Super Bunker-Buster Bomb - News from Jerusalem
THE HEAT IS ON IRAN NOW TO SHUT UP OR BE BOMBED OR NUKED BY ISRAEL AND THE USA.
Iran test fires missile that can reach Israel - on Yom Kippur! - news from Jerusalem picture
Revolutionary Guard's Zelzal missile is launched in a drill near the city of Qom (Photo AP)- picture News from Jerusalem
Forced Vaccination and Quarantine Laws in Canada SkyWatch Canada Infowars September 29, 2009 Ontario has ordered more than enough vaccine to inoculate the entire population.
After the mainstream media ran numerous stories on mass vaccination plans in Canada and the US there has been a large outcry from health care workers as well as the general public. Although the media never came out and plainly said that the H1N1 Vaccine is mandatory for everyone, they did allude to it. A story was published in the National Post that plainly stated Under Canada’s official pandemic plan, the entire population would ultimately be immunized against the H1N1 swine flu.This is basically equivalent to saying that the H1N1 vaccine is compulsory for all Canadians. But after the public expressed disdain for this, the government started to back pedal. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. David Butler-Jones started making statements like ,Immunization will not be mandatory and not all Canadians are expected to want it.More news articles were later published making it seem like only enough vaccine is being ordered for the 75% of the population that are expected to want it. But then the results of the vaccine trials demonstrated that only one dose will be needed as opposed to two.This implies that Ontario has ordered more than enough vaccine to inoculate the entire population. So in light of all of the mixed messages, what’s the real story on forced vaccination in Canada? In 1996 Ontario passed the Health Care Consent Act, which allows treatment such as vaccination to be administered without consent of the individual in the case of a loosely defined Emergency.In Quebec the Public Health Act clearly states: Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, while the public health emergency is in effect, the Government or the Minister, if he or she has been so empowered, may, without delay and without further formality, to protect the health of the population, (1) order compulsory vaccination of the entire population or any part of it against smallpox or any other contagious disease seriously threatening the health of the population and, if necessary, prepare a list of persons or groups who require priority vaccination.Clearly it is not unforeseeable that mandatory vaccination could be a reality in Canada during this pandemic.
Recently, Greg Evensen a former Kansas State Trooper reported that he has state troopers across America telling him that to enforce vaccination orders this fall, road blocks will be set up along with a system to identify travelers who have received the vaccine. Metal shackle like bracelets with embedded RFID chips will be attached to those who receive the shot. Those who refuse to be vaccinated will be loaded on a bus and sent to a quarantine facility/FEMA camp. Templates for quarantine orders for Iowa ,Florida and North Carolina have been found on the CDC web server, that tell a similar story. Get the H1N1 vaccine or get sent to a quarantine/detention facility. The question should be asked, are there similar plans in the works in Canada? In 2005 a new Quarantine Act was passed to deal with the transmission of communicable diseases by travelers entering or leaving Canada. Powers are awarded under this act to a Quarantine Officer to issue an order for a traveler who may have come in contact with someone with a communicable disease, to comply with treatment (ie. vaccination) or any other preventative measure (Section 26). If the traveler refuses to comply with the order he or she may face detention at a quarantine facility, until they decide to comply with treatment (ie. vaccination) or no longer pose a risk (Section 28). The threat posed by this act is diminished by the fact that it only applies to people leaving or entering Canada. Unfortunately there is a real possibility that the definition of a traveler may be expanded to include internal travelers (ie. everyone). The 2004 Public Safety Act (Bill C-7 (2004) formerly Bill C-42 (2002)) amends the Quarantine Act , and in doing so grants powers to the Minister of Health to make an interim order without Parliamentary oversight, to expand the definition of a traveler to include anyone residing in Canada. This sets the stage for a grim situation much like the one depicted by Greg Evensen. Is it likely that despite all the legislation allowing mandatory vaccination in Canada that they will be optional this fall ? The mainstream media is trying to make it seem like that will be the case. But what if the NWO crime syndicate intends to advance their population reduction agenda through a mass vaccination campaign? Opposition to forced vaccinations would be more than enough reason to round up resistors and send them to quarantine facilities/ concentration camps. If that is to be the case, lets hope things don’t go according to plan.
EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)(HAMAS IN HEBREW IS VIOLENCE)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM)(HAMAS) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
7.9 magnitude quake strikes off American Samoa
Tue Sep 29, 2009 2:06pm EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck off American Samoa on Tuesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.The epicenter of the quake was located 120 miles southwest of the remote Pacific island. It struck at a depth of 20.5 miles.An earthquake of this magnitude is capable of causing a tsunami, although there were no immediate reports of this occurring.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
23 dead as Typhoon Ketsana roars into Vietnam By TRAN VAN MINH, Associated Press Writer – SEPT 29,09
HANOI, Vietnam – Typhoon Ketsana roared into central Vietnam on Tuesday, killing at least 23 people as it brought flooding and winds of up to 90 mph (144 kph), disaster officials said. Some 170,000 were evacuated from its path.Ketsana left more than 200 dead across the northern Philippines as a weaker tropical storm.After gathering strength over the South China Sea, the typhoon made landfall in midafternoon, about 37 miles (60 kilometers) south of Danang, according to the National Weather Center.
Two people in Quang Nam province were killed by falling trees, and another died when struck by a power line, said Nguyen Minh Tuan, a provincial disaster official.The rivers are rising and many homes are flooded, and several mountainous districts have been isolated by mudslides,Tuan said.Quang Nam is the home of the ancient city of Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage site.Another three died in Thua Thien Hue province, disaster official Le Minh said. A man was killed by a falling tree, a woman died in floodwaters and a 3-year-old drowned in a flooded home.As the storm moved inland towards Laos, nine people died in Kon Tum province in the Central Highlands, including a family of five whose house was buried in a mudslide, disaster official Nguyen Van Vy said.Deaths were also reported in Danang and the province of Binh Dinh and Quang Ngai.Authorities evacuated 170,000 people from six central provinces as the typhoon approached and heavy winds began lashing Vietnam's central coast in the morning, officials said.Rains and heavy winds began lashing the Vietnam coast Tuesday morning, knocking out electricity in some places.There's a blackout across our entire province,said Truong Ngoc Nhi, vice governor of Quang Ngai province, south of Danang.Many streets are strewn with fallen trees and utility poles. It looks like a battlefield.Vietnam Airlines canceled all flights to the tourist destinations of Danang and Hue.
Philippines braces for new storm as toll hits 246 By Raju Gopalakrishnan – SEPT 29,09
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine authorities braced on Tuesday for another storm as the toll from rain and floods from a weekend typhoon, now bearing down on Vietnam, rose to 246 dead while damages climbed to nearly $100 million.Weather forecasters said a new storm forming in the Pacific Ocean was likely to enter Philippine waters on Thursday and make landfall later in the week on the northern island of Luzon, just like Saturday's Typhoon Ketsana.Ketsana dumped more than a month's worth of average rainfall on Manila and surrounding areas in one 24-hour period. About 80 percent of the city of 15 million was flooded.The Philippine government has come in for scathing criticism for its response to the disaster, with many calling it inadequate and delayed.Authorities estimated damage from the storm so far at around 4.69 billion pesos ($98.5 million). More than 1.9 million people were affected and 375,000 had abandoned their homes and taken refuge in evacuation centers.
More than 3,000 houses were either damaged or destroyed.
The death toll could rise further once reports come in from remote areas. The storm hit metropolitan Manila and 12 provinces. Dozens remained missing and feared dead, disaster officials said.For casualties, the increase will be not as great, but the damage figures may increase,Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro told a news conference on Tuesday.Even opportunity loss of revenues for establishments, that alone would amount to hundreds of millions at least per day.
VIETNAM NEXT
Ketsana was to make landfall in central Vietnam later on Tuesday, where authorities have ordered the evacuation of at least 170,000 people.Hundreds of soldiers were helping evacuate people and with storm preparations. Ships have been told to take shelter in Danang. Vietnam Airlines has canceled all fights to the port city since Monday and schools in several coastal provinces were closed.In the Philippines, authorities released water from two dams north of Manila, but stressed it was being done carefully to prevent any recurrence of floods.Angat opened their gates slowly just to keep it at spilling level and the effect would be minimal,Teodoro said, adding the another dam in Nueva Ecija province also opened its gates to release water.Communist rebels announced a unilateral ceasefire with government forces and ordered cadres to help in flood relief operations.Private citizens and volunteer groups were collecting relief goods -- mostly clothes, drinking water and medicines -- and distributing them to victims. Many people have thrown open their homes to those who were forced to abandon theirs.Several foreign governments and U.N. agencies have already pledged nearly $2 million in rice and relief supplies, Teodoro told reporters, adding he met lawmakers from both houses of Congress to seek emergency funds for rehabilitation work.U.S. soldiers deployed in the south of the country have been brought to Manila to help in relief, while the United Nations has announced it will give food aid and cash for medical supplies. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has called the typhoon an extreme event that has strained our response capabilities to the limit.But it is not breaking us,she said in a statement on Monday, after opening the presidential palace for relief efforts.
It's a once-in-a-lifetime typhoon.
