60,000 TURKEYS DESTROYED IN BC

ITS ABOUT TIME A STORY CAME OUT HOW THE COWARDS HAMAS HIDE BEHIND WOMEN,CHILDREN,MOSQUES. THESE ARE REALLY HEROS EARNING 72 VIRGINS IN 72 BEDS IN PARADISE! WOULD ANYONE FROM ISLAM AGREE. A WAR & MURDER & SEX FOR SALVATION CULT LIKE HAMAS AND RADICAL ISLAM IS NOT WORTH ANYTHING AT ALL.

FROM WND'S JERUSALEM BUREAU Hamas slammed for monstrous use of civilians
Reports emerging of women, children placed in line of Israeli fire January 22, 2009
2:14 pm Eastern By Aaron Klein 2009 WorldNetDaily

HERZLIYA, Israel – In the aftermath of Israel's three-week offensive targeting Hamas in the Gaza Strip, reports are emerging of how the terrorists used civilians during the conflict. Entire families in Gaza lived on top of a barrel of explosives for months without knowing, stated Israel Defense Forces Brig. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg.

Eisenberg charged Hamas sent civilians, including women and children, to transfer weapons to gunmen engaged in battles with Israeli forces, and he accused Hamas of booby-trapping many of the civilians' homes. He labeled Hamas' alleged use of civilians as monstrous and inhumane.Similar reports were provided to WND during previous Israeli battles with Hamas. During one battle focusing largely on the Hamas infrastructure in the city of Jabaliya, about one mile into the Gaza Strip, an Israeli commander said Hamas drew Israeli forces into populated civilian areas, shooting at Jewish fighters from occupied civilian homes while women and children were inside. In another case, Israel's Haaretz daily quoted an Israeli commander describing how Hamas sent a 10-year-old boy into the battlefield in full view of the Israeli military to remove a gun from a felled terrorist and then pass the weapon to another terrorist. The commander at the scene said he ordered his troops to halt their fire as the Israeli military watched. Another commander speaking to WND said Hamas snipers used the windows of a Jabaliya house that was clearly occupied by women and children to shoot at his unit.

The aim is to draw us into killing civilians to bring about international pressure to end our operation, the commander said. The international community and much of the world media constantly berated Israel for purportedly killing more than 1,250 Palestinians during the conflict. Many media members claimed those numbers were mostly civilians. WND reported the media was parroting Hamas casualty counts with no independent verification. Now the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera quoted what it said was a Palestinian doctor at Gaza City's main Shifa Hospital disputing the Hamas casualty numbers. It's possible that the death toll in Gaza was 500 or 600 at the most, mainly youths aged 17 to 23 who were enlisted by Hamas – who sent them to their deaths, he said. The IDF's own estimate, which is not based on verification of deaths, puts the toll at about 1,000, two-thirds of which it says were gunmen. The Gaza doctor continued: Perhaps it is like Jenin in 2002. At the beginning they (Palestinians) spoke about 1,500 dead, and at the end it turned out to be only 54 – of whom 45 were militants.The doctor was referring to a 2002 Israeli anti-terror raid in the northern West Bank town of Jenin after which Hamas and the PA claimed hundreds of Palestinian civilians were murdered.Chief PA negotiator Saeb Erekat claimed on CNN that more than 500 people were killed. He repeated the charge on CNN a day later, adding that 300 Palestinians were being buried in mass graves.It was later determined 54 Palestinians were killed, mostly terrorists, while the IDF lost 23 troops while they engaged in house-to-house combat instead of massive air raids in order to limit civilian casualties.

Hamas Under Fire from EU, Human Rights Groups
by Maayana Miskin JAN 26,2009

(IsraelNN.com) Senior European Union official Louis Michel said Monday that Hamas bears responsibility for provoking the recent three-week war in Gaza. Speaking from the city of Jabaliya in northern Gaza, Michel said Hamas is a terrorist movement and should be denounced.Michel, the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, told journalists that the international community is sick of seeing the projects it funded being destroyed due to Hamas. Public opinion is fed up to see that we are paying over and over again — be it the commission, the member states or the major donors [of the EU -ed.] — for infrastructure that will be systematically destroyed, he explained.Despite his criticism, Michel announced that the EU would grant $41.7 million in emergency aid for Gaza. The money will be used for food, water, medical supplies and other basics that are in short supply due to the war.The EU will also donate $26 million to development projects in the Palestinian Authority-controlled regions of Judea and Samaria, and $7.8 million to refugee camps in Lebanon housing the descendants of Arabs who fled pre-state Israel during the War of Independence.

ICHR: Hamas Must End Killings
The Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) in Gaza has also criticized Hamas, according to the Bethlehem-based Maan news agency. The group slammed Hamas for the recent killings of Fatah members and those suspected of helping Israel during recent fighting in Gaza.ICHR workers said they had evidence of several extra-judicial killings and other crimes, including beatings, shootings and threats against civilians. The group refrained from accusing Hamas forces of committing the attacks, but said Hamas was responsible to stop them.Fatah officials in Judea and Samaria recently reported that 16 Fatah members in Gaza were killed by Hamas during the fighting.

Hamas Executed B'Tselem Collaborator
The ICHR's announcement was made shortly after Hamas announced the execution of a Gaza journalist who worked with the Israeli group B'Tselem. Prosecutors claimed that the journalist, Haidar Ghanem, had worked with B'Tselem as a cover-up for his counterterrorist activities.Ghanem was accused of causing the death of four Fatah terrorists by providing the IDF with information regarding their activities and whereabouts. He plead guilty to providing Israel with information but said he was not involved in the assassination of the four terrorists. Ghanem was sentenced to death in 2002, but his execution was delayed following pressure from his fellow activists and journalists. The sentence was carried out on January 7 of this year, according to Hamas.

JERUSALEM CONFERENCE DAY 1 TODAY IN ISRAEL

JERUSALEM CONFERENCE DAY 1 2008 - AUDIO
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/125328

JERUSALEM CONFERENCE 2009 DAY 1 TODAY
http://www.jerusalemconference.com/eng/

JERUSALEM CONFERENCE 2009 ISRAEL NATIONAL RADIO
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Radio/

INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS
http://www.ifcj.org/site/PageNavigator/eng/about/

CHRISTIANS UNITED FOR ISRAEL
http://www.cufi.org/site/PageServer

CHRISTIAN FRIENDS OF ISRAEL
http://www.cfijerusalem.org/default.asp

ONE JERUSALEM
http://www.onejerusalem.org/2006/10/audio-bloggers-conference-call-3.php

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).

