Palin says election result rests in God's hands By ERIC GORSKI, AP Religion Writer OCT 22,08
CNN DENVER – Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin describes herself as a hard-core pro-lifer and expresses confidence that in spite of disheartening polls, putting this in God's hands, that the right thing for America will be done at the end of the day on Nov. 4.In an interview with evangelical leader James Dobson that aired Wednesday, Palin said she thought Republican presidential candidate John McCain would implement the GOP platform if elected — I do, from the bottom of my heart — but McCain doesn't support the platform on three issues important to evangelicals: abortion, gay marriage and embryonic stem cell research.The platform calls for a constitutional ban on gay marriage, an issue McCain says should be left to individual states. Similarly, the platform seeks a constitutional ban on all abortions; again, McCain supports allowing states to decide the question. McCain supports research using embryonic stem cells, which the platform opposes.Palin called it a strong platform and told Dobson, They are there, they are solid, we stand on them and, again, I believe that it is the right agenda for the country at this time.The Alaska governor talked by phone with Dobson for about 20 minutes Monday while she was in Colorado campaigning. Dobson's Focus on the Family radio program aired the interview Wednesday.Dobson asked whether Palin was discouraged by polls showing the GOP ticket behind.
To me, it motivates us, makes us work that much harder, Palin said. And it also strengthens my faith, because I'm going to know, at the end of the day, putting this in God's hands, that the right thing for America will be done at the end of the day on Nov. 4. So I'm not discouraged at all.Palin has not focused on her faith on the campaign trail, but it clearly has energized evangelical leaders like Dobson, whose radio show reaches an estimated 1.5 million Americans daily.Dobson has come around to supporting the McCain-Palin ticket after previously saying he could not in good conscience vote for McCain. He endorsed former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee late in the primaries.Palin thanked Dobson and supporters for their prayers and — when Dobson inquired about the importance of faith in her life — said: It is my foundation, yes, my Christian faith is.She also used terms like prayer warrior and intercession — words that might be unknown to the average listener but are common vocabulary in Pentecostal Christianity. Palin spent 20 years in a Pentecostal Assemblies of God Church, but she usually refers to her faith generically as Christian, not even evangelical.It is that intercession that is so needed and so greatly appreciated, Palin told Dobson. And I can feel it too, Dr. Dobson. I can feel the power of prayer, and that strength that is provided through our prayer warriors across this nation.She continued: When we hear along the rope lines that people are interceding for us and praying for us, it's our reminder to do the same, to put this all in God's hands, to seek his perfect will for this nation, and to of course seek his wisdom and guidance in putting this nation back on the right track.
Describing herself as a hard-core pro-lifer, Palin said the birth of a son with Down syndrome was this opportunity for me to really be walking the walk and not just talking the talk. There's purpose in this also and for a greater good to be met there.Palin said the campaign had to have faith that its message will be heard minus the filter of the mainstream media.That filter has to be erased, she said. So we have to have faith in the wisdom of the people that they'll understand what our message is. But even bigger that then, I have to have that faith that God is going to help us get that message out there.
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
MORE MICROCHIP IMPLANT STORIES-VIDEOS
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1299279/be_prepared_for_2012_microchips/
http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=60&pst=690727
http://noworldsystem.com/2008/06/17/bilderberg-plans-microchip-implant-campaign-in-america/
http://www.dailypaul.com/node/41386
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3127696.stm
THIS GUYS GAY AND A NEW AGE OCCULTIST,BUT WHAT HE SAYS ABOUT CHIPS AND DECEPTION OF PEOPLE GO BY WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS HOW PEOPLE WILL BE DECIEVED AND KILLED FOR NOT ACCEPTING THE MICROCHIP. THESE BEINGS HES TALKING ABOUT ARE SEDUCING DEMONIC SPIRITS.LITTLE DOES HE KNOW BEING INVOLVED IN THE OCCULT LIKE HE IS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEjBN8sGnw0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2arUAEQlr-Q&feature=related
Microchip to be implanted in humans in 2012?
It has been reported that the govt. plans to have everyone implanted with microchip devices by the year 2012.Europe & the United States have plans to begin implantation of newborns after they are born soon.Many people (including some of our servicemen) have already been implanted.THEY make it sound so great, so much simplicity in medical, travel, banking and so on.. basically we will all have UPC CODES and an implant the size of a grain of rice embedded into our bodies.Now there are still reports of veri-chips (microchips) causing cancer etc., in some pets... so why would they go ahead and FDA approve these CHIPS into humans?Do you think it is in our best interest?
Carlos Altamirano is implanted with the VeriChip, a microchip that is used to confirm everything from health history to identity.The microchips, already available in the United States, could tap into a growing industry surrounding Mexico's criminal concerns. Kidnappings, robberies and fraud are common here, and Mexicans are constantly looking for ways to protect themselves against crime.The microchip, the size of a grain of rice, is implanted in the arm or hip. Hospital officials and security guards use a scanning device to download a serial number, which they then use to access blood type, name and other information on a computer.
How much? One chip costs $150 and has a $50 annual fee. The scanning device and related software cost $1,200. Users can update and manage their chips' information by calling a 24-hour customer service line.
CNN NEWS VIDEO
http://edition.cnn.com/video/
YAHOO NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video
MIDEAST CONFLICT NEWS
http://news.yahoo.com/video/1874;_ylt=A0wNcxFdg6xIgbkAwD6z174F
ABC NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/2461
FOX NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/3074
FOX BUSINESS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/3045
AP NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/2529
BBC NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/2918
REUTERS VIDEO NEWS
http://news.yahoo.com/video/2704
AFP NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/3091
CNBC NEWS VIDEO
http://news.yahoo.com/video/3245
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
WORLD MARKET RESULTS
http://money.cnn.com/data/world_markets/
HALF HOUR DOW RESULTS WED OCT 22,2008
09:30 AM -38.71
10:00 AM -339.06
10:30 AM -360.49
11:00 AM -257.27
11:30 AM -318.83
12:00 PM -281.32
12:30 PM -236.32
01:00 PM -293.59
01:30 PM -359.69
02:00 PM -342.89
02:30 PM -333.57
03:00 PM -375.78
03:30 PM -475.95
04:00 PM -514.45 8519.21
S&P 500 896.78 -58.27
NAS 1615.75 -80.93
GOLD 730.4 -37.0
OIL 67.38 -4.80
TSE 300 -558.92 9,236.88
CDNX -68.76 900.63
S&P/TSX 60 -34.25 554.80
Down down 400 points at low today before noon.