Schools in the capital region and nearby provinces will remain closed for the third day on Wednesday because about 170 campuses are being used as shelter areas for more than 10,000 families. About 60 schools were also damaged by the floods. Analysts say the floods have worsened the reputation of Arroyo, who has been accused of corruption and poll fraud, and that it could affect the prospects of Teodoro, the administration candidate, in the May 2010 presidential election.(Additional reporting by Rosemarie Francisco; Editing by Bill Tarrant and Jerry Norton)
FAMINE
REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.(A DAYS WAGES FOR A LOAF OF BREAD)
FAMINE
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
El Nino may bring relief to Texas drought AccuWeather .Mon Sep 28, 1:56 pm ET
DALLAS (Reuters) – The El Nino weather pattern is expected to bring significant precipitation and relief to drought-stricken parts of Texas, according to a senior government meteorologist.El Nino, or Christ child in Spanish due to the phenomenon being noticed around Christmas off the coast of South America, is an abnormal warming of waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean which can wreak havoc on weather patterns across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.In a nutshell, we are confident that the El Nino will result in above normal precipitation across all of Texas through February. In turn, this will lead to two significant impacts,said Victor Murphy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's southern region headquarters, in an email late on Friday.First, we expect the drought conditions to be mitigated significantly by the expected above normal precipitation. We are already seeing signs of this,he said.He also said Texans had to be aware of the possibility of flooding and flash floods occurring in the winter.
Further details will be unveiled on Tuesday at a briefing in Fort Worth.
A vast swathe of Texas has been in the grip of a scorching drought, which has cost the agricultural sector billions of dollars and is shrinking America's largest beef cattle herd.The drought-stricken area straddles central Texas' Hill Country, near the capital of Austin, and stretches south through San Antonio to the Rio Grande Valley on the U.S.-Mexico border, which is a key citrus and cattle region.According to the U.S. Drought Monitor at http://www.ndmc.unl.edu/DM/MONITOR.HTML, much of this area is experiencing extreme or exceptional drought conditions. Exceptional is the worst possible ranking and it is the only part of the country that currently falls into this category.But parts of southwest Texas which have been severely parched got some good rains earlier this month in the first green shoot that suggest better times are coming.Texas AgriLife Extension Service, which is linked to Texas A&M University, said in July that it estimated that the losses to Texas agriculture since November 2008 amount to $3.6 billion and counting. Almost $1 billion of those losses were in livestock, with the remainder in crops.(Reporting by Ed Stoddard; Editing by Christian Wiessner)
DISEASES
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
DRUG PUSHERS AND ADDICTS
REVELATION 18:23
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries (DRUGS) were all nations deceived.
REVELATION 9:21
21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries (DRUGS), nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
British girl dies after cervical cancer vaccine By MEERA SELVA, Associated Press Writer – SEPT 29,09
LONDON – Health officials paused a vaccination program in the English city of Coventry on Tuesday after a 14-year-old girl died a few hours after being vaccinated against the virus that causes cervical cancer.NHS Coventry said it stopped the program for two days to give staff administering the vaccine training in how to answer questions from anyone concerned about its safety.We fully expect to resume the program in the coming days,the health authority said in a statement.Natalie Morton died in a hospital Monday, a few hours after being the given the Cervarix vaccine, which protects against two strains of the human papilloma virus that causes cervical cancer. She was vaccinated at her school in Coventry.Morton appeared to be healthy before being given the jab. Caron Grainger, director for public health at Coventry City Council, said an autopsy will be carried out to see if there is any link between Morton's death and the vaccine. Health officials also said they had quarantined the batch of vaccine given at the school.The school principal, Julie Roberts, said a few other girls also reported being unwell after receiving the vaccine and some were sent home.
Britain's publicly owned National Health Service began offering the Cervarix vaccine to teenage girls last year, and over 1.4 million doses of the vaccine have been given out so far under the program. The virus is often transmitted through sexual intercourse and authorities wanted to give the vaccine to girls as young as 13 so they are protected by the time they become sexually active.The cervical cancer vaccine is routinely administered to millions of young girls across Europe and North America. No safety concerns about the vaccines have been raised elsewhere.As with any medical intervention ... one can, on rare occasions, see tragic consequences, said Professor Malcolm McCrae, virologist at the University of Warwick.But overall this is an extremely well-tested vaccine which has been produced in response to a critical health issue — cervical cancer — a disease responsible for almost 1,000 deaths annually in the UK.Dr Pim Kon, medical director at GlaxoSmithKline UK which manufactures Cervarix, said it was working with the Department of Health and health regulators to investigate the case.The cervical cancer vaccination program sparked controversy in Britain when it was first introduced. Some critics argued it would encourage girls to become sexually active at a younger age.The vaccination program may give young people a false sense of security and lead them to think that, because they have been vaccinated, they are protected against the worst effects of sexual promiscuity and can, therefore, engage in casual sex without consequence,said Norman Wells of the Family Education Trust charity.Morton's death comes as doctors begin to give children a vaccine against swine flu in a clinical trial. Doctors across England have begun administering one of two vaccines to 1,000 children between the ages of 6 months and 12 years. One of the vaccines is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline and the other by Baxter. The trial aims to see which one is most effective on children.
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).
Irish No will not stop Europe advancing, says France
HONOR MAHONY Today SEPT 29,09 @ 09:27 CET
France has indicated that even if the Irish vote No in their referendum on the Lisbon Treaty on Friday, it will not hinder the European Union from taking steps towards further integration.Pierre Lellouche, France's state secretary for Europe, told French TV on Monday morning (28 September), that a solution will be found in case of a second Irish rejection of the treaty as whatever happens, Europe will advance because we don't have a choice.The institutional fate of 500 million Europeans is in the hands of 3 or 4 million Irish. It's a very undecided country, he said.We are faced with a world that is soon going to have more than 9 billion people. There is enormous work to do in the fields of energy, immigration, industry and social affairs and we're not going to stop. So we will find a solution if ever we are faced with this type of situation,he added, but refused to say whether there is actually a Plan B in the event of a No vote.The French comments are further indication of the impatience felt by larger member states that a referendum in one small member state could derail the Lisbon Treaty completely.Earlier this month, Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi also advocated the creation of a core of EU states that would push ahead with integration.If the Lisbon Treaty on EU reform does not pass, we need to completely revisit the current functioning of Europe to create a core of states that operate beyond unanimity,he said.
Recent polls indicate that the result will be a Yes on 2 October. The Ireland of this year is profoundly changed in comparison to when the first vote took place 16 months ago. The financial crisis has plunged the country into double-figure unemployment and it is facing a predicted decline in GDP of 9.8 percent this year. Analysts suggest that fears about jobs and economic security are likely to play towards a Yes vote.But Brussels remains nervous about the outcome, with the No side fighting a vocal campaign focusing on many of the same issues that were raised ahead of the first vote.A rejection would stop the treaty coming into force across the 27-nation Union as it needs to be ratified by all member states, meaning the country has become the focus of anti-treaty campaigners from across Europe.
Ireland's Voters Prepare for European Union Referendum By BRYAN COLL / DROGHEDA Bryan Coll / Drogheda – SEPT 29,09
Seamus Daly has stiff competition on his hands. In the front window of his small wine store on the main road from Drogheda to Dublin are blackboards with handwritten messages extolling the virtues of his rosÉs and reds. But passing motorists can barely see them with all the brightly colored posters and banners crowding them on either side.Ireland Needs Europe,reads one.Lisbon = Lower Wages,warns another. On Oct. 2, Irish voters will go to the polls for a second time to vote on the Lisbon Treaty, an agreement already ratified by most of the other 26 members of the European Union that aims to reform and streamline the newly expanded organization. In June 2008, Irish voters roundly rejected the treaty in the only national referendum to be held on it, sinking the hopes of E.U. backers across the continent. In the 15 months since that vote, however, Ireland's fortunes have changed dramatically in the global recession, and the government and many prominent business leaders are now urging residents to vote yes, saying this may be the only way to ensure the Celtic Tiger bounces back. (See 20 reasons to love the European Union.)
Support for the treaty has been hovering around 50% for months. In the latest national poll, conducted by the Irish Times last week, 48% of respondents said they supported the agreement, compared to 33% who said they were against it. But a full fifth of the population hasn't made up their minds, giving the no camp the belief that it can sway enough voters in the final days to make the tally close. For some opponents, who argue that the treaty will create an overly centralized E.U. and take away individual state decision-making powers, another no vote would give the unpopular government led by Prime Minister Brian Cowen's Fianna Fail party its just desserts. Cowen's critics argue that Fianna Fail squandered Ireland's wealth during the boom years and mishandled the country's economic recovery efforts. But it could also leave the E.U. reeling - officials fear a no vote could permanently sidetrack efforts to overhaul the aging institution. In a large shopping mall that opened in Drogheda four years ago at the height of Ireland's economic boom, Aaron Hodgins' menswear store is completely empty. The 34-year-old manager recently laid off two staff members and is worried he may lose his own job soon if sales don't pick up. He'll be voting no for the second time on Oct. 2.There are too many countries [in the E.U.] now and we'd just be sucked into it. Ireland won't have a voice in Europe and we'll be right down the pecking order,he says. As for the government's campaign in support of the treaty? They keep telling us that we're informed, but of what? They're only telling you what they want you to hear,he says.
