EU PAYS FOR FANTOM ARAB WORKERS IN GAZA

KING JESUS IS COMING FOR US ANY TIME NOW. THE RAPTURE. BE PREPARED TO GO.

And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.

Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.

12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE

ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECTS)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(FOR DIVIDING JERUSALEM AND STEALING ISRAELS LAND)

UN slams Israel demolition of West Bank properties

9 hours ago-DEC 11,1

Jerusalem (AFP) - The United Nations Wednesday slammed Israel's demolition of 30 Palestinian properties in the West Bank, saying it displaced some families for the second time in less than two weeks."I am concerned about the destruction of Palestinian structures in the Jordan Valley yesterday (Tuesday)," UN Humanitarian Coordinator James Rawley said in a statement."The demolitions resulted in the displacement of 41 people, including 24 children, and affected another 20. Both refugee and non-refugee families were affected." the statement said."Some of the families were displaced for the second time this month and a number of donor-funded structures were among those demolished."Israel's civilian administration of the West Bank had no immediate comment on the demolitions.A group of 36 NGOs last week urged Israel to stop demolishing Palestinian homes, hours ahead of a visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry aimed at revitalising Middle East peace talks."Demolitions often occur to facilitate the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, with 60 percent of demolitions occurring in Palestinian communities close to settlement zones," rights groups and charities including Oxfam, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said in a joint statement."Since the resumption of the peace process in July, Israel has destroyed 207 Palestinian homes and property in the occupied West Bank, displacing 311 Palestinians, over half of whom are children," they said.
Israeli settlement building threatens to derail the fragile peace talks, with the Jewish state announcing thousands of new homes in the West Bank on territory the Palestinians want for a future state.This year, more than 630 Palestinian structures have been demolished in Area C, the 60 percent of the West Bank that is under full Israeli military control, according to the UN.Some 1,035 Palestinians have been displaced by the demolitions, the world body said, adding that more than 80 percent of the displacement occurred in the Jordan Valley.

DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (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.(TRADING BLOCKS-10 WORLD REGIONS/TRADE BLOCS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS-10 WORLD DIVISION WORLD GOVERNMENT) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(TAKE OVER 3 WORLD REGIONS)

LUKE 2:1-3
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2  (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3  And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER

DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.

JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed:(CONFISCATED) 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.

LUKE 2:1-3
1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
2  (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
3  And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(THE FALSE POPE WHO DEFECTED FROM THE CHRISTIAN FAITH) causeth all,(IN THE WORLD ) both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(MICROCHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark,(MICROCHIP IMPLANT) or the name of the beast,(WORLD DICTATORS NAME INGRAVED ON YOUR SKIN OR TATTOOED ON YOU OR IN THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT) or the number of his name.(THE NUMBERS OF HIS NAME INGRAVED IN THE MICROCHIP IMLPLANT)-(ALL THESE WILL TELL THE WORLD DICTATOR THAT YOUR WITH HIM AND AGAINST KING JESUS-GOD)
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast:(WORLD LEADER) for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM (6006006)OR(60020202006)(SOME KIND OF NUMBER IMPLANTED IN THE MICROCHIP THAT TELLS THE WORLD DICTATOR AND THE NEW WORLD ORDER THAT YOU GIVE YOUR TOTAL ALLIGIENCE TO HIM AND NOT JESUS)(ITS AN ETERNAL DECISION YOU MAKE)(YOU CHOOSE YOUR OWN DESTINY)(YOU TAKE THE DICTATORS NAME OR NUMBER UNDER YOUR SKIN,YOUR DOOMED TO THE LAKE OF FIRE AND TORMENTS FOREVER,NEVER ENDING MEANT ONLY FOR SATAN AND HIS ANGELS,NOT HUMAN BEINGS).OR YOU REFUSE THE MICROCHIP IMPLANT AND GO ON THE SIDE OF KING JESUS AND RULE FOREVER WITH HIM ON EARTH.YOU CHOOSE,ITS YOUR DECISION.