Stocks lower on Earnings.
Major Average lower in 3RD of 4 sessions.
All 30 Dow stocks down as of 10:10AM.
Hungarys central bank hiking rates to shore up its Currency.
Hungary has lined up potential help from IMF,ECD,as a last resort.
Whitehouse to announce NOV 15 World financial summit date in WASHINGTON.
27 U.S. states in a recession.
Argentina is plummiting for 2nd straight day.
Brazil is throwing all it can to save its currency.
Ukraine,Hungary are a mess.
Barclays placing 3 BILLION EUROS in government guarenteed Bonds in the U.K at about 4.25%.
Dow disintigrates to 689 points in last half hour,then rebounds back.
THE ECONOMY
Businesses cut 159,000 jobs in Sept,760,000 jobs year to date.
Jobless rate at 6.1% in SEPT. up from 4.9% in January.
Unemployed in January 7,567,000, in Sept 9,477,000.
Wage Income rose 0.4% despite job cuts,stronger growth since March.
2ND Quarter GDP was 2.83%,3RD Quarter Estimate 0.6%.
Last big recession was 8 months long,March to November 2001.
Corporate profits down for 5 straight Quarters.
Down $60.2 BILLION in 2ND quarter to $1.52 TRILLION.
Consumer prices up 4.9% and producer prices up 8.7% in past 12 months.
Inflation has slowed over the last 2 months except in FOOD and BEVERAGES.
NAOMI WOLF END OF AMERICA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjALf12PAWc
END OF AMERICA MOVIE
http://www.endofamericamovie.com/
Oil falls below $67 on US recession fears By MADLEN READ, AP Business Writer OCT 22,08
MRK 28.01 -1.96
USO 54.75 -4.02
WB 5.71 -0.38
NEW YORK – Oil prices tumbled below $67 a barrel to 16-month lows Wednesday after the government reported big increases in U.S. fuel supplies — more evidence that the economic downturn is drying up energy demand.The Energy Information Administration said crude inventories jumped by 3.2 million barrels last week, above the 2.9 million barrel increase expected by analysts surveyed by energy research firm Platts. Gasoline inventories rose by 2.7 million barrels last week, and inventories of distillates, which include heating oil and diesel, rose by 2.2 million barrels.
Over the last four weeks, the EIA said, motor gasoline demand was down 4.3 percent from the same period last year. Distillate fuel demand was down 5.8 percent, and jet fuel demand was down 9.2 percent.The main theme here that's driving this market into new low ground is demand deterioration, said Jim Ritterbusch, president of energy consultancy Ritterbusch and Associates. As we begin to see evidence that demand is leveling — it doesn't have to increase, just level — then we can start discussing a possible price bottom. But it appears premature at this point.Light, sweet crude for December delivery fell $5.43 to settle at $66.75 on the New York Mercantile Exchange, after falling as low as $66.20. It was the lowest close for a front-month contract since June 13, 2007, when crude settled at $66.26.The energy markets have also been weighed down by the weak stock market, as investors grow more pessimistic about how long it will take the economy to recover from the current global financial turmoil.On Tuesday, DuPont, Sun Microsystems and Texas Instruments reported disappointing earnings and bleak forecasts, sending the Dow Jones industrials average down 2.5 percent. The Dow was down another 4 percent by Wednesday afternoon following more gloomy reports from the soon-to-be acquired bank Wachovia Corp., drugmaker Merck & Co., and insurer Travelers Cos.Oil is now highly correlated with the stock market, said Clarence Chu, a trader with market maker Hudson Capital Energy in Singapore. People are looking to the Dow for sentiment on the economy.The price of crude oil has tumbled 55 percent from its peak of $147.27 reached in mid-July.
The drop has pulled down the retail price of unleaded gasoline to $2.858 a gallon, according to auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express. That's down about 3 cents from Tuesday, and down more than $1.25, or 31 percent, from its mid-July record.In addition to stocks, the dollar's strength this week relative to other currencies has contributed to oil's decline. Investors often buy commodities like crude oil to hedge against a weakening dollar, and sell those investments when the dollar rebounds.The euro fell below $1.28 for the first time in nearly two years Wednesday. The 15-nation euro dipped as low as $1.2736 in morning trading before recovering to $1.29, still down from $1.3003 late Tuesday in New York.
Meanwhile, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which accounts for about 40 percent of global oil supply, signaled that the group plans to announce an output quota reduction at an emergency meeting Friday in Vienna.There should be a short-term boost to prices when they announce a cut on Friday, Chu said. But OPEC production has always been above their quotas, so there's a credibility problem.
Russia's top energy official said Wednesday that Russia, the largest oil producer outside of OPEC, may set aside an oil reserve to influence global prices — but won't cut output, according to news reports. Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin said the government was considering creating an oil production reserve which would allow it to work more efficiently with prices on the market.In other Nymex trading, heating oil futures fell 14.13 cents to end at $2.0562 a gallon, while gasoline prices dropped 12.1 cents to finish at $1.5709 a gallon. Natural gas futures fell 10.2 cents to settle at $7.21 per 1,000 cubic feet.On London's ICE futures exchange, Brent crude fell $5.20 to $64.52 a barrel.AP Business Writer Stevenson Jacobs and Associated Press Writers Louise Watt in London and Alex Kennedy in Singapore contributed to this report.
