KING JESUS IS COMING FOR US ANY TIME NOW. THE RAPTURE. BE PREPARED TO GO.
CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL 2ND WAVE OF WW3
REVELATION 16:12
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up,(AT THE ATATURK DAM IN TURKEY) that the way of the kings(CHINA,NORTH-SOUTH KOREA, of the east might be prepared.(THIS IS THE ATATURK DAM IN TURKEY,THEY CROSS OVER).
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(4 WINDS OF THE WORLD-WORLDWIDE WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(COULD ALSO MEAN THE 4 CORNERS OF THE EARTH OR WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
By Rachel Hirshfeld First Publish: 2/12/2013, 12:59 PM-Israelnationalnews
North Korea announced on Tuesday that it had conducted its most
powerful nuclear test to date, in a striking act of defiance that drew
condemnations from around the globe.The nuclear test Tuesday, which follows previous detonations by the
North in 2006 and 2009, had greater explosive force and utilized a
smaller, lighter device, the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported."The test was carried out as part of practical measures of
counteraction to defend the country's security and sovereignty in the
face of the ferocious hostile act of the U.S.," the report said.North Korea's claim is of particular concern as it suggests that the
isolated country it is a step closer to fitting a nuclear warhead onto a
ballistic missile, following its successful launch of a long-range
rocket in December.The confirmation from state news agency KCNA came nearly
three hours after seismic monitors detected an unusual tremor at 0257
GMT in the area of the country's Punggye-ri nuclear test site, close to
the Chinese border.Analysts said the timing appeared to be an attention-grabbing
calculation from a state well-versed in provocative acts, coming just
ahead of President Barack Obama's State of the Union address at the
start of his second term, AFP reported.
Obama denounced the test and called for a "swift" and "credible" international response, as the Security Council prepared to meet to discuss the volatile situation.
Condemnation came from others including Russia, while Japan saw a "grave threat" to its own security. China, whose trade and aid are a life-support to impoverished North Korea, expressed "firm opposition" to the nuclear test and noted that it came "despite widespread opposition from the international community".
"We strongly urge the DPRK (North Korea) to honor its commitment to denuclearisation, and not to take any actions which might worsen the situation," the foreign ministry said in a statement.The United Nations Security Council was expected to debate new measures during its meeting Tuesday in New York.
While the United States and its allies will urge China to ramp up existing sanctions on its ally, China’s leverage is limited by its fear of a North Korean collapse and the prospect of a reunified, US-allied Korea directly on its border, analysts say.The foreign ministry statement called "on all parties to respond calmly" and to rely on dialogue in a moribund "six-party" process involving the two Koreas, China, the United States, Russia and Japan.It was the North's first nuclear test since its new leader, Kim Jong-Un took over from his father, Kim Jong-Il. Security analysts said it sent a bold message of intent following a successful long-range rocket launch in December."The launch and the test are empirical evidence that Kim and his regime have no intention of negotiating away the North's nuclear program any time soon," said Paul Carroll, program director at the US-based Ploughshares Fund, according to AFP.Meanwhile, experts are speculating as to whether North Korea has switched from plutonium to a new and self-sustaining nuclear program using uranium.
The KCNA statement did not specify what fissile material was used, but noted that the test's success had provided the North with a "diversified" nuclear deterrent.The North has substantial deposits of uranium ore and it is much easier to secretly enrich uranium, which can be done in centrifuges, rather than the nuclear reactor required for plutonium enrichment.South Korean defense ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok told reporters that Tuesday's explosion had a yield of six to seven kilotons, significantly more than the 2006 and 2009 tests, which both used plutonium.The explosive yield compared with 15 kilotons in the world's first atomic bomb dropped by the United States on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in 1945. North Korea's first test yielded less than one kiloton and was widely seen as a dud while the second test reportedly yielded between two and six kilotons.The third test throws down a stark security and diplomatic challenge to Obama as well as to new Chinese leader Xi Jinping.Paik Hak-Soon, a North Korea expert at the Sejong Institute in Seoul, said Kim Jong-Un was intent on triggering a crisis that would force the international community to negotiate on his terms."The UN is running out of options and probably knows new sanctions would only have a limited impact," Paik said, as quoted by AFP. "The only real option for curbing further provocation is starting a dialogue with the North, but that will be very difficult given the domestic political pressure on leaders in the US, South Korea and Japan," Paik added.
JEREMEIAH 49:35-37 (IN IRAN AT THE BUSHEHR 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)
By Gil Ronen First Publish: 2/12/2013, 2:02 PM-Israelnationalnews
Iran on Tuesday scorned as a "laughing matter" warnings by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that Tehran is moving closer to making a nuclear bomb, AFP reported.
"The claim of the Zionist regime, is a laughing matter," foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said at his weekly news conference.He added that the "Zionist regime is a great violator and an illegitimate regime" that had "illegally stockpiled nuclear warheads.""They threaten to use these nuclear warheads against other countries," he said, adding that Israel was the "biggest obstacle" to the creation of a nuclear-free Middle East.Netanyahu said on Monday that Iran was now closer to crossing the "red line" after which it would be able to build a nuclear weapon, but had not yet reached that stage.He also asked for "stronger pressure and harsher sanctions" on Iran to prevent it from crossing the line.Netanyahu has criticized Washington for failing to set its own "red lines" that would trigger military action against Iran, whose leaders have repeatedly called for the disappearance of the Jewish state, and denied the Holocaust.The Islamic republic denies Western claims it is seeking atomic weapons and insists it is enriching uranium to 20 percent purity -- a short technical step from the 90 percent needed for a nuclear bomb -- for a medical research reactor.Mehmanparast asserted that the process of the converting "20 percent enrichment to fuel rods," for the Tehran Research Reactor is "ongoing," and all of the conversion is reported to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The Catholic Church has faced painful schisms throughout its history, in which rival claims to the Seat of St. Peter resulted in competing papacies. In 1415, Pope Gregory XII stepped down in an attempt to end just such a schism, when two rival claimants set themselves up in opposing cities – Pisa in Italy and Avignon in southern France – precipitating one of the Church’s gravest crises.When Benedict formally resigns on the evening of Feb. 28, he will be taken probably by helicopter to Castel Gandolfo, the traditional summer retreat of popes, in the hills outside Rome. The 85-year-old is expected to remain there for 15 to 20 days, until the conclave of around 120 cardinals drawn from around the world gathers at the Vatican and elects a new pontiff. Benedict will then take up residence in a cloistered monastery within the Vatican City State. His title at that point? Unclear.Inevitably he will run into his successor and will still be in daily touch with cardinals and other influential figures within the Holy See. Not only that but, according to the Vatican spokesman, Benedict will continue to write and publish treatises and essays – he is a noted theologian who recently completed a trilogy on the life of Christ.That could produce a situation where the former pope says one thing on an important matter, while his successor says something different.“Traditionally popes have not resigned because there is this question of what do you do with two popes,” says John Thavis, an American who has covered the Vatican for 30 years and recently wrote an insider’s account of the Holy See – “The Vatican Diaries.”“What should be the role of a former pope – does he have to stay quiet for the rest of his life? What if he speaks up and disagrees with his successor? You then have the prospect of the Church effectively having two popes..Benedict has never been regarded as a power-hungry political player and will probably embrace a return to a quiet life of study and prayer.“I don’t think he will deliberately upstage or contradict his successor,” says Mr Thavis. “But he’s not going to be behind a wall of silence. If I was the new pope, I would be paying attention to whatever he writes about.”
