1-Ancient biblical waterworks found in Israel. 2-EU ministers to meet Annan at emergency talks on Lebanon. 3-Powers study Iran's reply to nuclear offer. 4-EU Wants European Islam.
LUKE 19:38-44
38 Saying, Blessed be the King (JESUS) that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.
39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.
40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
Ancient biblical waterworks found in Israel By Corinne Heller
Wed Aug 23, 3:21 AM ET
RAMAT RACHEL, Israel (Reuters) - Archaeologists in Israel have unearthed an ancient water system which was modified by the conquering Persians to turn the desert into a paradise.The network of reservoirs, drain pipes and underground tunnels served one of the grandest palaces in the biblical kingdom of Judea.Archaeologists first discovered the palace in 1954, a structure built on a six-acre (2.4 hectare) site where the communal Ramat Rachel farm now stands.Recent excavations unearthed nearly 70 square meters (750 square feet) of a unique water system.
They had found a huge palace ... even nicer than the palaces in Jerusalem,(dating) from the late Iron Age to the end of the biblical period in the 7th century,Oded Lipschits, a Tel Aviv University archaeologist, said.The infrastructure of the palace was remodeled throughout the centuries to fit the needs of the Babylonians, Persians, Romans and Hasmoneans who ruled the Holy Land, said Lipschits, who heads the dig with an academic from Germany's University of Heidelberg.But it was the Persians, who took control of the region around 539 BC from the Babylonians, who renovated the water system and turned it into a thing of beauty.Lipschits said they added small waterfalls to try to turn a desert into a paradise.Imagine on this land plants and water rushing and streaming here,Lipschits said. This was important to someone who finds aesthetics important, for someone who wanted to feel as though they are not just in some remote corner in the desert.Yuval Gadot, a biblical archaeology expert from Tel Aviv University who is taking part in the excavation, said it was unclear exactly how the water system worked.Probably rainwater came down on the roof of the houses (in the palace complex),he said.
From there, it was collected by drains into pools or to the underground reservoir and taken to nearby fields for crops or nice gardens.For centuries water supplies
have been one of the most sensitive issues in the Middle East, where most of the region is desert.
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)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
EU ministers to meet Annan at emergency talks on Lebanon
23.08.2006 - 09:39 CET | By Lucia Kubosova
EU foreign ministers will hold emergency talks on Lebanon on Friday (25 August) with UN secretary general Kofi Annan also attending the meeting just before he is to announce who should lead the international force to be sent to the region.The purpose of the meeting is to focus on EU member states contributions to UNIFIL and the conditions needed to make the operation a success, the Finnish presidency of the EU stated. The extraordinary ministerial gathering will follow today's session of the bloc's Political and Security Committee which is also set to focus on the details of European troop's deployment in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon(UNIFIL).
Several EU member states have so far indicated they will send their soldiers to monitor the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon but have voiced strong concerns about the lack of clarity about the operating conditions.Following the French announcement of a far smaller deployment - 200 soldiers - than had been expected by the international community, Italy has emerged as a potential leading nation with 2,000 to 3,000 troops.
According to the Italian foreign minister Massimo D'Alema, his country's contribution would make up about a third of the European troops which he has estimated at around 9,000 soldiers.But he warned that Rome might still change
its mind if Israel keeps shooting and violates the truce sanctioned by the UN, according to Italian daily La Repubblica.We are expecting a renewed commitment from Israel, a binding promise to stop shooting. It is right to require that Hezbollah disarms, but we cannot send our soldiers if the Tsahal [Israeli army] keeps shooting,he added.
UN officials have reported occasional clashes between Israeli forces and suspected Hezbollah fighters and have criticised Israel for its ongoing flights over Beirut and southern Lebanon, suggesting they are in breach of the ceasefire resolution. These violations endanger the fragile calm and undermine the authority of the government of Lebanon,said Mr Annan, according to press reports.
The same message is likely to be spelled out to the Israeli foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, today and tomorrow, as she tours the French and Italian capitals for talks on the Lebanon mission.Ms Livni is meeting her French and Belgian counterparts Philippe Douste-Blazy and Karel De Gucht, as well as French interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy. On Thursday, the Israeli foreign minister will meet Italy's prime minister Romano Prodi and foreign minister Massimo D'Alema.The UN force in Lebanon is to be expanded from the current 2,000 troops to up to 15,000 under a new UN resolution which ended 34 days of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah fighters.