Dow tumbles 560 on earnings forecast worries By TIM PARADIS, AP Business Writer OCT 22,08
^DJI 8,519.21 -514.45
^GSPC 896.78 -58.27
^IXIC 1,615.75 -80.93
AP – Trader Robert Duffy works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Richard … NEW YORK – Stocks are ending sharply lower as investors worry that the economy is poised to weaken even as frozen credit markets slowly start to show signs of recovery.Corporate profit forecasts, a jump in the dollar and falling oil prices Wednesday indicate investors are worried that an economic slowdown will sweep the globe.The major indexes each lost more than 4 percent, including the Dow Jones industrials, which is ending down 560 at the 8,469 level after being down as much as 698 points in the final half hour of trading.
World leaders to meet on economy in Washington By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer OCT 22,08
WASHINGTON – Leaders from 20 nations will meet Nov. 15 in Washington to address the global financial crisis — the first in a series of summits to resolve what economists predict could be a long and deep economic downturn, the White House announced Wednesday.The first meeting will be held to discuss underlying causes of the financial crisis, review progress being made to address it and start developing reforms needed to ensure it does not happen again, White House press secretary Dana Perino said.The president had spent the past couple of days on the phone with a lot of different leaders talking to them about their thoughts about this meeting, Perino said.This will be the first in a series of summits that bring together leaders from countries that participate in the G-20 finance process to discuss current economic challenges. The so-called G-20 are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.
At the first meeting, working groups will be set up to develop recommendations to be considered by leaders in subsequent summits. The White House will host a dinner on the eve of the summit. The location of the meeting, however, has not yet been announced.Bush, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, who met at the Camp David, Md., presidential retreat last week, announced the series of summit, saying the international community needs to work together to address the credit crisis that has shaken markets around the globe.
Noting that the summit will be held after the election, it's too early to know whether the president-elect, be it John McCain or Barack Obama, who were notified about the meeting Wedneday morning, will be in attendance. It's also unclear whether subsequent summits would be held while Bush is still in office.The leaders will review progress being made to address the current financial crisis, advance a common understanding of its causes, and, in order to avoid a repetition, agree on a common set of principles for reform of the regulatory and institutional regimes for the world's financial sectors, Perino said.The managing director of the International Monetary Fund, the president of the World Bank, the United Nations Secretary-General and the chairman of the Financial Stability Forum also have been invited to participate.
Brazil takes new steps to help banks amid crisisReuters, Wednesday October 22 2008 (Recasts with Mantega comments, adds byline, changes dateline, previous SAO PAULO)By Isabel Versiani
BRASILIA, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Brazil on Wednesday allowed its two largest state banks to buy stakes in financial firms, the government's latest step aimed at shielding the domestic banking sector from the global credit crunch.It also freed up the central bank to conduct swap operations with other central banks, giving it another tool to add liquidity to the foreign exchange market as the country's currency, the real, tumbled anew against the dollar.Finance Minister Guido Mantega told a briefing in Brasilia Brazil's financial system was solid and that no bank was collapsing but he said the lack of liquidity could cause problems for some banks.We are taking this measure to help facilitate liquidity and to give an alternative to those financial institutions which don't have this liquidity, Mantega said.The Brazilian financial system is solid, it's one of the most solid in the world, he added.
Central bank head Henrique Meirelles told the same briefing the move allowing the central bank to carry out swaps with other central banks was a preventive step which would not be used yet.Despite the new steps, the real plunged more than 5 percent to 2.36 per dollar on Wednesday and the stock market <.BVSP> lost nearly 5 percent as investors fled emerging markets and sought safety in dollars.Recent official steps have ranged from foreign exchange swap auctions to increasing credit lines to farm and construction industries to allowing bigger banks to take over the loan portfolios of smaller banks in potential distress.Brazil said earlier on Wednesday it would allow state-controlled Banco do Brasil and Caixa Economica Federal to buy stakes in other financial institutions.While Brazil's major banks are seen as sound, some smaller banks are seen as potentially vulnerable to a drying up of credit. Analysts forecast conditions will remain hard for the entire sector -- and probably unbearable for smaller players.Policymakers have already moved to support smaller banks by sharply reducing reserve requirements to those institutions and injecting as much as 160 billion reais ($68.41 billion) into the banking system.The government also issued a decree authorizing the central bank itself to acquire such portfolios if needed.
SMALL BANKS SEEN VULNERABLE
The Brazilian government has allowed larger banks to use part of their reserve requirements deposited in the central bank to buy loan portfolios of smaller institutions.Some of Brazil's largest banks are already making their moves. Bradesco , the country's largest private-sector bank, and Unibanco said this month they purchased loan portfolios of smaller rivals.Spain's Santander bank, which owns Banco Real, also said this month it had closed deals to buy loan portfolios of other institutions and Banco do Brasil said it was in talks to do the same.Smaller banks are thus having to chose between paying very high rates for credit or being taken over, which has hit their shares.Daycoval , Cruzeiro Sul and Panamericano are among the small banks whose shares have fallen heavily since September. ($=2.339 reais) (Additional reporting by Renato Andrade and Ana Nicolaci Da Costa; Writing by Stuart Grudgings; Editing by James Dalgleish)
Argentina market plunges on plan to nationalize pensions
Bloomberg NewsPublished: October 21, 2008
The main stock index in Argentina fell as much as 14 percent Tuesday, it biggest loss in 11 years, on speculation that the government would nationalize pension funds, potentially depriving the equity market of one of its biggest investors.
Telecom Argentina, a large telephone company, plunged as much as 27 percent, the most ever. BBVA Banco Frances and Banco Macro led a decline in banks. Empresa Distribuidora y Comercializadora Norte, the Buenos Aires-based electricity distributor, lost more than a fifth of its value, the steepest fall since its trading debut in April last year.President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, grappling with a financial crisis that has frozen access to credit, was scheduled to propose an overhaul of the pension system at 4 p.m. New York time that may give the government control of $29 billion in privately run retirement accounts.Clearly if you take away all these buyers and you go to a government plan that's not going to be investing in equities then that's obviously negative for the local market in Argentina, Will Landers, who manages $5 billion in Latin American equities at BlackRock Inc., said in an interview.The Merval index fell 13 percent to 1,018 in late trading in New York, heading for its biggest loss since October 1997. The Merval's decline was the biggest move among global benchmarks.Argentina pension funds were net buyers of stocks for a third straight month in September, investing about $144 million in domestic equities, according to Deutsche Bank. They have $4.1 billion invested in domestic stocks, or about 13 percent of their total holdings.