VATICAN: NO CONFUSION
The Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, said there was no prospect of a schism in the Church and dismissed ideas that Benedict would attract a rival support base or interfere in papal affairs.“We have no fears of this kind,” he told a packed press conference at the Vatican. “He will renounce the post, so there will be nothing to discuss. There will be no confusion, or division.”In St. Peter’s Square, however, tourists and Catholic faithful were not so sure it would be quite so easy.“To have an ex-pope who is still alive, even if they are in not very good health, is unprecedented as I understand it,” says Daniel Benedyk from London. “I don’t know how the Vatican will deal with that.”There was collective disbelief about the news of the resignation among people strolling in front of St. Peter’s Basilica under gray winter skies."It was a huge surprise to me,” says Wolfgang Schnapel, a priest from Benedict's home region of Bavaria. “I only heard when my mother called me from Germany. I think it would be nice if the next pope came from Africa or Latin America. And he should definitely be younger than Benedict was.”Flora Joseph, a nun from Tanzania, says: "It's very difficult to accept. I have been saying to myself 'why is he leaving, why doesn't he want to continue?' But he is an old man and he has so many appointments and meetings. I guess he just has no energy left anymore."Nicola Signorile, a businessman from Bari in southern Italy, said he was deeply saddened by the announcement, speculating that the pope must be very ill –although the Vatican has given no indication he has health problems. "If he has made this choice, it must be for a very good reason."Only a handful of Benedict’s closest confidantes knew that he had made the decision to resign, including Tarcisio Bertone, who as Vatican secretary of state is effectively prime minister of the tiny city state, Georg Ganswein, the pope’s private secretary, and Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the head of the College of Cardinals.The papacy had seemed to many Italians like the one remaining constant in their lives after having been buffeted in the last few years by earthquakes, floods, the fall of Silvio Berlusconi, and the imposition of tough austerity measures by his successor, Mario Monti. The economy is in a deep recession and politics in turmoil ahead of a general election on Feb. 24-25.“I can’t believe it – first the government is about to end, now it’s the papacy that’s in trouble,” says Marco, a taxi driver. “Everything is falling apart. I’ll be sad to see Benedict go. He was a bit cold and German, but he was a decent man.”
The spooky moment, believed by some, to be a sign from God, was caught on camera by AFP photographer Filippo Monteforte.Today he described how he took the incredible image which has been beamed all over the world.He said: "I took the picture from St. Peter’s Square while sheltered by the columns. It was icy cold and raining sheets. When the storm started, I thought that lightning might strike the rod, so I decided it was worth seeing whether – if it DID strike – I could get the shot at exactly the right moment.”Filippo, armed with a 50mm lens, waited for more than two hours and was rewarded for his patience with not one but two bolts.He added: “The first bolt was huge and lit up the sky, but unfortunately I missed it. I had better luck the second time, and was able to snap a couple of images of the dome illuminated by the bolt.” The lightning touched the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, one of the holiest Catholic churches, after the Pope's shock admission he lacks strength to do the job.The Vatican stressed that no specific medical condition prompted Benedict's decision to quit - the first pontiff to do so in 600 years.The move surprised even his closest aides, even though Benedict, 85, had made clear in the past he would step down if he became too old or infirm.In recent years, the Pope has slowed down significantly, cutting back his foreign travel and limiting his audiences.He now goes to and from the altar in St Peter's Basilica on a moving platform, to spare him the long walk down the aisle. Occasionally he uses a cane.His 89-year-old brother, Georg Ratzinger, said doctors had recently advised the Pope not to take any more trans-Atlantic trips.
"His age is weighing on him," Mr Ratzinger said. "At this age my brother wants more rest."Benedict announced his resignation in Latin during a meeting of Vatican cardinals, calling it "a decision of great importance for the life of the church."He emphasised that carrying out the duties of being pope requires "both strength of mind and body."He told the cardinals: "I have come to the certainty that my strengths due to an advanced age are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry."
The Vatican will hold a conclave before Easter to elect a new pope, with Benedict holding great sway over who should succeed him to lead the world's one billion Catholics. Benedict has already hand-picked the bulk of the College of Cardinals - the princes of the church who will elect the next pope - to guarantee an equally-conservative legacy.There are no obvious front-runners to replace him - the same situation when Benedict was elected in 2005 after the death of Pope John Paul II.Given half of the world's Catholics live in the global south, there will once again be arguments for a pope to come from the developing world.When Benedict was elected aged 78, he was the oldest pope chosen in nearly 300 years.He raised the possibility of resigning if he were too old or sick to continue, when he was interviewed in 2010 for the book "Light of the World."
"If a pope clearly realises that he is no longer physically, psychologically and spiritually capable of handling the duties of his office, then he has a right, and under some circumstances, also an obligation to resign," Benedict said.The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had an intimate view as Pope John Paul II, with whom he had worked closely for nearly a quarter-century, suffered through the debilitating end of his papacy. The Vatican said immediately after his resignation that Benedict would go to Castel Gandolfo, a summer retreat south of Rome, and then would live in a cloistered monastery.Benedict said he would serve the church for the remainder of his days "through a life dedicated to prayer."He despised rock music, liberals, abortion and contraception: Controversial pope who never wanted the job - Brian Reade on Benedict.
DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.
JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.
REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(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.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYUgVL9PdxM&list=UU4SH8rh0OjYV3zwqnIfqNbA&index=1&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PX-vW4VccY&feature=player_embedded#!
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/markets/indexes/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfPX59y4KxE&feature=related
HALF HOUR DOW RESULTS TUE FEBRUARY 12,2013
09:30 AM +2.43
10:00 AM +17.34
10:30 AM +29.61
11:00 AM +28.32
11:30 AM +30.70
12:00 PM +32.55
12:30 PM +38.74
01:00 PM +49.52
01:30 PM +50.50
02:00 PM +62.52
02:30 PM +57.13
03:00 PM +61.34
03:30 PM +53.52
04:00 PM +47.46 14,018.70
S&P 500 1519.43 =2.42
NASDAQ 3186.49 -5.51
GOLD 1,651.00 +1.90
OIL 97.42 +0.39
TSE 300 12,789.02 +40.87
CDNX 1198.84 +2.74
S&P/TSX/60 734.44 +2.65
MORNING,NEWS,STATS
YEAR TO DATE PERFORMANCE
Dow +17 points at 4 minutes of trading today.
Dow -1 points at low today.
Dow +29 points at high today so far.
GOLD opens at $1,648.50.OIL opens at $97.38 today.
AFTERNOON,NEWS,STATS
Dow -1 points at low today so far.
