish Taoiseach, is expected to support the calls for ratification to continue in other countries and to plead that Ireland is not left behind.But the British Prime Minister will face strong domestic calls for Parliament's ratification of the Treaty to be halted.The Conservatives will revive demands for a British referendum as a ICM poll yesterday found that Britons would vote against the Lisbon Treaty by 51 per cent to 28 per cent.Neil O'Brien, Director of Open Europe, said: The argument for a referendum in Britain is now overwhelming. Europe's political establishment plan to carry on regardless. Only a referendum in Britain can finally kill this thing off.Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, argued that the EU must honour the Irish vote, the only referendum to place on the Treaty in the EU's 27 member states.I suspect that the EU extremists will simply try to ignore it as they did the French and Dutch results, he said.The third reading of the treaty in the House of Lords next week must be halted because the project now has no legitimacy.There are advanced plans in Brussels for a bridging mechanism to allow Ireland to be removed from the list of signatories to the Lisbon Treaty after the EU's 26 other member states have ratified it.Ireland will continue to remain in the euro and be covered by existing Treaties but will be left out of the creation of an EU president and foreign minister, which would proceed as planned.By late 2009 or early 2010, when Croatia joins the EU, an amending Accession Treaty will be signed by all members including Dublin. Incorporated into it would be a series of protocol texts giving paper opt-outs on controversial Irish EU issues, such as taxation powers or greater military co-operation.Ireland, like the rest of the Europe, does not hold referendums on EU enlargement treaties and with new protocol opt-outs Dublin may get the Treaty past the Irish parliament without another popular vote.

SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON AND STARS

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.

NASA LOOKS AT SHUTTLE RUDDER
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8307475&ch=4226722&src=news

Astronauts spot object floating from shuttle, NASA not worried JUNE 13,08

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery spotted an unidentified object floating behind the craft as well as a bump on the shuttle rudder on Friday but neither was cause for concern, NASA said. After carrying out routine testing the day before Discovery is due to land back on Earth on Saturday, the crew indicated they had seen a 1-1.5-foot (30-45 centimeter) long rectangular object floating away from the shuttle from behind the rear portion of the right wing, the US space agency said.Shortly afterwards, the crew described what they called a bump on the left side trailing edge of Discovery's rudder, it said in a statement.

NASA experts back on Earth studied images and video of both the object and the bump but concluded that they posed no risk and Discovery was ship-shape for Saturday's landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.The object could be one of three clips from inside the rudder speed brake, William Jeffs, a spokesman at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, told AFP, adding that the loss of one would not be a concern for entry or landing.Mission control said on NASA TV that a bump spotted on the shuttle's rudder was also a typical protrusion and is of no concern.

There was the chance that any object floating away from the shuttle could be a part of the spacecraft that had broken off.The crew was told a short time ago that there are no concerns for entry and landing, that those clips only serve to protect the speed brake from the flow of heating during ascent, mission control said.So with Discovery declared ship-shape for its homecoming to the Kennedy Space Center tomorrow and with the weather appearing very favorable, we press ahead on this day before landing.Discovery commander Mark Kelly, speaking on NASA TV from the shuttle, admitted the seven-person crew had initial concerns when they saw the object floating past them but were reassured by news that it was a clip.We've seen these things come off before, he said, adding: It is no worry at all, it has no effect on re-entry and Discovery is in great shape.We have some stuff to do tonight like put up the seats, and get out our suits and the parachutes on the seats... and then we'll be ready to go tomorrow morning.After 14 days in space, Discovery undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday about 344 kilometers (214 miles) above the South Pacific east of Australia, and began preparing for its return to Earth.One of the shuttle's main purposes was to deliver, open and outfit the 11.2-meter long, 4.4-meter wide main module of the Japanese Kibo laboratory. The mission also included three spacewalks.In addition, Discovery brought a new crew member to the ISS, Greg Chamitoff, who replaced fellow American astronaut Garrett Reisman.Reisman is returning to Earth after a three-month stint at the outpost, and told NASA TV on Friday that he was primarily looking forward to being back home, sleeping in my own bed -- and using my own toilet.The only toilet at the International Space Station began to fail just before Discovery's launch, and spare parts were sent up on the shuttle to repair it.Reisman said the spacewalk was one of the best things he had done while at the ISS, and also described the incredible views from space, in particular one of the United States at night as a weather front moved across the country.

The thunderstorms had this electric blue light like a disco or something, and around it was the warm glow of all the city lights. It was absolutely spectacular, he said. NASA hopes to complete construction of the space station by 2010, viewing it as a central part of space exploration ambitions because it allows scientists to study the effects of microgravity on humans.

