FOOD CRISIS IN ZIMBABWE

CHANUKAH DAY 4 TODAY

LEARN ABOUT CHANUKAH
http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday7.htm
CHANUKAH DAY 1-8 SCRIPTURES
http://israndjer.blogspot.com/2007/12/hannuka-day-1-8-scriptures.html
MACCABEES STORY
http://israndjer.blogspot.com/2007/12/7s-and-maccabees.html
http://israndjer.blogspot.com/2007/12/maccabees-story.html

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.

More snow, ice vexes travelers in northern states By SOPHIA TAREEN, Associated Press Writer DEC 24,08

CHICAGO – Hundreds of holiday travelers spent the night in the nation's second busiest airport and some of them faced the prospect Wednesday of doing it again on Christmas Eve as airports across the country recovered from a barrage of snow and ice storms.Conditions improved Wednesday but highways were still dangerously slippery in some areas.More snow fell in the Midwest, where the National Weather Service said up to 4 inches was possible in Chicago. The Northwest faced more snow and sleet, with up to 20 inches possible in the Cascade range in Washington, and icy, wet weather spread over the Northeast.We're seeing quite a bit of messiness out there, said weather service meteorologist Ed Shimon, who's been at work at the agency's Lincoln, Ill., office for six straight days, a period when the state has seen snow, ice and subzero temperatures. It's something different every day — never a dull moment.At least 18 highway deaths had been blamed on the weather.About 500 travelers had to spend the night at Chicago's O'Hare International, the nation's second busiest airport, after stormy weather canceled more than 500 flights Tuesday, said Chicago Aviation Department spokeswoman Karen Pride. Some slept on cots, some on the floor or across waiting-room seats, and at least some face the prospect of spending Christmas Eve at O'Hare.More than 100 flights were canceled at O'Hare on Wednesday. On Tuesday, cancellations totaled more than 500.The New York metro area's Kennedy and Newark airports reported arrival delays of up to 3 hours, the Federal Aviation Administration reported.The airlines are dealing with nothing but unhappy customers, said Mike Conway, spokesman for Detroit's Metropolitan Airport, where delays were reported in departures and arrivals because of conditions elsewhere in the country.

South of Portland, Ore., crews shut down a section of Interstate 205 at Oregon City because a buildup of ice and snowbanks, said Dave Thompson, public affairs manager of Oregon Department of Transportation. The department also was requiring tire chains on all highways in the Portland metro area.The weather service posted winter storm warnings and advisories for large parts of the West, plus parts of the Midwest and the Northeast.Across Massachusetts, icy roads caused numerous accidents Wednesday morning, and state Trooper Thomas Murphy Interstate 495 in Middleborough and Wareham was closed because of wrecks.The rain and sleet just hit everywhere at once, and we're encouraging everybody to reduce speed and take it easy out there, Massachusetts Trooper Thomas Murphy said.Police in southeastern Pennsylvania reported a spate of ice-caused accidents and traffic delays, including one 22-vehicle crash. No serious injuries were reported.Motorists in Michigan had to cope with drifting snow in places in addition to ice-covered pavement.It looks like all areas should see a white Christmas, meteorologist Dave Kook said from the weather service office in Oakland County's White Lake Township. There's enough snow on the ground that it won't all melt away with the rain.Despite more snow falling Wednesday in the Seattle area, operations at Sea-Tac Airport were back to normal Wednesday, said spokeswoman Terri-Ann Betancourt. She said the last of thousands of passengers who were stranded by weekend cancellations were gone by Tuesday, and the only flight cancellations were caused by delays or cancellations at other airports.I've lived here 16 years and this is the first time I've thought I wish it would rain!Betancourt said.

The weather service said she could get her wish, at least briefly, with snow showers changing to rain Christmas Eve. Amtrak also reported improvement Wednesday. Trains out of Chicago and elsewhere were leaving on time — or relatively close to it — unlike Tuesday when several trains were canceled and some 600 furious travelers waited for as much as 22 hours for delayed trains at Chicago's Union Station, spokesman Marc Magliari said. Magliari said Amtrak was conducting a top-to-bottom review of this week's disruptions to try and prevent them from happen again. At least 18 people died in car crashes on rain and ice-slickened roads Tuesday and Wednesday — four each in Indiana and Kentucky, two in Missouri, two in Kansas, two in Wisconsin, one in Oklahoma, one in Ohio, one in Iowa, and a state lawmaker was killed in West Virginia. Associated Press writers Tim Klass in Seattle and Tim Fought in Portland, Ore., contributed to this report.

Canadians brace for latest round of winter weather
Tue. Dec. 23 2008 2:43 PM ET CTV.ca News Staff

Getting around will be a challenge in most parts of the country this Christmas as Canadians brace for yet another string of winter storms -- all scheduled to hit before Santa arrives. A backlog of flight delays originating from Toronto's Pearson International Airport and Vancouver International Airport continue to snarl Christmas travel plans for countless Canadians. Motorists should also anticipate delays as dangerous road conditions are expected thanks to freezing temperatures and blowing snow. British Columbia is expecting another dumping of snow starting Tuesday evening while Ontarians gear up for another major snowfall in what seems like an endless string of storms in recent days.

Western Canada

Environment Canada has issued snowfall warnings for towns dotted all along the B.C. coastline. Between 10 and 20 centimetres of snow is expected to blanket the region by the time residents wake up on Christmas Eve. Arctic air pushing through the coastal valleys is also blasting the province with cold northeastern winds. Jack Frost hasn't loosened his grip on Saskatchewan and Manitoba either. A bitterly cold Arctic airmass remains entrenched over Saskatchewan today, wrote Environment Canada on its website. Wind chills as cold as -45 C lashed the areas around Moose Jaw Tuesday. At these extreme wind chill values frostbite on exposed skin may occur in less than 10 minutes, Environment Canada warned.

Central Canada

Another Colorado-born storm has its sights set on the Great Lakes. Parts of Ontario are bracing for the latest blast in a string of winter storms. Strong winds and 20 centimetres of snow are forecast for cities along Lake Superior including Sault Ste. Marie. Environment Canada has also issued a winter storm watch stretching from Lake Huron and eastward to Ottawa. Areas surrounding Toronto are expected to get their fourth dumping of snow in almost as many days. More snow is also expected in Montreal on Tuesday, a city still plowing its way through remnants of Sunday's massive 20-centimetre snowfall.

Maritimes

In P.E.I., crews are working to clear Monday's 20-centimetre snowfall, which closed roads and bridges. Some high-sided buses and trucks still can't cross the Confederation Bridge which connects the island with New Brunswick. A snow squall also remains in effect for Newfoundland and Labrador, according to the Environment Canada website.

Restoring power

And crews are still trying to restore power to thousands of homes in Nova Scotia after severe storm winds knocked down lines across the province. About 14,000 customers are still without electricity mid-afternoon Tuesday, according to Nova Scotia Power. Power crews have been working since Monday, when strong winds, some of hurricane-strength, lashed the Maritimes -- snapping trees in half and stripping the siding from homes. NSP's Margaret Murphy said crews have been working a 17-seven shift since the storm -- 17 hours of work followed by a mandatory seven hours of rest. They did take some down time in the middle of last night and they're back up and at it today, she told CTV Newsnet. Although NSP is hoping to have power restored to all areas by Tuesday night, some areas may have to wait until Wednesday. Murphy said the most damage was caused by trees falling on power lines. The hardest hit areas are Yarmouth, Shelburne and Eastern Passage. They're out there with chainsaws today, the winds are down, it's bright sunshine so they should make some good progress, she said. ...They're just going to be out there today pulling the trees off power lines and putting the wires back up.In total, NSP has more than 100 crews on the ground, including 15 sent from New Brunswick.