Dow +62 points at high today so far.
WRAPUP,NEWS,STATS
Dow -1 points at low today.
Dow +62 points at high today.
GOLD ALLTIME HIGH $1,902.60 (NOT AT CLOSE)
CHINA AND KINGS OF THE EAST MARCH TO ISRAEL 2ND WAVE OF WW3
REVELATION 16:12
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up,(AT THE ATATURK DAM IN TURKEY) that the way of the kings(CHINA,NORTH-SOUTH KOREA, of the east might be prepared.(THIS IS THE ATATURK DAM IN TURKEY,THEY CROSS OVER).
DANIEL 11:44 (2ND WAVE OF WW3)
44 But tidings out of the east(CHINA) and out of the north(RUSSIA, MUSLIMS WHATS LEFT FROM WAVE 1) shall trouble him:(EU DICTATOR IN ISRAEL) therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.( 1/3RD OF EARTHS POPULATION)
REVELATION 9:12-18
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.(4 WINDS OF THE WORLD-WORLDWIDE WAR)(TURKEY-IRAQ-SYRIA)(EUPHRATES RIVER CONSISTS OF 760 MILES IN TURKEY,440 MILES IN SYRIA AND 660 MILES IN IRAQ)
15 And the four(DEMONIC WAR) angels were loosed,(COULD ALSO MEAN THE 4 CORNERS OF THE EARTH OR WORLDWIDE WAR) which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.(1/3 Earths Population die in WW 3 2ND WAVE)
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand:(200 MILLION MAN ARMY FROM CHINA AND THE KINGS OF THE EAST) and I heard the number of them.
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.(NUCLEAR BOMBS)
North Korea Confirms Third Nuclear Test
North
Korea conducted its most powerful nuclear test to date, in a striking
act of defiance that drew condemnations from around the globe.
North Korean soldier takes part in military maneuver-Reuters
Obama denounced the test and called for a "swift" and "credible" international response, as the Security Council prepared to meet to discuss the volatile situation.
Condemnation came from others including Russia, while Japan saw a "grave threat" to its own security. China, whose trade and aid are a life-support to impoverished North Korea, expressed "firm opposition" to the nuclear test and noted that it came "despite widespread opposition from the international community".
"We strongly urge the DPRK (North Korea) to honor its commitment to denuclearisation, and not to take any actions which might worsen the situation," the foreign ministry said in a statement.The United Nations Security Council was expected to debate new measures during its meeting Tuesday in New York.
While the United States and its allies will urge China to ramp up existing sanctions on its ally, China’s leverage is limited by its fear of a North Korean collapse and the prospect of a reunified, US-allied Korea directly on its border, analysts say.The foreign ministry statement called "on all parties to respond calmly" and to rely on dialogue in a moribund "six-party" process involving the two Koreas, China, the United States, Russia and Japan.It was the North's first nuclear test since its new leader, Kim Jong-Un took over from his father, Kim Jong-Il. Security analysts said it sent a bold message of intent following a successful long-range rocket launch in December."The launch and the test are empirical evidence that Kim and his regime have no intention of negotiating away the North's nuclear program any time soon," said Paul Carroll, program director at the US-based Ploughshares Fund, according to AFP.Meanwhile, experts are speculating as to whether North Korea has switched from plutonium to a new and self-sustaining nuclear program using uranium.
The KCNA statement did not specify what fissile material was used, but noted that the test's success had provided the North with a "diversified" nuclear deterrent.The North has substantial deposits of uranium ore and it is much easier to secretly enrich uranium, which can be done in centrifuges, rather than the nuclear reactor required for plutonium enrichment.South Korean defense ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok told reporters that Tuesday's explosion had a yield of six to seven kilotons, significantly more than the 2006 and 2009 tests, which both used plutonium.The explosive yield compared with 15 kilotons in the world's first atomic bomb dropped by the United States on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in 1945. North Korea's first test yielded less than one kiloton and was widely seen as a dud while the second test reportedly yielded between two and six kilotons.The third test throws down a stark security and diplomatic challenge to Obama as well as to new Chinese leader Xi Jinping.Paik Hak-Soon, a North Korea expert at the Sejong Institute in Seoul, said Kim Jong-Un was intent on triggering a crisis that would force the international community to negotiate on his terms."The UN is running out of options and probably knows new sanctions would only have a limited impact," Paik said, as quoted by AFP. "The only real option for curbing further provocation is starting a dialogue with the North, but that will be very difficult given the domestic political pressure on leaders in the US, South Korea and Japan," Paik added.
Israel's FM Strongly Condemns N.Korea Nuclear Test-FEB 12,13 INN
Israel's Foreign Ministry joined the international community on
Tuesday in strongly condemning a nuclear test carried out by North
Korea, saying the tests pose a serious threat to regional stability as
well as international security."These programs reflect
the negative role of North Korea in the region and raise serious
concerns about the proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies,"
the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"North Korea's activities are in violation of its international commitments, and the international community must respond to this quickly. A clear message must be sent to North Korea and other countries, that such actions are unacceptable and that we will not show restraint in regards to them."
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan successfully carried out a test fire of
the nuclear-capable and short-range ballistic missile Hatf IX (Nasr) on
Monday, DawnNews reported.
A statement released by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the test fire was conducted with successive launches of two missiles from a state of the art multi tube launcher.The statement further said that Nasr, with a range of 60 km, and inflight maneuver capability can carry nuclear warheads of appropriate yield, with high accuracy.This quick response system, which can fire a four Missile Salvo ensures deterrence against threats in view of evolving scenarios. Additionally Nasr has been specially designed to defeat all known Anti Tactical Missile Defence Systems.The missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads for delivery over short ranges is said to possess ‘shoot and scoot’ attributes, which refer to the military tactic of firing at a target with accuracy and immediately relocating to another position to avoid counter-fire from enemy positions.The successful test has also been appreciated by the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan who have congratulated the scientists and engineers on their outstanding success.
"North Korea's activities are in violation of its international commitments, and the international community must respond to this quickly. A clear message must be sent to North Korea and other countries, that such actions are unacceptable and that we will not show restraint in regards to them."
Pakistan test fires nuclear-capable missile
DAWN.COM | 1 day ago
A statement released by the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that the test fire was conducted with successive launches of two missiles from a state of the art multi tube launcher.The statement further said that Nasr, with a range of 60 km, and inflight maneuver capability can carry nuclear warheads of appropriate yield, with high accuracy.This quick response system, which can fire a four Missile Salvo ensures deterrence against threats in view of evolving scenarios. Additionally Nasr has been specially designed to defeat all known Anti Tactical Missile Defence Systems.The missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads for delivery over short ranges is said to possess ‘shoot and scoot’ attributes, which refer to the military tactic of firing at a target with accuracy and immediately relocating to another position to avoid counter-fire from enemy positions.The successful test has also been appreciated by the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan who have congratulated the scientists and engineers on their outstanding success.