WATCH APOCALYSE HOW FROM THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL WHEN ITS ON VIDEO,AT LEAST 4 OF THE PREDICTIONS HAPPEN DURING THE TRIBULATION. VOLCANOES,NUKE,MICROBS AND ASTEROIDS HITTING EARTH.
http://www.discoverychannel.ca/shows/showdetails.aspx?sid=13369

IMPACT EARTH - ASTEROID HIT
http://www.discoverychannel.ca/shows/showdetails.aspx?sid=12149

ASTEROID TRACKERS
http://www.discoverychannel.ca/shows/showdetails.aspx?sid=9392

STORM CHASERS
http://www.discoverychannel.ca/shows/showdetails.aspx?sid=7100

Sunday, 25 January 2009 H5 avian influenza found on turkey farm in Canada

viewed as low pathogenic strain Canadian authorities have discovered strains of bird flu on a turkey farm in western Canada, and officials say that 60,000 birds will have to be euthanized. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said Saturday tests indicate that the H5 avian influenza virus found on a turkey farm in the Fraser Valley east of Vancouver, British Columbia, is low pathogenic. That means the severity of the illness it causes in birds is relatively low. Even so, agency officials said that along with euthanizing all birds on the premises, food inspectors are also restricting the movement of poultry and poultry products within three kilometers of the farm, about two miles.

CFIA confirms avian flu outbreak on B.C. farm
Updated Sun. Jan. 25 2009 1:05 AM ET CTV.ca News Staff

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed an H5 avian influenza outbreak on a turkey farm in B.C.'s Fraser Valley. CFIA says the strain in this case is of low pathogenicity, and further tests will be done to determine the precise subtype and stain of the virus. Pathogenicity refers to the severity of the bird's illness. All birds on the farm will be humanely euthanized, the CFIA said in a news release. There are as many as 60,000 birds on the farm. Afterwards, the organization will oversea the cleaning and disinfection of the farm. Several other farms in a three-kilometre radius of the infected farm have been quarantined. Avian viruses are not a risk to food safety providing poultry products are properly cooked. Avian influenza rarely affects humans, unless they have been in close contact with the infected birds, the CFIA says. CTV British Columbia's Maria Weisgarber told CTV Newsnet Saturday afternoon that one man in close contact with the infected birds is under close medical watch in case anything develops. She added that no recalls of any meat products from the farm are expected. Weisgarber said that other farms in the area will have their birds extensively tested before they can put their product to market. Testing was done at the infected farm after some birds showed signs of respiratory distress. Dr. Neil Rau an infectious disease specialist told CTV Newsnet that the infected birds could have been contracted the virus from migratory birds.

It may not be that the virus will cause disease in the migratory birds that fly in and out and drop their stools in various areas, but then if you have farm-raised poultry they may be much more susceptible and then it spreads like wildfire in that population of domestic poultry, he said. CFIA is notifying the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health of the incident as per regulations. There are multiple subtypes of the H5 avian flu. Additionally testing is being done to determine the virus's neuraminidase subtype -- the N in a flu virus's name. Low path viruses, usually only lead to drop in egg production. However, a high path virus can wipe out an entire poultry operation as birds must be culled to extinguish the outbreak. In 2005, the Fraser Valley suffered an outbreak of H5N2 avian influenza. In Feb. 2004, 17 million birds were slaughtered in the Fraser Valley following an outbreak of H7N3, a different subtype of avian influenza. Seventeen million birds were slaughtered in the Fraser Valley in February 2004 following an outbreak of H7N3, a different avian influenza subtype.

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.

ITS COOOOOOLD OVER HERE IN ONTARIO CANADA.

Extreme cold weather alert issued
Posted JAN 25,09

An extreme cold weather alert was issued at 10 a.m. on Saturday for the next 24 hours by the Elgin Street Mission on behalf of the Homelessness Network of Sudbury.
This Alert will put into action a short-term emergency plan to increase services for people who are especially vulnerable to intensely cold weather conditions. People on the street will be encouraged to voluntarily access shelters and services. Individuals who may be at risk due to low temperatures in their homes are also eligible for these services. Emergency Warming Centre: The Elgin Street Mission will become an emergency warming centre. In addition to the regular services it provides, it will remain open 24 hours a day during the cold weather. As part of its emergency response, it will also provide hot meals around the clock. Shelters: Foyer Notre Dame and the Salvation Army Centre will increase their shelter capacity where possible and exercise leniency in curfews. Outreach: L’Association des jeunes de la rue (Community Outreach Program) will provide overnight services to make contact with people on the street and to transport individuals to shelters. Outreach workers will be equipped with extra clothing, blankets and coffee for those who choose not to access shelters. Hot Line: 675-6422: L’Association des jeunes de la rue will operate an overnight phone line to direct callers to appropriate services and to take calls from concerned citizens.Article ID# 1403866

France and Spain pick up pieces after deadly storm By Nicolas Fichot JAN 25,09

MURET, France (Reuters) – Millions of people in southwest France and northern Spain struggled on Sunday with destroyed roofs, fallen trees, power cuts and phone outages in the aftermath of a storm that killed 15 people.Saturday's winds of up to 190 km (118 miles) an hour, which killed 11 people in Spain and four in France as trees crashed onto roads and walls collapsed, faded on Sunday but the death toll rose again.An elderly French couple with no power in their house in the Dordogne area died, poisoned by carbon monoxide from their back-up generator, authorities said, adding that 30 others were in hospital after being poisoned in similar circumstances.

The weekend was also deadly in the French Alps, where five people died in three separate avalanches, police said. Three were young people who were skiing outside the authorized slopes, two were a couple in their fifties on a snow shoe excursion.In the southwest, French electrical engineers, backed up by colleagues from Britain, Germany and Portugal and by 12 helicopters, struggled to restore power to 1.7 million homes that were cut off from the grid during the storm.By nightfall on Sunday, they had reconnected 700,000 homes but the grid manager warned it could take several days to restore power to the 800,000 others still in the dark.It was the worst storm in France since December 1999, when a huge storm killed 88 people. After that, the weather forecast agency had set up an early warning system that helped keep the death toll relatively low on Saturday as people stayed indoors.I am satisfied that the lessons of 1999 were learnt, said President Nicolas Sarkozy during a visit to the affected area.Sarkozy said the army would help thousands of workers from the electricity, phone, water and railway companies struggling to restore battered infrastructure.

