2ND SNOW STORM HITS AMERICA

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).

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

DON'T TELL ANYONE USE WERE NOT WARNED,I HAVE BEEN WARNING PEOPLE FOR YEARS THE EU WILL CONTROL THE WORLD ECONOMICALLY.GOD TOLD US IN HIS WORD,PEOPLE ARE SKEPTICS OR NON BELIEVERS OR JUST GODLESS ABOUT THE BIBLE OR ANYTHING IN IT,THATS WHY THEY REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT UNTILL NOW WHEN GOD IS BRINGING PROPHECY TO PASS.THEN THEY WILL BE FORCED TO BELIEVE IT WHEN IT HAPPENS IN FRONT OF THEIR BLIND EYES AND DEAF EARS.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 EU President Seeking to Consolidate Economic Power (Dog Bites Man Alert)

On the one hand, as we noted in an earlier post, EU president Herman Van Rompuy has made no bones about his view that the EU needs to have more clout in economic affairs. Per the Telegraph:Herman Van Rompuy, the EU’s new president, has submitted a text calling for the creation of an economic government that shifts responsibility for economic planning from national authorities to the EU level

But the Independent has a story up, EU President’s secret bid for economic power, that makes this effort sound more like a land grab:The new President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, is using the financial crisis sweeping the eurozone to launch an audacious grab for power over national budgets, leaked documents reveal.
The Independent has seen a secret annexe to the letter being sent by Mr Van Rompuy to European Union heads of government inviting them to the summit to be held tomorrow in Brussels. In an early and muscular assertion of authority over national governments and over the EU Commission, the Van Rompuy note states: Members of the European Council are responsible for the economic strategy in their government. They should do the same at EU level. Whether it is called co-ordination of policies or economic government, only the European Council is capable of delivering and sustaining a common European strategy for more growth and more jobs.Mr Van Rompuy states that the crisis has revealed our weaknesses, adding: Budgetary plans, structural reform programmes and climate change reporting should be presented simultaneously to the Commission [his italics]. This will provide a comprehensive overview.How one reads this could easily devolve into those one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter debates. On the one hand, the pragmatists assert that there is a great deal to be gained by having the EU become more cohesive and successful, and national sovereignity will inevitably have to be compromised. On the other, this very move has been deferred as long as humanely possible precisely because it was politically unpalatable. Now to have it take place, with the first act in some member states being an austerity regime….this is not a great way to make the medicine go down. And recall the after-effect of IMF austerity regimes in Asia after its 1997 crisis. It wasn’t just the client states that resolved never never to have anything to do with the IMF, but even mere bystanders like China came to the same conclusion, that it was necessary to build up big foreign exchange reserved to avoid what befell Indonesia and Thailand. Admittedly, an austerity regime for Greece (and the other members of Club Med) may not be as draconian, but Greece is also in much closer proximity to countries that will not be put on a short leash, which could stir even more resentment. And of course, the fact that this story was leaked, with the hope of making waves, also says there will be a great deal of tough discussion and (hopefully) compromise before any deal can be reached.

More from the Independent:An EU source explained: It has become clear to everyone that this economic crisis can’t be solved by individual member states, such as Germany helping out Greece. What we need is the same kind of mechanism that we have now imposed on Greece in order to monitor and survey eurozone countries. So the idea is to put all European economies under surveillance. You can expect some important decisions to be taken this week.In a highly unusual move, the president of the European Central Bank, Jean-Claude Trichet, has broken off from a meeting of central bank governors in Sydney to return to Europe…The concern being felt in the highest circles of the EU about the contagion sweeping through Greece, Spain and Portugal is also clearly displayed in Mr Van Rompuy’s confidential note: The crisis has revealed our weaknesses. Our structural growth rate is too low to create new jobs and to sustain our social systems.Referring to the fact that the EU has no way to resolve a budgetary crisis that affects other members states, Mr Van Rompuy goes on: Recent developments in the euro area highlight the urgent need to strengthen our economic governance. In our intertwined economies, our reforms must be co-ordinated to maximise their effect.The financial crisis comes as the EU’s three presidents jockey for position. Mr Van Rompuy is permanent President of the European Council (the job once thought tailor-made for Tony Blair), while the Spanish premier, José Zapatero, is the President of the Council of the European Union and José Manuel Barroso is President of the European Commission. President Barack Obama recently snubbed a proposed spring EU-US summit out of frustration at having to deal with the confusing troika.

The summit will be held away from the usual redoubts of the Euro bureaucracy, in Brussels’ Solvay library. Van Rompuy wanted to create a far more intimate atmosphere without an army of advisers, a source said. There are a lot of tensions between member states right now, which he is why he decided to get them to talk in an open, friendly setting, starting with aperitifs. The idea is to have a proper brainstorming session and hear everyone’s thoughts.Yves here. This is an important juncture. Even though the subtext is that there needs to be some sort of EU deal for Greece and its Club Med confreres, it isn’t just getting to a deal, but the quality of the arrangement that matters for the long term.

Germany preparing to bail out Greece
ANDREW WILLIS Today FEB 10,10 @ 09:27 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Clear signs emerged on Tuesday (9 February) that Germany and other eurozone members are considering a bailout plan for Greece.Reports suggest financial support is likely to come in the form of guarantees or bilateral loans, with EU leaders set to discuss the exact details when they meet for an informal summit on economic issues in Brussels on Thursday. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble told officials in Berlin on Monday that he had concluded there was no alternative to a rescue plan, reports the Wall Street Journal citing an anonymous source. The Financial Times quotes German officials as saying that the steep decline in the euro and pressure on bond prices has forced Berlin to take a significant step to deal with the Greek debt crisis. Recent weeks have seen Greece come under tremendous pressure from financial markets due to doubts over the Greek administration's capacity to push through tough austerity measures, leading to fears of a possible sovereign default and contagion to other eurozone members. Athens will face a major test on Wednesday with Greek public sector workers set to strike over the government's spending cut plans. The protests are set to cause grounded flights, shut government offices and schools and limited hospital operations.

Bailout method?

The European Investment Bank, the main provider of long-term EU loans, ended all speculation on Tuesday that it might become involved in a Greek bailout. The EIB's mission and statute do not allow for bailouts in terms of budget deficits or balance of payments support to individual member-states, Philippe Maystadt, the EIB president, said in a statement.News that European Central Bank chief, Jean-Claude Trichet, will be flying back from Australia for Thursday's summit helped to lift markets on Tuesday, although eurozone rules also prevent the central bank from bailing out national governments. Non-eurozone members Sweden and the UK have suggested that the International Monetary Fund is best placed to supply financial support to Greece, although EU officials have widely rejected this method. We don't need to call in the IMF, EU economic commissioner Joaquin Almunia told the European parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday. Another option is the creation of a special bailout fund.When Europe was created, they created solidarity funds for new entrants, but not for the euro members. This is what is needed now,said economist Joseph Stiglitz, currently advising the Greek government, on British television on Tuesday evening.A final decision on the plan may not come this week but Germany is thought to favour guarantees as the most efficient way to prevent the spread of the debt crisis.