Others in Drogheda believe that a more fully integrated E.U. can only help stem Ireland's economic malaise. The unemployment rate currently sits at over 11% - more than twice the figure at this time last year - and is expected to reach 15% by 2010. In addition, the country's Central Statistics Office said last week that more people are leaving Ireland than are arriving for the first time in 14 years. Europe has been very good to Ireland,says Daly, the wine-store owner, who says he'll vote yes for a second time this week. Daly supplies wines to Drogheda's hotels and restaurants and says business has been very tough in the past year.People may be unhappy with the government, but to punish them in the Lisbon vote would be the wrong thing to do. Being a member of the euro [currency zone] is what's got us through the crisis so far. I can't see Ireland surviving alone.On a street corner in another part of town, Andrew Byrne, 24, is handing out bright green lollipops to passers-by. Byrne is a member of Generation Yes, an independent, pro-Lisbon campaign group targeting young voters. In the last referendum, 18- to 25-year-olds had the highest proportion of no votes of any age-group. Handing a leaflet to an undecided young mother, Byrne tells her that the treaty will help tackle human-trafficking and improve energy security in Europe. The woman appears unmoved.I voted no last time because of militarization,she says.And I don't think the government has done anything to make the issues clearer.Many voters fear that defense arrangements in the treaty could lead to conscription of E.U. citizens into a new E.U. army. But the government has negotiated legal guarantees that would protect Ireland's military neutrality, as well as its other laws, such as its restrictions on abortion.
Hilda Bailey, a 24-year-old teacher trainee, has changed her mind on the treaty since voting against it last year. Job-wise, it looks pretty grim [in Ireland],she says.My friends have been trying [to find work] for months and months and now they'll probably go to England.Bailey says the treaty is the only answer to Ireland's woes.My parents say that they'll do the exact opposite of what the government's telling them,she says.I can understand how they feel - [the government] kind of screwed us over. But there's a bigger picture. Without Europe, things would definitely be worse.It's hardly a ringing endorsement. But rather than face the implications of a second no vote, which some say could lead to Ireland's exit from the E.U., the government will welcome all the yes votes it can muster - however grudging they may be.
Patten signals interest in EU foreign minister job-Mr Patten served as EU commissioner for external relations from 2000 to 2004 (Photo: European Commission)
ANDREW RETTMAN Today SEPT 29,09 @ 06:55 CET
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - British politician Chris Patten has said the EU should take a tougher line on Russia, Israel and selfish member states in a mini-manifesto for the post of EU foreign relations chief.His speech, delivered at a seminar in the European Parliament in Brussels on Monday (28 September), outlined a four-part EU foreign policy involving: a robust defence of Russia's neighbours, sanctions against Iran, enlargement to Ukraine and Turkey and building stronger relations with China, India and Brazil.Over the past few years, we've given the Russians the impression that we've accepted their notion of sphere of influence as though we were still dealing with the diplomacy of the 19th century. I don't think we've been firm enough in our dealings with Russia,Mr Patten said. Describing Russian gas supplier Gazprom as Moscow's weapon of choice,he advocated establishing a single European energy policy and persuading countries such as Germany and Italy to give up the idea of having national energy champions as a countermove.He took several swipes at the EU's reluctance to stand up to Israel on issues such as illegal settlement building in the West Bank or its bloody assault on Gaza earlier this year.Sometimes there are member states which seem to prefer in practice giving the Israeli foreign ministry a veto over European policy,Mr Patten said.I can't remember any other time when I felt more humiliated at being a European,he remarked on the Gaza events.The former EU commissioner also hammered Germany in his analysis of emerging threats to the union's ambition to become a global economic power.Mr Patten said that Berlin's handling of the recent takeover of car maker Opel is not about seeking to protect European jobs and European plants. It is trying to protect German jobs and German plants ... The European Commission cannot possibly stand on the sidelines while the single market is wrecked.
Joking aside
The British politician re-iterated his interest in taking on the new job of EU foreign minister, as drawn up in the Lisbon Treaty. But he made light of his chances with characteristic wit.Given the sort of sentiments I just expressed, the likelihood of anybody asking me is even more remote,he said.
At first glance, Mr Patten is an outside bet.
As a member of the British Conservative party, his European credentials have been marred by the party's vaulting euroscepticism. The EU's centre-left political family has also laid claim to the foreign minister job after seeing a centre-right politician take the European Commission president post.But the composition of the audience at Monday's seminar gave an indication of how seriously his candidature is being considered in Brussels.Among the 80 or so MEPs and commission officials, senior EU establishment figures such as Belgian industrialist Etienne Davignon and the EU's special representative to the Middle East, Marc Otte, gave up their evening to hear him speak.Mr Patten is highly popular among EU officials, who say the task of building a new EU institution - the External Action Service - would be impossible for someone with no previous experience at European commissioner level.
The Blair gambit
On this logic, the UK's open backing of ex-prime minister Tony Blair for the other Lisbon Treaty job of EU president could be a gambit designed to later sacrifice the Blair candidacy for a Patten appointment.Mr Patten in an aside on Monday poked fun at the ex-PM's alleged gutlessness in his current role as an international envoy to the Middle East.Perhaps the only good thing which came out of it [the recent Gaza conflict] from a European point of view was that it led eventually to Mr Blair visiting Gaza, which he was unable to do for some reason before,he quipped.
Member states holding back social agenda, says Barroso-Close to 80 million people currently live in poverty in the EU (Photo: European Commission)ANDREW WILLIS
28.09.2009 @ 17:26 CET
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – European commission president Jose Manuel Barroso told a gathering of civil society representatives on Monday (28 September) that the European Union needed to do more to tackle social issues such as poverty.He said member state governments had repeatedly blocked greater European action in this area in the past, choosing instead to look after their own poor.I think now in the face of this economic crisis we should consider doing something at the European level for the poorest,he told delegates of the Spring Alliance, a group of civil society organisations seeking to influence the next commission's work programme.My position is yes [to greater European action]. So far the position of the council [representing member states] has been no. That is the reality, said Mr Barroso, who earlier this month won the backing of the European parliament to carry on for another five years at the helm of the EU executive.At present, 79 million people in the EU live in poverty, despite the fact that they inhabit the richest economic area in the world.Compounding this problem is the fact that EU governments with the highest poverty levels are currently those cutting back the most on social spending, say NGOs such Social Platform.The Swedish government, for example, spends over 30 percent of its annual budget on social issues, compared to less than 10 percent in Latvia where a recent bailout led by the International Monetary Fund came on condition of reduced government spending.The Brussels-based army of people seeking to gain greater prominence for their own agendas is keenly aware that the next few months represent an important policy-shaping window regarding the EU's direction for the next few years.Member states will approve a new work programme for the commission at a spring summit next year, with Mr Barroso already airing his personal priorities to the European parliament earlier this month.The commission is also set to launch a consultation period for a future European economic strategy that will take over from the much-maligned Lisbon Agenda that expires in 2010.
Sensitive areas
Pointing to the substantial structural funds received by Poland, Mr Barroso said there already were very important mechanisms of solidarity between member states within the EU.But I believe in the current circumstances more should be done, but for that the commission needs the support of the member states and the European parliament,he said.The question of who receives most from the EU budget has continually caused strong debate between net donors and net recipients, and upcoming discussions on funding for the EU's next financial period 2014-2020 are unlikely to pass off smoothly.The question of social spending also touches on the highly sensitive and related issue of taxation, which a number of member states guard jealously.The Irish government for instance secured a legal guarantee from EU leaders last June to reassure its citizens that the EU's proposed new set of rules, the Lisbon Treaty, would not undermine national sovereignty to set taxation levels.
Germany and other higher tax member states complain however that low-tax countries such as Ireland undermine their ability to support expensive social welfare programmes.While calling for greater European action to deal with the regions poor, Mr Barroso ruled out any move on taxation. It is impossible to harmonise this. We are not a federal state,he said.
Israeli envoys to US for talks on peacemaking By AMY TEIBEL, Associated Press Writer – Tue Sep 29, 4:00 am ET
JERUSALEM – Israeli envoys are setting off for the U.S. on Tuesday for talks meant to lay the groundwork for renewed Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, officials said.
Representatives of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak will meet on Wednesday with Washington's special Mideast envoy, George Mitchell, they said.The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the trip to the press.Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat will hold separate talks with Mitchell later this week.President Barack Obama sat down with Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in New York last week in a bid to move beyond two main areas of dispute: Continued Israeli settlement construction and the framework for resuming talks.The Palestinians have said they won't go back to the negotiating table unless Israel freezes all settlement construction. Israel has agreed to curb building in the West Bank, captured by Israel in 1967, but has rejected a total construction halt.The Palestinians also want negotiations to begin where they left off under Netanyahu's more dovish predecessor, Ehud Olmert.