EVERYTHING WAS FLYING

In the town of Muret, south of Toulouse, residents were aghast at the scale of the devastation. The secondary school there, the biggest in the Midi-Pyrenees region with 2,100 pupils, had its roof ripped off and was a scene of chaos.Everything was flying everywhere, it was astonishing, the school principal Amedee Collin told Reuters.A nearby house was completely flooded when a tree fell onto an inflatable swimming pool that was sitting on the roof.A third of my roof flew off. The rain drenched everything. It's going to be another battle with the insurers, said Gilberte Marie, a resident of Muret, sighing among the debris.In Spain, troops helped emergency services fight a forest fire in La Nucia, north of Benidorm in Alicante province, and by evening it was nearly under control, local authorities said.The fire started on Saturday when a tree felled an electricity pylon, prompting the evacuation of thousands of people from nearby houses. They spent Saturday night in libraries or sports centers but were now back home.There were no forest fires in France but the impact of the storm was devastating in the huge Landes forest, south of Bordeaux, one of Europe's largest, where tens of thousands of timber businesses are based.Footage filmed from helicopters and broadcast on France 2 state television showed vast areas where there were more trees lying on the ground than standing. All forest officers are unhappy today, but they are on the ground, working to repair the damage, Pierre-Olivier Drege, head of the French forestry commission, told France Info radio. (Additional reporting by Paris and Madrid bureau, Claude Canellas in Bordeaux, Alexis de La Fontaine in Lyon, writing by Estelle Shirbon, editing by Katie Nguyen)

Storm leaves 15 dead in S Europe Rescue workers at the sports hall in Sant Boi de Llobregat JAN 25,09

Hurricane-force winds lashed northern Spain on Saturday, bringing down the roof of a sports hall near Barcelona, killing four children, officials said. Eleven people died in separate incidents in Spain and south-western France as the fiercest storm in a decade blew in from the Atlantic. Torrential rains and winds of up to 184km/h (114mph) were reported. It is now tracking across central Italy, bringing rain and winds of 80-95km/h (50-60mph), forecasters say. Some 1.3 million homes in France suffered power cuts while road and rail links were blocked and airports closed.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy will visit the region on Sunday. The impact of the storm was felt from the Channel Isles to Barcelona, but the strongest winds and heaviest rain were concentrated on south-western France. Although this type of active low pressure system is fairly common in winter, BBC meteorologist Alex Deakin says Saturday's storm has been described as the most damaging since that of December 1999, which killed 88 people and uprooted millions of trees. The storm tracked south-eastwards and cleared the south-east coast of France during Saturday evening. The Mediterranean islands of Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily have also been affected.

Children killed

The sports hall partially collapsed in the town of Sant Boi de Llobregat, Catalonia, with between 20 and 30 youngsters inside, officials said. It started at around 0330 with a really wild wind ,The youngsters had gathered to play baseball but the fierce winds drove them to take shelter in a small covered area for spectators, made of concrete, with a corrugated iron roof. It seems that the roof shifted and brought down part of the wall, a regional government spokeswoman said. Local people and fire-fighters helped free the survivors from the rubble but three children aged between nine and 12 died at the scene, and a fourth child died later in hospital. More than a dozen others received treatment for injures.

In other incidents:

In the Landes region of south-western France, near Bordeaux, a driver was killed by a falling tree, a 78-year-old man was killed by flying debris and a third man, 75, was crushed by a tree A woman, 73, died in France's Gironde region when the storm cut electricity powering her breathing machine A woman was crushed by a door in Burgos, Spain A collapsing wall killed a woman and a falling tree killed a male park employee in the Barcelona area; a man, 60, was killed elsewhere in the Catalonia region In Galicia, a policeman was killed by a falling tree as he directed traffic in Burela and a sailor from a cargo ship died when the vessel got in trouble off the coast A falling wall crushed a man in Aigues de Busot, near Alicante in the south-east of Spain Tens of thousands of homes have been left without power in Spain.

Ghost town

French weather agencies had forecast the storm but it affected a wider area than expected. A state of red alert was declared in nine departments, but lifted by the end of Saturday. People were screaming on the street below, and bits of masonry and scaffolding continued to fall Simon Ritchie BBC News website reader in Rodez, France
The storm caused havoc from the Dordogne area to the Pyrenees. Torrential rains caused flooding in some areas prompting thousands of calls to the emergency services. The force of the storm also led to the closure of airports in Bordeaux, Pau, Biarritz and Toulouse, and train services also ground to a halt, leaving several hundred passengers stranded in stations. Many roads were also blocked. Mark Richardson, a BBC News website reader visiting Bordeaux from the UK, said the city ground to a standstill following the storm overnight and felt like a ghost town.

Another reader, Simon Ritchie, witnessed the damage wrought by the storm in the French town of Rodez. This morning, I awoke to the sound of very strong winds and lashing rain or hail, he said. I looked out of my kitchen's skylight window to see scaffolding and sheets or corrugated iron blowing of the adjacent cathedral. One such sheet blew about 50 yards from the tower and landed on a car below, smashing it in completely.People were screaming on the street below, and bits of masonry and scaffolding continued to fall, he added.

Philadelphia suburb stunned by a series of arsons JAN 26,09

Philadelphia COATESVILLE, Pa. – Authorities are urging residents in this Philadelphia suburb to remove flammable materials from their porches and to keep porch lights on at night following a string of suspicious fires.The latest fire tore through a block of row houses Saturday, damaging 15 homes, leaving several dozen people homeless and prompting city officials to declare a state of emergency.At least 30 arsons have been reported since the beginning of 2008, about half of them in the last three weeks. Police said the blazes may be part of a gang initiation, but there was no clear information who was committing the crimes or why.This is an arson, no question about it, City Manager Harry Walker said Sunday. Coatesville is about 45 miles west of Philadelphia.The emergency declaration gives the city powers to deal with the situation without worrying about the budget, such as boarding up the buildings, assigning police to protect them and helping the families involved, Walker said.The newest fire came despite stepped-up police patrols and investigative help from county, state and federal agencies.A lot of people are scared, resident Marissa Martinez said as she watched smoke rise from the rubble. I never thought things could come to this point.Fifteen homes were damaged and some may have to be demolished, Walker said. Damage was estimated at $1.2 million, bringing the total fire damage since last summer to $3 million.The southeastern Pennsylvania chapter of the American Red Cross was helping 14 families, a total of 50 people — 32 adults and 18 children, spokeswoman Denise Venuti Free said in a statement Sunday.