Moral hazard

Whatever the final option, eurozone politicians will be keen to avoid a situation of moral hazard whereby chronic overspenders like Greece appear to be getting off easy.
Mr Almunia told MEPs he hoped leaders at Thursday's summit would offer clear support for Greece in exchange for clear commitment [from the Greek authorities] that they will meet their responsibilities. You don't get support for free, he stressed.
Taxpayers in Germany and other eurozone members involved in the Greek rescue plan will essentially take on the risk involved in providing Greece with guarantees or a large bilateral loan. However, policy makers appear decided that the risks associated with taking no action are far greater. As well as preventing a possible default, a resolution to Greece's problems would help calm investor concerns over the health of public finances in Portugal and Spain. German and French banks also have considerable exposure to the Greek economy, including billions of euros in loans to private individuals and companies.

Barroso urges new wave of optimism in Europe
ANDREW RETTMAN 09.02.2010 @ 18:02 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Tuesday (9 February) celebrated EU enlargement and the single currency as the bloc's main achievements in the face of crisis-related gloom in Europe.Speaking to reporters in Strasbourg following the EU parliament's endorsement of his new team of 26 commissioners, the Portuguese politician attacked the intellectual glamour of euro-pessimism in the bloc.I believe Europe is a force for good, for our citizens and for the world, said Mr Barroso (Photo: EUobserver.com)I think that's one of the most damaging things we have in Europe: Europeans are always saying Europe is not good enough ...Some people like it. I don't like it. I believe Europe is a force for good, for our citizens and for the world, he said. We have reasons to be proud. We have extended the freedom of space and democracy to the whole continent, almost the whole continent,he went on.Europe today is much stronger than when we were six, or nine, or 12.The commission chief brought up the example of Iceland amid speculation that some struggling eurozone members, such as Spain or Greece, might be better off if they had kept their own currencies.Ordinary people [in Iceland] were going to the ATMs [cash machines] and they could not get their money. They could not use their credit cards. This happened to ordinary citizens, because they were not protected by the euro, he said. The remarks were delivered by a visibly tired and at times distracted Mr Barroso, who at the press event twice suppressed a yawn and took time out to read messages on his phone. Commenting on a new institutional pact with the EU parliament, which gives MEPs the authority to call for individual commissioners to resign and to ask the executive to consider new legislation, he drew a line in the sand.Of course I would have to give it serious consideration. Having said this, the final decision to replace a commissioner is, and will remain, in the hands of the commission president, Mr Barosso said.

The commission head also urged MEPs to vote in favour of sharing EU bank data with US counter-terrorism agents in a crunch decision to be taken by parliament at noon on Thursday.He said deputies will in future be granted easier access to classified parts of international agreements on which [they] enjoy the right of consent.I hope this reassurance paves the path to a positive vote,he said.

China officially tops Germany as world's No.1 exporter
ANDREW WILLIS 09.02.2010 @ 17:18 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Official data released from Germany on Tuesday (9 February) confirmed that China has stripped Europe's largest economy of its top exporter title. Data released by the German Federal Statistics Office showed the country's exports fell by 18.4 percent in 2009 when compared to the previous year, hitting a dollar equivalent of $1.121 trillion. China's exports for 2009 totaled $1.202 trillion.Despite the drop, which represents the greatest year-on-year decline for Germany since 1950, the news of China's takeover was not greeted with great alarm by German economists.This is something that was expected. Everyone agrees that China's currency is undervalued, but still it was only a matter of time, Gernot Nerb, head of the industry department with the Ifo Institute for Economic Research, Munich, told this website. The official figures also showed a strong export recovery in the fourth quarter of the year, helping to pull Germany out of its recession and providing a silver lining to the more gloomy annual data.With more than 60 percent of Germany's exports going to other EU countries, concerns have been raised that the bloc's forecast low rates of growth in the coming years could prose a problem for Germany's export model.

There is some concern but we are mainly exporting investment goods, and you can not postpone investment for ever, said Mr Nerb, conceding that investment levels will probably not pick up before 2011-12 however. A breakdown of the German figures shows exports to the EU were down 19.1 percent year-on-year, with sales to faster-growing regions of Asia and South America faring little better and falling 17.1 percent.
German imports also declined rapidly in 2009 as result of the financial crisis, dropping fell by 17.2 percent.

EU too slow to act over Greece, say MEPs
ANDREW WILLIS 09.02.2010 @ 17:49 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - A number of senior MEPs have criticised the European Commission for acting too slowly in tackling the problem of Greece's budget deficit and rising debt levels. Speaking after the European legislature officially approved a new commission for the next five years, Liberal leader Guy Verhofstadt said Europe had committed a strategical error in not intervening earlier in the Aegean country.
The European Central Bank and the commission should have responded from the start with a package for Greece and then we needn't have gone through what we have seen in the last few weeks,he said. Recent weeks have seen growing market doubts over Athens' ability to claw back its deficit and debt levels, leading concerned investors to demand higher bond yields as they weigh up the possibility of a potential debt default. Greece's budget deficit hit 12.7 percent last year, with its debt-to-GDP ratio forecast to exceed 120 percent in 2010. Centre-right EPP Group vice-chairwoman, Corien Wortmann-Kool MEP, said she supported the commission's current strategy of closely monitoring Greece's timetable of austerity measures, but said it had come months late.Outgoing economy commissioner Joaquin Almunia, flanked by his successor Olli Rehn, defended the commission's actions however.

I don't know how Mr Verhofstadt defines late, but I don't remember him turning to the commission very quickly when Belgium was in trouble, he said of the former Belgian prime minister. Mr Almunia pointed to the difficulties in obtaining accurate statistics on the state of Greece's economy and the change of government last autumn as slowing factors, and said little had been possible until Athens presented its stability programme on 15 January. The Greek programme set outs a list of spending cuts and revenue-raising measures, as the country seeks to bring its budget deficit to below three percent by 2012.

Spain pushes for common strategy on electric cars
VALENTINA POP Today FEB 10,10 @ 09:27 CET

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – EU industry ministers on Tuesday (9 February) discussed plans to establish a common strategy for electric cars, a pet project of the Spanish EU presidency. Following the informal talks in the northern Spanish city of San Sebastian, the country's industry minister Miguel Sebastian said it was not an exaggeration to say that the electric vehicle has been born today in Europe, and that it has done so under the Spanish presidency.Obviously there are lots of questions ...issues of legal security, validation, the safety of the vehicles themselves ...and cost, he admitted, however.As national plans vary throughout Europe and use differing technologies, not always compatible, Spain is pushing for the EU commission to come up with a common strategy in May. The Spanish minister cited Germany's support for the plan.Madrid also wants the electric car included in the bloc's economic strategy for the next ten years, the so-called 2020 Agenda, as it would boost its ailing auto sector, stem soaring unemployment rates and use the renewable energy produced domestically. The EU would compete against already established electric car manufacturers in Japan, China and the United States.It is good for people's pockets, good for European income and employment, good for Europe as a whole, and it will be good for the planet from an environmental perspective, the Spanish minister said.

