WW3 THE 3 WAVES THAT MARCH TO ISRAEL
AMOS 9:10
10 All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.
DANIEL 11:40-45
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA 2ND WAVE OF WW3) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200 MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)
The Third and Final Wave of WW3 is when all Nations march to Jerusalem, but JESUS bodily returns to earth and destroys them,sets up his KINGDOM OF RULE FOR 1000 YEARS THEN FOREVER.
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 (MUSLIMS) 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)
DANIEL 11:40-43
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south( EGYPT) push at him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) and the king of the north (RUSSIA AND MUSLIM HORDES OF EZEK 38+39) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.(JORDAN)
42 He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
43 But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.
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.
Israel Prepares for War: 5-Day Turning Point 3 Exercise Begins
by Yehudah Lev Kay JUNE 1,09
(IsraelNN.com) The largest emergency drill ever to take place in Israel, dubbed Turning Point 3, began Sunday morning after months of planning. Representatives from 70 nations are participating as observers in the drill, which simulates a war with Hamas, Hizbullah, and Syria that also leads Arabs within Israel to riot and commit terrorist attacks.Turning Point 3 involves the IDF, police, emergency medical services, government offices, and all of the nation’s civilians. Some Arab countries, nervously watching Israel prepare for the exercise, have claimed that the exercise is just a front for an Israeli attack.The drill is intended to prepare the Jewish State for the worst possible scenario, beginning with a war that ignites in Gaza after a three-month escalation, bringing Israeli civilians in the Negev under rocket bombardment. The fighting then spreads to Israel’s northern border, where Hizbullah opens a second front and initiates rocket fire reaching all parts of the country.
The war next engulfs Syria, and at the same time authorities must deal with uprisings among the local Arab population, including terrorist attacks against Israeli targets. At the same time, emergency services will train for other disasters such as an earthquake, an epidemic outbreak, or a hazardous materials spill.As far as the general population is concerned, Turning Point 3 reaches its peak on Tuesday, when a nationwide siren sounds at 11:00 a.m., sending civilians to the nearest bomb shelter. The Home Front Command recently released a map showing that every Israeli citizen has come under rocket threat from either Hamas or Hizbullah, and explaining how much time a person has to reach a shelter based on his location.
Five Days of Intensive Simulations
The different components of Turning Point 3 are spread out over five days this week.
On Sunday, the drill began during the weekly cabinet meeting as government ministers were walked through the steps the state would take in a time of war. The simulation is expected to continue throughout the cabinet meeting. Monday sees the exercise expand to defense and emergency services, as the IDF, police, National Emergency Authority, and Home Front Command begin simulations. All government offices open emergency centers, while the Emergency Economic Command meets to handle the economic home front during war time. On Tuesday, local governing councils are presented with emergency scenarios and respond accordingly. At 11:00 a.m., the nationwide siren is activated, sending civilians to bomb shelters in offices, schools and shopping centers. Citizens in apartment buildings and private homes are strongly urged to practice seeking the safety of bomb shelters and safe rooms at this time as well.
Wednesday sees drills at the National Security Cabinet and tests of the national information and data management system. Emergency forces in Kiryat Gat practice evacuating wounded from a collapsed building prepared specially for the drill. On Thursday, IDF units drill field exercises while the Home Front Command continues the simulation at its headquarters. The police practice the evacuation of a skyscraper as Turning Point 3 comes to a close.
Seventy Nations Look On, Arabs Wary
Representatives of 70 different countries, including the U.S., Turkey, Japan, France, Germany, Uruguay, and Hungary are set to observe the drill. They will also share their impressions on the success of Turning Point 3 with Israeli authorities. Several Arab states, however, have expressed concern with the Israeli exercise; Hizbullah terrorists have claimed that it is a front designed to conceal a planned Israeli attack .Defense Minister Ehud Barak countered the claims last week, saying that Turning Point 3 is a standard Home Front Command drill which was planned will in advance. Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai added, however, that the drill represents a very real scenario that could occur in wartime. The IDF Spokesperson’s Office said, Turning Point 3 is a standard exercise which has taken place each year for the past three years. The purpose of the drill is to improve Israel’s readiness and cooperation among forces for an emergency situation. The exercise will reveal areas that need improvement and point towards proper solutions.
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).
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LATESTEST STATEMENT BY THE EU AT THE UN.
http://www.europa-eu-un.org/articles/articleslist_s91_en.htm
Burmese human rights block to EU-Southeast Asia trade pact
LEIGH PHILLIPS Today JUNE 2,09 @ 09:31 CET
The European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have suspended free trade negotiations between the two sides over the question of human rights abuses in Burma.After two years, discussions have ground to a halt, the Indonesian trade minister Mari Pangestu said on Monday (1 June), as reported by Agence France Press.We are temporarily postponing the negotiations,she said to the French news agency on the margins of an ASEAN-South Korea summit.Take a pause, not cancel,she added.She ascribed the suspension to differences over green issues and workers' rights.
Obviously, Europe wants to have a much more comprehensive coverage of issues like environment (and) labour, which are sensitive for ASEAN countries,she said.However, the news agency also quotes unnamed diplomatic sources from both ASEAN and the EU, as saying human rights abuses and foot-dragging over democratic reforms in Burma were behind the development. The revelation contradicts statements made by the two organisations last Thursday following the 17th ASEAN-EU ministerial meeting in Phnom Penh.At the time, a joint statement highlighted co-operation between ASEAN and the EU, notably over the global economic crisis, disease prevention, food and energy security and the environment.The meeting was held in the traditional spirit of openness, trust and solidarity that is the corollary of more than 30 years of dialogue and cooperation,read the communiqué that was issued at the end of the meeting.The two transnational blocs at the time also said that they had agreed to look for ways to give fresh impetus to the ASEAN-EU free trade agreement talks.
Anti-terrorism, human and drug trafficking, money laundering and cyber-crime were also on the agenda, as well as co-operation over disaster preparedness and humanitarian aid.The Cambodian foreign minister, Hor Namhong, had said that there had been an exchange of views over the situation in Burma, with European ministers calling for the release of political prisoners and co-operation between the Burmese government and the UN.However, according to the Asia Times, discussion of Burma all but blocked talks on other issues.The online paper reports that just minutes into the ministerial meeting, Burmese deputy foreign minister Maung Myint told delegates not to discuss the internal of his country.It is not political, it is not a human-rights issue. So we don't accept pressure and interference from abroad,he said, according to the Asian Times, referring to the ongoing trial of democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Ky.The 63-year-old human rights symbol and Nobel Peace Prize winner is currently on trial and faces up to five years for allegedly breaching the terms of her house arrest after an American soldier swam to her house.EU delegates reportedly rejected the minister's statement and launched into a discussion of the matter that lasted hours and hampered discussion of other subjects.Czech foreign minister Jan Kohout, whose country currently holds the EU's six-month rotating presidency, said Burma had taken a big step backwards.The ASEAN-EU meeting was attended by delegates from all EU member stated and the ten members of ASEAN, along with representatives of the European Commission and the ASEAN Secretariat.ASEAN, which brings together Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, will hold its next ministerial meeting with the EU in Spain in 2010.
Poll finds Irish support for EU's Lisbon treaty rises
JUNE 1,09
Irish support for the European Union's Lisbon reform treaty has risen further, continuing this year's trend of gains for the Yes camp and a steady decline in opposition, an opinion poll showed on Monday. Skip related content
The Irish Times/TNS mrbi poll found 54 percent would back the treaty in a fresh referendum this year, up two percentage points from two weeks ago, with the proportion of those planning to vote No dropping one point to 28 percent.When undecided voters were excluded, 66 percent were in favour and 34 percent against, compared with a referendum result last June of 53.4 percent No and 46.6 percent Yes. The Irish government has consented to holding a second Lisbon vote this autumn, subject to concessions in areas of concern for Irish voters, such as military neutrality, taxation and the retention of a European commissioner.
European leaders are expected to agree on the details of those guarantees later this month.