Netanyahu has said he wouldn't be bound by Olmert's proposed concessions to the Palestinians, which included sharing disputed Jerusalem and a limited repatriation of Palestinian refugees to homes in Israel. Olmert also proposed ceding 93.5 percent of the West Bank to a future Palestinian state, and to swap Israeli territory for the remainder.On Saturday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urged Arab nations to take steps toward normalizing relations with Israel and supporting the Palestinians in an effort to help restart talks.Arab reaction was cool.
A Final Yom Kippur in the Delta for Mississippi Community Begun in 1830s
By Andrew Muchin September 23, 2009, issue of October 02, 2009.
As the members of Temple Beth El in Lexington, Miss., pray this Yom Kippur for inclusion in the Book of Life, they’ll be attending a funeral of sorts. The Ne’ilah, the day’s traditional closing service, will be the last scheduled worship to be held in their 104-year-old white wooden synagogue.ANDREW MUCHIN The Long Goodbye: Phil Cohen, above, remembers when eight Jewish-owned businesses dotted Lexington’s town square in the 1960s. Today, only his remains.Our last regular service had four people,said Phil Cohen, 72, operator of Cohen’s department store which his grandfather founded on Lexington’s town square in 1908.This is it,agreed Henry Paris, 79, who has led Beth El’s High Holy Day services for the past 39 years.We can’t continue to have a temple for four people. This is it.Lexington is a city of about 2,000 people and covers just 2.5 square miles in west-central Mississippi. It’s the smallest community in the state to have supported a synagogue for scores of years.Jews have lived in Lexington since the 1830s, when German-Jewish immigrants arrived and soon found success as merchants, according to Stuart Rockoff, historian at the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life in Jackson, Miss.A wave of Russian Jews arrived in the late 19th century, the expanded community established a Reform congregation in 1904 and a synagogue was built the following year. In 1927, Lexington’s Jewish population was about 80, but this number began to decline during the Depression. Of the 16 Jewish men who left the city to serve in the armed forces during World War II, only two returned in 1945. Thirteen settled elsewhere, and one was killed in the war.Lexington is the county seat of Holmes County, located in the Delta region, where 79 % of the population is African American and 42% of residents were living below the poverty level in 2007, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures.
Lexington’s synagogue. In oral histories, longtime African-American residents of Lexington praised the Jewish merchants for treating them respectfully. But those merchants couldn’t avoid fallout from the civil rights movement that peaked in the 1960s. In 1964, Lexington was one of the Mississippi communities in which Freedom Summer volunteers registered African Americans to vote. Economic boycotts by local African Americans in 1967, 1971 and 1978 targeted Lexington merchants, including Jews.Cohen remembers when eight Jewish-owned businesses — five of them retail stores — were open on or near the town square through the 1960s. Now he’s the only Jewish businessman in town. As author Eli Evans noted, one of the themes of small-town Southern Jewish life is fathers building businesses for sons who don’t want them.The Rosh Hashanah worship service on September 19 attracted some 40 people, mostly expatriate Lexington Jews and their spouses, all of whom were making a point of attending the final High Holy Day services. Beth El congregants filled about a third of the wooden pews, which face a small bimah that rises two steps above the painted plank floor.The synagogue’s well-maintained interior is 90% sanctuary. Each side wall features four tall stained-glass windows with intricate Tiffany-style patterns.The simple symmetrical exterior with its tall, gabled front porch resembles a rural church. The only visible Jewish symbol is a round window with a small, six-pointed star above the entry.It’s the first time I’ve been here in years,said Sylvia Berenson of Dallas, Cohen’s sister.It’s very nostalgic, to say the least…. This is where I grew up. Everything is familiar. I don’t guess anything has changed since I was a girl.Well, she might have missed the introduction of the Union Prayer Books, published in 1950, that were used for the services.
Beth El relied on student rabbis, visiting rabbis and congregants to lead worship and teach religious school. The congregation met for monthly services from October 2008 to June this year.We’re on good behavior over the summer,added Cohen, one of three Jews who remain in Lexington. Paris, a Lexington native, lives in Indianola, Miss., about 60 miles away.Paris spoke about the impending closing with a smile on my lips for fond memories and a tear in my eye for nostalgia.Alluding to the Bible’s Ecclesiastes, he declared that there’s a time to open the synagogue doors and a time to close them. I guess this is the time to close them.Phyllis Stern, 80, who moved to Lexington in 1946, said the closure hasn’t sunk in yet. I guess it will.To her daughter, Susan Hart of Jackson, Miss., the synagogue was an extension of my home. She has seen several Mississippi synagogues close in recent years.It’s sad that it’s happening to us,she said.Cohen admitted to having very mixed emotions…. But we know all good things come to an end.Next year, he and the other local congregants will attend synagogues in nearby Mississippi cities. Meanwhile, he expects that Beth El will open its doors for an occasional lifecycle ceremony.Cohen and former Lexington businessman Bob Berman have ideas for moving the building, or perhaps its contents and windows, to the University of Mississippi campus in Oxford, but they have no formal plan.As Yom Kippur approaches, Beth El’s congregants agree that nobody needs to apologize for the synagogue’s closing.It’s a situation that happens in many small towns,Paris said. To a person, they said they’ll continue to carry out the ethical lessons they learned at Beth El, particularly the importance of contributing to the community’s welfare.None was speculating how he or she will feel on Yom Kippur, but Berenson advised against singing the blues.I’m happy that this small congregation survived for 104 years,she said.Who would ever have believed it? Contact Andrew Muchin at feedback@forward.com
A large and Magnificent 2,000 Year Old Miqve was Exposed in the Western Wall Tunnels Tuesday, 29 September 2009 06:18 .Photo by Assaf Peretz, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority
A large and impressive ritual bath (miqve) from the end of the Second Temple period was recently uncovered in archaeological excavations the Israel Antiquities Authority is carrying out in the Western Wall tunnels, in cooperation with the Western Wall Heritage Foundation.The miqve was discovered inside the western hall of a splendid structure that is located just c. 20 meters from the Western Wall. Parts of the building were discovered in the past and the Israel Antiquities Authority is currently exposing another one of the three halls inside it. It is one of the most magnificent structures from the Second Temple period ever to be uncovered.The edifice is built of very delicately dressed ashlar stones and the architectural decoration in it is of the highest quality. From an architectural and artistic standpoint there are similarities between this structure and the three magnificent compounds that King Herod built on the Temple Mount, in the Cave of the Patriarchs and at Allonei Mamre, and from which we can conclude the great significance that this building had in the Second Temple period.In his book The War of the Jews, Josephus Flavius writes there was a government administrative center that was situated at the foot of the Temple. Among the buildings he points out in this region were the council house and the Xistus- the ashlar bureau. According to the Talmud it was in this bureau that the Sanhedrin – the Jewish high court at the time of the Second Temple – would convene. It may be that the superb structure the Israel Antiquities Authority is presently uncovering belonged to one of these two buildings.
According to archaeologist Alexander Onn, director of the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority,It is interesting to see that in the middle of the first century CE they began making changes in this magnificent structure – at that time it was no longer used as a government administrative building and a large miqve was installed inside its western hall where there were c. 11 steps that descend to the immersion pool. It seems that the city of Jerusalem grew in this period and it became necessary to provide for the increased ritual bathing needs of the pilgrims who came to the Temple in large numbers, especially during the three pilgrimage festivals (Shlosha Regalim). Immersing oneself in the miqve and maintaining ritual purity were an inseparable part of the Jewish way of life in this period, and miqve’ot were absolutely essential, especially in the region of the Temple.The Western Wall Heritage Foundation acts to uncover the Jewish people’s past at the Western Wall, and the miqve is further evidence of the deep ties the Jewish people have with Jerusalem and the Temple.Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, the rabbi in charge of the Western Wall and the holy places, pointed out the cooperation between the Western Wall Heritage Foundation and the Israel Antiquities Authority which have joined together in order to discover the rich history of Jerusalem there, while strictly ensuring that no excavations approach the Temple Mount compound, contact with which is forbidden by Halachic law.IAA
IAF HITS KASSAM LAUNCHERS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9vOO3Ef8-o&feature=player_embedded
A breakdown of Iran's missile arsenal By The Associated Press - Mon Sep 28, 5:34 pm ET
A breakdown of Iran's missile arsenal:
SAJJIL 1 and 2:The Sajjil 2 is Iran's most advanced two-stage, surface-to-surface missile. It is powered entirely by solid-fuel, which increases the weapon's accuracy. The missile has a potential range of 1,560 miles (2,510 kilometers), putting Israel, parts of southeastern Europe and U.S. bases in the Middle East within range.The Sajjil 2 is equipped with an improved guidance package compared with the Sajjil 1, and can be launched in a matter of minutes. Experts say the Sajjil-2 is more accurate than Shahab missiles and its navigation system is more advanced.
SHAHAB-3:The medium-range ballistic missile can strike targets within a radius of 800miles (1,300 kilometers). The model is derived from the North Korean No-dong missile and is considered to have a low accuracy rate.Shahab means meteor or shooting star in Farsi.
SHAHAB-3A:Variant of the Shahab-3 model, but lighter and with a range of 1,110 miles (1,800 kilometers).