Ministers edge toward bank resolution deal after marathon talks

Today @ 09:29-DEC 11,13-EUOBSERVER

By Benjamin Fox

BRUSSELS - EU finance ministers have edged closer to a deal on rules to wind up stricken banks, following more than 12 hours of talks in Brussels.After a marathon meeting went on well into the early hours of Wednesday (11 December), ministers emerged with the outline of a compromise that would accommodate German concerns about the prospect of a common eurozone fund to cover bank resolution costs.They also addressed the question of whether the European Commission will be given sweeping new powers to place a bank into resolution proceedings - opting for a half-way house that would give the commission some say in the process.Speaking with reporters following the meeting, Lithuanian finance minister Rimantas Sadzius, who is brokering the talks, said that ministers had made "a huge leap forward" and would reconvene next week.Michel Barnier, the EU commissioner responsible for the banking union, added: "Ministers have done a lot of the work that is needed but we are not at the end of the road yet."Under the commission proposal, governments will be required to set up national resolution funds to cover the costs of bank failure, to be funded by bank levies, which will eventually be worth around €60 billion.But Germany is anxious at the prospect of pooling the national funds into a single eurozone pot."There has to be both a single resolution fund and a role given to national input," French finance minister Pierre Moscovici said earlier in the week.
"That is not a contradiction. It is an articulation between them that we are seeking.”The plan mooted by ministers could see the creation of a new intergovernmental treaty, similar to the EU's fiscal compact on national budgets, to allow national resolution funds to access another country's resources.However, national contributions would only be merged gradually into a central kitty.“On the fund, the main thing is that it’s going to be progressively mutualized,” said Italy's finance minister Fabrizio Saccomanni, following the meeting.
“It was a compromise, we had to take into account Germany’s worries, but we obtained that at some point it will become a common fund, that will be supported by backstop mechanisms.”Meanwhile, the compromise plan would also establish a resolution board charged with making decisions on whether to recapitalise or wind-up eurozone banks, answerable to the commission and to governments.The plan will almost certainly annoy the European Parliament, which has to agree to the legislation for it to become law.MEPs have previously voiced their displeasure at the use of similar procedures to marginalise them in the creation of the EU's bailout fund and the fiscal compact treaty."I can imagine the parliament will not be enthusiastic about such a situation and neither is the commission,” warned Barnier.But there are still several big sticking points before a deal can be reached.Germany is still opposed to the EU's bailout fund, the €500 billion European Stability Mechanism, being allowed to serve as a "backstop," while the national funds build up their capital.
Berlin also wants guarantees that national funds and bank senior creditors would take on most of the burden, leaving the taxpayer-funded route only as a last resort.MEPs and ministers are expected to conclude a deal on the bank resolution and recovery directive before the end of next week.The accord is to include a hierarchy of how creditors should be "bailed in" to take losses when a bank becomes insolvent.

EU auditors: Stop funding PA employees in Gaza

European institution calls for a comprehensive overhaul of aid to the PA, diverting money from Gaza to the West Bank