One of the homes destroyed belonged to City Councilwoman Robin Scott, who said she and her family got out safely after police officers knocked on doors to alert residents.To see it all happen the way that it did was devastating and I wouldn't wish that on anyone, Scott said through tears to a gathering of citizens and city officials Sunday night. She urged residents to be vigilant in their neighborhoods.

Police Chief William Matthews said more than one person appears to be involved because of the number of fires and the fact that many have occurred within minutes of each other. He urged residents to remove any potential fuel for the fires and keep their porch lights on.It costs 76 cents a week to keep your porch light on, the police chief said Sunday. That 76 cents should be considered a down payment on the safety of your family and friends in the neighborhood.Walker said authorities fear that the latest blazes were copycats, since they had already arrested three people in December believed to have been responsible for 15 fires.The more we caught them, the more fires were set, he said.

Religious-Zionists Comment on Netanyahu’s National Unity Gov’t
by Hillel Fendel JAN 25,09

(IsraelNN.com) The Likud’s Moshe Feiglin says the nationalist public must vote for the Likud in order to thwart Netanyahu’s centrist government plans, while National Union leader Ketzaleh says a strong National Union means a more right-wing Likud.

Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu, favored to win the upcoming elections and form the next government, continues to say that he plans to form a unity government with Kadima and/or Labor. Such a government would lean heavily towards the center and towards land-ceding diplomatic agreements - in stark contrast to the extremist right-wing government he declares he will not form.Arutz-7 asked Moshe Feiglin, leader of the Likud’s Jewish Leadership faction, to comment on Netanyahu’s latest remarks regarding a unity government. Netanyahu has been saying this for a while, Feiglin said. Our job is to make sure that within the party faction there are enough nationalist MKs who will prevent Netanyahu from carrying out dangerous moves.

Q. Which dangerous moves are you referring to – forming a national unity government, or giving away land afterwards? A. Both. If there is a majority within the Likud against forming a government with Kadima or Likud, then Netanyahu won’t be able to [form a unity government with them]. The Likud is going to get at least 30 seats, but if they get a few more, then the balance of power in the party changes, because from places 31 through 40, there are 8 who would fight against a national unity government. Therefore, religious-Zionist voters must understand: Whether or not the National Union or Jewish Home parties make it into the Knesset, they will not be in the government – and even if they are, they won’t make much of a difference either way. But if they vote for the Likud, they have a chance to bring in candidates who can really make a difference.As we have been saying for years, Feiglin concluded, the only way to influence is from within the Likud – and that’s why Netanyahu fights against me so hard.

Ketzaleh Responds
Ketzaleh – National Union party leader Yaakov Katz - said that the way to ensure that the Likud remains nationalistically-oriented is by voting for a party to the right of it: The fight is not over the Likud candidates in places 31-40, but rather those in the places before those - many of whom are not nationalist candidates. The polls show that the Likud will only get 30 candidates. If the religious-Zionist voters who are now supporting the Likud would vote for the National Union, then many left-wing Likud candidates [particularly in the upper 20's - ed.] will not get into the Knesset - while the National Union could get 10 seats! We must not let Feiglin steal away national-religious votes for people like Dan Meridor, Assaf Chefetz, and others.In addition, Katz said, all our strength comes from the Torah, from rabbis who are totally involved in the challenges facing our nation today. There are rabbis who say to vote for the Jewish Home, and many who endorse the National Union - but none endorse the Likud! How can Feiglin act on his own in this manner? Is the religious-Zionist camp bereft of spiritual leadership?! None of them say to vote for the Likud!

Israel Prepares to Overhaul Air Safety Operations
by Hana Levi Julian JAN 25,09

(IsraelNN.com) The State of Israel is beginning a massive overhaul of its air safety operations in the wake of a downgrade in its rating to Category 2 last month by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.The downgrade dropped Israel’s airports into the same classification as airports in Indonesia, Zimbabwe, Ukraine, Honduras and Bulgaria, among others. The FAA cited severe security shortcomings in Israel’s Civil Aviation Authority in its decision to downgrade Israel’s largest airport.The Israel Airports Authority said in a statement Friday that it would allocate an unprecedented NIS 9.5 million toward a training program for its flight controllers as part of the rehabilitation effort toward regaining its former Category 1 standing. The course, to begin next month, will include a simulator module to be carried out in Canada as well as computerized refreshers in operational competency and a quality assurance seminar in safety systems.The Israel Airports Authority has embarked on a new road in the realm of flight-control training, announced IAA Chairman of the Board of Directors, Ovadia Eli. He added that the main task would be to upgrade safety in Israeli air space by massive investment in this area.Among the staff to be trained are all IAA flight controllers and operations specialists, as well as flight-control shift leaders, unit heads and quality control supervisory personnel. On-the-job training for the flight controllers at their own work stations will also be conducted, in accordance with FAA training regulations. The IAA also plans to compile a new manual of flight-control procedures as well, to be submitted to the Civil Aviation Authority for approval. Eli said the Authority will also invest NIS 3.7 billion to upgrade the infrastructure, security and safety systems at Ben Gurion International Airport.It was not clear when the upgrades at Ben Gurion Airport would begin, however.

US Navy Interception of Iranian Ship Probably Covert Operation
by Avraham Zuroff JAN 25,09

(IsraelNN.com) A U.S. Naval vessel in the Gulf of Aden has been ordered to search for suspicious Iranian ships containing weaponry heading for Gaza. Combined Task Force 151, which is keeping pirates at bay in the Gulf of Aden, has been ordered to track Iranian arms shipments, the Sunday Times reports.Naval officers from the USS San Antonio, an amphibious transport dockship that serves as the headquarters for the taskforce, last week boarded a cargo vessel registered in Limassol and flying a Cypriot flag.Upon boarding the ship in the Red Sea, the naval officers discovered numerous crates with the inscription hazardous materials. The naval officers asked Egyptian authorities to order the Iranian ship to proceed to an Egyptian port for a detailed search before allowing it to travel through the Suez Canal. According to unconfirmed reports, the navy found armaments. However, the U.S. has not confirmed the media reports.