For residents still without power, comfort centres have been set up until the lines are fixed. Residents are also being asked to check on neighbours to make sure they are OK. A mix snow and freezing rain is expected for parts of Nova Scotia in the coming days, which could further delay power restoration efforts. The 2008 holiday season will likely be remembered for a string of harsh winter weather patterns across the country. Forecasters are predicting the first nationwide white Christmas since 1971.With files from The Canadian Press.

Sea-Tac stranded passengers finally flying out By TIM KLASS, Associated Press Writer DEC 23,08

SEATTLE – Crowds of stranded travelers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport were drastically reduced, Amtrak restored passenger train service and motorists found easier going Tuesday — but more snow was on the way.Many surface streets remained snowpacked, icy and rutted with treacherous gray slush across the normally balmy Pacific Northwest from weekend storms that brought 8 to 12 inches of snow to Seattle and nearby cities.The National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch for much of Washington state, with another 1 to 3 inches of snow forecast in Seattle and as much as 6 inches in the suburbs by early Wednesday, to be followed by slightly warmer temperatures and rain later on Christmas Eve.Meanwhile, freezing rain was making driving hazardous Tuesday across parts of the nation's midsection, including Kansas, Illinois, Kentucky and Arkansas. The Chicago Department of Aviation said more than 250 flights were canceled at O'Hare International Airport because of the weather, and many others were delayed.Sea-Tac airport, the Pacific Northwest's largest, had been jammed without thousands of stranded travelers Sunday night and Monday morning. But most air service was restored Monday, and the number of people sleeping in the terminal early Tuesday was down to a hundred, if that, said Perry Cooper, an airport spokesman.Alaska and Horizon airlines, which account for about half the 900 daily flights in the days before Christmas, were aiming for full service Tuesday.

The lines that we saw this morning were at the (security) checkpoints, which is good, Cooper said.He said he didn't think the new snow on the way would bring big disruptions, because the forecast accumulations are well within the capacity of our snow removal crews and equipment.Most flights were getting out Tuesday at Portland (Ore.) International Airport as well, said Kama Simonds, spokeswoman for the Port of Portland. On Monday, more than 250 flights or more than a third of the typical total had been canceled, she said.Another bright spot, Simonds said: People really seem to have a certain amount of holiday spirit left in them.Things were looking up for train travelers, too, as Amtrak said it was restoring local passenger train service Tuesday between Eugene, Ore., and Vancouver, British Columbia. Amtrak's long-haul trains, the east-west Empire Builder and north-south Coast Starlight, continued operating through the storms but with major delays.A segment of Interstate 84 east of Portland reopened Tuesday morning after snow removal crews worked through the night, the state transportation department said. It had been closed Saturday night.

Greyhound service in Portland and Seattle had been shut down Monday. A sign on the door at the Greyhound bus station in Seattle said the company is evaluating road conditions and will decide later Tuesday when buses can roll again.On Monday, frustrated travelers had lined up at airport ticket counters and bus stations around the West.I work for the Red Cross back home and we're trained to be prepared for when disasters strike, Colleen Stone, 51, said as she and her family waited at Los Angeles International Airport. This is a disaster and the airlines are not prepared for it.She and her family had left their Illinois home Saturday hoping to fly to Seattle and spend Christmas with Stone's parents. Instead, they endured two canceled flights, a car ride and $600 worth of hotel and rental car expenses, and weren't even close to their destination.It was a similar story at the Salt Lake City bus station on Monday, where some travelers had already waited several days for a way out of town.I made it this far, and I've been stuck here ever since, said Nathan Collver, 30, a carpenter who was on his way from Austin, Texas, to Portland. LAX reported scattered delays Tuesday morning, including several flights to Seattle that were delayed. Associated Press writers Tim Fought in Portland, Ore., and Daisy Nguyen in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

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)

FAMINE

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

Zimbabwe faces bleak Christmas amid food crisis By ANGUS SHAW, Associated Press Writer DEC 23,08

HARARE, Zimbabwe – At overflowing dumpsters in Zimbabwe's capital, desperate vagrants pounced on garbage bags and fought over chicken bones and scraps of discarded food. Sewage clogged streets and most shopkeepers didn't even bother with holiday decorations.In crumbling, largely Christian Zimbabwe, where a cholera epidemic has killed more than 1,100 people, Christmas is just another day of suffering.There is nothing for us to celebrate. Christmas is a story of hunger, said Monica Rugare. "It is just another day of poverty, the way we are living today.The country's Christmas tradition of city dwellers heading to the countryside with gifts of food and clothing for their relatives isn't possible this year. Annual church carol services have been subdued, if they were held at all.On Tuesday, children found a bit of cheer playing in the stinking water gushing from a broken sewer in the impoverished Harare neighborhood of Braeside.Ten-year-old Kudzai Urere, ignoring the warnings from cholera-conscious adults as she leaped about in the murky water, said her mother had gone to search for food and would not be home until nightfall.

When she did return, she would be lucky to bring home vegetables, not toys or candy.
In this country of glaring inequities, there are some who do have the leisure and cash for pastimes like golf, even if they can't escape the stench of chaos.The sewage flowing down the streets of Braeside emptied into a stream already swollen by heavy seasonal rains. The foul-smelling water ran through a nearby golf course where a few players moved gingerly around it on the fifth fairway Tuesday.Zimbabwe's chaos is opportunity for some. Stories abound of President Robert Mugabe's generals selling the state's diamonds. Another scarce, government-controlled commodity is hard currency. Those close to Mugabe can buy U.S. dollars at the low government rate and sell them on the black market for a hefty profit.Other Zimbabweans bring in food and other goods from neighboring countries and sell them for U.S. dollars, or have access to hard currency because they work for foreign companies or have relatives abroad.But for most Zimbabweans, the economic collapse of what was once a regional bread basket and food exporter has left millions dependent on international handouts.

The cholera outbreak that has killed more than 1,100 people since August is blamed on the collapse of water and sewage facilities bereft of purification chemicals or spare parts. The waterborne disease should be easy to prevent and treat, but not in a country where medical supplies are scarce and all state hospitals have closed because they can't pay staff enough to cover the commute to work.Doctors Without Borders listed Zimbabwe's health crisis and continuing economic collapse among its Top 10 Humanitarian Crises of 2008, noting in a report released this week that life expectancy has plummeted to just 34 years of age, according to U.N figures. Because of the crisis, some 2 million people infected with the AIDS virus have been forced to skip meals or cannot afford bus fare to clinics for treatment, it said.Critics blame Mugabe's policies, including an often-violent campaign, beginning in 2000, to seize white-owned farms and hand them over to veterans of his guerrilla war against white minority rule. Mugabe blames Western sanctions, though the European Union and U.S. have targeted only Mugabe and dozens of his clique with frozen bank accounts and travel bans.With inflation running at more than 231 million percent, the central bank has licensed shops and businesses to trade in hard currency for the sale of imported goods and farm supplies.Innocent Zuwa, a small farmer outside Harare, said he was unable to plant any crops in the current wet season — he has no hard currency to buy seed and fertilizer. There's nothing for me to plant. Many others I know are in the same situation in this turmoil we are in, he said.At the hard currency stores Tuesday, there were no takers for a children's bicycle priced at $350, or a stereo system going for $650. The stores didn't even bother with the holiday decorations that have graced Harare in previous years. The state forestry commission, meanwhile, reported 720,000 acres of woodlands were felled for firewood to heat homes and for cooking amid persistent electrical power outages over the past two years. The Zimbabwe Teachers Association brought more bad news. It said schools across the country lost up to 70 percent of learning time in the last quarter of this year after teachers' pay fell below the cost of their transportation to school. Attendance by pupils fell to below half those enrolled. The teachers' organization said the education system, once the envy of southern Africa, was crippled by the economic crisis and a deadlock over a power-sharing deal between Mugabe and prime minister designate Morgan Tsvangirai, head of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. An estimated 30,000 teachers left government service since disputed elections in March, it said. If the environment does not change in coming days schools are unlikely to reopen next term, the teachers group said in a statement. On the Net: Doctors Without Borders, Whttp://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/publications/topten/story.cfm?id3234

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).