China joins U.S., Japan in condemning North Korea nuclear test
By David Chance and Jack Kim | Reuters – 20 mins ago FEB 12,13
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea conducted its third nuclear test
on Tuesday in defiance of existing U.N. resolutions, drawing
condemnation from around the world, including from its only major ally, China, which summoned the North Korean ambassador to protest.The reclusive North said the test was an act of
self-defense against "U.S. hostility" and threatened further, stronger
steps if necessary.It said the test had "greater explosive force" than the
2006 and 2009 tests. Its KCNA news agency said it had used a
"miniaturized" and lighter nuclear device, indicating that it had again
used plutonium which is more suitable for use as a missile warhead.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the third of his line
to rule the country, has presided over two long-range rocket launches
and a nuclear test during his first year in power, pursuing policies
that have propelled his impoverished and malnourished country closer to
becoming a nuclear weapons power.China, which has shown signs of increasing exasperation
with the recent bellicose tone of its neighbor, summoned the North
Korean ambassador in Beijing and protested sternly, the Foreign Ministry
said.Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said China was "strongly
dissatisfied and resolutely opposed" to the test and urged North Korea
to "stop any rhetoric or acts that could worsen situations and return to
the right course of dialogue and consultation as soon as possible".China is a permanent member of the Security Council.U.S. President Barack Obama labeled the test a "highly
provocative act" that hurt regional stability and pressed for new
sanctions."The danger posed by North Korea's threatening
activities warrants further swift and credible action by the
international community. The United States will also continue to take steps necessary to defend ourselves and our allies," Obama said in a statement.The Security Council will meet on Tuesday to discuss
its reaction to the test, although North Korea is already one of the
most heavily sanctioned states in the world and has few external
economic links that can be targeted.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
said the test was a "grave threat" that could not be tolerated. U.N.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the test was a "clear and grave
violation" of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged North Korea to abandon its nuclear arms program and return to talks. NATO condemned the test as an "irresponsible act" that posed a grave threat to world peace.
The test "was only the first response we took with maximum restraint", an unnamed spokesman for the North Korean Foreign Ministry, which acts as Pyongyang's official voice to the outside world, said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency."If the United States continues to come out with hostility and complicates the situation, we will be forced to take stronger, second and third responses in consecutive steps."North Korea often threatens the United States and its "puppet", South Korea, with destruction in colorful terms.North Korea told the U.N. disarmament forum in Geneva that it would never bow to resolutions on its nuclear program and that prospects were "gloomy" for the denuclearization of the divided Korean peninsula because of a "hostile" U.S. policy.South Korea, still technically at war with the North after the 1950-53 civil war ended in a mere truce, also denounced the test.The magnitude was roughly twice as large as that of 2009, Lassina Zerbo, director of the international data centre division of the Vienna-based Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty Organization, said. The U.S. Geological Survey said that a seismic event measuring 5.1 magnitude had occurred."It was confirmed that the nuclear test that was carried out at a high level in a safe and perfect manner using a miniaturized and lighter nuclear device with greater explosive force than previously did not pose any negative impact on the surrounding ecological environment," KCNA said.Despite China's strong response, the test is likely to be a major embarrassment for Beijing, the North's sole major economic and diplomatic ally."The test is hugely insulting to China, which now can be expected to follow through with threats to impose sanctions," said Mark Fitzpatrick of the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank.North Korea trumpeted the announcement on its state television channel to patriotic music against the backdrop of an image of its national flag.It linked the test to its technical prowess in launching a long-range rocket in December, a move that triggered the U.N. sanctions, backed by China, that Pyongyang said prompted it to take Tuesday's action.The North's ultimate aim, Washington believes, is to design an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead that could hit the United States. North Korea says the program is aimed merely at putting satellites in space.North Korea used plutonium in previous nuclear tests and prior to Tuesday there had been speculation it would use highly enriched uranium so as to conserve its plutonium stocks as testing eats into its limited supply of the material that could be used to construct a nuclear bomb.
"VICIOUS CYCLE"
Despite its three nuclear tests and long-range rocket tests, North Korea is not believed to be close to manufacturing a nuclear missile capable of hitting the United States.South Korea's Yonhap news agency said Pyongyang had informed China and the United States of its plans to test on Monday, although this could not be confirmed.When North Korean leader Kim, 30, took power after his father's death in December 2011, there were hopes the he would bring reforms and end Kim Jong-il's "military first" policies.Instead, the North, whose economy is smaller than it was 20 years ago and where a third of children are believed to be malnourished, appears to be trapped in a cycle of sanctions followed by further provocations."The more North Korea shoots missiles, launches satellites or conducts nuclear tests, the more the U.N. Security Council will impose new and more severe sanctions," said Shen Dingli, a professor at Shanghai's Fudan University. "It is an endless, vicious cycle."But options for the international community appear to be in short supply.Tuesday's action appeared to have been timed for the run-up to February 16 anniversary celebrations of Kim Jong-il's birthday, as well as to achieved maximum international attention.Significantly, the test comes at a time of political transition in China, Japan and South Korea, and as Obama begins his second term. He will likely have to tweak his State of the Union address due to be given on Tuesday.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is bedding down a new government and South Korea's new president, Park Geun-hye, prepares to take office on February 25.China too is in the midst of a once-in-a-decade leadership transition to Xi Jinping, who takes office in March. Both Abe and Xi are staunch nationalists.The longer-term game plan from Pyongyang may be to restart talks aimed at winning food and financial aid. China urged it to return to the stalled "six-party" talks on its nuclear program, hosted by China and including the two Koreas, the United States, Japan and Russia.Its puny economy and small diplomatic reach mean the North struggles to win attention on the global stage - other than through nuclear tests and attacks on South Korea, last made in 2010."Now the next step for North Korea will be to offer talks... - any form to start up discussion again to bring things to their advantage," said Jeung Young-tae, senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul.The European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, urged North Korea to refrain from further provocation.EU member Denmark called on China to step up to the plate and use its influence to rein in its ally."This deserves only one thing and that is a one-sided condemnation," said Foreign Minister Villy Sovndal. "North Korea is likely the most horrible country on this planet."
(Additional reporting by Jack Kim, Christine Kim and Jumin Park in SEOUL; Linda Sieg in TOKYO; Louis Charbonneau at the UNITED NATIONS; Fredrik Dahl in VIENNA; Michael Martina and Chen Aizhu in BEIJING; Mette Fraende in COPENHAGEN; Adrian Croft, Charlie Dunmore and Justyna Pawlak in BRUSSELS; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged North Korea to abandon its nuclear arms program and return to talks. NATO condemned the test as an "irresponsible act" that posed a grave threat to world peace.
