ISRAEL CLOSES GAZA CROSSING

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.

Tropical Storm Bertha churns in the Atlantic Fri Jul 4, 10:19 AM ET

MIAMI - Tropical Storm Bertha is still churning in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. At 8 a.m. EDT Friday, Bertha was centered about 315 miles west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands.
Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph. Some gradual strengthening was forecast during the next day or two.It's still too early to say if or where Bertha will hit land.The first named storm this year, Arthur, formed in the Atlantic the day before the season officially started June 1 and soaked the Yucatan Peninsula.

FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS

REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

MALIBU CONTAINMENT NEAR
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8674620&ch=4226713&src=news

Wind keeps California fires raging on 2 fronts By AMANDA FEHD, Associated Press Writer JULY 4,08

BIG SUR, Calif. - A pair of out-of-control wildfires roared along California's central coast Friday, chewing through opposite ends of a parched forest and threatening a total of more than 4,500 homes.

While flames from the stubborn fire in the northern flank of the Los Padres National Forest inched closer to Big Sur's historic vacation retreats, state emergency officials said hot winds had caused a newer blaze 200 miles south in Santa Barbara County to double in size overnight.Residents of more than 1,700 homes in and around the city of Goleta were ordered to evacuate, joining an equal number of people who were told to leave Big Sur days earlier.

Driven by wind gusts as high as 40 mph, the Santa Barbara County fire was so fierce early Friday that firefighters at one point took shelter in about 70 homes they were trying to defend, said Capt. Eli Iskow of the county fire department.Hundreds of firefighters were in place around hundreds of structures, Iskow said. I think we saved every one of those structures in that area.Wind was less of a problem in Big Sur, which remained eerily empty under a thick blanket of fog and smoke at the start of the long holiday weekend. No more properties were lost since Thursday, but the density of the parched terrain allowed the 13-day-old wildfire to keep advancing on the storied tourist town, where flames made their way toward the scenic Pacific Coast Highway and sent forest creatures running toward the Pacific Ocean for cover.It came down into the canyon last night. I couldn't sleep. It's still in there lurking about, said Kurt Mayer, who ignored the mandatory evacuation orders to douse his Big Sur Deli with fire-retardant gel.Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said weather forecasts calling for winds to kick up again in the afternoon had officials worried the outlook for both blazes was not going to improve anytime soon.By Friday morning, the Big Sur fire was only 5 percent contained and had consumed more than 100 square miles and 20 homes, while the Goleta fire was 10 percent contained and had destroyed about a half-dozen outbuildings and more than 8 square miles.The Los Padres blazes were two of 335 active wildfires burning in California, down from a peak of roughly 1,500 fires a few days ago, but they were commanding the greatest share of equipment and personnel because of their locations near populated areas, Berlant said.Any time we have structures threatened and lives at risk, it's a top priority, he said.Goleta resident Susan Ramirez said she and her husband and two children evacuated their duplex about 2 miles from the fire late Thursday as conditions deteriorated. They were staying with her parents, also in Goleta, and watching the smoke.

It was completely black, and there was too much ash, Ramirez said. Our eyes were burning, and we were trying to get out of there as fast as we could.Since a series of dry lightning strikes ignited more than 1,500 wildfires across central and Northern California on June 21, more than 520,000 acres, or 814 square miles, of range and forest land has gone up in flames.Along with the Goleta and Big Sur fires, another fire generating concern is in the Sequoia National Forest east of Bakersfield, where a wind-driven blaze had burned 25 square miles, destroyed one home and threatened 1,000 more in nearby communities.In Arizona, officials said a blaze southeast of Prescott had burned four homes since it broke out June 28. The blaze has forced the evacuation of the mountain town of Crown King and was just 10 percent contained Friday.Associated Press writer Jacob Adelman in Los Angeles and Jordan Robertson in Carmel, Calif., contributed to this report.

Firefighters save Sask. village, but battle continues
Last Updated: Friday, July 4, 2008 | 6:38 PM CT CBC News

Fire could be seen across the water Thursday night, less than two kilometres from Deschambault Lake. (David Shield/CBC)Fighting fire with fire, crews have helped avert a threat to the northern Saskatchewan community of Deschambault Lake.More than 1,000 people have been evacuated from Deschambault Lake since Monday, but a small number of people stayed behind.A large fire headed in the village's direction was stopped 1.5 kilometres from the village late Thursday.Fire crews stopped it by back burning the forest. That involves igniting a controlled burn in front of the fire to rob the larger forest fire of fuel.As a protective measure, sprinklers were used to spray down the edge of Deschambault Lake on Friday. (David Sheild/CBC)Peter Beatty, who lives in the town and is the vice-chief of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, said the town was spared from what could have been a disaster. The immediate danger, as I said, is eliminated, he said. We shouldn't be in danger of, at least, flames.