Zimbabwe's cholera toll up to 1,174: UN DEC 23,08

GENEVA (AFP) – The toll from Zimbabwe's cholera epidemic rose again Tuesday with 1,174 people now known to have died from the disease since August, the United Nations children's fund UNICEF said.The disease is still popping up in the country which means it is still not under control, UNICEF representative in Zimbabwe Roeland Monasch told a press conference in Geneva by telephone.Almost 3,000 new cases have been diagnosed since the last UN figures were published five days ago, Monasch said, taking the total number of confirmed infections to 23,712.The previous toll had been 1,123, meaning that 51 new cholera deaths had been confirmed since Thursday.Monasch added that the UN is preparing aid supplies to treat up to 60,000 possible cases of the deadly, but curable, disease.The UN partners have prepared their stocks to be able to respond to up to 60,000 people. It doesn't mean that there will be so many cases but we need to be prepared, he said.Also Tuesday, the International Federation of the Red Cross also said it was launching an emergency appeal for 10 million Swiss francs (six million euros, nine million dollars) to help 1.5 million people at risk of a host of problems in Zimbabwe.We face a new tragedy as the year draws to an end. Zimbabwe's cholera outbreak, coupled with hunger and AIDS, has created a veritable deadly molotov cocktail, said Encho Gospodinov, director of the federation's communications and policy division.Red Cross aid, including water purification equipment, will be mainly distributed to three regions in Zimbabwe where the mortality rate is abnormally high at 10 percent, he added.Elsewhere in the country, UNICEF puts the mortality rate at five percent.

Earlier this month, President Robert Mugabe appeared to deny cholera's existence in the country, proclaiming in a radio address that there is no cholera.His spokesman later said his comments were meant as sarcasm after they drew international outcry.
Mugabe then accused former colonial power Britain of deliberately introducing the disease as a genocidal onslaught on the people of Zimbabwe.The epidemic adds to the economic and political crisis roiling the impoverished southern African country, with inflation spinning to stratospheric proportions and a political stalemate reigning between Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai over disagreements on a power-sharing government.Monasch said the cholera epidemic is a result of a severe economic malaise in Zimbabwe.The biggest problem is the economic crisis that needs to be addressed immediately, he said adding that the country's economy will only improve when the political crisis is resolved.Washington had hoped the UN Security Council would adopt a non-binding resolution condemning Mugabe for failing to protect his people from the cholera outbreak, but a Western diplomat said the plan had run into opposition from neighbouring South Africa.Zimbabwe has been in political crisis since elections in March when the long-ruling ZANU-PF party lost control of parliament and Mugabe was pushed into second place by opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in the presidential vote. Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, pulled out of a run-off over violence against his supporters.

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 DEC 24,2008 (SHORTENED TRADING DAY)

09:30 AM +6.13
09:45 AM +38.71
10:00 AM +12.75
10:15 AM +32.18
10:30 AM +38.15
10:45 AM +36.48
11:00 AM +35.13
11:15 AM +58.07
11:30 AM +42.61
11:45 AM +38.39
12:00 PM +47.47
12:15 PM +42.77
12:30 PM +47.05
12:45 PM +63.32
01:00 PM +48.99 8468.48

S&P 500 868.15 +4.99

NASDAQ 1524.90 +3.36

GOLD 848.70 +10.70

OIL 37.24 -1.27

TSE 300 8310.55 -1.36

CDNX 697.00 -1.31

S&P/TSX/60 502.08 -1.05

MORNING,NEWS,STATS

Dow +37 points at 4 minutes inti trading.
Dow +20 points at low.
Dow +61 points at high.

YEAR TO DATE
Dow -36.53%
Nasdaq -42.63%
S&P 500 -41.22%
Russell 2000 -38.82%
Nyse Composite -43.86%
Dow Transports -27.61%
Dow Utilities -33.26%
AMEX Composite -44.42%

NOV DURABLE GOODS -1.0%
EX Defence -0.9%
EX Transportation +1.2%
Durable goods -1%(NOV)Vs -8.4%(OCT).
OCT durable goods revised to -8.4% from -6.9%
JOBLESS CLAIMS up 30,000 to 586,000 (WEEK ENDING DEC 20,08)
JOBLESS CLAIMS up 21,000 to 554,000 (WEEK ENDING DEC 13,08)
4 week moving Average +13,750 to 558,000.
Personal spending -0.6%(NOV)Vs -1.0%(OCT).
Personal Income -0.2%(NOV)Vs +0.1%(OCT)
Russia Minister says financial crisis triggering unrest.

MAIN GAME FOR JANUARY(LOOKING FOR TROUGHS)
-Consumer confidence.
-Major stock Indices.
-Few other signs visible.

S&P 500 CHANGES JANUARY 1,2009
OUT WITH FINANCIALS!:
1-SCANA Corp.replaces Merrill Lynch.
2-OWENS-Illinois replaces Wachovia.
3-FLIR Systems replaces National City.
MINIMUM 3 BILLION CAPITAL NOW INSTEAD OF 5 BILLION LIKE BEFORE.

WRAPUP,NEWS,STATS

Dow +76 points at high.
Dow +20 points at low.
Dow +0.6% today.
Dow -4% in December.
Dow -36% this year.
Dow plus for 1st time in 6 sessions.
Dow,S&P,Nasdaq have not had possitive months since AUG.
S&P +0.6% today.
S&P -3% in December.
S&P -40.8% in 2008.
S&P gains for 2nd time in 6 sessions.
S&P,Nasdaq on pace for biggest weekly drop since week ending nov 21,2008.
Nasdaq +0.2% today.
Nasdaq -1% in December.
Nasdaq -42.5% in 2008.
Nasdaq gains for 2nd time in last 6 sessions.
OIL DOWN FOR 9TH STRAIGHT SESSION,LONGEST LOSING STREAK SINCE JULY 2001.

RICK SANTELLI
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15837966/
http://www.blinkx.com/videos/Rick+Santelli

Stocks advance in light, Christmas Eve trading By MADLEN READ, AP Business Writer DEC 24,08

NEW YORK – Wall Street rose modestly in light holiday trading Wednesday after the government released downbeat, but unsurprising, readings on rising U.S. joblessness and declining consumer spending.The swelling rate of unemployment has been particularly worrisome to investors. The more people lose their jobs, or fear they will lose their jobs, the more they close their wallets. And consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity.But Wall Street's reaction to Wednesday's economic data was a shrug. Investors have largely been factoring in bad numbers for the fourth quarter as Americans adjusted to the slumping economy, and as banks and automakers scrambled for funding from the U.S. government to stay afloat.We've got to get through this year — it's been crazy — and just start over, said Stephen Carl, principal and head of equity trading at The Williams Capital Group.His wishlist for 2009: I hope more shoes don't drop in January, and I really hope that come March that the (government bailout) money is able to do what the people giving the money expect. I hope the automakers don't need anymore; I hope the plan comes to fruition.The Labor Department said initial applications for unemployment benefits rose more than anticipated to a seasonally adjusted 586,000 last week. That was the highest level since November 1982, though the work force has grown by about half since then.Other reports were gloomy, but less grim than anticipated. The Commerce Department said consumer spending dropped 0.6 percent in November — the fifth straight monthly drop — and durable goods orders fell 1 percent in November.Floor traders, as they do every year on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, gathered for a moment at the New York Stock Exchange to sing Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie. The song is about waiting for the rain to end, and the Big Board tradition has roots going back to the Great Depression.