SHAHAB-3B:The liquid-fueled Shahab-3B has a range of 1,500 miles (2,500 kilometers), putting Israel, Turkey and U.S. forces stationed in the Middle East within striking distance.
SHAHAB-2:The single-stage, liquid-fuel missile is said to have a range of 310 miles (500 kilometers). Iran purchased the weapon from North Korea in the early 1990s. Also known as the Scud-C.
ZELZAL:A short-range, solid-fuel missile. Versions of the Zelzal, which means earthquake in Farsi, have ranges of 130-185 miles (210-300 kilometers). Iran's Revolutionary Guard test-fired the Zelzal from a multiple launcher on Sunday for the first time.
FATEH:One of Iran's short-range missiles, the solid-fuel Fateh can strike targets up to 120 miles (193 kilometers) away.Fateh means conqueror in both Farsi and Arabic.
TONDAR 69:Iran has had the Chinese-manufactured Tondar in its arsenal for many years. It is a solid-fueled missile with a range of about 93 miles (150 kilometers).
Tondar means thunder in Farsi.Sources: GlobalSecurity, Jane's, MissileThreat, Arms Control Association.
Before Talks With U.S., Iran Tests Missiles That Could Reach Israel
By Yossi Melman (Haaretz)September 28, 2009.
Two days before the opening of talks between Iranian and U.S. officials, the Islamic Republic went ahead with a test launch of long-range missiles capable of reaching Israel.The talks, described by analysts as a last chance before the application of harsh sanctions against Iran, will open in Geneva on Thursday. In the discussions, Iranian officials will meet with representatives of the five permanent members of the UN plus Germany.Iran test-fired its Shahab-3 missile, which puts Israel within reach along with Saudi Arabia and U.S. Army bases in the Gulf. Defense Minister Ehud Barak is scheduled to meet Tuesday with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to discuss the Iranian nuclear issue.The two will meet at Brighton, where Britain’s Labor Party is holding a conference. Barak will meet British Foreign Secretary David Miliband Wednesday for a talk on the same subject.The successful launch of the Shahab-3, which the military said has a range of 2,000 kilometers, came on the second day of war games led by the Revolutionary Guards.The Foreign Ministry denied any link between the missile tests and the October 1 nuclear talks in Geneva. The war games had been scheduled many months ago, but were seen in the West as an act of defiance, especially in light of the recent exposure by the United States of a facility for the enrichment of uranium which the Iranians are said to have set up in Qom.Iran has refused UN demands to suspend uranium enrichment, which the United States and some of its allies allege is aimed at developing weapons. The United States, Britain and France said last week Iran secretly built a second plant for enriching uranium in violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Iran’s construction of the underground facility at Qom may prompt additional economic sanctions, including restrictions on banking and oil-and-gas technology, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told CNN Monday.The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency said it was informed by Iran on September 21 that a new pilot fuel-enrichment plant was under construction.Iran’s test firings during the war games are deeply destabilizing,the French Foreign Ministry said in a news conference broadcast online.We’re calling on Iran to choose the way of cooperation and not that of confrontation,the ministry said.The Shahab-1 and Shahab-2 missiles, which can travel 300 to 700 kilometers, were launched late Monday, General Hossein Salami, head of the air force, told Press TV.The Federation of American Scientists says the Shahab-3 only has a range of 1,290 kilometers, though the Shahab-4 is capable of 2,000 kilometers. In May, Iran launched a Sejil-2 missile, which it said has a range of 2,000 kilometers.The latest maneuvers are a routine operation to assess the country’s military ability, the government in Tehran said. The exercise, called Prophet IV, is aimed at practicing management of long-term preventive and defensive operations,Salami said on the Guards’ Web site.The maneuvers coincide with the start of Iran’s Sacred Defense week, marking the eight-year war with neighboring Iraq that ended in 1988.
5 more nuke plants spotted in Iran Tuesday, 29 September 2009 05:10 News from Jerusalem .Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Deep-cover MI6 agents who have described the workings of the once-secret underground uranium enrichment plant near the Iranian city of Qom now have discovered a staggering five more similar operations, according to a report from Joseph Farah's G2Bulletin.They, like the Qom facility, are buried deep inside the mountains of north Iran and are guarded by divisions of Revolutionary Guards.The details were sent this weekend to some G20 leaders who met in Pittsburgh when the Qom facility was revealed to the world.The MI6 agents have established that, like Qom, the new plants are staffed by nuclear scientists from Iran's main weaponization program. It is known by the acronym Metfaz, and is headquartered at 180 Western Avenue in the Pars district of eastern Tehran.Details of the MI6 discovery were hand-delivered to Meir Dagan, the head of Mossad, over the weekend by Sir John Scarlett. They contained a detailed picture of what was being built at the five new plants.A senior intelligence source said the data came from an Iranian nuclear scientist's smuggled laptop, defectors and satellite imagery.The highly unusual indication of the source material is seen as a deliberate attempt by Western intelligence to rattle the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, that a further vital part of his nuclear plan has been discovered.Mark Fitzpatrick, head of the International Institute for Strategic Studies said: Until MI6 uncovered the truth that Iran had a further clandestine way of producing highly enriched uranium, we had no idea.wnd
Iran tests two advanced missiles Tuesday, 29 September 2009 04:26 News from Jerusalem .
Iran test-fired two long-range missiles on Monday, in a move interpreted by the Israeli defense establishment as a flexing of muscles ahead of Teheran's dialogue with Western leaders, scheduled to begin this week.Monday's tests came on the second day of Iranian war games, increasing international concern over Iranian military activities and adding to a raised sense of urgency about the newly revealed uranium enrichment site Teheran has been secretly constructing near the city of Qom.Iranian state television said the Revolutionary Guards, which controls Iran's missile program, successfully tested upgraded versions of the medium-range Shihab-3 and Sajjil-2 missiles. Both can carry nuclear warheads and can reach up to 2,000 kilometers, putting Israel, US military bases in the Middle East, and parts of Europe within striking distance.The Sajjil-2 is Iran's most advanced two-stage surface-to-surface missile and is powered entirely by solid fuel, while the older Shihab-3 uses a combination of solid and liquid fuel in its most advanced form, which is also known as the Qadr-F1.The Sajjil's solid fuel propellant means it can be stored for significant amounts of time in underground missile silos prior to being launched.Iranian missiles are able to target any place that threatens Iran, said Abdollah Araqi, a top Revolutionary Guards commander, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.Tal Inbar, a missile expert from the Fisher Brothers Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies, said that both missiles were well known and had been previously tested. They have both also featured in Iranian military parades.These missiles are not new, but the test is concerning since it is another example of Iran's growing ballistic missile capability,Inbar said.
Iran conducted three rounds of missile tests in drills that began on Sunday, when shorter range missiles, such as the Fateh, were launched in a drill near the city of Qom. The drills began two days after the US and its allies disclosed the country had been secretly developing an underground uranium enrichment facility. The Western powers warned Iran it must open the site to international inspection or face harsher international sanctions.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hasan Qashqavi said the missile tests had nothing to do with the tension over the enrichment site, but rather were part of routine, long-planned military exercises.On Monday, the top US diplomat handling Asia was quoted by AFP as saying that China was coming around on the need for tougher sanctions on Iran, after talks between Chinese and US officials on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh last week.For the first time, really, the Chinese supported elements of our tough approach on the P5-plus-one, Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said, according to AFP.US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Sunday that his personal opinion was that Iran intended to attain nuclear weapons, but also that a military strike against Iran's nuclear infrastructure would be ineffectual, delaying Iran's program by one to three years at most.Speaking of the new enrichment facility, Gates said in an interview on ABC's This Week: This is part of a pattern of deception and lies on the part of the Iranians from the very beginning with respect to their nuclear program. So it's no wonder that world leaders think that they have ulterior motives, that they have a plan to go forward with nuclear weapons. Otherwise, why would they do all this in such a deceptive manner?
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Sunday that Iran had until Thursday to agree to inspections and voluntarily halt its hidden nuclear program, or the United States and its allies would seek crippling sanctions.Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) said on Sunday that Teheran's intention to produce weapons-grade uranium in the Qom facility had not yet been proven, but that the indications were strong.Clinton spoke on CBS's Face the Nation. Feinstein appeared on Fox News Sunday.European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said he was concerned about the missile tests. Iran must immediately resolve issues surrounding its second nuclear enrichment facility with the UN's nuclear agency, he said.After strong condemnations from the US and its allies, Iran said Saturday it would allow UN nuclear inspectors to examine the site.The newly revealed nuclear site has given greater urgency to a key meeting set for Thursday in Geneva between Iran and six major powers trying to stop its suspected nuclear weapons program. Solana said those talks were now taking place in a new context.Britain said Monday's test further illustrated why Europe and the US had serious concerns about Iran's nuclear intentions.This sends the wrong signal to the international community at a time when Iran is due to meet the six world powers, the Foreign Office said.