Still, drifting smoke from the fire could cause breathing problems for some residents, officials said. It's not known when it will be safe for residents to return.Meanwhile, in other parts of northern Saskatchewan, forest fires forced more people from their homes Friday.Another 250 to 300 people were evacuated from Pelican Narrows because of heavy smoke in the area.Crews prepared Friday for another day of firefighting at Pelican Narrows in northeast Saskatchewan. (David Shield/CBC)The smoke has become unbearable for many people, Mayor Ovide Michel says.Last night, it was just thick, you know? Hot embers falling from the skies, ashes, he said. All these people that didn't want to leave the first time two days ago want to leave now, so we have six buses coming in right now from P.A.The latest evacuees bring the total number of displaced northern residents to 2,500. They've been sent to emergency shelters in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert.On Thursday night, some scattered showers provided a bit of relief for crews fighting the 54 fires burning in the north.They managed to put out 15 fires, but lightning strikes sparked four new ones.Burnt out tracts of forest were visible near Pelican Narrows on the road to Sandy Bay on Friday. (David Shield/CBC)Four fires are still threatening Deschambault Lake and Stony Rapids.So far this year, there have been 464 forest fires in Saskatchewan, more than twice as many as there were at this time last year and well above the 10-year average. More than 2,900 square kilometres have been burned, an area 20 times the size of the city of Saskatoon.

WW3 THE 3 WAVES THAT MARCH TO ISRAEL

DANIEL 11:40-45
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA 2ND WAVE OF WW3) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200 MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)

The Third and Final Wave of WW3 is when all Nations march to Jerusalem, but JESUS bodily returns to earth and destroys them,sets up his KINGDOM OF RULE FOR 1000 YEARS THEN FOREVER.

2ND WAVE CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL

REVELATION 16:12
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.(THIS IS THE ATATURK DAM IN TURKEY,THEY CROSS OVER).

DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)

REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(IRAQ-SYRIA)
15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(NUKES GOIN OFF)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.

ATOMIC BOMB REINACTMENT (THE PAST IS SOON AGAIN)
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/365652/hiroshima_atomic_bomb_reenactment/

Scientist says Pakistan knew of Korea nuke deal By MUNIR AHMAD, Associated Press Writer Fri Jul 4, 3:18 PM ET

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Pakistan's army under President Pervez Musharraf supervised a shipment of uranium centrifuges to North Korea in 2000, the disgraced architect of Pakistan's atomic weapons program said Friday. The claim is the most controversial leveled by Abdul Qadeer Khan, who in recent months has been agitating for an end to house arrest and backing off his 2004 confession that he was solely responsible for spreading Pakistan's nuclear arms technology to Iran, North Korea and Libya.The retired scientist's comments could prove embarrassing for Pakistan, which has repeatedly denied the army or government knew about Khan's proliferation activities before it was reported uncovered in 2003.His allegations also could become awkward for Washington in its support for Musharraf, who has been a key U.S. ally in the region but has seen his power and popularity at home slide over the past year from anger over his firings of judges and confrontations with Islamic extremists.A spokesman for Musharraf rejected Khan's claims, calling them all lies. But some Pakistani experts have long argued that Khan's network could not have operated without the knowledge of the country's pervasive intelligence agencies.In a telephone interview with The Associated Press, Khan said a shipment of used P-1 centrifuges — which enrich uranium for nuclear warheads — was sent from Pakistan in a North Korean plane that was loaded under the supervision of Pakistani security officials.Khan said that the army had complete knowledge of the shipment and that it must have been done with the consent of Musharraf, the army chief who seized power in a 1999 coup.It was a North Korean plane, and the army had complete knowledge about it and the equipment, Khan said. It must have gone with his (Musharraf's) consent.

His allegations were first reported Friday by the Japanese news agency Kyodo.Musharraf's spokesman, Rashid Qureshi, disputed Khan's charges. I can say with full confidence that it is all lies and false statements, Qureshi said.In a speech Friday, Musharraf himself made no mention of Khan's allegations while focusing on politics. He said he would not quit the presidency — as demanded by his opponents — and that he still has a valuable role to play. He called for Pakistanis to work together to fight Islamic extremism.