The test "was only the first response we took with maximum restraint", an unnamed spokesman for the North Korean Foreign Ministry, which acts as Pyongyang's official voice to the outside world, said in a statement carried by the official KCNA news agency."If the United States continues to come out with hostility and complicates the situation, we will be forced to take stronger, second and third responses in consecutive steps."North Korea often threatens the United States and its "puppet", South Korea, with destruction in colorful terms.North Korea told the U.N. disarmament forum in Geneva that it would never bow to resolutions on its nuclear program and that prospects were "gloomy" for the denuclearization of the divided Korean peninsula because of a "hostile" U.S. policy.South Korea, still technically at war with the North after the 1950-53 civil war ended in a mere truce, also denounced the test.The magnitude was roughly twice as large as that of 2009, Lassina Zerbo, director of the international data centre division of the Vienna-based Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty Organization, said. The U.S. Geological Survey said that a seismic event measuring 5.1 magnitude had occurred."It was confirmed that the nuclear test that was carried out at a high level in a safe and perfect manner using a miniaturized and lighter nuclear device with greater explosive force than previously did not pose any negative impact on the surrounding ecological environment," KCNA said.Despite China's strong response, the test is likely to be a major embarrassment for Beijing, the North's sole major economic and diplomatic ally."The test is hugely insulting to China, which now can be expected to follow through with threats to impose sanctions," said Mark Fitzpatrick of the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank.North Korea trumpeted the announcement on its state television channel to patriotic music against the backdrop of an image of its national flag.It linked the test to its technical prowess in launching a long-range rocket in December, a move that triggered the U.N. sanctions, backed by China, that Pyongyang said prompted it to take Tuesday's action.The North's ultimate aim, Washington believes, is to design an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead that could hit the United States. North Korea says the program is aimed merely at putting satellites in space.North Korea used plutonium in previous nuclear tests and prior to Tuesday there had been speculation it would use highly enriched uranium so as to conserve its plutonium stocks as testing eats into its limited supply of the material that could be used to construct a nuclear bomb.
"VICIOUS CYCLE"
Despite its three nuclear tests and long-range rocket tests, North Korea is not believed to be close to manufacturing a nuclear missile capable of hitting the United States.South Korea's Yonhap news agency said Pyongyang had informed China and the United States of its plans to test on Monday, although this could not be confirmed.When North Korean leader Kim, 30, took power after his father's death in December 2011, there were hopes the he would bring reforms and end Kim Jong-il's "military first" policies.Instead, the North, whose economy is smaller than it was 20 years ago and where a third of children are believed to be malnourished, appears to be trapped in a cycle of sanctions followed by further provocations."The more North Korea shoots missiles, launches satellites or conducts nuclear tests, the more the U.N. Security Council will impose new and more severe sanctions," said Shen Dingli, a professor at Shanghai's Fudan University. "It is an endless, vicious cycle."But options for the international community appear to be in short supply.Tuesday's action appeared to have been timed for the run-up to February 16 anniversary celebrations of Kim Jong-il's birthday, as well as to achieved maximum international attention.Significantly, the test comes at a time of political transition in China, Japan and South Korea, and as Obama begins his second term. He will likely have to tweak his State of the Union address due to be given on Tuesday.Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is bedding down a new government and South Korea's new president, Park Geun-hye, prepares to take office on February 25.China too is in the midst of a once-in-a-decade leadership transition to Xi Jinping, who takes office in March. Both Abe and Xi are staunch nationalists.The longer-term game plan from Pyongyang may be to restart talks aimed at winning food and financial aid. China urged it to return to the stalled "six-party" talks on its nuclear program, hosted by China and including the two Koreas, the United States, Japan and Russia.Its puny economy and small diplomatic reach mean the North struggles to win attention on the global stage - other than through nuclear tests and attacks on South Korea, last made in 2010."Now the next step for North Korea will be to offer talks... - any form to start up discussion again to bring things to their advantage," said Jeung Young-tae, senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul.The European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, urged North Korea to refrain from further provocation.EU member Denmark called on China to step up to the plate and use its influence to rein in its ally."This deserves only one thing and that is a one-sided condemnation," said Foreign Minister Villy Sovndal. "North Korea is likely the most horrible country on this planet."
(Additional reporting by Jack Kim, Christine Kim and Jumin Park in SEOUL; Linda Sieg in TOKYO; Louis Charbonneau at the UNITED NATIONS; Fredrik Dahl in VIENNA; Michael Martina and Chen Aizhu in BEIJING; Mette Fraende in COPENHAGEN; Adrian Croft, Charlie Dunmore and Justyna Pawlak in BRUSSELS; Editing by Nick Macfie)
JEREMEIAH 49:35-37 (IN IRAN AT THE BUSHEHR 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)
Iran: Netanyahu's Nuke Claims a 'Laughing Matter'
Iran thinks Netanyahu's warnings that it is approaching the "red line" are funny.
Iranian workers standing in front of the Bushehr nuclear power plant,-AFP photo
"The claim of the Zionist regime, is a laughing matter," foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said at his weekly news conference.He added that the "Zionist regime is a great violator and an illegitimate regime" that had "illegally stockpiled nuclear warheads.""They threaten to use these nuclear warheads against other countries," he said, adding that Israel was the "biggest obstacle" to the creation of a nuclear-free Middle East.Netanyahu said on Monday that Iran was now closer to crossing the "red line" after which it would be able to build a nuclear weapon, but had not yet reached that stage.He also asked for "stronger pressure and harsher sanctions" on Iran to prevent it from crossing the line.Netanyahu has criticized Washington for failing to set its own "red lines" that would trigger military action against Iran, whose leaders have repeatedly called for the disappearance of the Jewish state, and denied the Holocaust.The Islamic republic denies Western claims it is seeking atomic weapons and insists it is enriching uranium to 20 percent purity -- a short technical step from the 90 percent needed for a nuclear bomb -- for a medical research reactor.Mehmanparast asserted that the process of the converting "20 percent enrichment to fuel rods," for the Tehran Research Reactor is "ongoing," and all of the conversion is reported to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Pope's sudden resignation sends shockwaves through Church
By Philip Pullella | Reuters – 14 hrs ago FEB 11,13
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict stunned the Roman Catholic Church
on Monday when he announced he would stand down, the first pope to do
so in 700 years, saying he no longer had the mental and physical
strength to carry on.Church officials tried to relay a climate of calm
confidence in the running of a 2,000-year-old institution, but the
decision could lead to uncertainty in a Church already besieged by
scandal for covering up sexual abuse of children by priests.The soft-spoken German, who always maintained that he
never wanted to be pope, was an uncompromising conservative on social
and theological issues, fighting what he regarded as the increasing
secularization of society.It remains to be seen whether his successor will continue such battles or do more to bend with the times.Despite his firm opposition to tolerance of homosexual
acts, his eight year reign saw gay marriage accepted in many countries.
He has staunchly resisted allowing women to be ordained as priests, and
opposed embryonic stem cell research, although he retreated slightly
from the position that condoms could never be used to fight AIDS.He repeatedly apologized for the Church's failure to
root out child abuse by priests, but critics said he did too little and
the efforts failed to stop a rapid decline in Church attendance in the
West, especially in his native Europe.In addition to child sexual abuse
crises, his papacy saw the Church rocked by Muslim anger after he
compared Islam to violence. Jews were upset over rehabilitation of a
Holocaust denier. During a scandal over the Church's business dealings,
his butler was accused of leaking his private papers.In an announcement read to cardinals in Latin, the
universal language of the Church, the 85-year-old said: "Well aware of
the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce
the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of St Peter .."As from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours (1900 GMT)
the See of Rome, the See of St. Peter will be vacant and a conclave to
elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose
competence it is."