Disappearing Into Irrelevance
Fernandez has struggled to find new sources of funding for the government since the global financial crisis complicated efforts to renegotiate $20 billion in defaulted bonds and pay off about $6.7 billion owed to the Paris Club group of creditors. The country has not had access to international debt markets since defaulting on $95 billion of bonds in late 2001.It's disappearing into irrelevance for an emerging market institutional investors' perspective, said Bill Rudman at WestLB Mellon Asset Management in London.Telecom tumbled the most on the Merval, losing 1.85 to 5 pesos.
Edenor dropped 23 percent to 67 centavos.Banco Frances, a large private bank, lost 22percent to 2.85 pesos, the lowest since November 2002. Banco Macro slid 19 percent to 3.06 pesos.
Hungary: Central bank makes emergency rate hike
Associated Press 10.22.08, 10:38 AM ET
BUDAPEST, Hungary - Hungary's central bank Wednesday made a steep emergency interest rate hike to stabilize the country's currency, hurt by the financial crisis, raising the possibility that other countries in the region could follow its lead.The National Bank of Hungary's Monetary Council raised the base rate to 11.5 percent from 8.5 percent. The base rate is the interest paid by the central bank to commercial banks using its two-week bill facility, the main instrument used by the National Bank of Hungary to manage liquidity on the interbank market.The move is meant to protect the national currency, the forint, which has fallen 16 percent against the euro since the start of October, according to Neil Shearing of Capital Economics.Investors are worried that Hungary, like many emerging markets, may suffer badly as the financial crisis causes foreign investment to pull out of the country.
But while countries like Hungary try to shore up their currencies with rate hikes, the higher cost of borrowing will put extra pressure on economic growth just as the world prepares for an economic slowdown.Today's move could be the final straw that tips the Hungarian economy into recession in 2009, said Shearing.But he warned that Hungary is not alone in its predicament. Turkey could soon raise interest rates and policy makers in Poland and Romania will also be monitoring developments in foreign exchange markets, Shearing said.While these countries are forced to consider rate hikes, the neighboring European Central Bank joined other major monetary authorities around the world in slashing rates earlier this month, and is expected to continue to do so into next year.
Ukraine's PM expects IMF decision on WednesdayReuters, Wednesday October 22 2008
KIEV, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said she expected the International Monetary Fund to decide on a loan for the country on Wednesday and warned that stagnation threatened the eocnomy.Ukrainian officials say the country could receive a credit worth up to $14 billion.The IMF is meeting today...to adopt all the necessary decisions. We are hoping very much that they will be positive, Tymoshenko told a government meeting. (Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
Emerging Markets-Shares up but Ukraine, Hungary pressured
Mon Oct 20, 2008 7:28am EDT By Sebastian Tong
LONDON, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Emerging market assets bounced on Monday due to improved risk appetite and easing of global credit conditions but fears over foreign debt exposure continued to weigh on Hungary and Ukraine.Russian stocks led broader gains for the sector's equity markets, which saw the benchmark .MSCIEF rise 2.5 percent higher to 582.29 by 1105 GMT.Emerging sovereign debt spreads 11EMJ tightened 7 basis points but still traded at a five-year high of 622 bps.We are taking our lead from global equity markets and also from the fact that global credit markets are slightly looser, said Beat Siegenthaler, chief strategist emerging markets at TD Securities.
We needed a break after recent falls. But trade is very quiet.The prospect of a global economic slowdown was underlined by China data showing gross domestic product growth slid into single figures in the third quarter.But government efforts to stem the global crisis that has wiped out $15 trillion off the stock market in over the last 12 months helped lift sentiment.Like their counterparts in the developed West, governments in emerging economies have moved to stabilise their financial markets, to avert a banking crisis and currency collapse similar to Iceland's.Russia's rouble powered to its highest level since August after its central bank set curbs on currency trading to stamp out short sellers.Russian shares, which have sagged to three-year lows, rose on expectations that energy cartel OPEC might cut output this week and boost prices that have fallen by more than half in three months. Confidence has been further bolstered by Moscow's promise to start spending its wealth fund to buy shares and bonds this week.The dollar-denominated RTS Index .IRTS soared 7.3 percent while the energy shares-laden MICEX Index rose 4.5 percent.
HUNGARY, UKRAINE WORRIES
Over the weekend, South Korea pledged $130 billion in state guarantees and capital injections for banks while Kazakhstan said on Monday it would inject a total of $15 billion into its slowing economy which has been hard-hit by rising bad corporate and bank debt.Ukraine's prime minister said she was confident that talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would prove successful and enable the country to secure financial assistance of up to $14 billion to shore up the country's financial system.The country's hryvnia currency
Hungarian monetary policymakers are set to meet at 1200 GMT.
Risk premiums are likely to remain elevated, and exchange rate stability and bond market liquidity may become a key concern for monetary policy. Therefore, future policy measures are likely to support bond market liquidity and keep interest rates high until money market conditions stabilise, Citi said in a research note.(Additional reporting by Peter Apps; Editing by Victoria Main)
Germany hits out at French protectionism plan
RENATA GOLDIROVA Today OCT 22,08 @ 09:14 CET
France's idea that EU governments take stakes in European strategic companies to shield them from foreign bidders and the impact of the financial crisis has ruffled feathers in Germany, with the country's economy minister immediately going public to defend free market rules. The French proposal ... goes against the successful principles of our economic policy, German economy minister Michael Glos said on Tuesday (21 October), AFP and FAZ report, shortly after Nicolas Sarkozy had presented his fresh economic vision in the European Parliament. Mr Glos opposed the French push for wider protectionism by describing current state intervention in the banking and insurance sector as an indispensable exception so as to prevent a possible breakdown of financial flows and help protect jobs and growth.Germany remains open to capital from all around the world, the German minister concluded.