Many voters now look to the European Union as a haven amid the global financial crisis, in which Ireland has become one of the most vulnerable euro zone members, but the recession has also distracted the government from focussing on Lisbon.Prime Minister Brian Cowen's cabinet has acknowledged the need for a better publicity effort than before last June's vote, but the Irish Times said there was little evidence of this so far.If they have not made substantial progress in organising a campaign before the summer break, including informing voters about the treaty's content and implications, they will be at a real disadvantage in September,the paper said in an editorial accompanying the poll.Elections on Friday for the European Parliament, local councils and two seats in the Irish parliament could provide a further indication of sentiment, with anti-treaty parties Libertas and Sinn Fein in the race for European mandates.(Reporting by Andras Gergely; editing by Andrew Roche)
German court judgement on Lisbon end of June
HONOR MAHONY Today JUNE 2,09 @ 09:17 CET
Germany's constitutional court is to publish its judgement on whether the EU's Lisbon Treaty is compatible with the country's constitution on 30 June.The court is examining a complaint by centre-right politician Peter Gauweiler and some left wing deputies that the proposed new rules for the EU would undermine the powers of the national parliament (Bundestag) and therefore the principle of democracy in Germany.
The Gauweiler party suggests that the German parliament is losing its constitution-given powers as decisions it takes can subsequently be overturned at the EU level if the European Commission proposes a law on a similar issue.The questions raised by the complaint prompted the court to hold an usually long hearing on the matter in February.The hearing, to which Berlin sent two ministers to defend the Lisbon Treaty, saw some of the judges express some scepticism about further EU integration.It examined the fact that Germany is able to transfer sovereignty to the European Union although it is not considered to have same democratic and state principles as Germany itself.There was also much discussion on the fact that the EU now has powers in criminal law - sanctions may be given for polluters of the environment.Judge Udo Di Fabio, who prepared the procedure and will deliver the judgement on the treaty, asked whether the transferral of powers to the EU really means more freedom for EU citizens.
German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung suggests that the court will give the green light to the treaty, which reforms the workings of the EU institutions, including giving much more power to the parliament and removing member state vetoes in all but a few areas.However, it is expected to attach strong conditions in its judgement, saying that further development of the European Union cannot happen without the German parliament's assent and that extending the competences of the bloc will not be allowed without parliament's agreement.The newspaper also says the court will try and ensure the greatest degree of consensus among the eight judges in order to make the judgement even stronger.
The verdict is keenly awaited throughout the EU.
A judgement that approves the treaty will increase the pressure on Ireland which is facing a second referendum on the document in autumn, after having rejected it last June.The treaty also has yet to be fully ratified in Poland and the Czech Republic where presidents of these countries are holding off signing until Ireland's position is clear.
Merkel and Sarkozy in joint call for strong Europe
ELITSA VUCHEVA Today JUNE 2,09 @ 09:26 CET
With only a few days left to the 4-7 June European elections, Germany and France's centre-right leaders, chancellor Angela Merkel and president Nicolas Sarkozy, have made a joint call on Europeans to head to the polls in the name of a strong Europe.In a shared opinion piece published on Sunday (31 May) by the Journal du Dimanche newspaper in France and Die Welt am Sonntag in Germany, the two politicians said they wanted a strong Europe that protects [its citizens].A strong Europe does not necessarily mean more powers for the European Union, even more European legislation or even more financial means,Ms Merkel and Mr Sarkozy wrote.We refuse a bureaucratic Europe that mechanically applies the rules ... We want a European Union that listens to the citizens, innovates, revitalises.Such a Union would favour the emergence of strong European enterprises and would protect the European industry.It would also have the necessary means to avoid economic crises like the current one.The [free-market] liberalism without rules failed. This failure led to the severe crisis that we find ourselves in now.The model that we want is that of a responsible market economy,the two conservative leaders wrote, pleading for a real European regulation in the financial sector.On speculative funds, tax havens, payment for executives and financial traders, we want to see an exemplary Europe.
Ms Merkel and Mr Sarkozy reaffirmed their opposition to an unlimited enlargement of the EU, as well as their strong backing for the bloc's Lisbon Treaty.Europe must play a leading role in the world. For that, it must have efficient institutions,they said.
In order to succeed,we need everybody's mobilisation, starting from the citizens,the two leaders concluded.We call on all Europeans to vote in the European elections. There is no better way to support the goal of a stronger Europe in a safer world, they wrote.Their call comes as polls have been indicating voters' turnout will again be low in these elections, after a record low of 45 percent in the last elections in 2004.In France, one poll published on Sunday said that a majority of 55 percent of French people would not vote, but some analysts have been suggesting abstention could reach as high as 65 percent.A Europe-wide survey by TNS Opinion last week said that the number of citizens who are certain to vote in some member states – such as the UK, Latvia, Bulgaria and Poland – is only around 15 percent.
British Conservatives call for EU to return powers
EUOBSERVER STAFF Today JUNE 2,09 @ 14:29 CET
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - British Conservative leader David Cameron has said he would use upcoming EU budget talks to try to negotiate for return of powers to the UK, as his new EU parliament group heads for at least 50 seats in the elections.If we had a Conservative government, we would be going into those negotiations with a list of powers we wanted to have returned to the UK,he said on BBC radio's Today programme on Tuesday (2 June) morning.There's an important negotiation coming up on the future funding of the EU and I don't want to see us increasing the funding at all, but it gives us enormous leverage in terms of making sure we get a good deal for Britain.The EU will in 2010 begin talks on how much EU countries will put into the common pot for the 2013 to 2020 budgetary period, with the UK among the leading donors alongside Germany and France.Mr Cameron, tipped to take over from Labour leader Gordon Brown before June next year, has repeatedly promised to rework the Lisbon treaty, which has already been ratified by the UK but not Ireland, Germany, Poland or the Czech Republic. The treaty envisages deeper consolidation of power in EU structures.The Conservative leader on Saturday attended a congress in Warsaw together with Poland's right-wing Law and Justice party and the Czech centre-right ODS faction.The three parties plan in June to unveil a new EU political group together with at least four smaller parties from other EU states. With the Conservatives and ODS riding high in the polls and with Law and Justice creeping up, the three parties alone can count on fielding 50 MEPs.Speaking in Warsaw, Mr Cameron said the new group will be a strong centre-right group, which will give an alternative to federalist points of view.ODS leader Mirek Topolanek called for a flexible, open Europe based on strong nation states.The Lisbon treaty is dead,he said. Some senior Conservative politicians have attacked Mr Cameron for abandoning French and German centre-right parties in the EU parliament EPP-ED group in favour of the new Polish and Czech allies.I do not understand a rigid commitment to impotence,Lord Kerr of Kinlochard, a UK ambassador to the EU in the 1990s, said in The Guardian.
The Polish and Czech parties could prove tricky bedfellows for the mainstream Tory party. On Sunday, Mr Kaczynski said a strong Europe must be a Christian Europe and continued bashing Germany, this time for securing more EU aid for its farmers than Poland gets.Mr Topolanek has meanwhile been implicated in an Italian sex scandal. Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi has banned the publication of pictures allegedly showing topless girls and VIP guests at his mansion in Sardinia. Mr Berlusconi's lawyer told Corriere della Sera that one picture shows Mr Topolanek naked in the garden during a family visit in May 2008.
Commission under fire
Romanian Socialist front-runner Adrian Severin over the weekend accused the EU commission of corruption on the grounds that reports on Romania and Bulgaria's reform process are drafted by its general secretariat and not the justice commissioner.
Either [justice commissioner] Mr Jacques Barrot is corrupt and then we must solve this problem, or there is some other form of corruption,he said. The attack is being seen as an attempt to weaken the chances of conservative EU commission president Jose Manuel Barroso being appointed for a second term. German interior minister Wolfgang Schauble has said a directly-elected EU president would help create a European public political sphere and promote deeper integration. Europe needs a president who is directly elected by the citizens in a Europe-wide election, like the president of the United States,he told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.Low turnout fears persist for the EU elections, with 55 percent of French people saying in latest polls they will not vote. Early voting in Finland shows that 12.6 percent of people having already cast their ballot compared to 11.4 percent at the same time last election, however.
The Turkey question
Meanwhile, the debate over Turkey's future entry into the EU is catching fire in Germany and France.The head of the German Socialists in the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, has attacked the centre-right CDU party for saying in its EU election campaign that Turkey should stay out, while agreeing in Brussels to the opening of each new chapter in Ankara's membership application. Mr Schulz has been touted as Germany's potential next EU commissioner. But the German centre-right would favour putting Friedrich Merz, a former CDU party boss, in the job. French Socialist MEP and former EU minister, Pierre Moscovici, has backed Turkish accession in a joint column in Le Monde.To leave Turkey on the margins of Europe, humiliate it by making it dawdle under diverse pretexts, this would be a mistake,he said.