The nuclear site is located in the arid mountains near the holy city of Qom and is believed to be inside a heavily guarded, underground facility belonging to the Revolutionary Guards, according to a document sent by the Obama administration to lawmakers.Qashqavi, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, identified the site as Fordo, a village 180 km. south of Teheran. The site is 100 km. from Natanz, Iran's known industrial-scale uranium enrichment plant.Israel has cited the latest discoveries as proof of its long-held assertion that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons.AP contributed to this report.jpost
Iran: Attacking us will expedite Israel's last breath Monday, 28 September 2009 15:48News from Jerusalem .
Iran test fires missile that can reach Israel - on Yom Kippur! Iran's defense minister warned Israel again on Monday against launching any attack on the Islamic Republic, shortly after Iran test fired missiles reportedly capable of hitting Israel.If this [Israeli attack] happens, which of course we do not foresee, its ultimate result would be that it expedites the Zionist regime's last breath, Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said on state television.Israeli leaders have repeatedly expressed alarm over Iran's nuclear ambitions and refused to rule out pre-emptive military action to prevent Iran from developing an atomic weapon.Israel considers Iran a strategic threat due to its nuclear program, missile development and repeated references by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Israel's destruction.Iran, which insists its nuclear work is for peaceful power generation, has often shrugged off the possibility of any such strikes.Vahidi, a former commander in the elite Revolutionary Guards, said that in the event of an Israeli attack its lifespan, which is today coming to an end, would be speeded up.He added that the Zionist regime", the term Iran uses for Israel, was on a slope of destruction.
Iran says it tested missiles 'capable of hitting Israel'
Earlier Monday, Iran said it successfully completed two days of missile tests including the launching of its longest-range missiles, weapons capable of carrying a warhead and striking Israel, U.S. military bases in the Middle East, and parts of Europe.Iranian state television said the powerful Revolutionary Guard, which controls Iran's missile program, successfully tested upgraded versions of the medium-range Shahab-3 and Sajjil missiles with can fly up to 2,000 kilometers. It was the third and final round of missile tests in two days of drills by the Guard.The Sajjil-2 missile is Iran's most advanced two-stage surface-to-surface missile and is powered entirely by solid-fuel while the older Shahab-3 uses a combination of solid and liquid fuel in its most advanced form, which is also known as the Qadr-F1.Solid fuel is seen as a technological breakthrough for any missile program as solid fuel increases the accuracy of missiles in reaching targets.The war games come at a time when Iran is under intense international pressure to fully disclose its nuclear activities. They began Sunday, two days after the U.S. and its allies disclosed that Iran had been secretly developing an underground uranium enrichment facility and warned the country it must open the site to international inspection or face harsher international sanctions.Gen. Hossein Salami, head of the Revolutionary Guard Air Force, said Sunday the drills were meant to show Tehran is prepared to crush any military threat from another country.The revelation of Iran's previously secret nuclear site has given greater urgency to a key meeting on Thursday in Geneva between Iran and six major powers trying to stop its suspected nuclear weapons program.
Television footage on Monday showed a missile soaring into the sky in desert-like terrain, to shouts of Allahu Akbar (God is Great).Earlier in the day, state TV said Iran had test-fired other medium-range missiles, a day after the Islamic Republic's elite Revolutionary Guards launched short-range missiles as part of several days of war games.State Press TV, Iran's English-language satellite channel, said the Guards had test-fired Shahab 1 and 2 missiles with a range of between 300 and 700 km.Iran has successfully test-fired medium-range Shahab missiles with multiple warheads, Press TV said, adding the drill was aimed at boosting the armed forces' deterrent capabilities.Iran conducts war games or tests weapons to show its resolve to counter any attack by foes like Israel or the United States.Iran flexes muscles ... The tests are likely to be seen as an act of defiance by Iran,daily Iran News said.
Iran tests missiles on eve of Yom Kippur
On Sunday, Iran test fired the short-range missiles, state television reported, on the eve of the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.Gen. Salami told reporters on Sunday that Iran tested a multiple missile launcher for the first time.Press TV showed pictures of at least two missiles being fired simultaneously and said they were from Sunday's drill in a desert in central Iran. In the clip, men could be heard shouting Allahu Akbar as the missiles were launched.The message of the war game for some arrogant countries which intend to intimidate is that we are able to give a proper, strong answer to their hostility quickly,the Web site of state television quoted Salami as saying. He said the missiles successfully hit their targets.The missile maneuvers coincided with increased tension in Iran's nuclear dispute with the West, after last week's disclosure by the Islamic Republic that it is building a second uranium enrichment plant.The United States, which along with Israel and other Western nations suspects Iran is seeking to build nuclear bombs, has previously expressed concern about Tehran's missile program. Iran insists its nuclear work is for peaceful power generation purposes.On Yom Kippur in 1973, a coalition of Arab states launched a surprise attack on Israel. The ensuing conflict, the Yom Kippur War, was particularly costly and traumatic for Israel.haaretz.
US giant bunker-buster bomb project rushed since Iran's Qom site discovered
Monday, 28 September 2009 16:13 News from Jerusalem .Super Bunker-Buster Bomb
The Pentagon has brought forward to December 2009 the target-date for producing the first 15-ton super bunker-buster bomb (GBU-57A/B) Massive Ordinance Penetrator, which can reach a depth of 60.09 meters underground before exploding.DEBKAfile's military sources report that top defense agencies and air force units were also working against the clock to adapt the bay of a B2a Stealth bomber for carrying and delivering the bomb.The Pentagon has ordered the number of bombs rolling off the production line increased from four to ten - a rush job triggered in May by the discovery that Iran was hiding a second uranium enrichment plant under a mountain near Qom - a discovery which prompted this week's international outcry.
Congress has since quietly inserted the necessary funding in the 2009 budget.
All this urgency indicates that the Obama administration has been preparing military muscle to back up the international condemnation of Iran's concealed nuclear bomb program, its sanctions threat and his willingness to join the negotiations with Iran opening on Oct. 1 in Geneva. Tehran may have to take into account a possible one-time surgical strike against its underground enrichment facility as a warning shot should its defiance continue. In particular, the world powers this week demanded that Iran open up all its nuclear facilities and programs to full and immediate international inspection. Failure to do so could bring forth further US military action.According to our military sources, the earliest date for the accelerated Pentagon program to produce a super bunker buster bomb mounted on a stealth bomber is December 2009 or January 2010. This too is three years ahead of its original schedule.Pressed into service are two US Air Force research centers for work on adapting the radar-evading stealth bomber to the giant bomb: the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base and the Munitions Directorate and Air Armament Center, both headquartered at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.Last month, DEBKAfile quoted Air Force Lt. Gen. Mark Shackelford as disclosing that the Pentagon had decided to accelerate the production of 10-12 giant bunker buster bombs in response to intelligence received of Iranian and North Korean underground nuclear plants.debka
Iran parliament warns against foreign pressure By NASSER KARIMI, Associated Press – SEPT 29,09
TEHRAN, Iran – Iranian lawmakers warned the U.S. and other world powers on Tuesday against further pressures over Tehran's disputed nuclear program just days ahead of a key international meeting.On Thursday the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, as well as Germany, will meet with Iran in Geneva over the direction of its nuclear program, especially in the wake of the announcement of a previously unknown uranium enrichment facility.Iran conducted three rounds of missile tests in drills that began Sunday, two days after the U.S. and its allies disclosed the country had been secretly developing an underground uranium enrichment facility.The Western powers warned Iran must open the site to international inspection or face harsher international sanctions.Iran's Foreign Ministry maintained the missile tests had nothing to do with the tension over the site, saying they were part of routine, long-planned military exercises, an assertion rejected by the United States and its European allies.Iran's parliament lashed out at the criticism but did not elaborate on what action would be taken if the pressure continued.If the 5-plus-1 repeats the past mistakes, the parliament will put other decisions on agenda,lawmakers said in a statement, referring to the five members of the Security Council and Germany.
Parliament's warning could refer to a bill awaiting ratification in parliament that calls on the government to speed up its uranium enrichment activities.Uranium processing is a key aspect of any nuclear power program as the mineral needs to be enriched to fuel a nuclear reactor producing electricity — or to be turned into bombmaking material.The West fears the program may be geared toward producing weapons, a charge Iran denies.The head of Iran's Atomic Energy organization Ali Akbar Salehi said late Monday that the U.N. nuclear watchdog will soon be told when it can conduct inspections of the newly revealed facility.The facility is still 18 months from completion, according to Iran, and will only process uranium for energy purposes.The Obama administration is planning to push for new sanctions against Iran, targeting its energy, financial and telecommunications sectors if it does not comply with international demands to come clean about its nuclear program, according to U.S. officials.The officials said the U.S. would expand its own penalties against Iranian companies and press for greater international sanctions against foreign firms, largely European, that do business in the country unless Iran can prove that its nuclear activities are not aimed at developing an atomic weapon.Diplomats from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — as well as Germany meet with Iran's top nuclear negotiator on Thursday to press once again an offer of incentives for Iran to halt suspect activity.But U.S. officials familiar with the process that dates back to the Bush administration are skeptical that Iran will agree to demands to fully disclose its intentions.Previous meetings — the last in July 2008 — have not made progress and the officials said they did not think Thursday's talks in Geneva would produce any significant developments on the nuclear front.