Berlin also poured cold water over Mr Sarkozy's suggestion to set up an economic government to oversee the 15-nation eurozone. The minister's remarks came hours after French President Nicolas Sarkozy told MEPs that he did not want European citizens to wake up a few months from now and discover that European companies belong to non-European capital which has bought at the lowest point of the stock exchange.He had added that the eurozone government should consist of heads of state and government and gather regularly to co-ordinate action. It is not the first time in recent days that France and Germany have differed in their economic views. At EU leaders' summit last week, the French president led calls for giving a helping hand to European industry, in particular carmakers, arguing that the US administration had injected $25 billion into the sector in cheap loans. But Berlin questioned the approach, diplomats said.
Stocks open lower as investors watch earnings By TIM PARADIS, AP Business Writer OCT 22,08
Reuters – A staff member of the Tokyo Stock Exchange reacts after the afternoon trading session in Tokyo October … NEW YORK – Wall Street tumbled again Wednesday as investors again shifted their focus away from improving credit markets and fixated on worrisome corporate earnings that are raising fears of a deep and painful recession. The major indexes fell more than 1 percent, including the Dow Jones industrial average, which fell 350 points.While reduced strains in world credit markets have eased some investors' nervousness about the economy, market anxiety remains high as hundreds of companies this week release third-quarter earnings and in some cases fourth-quarter forecasts that offer a glimpse of the rough conditions that may lay ahead.On Wednesday, commercial and personal property insurer Travelers Cos. said hurricane-related losses pushed third-quarter profit down 82 percent and forced it to lower its full-year forecast.In other earnings, Wachovia Corp., which is being bought by Wells Fargo & Co., said it swung to a huge loss in the third quarter while the drug maker Merck & Co. said its quarterly profit fell 28 percent and that it would cut more than 10 percent of its work force.In midmorning trading, the Dow fell 350.93, or 3.88 percent, to 8,682.73. On Tuesday, the Dow retreated 231 points after forecasts from DuPont Co., Sun Microsystems Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. raised fears that companies' outlooks for the fourth quarter and beyond could signal a severe economic downturn.Broader stock indicators also fell. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 36.59, or 3.83 percent, to 918.46, and the Nasdaq composite index fell 37.44, or 2.21 percent, to 1,659.24.
Meanwhile, credit markets showed more signs of improvement after virtually freezing up last week. Bank-to-bank lending rates fell sharply overnight, indicating that credit is becoming easier to obtain. The London Interbank Offered Rate, or Libor, on three-month loans in dollars fell to 3.54 percent from 3.83 percent, dropping for an eighth straight day.Demand for Treasury bills, regarded as the safest assets around, grew slightly compared to the previous day as economic worries led investors to shun risky assets in favor of government bonds.The three-month Treasury bill yielded 1.06 percent, down from 1.07 percent late Tuesday. The levels are a notable improvement from the 0.20 percent seen last Wednesday, when investors were willing to take the slimmest of returns in exchange for a safe place to keep their money.The dollar was sharply higher against other major currencies, while gold prices fell.In other corporate news, AT&T Inc. said its third-quarter earnings rose 5.5 percent but missed analyst expectations in part because of strong sales of iPhones, which the carrier subsidizes. The stock fell $1.89, or 7.4 percent, to $23.84.Other companies reporting results were mixed. Travelers rose 59 cents, or 1.6 percent, to $36.92, while Wachovia fell 14 cents, or 2.4 percent, to $5.95. Merck fell 99 cents, or 3.3 percent, to $28.98.Light, sweet crude fell $4.38 to $67.80 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Tuesday, oil fell as a stronger dollar dented demand for commodities and overshadowed worries about a planned OPEC output cut.Declining issues outnumbered advancers by about 8 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to 141.8 million shares.The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 11.58, or 2.2 percent, to 519.07.Financial markets overseas fell sharply. Japan's Nikkei stock average fell 6.79 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 3.43 percent, Germany's DAX index fell 3.52 percent, and France's CAC-40 lost 4.26 percent.
On the Net: New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com
Brussels to educate Ireland on EU realities
VALENTINA POP Today OCT 22,08 @ 18:58 CET
EUOBSERVER / STRASBOURG - The European Commission plans to help the Irish government communicate Europe better to citizens after June's shock No vote on the Lisbon treaty, with a new inter-institutional agreement to pull together the PR efforts of the main EU institutions.It's not about the European Commission interfering with the procedures and referenda on the Treaty, but it is investing in trying to correct the situation where so many people said they didn't know anything about the EU, or didn't know enough to take a position when they were asked, communication commissioner Margot Wallstrom said on Wednesday (22 October) in Strasbourg.Ms Wallstrom plans to sign a memorandum of understanding on launching a new communication management project in Ireland when she visits Dublin on 13 to 14 November.The one year partnerships - already up and running in Germany, Hungary and Slovenia with eight other EU states about to sign up - see the commission provide EU literature, journalist training, school manuals and other civic education programmes. One concrete project in Germany was Guess who is going back to school, in which about 500 German officials paid visits to their former schools, explaining to pupils what their job is within the EU institutions.The commissioner on Wednesday also signed an inter-institutional agreement between the European Parliament, commission and Council to co-ordinate the three institutions' communication efforts.
She said the move was not designed to create a propaganda machine but to support the fundamental democratic principle of the right to know. It is the first time we have this framework after heavy resistance from member states, the commissioner explained.
The new agreement foresees co-ordinating future communication efforts on common priorities, such as the 2009 European elections, energy and climate change and the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.It is also designed to avoid situations where both the parliament and the commission organise events or print leaflets on the same topic without knowing what the other is doing.Co-ordination will be provided by the Interinstitutional group on information (IGI) comprised of Ms Walstrom on behalf of the commission, French minister Jean Pierre Jouyet on behalf of the European Council and the vice-president of the European Parliament, Spanish conservative MEP Alejo Vidal-Quadras. IGI will not have its own budget, but will draw from the coffers of the three institutions.