POPE DOESN'T FEAR SCHISM
Benedict is expected to go into isolation for at least a while after his resignation. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said Benedict did not intend to influence the decision of the cardinals in a secret conclave to elect a successor.A new leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics could be elected as soon as Palm Sunday, on March 24, and be ready to take over by Easter a week later, Lombardi said.Several popes in the past, including Benedict's predecessor John Paul, have refrained from stepping down over their health, because of the division that could be caused by having an "ex-pope" and a reigning pope alive at the same time.Lombardi said the pope did not fear a possible "schism", with Catholics owing allegiances to a past and present pope in case of differences on Church teachings.He indicated the complex machinery of the process to elect a new pope would move quickly because the Vatican would not have to wait until after the elaborate funeral services for a pope.It is not clear if Benedict will have a public life after he resigns. Lombardi said Benedict would first go to the papal summer residence south of Rome and then move into a cloistered convent inside the Vatican walls.The resignation means that cardinals from around the world will begin arriving in Rome in March and after preliminary meetings, lock themselves in a secret conclave and elect the new pope from among themselves in votes in the Sistine Chapel.There has been growing pressure on the Church for it to choose a pope from the developing world to better reflect where most Catholics live and where the Church is growing."It could be time for a black pope, or a yellow one, or a red one, or a Latin American," said Guatemala's Archbishop Oscar Julio Vian Morales.The cardinals may also want a younger man. John Paul was 58 when he was elected in 1978. Benedict was 20 years older."We have had two intellectuals in a row, two academics, perhaps it is time for a diplomat," said Father Tom Reese, senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University. "Rather than electing the smartest man in the room, they should elect the man who will listen to all the other smart people in the Church."Liberals have already begun calling for a pope that would be more open to reform."The current system remains an 'old boy's club' and does not allow for women's voices to participate in the decision of the next leader of our Church," said the Women's Ordination Conference, a group that wants women to be able to be priests.
"GREAT COURAGE"
The last pope to resign willingly was Celestine V in 1294 after reigning for only five months, his resignation was known as "the great refusal" and was condemned by the poet Dante in the "Divine Comedy". Gregory XII reluctantly abdicated in 1415 to end a dispute with a rival claimant to the papacy.Lombardi said Benedict's stepping aside showed "great courage". He ruled out any specific illness or depression and said the decision was made in the last few months "without outside pressure". But the decision was not without controversy."This is disconcerting, he is leaving his flock," said Alessandra Mussolini, a parliamentarian who is granddaughter of Italy's wartime dictator. "The pope is not any man. He is the vicar of Christ. He should stay on to the end, go ahead and bear his cross to the end. This is a huge sign of world destabilization that will weaken the Church."Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, secretary to the late Pope John Paul, said the former pope had stayed on despite failing health for the last decade of his life as he believed "you cannot come down from the cross."While the pope had slowed down recently - he started using a cane and a wheeled platform to take him up the long aisle in St Peter's Square - he had given no hint recently that he was considering such a dramatic decision.Elected in 2005 to succeed the enormously popular John Paul, Benedict never appeared to feel comfortable in the job.
"MIND AND BODY"
In his announcement, the pope told the cardinals that in order to govern "... both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me."Before he was elected pope, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was known as "God's rottweiler" for his stern stand on theological issues. After a few months, he showed a milder side but he never drew the kind of adulation that had marked the 27-year papacy of his predecessor John Paul.U.S. President Barack Obama extended prayers to Benedict and best wishes to those who would choose his successor.German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the pope's decision must be respected if he feels he is too weak to carry out his duties. British Prime Minister David Cameron said: "He will be missed as a spiritual leader to millions."The Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the worldwide Anglican communion, said he had learned of the pope's decision with a heavy heart but complete understanding.
CHEERS AND SCANDAL
Elected to the papacy on April 19, 2005, Benedict ruled over a slower-paced, more cerebral and less impulsive Vatican.But while conservatives cheered him for trying to reaffirm traditional Catholic identity, his critics accused him of turning back the clock on reforms by nearly half a century and hurting dialogue with Muslims, Jews and other Christians.After appearing uncomfortable in the limelight at the start, he began feeling at home with his new job and showed that he intended to be pope in his way.Despite great reverence for his charismatic, globe-trotting predecessor -- whom he put on the fast track to sainthood and whom he beatified in 2011 -- aides said he was determined not to change his quiet manner to imitate John Paul's style.
A quiet, professorial type who relaxed by playing the piano, he showed the gentle side of a man who was the Vatican's chief doctrinal enforcer for nearly a quarter of a century.The first German pope for some 1,000 years and the second non-Italian in a row, he traveled regularly, making about four foreign trips a year, but never managed to draw the oceanic crowds of his predecessor.The child abuse scandals hounded most of his papacy. He ordered an official inquiry into abuse in Ireland, which led to the resignation of several bishops.Scandal from a source much closer to home hit in 2012 when the pontiff's butler, responsible for dressing him and bringing him meals, was found to be the source of leaked documents alleging corruption in the Vatican's business dealings.Benedict confronted his own country's past when he visited the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz. Calling himself "a son of Germany", he prayed and asked why God was silent when 1.5 million victims, most of them Jews, were killed there.Ratzinger served in the Hitler Youth during World War Two when membership was compulsory. He was never a member of the Nazi party and his family opposed Adolf Hitler's regime.(Additional reporting by James Mackenzie, Barry Moody, Cristiano Corvino, Alexandra Hudson in Berlin, and Dagamara Leszkowixa in Poland; Editing by Peter Graff)
POPE DOESN'T FEAR SCHISM
Benedict is expected to go into isolation for at least a while after his resignation. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said Benedict did not intend to influence the decision of the cardinals in a secret conclave to elect a successor.A new leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics could be elected as soon as Palm Sunday, on March 24, and be ready to take over by Easter a week later, Lombardi said.Several popes in the past, including Benedict's predecessor John Paul, have refrained from stepping down over their health, because of the division that could be caused by having an "ex-pope" and a reigning pope alive at the same time.Lombardi said the pope did not fear a possible "schism", with Catholics owing allegiances to a past and present pope in case of differences on Church teachings.He indicated the complex machinery of the process to elect a new pope would move quickly because the Vatican would not have to wait until after the elaborate funeral services for a pope.It is not clear if Benedict will have a public life after he resigns. Lombardi said Benedict would first go to the papal summer residence south of Rome and then move into a cloistered convent inside the Vatican walls.The resignation means that cardinals from around the world will begin arriving in Rome in March and after preliminary meetings, lock themselves in a secret conclave and elect the new pope from among themselves in votes in the Sistine Chapel.There has been growing pressure on the Church for it to choose a pope from the developing world to better reflect where most Catholics live and where the Church is growing."It could be time for a black pope, or a yellow one, or a red one, or a Latin American," said Guatemala's Archbishop Oscar Julio Vian Morales.The cardinals may also want a younger man. John Paul was 58 when he was elected in 1978. Benedict was 20 years older."We have had two intellectuals in a row, two academics, perhaps it is time for a diplomat," said Father Tom Reese, senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University. "Rather than electing the smartest man in the room, they should elect the man who will listen to all the other smart people in the Church."Liberals have already begun calling for a pope that would be more open to reform."The current system remains an 'old boy's club' and does not allow for women's voices to participate in the decision of the next leader of our Church," said the Women's Ordination Conference, a group that wants women to be able to be priests.