Probably Covert Operation

Prof. Raymond Tanter, president of the Washington-based Iran Policy Committee, told The Jerusalem Post, It is not surprising that the U.S. Navy is reluctant to acknowledge the operation, which may have been covert, adding that legal challenges are present when intercepting ships flying flags of a sovereign country. In last week’s seizure, the Iranian-owned ship was flying a Cypriot flag, and the maritime law is less able to justify stop and search operations against such ships, Tanter clarified.Tanter said he feels that intelligence provided by friendly nations, such as Egypt, helped the U.S. intercept the Iranian boat. Due to concern in intelligence circles that Iran is attempting to ship a dirty bomb to Gaza, the U.S. has taken strong measures to prevent the arms from reaching Hamas. Nonetheless, due to legal wranglings, the U.S. has covertly performed the operation, Tanter implied.In recent weeks, at least two Iranian warships have entered the Gulf of Aden, officially as a means of fighting Somali piracy. Israel nevertheless claims that Iran is attempting to rearm the Hamas-run Palestinian Authority in Gaza.Israel and the U.S. signed a political-military memorandum of understanding on January 16 regarding the joint tracking of arms smuggling from Iran into Gaza. The agreement includes the American obligation to act together with NATO and other agents in order to prevent arms smuggling into Gaza via the Mediterranean Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, and eastern Africa.Although one of the IDF’s objectives in the Operation Cast Lead was to eliminate smuggling tunnels from Egypt to Gaza, Arab sources estimate that 20 percent of the pre-war total, or 100 tunnels remain open as a possible means to rearm the Hamas terrorist entity.

EU calls for Palestinian unity government
LEIGH PHILLIPS Today JAN 26,09 @ 09:28 CET

The European Union late on Sunday (25 January) called for the divided Palestinian leadership to unite to support the opening of border crossings to allow humanitarian aid and other goods into the Gaza Strip.We believe that Palestinian reconciliation behind president Mahmud Abbas is fundamental to progress, Czech foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg told reporters after the meeting. Prague currently holds the EU's six-month rotating presidency.Foreign ministers from the 27-state bloc held discussions with Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Turkey. Norwegian foreign minister Jonas Gahr Store was also at the meeting. Norway is not a member of the EU but has maintained some relations with the Hamas government in Gaza, while the EU has since 2003 ended all contact with the militant group, classifying it as a terrorist organisation.EU member states have said they will aid efforts to halt arms trafficking via Egypt by relaunching and strengthening its monitoring presence at the Rafah border crossing, while France, Germany and the UK have offered to send naval patrols to guard against weapons shipments.The reunification of the Palestinian people with a single voice to speak to them, to speak for the West Bank and for Gaza is absolutely essential, UK foreign secretary David Miliband said after the meeting.

Governance of the two occupied Palestinian territories has been split between Islamist Hamas and its secular rival Fatah since June 2007.The Fatah-controlled Palestinian National Authority welcomed what it sees as EU endorsement of its leadership.Today we have heard very clearly the statement of support unanimously by all the EU members that the PNA is the only legitimate authority, and has representation not only in the West Bank but also in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian Authority foreign minister Riad al-Malki said.Separately on Sunday, a delegation of Hamas representatives met with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman to discuss a long-term truce with Israel.During the discussions, Hamas proposed a one-year truce in return for a lifting of Israel's blockade of Gaza. Tel Aviv, for its part, is looking for an 18-month truce and is offering a partial reopening of the border.

Israel is permitting the delivery of some food and medicine, but rejects a full opening of the border at the moment.Around 125 trucks are allowed into the territory per day, according to the Israel Defense Forces. On Friday, international aid group Oxfam said for sufficient supplies to enter Gaza, 500 trucks were required.Human rights and aid groups will be disappointed with the result of the meeting. In Brussels also on Friday, Lotte Leicht of Human Rights Watch said her organisation was looking to hear from EU foreign ministers an urgent signal calling on Israel to end the blockade.The International Crisis Group also said ending the blockade was key to moving forward.Any continuation of the blockade would constitute a breach of international law, said Alain Deletroz of the ICG at a press conference. Europeans should be leading. Obama hasn't sent any strong message yet, which leaves Europe to take the lead - if it wants it.

FITNA ISLAM
VIDEO - http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7961200236915885171&ei=Unl3SYqPApPSjgKmzbilDw&q=fitna

PALESTINIAN MEDIA WATCH
http://www.pmw.org.il/

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 MON JAN 26,2009

09:30 AM -5.45
10:00 AM +32.34
10:30 AM +139.94
11:00 AM +121.31
11:30 AM +105.38
12:00 PM +75.75
12:30 PM +109.28
01:00 PM +89.93
01:30 PM +62.93
02:00 PM +10.36
02:30 PM -27.10
03:00 PM +30.03
03:30 PM +71.61
04:00 PM +38.47 8116.03

S&P 500 836.57 +4.62

NASDAQ 1489.46 +12.17

GOLD 903.50 +7.70

OIL 45.69 -0.78

TSE 300 8659.97 +32.00

CDNX 866.66 +6.97

S&P/TSX/60 520.44 +1.79

MORNING,NEWS,STATS

Dow -2 points at 4 minutes of trading today.
Dow -18 points at low today.
Dow +126 points at high today.

YEAR TO DATE PERFORMANCE
Dow -7.965%
S&P -7.89%
Nasdaq -6.32%
TSX Advances 603,declines 560,unchanged 231,Volume 859,337,394.
TSX Venture Exchange Advances 369,Declines 345,Unchanged 341,Volume 108,424,161.

Caterpillar to cut 20,000 jobs,
Caterpillar Q4 revenue +6% to $12.9 BILLION.
Caterpillar Q4 EPS $1.08 Vs $1.28 EST.
Oil opens at $45.97,Gold opens at $913.50.
Dow on pace for 5th consecutive losing month.
Leading Indicaters +0.3 (DEC)Vs -0.4 (NOV)
Existing Home Sales +6.5% (DEC)to 4.74 M annual rate.
Existing Home Supply 9.3 months (DEC)Vs 11.2 months (NOV
Median Home Price (DEC)$175,400 -15.3% from DEC 2007.

AFTERNOON,NEWS,STATS

Dow -18 points at low.
Dow +154 points at high.
NYSE STATS 10:30AM
Advances 2501,Declines 368,Unchanged 72,New Highs 1,New Lows 11.
NASDAQ STATS 10:30AM
Advances 1909,Declines 400,Unchanged 194.
TSX STATS 11:30AM
Advances 630,Declines 346,Unchanged 194 Volume 278,120,876.
TSX VENTURE STATS 11:30AM
Advances 316,Declines 193,Unchanged 202 Volume 64,888,519.