Also rans
In news of smaller parties, the anti-copyright Swedish Pirate party might get two MEPs according to a Demoskop poll. Almost 22 percent of young people support the movement.The Green party in Greece is on course to get up to 10 percent of votes, making it the third largest in the country after the conservative New Democracy and socialist Pasok factions.German CDU Chancellor Angela Merkel has in Bavaria asked people to vote for the CDU's sister party, the CSU party, amid fears it might not make the 5 percent threshold to return an MEP.And Polish anti-Communist hero Lech Walesa has definitively turned his back on the anti-Lisbon treaty Libertas party, pledging instead to campaign for the ruling centre-right Civic Platform. Wherever they put me, there I will do my duty for my fatherland, under the leadership of a decent prime minister,he said.
This WEEK in the European Union
HONOR MAHONY 29.05.2009 @ 20:55 CET
EUOBSERVER / WEEKLY AGENDA (1-7 June) - This week EU citizens go to the polls across all 27 member states between Thursday and Sunday to elect a new European Parliament.
Despite concerted efforts by European parties and some MEPs, themes remain resolutely national with headlines in the Italian papers preoccupied with what may or may not have gone in prime minister Berlusconi's love life and papers in Britain full of the expense scandals concerning MPs.The big issue of the election days will be voter turnout, which has dropped every election year since 1979, reaching a new low in 2004. This year, with the added burden of the economic crisis, analysts have suggested that a combination of voter apathy and disillusionment will see movements on the far left and the far right gain a stronger foothold in the EU assembly.All and sundry have been urging the around 375 million voters to get out to the urns. The latest calls have come from some famous sports personalities, including footballers and cyclists.The centre-right has been predicted to maintain its stronghold on the parliament despite the defection of the British Conservatives to form their own eurosceptic group and despite the Socialists trying to position themselves as the party with the answers to the economic crisis. Socialists are expected to remain the second largest faction and the liberals the third.The election will be keenly watched by Jose Manuel Barroso, head of the European Commission, who is hoping for another term in office. A centre-right majority would make a second innings more likely, with current rules saying the post has to be agreed by a simple majority of MEPs.
The overall outcome is set to be announced on Sunday evening.
The commission, condemned by critics for its inaction in the face of the economic crisis, will on Wednesday produce a communication on employment. It follows a jobs summit last month organised by the Czech EU presidency which was notable for its lack of ideas.It is also due to propose that member states during this year and next get full reimbursement for regional projects. At the moment, co-financing runs from 15 to 50 percent for member states depending on the project and the region. But cash-strapped governments are unlikely to be able to find the money to take part in the projects. The commission hopes the idea will stimulate growth, with the money to be claimed back later.Wednesday is also the publication day of the commission's bathing water report. The annual study, produced just before the summer, lets potential swimmers know where it is best to take a dip as well as where waters are less salubrious.
Asylum package
EU justice ministers will meet on Thursday and Friday in Luxembourg.It will be the first time member states discuss the asylum package agreed by MEPs in April. The package sets common standards across the EU on how asylum seekers should be treated and where their applications should be heard, a particularly thorny issue for southern EU member states who see the most immigrants coming to their coasts because of their proximity to Africa.MEPs introduced a solidarity clause to the package that would see member states taking in asylum seekers from those states that say they are overburdened. In addition, teams of national experts would be formed to assist those countries receiving a larger number of asylum applications, notably Malta, Italy and Greece.
Guide to the 2009 European Elections
LEIGH PHILLIPS Today JUNE 2,09 @ 09:23 CET
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The seventh elections to the European Parliament since the chamber became a democratic elected institution in 1979 are just days away. From 4-7 June, around 375 million eligible voters out of a population of just under 500 million will be able to cast their ballot, making these the largest transnational elections in the world. However, while it's a pan-European vote, due to national traditions, polling takes place on different days in different countries - and in one case, voting even occurs on different days depending on which part of the country you live in.Here is a simple guide to the elections - who votes when; who is running; and, most importantly, when the results will be clear.
When do I get to vote?
The bulk of European voters - just over three quarters of the electorate - will head to the ballot box on Sunday, 7 June, while a quarter will vote from the fourth to the sixth.The Netherlands and the United Kingdom are the sole countries to vote on 4 June, and the Czech Republic and Ireland are the only countries to vote on 5 June, with voters in the former also able to cast their ballot on 6 June. Voting takes place in Cyprus, Malta, Slovakia and Lithuania on 6 June, as it does in Italy, although voters in the boot of Europe can also visit the urns on 7 June. The rest of Europe votes together, on the seventh, although in some French overseas territories, voting begins on the sixth.
Can I vote in advance of these dates?
In some countries such as Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Estonia, early voting has taken place, and despite warnings that voter turn-out will once again reach an all-time low this year, early voter turn-out is up quite a bit on the 2004 vote.As of Friday (29 May), after nine days of early voting in Sweden, some 3.2 percent of the electorate had cast their ballot, up from 1.68 percent that had done so over the same period in 2004, according to the parliament's press service.Similarly, over the course of two days of advanced voting in Finland, some 5.6 percent had voted, up from 4.7 percent during the last European elections.In Estonia, where voters for the first time are able to cast their ballot electronically, some 6,800 voters have performed their democratic duty since 28 May. As of 1 June, early voting will have also been available at some polling stations, the parliament says.
How old do you have to be?
Across Europe, voting age is 18 in most countries, although Austria recently lowered the voting age to 16, hoping for greater voter participation.Candidates in all but two countries must be at least 18 years old, except in Cyprus and Italy, where the minimum age to be a parliamentarian is 25.
Are there other elections happening at the same time?
Adding to the confusion - but lowering the cost to domestic electoral authorities - in six EU member states, other elections will be taking place concurrently with elections to Strasbourg: regional elections in Belgium, local government elections in Ireland (along with national by-elections in two Dublin constituencies) and the UK, bits of Germany, Italy and Malta, and a general election in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Denmark hopes a referendum on royal issues may boost turnout.Election turnout has fallen in every single European elections since the start in 1979, when turnout was 61.99%. In the last European Elections in 2004 turnout was down to 45.47%.
How long are MEPs in office?
Members of the European Parliament are elected for five-year terms, meaning the next elections will take place in 2014. However, MEPs from Bulgarian and Romania will have only served two years in the chamber, as the two countries first elected their euro-deputies in 2007, when they joined the union.
Some European commissioners are running as MEPs, aren't they?
Five of the current college of European commissioners are running as candidates in the election: information society commissioner Viviane Reding of he Christian Social People's Party in Luxembourg, a centre-right party that sits with the main centre-right group in Strasbourg; development commissioner Louis Michel, running for the Reformist Movement in Belgium, a left-leaning liberal party that sits with the liberals; regional policy commissioner Danuta Hübner of Poland, running for the Civic Platform, which also sits with the centre-right; and consumer protection commissioner Meglena Kuneva of Bulgaria, running for the National Movement for Stability and Progress, a liberal party. Most of the commissioners are hoping to be re-appointed to the EU executive, but a seat in the house is viewed as an insurance policy.
What are the parties at the European level?
There are seven main groupings within the European Parliament, each of which is linked to a pan-European political party that extends beyond the borders of the European Union, although all candidates still run under national political colours. The EP groupings are formed only after the results of the election are clear, and even then, may still take a few weeks to gel.Nevertheless, as of the last parliament, the largest party in the house, the European People's Party, brings together the more socially and economically conservative parties from across Europe. The EPP is expected to win the elections once again, albeit with a diminished number of seats.
The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe is a coalition of centrist parties that stretch from the essentially centre-left but pro-free-market deputies of the UK's Liberal Democrats and the Netherlands' D66 to the immigration-sceptic and economically conservative People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), also of the Netherlands.The Party of European Socialists, the second-biggest bloc in the house and an equally uncomfortably large tent, unites the UK's essentially centre-right Labour Party with the slightly less pro-free-market social democrats of the Parti Socialiste in France, the SPD in Germany, the PSOE in Spain and other Socialist and Labour parties from across the bloc.The European Greens are a more coherent bunch, although they hew more to the centre in Germany and the Czech Republic while their colleagues from the UK and Scandinavia consider themselves to be more a part of the self-styled alterglobalisation movement. There is also a second conservative grouping in the parliament, the Union for a Europe of the Nations, although this is expected to disintegrate after the elections, with the two parties that lead the group - Ireland's governing party, the centrist Fianna Fail and Italy's post-fascist Allianza Nazionale - leaving the UEN for the Liberals and the European People's Party respectively.To the left of the PES, the United European Left/Nordic Green Left is the far-left group in the parliament.Lastly, eurosceptics of left and right, including the UK Independence Party, Denmark's June Movement and French Mouvement pour la France lead by Philippe de Villiers in the last sitting of the house came together under the Independence/Democracy umbrella.
When do we find out the results?