EU steps up Georgia patrols before war report By JIM HEINTZ, Associated Press Writer – SEPT 29,09
MOSCOW – On the eve of a European Union report on who started the Russia-Georgia war, EU monitors have stepped up their patrols in Georgia to try to keep tensions from boiling over into violence, an official said Tuesday.The August 2008 war ended with Russian soldiers driving Georgian forces out of the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russia now has thousands of troops stationed in the two regions, which it has recognized as independent states.Russia, in apparent violation of the EU-brokered agreement that ended the war, has not allowed EU monitors into the two separatist regions, and tensions persist along their boundaries with the rest of Georgia.But mission head Hansjoerg Haber told The Associated Press that the border area has remained largely quiet.We hope it will remain the same after the EU report is released Wednesday, he said.I think we have made our little contribution by reinforcing our patrols and our visibility,he said of the 200-member mission. Haber declined to comment on what conclusions the report would draw.Meanwhile, Russia's envoy to NATO rejected Western allegations that Russia used disproportionate force during the war — an issue the EU report is expected to raise.
Dmitry Rogozin said Russia's use of force was measured.If the response was actually disproportionate, I think that our troops would be standing in Tbilisi.He also said NATO's 1999 bombing of the former Yugoslavia deprived the West of the right to make such allegations.Russia and Georgia blame each other for starting the war. The fighting began with a heavy Georgian artillery assault on Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia. Georgia says it launched the barrage to try to repel Russian forces it alleges had begun entering South Ossetia a day earlier.Russia denies that, saying it sent in troops only after the barrage began to protect Russian peacekeepers who had been in South Ossetia since it split from Georgian control during a war in the 1990s.Russia also said it entered the fight to protect its citizens. Russia had granted passports to most of South Ossetia's residents, a move Georgia and many international observers considered provocative. In the months leading up to the war, Russia also undertook a number of actions Georgia regarded as threatening, including sending warplanes over Georgian territory.If the report blames Georgia, it would be a significant boost for Russia's push to get international recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent — only Nicaragua and Venezuela have followed suit. That would also likely undermine Georgia's chances of soon becoming a NATO member — a goal that President Mikhail Saakashvili lists as a top aim.
Putting the onus on Russia would likely reinforce Russia's contention that the West is hopelessly biased against it and could chill the nascent attempts to improve Washington-Moscow relations.Haber said one of the remaining concerns is Russia's refusal to allow monitors in the separatist areas. Russia says it is not bound by that aspect of the truce because the regions are now independent.We insist on our interpretation, of course,Haber said.Also Tuesday, Georgian officials complained about Abkhazia's plan to change its landline and cellular telephones to Russia's country code, said Georgia would ask the U.N. International Telecommunications Union to take action.This is a gross violation by Russia of the international norms and work principles in the communications sphere,Georgian communications commission spokesman Kakha Kurashvili said.Associated Press Writer David Nowak contributed to this report.
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/
CNBC VIDEOS
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15839263/site/14081545/?tabid=15839796&tabheader=false
HALF HOUR DOW RESULTS TUE SEPT 29,2009
09:30 AM +0.91
10:00 AM +1.06
10:30 AM -11.64
11:00 AM -29.47
11:30 AM -12.50
12:00 PM -34.23
12:30 PM -30.76
01:00 PM -8.31
01:30 PM -8.01
02:00 PM -15.25
02:30 PM -19.87
03:00 PM -24.26
03:30 PM -34.61
04:00 PM -47.16 9742.20
S&P 500 1060.61 -2.37
NASDAQ 2124.04 -6.70
GOLD 993.60 -0.50
OIL 66.64 -0.20
TSE 300 11,394.99 +56.27
CDNX 1272.31 +2.58
S&P/TSX/60 682.17 +3.61
MORNING,NEWS,STATS
YEAR TO DATE PERFORMANCE
Dow +11.54%
S&P +17.68%
Nasdaq +35.11%
TSX Advances 847,declines 668,unchanged 216,Volume 381,616,494.
TSX Venture Exchange Advances 493,Declines 442,Unchanged 318,Volume 274,041,958.
Dow -1 points at 4 minutes of trading today.
Dow -49 points at low today.
Dow +45 points at high today so far.
GOLD opens at $991.70.OIL opens at $66.22 today.
AFTERNOON,NEWS,STATS
Dow -49 points at low today so far.
Dow +45 points at high today so far.
DAY TODAY PERFORMANCE - 12:30PM STATS
NYSE Advances 1,506,declines 2,089,unchanged 100,New Highs 159,New Lows 24.
Volume 2,587,611,796.
NASDAQ Advances 1,031,declines 1,533,unchanged 114,New highs 81,New Lows 07.
Volume 218,973,980.
TSX Advances 632,declines 663,unchanged 204,Volume 206,649,301.
TSX Venture Exchange Advances 319,Declines 345,Unchanged 276,Volume 112,502,117.
WRAPUP,NEWS,STATS
Dow -49 points at low today.
Dow +45 points at high today.
Dow -0.48% today Volume 153,992,774.
Nasdaq -0.31% today Volume 1,980,829,507.
S&P 500 -0.22% today Volume N/A
INDIAN MARKETS TRADE SIDE WAYS THIS WEEK
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1279438434&play=1
ASIAS APPITITE FOR NAVAL DEFENCE
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1279410953&play=1
DOLLAR DOMINANCE IN DANGER
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1278784176&play=1
EU development bank seeks extra money to help eastern Europe
ANDREW WILLIS Today SEPT 29,09 @ 09:30 CET
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is seeking an extra €10 billion from its member governments in order to increase lending to central and eastern Europe.The bank - founded in 1990 to assist the formerly Communist countries move towards a market economy - is seeking the 50 percent funding increase to compensate for the sharp decline in private capital flowing to the region.In a letter to shareholder governments, EBRD president Thomas Mirow says the region's economies have begun to stabilise but that they have not done so uniformly and it would be premature to say that a general turnaround has begun.The crisis will have lasting repercussions,he adds, summoning up a spirit of solidarity as the world celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, reports the Financial Times.
Discussions on increasing capital at the bank from its current level of €20 billion were first floated earlier this year as it became clear countries in central and eastern Europe were struggling with the crisis.The extra capital from governments could be used to leverage as much as a further €60 billion from private investors argues Mr Mirow, allowing the bank to step up lending to businesses struggling with funding shortages.
Tough terms
The bank – made up of over 60 member governments – has also contributed to several government rescue packages led by the International Monetary Fund since the crisis began last year.The EU member states of Hungary, Latvia and Romania have all availed of IMF bail-out money, despite both internal and external criticism over the lending terms.A recent report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research – a US-based think tank – says IMF lending terms have exacerbated a number of the problems in Latvia and Hungary and also non-EU Ukraine.Despite its claims to the contrary, the Fund continues to push pro-cyclical policies on countries badly bruised by the global recession,CEPR Co-Director Mark Weisbrot said.In central and eastern Europe, it looks increasingly like a big chunk of the IMF's new money will be a transfer from taxpayers to bail out western European banks who made imprudent loans in the east,he added.NGOs and civil society groups have long railed against the strict lending conditions of the IMF, under which money frequently comes on condition of reduced government spending.They point out that the EU is one of the main contributors to the IMF and could therefore do more to influence lending terms so that salaries and social security payments are less affected. The IMF is due to hold its annual meeting next week.
Oil down to near $66 as stocks weaken By PABLO GORONDI, Associated Press Writer - SEPT 29,09
Oil prices fell to near $66 a barrel Tuesday as European stock markets dropped slightly and investors awaited a slew of data on the U.S. economy.By midday in Europe, benchmark crude for November deliver was down 48 cents at $66.36 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 82 cents Monday to settle at $66.84.Regional stock markets, often a barometer of optimism about economic prospects, rebounded in Asia from a sharp fall Monday, but equities in Europe were mostly lower.Supporting oil prices was the West's recent stern warning to Iran over a previously unknown nuclear facility. About 20 percent of the world's crude moves through the Straits of Hormuz on Iran's southern coast and any showdown between the West and Iran could threaten that route.Investors are still buying on dips around the mid-$60s level. Most people are reasonably confident that over the next 12 months oil is going to move higher, said Ben Westmore, energy analyst with National Australia Bank in Melbourne.The gains in the U.S. equity markets also helped.
Westmore expects oil will average $80 a barrel in the third quarter of 2010.We're expecting a long recovering period, not a V-shaped recovery, but over 2010 we expect positive outcomes in the big developed economies, and oil demand will pick up,he said.In the U.S., the most closely watched indicator this week will be the Labor Department's monthly jobs report on Friday. Reports also are due out on home prices, manufacturing, consumer confidence, construction spending and factory orders.The market will be keeping a close eye on Wednesday's release of weekly U.S. inventory levels of crude oil and petroleum products. Stockpiles of crude, gasoline and heating oil have been growing, raising concerns about energy demand.Despite the rhetoric that oil is just a dollar trade, the price of crude was set last week by the (inventory) statistics and they should this week again be a key input,said Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix in Switzerland.In other Nymex trading, gasoline for October delivery fell 0.92 cent to $1.6288 a gallon, and heating oil was down 0.39 cent at $1.6870 a gallon. Natural gas lost 1.3 cents to $4.817 per 1,000 cubic feet.In London, Brent crude fell 53 cents to $65.01 the ICE Futures exchange.