But his view was not shared by several green groups issuing a report on Monday in which they warned that electric cars alone could actually increase carbon emissions unless they were backed by smart power grids.The report, commissioned by Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and Transport & Environment, says that existing EU legislation on car emissions is flawed because it allows manufacturers to use sales of electric vehicles to offset the continued production of high gas-consuming cars. Increasing sales of electric cars to 10 percent of the total could lead to a 20 percent increase in both oil consumption and CO2 emissions in the EU car sector, the groups warn.About 400 grams of carbon dioxide are emitted on average for every kilowatt-hour of electricity in the EU, but this can more than double if coal is used, says the report.The answer, in their view, is to integrate electric cars with a smart electricity network, which would charge vehicles only when there was an abundance of green power from sources such as wind farms. But smart power networks are still in their early phase, despite EU pledges to develop them further.Just as every car sold today has to have an odometer to show how far it has driven, every electric car needs a smart meter to show how much electricity has been used and better still, whether or not that electricity came from a renewable source, Nusa Urbancic from Transport & Environment said in a statement. Simply plugging electric cars in like kettles would leave consumers and electricity suppliers in confusion and chaos, Ms Urbancic argued.It's up to the EU to ensure that all new cars sold in Europe are fitted with this kind of technology,she added.

Likud MK: Livni's Vote Shows She Wants to Surrender Golan
by Gil Ronen FEB 10,10

(IsraelNN.com) Ophir Akunis, who heads the Likud party's media responses team, accused Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni (Kadima) Wednesday of having a hidden agenda as regards the fate of the Golan Heights, after Livni voted against a bill submitted by MK Eli Aflalo (Kadima).The bill, which the Knesset approved in a preliminary reading, would grant tax benefits to residents of the Golan Heights. The bill was supported by Knesset members from the coalition and also by several Kadima members, despite Livni's opinion against it.Sources in Kadima criticized Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak for refusing to accept Kadima's suggestion to postpone the vote on Golan instead of bringing it up today, when there is still some tension with Syria over recent statements by Israeli and Syrian leaders.Likud Whip Ze'ev Elkin saw meaning in the splitting of the Kadima vote: Time and again, Kadima proves that it has no clear and coherent stand on any question or subject – not about the Golan, nor about other subjects. Even if formally, Kadima has not yet split, de facto it is behaving like two factions, with two heads and two ideologies,Elkin said.

Arabs Attack Christian Evangelists in Samaria
by Hillel Fendel FEB 10,10

(IsraelNN.com) Five Christian volunteers were lightly wounded by Arab rock-throwers in the fields of the Jewish town of Har Brachah in the Shomron; the town’s security officer was detained after he shot in the air.The five injured volunteers were part of a group of American Christians who arrived in Har Brachah in Samaria to help the Jewish residents work their fields. The incident occurred on Tuesday, and they were back working the fields on Wednesday.The chief security officer of the Jewish town of Har Brachah arrived on the scene and when he saw the attack in progress, he fired in the air. The attackers, from the nearby Arab village Irak Burin, then dispersed – but later complained to the police that one of their number had been shot in the shoulder.The police summoned the security officer for questioning and later released him. They also confiscated his weapon, but returned it late Wednesday morning.

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.

Snoverkill slams eastern US by Stephanie Griffith – Wed Feb 10, 8:28 am ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) – A second major snowstorm in less than a week struck the eastern United States Wednesday, paralyzing travel for millions, shutting down the US capital, and forcing school closures from Virginia to New York.The National Weather Service forecast that the storm, dubbed Snoverkill by the local media, would dump up to 14 inches (36 centimeters) of fresh snow on the mid-Atlantic region.This comes on top of the three feet (91 cm) of snow from the weekend's powerful blizzard, much of which remains on the ground.Federal government offices in the US capital closed Wednesday for the third straight day -- a first since 1996 -- while local schools prepared to remain closed until next week.Even in New York city, Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered schools closed, only the second time to do so since 2004 according to local media.The NWS issued a blizzard warning for the Washington-Baltimore area starting at 10 am (1500 GMT) and lasting nine hours and warned of heavy snowfall and winds of 20 to 30 miles per hour (32 to 48 kilometers per hour).Blowing and drifting snow will reduce visibility to a quarter of a mile or less at times, producing blizzard conditions, the NWS said in its 0845 GMT advisory.This will lead to whiteout conditions, making travel extremely dangerous. Do not travel, the advisory read.It also issued a rare blizzard warning for New York city, to remain in effect until early Thursday morning.The snow may mix with rain and sleet at times on Wednesday, but will otherwise be heavy at times during the day.By late Wednesday the NWS forecast between eight and 13 inches of snow for New York.

Thousands of homes were still without power in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area after Friday and Saturday's massive snowfall dubbed Snowmageddon.Strong winds expected to accompany the second storm could also mean further power outages across the region.Snow-weary residents have since scrambled to get a sense of normalcy, digging out, stocking up on depleted groceries and clearing their streets from fallen trees and branches.But even before the storm hit, many secondary roadways remained treacherous, with piles of snow and near-invisible black ice.Harried commuters in the mid-Atlantic states struggled to dig out buried cars and trundle to work Tuesday on icy roads, while subway users in the US capital suffered long waits despite the relaunch of suspended above ground services.But just hours after the first new flurries began to fall, Metro said subway service would be limited to underground only stations until Thursday, while transit officials canceled bus and shuttle service.Most of the 230,000 federal employees in the Washington DC area were off work, costing an estimated 100 million dollars a day in lost productivity. Some government offices including the White House, parts of Congress and some agencies however remained operational. A quarter of Washington DC's snow plows were being repaired after being operated without stop since Friday, CNN reported. Washington, Virginia and Maryland all declared emergencies, allowing them to mobilize the National Guard to help cope with the unusually severe winter wallop. No flights were expected to take off from Washington's Reagan National and Dulles International airports on Wednesday, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said.

Airlines operating out of New Jersey, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Chicago also reported cancellations and delays. The government-owned rail corporation Amtrak said it would operate limited service along its money-making Northeast corridor on Wednesday. In addition to snow, the rail service was also battling downed trees and power lines. Jennifer Ganem, stuck at home in the Maryland suburbs with four children under the age of 10, said her family had been particularly challenged by a weekend power outage that kept them in the dark for almost two days. Ganem said news of another blast of snow was a real downer, even for her children who usually look forward to sledding and snow days off from school. My daughter actually said to me this morning, OK, I'm done with winter now, she said. That's a bad sign when you've got 20 more inches of snow coming.

Snow, wind batter East Coast in big 2nd storm By Jeremy Pelofsky – Wed Feb 10, 8:27 am ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The second major snowstorm in less than a week lashed the East Coast from Washington to New York on Wednesday, forcing federal and local government agencies, the United Nations and schools to close.Cities across the Northeast ground to a halt as the National Weather Service predicted blizzard conditions up the coast with up to 16 inches in New York City, up to 22 inches in Philadelphia and 12 inches in Washington.Hundreds of flights were canceled in the three cities and airlines relaxed ticket policies to allow passengers to change their plans without penalty, moves that could cloud the outlook for an industry already hard hit by the battered economy.The United Nations said its New York headquarters would be closed on Wednesday due to the storm.While government offices in Washington were also closed for the third straight day -- at a cost of some $100 million in lost productivity per day -- President Barack Obama was trying to maintain his schedule with a meeting with black leaders to discuss the economy and jobs.The House of Representatives canceled votes for the week. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the Senate would not be in session on Wednesday but would resume work on Thursday. He said he doubted the Senate would have any votes this week. Many congressional hearings were also called off.