Despite the four-day voting period, the full results will be released only after the final polling station has been closed - 10 p.m. Brussels' time on the Sunday evening.
Ahead of the results beginning at 7:15 p.m., three TV debates with prominent public figures on major issues facing Europe have been organised by France 24, Radio France International, Euronews, Canal 24H and Spain's TVE. The debates, taking place on the third floor of the parliament in Brussels, will also be broadcast on EuroparlTV, the parliament's online television station, and Europe by Satellite (EbS) in the 22 official languages of the EU, as well as Arabic and Russian. The announcement of the results from 10pm will be projected on a giant screen in the parliament's plenary chamber in Brussels and will be available via EbS and EuroparlTV.This will be followed by live streaming on EuroparlTV of press conferences from the out-going president of the parliament, Hans-Gert Poettering, and the various political groupings from 11 p.m. The leaders of the political groups, speaking from Brussels and national capitals, will comment on the first wave of election results.Results from all 27 member states will be made available as they arrive after this time. British, Cypriot, Czech, Dutch, Irish, Lithuanian, Slovak, should thus appear first.
At some point later in the evening, when sufficient returns can begin to suggest the likely make up of the house, the parliament's services will provide a preliminary prognosis of how the results will shape the composition of the new chamber.
Europe in black and white: launch of PRESSEUROP.EU - the first multilingual website for press articles on European affairs Summary: 27 May 2009
Brussels - Under Courrier International's leadership, the PRESSEUROP.EU portal will offer a 10-language selection of articles on European affairs.Mrs Margot WALLSTRÖM - Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner responsible for communication - has welcomed the fact that the Commission is to support this innovative project without in any way encroaching on the consortium's editorial freedom: Alongside EuRaNet (launched in April 2008) and EU TV Net (scheduled for 2010), PRESSEUROP is an expression of our desire to facilitate, encourage and support the establishment of a European public forum for communication, discussion and debate.
The Commission and a consortium coordinated by Courrier International (and including Internazionale in Italy, Forum in Poland and Courrier Internacional in Portugal, with the support of Cafebabel) are launching PRESSEUROP.EU - the first multilingual website for press articles on European affairs.PRESSEUROP will offer translations into as many languages as possible of a selection of the current or the previous day's articles on European affairs, supplemented by comment, analysis and illustration.
It will make publicly available:
- international and European press articles (both written and on-line), selected for their relevance and reliability and concerned with a variety of Community topics: politics, economic affairs, society, the world, the environment, science, culture, intellectual debate, etc.,
- press reviews, news in brief and news round-ups,
- illustrations (computer graphics, photographs, videos, cartoons, etc.),
- a daily newsletter on the day's current events and the latest content,
- archived articles.
The portal will have an interactive dimension in the form of theme-based discussion groups, on-line surveys and opportunities for commenting on the articles published.
This service will be provided initially in 10 languages (Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish) and will be gradually extended to cover the 23 EU official languages hence the PRESSEUROP consortium will be seeking new members. Various partnerships are already in the pipeline, involving in particular EuRaNet and the forthcoming EU TV Net.Ref: EC09-107EN EU source: European Commission UN forum: Date: 27/5/2009.
EU Presidency Statement - United Nations Plenary: Draft outcome document of the Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis
Summary: 20 May 2009
New York - Statement on behalf of the European Union by Mr. Petr Kaiser, Deputy Permanent Representative, Chargé d´Affaires a.i., of the Czech Republic to the United Nations, at the Informal consultation of the Plenary on the draft outcome document of the Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development
Distinguished Co-Chairs,
Distinguished Delegates,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. We welcome the new draft text, dated May 18, put together by the co-facilitators and the President of the General Assembly and we thank them for their hard work, which certainly has brought results that can serve as a basis for further consultations. We note the importance of a broad and inclusive preparatory process. We also welcome the return of the entire process to its intergovernmental nature. We would like to express our willingness to adhere to a facilitators-led, transparent and legitimate process. In our view, the legitimacy of the process is a key element necessary to achieve a successful Conference and, equally important, its outcome.We do support the process of consultations as carried out by the facilitators. In our view, we should support their proposal to collect the views of Member States, which would serve as a basis on which they could prepare the revised draft.I would like to point out that the European Union would like to see in the outcome document a strong focus on mitigating the impact of the current economic and financial crisis on developing countries, in particular the LDCs and the most vulnerable, as this is the emergency we are now facing. This is where the United Nations has a clear mandate and this is precisely where the United Nations can make a difference.Let me now say a few words on the actual text, which touches upon many issues. At this stage, I would like to state that the EU sees some difficult elements within the text and we foresee that changes and adaptations will need to be made to reach a consensual document, which is a priority for the European Union.
On the structure of the draft outcome document: the introductory part of the draft outcome document should be shorter and should be based more extensively on facts, rather than debatable opinions. The style of the first six paragraphs is rather harsh, which, we believe, is not the kind of language to be used in a political document on UN soil, and therefore we recommend toning it down. As a matter of fact, paragraphs 1 through 6 do not focus on the impact of the crisis and, therefore, they do not seem to be the most appropriate at this somewhat prominent section of the text. It might be most fitting if the document could start with what is currently paragraph 7, rephrased to sound less dramatic. Overall, a better balance should be sought throughout the text: we should not limit ourselves to identifying the problems, but should also seek concrete solutions to the crisis, focusing our attention on the needs of developing countries, especially the most vulnerable.At the political level, the EU strongly reaffirmed, on May 18, its commitments to achieve its ODA targets, in spite of the ongoing economic crisis. In our view, the text should confirm the existing ODA commitments, highlight the impact of the financial crisis on the poorest countries and people, and on the MDGs, ahead of the 2010 MDG Review and the 2011 UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries. It should also, to a certain extent, build on the outcome of the G-20 Summit in April, and it should endorse the need for reforms of the existing international financial institutions, but should not call for the creation of new bodies or mechanisms, or cut across processes in the IFIs.The document should also set out a clear role for the UN in responding to the crisis, perhaps on the basis of closer UN monitoring of the impacts on the poor and vulnerable. In this respect, we welcome the work of the CEB in elaborating its priorities as set out in its 5 April Communiqué. This includes a vulnerability monitoring and response mechanism, which we think should be included in the text. We would also welcome a reference to a more coherent One UN approach focused on vulnerable countries and people, and more coherent donor funding.In the main part of the text, we are rather concerned about the lack of balance between mitigation and financial architecture. It goes without saying that the financial architecture is a relevant issue, but it clearly does not have the urgency of mitigation of the crisis. Moreover, while the UN, no doubt, can support reform of the IFIs, decisions in that regard are to be reached in other fora. The EU has shown its support for an on-going process in these fora, notably within the BWIs and the G20. The text on conditionalities, new credit facilities, global reserve system, global economic council, tax, debt issues, policy space, trade, SDR and IFIs, among other issues, will also require further scrutiny.
As far as our most serious concerns, we are very uneasy about the creation of new bodies. In particular, the ideas of a continuing process and of the creation of seven ministerial working groups are not acceptable to the EU. In this respect, we would strongly prefer to use the existing follow-up, which should take into account the mandates and work of all existing institutions, in particular the UNGA and the ECOSOC. Even though some ideas are interesting, the whole draft under The way forward deserves further careful consideration. The EU wishes to express its surprise at the follow-up modalities envisages in paragraph 53 of the negotiating document, which have, to our knowledge, never been proposed by any delegation during the consultative process.The EU will be pleased to provide more detailed information and propose alternative language on specific issues to the co-facilitators shortly. Once again, let us reiterate our commitment and strong support for a successful Conference and its outcome, which would reflect a broad, inclusive and consensual process based on productive consultations. Let me assure the co-facilitators and all delegates that the EU intends to engage in a positive and constructive spirit, with the aim of reaching a consensus.In this context, we would like to raise an issue related to the participation at the Conference. We think that it is necessary to formally invite the United Nations funds and programmes, specialized agencies of the United Nations system, including the Bretton Woods institutions, ILO and UNCTAD, the World Trade Organization, the regional development banks, the regional commissions of the United Nations, and non-governmental organizations, and civil society and business sector entities to participate in the Conference and in the preparatory process as the Conference will deal with issues where these institutions simply can not be left out.
Distinguished Co-Chairs, the European Union would like to reiterate our willingness to work hard during the remaining several days.Thank you for your attention.
Ref: PRES09-046EN EU source: EU Presidency UN forum: General Assembly (including Special Sessions) Date: 20/5/2009.