WRAPUP,NEWS,STATS

Dow -53 points at Low today.
Dow +154 points at high today.

Dow +0.48% today Volume 315,569,668.
S&P 500 +0.5% today Volume N/A
Nasdaq +0.82% today Volume 1,686,224,635.

CANADAS WEEK ENDING STATS
TSX Advances 604,Declines 563,Unchanged 227 Volume 856,957,969.
TSX Venture Advances 370,Declines 344,Unchanged 342 Volume 108,281,323.

European stocks rise, led by banks By CARLO PIOVANO, Associated Press Writer JAN 26,09

LONDON – European markets rose Monday despite a drop in Asia, with an upbeat trading report by Barclays sending its shares up a stunning 65 percent and boosting investors' confidence in the ailing banking sector.Barclays surprised by releasing a statement showing it had made a good profit for 2008 and that it did not need any cash bailouts to stay in business. Markets had feared the bank would be next to be rescued by the state and have to give up a stake to the government.In European morning trading, Britain's FTSE 100 was 1.5 percent higher at 4,115.04. France's CAC-40 gained 1.1 percent at 2,880.06, while Germany's DAX added 1.0 percent to 4,221.89.

Japan's Nikkei 225 fell 0.8 percent at 7,682.14 as investors braced for earnings this week from Sony, Honda and other major names. Japan was the only major Asian market open amid a slew of regional holidays.In Europe, financial and energy stocks were the best-performing shares.The dust has settled after last week's heavy losses, so we're seeing a bit of a bounce, supported by some bargain-hunting, said Paul Chesterton, analyst at CMC Markets.Chesterton noted Goldman Sachs had upgraded oil stocks, such as BP, which helped buoy the wider indexes, but financial stocks led the charge on Barclay's good news.Barclays shares skyrocketed after it said it expects pretax profits of over 5.3 billion pounds ($7.3 billion) for the full year 2008 despite writing down 8 billion pounds on bad assets. The bank also said it would not need any bailouts beyond some guarantees on toxic assets — dispelling fears it was set to be part-nationalized.The news was a breath of fresh air for the banking sector, which was braced for the worst in Britain. Also helping the sector was the news that France's Societe General SA and Credit Agricole SA will merge their asset management businesses.

Other statements by financials were less upbeat, however.

Dutch ING announced 7,000 job cuts, the resignation of its CEO and a euro3.3 billion ($4.22 billion) loss for the fourth quarter. It also said the state would take on 80 percent of a euro27.7 billion portfolio of mortgage assets in exchange for a nominal sum of euro600 million. Its shares were down 2.9 percent.In France, BNP Paribas SA said it expects to report a euro1.4 billion net loss in the fourth quarter due to weaker investment banking, but predicts a net profit of around euro3 billion for the full year thanks to the good performance of retail banking and asset management. Its shares were up 11 percent.Europe's gains looked fragile with more earnings due across all industries.Electronics giant Philips reported a fourth-quarter loss of euro1.47 billion and said it would cut 6,000 jobs, sending its shares down 3.4 percent.U.S. stock index futures suggested Wall Street would bounce back from Friday's losses to open higher. Dow Jones futures rose 46 points to 8,019 after the index fell 0.6 percent on Friday. The Standard & Poor's 500 futures added 4.9 points to 828.40.In Asia, markets in Hong Kong, mainland China, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan were closed for the Lunar New Year holidays. Australian and Indian markets were also closed for national holidays.In Tokyo, nervous investors were in no mood to buy ahead of the expected flurry of dismal third quarter results and a worsening outlook, said Masayoshi Okamoto, head of dealing at Jujiya Securities in Tokyo.

They're hanging back and trying to figure out what to do next, he said. (Earnings) will likely be worse than anyone imagined, and investors know that the situation will deteriorate even further in the January-March quarter.Sony Corp., which last week projected its first annual net loss in 14 years, fell 3.1 percent. The Japanese electronics giant reports fiscal third quarter results Thursday, followed by Honda Motor Co. on Friday. But Nomura Holdings Inc., which reports Tuesday, managed to edge up 0.5 percent on hopes that Japan's top brokerage had finished writing off costs related to its purchase of Lehman Brothers' operations in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The stock rose despite weekend news reports that Nomura's October-December losses could total a worse-than-expected 300 billion yen ($3.4 billion).

Among the few stock markets open in the region, Thailand's benchmark index rose 0.7 percent and the Philippines' key index was also up 0.7 percent. New Zealand's market ended flat. Australia's market, closed for Australia Day, will reopen Tuesday, as will trading in India, which was observing Republic Day. Markets in Singapore and South Korea will reopen Wednesday, and Hong Kong's markets will reopen Thursday. Trading in mainland China and Taiwan will be closed all week and resume Feb. 2. In foreign exchange, the euro traded at $1.2899 in morning European trading, down from $1.2974 in late New York trading on Friday. The dollar was also higher against the Japanese yen, at 89.28 yen from 88.76 yen Friday. AP Business Writer Tomoki A. Hosaka in Tokyo contributed to this report.

Pfizer seals $68bn Wyeth purchase By Julie MacIntosh in New York and Lina Saigol and Andrew Jack in London January 26 2009 11:39

Pfizer on Monday confirmed a deal to buy Wyeth, a rival US drug maker, for about $68bn in a move that will reshape the global drug industry.Pfizer will pay the equivalent of $50.19 a share in cash and stock for Wyeth as it attempts to address concerns over its ability to offset upcoming patent expirations on its blockbuster drugs, including cholesterol-fighting drug Lipitor.The two companies spent Sunday hammering out that exchange ratio and other final terms of the deal, including details on who would fill a few remaining seats on the combined companies’ board of directors.Pfizer, which expects to raise $22.5bn to help fund the deal, has lined up financing commitments from Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs and remains in talks to bring other banks into the group. Jeffrey Kindler, Pfizer chief executive, who approached Wyeth months ago about a potential merger, is poised to be be chief executive of the combined company.