LIMITED AMTRAK SERVICE

Amtrak passenger rail service warned of limited service along its lucrative Northeast corridor. Among the flights canceled were US Airways' shuttle service between New York, Boston and Washington.State offices in five major Pennsylvania cities were ordered closed, and Maryland and Massachusetts government offices were shut down, with only emergency and essential personnel required to report for duty.
Forecasters said the storm, which has been dubbed Snoverkill and Snomageddon 2.0, would be packing strong winds that could cause additional power outages in a region already reeling from a major weekend snowstorm.Approximately 5,500 customers were without power in the Baltimore and Washington areas, according to the area's three main electric companies, Pepco, Dominion and Constellation Energy Group's BG&E.The storm comes as residents were still trying to dig out from weekend snowfalls of 18 to 32 inches from Washington to southern New Jersey. Some struggled to restock refrigerators and clear fallen trees ahead of the new storm.Schools were closed across much of the region, and many canceled classes for the rest of the week.The bus system in the Washington said it would not operate on Wednesday. The metropolitan area's subway was only operating the underground section of its system.

I love it. I can handle one more round,said government lawyer David Kaplan, 50, as he shoveled snow off his roof on Tuesday in Takoma Park, Maryland, just outside Washington. He spent the past few days sledding and building a luge run in his yard.
But Kaplan also said he spent a fair amount of time shoveling his driveway and roof. It's hard work and I hope never to do it again, he said.(Additional reporting by David Alexander, Tim Ryan, Diane Bartz in Takoma Park, Kyle Peterson, Meredith Davis and Jerry Biezsk in Chicago; Editing by Will Dunham and Vicki Allen)

Calif. storm sputters but LA evacuations continue
FEB 10,10

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, Calif. – Evacuations are still in effect for more than 500 foothill homes in Southern California even though the storm that spawned them is petering out.Authorities say the threat of a mudslide remains in La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Acton and two canyons in the Angeles National Forest.No major mud flows were reported from Tuesday's storm, which dumped at least an inch of rain in the area.The communities are below slopes burned bare in wildfires. A mudslide last weekend damaged 43 homes in La Canada Flintridge.The National Weather Service says the area will be mostly sunny for about the next seven days.However, a couple of inches of snow could fall at higher mountain elevations and in the Antelope Valley. Winter storm warnings are effect until 10 a.m. Wednesday.THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, Calif. (AP) — The latest Pacific storm that brought heavy rain, hail and snow to Southern California is heading east, but the mudslide threat is not over for communities below wildfire-scarred mountains.More than 500 homes in La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Acton and two canyons in the Angeles National Forest were under evacuation orders for the second time in a week Tuesday, only three days after a sudden downpour took them by surprise and sent mud and boulders slamming into homes and cars. The evacuations are expected to remain in place through at least Wednesday morning, Los Angeles County fire Inspector Matt Lavesque said. The weather also kept several roads in the San Gabriel Mountains area closed or restricted early Wednesday.The National Weather Service said at least an inch of rain fell on the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains during the day. Snow levels were expected to drop to as low as 2,500 feet overnight, bringing another round of winter to mountain passes and Southern California ski resorts.

Showers were expected through Wednesday morning, with clearing expected in most areas by afternoon, forecasters said.Backhoes and dump trucks hurried to clear out the basins designed to steer debris and mud into channels and away from homes.About 60 to 70 percent of the residents ordered to evacuate complied, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.They know what's at stake, said Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Bob Furman, as he took a lap along the mud-crusted streets to clear out stragglers.They've been through this before.Officials asked residents to move their vehicles and put away trash cans. During Saturday's storm, the mud tossed parked cars into each other like bumper cars.Sheriff's deputies went door to door, urging people to leave; those who refused signed waivers acknowledging they were aware of the risk.Maureen Kindred said she was remaining in her home with her son to fight back the mud, as she did over the weekend.We literally fought it, she said, taking a break from shoveling mud from in front of her house before it could block the drain on her porch.We fought it with buckets and mops and spades and we dug a canal. We did everything we could to keep water from entering the house, and we succeeded.

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.

Rare earthquake rattles northern Ill.; no damage
FEB 10,10

CHICAGO – A small pre-dawn earthquake has hit northern Illinois, startling residents as far away as Michigan and Iowa, but no damage or injuries were immediately reported.The U.S. Geological Survey says the 3.8-magnitude earthquake hit about 45 miles northwest of Chicago at 4 a.m. Wednesday. Scientists say the epicenter was southwest of the village of Gilberts in Kane County.The USGS initially reported the magnitude as 4.3 but later downgraded it. USGS geophysicist Amy Vaughan says such quakes are rare in northern Illinois.She says residents in Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan also reported feeling the quake.In Kane County, sheriff's dispatchers were overwhelmed with calls, and several residential and business alarms were triggered. But spokesman Lt. Pat Gengler says no injuries or damage have been reported.On the Net:U.S. Geological Survey: http://www.usgs.gov/

Quake shakes southern Mexico, felt in capital
Mon Feb 8, 9:08 pm ET

OAXACA, Mexico – A magnitude 5.7-earthquake shook southern Mexico near the Oaxaca coast Monday, setting off evacuation alarms and swaying buildings as far away as Mexico City.The quake was centered 35 miles (55 kilometers) north of the fishing and resort town of Puerto Angel, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's Earthquake Hazards Program.It struck at 6:47 p.m. local time and was felt 280 miles (455 kilometers) away in Mexico City.Oaxaca state's civil protection agency said it had received no reports of damage or injury.Here in Puerto Angel is was pretty quick. There wasn't enough time to go out into the street, said Florencia Peliconi, manager of the seaside Hotel Villa Serena Florencia.She saw no damage to buildings.It was more noise (than shaking). Like a truck was coming,she said.In the state capital of Oaxaca, 65 miles (100 kilometers) northwest of the quake center, the tremor set off earthquake evacuation alarms, sending people streaming out of shops and stores.The alarms are designed to go off in earthquakes above magnitude 5.0.(This version CORRECTS name of USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.)

Bernanke outlines plan for pulling in stimulus aid By JEANNINE AVERSA, AP Economics Writer – FEB 10,10

WASHINGTON – Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke began Wednesday to outline the central bank's strategy for reeling in stimulus money once the economic recovery is more firmly rooted.Bernanke said the Fed will likely start to tighten credit by boosting the interest rate it pays banks on money they leave at the central bank. Doing so would raise rates tied to commercial banks' prime rate and affect many consumer loans. Companies and ordinary Americans would pay more to borrow.But in prepared remarks to a House committee, Bernanke indicated the Fed is still months away from raising rates or draining most of the stimulus money it injected to rescue the financial system. He said the recovery still needs support from record-low interest rates.The Fed chief used his remarks to explain how the central bank will try to withdraw the stimulus money without tipping the economy back into recession.