Wednesday's stock moves were considered largely inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. Trading volumes were extremely low ahead of Christmas, and the markets closed early Wednesday at 1 p.m. Eastern time. And with only four trading days left in 2008, most buying and selling appeared to be investors trying to dress up their portfolios after a year of unprecedented market turmoil.According to preliminary calculations, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 48.99, or 0.58 percent, to 8,468.48, after falling for five straight sessions. The blue-chip index is well off its November lows, but is still down for the typically strong month of December.

Broader stock indicators also gained. The Standard & Poor's 500 index futures rose 4.99, or 0.58 percent, to 868.15, and the Nasdaq composite index rose 3.36, or 0.22 percent, to 1,524.90.Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by about 3 to 2 on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume amounted to 403.7 million shares.Bond prices, like stocks, were little changed. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note rose modestly to 2.19 percent from 2.18 percent late Tuesday.The dollar was mixed against other major currencies. Gold prices rose.Light, sweet crude for February delivery fell $3.63 to settle at $35.35 a barrel on the New York Mercantiles Exchange. The Nymex, like the stock and bond markets, will be closed on Thursday and re-open on Friday.Markets overseas declined. Japan's Nikkei stock average fell 2.37 percent, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 0.26 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.93 percent, Germany's DAX index fell 0.21 percent, and France's CAC-40 fell 0.39 percent.On the Net: New York Stock Exchange: http://www.nyse.com Nasdaq Stock Market: http://www.nasdaq.com

NY investor who invested in Madoff is found dead By ADAM GOLDMAN, Associated Press Writer DEC 24,08

NEW YORK – He was a distinguished investor who traced his lineage to the French aristocracy, hobnobbed with members of European high society and sailed around the world on fancy yachts.But after losing more than $1 billion of his clients' money to Bernard Madoff, Rene-Thierry Magon de la Villehuchet had enough. He locked the door of his Madison Avenue office and apparently swallowed sleeping pills and slashed his wrists with a box cutter, police said.A security guard found his body Tuesday morning, next to a garbage can placed to catch the blood.The bloody scene marked a grisly turn in the Madoff scandal in which money managers and investors were ensnared in an alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme. De la Villehuchet is believed to have lost about $1.4 billion to Madoff.No suicide note was found, said NYPD spokesman Paul Browne.Ellen Borakove, spokeswoman for the city medical examiner, said the autopsy on de la Villehuchet had been completed Wednesday. She said the medical examiner was awaiting toxicology reports before determining the cause of death.The suicide came as the number of Madoff victims grew. New York University said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that it believes it lost $24 million in the scheme through an investment with money manager J. Ezra Merkin.De la Villehuchet, 65, was an esteemed financier who tapped his upper-crust European connections to attract clients. It was not immediately clear how he knew Madoff or who his clients were.

He grew increasingly subdued after the Madoff scandal broke, drawing suspicion among janitors at his office Monday night when he demanded that they be out of there by 7 p.m.A partner in the firm asked a security guard later in the evening to check and see if De La Villehuchet was still there, but the door was locked, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said.When a guard came into the 22nd-story office suite the next morning, less than 13 hours later, the Frenchman was dead, Browne said. There were several cuts to his arm, to his wrist and also to his bicep area, Kelly said.His death came as swindled investors began looking for ways to recoup their losses. Funds that lost big to Madoff are also facing investor lawsuits and backlash for failing to properly vet Madoff and overlooking red flags that could have steered them away. It's not immediately known what kind of scrutiny de la Villehuchet was facing over his losses.De la Villehuchet (pronounced veel-ou-SHAY) comes from rich French lineage, with the Magon part of his name referring to one of France's most powerful families. The Magon name is even listed on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, a monument commissioned by Napoleon in 1806.He's irreproachable, said Bill Rapavy, who was Access International's chief operating officer before founding his own firm in 2007.De la Villehuchet's firm enlisted intermediaries with links to wealthy Europeans to garner investors. Among them was Philippe Junot, a French businessman and friend who is the former husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco, and Prince Michel of Yugoslavia.De la Villehuchet, the former chairman and chief executive of Credit Lyonnais Securities USA, was also known as a keen sailor who regularly participated in regattas and was a member of the New York Yacht Club.He lived in an affluent suburb in Westchester County with his wife, Claudine. They have no children. There was no answer Tuesday at the family's two-story house. Phone calls to the home and de la Villehuchet's office went unanswered.Guy Gurney, a British photographer living in Connecticut, was friends with de la Villehuchet. The two often sailed together and competed in a regatta in France in November. He was a very honorable man, Gurney said. He was extraordinarily generous. He was an aristocrat but not a snob. He was a real person. When he was sailing, he was one of the boys.

The two were supposed to have dinner last Friday but Gurney called the day before to cancel because of the weather. But during the call, de la Villehuchet revealed he had been ensnared in Madoff scandal. He sounded very subdued, Gurney said. Gurney said de la Villehuchet was happily married to his wife. I can't imagine what it's like for her now, he said. Associated Press Writers Tom Hays, Rachel Beck and Joe Bel Bruno and the AP News Research Center in New York; Jim Fitzgerald in New Rochelle, N.Y.; and Joelle Diderich in Paris contributed to this report.

Oil prices near $35 on more dour economic news By JOHN PORRETTO, AP Energy Writer DEC 24,08

HOUSTON – Crude prices tumbled Wednesday following a raft of economic news that painted an ugly picture of the nation's economy, suggesting demand for energy will continue to erode.Light, sweet crude for February delivery fell $3.63 to settle at $35.35 in a shortened day of trading. Prices fell as low as $35.13 just before the market closed for the holiday.Investors expecting more evidence of slowing U.S. energy demand got a bit of a surprise as the Energy Department reported crude inventories dropped last week.But Americans continue to cut back on driving amid the worst recession in a generation, leading to growing stockpiles of gasoline and eroding demand for motor fuel.Gasoline futures plummeted below 80 cents a gallon.

I don't see anything out of this report that's really going to change this downward move, said Jim Ritterbusch, president of energy consultancy Ritterbusch and Associates. Things are going to remain under downside pressure through the balance of this year and probably into the new year.A steady stream of dismal U.S. economic and corporate data during the past few months has hammered investor confidence and sent oil prices reeling 74 percent since July.More bad news emerged Wednesday with consumer spending falling for a fifth straight month in November, the longest weak stretch in a half century, while incomes declined under the weight of massive job layoffs.Separately, new claims for unemployment benefits rose more than expected last week, as layoffs spread throughout the economy, more evidence the labor market is weakening as the recession deepens. The Labor Department reported initial requests for jobless benefits rose to a seasonally adjusted 586,000 in the week ending Dec. 20, from an upwardly revised figure of 556,000 the previous week. That's much more than the 560,000 economists had expected.Manufacturers are slashing energy use as well. Orders at U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods fell again in November, reflecting further setbacks in the battered auto industry and a big drop in demand for commercial aircraft.For the week ended Dec. 19 crude inventories fell by 3.1 million barrels, or 1 percent, to 318.2 million barrels, which is 9.1 percent above year-ago levels, the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said in its weekly report.Analysts had expected a boost of 1.5 million barrels, according to a survey by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos.Gasoline inventories rose by 3.3 million barrels, or 1.6 percent, to 207.3 million barrels, which is 2.4 percent below year-ago levels. Analysts expected stockpiles of the motor fuel to rise by 900,000 barrels.Demand for gasoline over the four weeks ended Dec. 19 was 2.7 percent lower than a year earlier, averaging nearly 9 million barrels a day.