Spokesmen for the army and the Foreign Ministry declined to give immediate responses to Khan's charges.Khan is regarded as a hero by many Pakistanis for his key role in the program that gave their country the Islamic world's first nuclear bomb in 1998, seen as a deterrent against the atomic arsenal held by neighboring India.

After his 2004 confession and a televised statement of contrition, Khan was pardoned by Musharraf but has effectively been kept under house arrest at his spacious villa in Islamabad.Since a new civilian government took power after February elections sidelined Musharraf's supporters in parliament, Khan has increasingly spoken out in the media.However, he had not previously implicated anyone or explicitly said that the army was aware of nuclear shipments. His comments Friday appear to stem from his growing frustration over the restrictions on his movements.Khan and his wife retained an attorney earlier this week to petition the Islamabad High Court for an end to his detention. On Friday, the lawyer alleged that listening devices had been planted in the scientist's tightly guarded home.Asked about his 2004 statements taking sole responsibility for nuclear proliferation, Khan said he had been persuaded that was in the national interest by friends, including Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, a key figure in the ruling party at the time. Khan said he was promised complete freedom in return, but that those promises were not honored.

Hussain could not be reached for comment Friday.

Khan's activities to spread nuclear weapons technology are alleged to have begun in the late 1980s, primarily to Iran. In his 2006 autobiography, In the Line of Fire, Musharraf said that in 1999, a year after becoming army chief, he became suspicious of Khan and questioned him over reports that North Korean nuclear experts had arrived at Khan's laboratories for secret briefings on centrifuges. Khan denied it, Musharraf wrote. Musharraf recounted authorizing a raid on a chartered aircraft scheduled to go to North Korea to pick up a load of conventional missiles after receiving reports the plane would be carrying some irregular cargo on Khan's behalf. Khan's people were tipped off before the raid and never loaded the cargo, Musharraf wrote. It was not clear if he was referring to the same shipment that Khan charges was loaded under army supervision.

Musharraf said his suspicions about Khan prompted him to remove the scientist in March 2001 from his position as head of the Khan Research Laboratories, Pakistan's main nuclear lab. Pakistan's government insists it has tightened security for its nuclear arms since Khan's network was uncovered, saying a foolproof command and control system is in place to keep the weapons from falling into the wrong hands. But Khan's accusation that the military establishment knew about his proliferation activities will bolster widespread skepticism that he could have kept his nuclear technology exports secret from Pakistan's security apparatus. No flight, no equipment could go outside without the clearance from the ISI and SPD and they used to be at there at the airport, not me, Khan said, referring to the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency and the Strategic Planning Division that manages Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. Talat Masood, a political and military analyst, said it made sense that the proliferation effort was coordinated by more than one person. If the requirement of an aircraft was there, the requirement of dealing with another country was there, it's not just one man who could have done it, Masood said. Whether they were doing it individually or collectively or as a state policy or informally — that needs to be determined.

Pakistan has refused to allow outsiders to question Khan, including experts from the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency, but says it has shared the findings of its own questioning of the scientist.In his autobiography, Musharraf acknowledged that Pakistan bought conventional ballistic missiles from North Korea for cash in a government-to-government deal, but said it involved no transfer of nuclear technology. Khan said he visited North Korea twice, in 1994 and 1999. On the latter trip, he said, he was sent by Musharraf to buy 200 shoulder-fired missiles when Pakistan and India were clashing in the disputed Kashmir region. He said he was accompanied on a special plane by an army general, Iftikhar Hussain Shah, and Pakistan paid cash for the weapons. Khan was bitter in his criticism of Musharraf and confident of his own high standing among Pakistanis. People still respect me, and if anyone has any doubts and thinks himself more popular, he should go with me to Aabpara or Raja Bazar — two markets in Islamabad and nearby Rawalpindi, Khan said. Comparing the reception he would get to that which would be accorded Musharraf, Khan said: You can cut my nose if his clothes remained untorn.Associated Press writers Nahal Toosi and Matthew Pennington contributed to this report.

DISEASES

REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).

Farmers say salmonella scare has hurt tomato sales By GARANCE BURKE, Associated Press Writer Fri Jul 4, 7:13 PM ET

FRESNO, Calif. - Expect fewer slices of red, ripe tomatoes next to the grill this holiday weekend. With a salmonella scare causing many customers to shun what's normally a summertime favorite, tomato farmers nationwide have had to plow under their fields and leave their crop to rot in packinghouses.As losses across the supply chain top $100 million, industry leaders are calling for a congressional investigation into the government's handling of the outbreak, the source of which hasn't been determined.McDonald's Corp., Wendy's International Inc. and Yum Brands Inc. resumed offering some tomatoes on their menus in the last few weeks.