Using the rate it pays on banks' excess reserves to affect credit would be a new strategy for the Fed. Since the 1980's, its main lever to tighten or loosen credit has been the federal funds rate. That rate is now at a record low near zero.The rate paid on banks' excess reserves is 0.25 percent. Boosting that rate would give banks an incentive to keep money parked at the Fed, rather than lend it.It also would cause the funds rate to rise, economists say. Adjusting the interest paid on banks' excess reserves helps stabilize the funds rate when the financial system is awash in cash, as it is now.Paying interest on the reserves is a relatively new tool for the Fed, having been authorized by a 2008 law. Many foreign central banks rely on it. The Fed started paying interest on the reserves at the height of the financial crisis in October 2008.In his prepared remarks to the House Financial Services Committee, Bernanke lays out his most extensive details to date on the Fed's exit strategy from record-low rates and economic stimulus.Under the threat of a major snowstorm, the panel postponed its hearing scheduled for Wednesday. The hearing was intended to review the Fed's plans for withdrawing its emergency supports. Bernanke chose to release the prepared testimony.Deciding when and how to remove all the stimulus is the biggest challenge for Bernanke in his second term, which started last week. Reeling in the stimulus too soon risks short-circuiting the recovery. That could send unemployment up.Yet the Fed keeps its stimulus measures in place for too long, they could help unleash inflation.Bernanke repeated the Fed's pledge to hold rates at record lows for an extended period. Economists think that means for at least six more months. But Bernanke cautioned that the Fed eventually will need to raise rates to ease inflationary pressures.

Even before the Fed raises the rate paid on banks' excess reserves, it could raise the rate it charges banks for emergency loans, Bernanke said. That rate, called the discount rate, is 0.50 percent. An increase in the discount rate wouldn't affect interest rates charged to consumers and businesses. But Bernanke said it would help normalize the Fed's interest rate policy now that the worst of the financial crisis has passed.He said he expected the Fed to consider a modest increase to the discount rate. Such a move would not raise rates for households and businesses and would not signal any change in interest-rate policy, Bernanke said.The Fed is still weighing the order of steps it can take to reel in the stimulus.Under one scenario, the Fed would first use its tools to drain money from the financial system. Then it would start pushing up rates throughout the economy by boosting the rate paid on banks' excess reserves, Bernanke said.But if a faster exit is needed, the Fed could raise the rate on reserves even as it's using its other tools to pull money from the financial system. The Fed is fine-tuning one tool to withdraw money: By selling securities from its portfolio with an agreement to buy them back later. Those operations are called reverse repurchase agreements. And the Fed is moving ahead on a proposal to let banks to set up the equivalent of certificates of deposit at the central bank. This, too, would help the Fed mop up money pumped into the economy and prevent inflation from flaring later. Together, those two operations — reverse repos and the CD-like deposit accounts — would let the Fed drain hundreds of billions of dollars of reserves from the banking system quite quickly, should it choose to do so,Bernanke said. Bernanke said he doesn't expect the Fed to sell any of its securities anytime soon.

To fight the financial crises, the Fed pumped so much money into the economy for lending programs that its balance sheet swelled to $2.2 trillion — more than double the pre-crisis level. The Fed will need to mop up that money to prevent inflation later. Bernanke said another economic support program aimed at driving down mortgage rates and bolstering the housing market is on track to end in March. By then, the Fed will have finished buying $1.25 trillion in mortgage securities from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It will also have finished buying $175 billion in debt from the mortgage giants.But the Fed hasn't ruled out continuing to buy mortgage securities after then to support the economy.

Oil falls on Bernanke stimulus exit plan By DEBORAH JIAN LEE, Associated Press Writer – FEB 10,10

NEW YORK – Energy prices fell as the dollar rose after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke mapped out a plan for pulling in government stimulus money when the economy recovers.Bernanke said the Fed will probably start to tighten credit by raising interest rates, although that could be months away.On this word from Bernanke the dollar went up and brought crude prices down, said PFGBest analyst Phil Flynn.We live and die by (his) every word and syllable.Benchmark crude for March delivery fell 60 cents to $73.15 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. A stronger dollar makes crude more expensive for investors holding other currencies.Energy prices were also knocked back by concern about European debt and bearish crude inventory numbers, Flynn said.U.S. crude stocks jumped 7.2 million barrels last week, the American Petroleum Institute said late Tuesday, suggesting weak consumer demand for fuels like gasoline and heating oil. Analysts expected an increase of 2 million barrels, according to a survey by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos.

The weekly petroleum inventory report from the Energy Department's Energy Information Administration, scheduled for release Wednesday, was delayed until Friday as a big winter storm kept government offices closed.Without the government numbers, right now the American Petroleum Institute is gospel,said Flynn. (The delay) puts uncertainty in the market place and investors may wait until Friday to make a major decision on buying or selling.Retail gasoline prices fell 0.003 cents overnight to a national average of $2.641 per gallon, according to AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service. Prices are 10.6 cents lower than a month ago, but still 71.3 cents higher than year-ago levels.The trend overall for gasoline demand is definitely still very weak, said Flynn. In part, the fresh blanket of snow is keeping drivers off the road, but deeper economic problems will keep their cars parked even after the snowy weather passes.In other Nymex trading in March contracts, heating oil fell 1.67 cents to $1.9212 a gallon, and gasoline was down 2.64 cents at $1.9026 a gallon. Natural gas slid 1.6 cents to $5.274 per 1,000 cubic feet.In London, Brent crude dropped 68 cents to $71.45 on the ICE futures exchange.
Associated Press writer Chun Han Wong in Singapore and Pablo Gorondi in Budapest, Hungary contributed to this report.

Euro zone holds intensive talks on Greek rescue By Matthias Sobolewski and Renee Maltezou – FEB 10,10

BERLIN/ATHENS (Reuters) – Euro zone countries held intensive talks on Wednesday on a possible rescue for Greece, whose debt crisis has shaken the entire currency union, as civil servants staged the first big strike against Athens' austerity plans.
Financial markets gave Greece some respite as investors hoped that other European governments would help Athens to head off a possible default on its debt repayments.

Finance ministers of the 16 countries that share the common European currency scheduled a video conference for Wednesday to discuss the issue, a European Commission spokesman said.However, EU law offers no clear procedure for staging the first bailout of a euro zone country in the currency's 11-year history.One possibility was for individual countries to offer bilateral aid and Germany, one of the few whose finances are in anything like a fit state to do so, might take a leading role. This could sidestep rules which restrict financial rescues at an EU or euro zone level.In Berlin, sources in the coalition government said a deal on which countries would help Greece, and by how much, could be reached on the sidelines of an EU leaders' summit on Thursday.Athens needs to borrow about 53 billion euros ($73 billion) this year to cover a huge budget deficit and refinance debt which is coming due. But investors have taken fright over the risks involved in buying Greek bonds, and the government could slide toward default if they boycott future debt auctions.

Germany and France would probably bear the lion's share of any aid, since Italy and Spain, the other two big economies in the euro zone, are themselves under financial pressure.So far, officials across European capitals seem to have decided little apart from the likely need to offer a financial lifeline to the Greek government, which is sitting on a debts forecast to hit 294 billion euros this year.In Berlin talks were under way both within the center-right coalition and with other euro zone governments.It has not yet been conclusively decided, said one person who attended a meeting with German conservatives and Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble.At the moment, various ideas are being discussed about what could be done,said the source.

Greece accounts for only a small percentage of euro zone output. But news that its budget deficit had spiraled to 12.7 percent of gross domestic product last year, more than twice the announced level, dented investors' confidence across the currency union and beyond.Talk of a bailout lifted the world stocks and the euro. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index rose 1.3 percent, the Athens benchmark was up 4.8 percent and Greek bank shares surged 8 percent.Investors also regained a little faith in Greek government bonds, which they have sold heavily in recent weeks. The yield on 10-year government bonds was 276 basis point higher than on the German equivalent, the narrowest in three weeks, and way below the recent high of around 400 basis points.