The new company will be an industry leader in human, animal and consumer health. With our combined biopharmaceuticals business, it will lead in primary and specialty care as well as in small and large molecules. Its geographic presence in most of the world’s developed and developing countries will be unrivaled,” Mr Kindler said in a statement.Pfizer said it expected the Wyeth deal to be accretive to adjusted diluted earnings per share in the second full year after closing, and anticipated cost savings of approximately $4bn by the third year after closing.Like Pfizer, Wyeth is facing patent expirations on several key drugs. But it has strong vaccines and biotech businesses, and the two companies could save billions of dollars in costs by combining.Pfizer may not be the only drugmaker with an interest in Wyeth, and the drug sector has been a rare area in which corporate buyers have shown aggression in the past six months despite the downtrodden economy. Bristol-Myers Squibb recently lost out in an effort to buy ImClone after Eli Lilly came forward with a higher offer.Given the tight credit markets, however, Pfizer may face a diminished interloper threat for a deal of this size. Rival drug giant Roche, for example, is mired in an attempt to take over Genentech, and Novartis is thought to be building up its coffers to acquire a greater stake in Alcon. Pfizer has been receiving advice on the deal from Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs, while Morgan Stanley and Evercore have been advising Wyeth. Meanwhile, shares in Dutch vaccine maker Crucell plunged on Monday after it said that Wyeth had withdrawn from talks over a friendly takeover deal.The Financial Times Limited 2009.

States may gain power over emissions standards By BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer JAN 26,09

WASHINGTON – Plunging into energy policy, President Barack Obama is poised to give states a freer hand in curbing emissions from cars, and to get his government moving on fuel-efficiency standards that could remake the auto industry.Obama will announce his plans Monday at the White House, according to officials familiar with the details who spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid pre-empting the president.The attention to energy comes as Obama heads into his first full week as president, with an agenda dominated by economic woes and a push to get a huge stimulus plan through Congress.In one key move, Obama is aiming toward letting California and other states set their own tailpipe emission standards, a tool for reducing the gases that contribute to global warming.And in the other, Obama will order the Transportation Department to enact short-term rules on how automakers can improve fuel efficiency of their new models based on a 2007 law.On car emissions, California needed a waiver from the Clean Air Act to pursue its own course; the Bush administration's Environmental Protection Agency denied that permission, which affected at least 13 other states that have followed California's lead.Last week, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, sent a letter to Obama asking him to give California and other states permission to implement tough tailpipe-emission standards. Schwarzenegger said Obama has a unique opportunity to both support the pioneering leadership of these states and move America toward global leadership on addressing climate change.

Obama will direct EPA regulators to re-examine California's case. The formal process will take time but is expected to end up in the states' favor. The Bush administration had rejected the request on grounds that a national fuel-efficiency strategy would work better.As a candidate for president, Obama pledged to overturn the EPA's denial.By beginning this process and directing EPA to review the Bush administration's lack of action, President Obama is turning the federal government into a force for positive change instead of a roadblock, said the Sierra Club's executive director, Carl Pope.Obama is also expected to order new guidelines on fuel economy. The law requires that by 2020, new cars and trucks meet a standard of 35 miles per gallon, a 40 percent increase over the status quo. But the Bush administration did not set regulations in support of that law.The president on Monday is also expected to tout proposals that he says would boost clean energy supplies while also producing badly needed jobs in so-called green industries.
Associated Press writer Erica Werner contributed to this story.

Downturn hits national oil groups’ shares
By Carola Hoyos in London January 25 2009 23:37

The global downturn has hit national oil company share prices much harder than their international oil company counterparts, according to a study.Research by PFC Energy, a US consulting group, warns that the sharp decline in share prices could lead to a perilous shortfall in investment for some of the world’s oil and gas-rich nations.
The share prices of companies part-owned by the governments of Russia and China have been particularly affected by the downturn as have those of Petrobras, Brazil’s national oil company.National oil companies’ shares have declined 64 per cent over the year as investors who had been attracted by their potential value started to favour companies with a sure cash flow, said Antonia Bullard, lead author of the study.Their losses will affect the long-term capacity and ability of the industry to respond to any pick-up in demand as the economy recovers.The International Energy Agency, the consuming countries’ watchdog, believes the industry will need to invest $350bn each year to maintain oil and gas supplies.It has already warned that national oil companies, in particular, may not invest adequately, especially as they face a deteriorating economic environment. PFC’s study paints a stark picture of the loss of dominance by the national oil companies.Not only has ExxonMobil of the US regained the top slot from PetroChina, but no fewer than three national oil companies – Petrobras, Gazprom and Sinopec – have slipped out of the top six. They now occupy ranks nine, 11 and 12, respectively.Overall, international oil companies, which have the most varied portfolio of the industry – dabbling in refining and petrochemicals, liquefied natural gas, and alternative energy, among other sectors – averaged losses of 34 per cent.ExxonMobil’s shares dropped 15 per cent, while Gazprom’s dropped 74 per cent, giving it a market cap of $83bn, compared with $332bn at the end of 2007.Exclusive graphic: Which energy companies release the most emissions? US president Barack Obama has promised to tackle climate change at home and abroad. How could this affect the world’s biggest energy groups? (Gazprom’s emissions are in fact far larger than they appear here because PFC’s data does not include gas leaking from its pipelines. Also, gas producers tend to emit less greenhouse gas because natural gas and its production yields less CO2 than oil).The Financial Times Limited 2009.

Iceland government in trouble over finance crisis
ANDREW WILLIS Today JAN 26,09 @ 09:21 CET

Iceland's commerce minister, Bjorgvin Sigurdsson, stepped down Sunday (25 January), just three days after prime minister Geir Haarde said he would not be seeking re-appointment while simultaneously calling for early elections in May.The north Atlantic island has witnessed rolling protests in recent weeks as angry citizens demanded the government resign over the country's failing economy sparked by a collapse of the nation's banks last October. Mr Sigurdsson is the first top-level official to resign as a result of the crisis, creating doubts as to whether the government will last until May. I realised last night that for me at least there is no going back, the anger and distrust of the public is too deep for me to be able to regain their trust, Mr Sigurdsson said.Despite citing poor health as the main reason the prime minister will not seek re-election, most believe the economic situation was instrumental in Mr Haarde's announcement. Speaking to reporters over the weekend, Mr Haarde said he believed the current situation would get worse if the current government did not continue until May.

EU doubts over bail-out plans

As Iceland comes to terms with the news, the Financial Times Deutschland newspaper reports Monday that the EU is concerned that member state bank bail-outs will fail to achieve the desired effect. Referring to an internal analysis paper prepared by the Czech EU presidency, the newspaper notes that EU officials are concerned that money given to the banks is not being leant to businesses to get the economy moving again.EU monetary affairs commissioner Joaquin Almunia reportedly wants national governments to put pressure on credit institutions to begin lending again.In a further sign that credit is not getting through to businesses, the French government is to provide €5 billion directly in credit guarantees to aeroplane manufacturers Airbus, as the company's clients fail to secure the funding needed for new orders.