But now, during one of the biggest barbecue weekends of the year, tomato farmers say their summer season has already withered despite the government's recent announcement that some other type of fresh produce might have caused the salmonella outbreak, which has sickened 922 people.Now the government has a doubt as to whether it was tomatoes after they've already blackened our eye? said Paul DiMare, president of The DiMare Companies in Johns Island, S.C. June and July are the best time of the year for tomatoes, but our movement has completely stopped in the United States.Farmers, packers and shippers fear it could take months to rebuild the $1.3 billion market for fresh tomatoes.In Fresno County, one grower chose to lose $225,000 by letting his tomatoes rot in the fields this weekend because he would have taken a bigger hit hiring crews to harvest them, said Ed Beckman, president of the statewide cooperative California Tomato Farmers.This is normally a huge week for the industry because everyone barbecues, but we're just not seeing that demand materialize, Beckman said. We are slowly starting to see consumers recognize that California tomatoes are, in fact, safe. But for a grower to walk away from a $225,000 investment, there's a lot of pain.In Ruskin, Fla., where DiMare's son Tony oversees the family business' packing facilities, the price per 25-pound box of red round tomatoes dropped from $16 to just $10 after the outbreak began in early June. Tony DiMare said he had no choice but to let the fruit turn to mush, since his customers refused to pick up their orders.

It's like pulling teeth right now trying to move product, he said. We've been kind of guilty by association in this blunder of an investigation.Like others in the produce trade, DiMare is critical of the Food and Drug Administration's progress on the investigation.

Officials with the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have said the sheer complexity of the outbreak and the industry's vast international supply chain have hampered efforts to find the sources of contamination.In April, before the first victim fell ill, federal agriculture authorities visited Florida packinghouses and tomato farms on a special mission to assess food safety conditions.At a handful of stops near Immokalee — located in one of the domestic regions still considered a possible origin of the outbreak — they found conditions and practices of concern, including the presence of domestic animals, problems with the water system and poor sanitation, agency officials said.All facilities corrected the problems immediately and none were deemed egregious, FDA spokesman Michael Herndon said. Still, officials can't rule out the possibility that the salmonella may be linked to one of those locations.Red plum, red Roma and red round tomatoes harvested in the area during that period were later shipped out to market, and have yet to be cleared of suspicion. But they also have not been directly tied to the outbreak.DiMare, who volunteered to lead officials through the company's repacking facility in Ruskin as part of the initiative, said inspectors would be hard-pressed to find traces of salmonella on farms now, weeks after harvest ended. He said authorities found no concerns at his company. Last week, the FDA suggested tomatoes picked weeks ago could have tainted packing sheds or warehouses that are only now sending their products to market. There's also the possibility that the source itself is still on the market or that a different kind of produce is making people sick. As farmers' frustration grows, Western Growers, which represents 3,000 growers in California and Arizona, is urging the House Committee on Agriculture to hold hearings on the outbreak. The collateral damage inflicted on thousands of innocent producers in this country by FDA blanket advisories, such as with spinach and tomatoes, cannot go unchallenged, said the group's president, Tom Nassif. Congress must investigate this matter and determine ways to avoid this in the future and make the innocent tomato growers, packers and shippers whole.On the Net:
http://www.dimareinc.com http://www.californiatomatofarmers.com
http://www.wga.com http://www.fda.gov http://www.cdc.gov

Sarkozy vows to press Syria to help free Israeli soldier hostage Fri Jul 4, 5:18 PM ET

PARIS (AFP) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Friday he would press his Syrian counterpart Bashar Al-Assad to use all the power of his country to free a French-Israeli soldier held by Gaza militants. Sarkozy has invited Assad to Paris along with some 40 foreign leaders for a summit on July 13 to launch a new Mediterranean Union, aimed at boosting cooperation between European Union and north African and Middle Eastern rim states.I will have the opportunity, when I see ... President Bashar Al-Assad, to ask him to use all Syria's power so that the soldier (Gilad) Shalit is freed, said Sarkozy, who is to meet separately with Assad on the eve of the summit.He made his comments in a speech welcoming the Colombian former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, a joint French national who was released this week after six years as a hostage of rebels in the Colombian jungle.Shalit was seized by militants in Gaza in June 2006.