Irish public was misinformed
Going back to the Irish referendum on the Lisbon treaty, Ms Wallstrom said the public debate included a lot of emotional arguments and disinformation, such as the idea that by voting Yes, people would have to send their children to an EU army.The EU uses too much bureaucratic language, too much of a jargon impenetrable to normal people. There is no need for emotional arguments either, but for a factual language that people can understand, she explained.Asked what would be the outcome of a pan-European referendum on the Lisbon treaty - as suggested by some Irish campaigners - Ms Wallstrom stressed that it is the ultimate challenge from a communication point of view to hold any referendum on a complex legal text.Whatever you do, you won't have in the end everybody reading a 400-page document, she said. That's what MEPs are being paid for.
Ukraine disappointed with EU hypocrisy
ELITSA VUCHEVA Today OCT 22,08 @ 18:25 CET
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – Ukraine is generally satisfied with the outcome of an EU-Ukraine summit that took place in Paris last month, but is disappointed the final political declaration failed to underline the country's European identity, Ukraine's deputy foreign minister, Kostyantyn Yeliseyev, said on Wednesday (22 October).In an open spirit, I would like to tell you my disappointment with the fact that the EU rejected the idea to recognise Ukraine as a state with a European identity, Mr Yeliseyev told a group of journalists in Brussels.It's a funny thing, when they negotiated this document, I suggested OK, if you don't want that, put in the political statement the sentence that you recognise Ukraine as a European state with an African identity. They said of course not. Ok, let's put with Asian identity. [Again] No,the deputy foreign minister recounted, saying nobody could give him a proper answer on why the reference to European identity was not acceptable.This is just to show you sometimes the hypocrisy also of the EU, Mr Yeliseyev said.The Ukrainian diplomat underlined some positive achievements of the high-level meeting in September, such as concluding an association agreement with the EU based on the principle of political association and economic integration, or the launch of a dialogue on a visa-free regime.Additionally, some very important political features were agreed in September, for instance for the first time the EU recognised that Ukraine is a European country and that we [EU and Ukraine] share a common history and common values, Mr Yeliseyev said.But he deplored that even today there is a group of sceptics within the EU who are trying to some extent to block further progress in EU-Ukraine relations, naming the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain.
Business as usual
Following comments from European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso last week that the EU is concerned with the recent political crisis in Ukraine, Mr Yeliseyev said the situation should not be over-dramatised.I don't see any problems, any interconnection between the negotiations [with the EU] and the current internal developments in Ukraine, he said.Ukrainian president Victor Yushchenko earlier this month dissolved parliament and announced early elections would take place in December, in an ongoing power struggle with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.The vote would be the third time in three years that parliamentary elections are held in Ukraine.Sometimes people are trying to over-dramatise the situation [in Ukraine], Mr Yeliseyev said. There are political disputes between major political forces in Ukraine [but] to my mind this is very common to any EU member state … It is a common practice for democracy.We are trying to do business as usual [and] the administrative machine in Ukraine is working properly.
The eternal visa issue
Ukraine's deputy foreign minister also raised the question of visa requirements for citizens from his country - a very sensitive issue for Ukrainians.The EU made much of a visa facilitation agreement with Ukraine that came into force at the beginning of this year that was supposed to make receiving short-stay and multiple entry visas easier for Ukrainian citizens. But Ukrainians say it has not made any real difference.Unfortunately on the ground there is no fully fledged implementation [of this agreement] … There are [still] a lot of problems, a lot of negative examples how the EU side is discriminating Ukrainian citizens in this field, Mr Yeliseyev said.Some EU states - including Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium - are very unfriendly when it comes to visa policy towards Ukraine, the minister pointed out.As a result, during the first half of this year the quantity of Ukrainians travelling to EU member states decreased 2.5 times. This is unacceptable, totally unacceptable, he added, with Kiev to launch a dialogue on a future visas free regime on 29 October.
Donors pledge billions to rebuild Georgia
RENATA GOLDIROVA Today OCT 22,08 @ 18:06 CET
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The international community has pledged $4.5 billion (€3.4 billion) toward the rebuilding of Georgia hit by the short war with Russia over South Ossetia in August, with the European Commission alone putting aside up to €500 million to address Tbillisi's needs between 2008-2010. It is a moral imperative to help a neighbour in need, commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said when opening a donor's conference in Brussels (22 October). He added that it was also in the interest of the EU to help Georgia to get back on its feet - for wider stability as well as energy security reasons. Prior to the outbreak of the conflict, the Georgian economy was booming, with growth expected to reach 10 percent this year. But with a large chunk of infrastructure damaged and the flow of foreign investement decreased, current forecasts put the figure at around five percent. According to EU external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the commission package of up to €500 million will be channelled to three main purposes - to strengthen the Georgian economy, build strategic infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, and provide food and shelter to those in need. However, Ms Ferrero-Waldner stressed that the recent war should not distract Georgia from economic and political reforms, which are essential and which should further advance.In response to their pledges, Georgian deputy prime minister Lado Gurgenidze expressed a big thank you to all donors, saying that the final cheque exceeded Georgia's expectations. We are deeply moved and humbled by the solidarity especially in the time of the financial crisis, he said. Some 38 countries and 15 international organisations took part in the donor's conference.
Concerns over use of funds
But shortly before the conference opened, representatives of civil society and the opposition in Georgia issued an open letter, urging all donors to ensure the funding is used to improve living conditions, not to strengthen the current regime.
Financial support should be delivered through the most direct channels and with the utmost transparency and within a strict monitoring mechanism, which avoids unconditional funding, reads the letter. It continues by saying that any additional funds available should go to supporting concrete democratisation programmes.The media, the judiciary and the electoral processes are cited as areas with the biggest shortcomings. The signatories were not part of the Georgian official delegation nor present at the conference. When asked about the letter, deputy prime minister Lado Gurgenidze said he had not read it and limited himself to the pledge that every euro would be spent to the best possible use.Today is just the beginning. There are three years of hard and productive work ahead of us, the politician concluded.
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.