EU Presidency Statement - United Nations Security Council: Counter-Terrorism Committee, 1267 Committee, and 1540 Committee Summary: 26 May 2009
New York - Statement on behalf of the European Union by H.E. Mr. Martin Palouš, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the United Nations, Open Debate in the Security Council, Briefings by Chairmen of Subsidiary Bodies of the Security Council (Counter-Terrorism Committee, 1267 Committee, and 1540 Committee)
Mr. President,
I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union.The Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Armenia align themselves with this statement.
Mr. President,Terrorism knows no boundary and requires global action. The work of the three Committees before us is a valuable part of such global response. The EU welcomes today's briefing and the present debate as an opportunity for exchange of information and views between the Committees and Member States. We would like to use this occasion to reiterate that upholding human rights and the rule of law are essential elements in our struggle to combat terrorism. Any measures that we undertake to prevent and combat terrorism must comply with our obligations under international law, in particular human rights law, refugee law and international humanitarian law. We fully support the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and believe that its four pillars need to be implemented in a balanced and holistic manner.
Mr. President,Let me first address some common aspects of work of the three counter-terrorism Committees, and subsequently cover each of the respective subsidiary bodies of this Council individually. The 1373, the 1267 and the 1540 Committees have recently worked more closely together. The EU welcomes this trend towards a more coherent and integrated implementation of the UN counter-terrorism policies. In this context, we would like to highlight especially the importance of cooperation between the Committees' Expert Groups. The common strategy to engage with international, regional and sub-regional organizations is another important step in this direction. The EU commends the practice of joint visits to countries, reiterates its call for effective follow-up and encourages further deepening of the human rights element in these visits. We also welcome the participation of the three Committees in the work of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, of whose efforts the EU has been a staunch supporter.
Mr. President,As for the monitoring and promotion of the implementation of the resolution 1373 by the Counter-Terrorism Committee, we value highly the ongoing Preliminary Implementation Assessment practice and stocktaking exercise of implementation progress made by Member States. The EU encourages deeper integration of human rights elements in the work of the CTC and Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate with Member States, especially with regard to PIAs. We call on all States to reply to the CTC in a timely manner, enter into dialogue with it, and follow-up on its recommendations. We note that the interim review of the CTED is to be conducted by the Security Council by 30 June 2009, and look forward to it. The EU welcomes the CTC's revised technical assistance strategy aimed at improving the match-making between potential donors or providers of assistance and its recipients. Both the EU and its Member States have been among the main assistance providers. We have contributed through the CTC and CTED channels as well as through other UN bodies such as UNODC's Terrorism Prevention Branch. The EU recently decided to extend the cooperation with CTED in the framework of the global counter-terrorism outreach component under its Instrument for Stability for the period of 2009-2011. In January 2009, during the visit of the CTED delegation at the EU Council's Counter-Terrorism Working Party meeting, we have committed to further support the CTC. We likewise appreciate the intensified cooperation with relevant regional and sub-regional organizations and, in this context, the preparation of regional workshops.
Mr. President,Let me now turn to the 1267 Committee. The EU fully supports the al-Qaida/Taliban sanctions regime. We welcome the fact that through the 1267 Committee, this Council has strengthened human rights and due process considerations in UN sanctions regimes, and hope that this trend will continue. The adoption of resolution 1822 last June was an important step in improving fair and clear procedures for the imposition of sanctions, listings and de-listings of individuals and entities. Last year, the Belgian Chair successfully paved the way for implementation of the resolution 1822 by developing concrete modalities and reflecting them in updated Committee's guidelines, and launched the review process. Under the present Austrian chairmanship the Committee has started reviewing the names on the Consolidated List and published the first narrative summaries of reasons for listing on the Committee's website. The EU is pleased to see that the implementation of resolution 1822 is being actively and efficiently carried out, with already some concrete results. On their part, EU Members States are committed to contribute to this process and encourage all other Member States to do the same.
Mr. President,As you know, recent EU court cases on the EU implementation measures of the al-Qaida/Taliban sanctions regime have brought new challenges. The EU is presently adapting its procedures for implementing the 1267 sanctions, in order to accommodate the requirements of both the 1267 sanctions regime, in particular resolution 1822, and the European Court of Justice. The EU considers that the transparency and procedures of the al-Qaida/Taliban sanctions regime need to be further enhanced and welcomes all efforts in this regard. We are of the view that the resolution to be adopted by the end of December 2009 is the right opportunity in this respect. EU Member States are ready to constructively contribute to this process.
Lastly, Mr. President, I would like to address the work of the 1540 Committee. The EU considers it an essential tool, complementary to existing multilateral non-proliferation instruments, in countering the threat that weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery could fall into the hands of non-State actors, including terrorists. We reiterate the importance of full implementation of resolution 1540 and in this context, welcome the Committee's Report on Modalities for considering a Comprehensive Review of its implementation by Member States. We further welcome the convening of an open-ended meeting of the Committee this autumn, enabling Member States to exchange views and share best national practices ahead of the Review. We express our hope that the review will produce concrete and action-oriented recommendations. The EU commends the Committee's efforts to facilitate the provision of assistance to States, as well as the cooperation with regional and sub-regional organizations. The regional workshops are an important part of the Committee's outreach effort and of such cooperation. The EU has pledged to support the organization of these workshops financially. I am proud to announce that as of today, the first part of the EU-pledged amount has been transferred to UNODA's Trust Fund for Global and Regional Disarmament Activities.
Mr. President,The EU would like to join others in thanking the members, experts and Chairmen of the three Committees for the work already done and underway. I would like to assure you of EU's full commitment to support the Committees' future work.
Thank you, Mr. President.Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.Ref: PRES09-047EN
EU source: EU Presidency UN forum: Security Council Date: 26/5/2009.
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 TUE JUNE 02,2009
09:30 AM -12.27
10:00 AM +19.73
10:30 AM +33.91
11:00 AM +19.10
11:30 AM +37.57
12:00 PM +6.19
12:30 PM -6.07
01:00 PM +8.98
01:30 PM +12.88
02:00 PM +11.37
02:30 PM +40.04
03:00 PM +49.20
03:30 PM +41.48
04:00 PM +19.43 8740.87
S&P 500 944.74 +1.87
NASDAQ 1836.80 +8.12
GOLD 982.80 +2.70
OIL 68.72 +0.14
TSE 300 10,588.79 -15.27
CDNX 1141.74 +1.19
S&P/TSX/60 645.67 -1.00
MORNING,NEWS,STATS
YEAR TO DATE PERFORMANCE
Dow -0.63%
S&P +4.39%
Nasdaq +15.96%
TSX Advances 1,090,declines 520,unchanged 242,Volume 2,813,795,165.
TSX Venture Exchange Advances 458,Declines 461,Unchanged 334,Volume 376,847,069.
Dow -17 points at 4 minutes of trading today.
Dow -28 points at low today.
Dow +66 points at high today so far.
GOLD opens at $980.90.OIL opens at $67.79 today.
AFTERNOON,NEWS,STATS
Dow -28 points at low today so far.
Dow +66 points at high today so far.
DAY TODAY PERFORMANCE - 12:30PM STATS
NYSE Advances 1,932,declines 1,637,unchanged 112,New Highs 41,New Lows 56.
Volume 3,340,855,316.
NASDAQ Advances 1,318,declines 1,297,unchanged 115,New highs 36,New Lows 6.
Volume 1,145,571,157.
TSX Advances 726,declines 660,unchanged 284,Volume 1,326,634,433.
TSX Venture Exchange Advances 343,Declines 326,Unchanged 303,Volume 147,550,703.
WRAPUP,NEWS,STATS
Dow -28 points at low today.
Dow +66 points at high today.
Dow +0.22% today Volume 257,555,545.
Nasdaq +0.44% today Volume -.
S&P 500 +0.20% today Volume N/A
UPDATE 3-Geithner tells China its dollar assets are safe
Mon Jun 1, 2009 8:03am EDT By Glenn Somerville
BEIJING, June 1 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Monday reassured the Chinese government that its huge holdings of dollar assets are safe and reaffirmed his faith in a strong U.S. currency.A major goal of Geithner's maiden visit to China as Treasury chief is to allay concerns that Washington's bulging budget deficit and ultra-loose monetary policy will fan inflation, undermining both the dollar and U.S. bonds.China is the biggest foreign owner of U.S. Treasury bonds. U.S. data shows that it held $768 billion in Treasuries as of March, but some analysts believe China's total U.S. dollar-denominated investments could be twice as high.Chinese assets are very safe,Geithner said in response to a question after a speech at Peking University, where he studied Chinese as a student in the 1980s.His answer drew loud laughter from his student audience, reflecting scepticism in China about the wisdom of a developing country accumulating a vast stockpile of foreign reserves instead of spending the money to raise living standards at home.But later in the day, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan said it was important for the two nations to show the world they are working together through their joint economic dialogue.We must through our dialogue send a clear signal that China and the U.S. are engaged in practical cooperation to address the crisis,Wang told Geithner, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry's website (www.mfa.gov.cn).