PAPANDREOU SEEKS SUPPORT

In Athens, striking civil servants grounded flights and shut many schools and offices in a foretaste of the resistance the Socialist government faces to a wage freeze, pay cuts for higher public sector earners, tax rises and a later retirement age.Riot police briefly fired teargas demonstrators who tried to break a security cordon but the protests were mostly peaceful. Some Greeks seemed willing to give the government the benefit of the doubt despite the harsh austerity plans.Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou held talks in Paris to seek support from the second biggest euro zone economy for his drive to slash a huge budget deficit, although a French source said there was no agreement yet on aid. We are ready to take any measures in order to make this sure and guaranteed that we reach this goal, Papandreou said, speaking at the Elysee Palace, adding that his government's deficit-cutting plan would be implemented in every detail.Rating agencies and EU policymakers have said Greece, which is prone to violent street protests, will not get support for free and urged the government to be firm. Credit ratings agency Moody's said partial implementation of Greece's budgetary reforms would risk the country's debt being downgraded to Baa1. Private and public sector unions plan another show of strength with a general strike on February 24.

EYES ON EU SUMMIT

EU leaders meeting in Brussels on Thursday with European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet may well issue a statement on Greece's financial crisis, an EU source said. Any financial assistance would likely be tied to strict conditions, but the nature and scale of a rescue remain unclear, partly because a treaty prohibition on EU bail-outs for euro zone members complicates the task. Economists at the Bruegel economic think-tank estimated Greece's needs in a range of 12-24 billion euros. The Wall Street Journal said Berlin was considering taking a lead role with other EU partners in offering Greece and other highly indebted euro zone countries loan guarantees in an effort to calm market fears of a default. A bilateral German bailout could involve a state-owned German bank, like the KfW, buying Greek government bonds, a German member of the European Parliament said on Wednesday.
(Additional reporting by Madeline Chambers in Berlin, Marcin Grajewski and Jan Strupczewski in Brussels, Anna Willard and Emmanuel Jarry in Paris and Emilia Sithole and Dominic Lau in London; writing by Paul Taylor and David Stamp, editing by Mike Peacock)

Putin says Baltic Sea gas pipeline will be safe By MATTI HUUHTANEN, Associated Press Writer – FEB 10,10

HELSINKI – Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Wednesday downplayed environmental concerns about a planned gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea, saying it would be a safe and reliable energy link for Europe.At a regional summit of Baltic Sea nations, Putin expressed surprise at the emotional response to the Nord Stream pipeline, which would carry 55 billion cubic meters (1.9 trillion cubic feet) of natural gas annually between Russia and Germany.Environmentalists and some government officials worry that the construction could lead to toxins and weapons being stirred up from the seabed in one of the world's most polluted seas.It's serious. We are worried about the dioxins and other poisons on the seabed," Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip told reporters earlier Wednesday. We expect our scientists to get full information about it all.But Putin said the German-Russian joint venture had spent more than euro100 million ($135 million) on researching environmental impacts, making it the largest such study in the region.Some of the work was abstract and not practical, but we thought it would be better to be absolutely sure about the total absence of environmental risk, Putin said.We believe the Nord Stream pipeline will be absolutely safe and reliable and a good supplier of natural gas to Europe and make our (area) more stable.

Nord Stream, which plans to start construction this spring, has approvals from Denmark, Sweden, Russia and Germany but is still awaiting a Finnish permit from local environmental agencies. Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said that decision was expected in upcoming days and hinted it would be positive.If there is an ecological risk, I wouldn't believe it would get permission from any country, Vanhanen said.Some 400 experts and participants attended the Helsinki meeting, including presidents and government representatives from Russia, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The area around the Baltic Sea is home to more than 90 million people.The Baltic Sea has been subjected to decades of nutrient deposits, toxic dumping, oil spills, weapons and untreated sewage. Experts say it's particularly vulnerable to environmental changes because it has only a narrow outlet to the Atlantic Ocean.Putin pledged to reduce sewage deposits, saying his country would build water treatment plants in the Baltic Sea port of Kaliningrad. Sweden's Environment Minister Andreas Carlgren pledged to double his country's contribution to the Baltic Sea Action Plan to euro9 million ($12million).Organizers said 150 commitments have been made by schools, non-governmental organizations, cities, private foundations, government departments and corporations. They include company funds for treatment of sewage, agricultural producers pledging to cut nutrient deposits, and colleges and schools promoting awareness of the maritime environment.The chairman of Royal Dutch Shell, Jorma Ollila, said the company would provide expertise on oil spills, especially in winter conditions, and Helsinki Mayor Jussi Pajunen said the city would allow cruise ships in the region to discharge their waste water into the Helsinki sewage system without charge.Sampsa Vilhunen, spokesman for the Worldwide Fund for Nature in Finland, welcomed the pledges but added they are not enough, nowhere near big enough.

Byzantine-era street uncovered in Jerusalem By SHIRA RUBIN, Associated Press Writer – FEB 10,10

JERUSALEM – With the help of an ancient mosaic map, Israeli archaeologists said Wednesday they have unearthed a section of an old stone-flagged street in Jerusalem that provides important new evidence about the city's commercial life 1,500 years ago.The 20-foot (6-meter) section of street passes from the west into the center of Jerusalem's Old City, and stands upon a large cistern that supplied water to the city's 30,000 to 40,000 residents. Pottery, coins and bronze weights used to measure precious metals from Byzantine times also were found.The discovery conforms to the layout of the city depicted in a famous 6th-century mosaic map discovered more than 100 years ago in a Jordanian church, said excavation director Ofer Sion.The map has long been used as a guide to understanding the shape of the city from the 4th to 6th centuries, and the direction of the street is new evidence the map is correct, he said.Jerusalem during this time had become a Roman city named Aelia Capitolina, with Jews barred from entering after their revolt against their Roman overlords in 132 A.D. It became a major center for the emerging Christian religion.The Byzantine Empire evolved out of the eastern half of the Roman Empire when the western part succumbed to barbarian invasions and ruled over much of the Middle East until the Arab conquests of the 7th century.

A staunchly Christian empire based in Constantinople, now Istanbul, it valued Jerusalem as a key Christian religious center and invested heavily into the city, which became a destination for thousands of pilgrims every year.This street was the center during the most (commercially) successful period in the history of (ancient) Jerusalem, Sion said.It is wonderful that (today's street) actually preserved the route of the noisy street from 1,500 years ago.Working from the historic map, archaeologists three months ago uncovered the section of the wide, white stone street 14 feet (4.5 meters) below the current street level.Archaeologists have already excavated another ancient street in Jerusalem from that time known as the Cardo, which ran north to south and hosted many shops along its pillared length. Sion said the newly found street included a sidewalk and row of columns.The map, uncovered in 1894 on the floor of a Byzantine-era church in Madaba, Jordan, shows the locations of major streets and the Christian sites in the city, including the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the site where the faithful believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.Once restoration work is completed, within the next few weeks, the segment of street will be covered because of heavy pedestrian traffic, Sion said. It has yet to be decided if the site will be available for viewing.The Israel Antiquities Authority undertook the project in response to a municipal plan to build an electric cable system on the site. In a land where every shovel might unearth something ancient, Israeli law requires the authority to inspect construction zones for ruins before work begins.

SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON AND STARS

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.