Israel closes Gaza crossings in response to rocket By RASHED RASHID, Associated Press Writer Fri Jul 4, 11:23 AM ET

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Israel crossings with the Gaza Strip were closed Friday in retaliation for Palestinian rocket fire that has violated a rocky truce as Gaza's Islamic Hamas rulers responded by suspending talks on freeing a long-held Israeli soldier. Under the terms of the June 19 cease-fire, Palestinian militants were to have halted all assaults on southern Israel and Israel was to have eased its bruising blockade of the impoverished Gaza Strip. In the final stage of the six-month truce, efforts were to be intensified to win freedom for Israeli Sgt. Gilad Schalit and to open Gaza's chief gateway, the Rafah crossing with Egypt.But since the truce took hold, 11 rockets and mortars have been fired toward Israel, including a rocket attack on Thursday, the military said. As a result, Israel's crossings have been closed for seven days since June 19.Military spokesman Peter Lerner said the latest closure was provoked by the attack Thursday.Ismail Haniyeh, the prime minister of Hamas-ruled Gaza, accused Israel of not living up to its part of the truce.We still say that maintaining the calm is a national interest, but the Israelis must commit to lifting the siege and opening the crossings, Haniyeh told reporters after Muslim prayers at a Gaza mosque.And Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said talks on freeing Schalit were frozen.The Hamas movement has decided to suspend the talks on the captured soldier Gilad Schalit because Israel has violated the calm agreement by closing the crossings, Abu Zuhri told Associated Press Television News.Hamas-affiliated militants captured Schalit two years ago in a cross-border raid and have demanded that Israel release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for his freedom. Israel has been reluctant to free many of the prisoners on Hamas' list because they were involved in deadly attacks on Israel.

The prisoner exchange talks, like the truce, have been mediated by Egypt because Israel has no ties with Hamas, which rejects the Jewish state's existence.The agreement for calm in the south stipulated that there would be a cessation of rocket fire on Israel, as well as expedited progress on the Gilad Schalit issue, an Israeli government official said in response to Hamas' decision to suspend talks on freeing Schalit. The rocket fire has not ended, and we hope that there will be progress on Gilad Schalit.He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss government policy.Israel imposed, then progressively tightened economic sanctions on Gaza's 1.4 million people after Hamas violently wrested control of the territory a year ago. The sanctions were meant to pressure Hamas to put an end to the rocket fire, but have hurt ordinary Palestinians who now receive only food and other humanitarian supplies through crossings with Israel. Severe shortages in everything from gasoline to cement to shoes have been reported.Much rests on the truce because Israel has warned it might launch a large-scale operation in Gaza if the rocket attacks do not cease. An invasion would likely bring large numbers of casualties and prompt the moderate Palestinian leadership in the West Bank, headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, to call off peace talks with Israel.

DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADE BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).

Food and fuel crises pushing world into danger zone, says World Bank LEIGH PHILLIPS 04.07.2008 @ 09:26 CET

As the head of the World Bank warns world leaders that the planet is entering the danger zone with millions thrown into extreme poverty by the twin food and fuel crises, a leaked report from his organisation shows that biofuels have pushed up global food prices by 75 percent - a much bigger role in the disaster than previously thought.Biofuels are responsible for 75 percent of recent food price rises, according to a secret World Bank report. (Photo: Notat)

In a letter to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, ahead of next week's G8 summit, and copied to other G8 leaders, World Bank president Robert Zoellick has called on them to act immediately to address the man-made catastrophe of soaring food and oil prices.
What we are witnessing is not a natural disaster - a silent tsunami or a perfect storm. It is a man-made catastrophe and as such must be fixed by people, he said in the letter.There has been an 82 percent rise in food commodity prices since 2006, with the crisis worsening since April, Mr Zoellick warned. This has pushed an additional 100 million people worldwide into extreme poverty, he said, noting that some 41 countries have lost three to ten percent of their GDP from rising food, fuel and commodity prices since January 2007. Over 30 countries have been hit by food riots, as the impact of the crisis reaches the household level, said Mr Zoellick.

He described the current situation as an unprecedented test for the international community and called on wealthy countries to stump up €6.4 billion ($10 billion) in immediate short-term emergency aid for the countries hardest hit by the crisis. Over the medium term, an additional €2.2 billion ($3.5 billion) is needed for agricultural supports and social programmes for the poor in a further 50 countries, he said.Meanwhile, Mr Zoellick's organisation has produced a confidential report leaked to a UK newspaper that says that the rush for biofuels, particularly by the EU and US, is responsible for 75 percent of the rise in global food prices.