This is important for boosting confidence and encouraging global financial stability and economic revival,said Wang.In his speech, Geithner renewed pledges that the Obama administration would cut its huge fiscal deficits and promised very disciplined future spending, possibly including reintroduction of pay-as-you-go budget rules instead of nonstop borrowing.We have the deepest and most liquid markets for risk-free assets in the world. We're committed to bring our fiscal deficits down over time to a sustainable level.We believe in a strong dollar ... and we're going to make sure that we repair and reform the financial system so that we sustain confidence,he said.
Geithner also offered strong backing for a bigger Chinese role in international policymaking.China is already too important to the global economy not to have a full seat at the international table,he said.
ECONOMY LOOKING UP
Geithner, who is due to meet President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao during two days of talks, described the recession as still powerful and dangerous in much of the world.Recent signs of improvement were not enough to change an International Monetary Fund prediction that world output would shrink this year for the first time in 60 years. And credit was likely to be tight for some time, Geithner said.But he added: The global recession seems to be losing force.Moreover, the U.S. financial system was healing and it now seemed assured that the world would avoid financial collapse and deflation.But Geithner said there could be no return to business as usual either for the United States or China: both must change their growth strategies as U.S. consumers pay down debt after years of living beyond their means.For China, which he said was in an enviably strong position, that meant reducing its dependence on exports.Purchases of U.S. consumers cannot be as dominant a driver of growth as they have been in the past,he said.In China ... growth that is sustainable will require a very substantial shift from external to domestic demand.To that end, Geithner said a more flexible exchange-rate regime for the yuan, which would almost certainly see the value of the Chinese currency rise against the dollar, was particularly important because it would spur more Chinese demand.A stronger yuan would make imports cheaper for China and Chinese exports more costly for foreign buyers.
CHINA ROLE
Geithner offered U.S. backing for a higher-profile role for China in running global institutions including the IMF -- a controversial proposition since it raises the sensitive issue of reducing Europe's voting share in the global lender.The United States will fully support having China play a role in the principal cooperative arrangements that help shape the international system, a role that is commensurate with China's importance in the global economy,he said.In words clearly intended to soothe Chinese concerns that its vibrant export economy might be targeted by U.S. lawmakers who are feeling pressure from soaring American joblessness, Geithner said the Obama administration would resist any such moves.As we go through the severe stresses of this crisis, we must not turn our backs on open trade and investment,he said.In return, we expect increased opportunities to export to and invest in the Chinese economy.Geithner said he was hopeful that General Motors Corp and Chrysler would be able to stand on their own feet once they emerge from bankruptcy.GM will file for bankruptcy on Monday, U.S. officials said, forcing the 100-year-old automaker once seen as a symbol of American economic might into a new and uncertain era of government ownership.We want a quick, clean exit as soon as conditions permit, Geithner said. We're very optimistic these firms will emerge (from restructuring) without further government assistance.(Reporting by Glenn Somerville; Editing by Alan Wheatley/Toby Chopra) Thomson Reuters 2009.
Changes to EU fund hope to tackle rising unemployment
ANDREW WILLIS Today JUNE 2,09 @ 18:05 CET
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – Unemployment is continuing its rise in the European Union, with new data released by the region's statistics office, Eurostat, showing the figure reached 8.6 percent in April, up from 8.4 percent in March. The data released on Tuesday (2 June) show an even greater jump for the 16-country euro area, with unemployment reaching 9.2 percent in April compared to 8.9 percent in March. But European commission economy spokeswoman Amelia Torres says this does not necessarily mean EU27 unemployment will exceed a recent commission forecast of an average rate of 9.4 percent for 2009.The economy seems to be bottoming out and in the coming months, although we are expecting unemployment to increase, it is possible that it will not increase as strongly as it has done in the past few months,she told EUobserver.
Eurostat now estimates that close to 21 million people in the EU27 were unemployed in April, highlighting the severity of the problem despite recent talk by economists about the green shoots of recovery.
Greater flexibility for the European social fund
The news comes on the eve of a European Commission publication that will outline a list of possible new measures to tackle the growing jobs crisis and will be discussed by EU leaders when they meet for a European summit on 18-19 June. The document's main proposal is to increase member state access to money in the European social fund by providing 100 percent funding for projects in 2009-10, up to a total of €19 billion.
At present, member-state governments must contribute to projects receiving funds from the ESF within their borders, a process known as match-funding, designed to ensure governments do not simply replace national funds with EU funds. The measure to frontload ESF monies has been prompted by concerns that some member states would not be able to produce the match funding due to the current credit shortage.So even those [member states] with tight budgets will be able to use ESF money for retraining during short-time work initiatives for example [under the new proposals], the commission social policy spokeswoman Katharina von Schnurbein told EUobserver. As no new money is available, member states that take up the offer of 100 percent financing for some projects in 2009/10, would then receive less money throughout the rest of the financial period that is due to end in 2013. Wednesday's announcement on 100 percent financing under the ESF could shortly be followed by similar measures under other EU structural funds.The second main proposal is the creation of a €500 million micro-credit fund by the European investment bank and the commission, providing funding for small businesses that currently can not get access to credit.It would also provide funding for unemployed people looking to set up a new business.
France wants to loosen eurozone rules
VALENTINA POP Today JUNE 2,09 @ 09:44 CET
France wants the European Union to soften its stance on budget deficits in response to the economic crisis – a move which would alter the EU's stability pact on which the bloc's common currency is based.We should think about a special treatment for the debts currently acquired as a consequence of the crisis,French economy minister Christine Lagarde told Financial Times Deutschland. She said several member states now have budget deficits as a result of economic stimulus packages and the EU should adopt a milder stance towards the deficits.I have no precise answer how we should proceed, but we need a debate,she said.Currently, member states have to abide by the strict rules of the stability pact and not exceed a budget deficit of three percent of the gross domestic product.
But many countries are now breaching these rules.
For 2009, the EU commission predicted that 13 out of the 16 eurozone countries will go beyond the allowed threshold, and has urged member states to return to the financial discipline as soon as possible.The EU executive has already started excessive deficit procedures against several eurozone countries, including France. The total debt in the eurozone will reach 83.8 percent of its GDP, the commission predicts.Ms Lagarde explained that several member states have structural deficits - a term describing deficits formed by the different subsidies and fiscal measures aimed at kickstarting the economy.Finance ministers are to discuss the issue when they meet at the beginning of next week.EU monetary affairs commissioner Joaquin Almunia fears that loosening the eurozone criteria could damage the common currency, with greater deficits having the potential to reduce market confidence in the eurozone's economy, and hence also its currency.Britain's pound has lost significant value this year as currency investors question the health of its economy, one of the worst hit by financial crisis due to its overextended banking sector.But even supporters of tough fiscal discipline, such as centre-left Dutch finance minister Wouter Bos, have questioned the viability of the stability pact, since it would take member states up to ten years to go get below three percent deficit threshold.
Ms Lagarde said she was in favour of collective discipline, but rejected calls from the European Central Bank and the EU commission for an exit strategy from the expansionary government spending.She said the stimulus measures would only bear fruit from September on and it was premature to think about cutting deficits. Instead, the priority should be to safeguard existing jobs and creating new ones, she stressed.
German Social Democrats pave way for Barroso II Published: Thursday 28 May 2009
European Commission President José Manuel Barroso seems well-placed to win a second term after the leader of Germany's Social Democrats, Franz Müntefering, said yesterday (27 May) that there was little point in the European Socialists naming their own alternative candidate in an attempt to halt the incumbent's re-appointment.
Müntefering's comments came as a boost to the former Portuguese prime minister's hopes of retaining his post when his five-year mandate expires later this year.