By Elhanan Miller December 11, 2013, 10:43 pm 2-The times of Israel

A European body called on Wednesday for the suspension of aid money to Palestinian civil servants in the Gaza Strip, recommending the funds be reallocated to the West Bank as part of a comprehensive overhaul of EU funding to the Palestinian Authority.While denying earlier media leaks saying €2 billion in European aid to the Palestinian Authority has been squandered through corruption, the European Court of Auditors called the current funding of some 70,000 PA civil servants, including a majority who remain on EU payrolls without working, “unsustainable.” The group is an official institution within the EU.“Although some important results have been achieved, there is a need for major revisions, such as encouraging the PA to undertake more reforms, notably in relation to its civil service,” Hans Gustaf Wessberg, head of the auditors’ team, said at a press conference in Brussels.The EU funneled some €1 billion to the PA between 2008 and 2012 as part of scheme called Pegase — money earmarked for institution building as well as employee and pensioner salaries, and accounting for 20 percent of the total PA salary expenditure.The EU has invested a total of €5.6 billion in the PA since its establishment in 1994 with the stated objective of “helping bring about a two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”But since Hamas’s violent takeover of the Gaza Strip in 2007, thousands of PA civil servants have been put out of work, replaced by Hamas cronies. Nevertheless, the salaries of the PA employees have been paid by the EU continuously. On Wednesday, the Court of Auditors said that must stop.“When people who do not work are being paid, this goes against the agreement with Pegase,” Wessberg said. “The resources spent there [in Gaza] are better spent elsewhere,” he added, saying that all EU funds should be allocated to the West Bank.Wessberg could not say how many unemployed civil servants are currently receiving salaries from the EU nor how much money is being spent on them. He noted, however, that a random spot-check carried out by his team in Gaza in October 2012 found that four out of 10 employees questioned were out of work. A similar examination by PA auditors revealed that out of 125 salaried individuals, 90 were not actually working.While European funds were effectively and transparently reaching their destination, the EU Commission and External Action Service have failed to create a mechanism of checks and balances to ensure the efficacy of money invested in firms and individuals, the auditors said. No system of accountability existed to examine the performance of recipients or leverage the aid to pressure the PA into executing badly-needed reforms.“Pegase direct financial support is provided to the PA without conditionality. The only basic requirement for the distribution of funds is that the individual beneficiaries meet the eligibility criteria set by the EU,” the report read.One example cited in the report is a value-added tax refund of nearly €2.6 million given by the EU to a luxury hotel built in Gaza, above and beyond the average support for private Palestinian companies supporting public services.“At the time of the audit visit in October 2012 the hotel was barely operating,” the report read.Israel, too, was held accountable by the ECA report for undermining the financial sustainability of the Palestinian Authority and contributing to its significant fiscal deterioration in 2012.“Both the financial sustainability of the PA and the economic development of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which is essential for financial sustainability continue to be fundamentally undermined by a series of constraints imposed by the Government of Israel,” the report read.Laila Sbeih, the Palestinian finance ministry official tasked with coordination with the EU, would not comment on the ECA report as she was not permitted to speak to the media. The office of PA government spokesman Ihab Bseiso would say only that the report did not represent official EU policy, and that there was “no logic” in commenting on it as long as it remained a mere recommendation.Last week, the head of the EU delegation to the Palestinian Authority, John Gatt-Rutter, said that Europe would continue to pay PA salaries through 2014.“Today’s contribution to salaries and pensions is further evidence of our unimpeded support for the Palestinian people which will continue in 2014,” he said in a statement upon the transfer of €10 million for November’s salaries and pensions.

EU pays salaries of phantom workers in Palestine

Today @ 10:20-DEC 12,13-EUOBSERVER

By Nikolaj Nielsen

BRUSSELS - The EU is knowingly paying Palestinian civil servants who have not worked in years, its spending watchdog says.The Luxembourg-based European Court of Auditors published its findings in a report, out on Wednesday (11 December), on the EU's "Pegase" programme.It noted that the Union has paid the Palestinian Authority (PA) around €200 million a year between 2008 and 2012 to cover public sector salaries.The money has funded approximately half of the PA’s 170,000 civil servants and pensioners.
Beneficiaries are supposed to meet basic EU criteria.But in Gaza, up to 24 percent of people on the payroll of the PA's health and education ministries did not show up to work in 2010.The PA's State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau is also paying the salaries of 90 officials who are unable to do their jobs.
Out of 10 individual Pegase beneficiaries selected by the audit for interviews, three said that they are not working and one failed to turn up for the interview."While Pegase is intended to support public services for the benefit of the Palestinian population, the payment of non-performing civil servants does not serve this objective,” the EU report said.The auditors added that the European Commission and the EU's foreign service have turned a blind eye to the problem.“Given the amount of money which the EU is providing through Pegase … it would have been expected that they could obtain such information from the PA,” the court said.Pegase is part of broader EU efforts to support the two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The EU money is designed to maintain essential public services and to help vulnerable families.The EU auditor noted that political instability in Gaza and the near-bankrupt state of the PA are part of the problem.
The Palestinian territories, which are physically separated by Israel, also split in political terms in 2007 when Palestinian militants Hamas took control of Gaza from rival faction Fatah.The court noted that an Israeli attack in 2009 devastated Gaza infrastructure.It also pointed out that Israeli restrictions on PA income tax receipts have helped to bleed its coffers dry, undermining international attempts to create a "viable" Palestinian state alongside Israel.