"GREAT COURAGE"
The last pope to resign willingly was Celestine V in 1294 after reigning for only five months, his resignation was known as "the great refusal" and was condemned by the poet Dante in the "Divine Comedy". Gregory XII reluctantly abdicated in 1415 to end a dispute with a rival claimant to the papacy.Lombardi said Benedict's stepping aside showed "great courage". He ruled out any specific illness or depression and said the decision was made in the last few months "without outside pressure". But the decision was not without controversy."This is disconcerting, he is leaving his flock," said Alessandra Mussolini, a parliamentarian who is granddaughter of Italy's wartime dictator. "The pope is not any man. He is the vicar of Christ. He should stay on to the end, go ahead and bear his cross to the end. This is a huge sign of world destabilization that will weaken the Church."Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, secretary to the late Pope John Paul, said the former pope had stayed on despite failing health for the last decade of his life as he believed "you cannot come down from the cross."While the pope had slowed down recently - he started using a cane and a wheeled platform to take him up the long aisle in St Peter's Square - he had given no hint recently that he was considering such a dramatic decision.Elected in 2005 to succeed the enormously popular John Paul, Benedict never appeared to feel comfortable in the job.
"MIND AND BODY"
In his announcement, the pope told the cardinals that in order to govern "... both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me."Before he was elected pope, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was known as "God's rottweiler" for his stern stand on theological issues. After a few months, he showed a milder side but he never drew the kind of adulation that had marked the 27-year papacy of his predecessor John Paul.U.S. President Barack Obama extended prayers to Benedict and best wishes to those who would choose his successor.German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the pope's decision must be respected if he feels he is too weak to carry out his duties. British Prime Minister David Cameron said: "He will be missed as a spiritual leader to millions."The Archbishop of Canterbury, leader of the worldwide Anglican communion, said he had learned of the pope's decision with a heavy heart but complete understanding.
CHEERS AND SCANDAL
Elected to the papacy on April 19, 2005, Benedict ruled over a slower-paced, more cerebral and less impulsive Vatican.But while conservatives cheered him for trying to reaffirm traditional Catholic identity, his critics accused him of turning back the clock on reforms by nearly half a century and hurting dialogue with Muslims, Jews and other Christians.After appearing uncomfortable in the limelight at the start, he began feeling at home with his new job and showed that he intended to be pope in his way.Despite great reverence for his charismatic, globe-trotting predecessor -- whom he put on the fast track to sainthood and whom he beatified in 2011 -- aides said he was determined not to change his quiet manner to imitate John Paul's style.
A quiet, professorial type who relaxed by playing the piano, he showed the gentle side of a man who was the Vatican's chief doctrinal enforcer for nearly a quarter of a century.The first German pope for some 1,000 years and the second non-Italian in a row, he traveled regularly, making about four foreign trips a year, but never managed to draw the oceanic crowds of his predecessor.The child abuse scandals hounded most of his papacy. He ordered an official inquiry into abuse in Ireland, which led to the resignation of several bishops.Scandal from a source much closer to home hit in 2012 when the pontiff's butler, responsible for dressing him and bringing him meals, was found to be the source of leaked documents alleging corruption in the Vatican's business dealings.Benedict confronted his own country's past when he visited the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz. Calling himself "a son of Germany", he prayed and asked why God was silent when 1.5 million victims, most of them Jews, were killed there.Ratzinger served in the Hitler Youth during World War Two when membership was compulsory. He was never a member of the Nazi party and his family opposed Adolf Hitler's regime.(Additional reporting by James Mackenzie, Barry Moody, Cristiano Corvino, Alexandra Hudson in Berlin, and Dagamara Leszkowixa in Poland; Editing by Peter Graff)
How will the Catholic Church handle a living ex-pope?
The resignation of Benedict XVI raises a conundrum not faced by the Catholic Church for centuries.
By Nick Squires | Christian Science Monitor – 16 hrs ago FEB 11,13
The resignation of Benedict XVI raises a conundrum not faced by the Catholic Church for centuries: How do you handle a still living ex-pope? For the entire 2,000 year history of the Church, the accepted
orthodoxy has been for a pope to rule until he dies. A select group of
cardinals then get together in a secretive conclave and a successor is
chosen, in a clean break from the past.All that has been turned on its head by Benedict’s surprise
resignation, the first in the papacy since 1415. It raises a potential
difficulty for the Vatican
– that even after his retirement, he could become a lightning rod for
dissatisfaction and dissent with his successor, whoever that might be.
IN RETIREMENT, POPE WILL PUBLISHThe Catholic Church has faced painful schisms throughout its history, in which rival claims to the Seat of St. Peter resulted in competing papacies. In 1415, Pope Gregory XII stepped down in an attempt to end just such a schism, when two rival claimants set themselves up in opposing cities – Pisa in Italy and Avignon in southern France – precipitating one of the Church’s gravest crises.When Benedict formally resigns on the evening of Feb. 28, he will be taken probably by helicopter to Castel Gandolfo, the traditional summer retreat of popes, in the hills outside Rome. The 85-year-old is expected to remain there for 15 to 20 days, until the conclave of around 120 cardinals drawn from around the world gathers at the Vatican and elects a new pontiff. Benedict will then take up residence in a cloistered monastery within the Vatican City State. His title at that point? Unclear.Inevitably he will run into his successor and will still be in daily touch with cardinals and other influential figures within the Holy See. Not only that but, according to the Vatican spokesman, Benedict will continue to write and publish treatises and essays – he is a noted theologian who recently completed a trilogy on the life of Christ.That could produce a situation where the former pope says one thing on an important matter, while his successor says something different.“Traditionally popes have not resigned because there is this question of what do you do with two popes,” says John Thavis, an American who has covered the Vatican for 30 years and recently wrote an insider’s account of the Holy See – “The Vatican Diaries.”“What should be the role of a former pope – does he have to stay quiet for the rest of his life? What if he speaks up and disagrees with his successor? You then have the prospect of the Church effectively having two popes..Benedict has never been regarded as a power-hungry political player and will probably embrace a return to a quiet life of study and prayer.“I don’t think he will deliberately upstage or contradict his successor,” says Mr Thavis. “But he’s not going to be behind a wall of silence. If I was the new pope, I would be paying attention to whatever he writes about.”