Israel to build 1,300 new settler homes in Jerusalem by Stephen Myles JUNE 13,08

JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israel announced on Friday its second settlement project in occupied east Jerusalem this month, enraging Palestinians and drawing criticism from Washington just ahead of a US visit aimed at rescuing the stalemated peace process. Jerusalem municipality confirmed a report in Haaretz newspaper that the green light had been given for 1,300 new homes for Jewish settlers in the annexed east of the city.The houses will be built in Ramat Shlomo where there are already 2,000 settler homes, Haaretz reported.The paper said the decision to proceed was taken on Tuesday by the Jerusalem urban planning commission, which reports to the interior ministry.Haaretz called it one of the most ambitious expansion plans for settler homes in east Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and whose annexation is not recognised by the international community.Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat expressed outrage at the decision.We firmly condemn this project which reveals the Israeli government's intention to destroy peace, Erakat told AFP.The international community must make Israel stop its settlement activity if it wants to give peace negotiations a chance.In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said we understand this kind of activity does not help the atmosphere between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

He was speaking a day before Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is due in Jerusalem to try to help revive the moribund peace process, under which Israel has committed itself to freezing settlement activities.We have made our views clear about settlement activity and the Israelis abiding by their roadmap commitments, McCormack added.

The new project will nearly double the number of homes in Ramat Shlomo.These 2,000 housing units intended for young couples and those currently in poor housing are an absolute necessity, municipality spokesman Gidi Schmerling said in a statement.The settlement requested permits for close to 2,000 units, but so far 1,300 have been approved, Schmerling added.On June 2, after Israel announced plans to construct 884 more houses in east Jerusalem, the White House warned that building such settlements exacerbates the tensions with the Palestinians.UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also said he was deeply concerned at the move which is contrary to international law.The Palestinians have demanded east Jerusalem as the capital of a promised state and have repeatedly called the expansion of settlements the greatest obstacle to a final peace deal.Little progress has been made in the negotiations so far, with the thorny settlements issue one of the major bones of contention as well as continuing violence in and around the Gaza Strip. In Paris on Friday, US President George W Bush said he remained confident a Middle East peace deal could be reached in 2008. I firmly believe that, with leadership and courage, a peace agreement is possible this year, he said in a speech at the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Israel wants to retain large settlements in the occupied West Bank in the event of a peace agreement with the Palestinians. Despite international calls to freeze all settlement activity in a bid to speed up peace efforts, Israel has in recent months announced major construction projects in east Jerusalem and elsewhere in the West Bank. In a graphic illustration of the sensitivity of the issue, the BBC has broadcast video footage of what Israeli human rights organisation B'Tselem says was an attack by masked Jewish settlers on a Palestinian shepherd. Police on Friday said an investigation into the alleged attack has been launched, but that they had yet to make arrests. The footage shows men brandishing baseball bats who are alleged to have beaten the elderly shepherd and his wife outside the occupied West Bank town of Hebron.

AMERICA (POLITICAL BABYLON)

EZEKIEL 39:21
21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.

ISAIAH 18:1-2
1 Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia:
2 That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled!

JEREMIAH 50:11,37,12
11 Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls;(BACKSLIDERS)
37 A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her; and they shall become as women: a sword is upon her treasures; and they shall be robbed.(A NATION OF MINGLED PEOPLE)
12 Your mother shall be sore confounded; she that bare you shall be ashamed:(MOTHER ENGLAND) behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert.

JEREMIAH 51:13,7,53
13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.
7 Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD's hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.
53 Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD.

REVELATION 18:3,5,7
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

JEREMIAH 50:3,24
3 For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.
24 I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon, and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the LORD. (RUSSIA A SNEAK ATTACK)

REVELATION 18:10
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

US criticises new Israeli settlement for east Jerusalem Fri Jun 13, 12:48 PM ET

PARIS (AFP) - The United States reiterated Friday that Jewish settlements undermined Israeli-Palestinian ties after Israel announced a second project for settler homes in east Jerusalem. We have made our views clear about settlement activity and the Israelis abiding by their road map commitments, said US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.We understand this kind of activity does not help the atmosphere between the Israelis and the Palestinians, he said.US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was accompanying President George W. Bush during his visit to Paris on Friday and was due to travel late Saturday to Jerusalem for talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.Jerusalem's municipality on Friday said the green light had been given for 1,300 new homes for Jewish settlers in the occupied and annexed east of the city.

But the US spokesman added: It is important to keep the focus on the task ahead as Rice prepared for meetings.The Palestinians have said they want east Jerusalem as the capital of a promised state and have repeatedly called the expansion of settlements the greatest obstacle to a final peace deal.

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