JEREMEIAH 49:35-37 (IN IRAN AT THE BUSHEHR OR ARAK NUKE SITE SOME BELIEVE)
35  Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam,(IRAN/BUSHEHR NUCLEAR SITE) the chief of their might.(MOST DANGEROUS NUKE SITE IN IRAN)
36  And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven,(IRANIANS SCATTERED OR MASS IMIGARATION) and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.(WORLD IMMIGRATION)
37  For I will cause Elam (IRAN-BUSHEHR NUKE SITE) to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger,(ISRAELS NUKES POSSIBLY) saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:(IRAN AND ITS NUKE SITES DESTROYED)

As sanctions ease, Iran sees oil exports jump

Washington insists that a crippling sanctions regime will continue to take its toll, but new figures suggest Tehran’s economic outlook is strengthening

By Times of Israel staff December 12, 2013, 1:05 am 2

Iranian oil exports rose 10 percent in November after sanctions against the Islamic Republic were eased as part of an interim deal with world powers, the International Energy Agency reported Wednesday.Defending the deal, though, Washington’s sanctions czar said Wednesday that pressure on Iran will continue to mount over the coming six months.David Cohen, the US Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, wrote in the Wall Street Journal Wednesday that the US “will ensure that Iran will not be able to export one additional barrel beyond the current low levels.”“I am confident that the sanctions pressure on Iran will continue to mount. Iran will be even deeper in the hole six months from now, when the [interim] deal expires, than it is today,” Cohen, who has been the Obama administration’s main adviser on Iran sanctions, said.Despite Cohen’s comments, the IEA reported that Iranian oil exports rose by 89,000 barrels per day to a total of 850,000 barrels per day last month, as the sale of crude to China and Taiwan rose, according to CNN.European and American oil embargoes remain in place, in accordance with US assurances that the toughest sanctions will hold while the P5+1 and Iran continue to negotiate.The interim deal reached in Geneva last month reportedly allows Tehran to keep enriching uranium to 3.5 percent, limits the number of centrifuges without reducing them, and keeps the Arak heavy water reactor open. Iran in exchange receives an easing of sanctions to the tune of $6 or $7 billion, a fraction of the $80 billion in revenue which Iran lost last year, according to Cohen. He noted that the limited relief of sanctions on Iran’s petrochemical industry would not yield significant results for Tehran, as most buyers seek longer term contracts, which wouldn’t be guaranteed beyond the terms of the current temporary agreement.“Iran is in a deep recession — its economy contracted last year by more than 5%, and it is on pace to contract again this year. Its annual inflation rate now stands at about 40%. Iran’s currency, the rial, has lost around 60% of its value against the dollar since 2011,” Cohen wrote.On Sunday, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said the deal had already boosted the country’s economy.Rouhani told an open session of parliament that, after the “success” of the talks, investors were gravitating to businesses and the stock exchange.“Economic activities have been shifted to the stock exchange from gold, hard currency and real estate,” said Rouhani in his televised speech. He gave no specific figures.

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,(TORNADOES,HURRICANES,STORMS) and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth:(DESTRUCTION) for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.(FROM QUAKES,NUKES ETC)

Stronger Tornadoes May Be Menacing US

By By Becky Oskin, Staff Writer 9 hours ago-DEC 11,13-yahoonews

SAN FRANCISCO — The trail of twisted metal and torn roofs left behind by massive twisters is growing longer and wider, a sign that tornadoes may be growing stronger, climate scientist James Elsner said here Tuesday (Dec. 10) at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union.Beginning in 2000, tornado intensity — as measured by a twister's damage path — started rising sharply, said Elsner, of Florida State University. "I'm not saying this is climate change, but I do think there is a climate effect," he said. "I do think you can connect the dots."Devastating tornado outbreaks in recent years, such as the massive storm that injured hundreds in Moore, Okla., this summer, have focused attention on whether climate change is altering tornado frequency and strength. Just last week, a heated debate played out in an op-ed on LiveScience and the New York Times over whether tornado-tracking data could answer these questions. One scientist claimed the data show twister numbers are dropping, but tornado experts said changes over time in how weather officials assess tornado size and damage make it difficult to look for climate patterns. [Gallery: Moore Tornado Damage]
But  Elsner said tornado data are good enough to reveal whether global warming is altering twisters. "I've been working with hurricane tracking data for 25 years, and tornado tracking data is better," Elsner said. "We have the tools, we have the data to answer the question. Statisticians drool when they see stuff like this."
"I think we're at the point where we were 30 years ago with hurricanes. People were skeptical about the connection between hurricane and climate, but now they don't even blink," he said.Elsner is the first to admit he doesn't have the climate answers, but he said his early results are a step in the right direction: finding a way to solve the data conundrum.Elsner's solution was to drop the human factor. Instead, he looked at wind speed and the size of the damage path (its length and width) to gauge whether tornado intensity has changed since 1994. (The United States has been almost completely covered by Doppler weather radar since 1994.) Using the damage path to gauge intensity avoids problems such as analyzing tornado strength via the Fujita and Enhanced Fujita scales, which are based on observations by weather service officials, he said.Elsner analyzed damage paths and wind speeds using a statistical model. The result: a sharp upward spike starting in 2000. He also looked at earlier data, since the 1970s, which showed a much slower rise.Puzzling out how climate change alters tornados is the big next step, Elsner said. One way this could happen is by adding moisture (via humidity) to fuel storms in Tornado Alley, the storm belt where tornadoes spin up in the United States. Warmer air holds more moisture. But Elsner said it was also important to track tornadoes in Canada, because there are hints that big ridges and troughs in the jet stream's powerful winds could be triggering more tornadoes up north, and fewer in the United States."We really need a North American data set to answer questions about frequency," he said.Email Becky Oskin or follow her @beckyoskin. Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.