Associated Press writer Alex Kennedy in Singapore contributed to this report.
Stock futures retreat ahead housing, consumer data By IEVA M. AUGSTUMS, AP Business Writer – SEPT 29,09
The stock market headed for a modestly lower open Tuesday as investors await the latest reading on consumer confidence.Stock futures fell slightly, a pullback to be expected after the market shot higher Monday and propelled the Dow Jones industrials up more than 120 points. Investors, who have been more pessimistic lately, got a lift from news of corporate dealmaking that signaled companies are feeling more upbeat about the economy.Investors will get news Tuesday morning about one their greatest concerns, consumer spending, when the Conference Board issues its consumer confidence index for September.The report is expected to show Americans are more comfortable despite the continuing rise in unemployment. Consumers are critical to a recovery because their spending accounts for more than two-thirds of all economic activity.Economists project a reading of 57.0, up from 54.1 in August. The report is due at 10 a.m. EDT.The market is also awaiting the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller home price index for July. The report, which looks at 20 of the nation's largest metropolitan areas, is due at 9 a.m. EDT.Disappointing manufacturing and home sales data reignited worries last week that any economic recovery may be slow and bumpy.
Ahead of the opening bell, Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 13, or 0.1 percent, to 9,715. Standard & Poor's 500 index futures lost 1.80, or 0.2 percent, to 1,057.20, while Nasdaq 100 index futures fell 6.25, or 0.4 percent, at 1,716.50.
Asian stocks rebounded, while European markets remain modestly lower.Japan's Nikkei stock average rose 0.9 percent. In afternoon trading, Britain's FTSE 100 was down 0.3percent, Germany's DAX index was down 0.5 percent, and France's CAC-40 was down 0.4 percent.Oil prices continued their tumble on the growing belief that the economy won't be strong enough to lift demand as much as expected. Oil had been steadily rising in recent months on growing expectations that the economy was going to be stronger, therefore pushing demand higher.Oil prices fell 65 cents to $66.19 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.Meanwhile, bond prices fell. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, rose to 3.29 percent from 3.28 percent late Monday. The yield on the three-month T-bill, considered one of the safest investments, rose to 0.11 percent from 0.10 percent late Monday.The dollar mostly rose against other major currencies, while gold prices fell.
Zoellick advocates greater role for US Treasury Mon Sep 28, 10:39 am ET
WASHINGTON – The president of the World Bank says he opposes giving more authority to the U.S. Federal Reserve, arguing instead that the Treasury Department is better suited to manage financial crises.Robert Zoellick (ZOH'-likh) also suggested in a speech Monday that the dollar's role as the world's reserve currency may be diminishing and the United States should recognize this fact. He said it would be difficult to give what he called independent and powerful technocrats at the Federal Reserve more authority. Zoellick also said the Treasury would be better at pulling together different regulatory agencies to deal with a crisis.The World Bank released excerpts of his speech to a Washington university audience in advance of the bank's annual meeting next week in Istanbul.
European economic confidence rises again: EU Tue Sep 29, 5:49 am ET
BRUSSELS (AFP) – European business and consumer confidence firmed in September for a sixth month running, an EU survey showed on Tuesday, in a boost for the region's struggling economies.The European Commission's economic sentiment indicator for the 16 nations using the euro single currency rose to 82.8 points in September from a revised 80.8 in August, continuing a climb away from a record low 64.6 points in March.However, the rise remains below long-term averages and was the smallest recorded over the last six months.In the 27-nation EU, the indicator rose to 82.6 points from a revised 81.0 points in August.Among the biggest EU nations, France and the Netherlands saw the biggest rises, up 4.7 and 4.6 points respectively, while Germany posted a moderate increase of 1.5 points.Sentiment worsened in Italy and Spain, down 1.3 points and 1.2 respectively, while confidence in Britain and Poland remained largely unchanged, the commission survey said.It also noted that confidence in financial services -- which is not taken into account when calculating the indicator -- bounced back strongly by 13 points in the eurozone, showing an improved assessment of the business sector.Meanwhile the commission's separate business climate indicator also improved in September in the eurozone, although not as clearly as the previous month.
US income gap widens as poor take hit in recession By HOPE YEN, Associated Press Writer – SEPT 29,09
WASHINGTON – The recession has hit middle-income and poor families hardest, widening the economic gap between the richest and poorest Americans as rippling job layoffs ravaged household budgets.The wealthiest 10 percent of Americans — those making more than $138,000 each year — earned 11.4 times the roughly $12,000 made by those living near or below the poverty line in 2008, according to newly released census figures. That ratio was an increase from 11.2 in 2007 and the previous high of 11.22 in 2003.
Household income declined across all groups, but at sharper percentage levels for middle-income and poor Americans. Median income fell last year from $52,163 to $50,303, wiping out a decade's worth of gains to hit the lowest level since 1997.
Poverty jumped sharply to 13.2 percent, an 11-year high.
No one should be surprised at the increased disparity,said Richard Freeman, an economist at Harvard University.Unemployment hurts normal workers who do not have the golden parachutes the folks at the top have.Analysts attributed the widening gap to the wave of layoffs in the economic downturn that have devastated household budgets. They said while the richest Americans may be seeing reductions in executive pay, those at the bottom of the income ladder are often unemployed and struggling to get by.Large cities such as Atlanta, Washington, New York, San Francisco, Miami and Chicago had the most inequality, due largely to years of middle-class flight to the suburbs. Declining industrial cities with pockets of well-off neighborhoods, such as Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Buffalo, N.Y., also had sharp disparities.Up-and-coming cities with growing middle-class populations, such as Mesa, Ariz., Riverside, Calif., Arlington, Texas, and Henderson, Nev., were among the areas showing the least income differences between rich and poor.It's unclear whether income inequality will continue to worsen in major cities, said William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution. Many Americans are staying put for now in traditional cities to look for jobs and because of frozen lines of credit.During the years of the housing bubble, there was middle-class movement from unaffordable metros with high-income inequality,Frey said.Now that the bubble burst, more of the population may be headed back to the high-inequality areas, stemming their middle-class losses.
Among other findings:
Income at the top 5 percent of households — those making $180,000 or more — was 3.58 times the median income, the highest since 2006.Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia had higher poverty rates than the national average, many of them in the South, such as Mississippi (21.2 percent), Kentucky, Arkansas and Louisiana (each with 17.3 percent). That's compared with 19 states and the District of Columbia that ranked above U.S. poverty in 2007.Use of food stamps jumped 13 percent last year to nearly 9.8 million U.S. households, led by Louisiana, Maine and Kentucky. The increase was most evident in households with two or more workers, highlighting the impact of the recession on both working families and unemployed single people.Pharr, Texas, and Flint, Mich., each had more than a third of its residents on food stamps, at 38.5 percent and 35.4 percent, respectively.Between 2007 and 2008, income at the 50th percentile (median) and the 10th percentile fell by 3.6 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively, compared with a 2.1 percent decline at the 90th percentile. Between 1999 and 2008, income at the 50th and 10th percentiles decreased 4.3 percent and 9 percent, respectively, while income at the 90th percentile was statistically unchanged.Plano, Texas, a Dallas suburb, had the highest median income among larger cities, earning $85,003. Cleveland ranked at the bottom, at $26,731.
The findings come as the federal government considers new regulations to rein in executive pay at companies in which it has invested. President Barack Obama also typically cites the need for higher taxes on the wealthy to pay for health care overhaul and other measures, arguing that the wealthy have disproportionately benefited from tax cuts during the Bush administration. The 2008 figures come from the Current Population Survey and the American Community Survey, which gathers information from 3 million households. The government first began tracking household income in 1967.Associated Press writer Frank Bass contributed to this report.On the Net:Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov
Pakistan bank keeps interest rate unchanged SEPT 29,09
KARACHI (AFP) – Pakistan's central bank on Tuesday announced that its key interest rate would remain unchanged at 13 percent, as threats remained to the nation's economic growth and with inflation still high.The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said that while there were good signs in domestic financial markets and indicators of a more positive global economic outlook after the slump, private sector lending remained subdued.Inflation was also still a concern. While core inflation declined from 18.5 percent earlier this year to 12.6 percent in August, the bank said the pace of decline in inflation was less than expected.Consumer price index inflation in August was 10.7 percent, it added, also a decrease from earlier this year.
Electricity supply problems across the country were also hurting industry and the economy, as was an increase in international oil prices.There are some risks to inflation while the economy gradually stabilizes,the report by the central bank said.Therefore, there will be no change in the SBP's policy rate, which will remain at 13 percent.Last November, the bank increased the benchmark interest rate by two percentage points to 15 percent to counter soaring inflation and stabilise a weakening currency, but has since made two cuts, the last in August.Pakistan, the frontline state in the US-led fight against Al-Qaeda and extremist Islamist militants such as the Taliban, relies heavily on its international donors, and the SBP said foreign inflows were improving.