At the pump, retail gas prices fell less than a penny overnight to a new national average of $1.655 a gallon Wednesday, and remain well below the year-ago average of $2.972 a gallon, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.In a separate weekly report, the EIA said natural gas storage levels in the U.S. tumbled last week but remain 3.4 percent above the five-year average for this time of year. The EIA said natural gas inventories held in underground storage in the lower 48 states slipped by 147 billion cubic feet to about 3.02 trillion cubic feet. Analysts had expected a drop of between 142 billion and 147 billion cubic feet.Oil traders so far have brushed off attempts by OPEC to boost prices through production cuts. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which accounts for about 40 percent of global supply, said last week it would slash production by 2.2 million barrels a day, its largest single cutback ever. The most recent round of cuts would reduce OPEC production by more than 2 million barrels per day.OPEC may meet in Kuwait City on Jan. 19 to discuss further production cuts. The group's next official meeting is March 15 in Vienna. The fall of benchmark crude on the Nymex has been paralleled by steep declines in Brent futures traded on London's ICE exchange. Trader and analyst Stephen Schork noted that Brent crude has dropped in 79 of the last 123 sessions ... by a total of $108.05 a barrel — a 73 percentage point loss. On Wednesday, February Brent crude slumped $1.57 to $38.79 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange. In other Nymex trading, gasoline futures tumbled by 6.3 cents to settle at 79.27 cents a gallon. Heating oil plunged 12.8 cents to settle at $1.1983 a gallon while natural gas for January delivery tumbled 18.8 cents to fetch $5.549 per 1,000 cubic feet.
Associated Press writers George Jahn in Vienna, Austria, and Alex Kennedy in Singapore contributed to this report.

Sarkozy fears spectre of 1968 haunting Europe
LEIGH PHILLIPS 23.12.2008 @ 07:41 CET

As disparate but linked militant youth protests simultaneously erupt in a number of countries across the continent, French President Nicholas Sarkozy has retreated on two controversial pieces of domestic legislation out of fear that a spectre is haunting Europe - the spectre of 1968.Mr Sarkozy, the outgoing chairman of the six-month rotating European Union presidency, has dropped plans for changes to high school curricula and Sunday retail opening hours in dread that the Greek syndrome - the two-week-long youth riots that have rocked the Hellenic Republic in the country's most widespread unrest since the overthrow of the military junta in 1974 - could spread to France, or even across the continent.We can't have a European May 68for Christmas, the French leader said to his cabinet, according to reports in Le Canard Enchaîné, referring to the left-wing student protests and general strike in France in 1968 that led to the eventual collapse of the government of Charles De Gaulle. Similar protests took place that year around the world, particularly in the United States and Germany, but the événements of 68 hold a unique place in the French political imaginary.The French could upturn the country - look at what's happening in Greece, Mr Sarkozy reportedly told deputies from his party, the UMP, during a lunch at the Elysée Palace, according to French daily Le Figaro.

Barricades

On Monday of last week, his government reversed itself over plans for increased Sunday shopping, resisted by the Catholic Church and the trade unions.The next day, in the wake of militant protests by high school students, plans for the re-organisation of the secondary school curriculum were postponed indefinitely by education minister Xavier Darcos at the insistence of the president.I don't want the schools reform to become hostage to social tensions, worries, anxieties that are not connected to the schools issues, the minister said, announcing the move.The month-long protests by high-school students' unions against the education changes that saw school buildings barricaded across France, boiled over in Rennes in the west of the country in particular, turning violent.Despite the announcement of the withdrawal of the legislation, protests continued, attracting larger numbers than the week before. While the demonstrations were for the most part peaceful, Lyons and Lille saw a number of arrests after some cars were burnt. The French National Student's Union, UNEF, following the government's decision, also made the link between French protests and the events in Greece, declaring its solidarity with Greek youth against police repression.

After the CPE Generation in France, said the student organisation in reference to the widespread French protests in 2006 that resulted in the defeat of the Contrat première embauche (First Employment Contract) law that would have allowed employers to more easily terminate young workers' contracts, it is the €600 Generation in Greece demonstrating with the same refusal of precariousness and feeling that we have no future.The Greek protesters have described themselves as the €600 Generation, mocking their low average monthly wage, even after years of post-secondary education.

The €600 Generation

Things are heating up everywhere in Europe, in Greece, but also in Spain, Italy and even in France. The slogan of the Greek students about the €600 Generation could easily catch on here, President Sarkozy told his ministers.When you see people confront each other with such violence, when you see the pillage, he is reported to have said, ...in a country like Greece, obviously it makes us think twice.In recent weeks, demonstrations, occupations of universities, and even the blocking of railway lines have spread across Spain in protest at the Bologna Process, an EU-inspired series of university and college reforms. The Bologna Process has also provoked significant student opposition in Italy, Finland and Croatia, with hundreds of thousands of students, professors and parents descending on Rome on 30 October for the largest student protest the country has seen since the sixties.Echoing the 2005 riots by black and Maghreb young people across France, in the last few days on a albeit on a much smaller scale in Malmo, Sweden, there have been running battles between youth and police. On Thursday (18 December) Immigrant youths and left-wing students protesting the shutting down of an Islamic cultural centre threw stones at police and set fire to vehicles and refuse bins.

The Greek Syndrome

According to Britain's Daily Telegraph, the French president conferred with his counterparts at the December EU summit in Brussels about the youth protests, returning to Paris even more worried about a pan-European May 1968.Raymond Soubie, a councillor of the French president, said: In my forty-year career, I have always refused to say that the spring or the autumn will be hot.The Hot Autumn of 1969-70 was a massive rolling series of strikes in northern Italy that has since in the continental press referred to other autumns - or any season - with a larger than usual amount of industrial action.But today, he continued, I think that all could be hot.French and European leaders are all the more worried, as while the youth actions are likely to fizzle out in the short term, they have kicked off before the economic crisis really begins to pinch and could return with a vengeance if unemployment rates soar. Leading member of France's Socialist Party, Laurent Fabius, told i-Tele: The Greek Syndrome menaces all countries today, as we find ourselves in a truly grave crisis with an explosion of social inequalities.

TSX shifts lower as weakening energy prices weigh down shortened trading session By David Friend, The Canadian Press DEC 24,08

TORONTO - The Toronto stock market launched a mild rally near midday as investors found broad optimism in a shortened trading session. Toronto's S&P/TSX composite index was up 29.62 points to 8,341.53 and the Canadian dollar was ahead 0.21 of a cent at 82.35 cents US. Major North American markets close at 1 p.m. ahead of the Christmas holiday. Many investors are on vacation during Christmas week, so trading has been light. With only four trading days left in the year, investors may be looking for a chance to get their positions in order after a year of unprecedented market turmoil. The TSX energy sector took a 0.5 per cent dive as the price of light, sweet crude for February delivery dipped $1.35 to US$37.63 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Gold stocks rose 0.91 per cent, even as the February bullion contract rose $6.70 to US$844.80. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average rose 57.91 to 8,477.40. The Nasdaq composite index moved ahead 3.17 points to 1,524.71 and the S&P 500 rose 5.04 points to 868.20. The U.S. Commerce Department says consumer spending dropped 0.6 per cent in November. It was the fifth straight monthly drop, but slightly less than expected. Meanwhile, the Labour Department says initial applications for unemployment benefits rose by more than anticipated. Both jobs and consumer spending have been a particular concern for investors. The more people lose their jobs - or fear they will lose their jobs - the more they close their wallets. And consumer spending accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity.