EARTHQUAKES

ISAIAH 42:15
15  I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.

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,(DIFFERNT PLACES AT THE SAME TIME) and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

1 Day, Magnitude 2.5+ Worldwide

20 earthquakes - DownloadUpdated: 2013-12-11 20:30:21 UTC-05:00Showing event times using Local System Time (UTC-05:00)20 earthquakes in map area

1. 3.8 20km ESE of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 2013-12-11 19:41:49 UTC-05:00 157.0 km
2. 3.8 117km S of Boca de Yuma, Dominican Republic 2013-12-11 19:41:48 UTC-05:00 49.0 km
3. 2.5 41km E of Cape Yakataga, Alaska 2013-12-11 19:29:41 UTC-05:00 1.3 km
4. 4.9 44km SSE of Antofagasta, Chile 2013-12-11 18:23:38 UTC-05:00 51.8 km
5. 3.5 6km S of Hopital-Camfrout, France 2013-12-11 17:49:09 UTC-05:00 10.0 km
6. 2.8 18km S of Ucluelet, Canada 2013-12-11 17:40:44 UTC-05:00 28.9 km
7. 4.9 140km ENE of Flying Fish Cove, Christmas Island 2013-12-11 13:22:57 UTC-3.2 km
8. 4.6 201km SSE of Sigave, Wallis and Futuna 2013-12-11 13:09:17 UTC-05:00 33.5 km
9. 4.9 255km NNW of Pubu, China 2013-12-11 11:14:40 UTC-05:00 33.0 km
10. 4.6 198km SE of Pondaguitan, Philippines 2013-12-11 10:40:53 UTC-05:00 80.1 km
11. 4.5 44km SE of Soe, Indonesia 2013-12-11 09:50:21 UTC-05:00 27.8 km
12. 2.5 31km E of Barstow, California 2013-12-11 09:38:55 UTC-05:00 1.5 km
13. 4.1 91km WNW of Toora-Khem, Russia 2013-12-11 09:15:27 UTC-05:00 14.9 km
14. 2.6 9km ENE of Cottonwood, California 2013-12-11 08:19:20 UTC-05:00 16.2 km
15. 4.5 82km NE of Opotiki, New Zealand 2013-12-11 08:15:53 UTC-05:00 110.3 km
16. 4.7 6km SSE of Domokos, Greece 2013-12-11 08:00:54 UTC-05:00 13.3 km
17. 4.5 28km E of Barkhan, Pakistan 2013-12-11 07:34:20 UTC-05:00 10.0 km
18. 4.4 85km ENE of Shughnon, Tajikistan 2013-12-11 05:07:46 UTC-05:00 128.6 km
19. 4.7 13km WNW of Nishinoomote, Japan 2013-12-11 02:36:47 UTC-05:00 56.9 km
20. 5.3 177km NNW of Sola, Vanuatu 2013-12-11 02:11:43 UTC-05:00 248.9 km

12/11/2013 VATICAN INSIDER

Time chooses Francis as person of the year

Today's cover of TIME magazine

"Time" magazine has paid tribute to Francis today publishing his photo on the front cover of this week’s issue.” Francis isn’t looking for fame but is glad his message has been understood,” days Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi

Andrea Tornielli vatican city US news weekly TIME has chosen Pope Francis as person of the year from 2013, calling him “the People’s Pope”. The magazine stressed that “the leader of the Catholic Church has become a new voice of con science.” Managing Editor of TIME, Nancy Gibbs explains the magazine’s choice: “Rarely has a new player on the world stage captured so much attention so quickly—young and old, faithful and cynical—as has Pope Francis.” In the past TIME has paid tribute to other  recent predecessors of Francis, namely John XXIII, in 1962 and John Paul II in 1994.The director of the Holy see Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, responded to the news by  saying: "It is not surprising, considering the resonance and very widespread attention given to the election of Pope Francis and the beginning of his pontificate. It is a positive sign that one of the most prestigious acknowledgements in the field of the international press has been attributed to one who proclaims spiritual, religious and moral values in the world, and who speaks effectively in favour of peace and greater justice.”"With regard to the Pope, for his part, he does not seek fame and success, since he carries out his service for the proclamation of the Gospel and the love of God for all. If this attracts men and women and gives them hope, the Pope is content. If this nomination as 'Person of the Year' means that many have understood this message, at least implicitly, he will certainly be glad,” the Vatican spokesman added.Other candidates in TIME’s list of favourites for its person of the year title, include: Syrian president Bashar al Assad and American singer Miley Cyrus, who is famed for her exhibitionism. President Barack Obama also featured in the list. He was TIME’s person of the year in 2008 and 2012. Then there was Iranian president Hassan Rohani, Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos, Texas senator Ted Cruz, leader of the Tea Party revolt against Obama’s health care reform and Kathleen Sebelius, US Secretary of Health.Even Edward Snowden, the mole who leaked NSA security information, and 90-year old gay rights activist, Edith Windsor, we re on the list. According to the online survey, Snowden, “the dark prophet” was second in line after Francis, followed by Windsor, “the unlikely activist”, Assad, “the lethal tyrant” and Cruz “the barn burner”.

Satanic Temple Monument in Okla. May Include 'Interactive Display' for Kids

By Nicki Rossoll December 10, 2013 6:11 AM

With ABC News' Anneta Konstantinides
A monument to the Ten Commandments that sits outside the Oklahoma statehouse may soon have some unholy company.Satan worshipers are seeking to build their own monument at the state Capitol, and Lucien Greaves, a spokesman for the Satanic Temple, said he's "optimistic" it will be approved."I really don't see a grounds which they can reject this," he told ABC News.The privately funded Ten Commandments monument was approved by the conservative-led Oklahoma state legislature in 2009, and erected on Capitol grounds in 2012. It has riled up opponents ever since, many calling into question the constitutionality of the monument.But Greaves does not see a problem with the Christian monument, as long as it does not stand alone."I feel that the statue is only problematic when it stands alone," Greaves said. "It would change the dynamic with our monument there. We aren't objecting to the Ten Commandments monument, we're objecting to the monument standing alone."When asked what the Satanic monument would look like, Greaves said he doesn't want to "reveal too much about the possible design options," but hinted that his "favorite design, at the moment, is an interactive display for children."The American Civil Liberties Union has been less accepting of the existing monument, and has filed a lawsuit seeking its removal."The monument's placement at the Capitol has created a more divisive and hostile state for many Oklahomans," Ryan Kiesel, executive director of ACLU Oklahoma, said in a statement. "When the government literally puts one faith on a pedestal, it sends a strong message to Oklahomans of other faiths that they are less than equal."But Greaves said he believes a monument from the Satanic Temple would re-assert that "we all have a voice" in this "religiously pluralistic nation."State Rep. Mike Ritze, a Republican representing Oklahoma's 80th District, spearheaded the efforts to create the Ten Commandments monument. Ritze's family also helped pay for the construction of the $10,000 structure. He could not be immediately reached for comment.Though this would be the first monument of its kind for the Satanic Temple, the group has been active in the past to push public displays of religion.The temple held its first major rally in February to support Florida Gov. Rick Scott's signing of a bill allowing the possibility of student-led prayer in the state's public schools."The Satanic Temple embraces the free expression of religion, and Satanists are happy to show their support of Rick Scott who … has re-affirmed our American freedom to practice our faith openly, allowing our Satanic children the freedom to pray in school," the Temple said in a February statement announcing the rally.