Wildfire breaks out in S. Calif., east of L.A. OCT 22,08
FONTANA, Calif. – At least 100 acres have burned in a wildfire that broke out Wednesday morning amid hot and gusty weather in San Bernardino County, east of Los Angeles.The fire broke out in Fontana northwest of Interstate 15 at about 12:45 Wednesday, and winds in excess of 30 mph were pushing it west into the mountains and canyons of suburban Rancho Cucamonga, about 40 miles northeast of Los Angeles, county fire spokeswoman Angie Samayoa said.People in about 100 homes near a Buddhist temple have been told they may want to evacuate but are not being ordered to do so, Assistant San Bernardino County Fire Marshall Mike Horton told KABC-TV.Homes are not directly in the line of fire, Samayoa said.More than 300 firefighters were on the scene and water drops from aircraft were coming after sunrise, Samayoa said.The fire broke out five years to the day after the beginning of the Grand Prix wildfire, which burned 59,000 acres and destroyed 135 homes in the same area, officials said.
Southern California was experiencing strong Santa Ana winds a week after similar conditions spurred several major wildfires.The dry northeast winds were expected to peak at 50 mph through Wednesday evening, but were expected to be weaker than last week's siege.Temperatures will also reach the 90s in many areas.
FEARFUL SIGHTS AND GREAT SIGNS FROM HEAVEN
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.
India launches 1st unmanned moon mission By GAVIN RABINOWITZ and SETH BORENSTEIN, Associated Press Writers Wed Oct 22, 7:37 am ET
AFP NEW DELHI – India launched its first mission to the moon Wednesday, rocketing a satellite up into the pale dawn sky in a two-year mission to redraw maps of the lunar surface.Clapping and cheering scientists tracked the ascent on computer screens after they lost sight of Chandrayaan-1 from the Sriharikota space center in southern India. Chandrayaan means Moon Craft in ancient Sanskrit.Indian Space Research Organization chairman G. Madhavan Nair said the mission is to unravel the mystery of the moon.We have started our journey to the moon and the first leg has gone perfectly well, he said.Chief among the mission's goals is mapping not only the surface of the moon, but what lies beneath. If successful, India will join what's shaping up as a 21st century space race with Chinese and Japanese crafts already in orbit around the moon.To date only the U.S., Russia, the European Space Agency, Japan and China have sent missions to the moon.As India's economy has boomed in recent years, it has sought to convert its newfound wealth — built on the nation's high-tech sector — into political and military clout. It is hoping that the moon mission — coming just months after finalizing a deal with the United States that recognizes India as a nuclear power — will further enhance its status.Until now, India's space launches have mainly carried weather warning satellites and communication systems, said former NASA associate administrator Scott Pace, director of space policy at the George Washington University.You're seeing India lifting its sights, Pace said.While much of the technology involved in reaching the moon has not changed since the Soviet Union and the U.S. did it more than four decades ago, analysts say new mapping equipment allows the exploration of new areas, including below the surface.
India plans to use the 3,080-pound lunar probe to create a high-resolution map of the lunar surface and the minerals below. Two of the mapping instruments are a joint project with NASA.In the last year, Asian nations have taken the lead in moon exploration. In October 2007, Japan sent up the Kaguya spacecraft. A month later, China's Chang'e-1 entered lunar orbit.Those missions took high-resolution pictures of the moon, but are not as comprehensive as Chandrayaan-1 will be or NASA's half-a-billion-dollar Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter scheduled to be launched next year, Pace said. The most comprehensive maps of the moon were made about 40 years ago during the Apollo era, he said.We don't really have really good modern maps of the moon with modern instrument, Pace said. The quality of the Martian maps, I would make a general argument, is superior to what we have of the moon.NASA has put probes on Mars' frigid polar region, but not on the rugged poles of the moon. Yet the moon's south pole is where NASA is considering setting up an eventual human-staffed lunar outpost, Pace said.The moon's south pole is certainly more rugged than where Neil Armstrong landed. It's more interesting. It's more dangerous, Pace said. We need better maps.Beijing in 2003 became the first Asian country to put its own astronauts into space. It followed that last month with its first spacewalk.More ominously, last year China also blasted an old satellite into oblivion with a land-based anti-satellite missile, the first such test ever conducted by any nation, including the United States and Russia. The Indian mission is not all about rivalry and prestige. Analysts say India stands to reap valuable rewards from the technology it develops and, according to Pace, it already shows increased confidence in difficult engineering and quality control. The $80 million mission will test systems for a future moon landing, with plans to land a rover on the moon in 2011 and eventually a manned space program, though this has not been authorized yet. And the Indian space agency was already dreaming of more. Space is the frontier for mankind in the future. If we want to go beyond the moon, we have to go there first, said Indian space agency spokesman S. Satish. Associated Press writer Seth Borenstein reported from Washington.
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 RUSSIA-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.
ELECTION 2008 Obama admits Kenyan birth? Campaign doesn't respond to claims in lawsuit over birth certificate October 21, 2008 9:22 pm Eastern By Drew Zahn
2008 WorldNetDaily
Philip J. Berg
Pennsylvania Democrat Philip J. Berg, who filed a lawsuit demanding Sen. Barack Obama present proof of his American citizenship, now says that by failing to respond Obama has legally admitted to the lawsuit's accusations, including the charge that the Democratic candidate was born in Mombosa, Kenya.As WND reported, Berg filed suit in U.S. District Court in August, alleging Obama is not a natural-born citizen and is thus ineligible to serve as president of the United States. Though Obama has posted an image of a Hawaii birth certificate online, Berg demands that the court verify the original document, which the Obama campaign has not provided.Now Berg cites Rule 36 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which states that unless the accused party provides written answer or objection to charges within 30 days, the accused legally admits the matter.Since Obama has only filed motions to dismiss and has not actually answered the charges in the lawsuit, Berg claims, according to Rule 36, Obama has legally admitted he is not a natural-born citizen.Now Berg is asking the court for a formal declaration of Obama's admission and asking the Democratic National Committee for another presidential candidate.In a statement released today, Berg argues that he filed Requests for Admissions on Sept. 15, meaning Obama had until Oct. 15 to answer or face the consequences of Rule 36.Obama and the DNC admitted, by way of failure to timely respond to Requests for Admissions, all of the numerous specific requests in the Federal lawsuit, Berg's statement reads. Obama is not qualified to be president and therefore Obama must immediately withdraw his candidacy for president and the DNC shall substitute a qualified candidate.Berg's original lawsuit leveled several charges at both Obama and the DNC – accusing the former of lying about his place of birth, faking his birth certificate and fraudulently running for office; and accusing the latter of not properly vetting its candidate.