Statistics Canada reports the Canadian economy shrank in October, with gross domestic product falling 0.1 per cent in October after increasing 0.1 per cent in September. Wholesale trade, manufacturing and real estate had the biggest drags on growth. Cash-strapped Air Canada (TSX:AC.B) has negotiated another loan to help it run operations, this time a US$195-million financing agreement with General Electric Capital Corp. The announcement helped its shares rise 12 per cent, or 17 cents, to $1.55. Canadian markets will be closed on Dec. 26 for the Boxing Day holiday while U.S. markets trade in a regular session. Overseas, markets ended mostly weaker with Britain's FTSE 100 down 0.93 per cent, while Germany's DAX index was down 0.21 per cent, and France's CAC-40 was down 0.39 per cent. Japan's Nikkei stock average fell 2.37 per cent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index fell 0.26 per cent.

World Bank lends Poland 975m euros for reforms Tue Dec 23, 10:14 am ET

WARSAW (AFP) – The World Bank finalised a loan of 975 million euros (1.34 billion dollars) for Poland on Tuesday to support economic reform plans, in a measure not directly related to the global economic crisis.Designed to help Poland tackle fiscal reform and consolidation the loan is meant to support the government's plans to enhance the quality and efficiency of public finances, increase the supply of relevant and skilled labor, and strengthen the business environment, a World Bank statement said.It also noted Poland's good macroeconomic fundamentals and ambitious reform plans within the context of the current global financial crisis.Poland's Deputy Finance Minister Katarzyna Zajdel-Kurowska and World Bank chief for Poland and the Baltic states Emilia Skrok signed the final loan agreement in Warsaw Tuesday.

Poland joined the European Union in 2004, but unlike many of its EU partners it is not expected to tumble into recession next year.However, blaming the world crisis, the liberal government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk recently revised its 2008 economic growth forecast down from 5.5 percent to 3.7 percent.Similarly, its 2009 economic growth forecast was slashed to to 3.7 percent from an earlier 4.8 percent estimate.The World Bank has lent Poland a total 6.2 billion dollars since 1990, a year after the country shed communism.

Gas Producers Meet in Moscow Amid Russian Dispute With Ukraine By Lucian Kim and Greg Walters

Dec. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Energy ministers from the world’s largest natural-gas exporters gathered in Moscow today to forge closer ties as Russia threatened to cut supplies of the fuel to Ukraine in a row over unpaid bills. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who turned OAO Gazprom into a global energy company during two presidential terms, will open a meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, which includes OPEC members Iran, Algeria and Qatar. Western consumer countries have warned against forming a gas OPEC along the lines of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Maybe it’s a bright image, but the mechanisms of OPEC can’t be used on the gas market, Alexander Medvedev, Gazprom’s chief of exports, said last week. In this case, it’s not necessary to make comparisons.Russia, which supplies a quarter of Europe’s gas through pipelines, is locked into long-term contracts that don’t allow the flexibility and reach of the world oil market. Yet as demand grows for liquefied natural gas -- gas chilled to a liquid for transport by tanker -- a global market is forming that reduces the importance of pipelines and encourages spot trades. The forum is set to agree on a charter transforming it from a loose, consultative body into a formal organization with a permanent secretariat, as Russia seeks a leading role in the group. This year’s annual meeting was delayed several times amid reports that member nations disagreed over the group’s future.

Ukraine Dispute

The meeting is taking place as Russia has told Ukraine, which ships about four-fifths of the nation’s gas exports to Europe via its pipelines, that it will cut deliveries in the event of a failure to be paid for energy shipments in 2008. Russia shut off deliveries three years ago amid a price disagreement, and says its neighbor is withholding about $2 billion in payment for gas supplies. Viktor Zubkov, chairman of Gazprom, said yesterday that Ukraine should be held “fully responsible” for any disruption in Russian gas supplies to Europe as the sides struggle to resolve the dispute by a Jan. 1 deadline. The Moscow-based Institute of Energy and Finance estimates that each ruble in capital investment adds five rubles to economic growth, meaning non-payment by Ukraine could reduce Russia’s gross domestic product by 301 billion rubles ($10.6 billion), representing lost growth of 0.7 percent, according to the Kremlin press service.

Russian LNG

Gazprom is planning to expand beyond its European client base when it starts loading its first LNG cargo in February, opening up new markets for Russian gas in Japan, South Korea and North America. The state-run company formed a gas troika in October with Qatar and Iran for joint exploration and production projects. Together, the three countries hold more than half of the world’s gas reserves. Four cities are vying to host the Gas Forum’s permanent secretariat, Medvedev said. St. Petersburg will compete for the honor with Algiers, Tehran and Doha, Qatar, he said. During his presidency from 2000 to May this year, Putin consolidated state control over the country’s oil and gas industry, with Gazprom as the flagship for Russia’s new economic might. The Moscow-based company is pursuing projects from Libya and Vietnam to Alaska and Bolivia. Yesterday Gazprom said France’s GDF Suez SA may join the planned Nord Stream pipeline, as Russia shores up support for the project by bringing in more foreign partners.

French Investment

Gazprom Chief Executive Officer Alexei Miller discussed the possibility at a meeting with his GDF Suez counterpart Gerard Mestrallet in France yesterday. GDF Suez is interested in principle in becoming a minority investor in the 1,200- kilometer (750-mile) pipeline linking Russia to Germany, according to a Gazprom statement. Gazprom currently owns 51 percent of Nord Stream, with Wintershall Holding AG and E.ON Ruhrgas AG each holding 20 percent and Nederlandse Gasunie NV 9 percent. After oil prices started tumbling from a record in July, Putin’s deputy, Igor Sechin, began pushing for closer coordination with OPEC, of which Russia is not a member. OPEC was founded in 1960 by Venezuela, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The Gas Exporting Countries Forum held its first meeting in Tehran in 2001. The last ministerial meeting was held in Doha in April 2007. Forum members include Egypt, Nigeria, Malaysia and Trinidad & Tobago. To contact the reporter on this story: Lucian Kim in Moscow at lkim3@bloomberg.net.

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).

GCC suspends EU free-trade talks Tue Dec 23, 11:25 am ET

DUBAI (AFP) – The six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council has suspended talks with the European Union over a free-trade agreement, the GCC's secretary general said on Tuesday.We have informed the European side of the suspension of negotiations on a free-trade accord, said Abderrahman al-Attiyah, interviewed by telephone in Muscat, where he is preparing for the annual GCC summit.We are suspending the negotiations until the European side agrees to sign the (most recent) draft accord, adding that the petroleum-rich monarchies had made many concessions and responded favourably to the EU's many demands.The decision came as no surprise, with member nation Qatar warning on December 15 that a suspension was in the offing if an impasse in the 20-year-old negotiations continued.Some day in the near future the GCC states will decide to suspend the talks which have so far had no result, Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem al-Thani said in Singapore.The GCC -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates -- has been in talks with the now 27-member EU about a free trade agreement since 1988.

Sheikh Hamad said the accord should have been signed at the end of November during a visit to Qatar by Nicolas Sarkozy, the president of France which holds the rotating EU presidency.He said the European Union retracted at the last minute.The negotiations with Europe have gone on for too long, and our European partner must know that the talks cannot last indefinitely, Sheikh Hamad said.Europe is the GCC's largest trading partner, and if it wishes to expand on that partnership it must reconsider its position on the talks, he said.In April, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said the question of human rights was one of the points being negotiated. Attiyah said in June the GCC would not accept any political conditions.The GCC countries reject the imposition of conditions and political demands by the European side in order to sign an economic agreement, he said.