Stiff wind delays NASA launch of solar observatory By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer – FEB 10,10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Gusty wind has forced NASA to delay the launch of its newest solar observatory.An unmanned Atlas V rocket was supposed to blast off from Cape Canaveral on Wednesday morning with the Solar Dynamics Observatory. NASA put off the launch for an hour, hoping the wind would ease. But the rocket's systems sensed a wind overload and shut everything down, with just three minutes and 59 seconds left in the countdown.NASA says it will try again Thursday to send up the observatory. It's the most advanced probe ever built to study the sun. Scientists want to better understand the violent solar activity that causes communication and power disruptions on Earth.On the Net:http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sdo/main/index.html

India successfully tests nuclear-capable missile By MUNEEZA NAQVI, Associated Press Writer – Sun Feb 7, 7:39 am ET

NEW DELHI – India again successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable missile Sunday that can hit targets across much of Asia and the Middle East, a defense ministry press release said.It was the fourth test of the Agni III missile, the statement added. The first attempt in 2006 failed, but the last two tests were successful.The Agni III missile tested for the full range, hit the target with pinpoint accuracy and met all the mission objectives, the press release added.India's current arsenal of missiles is largely intended for confronting archrival Pakistan. The Agni III, in contrast, is India's longest-range missile, designed to reach 3,000 kilometers (1,900 miles) — putting China's major cities well into range, as well as Middle Eastern targets.India's homegrown missile arsenal already includes the short-range Prithvi ballistic missile, the medium-range Akash, the anti-tank Nag and the supersonic Brahmos missile, developed jointly with Russia.The missile was launched from Wheeler Island off the eastern state of Orissa on Sunday morning.The test appeared unlikely to significantly raise tensions in the region.Nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan usually notify each other ahead of such missile launches, in keeping with an agreement between the two nations. India and Pakistan have fought three wars since they gained independence from Britain in 1947.The two sides began talks aimed at resolving their differences over the Himalayan region of Kashmir and other disputes in 2004. India put the peace process on hold soon after terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November 2008, which India blamed on the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.India recently offered to restart peace talks, though Pakistan has yet to formally accept.

India announces long-range nuclear-capable missile test by Pratap Chakravarty – FEB 10,10

NEW DELHI (AFP) – India will test a nuclear-capable missile with a range of over 5,000 kilometres (3,000 miles) within a year, its top military scientist said Wednesday, risking a rise in regional tensions.The next series of missiles is Agni-V, which has left the drawing board and is moving toward the first flight trial within the year, the country's chief military scientist, V.K. Saraswat, told a news conference in New Delhi.India's current longest-range nuclear-capable missile, Agni-III, can travel a maximum of 3,500 kilometres and is now ready for use by the military, Saraswat said.The missile system will be fully inducted into the armed forces, Saraswat said.It is the full deterrence that the country needs.The Indian-built Agni-III -- Agni means fire in Sanskrit -- was first tested in 2006 and brings major Chinese cities such as Shanghai within striking distance, defence analysts say.

India kicked off its guided missile project in 1983 and has developed an array of weapons systems, including the Prithvi, which means earth and Agni-I, which is meant for possible use against neighbouring Pakistan.Nuclear-armed Pakistan, with which India has fought three wars since their partition and independence six decades ago, has said India's missile development programme could trigger a new arms race in the region.India, which fought a brief, bloody war with China in 1962, has unresolved border issues with its giant neighbour.The Agni-III is a real mobile system and hence it has a strategic advantage, Saraswat said.Avinash Chander, who heads India's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme, said both Agni-III and Agni-V would be able to carry 1.5-ton conventional or nuclear warheads.The government scientists said Agni-III was declared operational after three flight tests and numerous computer-simulated trials.The most recent test was held Sunday, when the missile was fired from Wheeler Island, off the coast of the eastern Indian state of Orissa.

Chander said the Agni-III, which he called a 100-percent indigenous system, hit its target with pinpoint accuracy and met all mission objectives.This is the weapon which provides us a platform with an anti-satellite capability, Chander added, referring to India's quest to develop a missile system which can target orbiting satellites.India has said it may develop an intercontinental ballistic missile but Saraswat said Indian scientists were not engaged in developing such a project at the moment.Global consultancy KPMG said India is among the top 10 military spenders with an annual defence budget last year of 1,420 billion rupees (31.55 billion dollars).

Israeli soldier stabbed to death in West Bank By TIA GOLDENBERG, Associated Press Writer – FEB 10,10

JERUSALEM – A knife-wielding Palestinian assailant attacked an idle Israeli military jeep near a West Bank checkpoint on Wednesday, killing a soldier inside the vehicle in what has become a rare case of violence in the territory, the military said.The soldier, who was the lone occupant in the jeep, was waiting at a traffic light when the attacker reached through the window and stabbed him, the Israeli army said. As the wounded soldier tried to drive away, the vehicle spun out of control and flipped over after the driver lost consciousness.The suspect tried to flee but was quickly apprehended. His identity was not immediately clear.Such attacks were once commonplace in the West Bank, but have become relatively rare in recent years, as Palestinian forces have increased security over parts of the territory.Wednesday's attack comes during a time of heightened tensions between Jewish settlers in the West Bank and the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who, under U.S. pressure, has declared a slowdown in construction in West Bank settlements.In another gesture to the Palestinians, Netanyahu also has reduced the number of military checkpoints in the West Bank — drawing accusations from settlers that he is threatening their security.Settler spokesman Yishai Hollender said Netanyahu's policies were again costing us in blood.In December, gunmen shot to death a resident of a Jewish settlement driving on a road in the West Bank.The removal of the checkpoints has helped ease the movement of Palestinians throughout parts of the West Bank. But Israel remains apprehensive about yielding security responsibilities to the Palestinians after years of violence.

Iran says nuclear fuel swap remains an option
Wed Feb 10, 5:27 am ET

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – A top Iranian official says a nuclear fuel swap with the West proposed under a U.N.-drafted plan remains an option.The late Tuesday comment by Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran's nuclear chief and a vice president, came hours after Iran began enriching uranium to about 20 percent over objections from the U.S. and its allies who fear the process could be used to make nuclear weapons.On Wednesday, Salehi was quoted by state TV as saying the enriching process was moving forward smoothly.Under the U.N. plan, Iran would send its stockpiled, low-enriched uranium abroad for processing into fuel rods to power a research reactor thus denying Iran the ability to enrich those stocks to higher levels needed for making warheads.