Until now, the US has claimed that biofuels policies have resulted in only three percent of the rise in food prices, while European Union officials have repeatedly claimed their policies have had a negligable impact, without attaching any percentage.Other international institutions have assigned considerably more blame to such policies. The UN Food and Agriculture organisation says that biofuels explain 10 percent of recent price rises.The International Monetary Fund puts this figure at 30, the same number reached in assessments from the International Food Policy Research Institute.

Without the increase in biofuels, global wheat and maize stocks would not have declined appreciably and price increases due to other factors would have been moderate, the report says.EU and US leaders have argued that it is not biofuels, but rather higher demand from India and China as incomes there rise, alongside increased oil costs and droughts in parts of the world such as Australia.The World Bank report, produced by Don Mitchell, a senior economist at the institution, argues that emerging economies are not to blame. Rapid income growth in developing countries has not led to large increases in global grain consumption and was not a major factor responsible for the large price increases, reads the report, adding that droughts in Australia have had a marginal impact.Higher energy and fertiliser prices were responsible for an increase of only 15 percent says Mr Mitchell, while biofuels have been responsible for 75 percent of the price rise of 140 percent between 2002 and February 2008.This happened in three ways, the report explains: the diversion of grain from food to fuel; the encouragement of farmers to set aside land for biofuel production; and the speculation in grains.The report also says that other estimates of the role of biofuels have come to smaller estimates because they analysed the crisis over a longer period. Mr Mitchell instead studied food price rises month by month.Separately, international development NGO ActionAid on Tuesday (1 July) published a report that claims that the biofuels juggernaut is responsible for leaving some 290 million people hungry or at risk of chronic hunger.Additionally, on Thursday at a Brussels conference hosted by the French EU presidency, John Holmes, UN undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, called on the EU to look again at its target that would see biofuels to fuel 10 percent of vehicles by 2020.

FAMINE

REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.(A DAYS WAGES FOR A LOAF OF BREAD)

EU to offer €1 billion from unspent farm funds to poor countries LUCIA KUBOSOVA 04.07.2008 @ 09:20 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Commission will next week offer €1 billion from the EU's unspent agriculture funds to help farmers from poorest countries boost their food production. The move was announced by EU agriculture commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel at a Brussels international conference entitled Who will feed the world? on Thursday (3 July), organised by the European Parliament and France, currently holding the bloc's rotating chairmanship.Mrs Fischer Boel argued that while the EU had taken immediate action to support higher agriculture outputs in Europe, it must now concentrate on helping the poorest countries which are facing deadly consequences from the current food price hikes across the globe.I think there are two sides of the coin: there are those who are food exporters and can take advantage of food exports to improve the economy on their own country. But those who are net food importers are in serious trouble, she told journalists.Within the European Union, we will come forward ... with a package to make possible for the net food importing developing countries to get money for seeds and for fertilisers to improve their own production facilities, the commissioner added.According to Financial Times, the draft proposal suggests setting up a fund of €750 million in 2008 and €250 million next year taken from money allocated to buy up unsold EU crops which are not needed because of rising food demand.The biggest part of the extra cash should be spent on buying fertilisers and seeds or other measures to increase production, while up to 15 percent could be spent on food aid.It is expected that the proposal will spark a lively debate among member states, with Germany usually objecting to the use of unspent money from European coffers that would otherwise return to national budgets.

Paris backs regional trade clubs

Meanwhile, France is maintaining its critical tone against ideas from Brussels that concessions on farm policy be made in favour of developing states.Speaking at the food security conference on Wednesday, the French agriculture minister, Michel Barnier, said The sole rule of free trade and markets are not enough to solve the issue of hunger or supply.The response to food security cannot be simple de-regulation of trade, nor is it enough to rely on protectionism. The international market remains necessary, but it needs to be properly organised and of course our choices in terms of production are the sovereign decisions of each country, he added later at a press briefing.As an alternative solution to the current crisis, Mr Barnier backed the idea of regional agricultural markets, mainly in Africa, which would help pool farm resources by creating collective grain storage or jointly managing rivers for irrigation. We should strive to come up with a targeted aid package for a specific region, said the French minister.

HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER

DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.

JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

REVELATION 18:10,17,19
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.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM

Oil prices fall more than US$1 a barrel Updated Fri. Jul. 4 2008 4:20 PM ET The Associated Press

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Oil prices fell more than US$1 a barrel Friday from record levels set a day earlier on hopes that tensions surrounding Iran's nuclear program could ease and cut the chances of American or Israeli military action against OPEC's second-largest oil producer.Iran on Friday gave an undisclosed response to an international offer of economic and other incentives if it suspends a central part of its nuclear program.Iran's ambassador to Belgium presented the response to European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana in Brussels, Iranian state TV reported.By evening in Europe, light, sweet crude for August delivery fell $1.19 to $144.10 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.There was no floor trading Friday in New York because of the July Fourth holiday.Crude futures reached a record high of $145.85 in New York on Thursday before settling at a record close of $145.29 a barrel. Trading volumes were lower than usual.