Periodically over the years, a deal has been said to be imminent, only for talks to stall.Every time we start a round of talks, the European party surprises us by raising new questions or by mixing politics and trade, Attiya was quoted by the United Arab Emirates' WAM news agency as saying on Tuesday.The GCC is ready to sign the accord when the European side accepts the few final propositions made by the Gulf countries. If not, the GCC is not prepared to resume negotiations.

A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE
No Room for Christ DEC 24,08

Approximately 2000 years ago, God came to earth. Humanity did not know who He was, for John 1:10 states, He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. This included the innkeeper at Bethlehem who posted a No Vacancy sign on his hotel door at the visit of the Lord Jesus Christ (see Luke 2:7).This same spiritual ignorance makes modern man lock the door of his mind and heart to the Savior of the world. Instead of falling on his knees in grateful appreciation of the fact that God came to earth to save him from his sin, he listens to the whisperings of Satan who says, Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you die.Thus, mankind celebrates God's entrance into the world by hosting the bottle and crying, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Little does he realize that booze can only produce a Marred Christmas and a Heart-ache Saturated New Year!

Nevertheless, liquor-filled, sex-oriented celebrations will again dominate the scene internationally this year. Within weeks following the commemoration of Christ's birth, the abortion mills will be ridding the world of unwanted pregnancies promiscuously conceived during the holidays. Had they been holy days instead of holidays, this never would have happened.The wrong God will be honored. Santa Claus, named after the pagan god Thor, will be on the throne instead of the Lord Jesus Christ. All the paganistic activities involving liquor and revelry will again be the rage of the season, and all that will remain is the fruit of practiced iniquities.

While Santa and Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, vie for first place in the hearts of multitudes, the precious Lord, whose birthday it is, will be buried under the discarded gift wrappings the world so eagerly and greedily exchanged. How sad it is that the world still has no room for Jesus. One would think that humanity would have learned something after nearly twenty centuries.Even more alarming is the way genuine Christians put the festivities first and the Savior last. How many Christians have a Family Altar on Christmas Day? I am not referring to the quick ditty" muttered at mealtime, Lord, bless this bunch as we munch on our lunch. This prayer only insults the God who gave so much. Rather, I am talking about a time when the story of Christ is shared with the entire family. What a shame when the children hear all about Saint Nick, but are not acquainted with our God and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ (see Titus 2:13).I challenge you to put Christ first on His birthday this year. May I include the following outline for the family to share? Use this editorial on Christmas Day. Begin with:

Matthew 1:18-25
Matthew 2:1-11
Luke 1:26-38
Luke 2:1-14
After reading these passages from God's Word, read the following verses. They present the true meaning of Christmas, and complete the story of Christ's deity and mission

Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever (Romans 9:5)
Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh (I Timothy 3:16)
[He] took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:7,8)It is the blood that maketh atonement for the soul (Leviticus 17:11). The reason Christ took a body was that He might shed His blood for sinners.Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission [of sin] (Hebrews 9:22). Animal blood could not take away sin - only cover the sin until the greatest sacrifice took place. This was in and through the Lord Jesus Christ.
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he [Christ] cometh into the world, he saith ... a body thou hast prepared me (Hebrews 10:4,5).In this body He would take away sin (see John 1:29). This He did at Calvary when He died for the sins of the entire world. Because God came to earth in a body with blood, and because He shed that blood, sinners can find forgiveness. This is why Revelation 1:5 declares, Unto him [Christ] that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Paul could say in 2 Corinthians 9:15, Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. At this point your family should pray with praise-filled hearts, thanking God for the gift of His Son.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FROM THE HEART OF DR. REXELLA VAN IMPE

No, thank You God!

When I was a little girl, the one day of the year when I never had any difficulty waking up early was on Christmas morning. I knew that Mom and Dad - and, of course, when I was very young, Santa Claus - had gaily wrapped presents waiting for me under the Christmas tree. Oh, how excited and thrilled I was to get those gifts.At our house, gifts were a very important part of the love we shared one with the other, and my brothers and I were always very anxious to see what we were getting. For every gift, we would say, Oh, thank you, Mama ... thank you, Daddy! Or, Look what Santa brought me! My parents were always careful to teach and stress the true reason for the season and the real meaning of Christmas. We children learned early on that the gifts we gave and received were just reminders of God’s greatest gift of all, His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior and soon-coming King.Sadly, in our society today, it seems the focus is on holiday gifts rather than the Gift of Christmas. And if the story of Christ’s first coming is even told, many people glance at the baby in the manger and fail to recognize Jesus for who He really is. How tragic to trade the greatest Gift that could ever be given for commercialism’s flash and glitter or the secular emphasis on feasting, partying, and sensual celebration.The Gift of Christmas is not a throwaway present to be swept away with the wrappings and ribbons. It is a for-all-the-year Gift. It is not something to open up and then forget about, but Somebodyto receive and have forever. The Gift lasts all our lives through ... and into eternity. The Bible says, The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23).We live in two worlds, one outside our being and the other inside. The outer world is filled with conflict and turmoil, hatred and international tension, struggle and strife. Inside we must deal with hurts and disappointments, discouragement and fear - none of us are free from difficult situations. But if we receive the Gift of Christmas, we have an inner peace and strength to overcome negativism and chaos. We have faith and hope for today and the future.

The Miracle of Christmas

The first miracle of Christmas was that Jesus was born as a result of what has been called an immaculate conception. The word immaculate means spotlessly clean. The Word of God says that the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, came upon a young Jewish virgin, and the power of the Highest overshadowed her, and she gave birth to the Son of God (see Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 1:30-35).Some time ago on our weekly telecast, Jack Van Impe Presents, my husband was addressing the momentous new development of man’s scientific ability to create clones. A number of different animals have now been created in laboratories - sheep, cows, and several other species. And scientists now feel sure that it is possible to clone a human being. Jack said, This means that the skeptical preachers who have questioned the virgin birth over the years now have a real problem - because every clone is a virgin birth! If man is able to do it now, why is it so difficult to believe that God accomplished this more than two thousand years ago? My husband also pointed out that a clone is an exact image, and the Scriptures teach that Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God -a clone as far as His birth is concerned! The human race cannot take credit for the Gift of Jesus

I think it is tremendously important to realize that Jesus was not man’s invention -man’s genius or effort did not develop Him - Jesus was and is the Gift of God. His story is not of a man becoming God, but of God becoming man.A few years ago a fine Christian doctor, a gynecologist, sent us an article he had written that explained the role of the father and mother in the conception and birth of a baby. Dr. Strohshein, now gone home to be with the Lord, had done years of research, proving that while the mother carries the child for nine months as it develops, feeds the unborn baby, and gives birth to the new life, none of her blood is within the child. Dr. Strohshein’s article went on to show how the seed of the father determines the blood and the crucial characteristics of every offspring. The Bible says, The Lord hath created a new thing in the earth, a woman shall compass (or surround) a man (Jeremiah 31:22).Why is this so significant? It means that when Jesus later sacrificed His life for the world on the cross, the blood that was shed did not come from Mary, but from His Father God! So it was not human blood, but divine! What an awesome thought. That’s why the Gift of God that mankind received on that first Christmas is so remarkable and unfathomable.Remember that Mary was not a princess with a huge estate or a great prophetess with a large following. She was a humble teenager who was engaged to be married to Nazareth’s local carpenter, a good man named Joseph. And when it was time to give birth, she was not pampered or given special care and attention. Rather, after riding a donkey over rough trails to accompany her husband to Bethlehem to be taxed, she ended up in a rustic stable - probably a cave - surrounded by barnyard animals. There, on a bed of straw, she gave birth to a son, wrapped him in rough-woven cloth, and laid him in a hay-filled manger.