Regional leaders working on miracle for ailing Baltic Sea
by Laura Vinha – FEB 10,10

HELSINKI (AFP) – Leaders from Baltic region countries pledged urgent action to generate the miracle needed to save one of the world's most polluted seas at a summit in Helsinki Wednesday.Over-fished, polluted by agricultural nutrient discharge and uncared for, the Baltic is so toxic Greenpeace says pregnant women should not eat its fish.We don't expect any miracles, but serious work by all of us which may make a miracle, said Finland's President Tarja Halonen, who co-hosted the summit with Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen and the Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG) foundation.The summit brought together national leadership from 11 countries with a Baltic Sea coast or located in its vicinity -- Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Finland Germany, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus and Norway.Increasing maritime traffic, over-fishing and eutrophication -- the overconcentration of nutrients caused by sewage and agricultural run-off carrying fertilizers into the sea -- are key threats to be tackled.Actions are needed to make the Baltic Sea healthy, and we have to address these problems by taking care of our national economies and the economies of our neighbours, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said, adding the sea had always united the countries in the region.His country received praise from participants for its actions to improve waste water treatment in the coastal city of Saint Petersburg.But most of the meeting focused on the work that lies ahead to save the Baltic, a shallow, semi-enclosed marine environment which is particularly vulnerable to pollution.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said 40,000 tonnes of chemical weapons polluted the Baltic, and called for help from the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and NATO to clean the sea of all weapons.Numerous ships sunk in World War II also litter the bottom of the brackish body of water, which measures some 450,000 square kilometres (174,000 square miles}, said Finland's Halonen.Some 90 million people live in countries either bordering the Baltic Sea or with major river tributaries, and Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said 15 percent of the world's cargo traffic already passes through the Baltic.Increasing shipping heightens the risks of oil and chemical spills, and Stoltenberg called for sustainable growth to secure the environmental and economic future of the region.Regional leaders confirmed their countries' commitment to reducing the phosphorus and nitrogen flows that have caused eutrophication, and Poland's Deputy Prime Minister Waldemar Pawlak said his country would invest eight billion euros (11 billion dollars) in improving the treatment of waste water.Researchers say Baltic marine life is being decimated and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) argues only radical measures and a ban on eel fishing could save the species in the Baltic.The summit also brought together a range of companies and foundations, which had made pledges for measures to save the Baltic ahead of the Helsinki meeting.Pre-summit commitments include business innovations to recycle nutrients from waste-water and technology to improve communications between vessels and local authorities to enhance safety.In a speech, Finland's Vanhanen reminded participants of the action that must now be taken.The most important day is tomorrow, when we start implementing our commitments, he said.

Doctor says vendor may have been in rubble 27 days By PAISLEY DODDS, Associated Press Writer – Wed Feb 10, 8:39 am ET

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – The tale seems dubious: that a rice vendor survived 27 days trapped under the rubble of a flea market following Haiti's devastating earthquake.
Skeptical health workers said no one could live that long without water and the last confirmed survivor found was a 16-year-old girl removed from rubble 15 days after the Jan. 12 quake. The only sources for the story were the two Haitian men who showed up at a clinic carrying the vendor, dehydrated and malnourished with rail-thin legs.But then the patient became lucid enough to tell his tale Tuesday. And while his account has not been independently verified, doctors now say the 28-year-old man could have survived on water and possibly some fruit beneath the rubble.

The man — identified as Evans Monsigrace — told doctors he had just finished selling rice for the day at a downtown Port-au-Prince flea market when the quake hit. He said he didn't suffer any major injuries and was trapped on his side in an area where food and drink vendors were selling their goods.Based on that (his story), we believe him, said Dr. Dushyantha Jayaweera, a physician at the University of Miami Medishare field hospital where hundreds of patients have been treated since the quake.The story began when two men first took the vendor to a Salvation Army medical center in Port-au-Prince on Monday, saying he had been trapped since the earthquake. He was later moved to the University of Miami hospital because of his critical condition.He came in delirious, asking to die, said Nery Ynclan, a University of Miami media officer in Haiti, noting that Creole translators were at the field hospital.Ynclan said the rice vendor was in stable condition Tuesday and being treated for dehydration and malnutrition. He was nibbling on chocolate, she said.

Someone could not survive 28 days without water, Ynclan said.You can go nine weeks without food.Doctors have said that disaster survivors may be able to sustain themselves with a water supply and without medical attention for up to two weeks
Jayaweera said the man originally claimed he had not had any water or food. The man, however, had normal kidney function with heart palpitations, suggesting he at least had drank something but not enough to avoid getting dehydrated, the doctor said.

Still, doctors at the field hospital and at a Salvation Army medical center had no way to confirm the story.A videotape shot by Michael Andrew, an Arizona-based freelance photographer and a volunteer at the Salvation Army medical center, shows doctors on Monday trying without success to insert a needle into the man's arm to give him fluid. Doctors there then referred the man to the field hospital at the airport, Andrew told The Associated Press.The Salvation Army, in a brief posting on its Web site, said the two men, whom it didn't identify, found the man in the debris of the market Monday. But Andrew said Tuesday it wasn't clear whether others had provided food and water to the man and that many details of the case had yet to be learned.It also wasn't known why teams of international search and rescue workers were not alerted to the man's reported circumstances in the wrecked market.The man's mother, who was at the field hospital, told workers that people clearing rubble downtown discovered him and alerted his brothers.The Haiti quake killed 230,000 people, the Haitian government said Tuesday.

Haiti parents testify they gave kids to Americans By KIRSTEN JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer – Tue Feb 9, 11:46 pm ET

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Parents of some of the children who 10 U.S. missionaries tried to take out of Haiti after its catastrophic earthquake told a judge Tuesday that they freely handed over their kids, the Americans' lawyer said.The parents' testimony means no law was broken and we can't talk any more about trafficking of human beings,attorney Aviol Fleurant told reporters.He said he was confident the judge will dismiss the case.Nine of the Americans, most from an Idaho church group, have now been interviewed by the judge, who is to decide whether they will stand trial. The judge did not speak with reporters.Flaurent said the Americans would be back in court Wednesday. One of them, Jim Allen of Amarillo, Texas, was represented by a separate lawyer Tuesday.The Americans were charged with kidnapping and criminal association last week for trying to take 33 children into the neighboring Dominican Republic on Jan. 29 without proper documentation.The Baptist missionaries say they were heading to a Dominican orphanage following Haiti's devastating quake, and had only good intentions.Their leader, Laura Silsby of Meridian, Idaho, told The Associated Press the day after their arrest that the children were obtained from orphanages and distant relatives.However, the parents of some of the children told the AP last week that they turned their youngsters over to the group. The parents said did so willingly after the missionaries promised the kids would be educated and relatives could visit them.

Silsby was the only American not to appear in court Tuesday.The lawyer who represented the missionaries until last week said that Silsby deceived the rest of the group about having proper paperwork and that everyone but her should go free.
The Americans' original Haitian lawyer was fired late Friday. The Dominican attorney who had hired him claimed the Haitian attempted to bribe the detainees' way out of jail without their knowledge. The Haitian lawyer denied that.

Canada seeks to appeal Vancouver drug site decision
Tue Feb 9, 3:57 pm ET

OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada will ask the Supreme Court to overturn a lower-court decision that allowed North America's only sanctioned drug-injection site to remain open in Vancouver despite the federal government's objections.Justice Minister Rob Nicholson said on Tuesday he would ask the Supreme Court of Canada for permission to appeal last month's British Columbia appeals court decision, which said addicts needed Vancouver's Insite facility as a medical service.The previous Liberal government had granted Insite an exemption from federal drug laws, allowing it to operate on a medical trial basis since 2003.The facility, which permits addicts to inject their own illegal drugs under supervised conditions, has become the focus of a battle between the current federal Conservative government, which wants to close it, and local health officials, who say it saves lives.When it comes to combating drugs, we want to get people off drugs, Nicholson told reporters, adding that the case would be argued on grounds of the division of powers between the federal and provincial governments.Insite's supporters say it helps addicts reduce overdose deaths and gives drug users better access to services to help end their addictions.
(Reporting by Randall Palmer; Editing by Frank McGurty)