In London, Brent crude futures fell $1.15 to $144.93 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.Oil prices have risen more than 50 per cent so far this year.Suggestions by Saudi Arabia's oil minister that his country doesn't plan to boost production helped bolster prices earlier in the session.Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali Naimi said Thursday in Madrid that the world's biggest oil exporter had no immediate plans to boost crude output because there was no need to do so.Naimi said Saudi Arabia is ready to raise production if the kingdom determines supply-and-demand fundamentals have changed. But for now, all our buyers are satisfied and happy, he said.

Gains by the U.S. dollar Thursday against the euro helped keep oil prices from rising further. The greenback strengthened after the European Central Bank raised its benchmark interest rate an expected quarter point but signalled it didn't expect additional rate hikes that might further boost the euro.On Friday, the U.S. dollar was mixed. The euro slipped to $1.5679 from $1.5699 on Thursday while the greenback edged down to 106.65 Japanese yen from 106.77 yen.A falling U.S. dollar has helped boost oil prices this year as investors often buy commodities such as oil as a hedge against inflation when the greenback weakens. Also, a struggling U.S. dollar makes oil less expensive to investors overseas.Oil prices are rising amid a drop in stock prices worldwide, with the major stock market indices all down by double digits since the start of the year.Recent sabre-rattling in the Middle East is another reason for this week's increase. Traders are concerned that a conflict with Iran could disrupt tight global supplies.In other Nymex trade, heating oil futures fell 3.59 cents to $4.0701 a gallon while gasoline prices were down 2.38 cents to $3.5472 a gallon. Natural gas futures lost 0.9 cent to $13.568 per 1,000 cubic feet.

ECB raises interest rates despite pressure from EU capitals
ELITSA VUCHEVA 03.07.2008 @ 17:42 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – The European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday (3 July) raised its key interest rate - from 4 to 4.25 percent - for the first time in more than a year in response to soaring inflation in the euro area.The ECB's chief, Jean-Claude Trichet, said the bank's decision was motivated by its assessment of the ever increasing risk to price stability in the past few months.

Against this background, it is imperative to ensure that medium to longer-term inflation expectations remain firmly anchored at levels in line with price stability, he told a press conference in Frankfurt.Earlier this week, EU figures showed that consumer prices in the 15 countries using the euro had climbed to four percent in June – which is twice the rate of the ECB's inflation goal of below, but close to two percent.These inflations rates are also the highest since 1999.Inflation is now the number one concern of our fellow citizens. There are 320 million of them [in the eurozone] and they are counting on us to be the anchor of price stability, the bank's chief said.Today's ECB announcement was widely expected n the wake of the eurozone's inflation levels and comments from Mr Trichet last month indicating that he might raise interest rates in July.However, it did not come without pressure from several member states, who have called on the bank to keep the rates unchanged.

Political pressure

French President Nicolas Sarkozy – who has repeatedly criticised the ECB's monetary policy – on Monday said that raising the rates would not bring inflation levels down, as argued by Mr Trichet.
The ECB … should ask itself some questions about economic growth in Europe and not just inflation, he said on national television.

Inflation today is due to the boom in [prices of] raw materials. You can't tell me that in order to fight inflation you have to raise interest rates, he added.Germany and Spain also sent similar warnings, worrying that the move could reinforce the expected downturn in the euro area's economy.The ECB should take into account the consequences of an interest rate hike, German finance minister Peer Steinbruck said on Tuesday (1 July), while Spain's premier, Jose Luis Zapatero, called for flexibility in the ECB's policy.In response, Mr Trichet said: Everybody knows that we are an independent institution. Our credibility relies entirely on the fact that we are making our judgement on the basis of all the information we have.He also declined to give indications on the possibilities of a further increase of the bank's interest rates.I have no bias. And we are never pre-committed. As you know, this is a constant feature of our monetary policy and we do what is necessary to deliver price stability in the medium term, he said.

MUSLIM NATIONS

EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.

ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)

EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

WORLD GOVERNMENT

DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.
25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

DANIEL 12:4,1
4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

REVELATION 13:1-3,7,8,12,16-18
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.
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.
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

REVELATION 17:3,7,9-10,12,18
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

RUSSIAS PRESIDENT SEES OPEN SOCIETY
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8515021&ch=4226714&src=news

G-8 summit gives chance to gauge Medvedev's power By STEVE GUTTERMAN, Associated Press Writer Fri Jul 4, 1:50 PM ET

MOSCOW - Dmitry Medvedev's grand debut on the world stage at the Group of Eight summit Monday promises insights into the riddle all Kremlinologists are trying to crack: Is he calling any of the shots as Russia's president — or is he merely a puppet of Vladimir Putin?

The very fact Medvedev is traveling alone to Japan may indicate he wields more influence than many believed. G-8 protocol, after all, is for member nations to send their most powerful leader to the gathering, whether a president or a prime minister.From his high-profile hosting of a Russia-European Union summit in Siberia to brash comments made in recent interviews, there have been some signals that Medvedev, beyond expectations, may slowly be growing into his enormous job.But Russian politics is always an enigma. If the famously wily Putin, now prime minister, has appeared to retreat to the shadows recently — at least in foreign affairs — it may be because he wants to present a new face to the West while maintaining control behind the scenes.Still, analysts are casting the G-8 meeting as a key moment for Medvedev.The Hokkaido summit will be a serious test of maturity, his ability to play the role of Russia's leader on a high international level, said Nikolai Petrov, an analyst at the Carnegie Moscow Center.Medvedev's solo trip will help him make the case to the world that he is emerging from Putin's shadow and carving out a leadership role.Simply the frequency of mention of the president in an international context will do its stuff: Everyone will get used to the fact that the main person in terms of foreign policy is him and not Putin, said Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of Russia in Global Affairs magazine.

Medvedev may harbor similar hopes.In an interview with journalists from G-8 countries published Thursday, he suggested that he — not Putin — is the man in charge.Medvedev paid tribute to Putin as an experienced person, a very popular politician to whom he can go for advice. But in the end you have to make the decision yourself, Medvedev said. And if it's the wrong decision, you'll answer for it yourself.Dmitry Trenin, a senior associate at the Carnegie Moscow Center, said Medvedev clearly sees foreign policy as his fiefdom, and Putin is actually playing ball with him on that.Medvedev's emphasis on the sanctity of freedom and the rule of law has led to Western expectations that he will be more sympathetic to democracy and easier to deal with than the tough-talking Putin.But the change in tone may be little more than a good cop, bad cop game masterminded by Putin to improve ties with the West, without making real concessions, after boosting his popularity at home by badmouthing the United States and Britain for years.The lawyerly Medvedev's rhetoric is often milder than the street-inflected style of his predecessor — and his appeal in Western capitals may have been a major factor in Putin's decision to anoint him in the first place.In terms of his generation, his style and his background, Medvedev differs from Putin and is probably closer to Western leaders — it's easier for him to speak the same language, Petrov said. But in terms of the essence I think there are no grounds to expect any softening of the Kremlin's position.Trenin said that at last month's Russia-EU summit Medvedev clearly wanted to make the impression that he was the czar of Russian foreign policy. And I basically see that Putin is in broad agreement with that.Medvedev himself suggests his foreign policy won't veer from Putin's. It is completely obvious that our foreign policy will be just as pragmatic, predictable and directed toward the protection of Russia's interests as it was under my predecessor, President Putin, Medvedev said in an interview with Japanese journalists published Thursday. Some analysts say it will take more than a G-8 session for Medvedev to prove he is his own man. They say the president will have to make some dramatic break from Putin — such as freeing imprisoned former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky or re-instituting direct elections of Russian governors. If he declared a war, or stopped one, that would be an event that would allow one to judge the volume of his power, said Lukyanov, the magazine editor. One thing to watch at the G-8 meeting is whether Medvedev decides to be conciliatory, or confrontational. Neither would signal a break with Putin, but they could help define Medvedev's emerging role in world affairs. Taking a page from Putin and adding his own flourishes, Medvedev has been highly critical of the United States since taking office, pointing the finger at the U.S. as a chief culprit in the world's financial troubles. He has signaled a willingness to improve ties with Britain, strained by commercial and diplomatic disputes as well as the radiation poisoning death of Putin critic Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006. But it is not clear how far he is willing to go to mend ties. Medvedev has expressed confidence that relations with the United States will improve. But President Bush will soon leave office, and the Russian leader has little to gain by cultivating ties with him at the summit. For Russia, there's no point now in having any serious conversations with Bush, said Lukyanov. Now everybody will wait for the next administration.