VATICAN: NO CONFUSION
The Vatican spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi, said there was no prospect of a schism in the Church and dismissed ideas that Benedict would attract a rival support base or interfere in papal affairs.“We have no fears of this kind,” he told a packed press conference at the Vatican. “He will renounce the post, so there will be nothing to discuss. There will be no confusion, or division.”In St. Peter’s Square, however, tourists and Catholic faithful were not so sure it would be quite so easy.“To have an ex-pope who is still alive, even if they are in not very good health, is unprecedented as I understand it,” says Daniel Benedyk from London. “I don’t know how the Vatican will deal with that.”There was collective disbelief about the news of the resignation among people strolling in front of St. Peter’s Basilica under gray winter skies."It was a huge surprise to me,” says Wolfgang Schnapel, a priest from Benedict's home region of Bavaria. “I only heard when my mother called me from Germany. I think it would be nice if the next pope came from Africa or Latin America. And he should definitely be younger than Benedict was.”Flora Joseph, a nun from Tanzania, says: "It's very difficult to accept. I have been saying to myself 'why is he leaving, why doesn't he want to continue?' But he is an old man and he has so many appointments and meetings. I guess he just has no energy left anymore."Nicola Signorile, a businessman from Bari in southern Italy, said he was deeply saddened by the announcement, speculating that the pope must be very ill –although the Vatican has given no indication he has health problems. "If he has made this choice, it must be for a very good reason."Only a handful of Benedict’s closest confidantes knew that he had made the decision to resign, including Tarcisio Bertone, who as Vatican secretary of state is effectively prime minister of the tiny city state, Georg Ganswein, the pope’s private secretary, and Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the head of the College of Cardinals.The papacy had seemed to many Italians like the one remaining constant in their lives after having been buffeted in the last few years by earthquakes, floods, the fall of Silvio Berlusconi, and the imposition of tough austerity measures by his successor, Mario Monti. The economy is in a deep recession and politics in turmoil ahead of a general election on Feb. 24-25.“I can’t believe it – first the government is about to end, now it’s the papacy that’s in trouble,” says Marco, a taxi driver. “Everything is falling apart. I’ll be sad to see Benedict go. He was a bit cold and German, but he was a decent man.”
Lightning bolt hit Vatican not once but TWICE hours after Pope's shock resignation
The lightning
touched the roof of St. Peter's Basilica, one of the holiest Catholic
churches, hours after Benedict XVI's shock announcement
AFP/Getty
Lightning struck the Vatican not once but TWICE - hours after Pope Benedict XVI's shock resignation.The spooky moment, believed by some, to be a sign from God, was caught on camera by AFP photographer Filippo Monteforte.Today he described how he took the incredible image which has been beamed all over the world.He said: "I took the picture from St. Peter’s Square while sheltered by the columns. It was icy cold and raining sheets. When the storm started, I thought that lightning might strike the rod, so I decided it was worth seeing whether – if it DID strike – I could get the shot at exactly the right moment.”Filippo, armed with a 50mm lens, waited for more than two hours and was rewarded for his patience with not one but two bolts.He added: “The first bolt was huge and lit up the sky, but unfortunately I missed it. I had better luck the second time, and was able to snap a couple of images of the dome illuminated by the bolt.” The lightning touched the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, one of the holiest Catholic churches, after the Pope's shock admission he lacks strength to do the job.The Vatican stressed that no specific medical condition prompted Benedict's decision to quit - the first pontiff to do so in 600 years.The move surprised even his closest aides, even though Benedict, 85, had made clear in the past he would step down if he became too old or infirm.In recent years, the Pope has slowed down significantly, cutting back his foreign travel and limiting his audiences.He now goes to and from the altar in St Peter's Basilica on a moving platform, to spare him the long walk down the aisle. Occasionally he uses a cane.His 89-year-old brother, Georg Ratzinger, said doctors had recently advised the Pope not to take any more trans-Atlantic trips.
"His age is weighing on him," Mr Ratzinger said. "At this age my brother wants more rest."Benedict announced his resignation in Latin during a meeting of Vatican cardinals, calling it "a decision of great importance for the life of the church."He emphasised that carrying out the duties of being pope requires "both strength of mind and body."He told the cardinals: "I have come to the certainty that my strengths due to an advanced age are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry."
The Vatican will hold a conclave before Easter to elect a new pope, with Benedict holding great sway over who should succeed him to lead the world's one billion Catholics. Benedict has already hand-picked the bulk of the College of Cardinals - the princes of the church who will elect the next pope - to guarantee an equally-conservative legacy.There are no obvious front-runners to replace him - the same situation when Benedict was elected in 2005 after the death of Pope John Paul II.Given half of the world's Catholics live in the global south, there will once again be arguments for a pope to come from the developing world.When Benedict was elected aged 78, he was the oldest pope chosen in nearly 300 years.He raised the possibility of resigning if he were too old or sick to continue, when he was interviewed in 2010 for the book "Light of the World."
"If a pope clearly realises that he is no longer physically, psychologically and spiritually capable of handling the duties of his office, then he has a right, and under some circumstances, also an obligation to resign," Benedict said.The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had an intimate view as Pope John Paul II, with whom he had worked closely for nearly a quarter-century, suffered through the debilitating end of his papacy. The Vatican said immediately after his resignation that Benedict would go to Castel Gandolfo, a summer retreat south of Rome, and then would live in a cloistered monastery.Benedict said he would serve the church for the remainder of his days "through a life dedicated to prayer."He despised rock music, liberals, abortion and contraception: Controversial pope who never wanted the job - Brian Reade on Benedict.
DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.
JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.
REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(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.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYUgVL9PdxM&list=UU4SH8rh0OjYV3zwqnIfqNbA&index=1&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PX-vW4VccY&feature=player_embedded#!
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/markets/indexes/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfPX59y4KxE&feature=related
HALF HOUR DOW RESULTS TUE FEBRUARY 12,2013
09:30 AM +2.43
10:00 AM +17.34
10:30 AM +29.61
11:00 AM +28.32
11:30 AM +30.70
12:00 PM +32.55
12:30 PM +38.74
01:00 PM +49.52
01:30 PM +50.50
02:00 PM +62.52
02:30 PM +57.13
03:00 PM +61.34
03:30 PM +53.52
04:00 PM +47.46 14,018.70
S&P 500 1519.43 =2.42
NASDAQ 3186.49 -5.51
GOLD 1,651.00 +1.90
OIL 97.42 +0.39
TSE 300 12,789.02 +40.87
CDNX 1198.84 +2.74
S&P/TSX/60 734.44 +2.65
MORNING,NEWS,STATS
YEAR TO DATE PERFORMANCE
Dow +17 points at 4 minutes of trading today.
Dow -1 points at low today.
Dow +29 points at high today so far.
GOLD opens at $1,648.50.OIL opens at $97.38 today.
AFTERNOON,NEWS,STATS
Dow -1 points at low today so far.
Dow +62 points at high today so far.
WRAPUP,NEWS,STATS
Dow -1 points at low today.
Dow +62 points at high today.
GOLD ALLTIME HIGH $1,902.60 (NOT AT CLOSE)