Though it hasn't given Berg the evidence he seeks, the Obama campaign has publicly answered allegations that the candidate was born in Kenya and faked his Hawaii birth certificate.Smears claiming Barack Obama doesn't have a birth certificate aren't actually about that piece of paper, says the Fight the Smears section of Obama's website, they're about manipulating people into thinking Barack is not an American citizen.The truth is, Barack Obama was born in the state of Hawaii in 1961, a native citizen of the United States of America, the campaign website states. It also includes images of a Hawaii birth certificate bearing the name Barack Hussein Obama II.Berg has also taken the controversy public through his website and through repeated public offers to revoke the lawsuit if Obama will produce legal documents that establish his citizenship.Without those documents, Berg has chosen to file two additional motions in district court in Philadelphia. The first asks the court to notify Obama and the DNC of what Berg understands they have now legally admitted, and the second asks for an expedited ruling, given the quickly upcoming Nov. 4 election.It all comes down to the fact that there's nothing from the other side, Berg told Jeff Schreiber for his blog, America's Right. The admissions are there. By not filing the answers or objections, the defense has admitted everything. He admits he was born in Kenya. He admits he was adopted in Indonesia. He admits that the documentation posted online is a phony. And he admits that he is constitutionally ineligible to serve as president of the United States.
EU-Russia talks likely to resume in November
VALENTINA POP Today OCT 22,08 @ 09:25 CET
EUOBSERVER/STRASBOURG - French president Nicolas Sarkozy and EU external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner have both stressed the need to resume talks on a new treaty with Moscow in November, despite concerns on the consequences of getting back to business as usual with Russia before it fully complies with the ceasefire agreement in Georgia.Given the state of the world today, I don't believe the world needs a crisis between Europe and Russia. We can defend our differences, human rights, but it would be irresponsible to create the conditions for a conflict for which we have no need, Mr Sarkozy, who chairs the rotating EU presidency and brokered the cease fire between Moscow and Tbilisi, told members of the European Parliament on Tuesday (21 October).Europe should not be an accomplice in starting another Cold War.His remarks were echoed by Europe's commissioner for external relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner, who explained the need for dialogue with Russia due to the complex interdependence of the EU and Russia in the field of energy and on the international stage in issues like Iran, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons or climate change.We will have a very important discussion at the next GAERC [foreign ministers meeting] on 10 November and then I do hope that we find the right understanding on pursuing negotiations for the New EU-Russia Agreement. Because, indeed, they have only been postponed, she said, adding that the EU needs to treat Russia as it is not as we would wish it to be.At a summit last week in Brussels, EU leaders postponed until next month a decision on whether to reopen talks on the partnership and cooperation agreement with Russia, suspended after the military invasion of Georgia. The GAERC meeting will take place only four days ahead of an EU-Russia summit held in the French city of Nice.Russia invaded Georgia on 7 August as Georgian forces shelled Russia-backed rebels in South Ossetia. But Moscow's later promise to pull troops back to pre-7 August positions and let OSCE monitors into South Ossetia have not yet been fulfilled. Signalling a change of tone towards Tbilisi, Mr Sarkozy also alluded to Georgia's share of the blame in the August war.
We saw a war with a completely disproportionate reaction from the Russians in the case of Georgia. It was disproportionate to intervene as the Russians did in Georgia. I also use the word reaction, because that was because there was a preceding inappropriate action, and Europe has to be fair. Europe shouldn't hesitate to step out of the ideological framework, the French president said.
Geneva post-mortem
A political solution to the conflict can only to be found in Geneva, Mrs Ferrero-Waldner said, welcoming the fact that the talks were launched on 15 October, despite the fact they started with a difficult moment.The internationally-mediated talks between Russia and Georgia failed last week after Russia insisted on giving delegates from Georgia rebel enclaves South Ossetia and Abkhazia full diplomatic status.French minister for European affairs, Jean Pierre Jouyet, also speaking in front of the MEPs on Tuesday, said the talks were a success because all parties came to the table.Look at how long peace talks take - for instance in the Balkans. I think that the fact that we already got all the parties around the table is already an important step forward, even though we are fully aware that the process will be lengthy, he explained.MEPs took national lines on the debate, with Polish, Baltic, Finnish and Swedish MEPs defending Georgia while Austrian and Italian deputies inclined toward Russia.Belgian liberal MEP Annemie Neyts said it would be regrettable if the decision of resuming talks had already been taken come what may. Having decided that whatever happens, we will pick up the negotiations, even before the [EU-Russia] summit, I don't know whether that is showing the greatest of diplomatic skills, she said. But Dutch socialist Jan Marinus Wiersma urged the EU to be non-confrontational.
Eastern European hearts
Strong divisions on the subject between post-Communist EU states and old Europe also exist at diplomatic level in the run-up to the 10 November foreign ministers debate, with some eastern countries even calling for the EU-Russia summit to be called off over Russia's non compliance with peace accords.Do we want the Nice council to be remembered in the heart of eastern Europe as another day when Europe rewarded Russian revisionism and aggression? Is this the leadership Mr Sarkozy wants to show us? a senior diplomat from one of the post-Communist EU countries told EUobserver, saying the EU would create a dangerous precedent if it legitimised Russia's occupation of Georgia by restarting treaty negotiations. The French presidency wants to celebrate success on all fronts. But we in the east are fed up with paying the price for those who play games in the West. We've been paying for the last 60 years and it cost us a lot of lives.But a Belgian diplomat underlined that negotiations on such an agreement [the EU-Russia partnership treaty] should not be seen as a present we give to Russia. It's of interest to the whole of the EU.