Under the deal, the Societe Financement de l'Economie Française, which was set up in November to stabilise the banking system, will provide an extra €5 billion in state guarantees to French banks, which in turn will provide the money to businesses. Only last week, the French government offered €6 billion to the state's ailing car industry.

Britain enters recession

Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics in Britain announced last Friday that the country was officially in recession, as new data showed negative growth for the fourth quarter of 2008, making it two in a row. The data shows that the British economy shrank by 1.5 percent in the last three months of 2008, a bigger drop than economists had predicted. Growth contracted by 0.6 percent in the preceding three-month period. The news of the first British recession since 1991 has increased pressure on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to sort out the country's economic problems.

A second bank rescue package announced last week failed to arrest a fall in share prices as investors fear a collapse in the country's banking system similar to that in Iceland. Announcing an interim economic report last week, the EU's economy commissioner, Joaquin Almunia, said he considered Britain's financial sector to be one of the most exposed to the credit shortage.Separately, record numbers of world leaders and business executives are to meet this week in the Swiss town of Davos where the World Economic Forum will start on Wednesday. The crisis will undoubtedly be the main topic of discussion.The optimistic title for this year's event is Shaping a post-crisis world.

WORLD BANK - CLIMATE CHANGE
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/ENVIRONMENT/
EXTCC/0,,menuPK:407870~pagePK:149018~piPK:149093~theSitePK:407864,00.html

What the World Bank is Doing JAN 26,2009

The World Bank Group created a new $1.2 billion rapid financing facility—the Global Food Response Program (GFRP)—in May 2008 to speed assistance to the neediest countries. GFRP has disbursed $494.4 million out of $866 million in 30 countries as of January 22, 2009 . An additional $ 292 million is being earmarked for programs in nine countries.GFRP is disbursing funds to Afghanistan ($8 million), Bangladesh ($130 million), Benin ($9 million), Burundi ($10 million), Central African Republic ($7 million), Djibouti ($5 million), Ethiopia ($275 million), Guinea ($10 million), Guinea-Bissau ($5 million), Haiti ($10 million), Honduras ($10 million), Kyrgyz ($10 million), Laos ($3 million), Liberia ($10 million), Madagascar ($10 million, $12 million), Mali ($5 million), Moldova ($7 million), Mozambique ($20 million), Nicaragua ($7 million), Nepal ($36 million), Niger ($7 million), Philippines ($200 million), Rwanda ($10 million), Sierra Leone ($7 million), Somalia ($7 million), Southern Sudan ($5 million), Tajikistan ($9 million), Togo ($7 million), Yemen ($10 million), and West Bank and Gaza ($5 million). The money is used to feed poor children and other vulnerable groups, provide for nutritional supplements to pregnant women, lactating mothers, infants and small children, to meet additional expenses of food imports or to buy seeds for the new season.GFRP is part of the World Bank Group's New Deal on Global Food Policy has been endorsed by 150 countries. The New Deal embraces short, medium and long-term responses, including safety nets such as school feeding, food for work, and conditional cash transfers; increased agricultural production; a better understanding of the impact of biofuels; and action on the trade front to reduce distorting subsidies and trade barriers.

Volatile food crisis hurts poor most: World Bank
Agence France-Presse | 01/26/2009 9:27 AM

WASHINGTON - On the eve of a UN-sponsored summit in Spain on the global food crisis, the World Bank said Sunday that millions around the world continue to suffer from volatility in food prices.Representatives from 95 countries gather in Spain Monday for a two-day follow-up meeting to the UN-sponsored summit held last year in Rome to tackle the global food crisis.The international community needs to increase efforts to help the poor of the world, World Bank Managing Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said in a statement.Food prices are now volatile and that factor, combined with the impact of the financial crisis, only serves to heighten the challenges confronting the developing world, Okonjo-Iweala said.Bank economists expect high price volatility to continue and it will hit the poorest the most, as they spend half their income on food, she said.More needs to be done as we must ensure those who are vulnerable get the assistance they need.Okonjo-Iweala is leading the World Bank's delegation to the meeting in Madrid.Member states of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization agreed at the summit in Rome to reduce the number of people who live in hunger by 2015, but this goal is accompanied by limited financial donations.Over the past seven months, the Bank, through its Global Food Crisis Response Program, reached over 13 million people directly through food distribution systems, cash for work initiatives, and seed and fertilizer distribution to small holder farmers, the statement read.

The Bank said that it was disturbing that poor countries, especially in Africa, did not have matching drops in their food prices. They gave as an example maize prices dropping 32 percent over the past quarter, but dropping only by one percent in Mombasa, Kenya.UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero will preside over the closure of the Madrid conference, which is expected to end with a statement outlining specific measures to be adopted to fight hunger around the world.The World Bank worked with UN agencies to help the world's neediest when food prices soared in 2008, the statement said.

France keen for EU mission to Guantanamo
VALENTINA POP Today JAN 26,09 @ 09:23 CET

France is pushing for an EU fact-finding mission to Guantanamo Bay and for the bloc to take in 60 inmates after the camp closes, with EU foreign ministers to discuss the issue on Monday (26 January).EU justice commissioner Jacques Barrot and anti-terrorism chief Gilles de Kerckhove are to lead the fact-finding trip to the Cuban prison which is to be shut down within a year following the decision by new US President Barack Obama, diplomats told Financial Times Deutschland.The proposal is just one of many floated by France, which chaired the rotating EU presidency until 1 January before the Czech Republic took over. France is also pushing for a centralised, EU-level check on the prisoners' background.The 60 inmates in question will not face criminal charges in the US, but cannot be returned to their home countries in the Middle East and China because they risk torture and ill treatment.

The Czech EU presidency is suggesting a more limited response, under which every EU country is to decide on its own if it wants to take prisoners. Some EU co-ordination would still be required, as most EU countries are part of the Schengen border-free travel area.Portugal, France, and Switzerland have already said they might take inmates on a case-by-case basis, while Italy is open to the idea but wants a common EU position.A total of eight EU member states have thus far offered to take Guantanamo prisoners: Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK.Austria is against taking any prisoners. The conservatives in Germany's ruling coalition are also opposed. Finland has said it is open to taking people, but its parliament is split on the issue.