Müntefering told reporters that Barroso, backed by his party, the European People's Party, had done a competent job as head of the EU executive and had the support of some centre-left governments in Europe, including his native Portugal, neighbouring Spain and the UK. Asked if Europe's centre-left would put up a challenge, he replied: What would the point of that be?It would be naive to do that. There are 27 EU countries and 21 of those are led by conservative governments. And at least two others, Portugal and Spain, are for Barroso. Do you think the other four should put up a challenge? he said. But Müntefering, chairman of the SPD which shares power with Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats, said his party would like a place in the next Commission for German Martin Schulz, head of the Socialist group in the European Parliament.Merkel's conservatives and the SPD have wrangled over which party will nominate a candidate to be Germany's member of the Commission - which initiates EU legislation and ensures rules are enforced - when the SPD's Günter Verheugen leaves.There's been a close cooperation so far [with Barroso] and I don't know who would be able to stop him if he is nominated again by the conservatives,Müntefering told the Foreign Press Association in Berlin.He's a confident man, a politician with a lot of experience. We understand our Portuguese friends support him and Spain is also close. We assume that, along with the fact there are so many conservative governments in Europe, this means there is no possibility for another majority,he added.Barroso was appointed in 2004 after a tough compromise as Britain and its allies blocked the Franco-German candidate, then-Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt.(EurActiv with Reuters.)
TREATY OF LISBON
http://www.euractiv.com/en/future-eu/treaty-lisbon/article-163412
EU Parliament facing legitimacy crisis, experts warn[fr]
Published: Tuesday 26 May 2009
The increase in power of the European Parliament, which will grow further if the Lisbon Treaty is ratified by all 27 member states, has failed to increase the House's political legitimacy and runs the risk of compromising its unique position as the EU's democratic pillar,according to a new report.The report, published by CEPS (Centre for European Policy Studies) research fellows Julia De Clerck-Sachsse and Piotr Maciej Kaczyński, argues that the Parliament's crucial importance as a forum for public debate is on the wane. Since the EU enlargement of five years ago, which saw ten Central and Eastern European countries introduce new MEPs and increase the number of official languages from 11 to 23, the work of the institution has, understandably, become more complex. On the positive side, the authors note, enlargement has not destabilised the Parliament's output, nor has it affected the strength of left-right political alignments, which remain cohesive. In fact, the Parliament's sixth legislature (2004-2009) has boosted the institution's assertiveness, particularly under the co-decision procedure, where Parliament and the European Council share decision-making powers.
The high cost of efficiency
However, this new assertiveness has come at a price. In its efforts to streamline decision-making and maintain efficiency, the enlarged EU assembly has moved more decisions to committees and cut down the amount of time for debate between MEPs in the plenary chamber.In particular, the massive increase in first-reading agreements (when a legislative act is passed after only one reading in the chamber) gives the impression that the bulk of political debate takes place behind closed doors, rather than publicly.In other words, if Parliament adopts a compromise that is pre-negotiated by the responsible committee, there is little chance of a politicised and controversial debate,which is crucial to capturing public attention,say the experts. Worse still, it runs the risk of Parliament being perceived as merely rubber-stamping the Council's decisions.Furthermore, if participation rates at this year's European elections continue to fall, as seems highly likely (EurActiv 20/05/09), the justification for giving expanded powers to the Parliament rings increasingly hollow.
At present, the authors argue, extending the EU assembly's powers and presenting it as a more efficient legislative body has not paid off in terms of how it is perceived as a political actor outside Brussels, most importantly by the public. If it fails to win political and public legitimacy while increasing its powers, the Parliament's institutional raison d'être will be in jeopardy, they conclude.
BLUE PRINT FOR A PRISON PLANET - NICK SANDBERG
http://www.nick2211.yage.net/chips.htm
ZEITGEIST HOGWASH
http://www.nick2211.yage.net/Zeitgeist.htm
The Future - Chips with Everything?
In the passages above, I've looked at a few aspects of our recent history with the intention of demonstrating that there may be a pattern of organization in the background that could give many people grounds for concern. At this point, I would now like to address the question: If there really was a coherent body organizing all of this, what would their motivation be, and where might all this be leading? The primary motivation behind all elite activities is the desire to acquire control. It is the base desire to control everything, to take a vast and dynamic planet full of people and drive them into a single cultural structure under their central control. It is the fulfillment of this desire that truly motivates the elite. In their attempt to bring about this highly negative state of affairs, the elite need to be active on two fronts simultaneously - the world outside and the world inside, the planet and the mind.In the world outside,the objective the banking families are working towards is globalization - the creation of three vast interlocked markets centred on America, Europe and Asia, followed by their full integration into a single trading block. A global marketplace peopled with consumer-workers and serviced at the lower end via Third World debt. In the world inside,the plan is to get all humanity microchipped. For, despite a multiplicity of control tactics currently being imposed upon us - mortgages, credit cards, street surveillance systems and antidepressants among them - people still have a basic level of personal freedom. Although it's getting harder to do so, we can still walk out of consumerism and embark on a new life. But if we are chipped this won't happen. This is because scientists knowledge of neuroscience is now such that, by having a tiny microchip implanted inside our body, we can be regulated at an emotional level. By gaining control over our body's receptor-ligand network, our emotional state can be manipulated by electrical signals, either as a part of a chip's program or via remote signalling, thus offering the possibility of the creation of a perfect consumer workforce - a people whose only thoughts are those of working, eating, procreating and sleeping.
However, despite the progress our planet has made along the road of becoming a world consumerist superstate, most people are still highly resistant to the idea of having a 'chip put under their skin. There is therefore a progressive strategy that will be gradually implemented to lead us, step by step, into permitting this nightmare future to come about.It will unfold in three concurrent stages. Firstly, cash will be gradually eliminated. Secondly, all personal and financial data will be placed on individual smartcards.And, thirdly smartcards will be themselves gradually eliminated to be replaced by microchip implants. By first removing cash, then introducing problems into electronic money systems while simultaneously promoting microchip implants as a safe and acceptable alternative, the elite will lead us slowly into accepting personal implant technology. I will look more closely at how these three stages will likely unfold.For the past twenty years we have been slowly led towards giving up cash in favour of electronic money, and in the last ten, the heat has been turned up. The increased promotion of credit cards, phone banking, mail order and Internet shopping have all helped to bring about a society where the need for cash transactions is greatly reduced. Yet many people still like carrying cash, meaning more will have to be done if it is to be eliminated completely. One strategy that will be employed will be the gradual implementation of smart citizenship schemes across ever-widening sectors of our society. Smart citizenship is one of a variety of euphemisms now emerging for cashless society and, once one city has been signed up, the benefits can be extensively promoted by the media to encourage others to follow suit. In April 2000 it was announced that the UK city of Southampton and the Swedish city of Gothenberg will host smart citizenship schemes commencing 2002, to be technically facilitated by the French consortium, Schlumberger. Another strategy that might be utilised is the introduction of new, multinational currencies not available as cash. The euro, the currency for the European Union, may well be such a thing.
Another possibility is that cash will be removed on the pretext of eliminating the illicit drug trade. Many cities now have around 1% of their population using heroin daily. This, along with crack cocaine addiction, is proving a near intolerable social burden for many people who live in the areas affected. If cash were eliminated, anonymous illicit transactions for small sums would not be possible. With electronic money, the identities of the buyer and seller of any article are recorded on computer and, should a transaction be for an illicit substance, it could be traced. Although illicit drugs come into our countries in vast shipments, each load is ultimately sold in small amounts at or near street level. Remove cash and the illicit drug trade would be finished.If the drug war is going to be used to assist in the outlawing of cash, one of the first signs will likely be moves to legalize soft drugs like marijuana. The smoking of cannabis is the primary cash-based illicit activity that people indulge in, and the prospect of having this pleasure withdrawn from them would inevitably create considerable opposition to any plan to outlaw cash. In addition, marijuana legalization would create the appearance of policy-softening on behalf of government, when the opposite is in fact taking place. Whatever tactics are eventually employed, while cash is being eliminated and the creation of a global society pursued, an assortment of softening-up strategies are likely to be deployed by the media. There will be a steady trickle of stories in the papers and on TV relating the benefits of microchipping. Scientists will make statements extolling the wonders of implant technology for treating and monitoring illnesses and futuristic articles will relate how, in a few years time, we won't have to carry wallets around. Such stories will invariably make it seem that microchipping and globalization are not only desirable but also inevitable - that they have already been decided.Once cash has finally been eliminated from a region, what will next happen is that problems will begin to mysteriously occur within the electronic money system. People will occasionally find their money disappearing into thin air. Computer errors, viruses and fraud, previously virtually unheard of, will increasingly begin to manifest. Having your personal records placed on a microchip implant will become renowned as the only safe way to keep personal data safe from interference, likely because encryption technology available on the personal chip won't be available on the smartcard.Whole groups of people within society will likely have already been chipped by this time. Criminals, the mentally ill, and military personnel are three likely targets. The media will constantly portray chipping as the socially positive thing to do. Small children will go missing in high profile cases on the daily news, then be found, because they were chipped.Young people's TV will be especially targeted. Getting chipped will be seen as a cool thing to do, with a vast array of different chip features available to order. Getting chipped will be seen as synonymous with getting ahead and attracting members of the opposite sex. The media will spare no effort ensuring that the negative aspects of getting chipped, such as feeling like a robot, are driven from people's minds.