About 1,300 Lebanese - mainly civilians - and 160 Israelis - mostly soldiers - have died in the conflict.
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,(JORDAN) and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
EZEKIEL 38:5-6
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
Powers study Iran's reply to nuclear offer By Crispian Balmer
Wed Aug 23, 8:39 AM ET
PARIS (Reuters) - World powers which backed a package to defuse a dispute with Iran over its nuclear ambitions are ready to respond to Iran's call for talks but only if it first suspend uranium enrichment, France said on Wednesday. Iran replied to the incentives package offered by six nations on Tuesday, saying it contained ideas that would allow serious talks to start immediately.
The West has in the past said such calls for talks were a tactic to stall and not act.As we have always said ... a return to the negotiating table is tied to the suspension of uranium enrichment,French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy told a news conference.But there has been no sign Tehran agreed to the precondition that it halt enrichment before talks start. The U.N. Security Council has given Iran until August 31 to freeze the work which has civilian and military uses or face possible sanctions.
The five permanent U.N. Security Council members Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, plus Germany offered Iran economic and other incentives to stop enrichment. So far, they have been tight-lipped about Iran's reply.One EU diplomat earlier said Iran ruled out halting enrichment before talks in the 21-page reply but indicated that it might be open to accept suspension in the course of negotiations. Other diplomats declined to confirm Iran had shown flexibility on enrichment.The Washington Post quoted unidentified officials from countries involved saying Iran was willing to consider halting its atomic program but not as a precondition for talks.Douste-Blazy described the reply as a very long, complex document and said the six powers would decide in a few days what to do in the Security Council.European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who delivered the offer to Iran in June, said it was extensive and therefore requires a detailed and careful analysis.
The White House said on Tuesday President Bush had yet to examine the reply. But the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., John Bolton, said Washington was ready to move quickly on a resolution seeking sanctions if Tehran rejected the offer.
In the reply, although (the West) has taken destructive measures, Iran has tried to create new opportunities for resolving the issue,senior Iranian nuclear official Ali Hosseinitash told Iran's official IRNA news agency.
ANSWERS NEEDED
Analysts say Iran's answer was probably designed to divide Security Council members Russia and China, both key trade partners of Tehran, from the United States, France and Britain which have backed tougher sanctions.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry statement urged Iran to consider international concerns and take constructive steps,but added: We also hope that other parties remain patient and calm.Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying: Russia will continue with the idea of seeking a political, negotiated settlement concerning Iran's nuclear program.The world's fourth-largest oil exporter, Iran say.
REVELATION 20:4-5
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God,(BIBLE) and which had not worshipped the beast,(EU DICTATOR) neither his
image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands;(MICROCHIP IMPLANT) and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead (LOST SINNERS) lived not again until the thousand years were finished.(WHEN THEY GET JUDGED FOR THEIR MOTIVES AND ACTIONS) This is the first resurrection.
EU Wants European Islam
IslamOnline.net & News Agencies
We do want a European Islam,Frattini said. (Reuters)
LONDON — Getting together to tackle the common threat of terrorism and improve intelligence flows, European Union interior ministers called for a European Islam and asked European Muslims to join other elements of society in fighting terror.We do want a European Islam,European Commission Vice-President and Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini told a press conference following the meeting, Reuters reported. Frattini proposed training imams and blocking of Internet websites deemed to be inciting terrorism.
That is very important not only to show to the Muslim communities that we fully respect other religions, other faiths, but we also want them to respect national laws, European laws and fundamental rights, and first of all right to live,he said.Interior ministers of Britain, France, Germany, Finland, Portugal and Slovenia as well as Frattini and EU's counter-terrorism coordinator Gijs De Vries came together in London a week after British police said they had foiled an alleged plot to blow up US-bound planes.
British media said the 24 suspects were British-born men, mostly of Pakistani origin.A British court on Wednesday, August 16, gave police more time to question 23 of the suspects while the 24th has been released.