The familiar Scriptures tell us that His first visitors were not society’s elite, the wealthy and powerful. Instead, angels announced Jesus’ kingly entrance into this world to the lowliest, poorest people of all - the shepherds who watched their flocks outside the city. And they came to find the Lord quickly, gladly, still in awe that the King of glory had come to dwell among them.They came to find Immanuel - God with us ... with ordinary people (see Isaiah 7:14). Imagine common folks being able to come into the presence of divinity and have fellowship with the Son of God! How could such a thing be? God with us meant the end of loneliness ... the end of facing life’s trials alone. As the popular Southern Gospel song declares, I don’t know a thing in this whole wide world that is worse than being alone. So God gave us Immanuel. No wonder the apostle Paul exclaimed in awe and wonder, Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift (2 Corinthians 9:15).Rejecting the Gift As incredible as it seems, down though the ages - in fact, from the very beginning, starting with Cain, the son of Adam and Eve - mankind has rejected the Gift of God. As we know, the Old Testament saints were saved and redeemed exactly as we are, the difference being that Jesus hadn’t come yet. So they looked forward to the Redeemer while we look back. They offered the blood sacrifice of animals, knowing that it was not sufficient to take away their sins but only to cover them until the Gift of God came.

We look back to Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary and say, Yes, the Gift was good enough. Jesus’ blood can wash away the stain and the penalty of my sin.But Cain killed his brother Abel in a dispute over the proper sacrifice (see Genesis 4:1-8). In effect, Cain said, No, thank You, God. I choose not to follow Your plan. I will offer my own sacrifice of the fruit and vegetables I have grown. I want to do it my way, not Yours! (Hebrews 11:4; 1 John 3:12).The Bible records examples from virtually every generation of people who turned from God’s way and every man did that which was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6). They were saying, No, thank You, God. I’ll try to make it on my own.Tragically, even in our society today people are still rejecting the Gift, saying No, thank You, God, we’ll go our own way. The Supreme Court of Alabama ruled that a display of the Ten Commandments could not remain in the courthouse. Military academy cadets will no longer give thanks at mealtime. The European Union new constitution has removed all references to God. And, of course, for years in America’s public schools, prayer has been forbidden.More and more today, our nation is being molded by what is inclusive, culturally acceptable and politically correct. Well, that might be one way, but we must be sensitive and recognize that it’s not the only way. Or, Yes, that is one religion, but there are many great religions in the world, and we must be tolerant and accepting of all of them.But what is really being said is, No, thank You, God. We’ll find our own way of getting to heaven ... if it really exists. Or maybe we can mix all the religions together and make a unified belief that everybody can accept.

A giant step in the wrong direction

What happens when society says, No, thank You, God. We don’t want to go that way? The historical record is painfully clear. It is a giant step in the wrong direction -toward doom and death and destruction.Mohammed is dead. Buddha is long gone. Hinduism’s 100,000,000 (one hundred million) idol gods are not the answer. No other religion offers the Gift. Jesus is the only living Savior, the only God the human race cannot take credit for creating. Like it or not, the Word of God unequivocally declares, Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12).So any time anyone turns to the man-made religions of the world, he is saying, No, thank You, God.This Christmas, the world’s people will again seek to celebrate a wonderful, fun holiday season. They will grasp for the benefits of Christmas, without making any personal commitment to the Gift.Merchants will publicize Christmas, encouraging everybody to shop and to buy gifts. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Families will come together to enjoy fellowship, sharing, and a great feast together. There’s nothing wrong with that.Those in the travel industry love the holiday because so many people take to the highways and airlines to visit friends and relatives around the world. And there’s nothing wrong with that.Where we fall short during this time is in forgetting the Gift of Christmas - of either willfully or negligently communicating, No, thank You, God, I don’t need what You have to offer.Watch out! Don’t make the mistake of the Laodiceans, who said, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing. The Spirit replied, You don’t even know that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent (see Revelation 3:17,19).

I realize that this is a very different Christmas article from those the Lord has laid on my heart in the past. But we are living in very different times ... and this could well be the last time some of us will celebrate Christmas. I am not trying to be overly dramatic. Our world is filled with terror and uncertainty, and seems to be careening towards disaster.There is only one certainty ... and His name is Jesus. He is the Gift of God. What He offers is salvation, peace, and life - abundant life, eternal life, now and forever.

Make the right choice!

A Sunday school teacher once gave a little boy his choice of two gifts. One was in a beautiful box, with shiny foil paper and multicolored ribbons. The other was a plain and simple metal can. The little boy wisely chose the plain container.The teacher said, First we will open the package you did not choose, the one that is so beautiful on the outside. When she opened the lid, the box contained only old, shredded newspapers.Then she handed the very plain can to the little boy, and he pried off the lid. A big smile spread across his face as he saw that the can was filled with holiday cookies and candies.What is the lesson? Don’t be deceived by the outward appearance - it is what’s inside that counts. Jesus came to the world in very humble surroundings, and associated with the poor and humble people of the world. But He brought - and is - a Gift beyond description, for which mankind can’t take the credit.That wonderful Gift is offered to you again during this holy season. Oh, yes, the world also offers its counterfeit present, so don’t choose the wrong package. Please don’t make the mistake of saying, No, thank You, God. This Christmas - right now - accept anew the wondrous benefits He has to offer and join in singing, Oh, come to my heart, Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for You.

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.

Venezuelan foreign minister denies Iran-Syria missile report
Mon Dec 22, 9:04 PM By The Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuela's foreign minister has dismissed a published report claiming that Iran has been shipping missile components to Syria on Venezuelan flights. Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro strongly denied Sunday's story in the Italian newspaper La Stampa, which cited intelligence sources. The foreign minister also denied a Sunday report in the Spanish daily newspaper El Mundo. It alleging that members of the Basque separatist group ETA had reached a pact with a Venezuelan militant group and had agreed to provide the group with training. The newspaper identified the group as the Bolivarian Forces of Liberation. Maduro said the allegations are part of a campaign against Venezuela and President Hugo Chavez. Behind this campaign are the remnants of what's left of this administration that's on its way out of Washington, Maduro said Monday, referring to the presidency of George W. Bush. U.S. officials repeatedly have denied Chavez's accusations that Washington is conspiring with his opponents against him.

Vote moves Russia closer to 6-year presidency DEC 23,08

MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- The upper house of Russia's parliament Monday approved an extension of the presidential term from four years to six, a move many Russia-watchers believe is designed to bring former President Vladimir Putin back to the nation's top office.Some experts believe prime minister Vladimir Putin remains Russia's real leader.Putin stepped down as president in May after two terms and is now prime minister.His hand-picked successor, Dmitri Medvedev, proposed in November that the head of state's term be lengthened, starting with the next president.Putin earlier this month shrugged off the suggestion that Medvedev would step down to make way for Putin's return when the law passes.The next election is in 2012, he said December 4, according to the Interfax news agency. But his comments came after a three-hour televised question-and-answer session with the Russian public which reinforced some experts' view that Putin remained the country's real leader.Putin has done call-in programs each year since 2001, but this year was the first one he did as prime minister, rather than president. Putin remaining in the chair this year, rather than yielding it to Medvedev, shows he still runs Russia, analyst Yevgeny Volk said.In fact, the three-hour nationwide broadcast may have marked the beginning of his campaign to be re-elected president, said Volk, the director of the Moscow office of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative U.S.-based think tank.The constitutional amendments extending the presidential term passed the upper house of Russia's parliament with the support of all of the country's 83 regions, the chamber said in a statement reported by RIA-Novosti. The amendments would also increase the length of lawmakers' terms from four years to five. They now go to the president for his signature.