To still further intensify the drive to get the public chipped, large corporations will begin to make it a requirement for employment, likely under the guise of it being their contribution to creating a positive society. By this time the multinational corporations of today, big as they already are, will have been transformed into transnational giants, astride the world like statues of Colossus, controlling vast sectors of the earth's resources and meeting them out according to their masters' schedule, and with a vast and continuous PR job making it all appear completely consensual. Virtually everything purchased will be from a multinational corporation, and nearly all employment opportunities will involve working for one. With cash gone and no way of bringing it back, and the credit card, ID card, and even smartcard systems increasingly falling into disrepair, life will begin to seem pretty bleak for those persons not chipped. Pretty soon, not being chipped will effectively mean you are not capable of working for a regular wage in any but the most menial job. There will initially still be a large black market operating at varying degrees outside the law and trading in a wide variety of licit and illicit substances. But, as 'chipping proceeds all across Western society, and becomes seen as being as natural as paying tax, so the State will increasingly make moves to attack illicit activity. With the moral backing of the microchipped population, engineered by the media, those persons not 'chipped will increasingly be marginalized in the same way the homeless are now - forced to the edges of society and left to fend for themselves in an environment of poverty, drug addiction, sexual exploitation and crime. Once chipping is finally accepted as being an integral part of life in the twenty-first century, the next stage will be implemented - the promotion of chips that can regulate aspects of our body's function. Self-regulation of our body and mind will be seen as a new and convenient means of treating any number of complaints ranging from depression to minor flesh wounds. No need to take tablets or call up the doctor, just program your chip to do it for you. Scientists are now sufficiently knowledgeable of our body's electrical system and ligand-receptor networks that they can superficially alter many of our natural emotional functions. By changing the way our body metabolizes serotonin, for example, the symptoms of depression can be relieved.
With chips available capable of altering a whole range of neurochemical functions, we will increasingly have the ability to emotionally regulate ourselves. Given that it is now well recognized that negative emotions are mere symptoms of deeper needs not being met, all sorts of health problems could easily go undiagnosed. But, apart from health concerns, giving people the means to easily emotionally self-regulate could lead to the Prozac generation becoming global. People will become obsessed with feeling good about themselves all the time, ignoring anything which threatens to interfere with that feeling. Wars, starvation, political upheavals and global tyranny will all become just other people's problems.With implant technology accepted as being part of life in the twenty-first century, who is going to notice if one day the 'chips seem to start regulating themselves. Who is going to notice if they no longer require us to actually program them, but seem to do it without our help, no longer allowing us access to our true feelings even if we wanted them? This nightmare scenario seems like something out of science fiction but, in fact, much of the technology has already been developed. The implantable microchip with global tracking system and biomonitoring system, Digital Angel, is scheduled to go into production in late 2000, (see later). It is powered by human muscle movement and will be offered to people concerned that they or their loved ones may go missing and to doctors wanting to monitor their patients. Patents for implantable 'chips that release pharmaceuticals into the bloodstream have already been issued and companies, such as ChipRx, have been set up to develop them for the market. The technology is here, the only question is: how much persuading will be necessary to make us accept it? One thing is certain - everything will be done bit by bit. Step by step, we will be led into a place where no one, if they thought about it, would ever willingly go - and without means of escape.
N. Korea's Kim taps 26-year-old son as successor By JAE-SOON CHANG, Associated Press Writer – Tue Jun 2, 9:19 am ET
SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea's Kim Jong Il has anointed his 26-year-old son — said to be competitive, proficient in English and a heavy drinker — as the next leader of the communist state, news reports said Tuesday.Two major South Korean newspapers said Tuesday that North Korea's military, party and government officials were informed that Kim Jong Un, the youngest of three, is in line to take the world's first communist dynasty into a third generation.The announcement was made in the days after North Korea's provocative May 25 nuclear test, the Hankook Ilbo newspaper reported, citing unnamed South Korean lawmakers briefed by the spy agency.The son already is being hailed as Commander Kim,and North Koreans are learning the lyrics to a new song praising him as the next leader, the Dong-a Ilbo newspaper said. South Korean lawmaker Park Jie-won told a radio show Tuesday that the regime already is pledging its allegiance to Kim Jong Un.He said he was briefed by South Korea's spy agency.
The National Intelligence Service would not confirm the reports.
The apparent anointment comes at a time of mounting tensions over North Korea's April 5 rocket launch and last week's nuclear test. The North also appears to be preparing to test-fire an array of medium- and long-range missiles, reports said. Global powers are discussing how to rein in Pyongyang for its nuclear defiance.Analysts say the saber-rattling is part of a campaign to build unity and support for a successor to Kim Jong Il, who reportedly suffered a stroke last August. Kim has three sons but had not publicly named an heir to lead the nation of 24 million.Kim, once pudgy and renowned for his love of cognac and gourmet meals, made his first state appearance since the reported stroke at the opening session of the new parliament April 12. He was grayer, considerably thinner and limping slightly.He is believed to want to name a successor by 2012 — the centenary of the birth of his father, North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung — and the regime undertook a massive campaign last year to gear the country up for the 100th anniversary celebrations.The regime called the April 5 launch of a satellite into space part of the campaign to show off the country's scientific advancements. The U.S., Japan and others called it a cover for a test of long-range missile technology.Last month, the regime stepped up the pace and launched a 150-day battle urging North Koreans to work harder to build the country's economy.
Before 2012, North Korea must convince the army and the public that Jong Un is the best successor,said Atsuhito Isozaki, assistant professor of North Korean politics at Tokyo's private Keio University.To pave the way for Jong Un's leadership, it is highly likely that North Korea will turn recent nuclear and missile tests into his achievements.Analyst Cheong Seong-chang of the Sejong Institute, a South Korean security think tank, noted that the politically driven 150-day campaign is set to culminate in early October, about the time of the anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party. He said North Korea could hold a national convention then — its first in nearly 30 years — to formally announce Kim's successor.Cheong said that in the 1970s, Kim Il Sung, known as the Great Leader, arranged for his son to take credit for a 70-day battle before he was tapped as his father's successor. Kim Jong Il — the Dear Leader — formally assumed leadership upon his father's death in 1994.
Since Kim had a stroke last year, North Korea appears to be in a hurry in naming his successor,Isozaki said.Many believe Jong Un might lead with the backing and guidance of his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, a member of the all-powerful National Defense Commission who has strong military and political connections.Little is known about Jong Un, the second son of former dancer Ko Yong Hi, who died of cancer in 2004.He studied at the International School in Bern, Switzerland, in the 1990s. The Swiss weekly news magazine L'Hebdo reported that he used the pseudonym Pak Chol and learned to speak English, German and French. A classmate recalled him as timid and introverted but an avid skier and basketball player who was a big fan of the NBA star Michael Jordan and action film star Jean-Claude Van Damme. He was humble and friendly with the children of American diplomats and often helped break up fights between classmates, a former school director said. A car arrived every day after school to pick him up, the report said; classmates and school officials thought he was the driver's son.The eldest son, Jong Nam, 38, was considered the favorite to succeed his father until he was caught trying to enter Japan on a fake passport in 2001. He reportedly told Japanese officials he wanted to visit Tokyo's Disney resort. Kim considers the middle son, Jong Chol, too effeminate for the job, according to his former sushi chef.Associated Press writers Shino Yuasa in Tokyo and William Foreman in Seoul contributed to this report.
I WRITE NEWS ABOUT AND PUT NEWS ARTICLES ABOUT ISRAEL AND JERUSALEM PERTAINING TO BIBLE PROPHESY HAPPENINGS.JOEL 3:20 But Judah (ISRAEL) shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.(THATS ISRAEL-JERUSALEM WILL NEVER BE DESTROYED AGAIN)-WE CHRISTIANS ARE ALL WAITING PATIENTLY FOR THE PRE-TRIBULATION RAPTURE TO OCCUR.SO WE CAN GO TO JESUS AND GET OUR NEVER DYING BODIES.SO WE CAN RULE OVER CITIES OURSELVES.WHILE JESUS RULES FROM DAVIDS THRONE FOREVER IN JERUSALEM.
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