Counter-terrorism
Frattini said the EU commission, the executive arm of the 25-nation EU, will propose new counter-terrorism measures to detect liquid explosives and expand data sharing on airline passenger.Explosives is an area of particular vulnerability despite the important success achieved by the British authorities,he said.A British Home Office spokeswoman said that the ministers released 350,000 euros (450,000 dollars) for urgent research into detecting liquid explosives following Wednesday's meeting. Frattini also proposed expanding a system of sharing data on passengers currently involving the European Union, the United States, Canada and Australia.
Our ideas are to extend to the European territory, to all flights into, through, from the territory of one or more member states and perhaps including the intra-EU flights.Other measures were aimed at blocking Internet websites preaching extremist
ideas and at forming a European rapid reaction force of experts who could be sent to any member country hit by a terrorist attack, Frattini said.The proposals will be submitted to an informal meeting of EU interior ministers in Finland, which holds the current rotating EU presidency, on September 20-22 with a view to implementing them throughout the 25-member bloc.
Profiling
The EU commissioner said the European bloc should also explore positive profiling of passengers in order to make border controls more efficient.He said the profiling would be based on biometric information, denying that the measure was targeting racial or religious groups.It has nothing to do with religious beliefs or discrimination,he said.We could explore positive profiling for passengers allowing them to be checked well in advance in order to make quicker and easier the controls on board,he added, without elaborating.Such data could include fingerprints or voice characteristics.British Muslim leaders on Tuesday, August 15, objected to proposals of airport profiling based on ethnicity and religion.They warned it could alienate the community whose help the government needs in fighting terrorism.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
CLIMATE LINKED TO PLAGUE INCREASE
1-Infineon to supply ID chips for U.S. e-passports. 2-Turkey suffers nearly 1,500 forest fires this year. 3-EU to discuss contributions to UN force in Lebanon. 4-Climate linked to plague increase.
REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he causeth all, 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,(CHIP IMPLANT)
or the name of the beast,(DICTATORS NAME) or the number of his name.(LETTERS OF DICTATORS NAME IN NUMBERS).18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding
count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man;(6-GOD CREATED MAN ON DAY 6 OF CREATION) and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(666)(OR 600+20+20+20+6).
MAYBE IT WILL BE A 10 LETTER NAME (THE DICTATORS) AND THE CHIP NUMBER MIGHT BE SOMETHING LIKE 6002020206. IM JUST THROWING AROUND SUGGESTIONS HERE.
Infineon to supply ID chips for U.S. e-passports
John Walko,EE Times Europe (08/21/2006 7:21 AM EDT)
LONDON — Infineon Technologies AG is to supply security chips for the electronic passports being issued by the U.S. government. The value of the deal was not revealed, but the company quoted U.S. government estimates that up to 15 million of the new passports would be issued in the first full year of the program, and that over the past ten years, the government issued 67 million passports. Each e-passport contains a chip, protected by shielding material, which contains an encrypted copy of the printed information on the passport including the bearers name, date of birth, validity period and a digital photo of the individual. The digital photo allows the use of facial recognition technology at border crossings to authenticate the passport holders identity.
Infineon is just one of the companies that will provide the technology to the U.S. government for the project. The German company is already supplying secure ID chips to about 20 countries that have started to use electronic passports or have started testing the technology, including Germany, Hong Kong, Norway and Sweden. One of the major competitors for the devices is Philips Semiconductors. Data transmission occurs over a distance of about 10 centimeters. In addition to shielding and Basis Access Control (BAC), which lets immigration controllers pass the passport over a scanner, there are more than 50 individual security mechanisms inside the Infineon chip, including sophisticated computing methods for encrypting data, to help ensure that personal data remains private.Security mechanisms on the ID chips also include active protective shields on the surface of the chip and sensors that help prevent unauthorized people from being able to read the contents of the chip.
The US began issuing electronic passports to diplomats and other government workers in late 2005, and is now expanding the program to include the widely issued tourist passport used by private citizens. By the end of this year, the government expects that all new US passports will be issued as electronic passports.
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
UPDATED: 07:55, August 23, 2006
Turkey suffers nearly 1,500 forest fires this year
Turkey has suffered 1,448 forest fires that destroyed 2,533 hectares of forest throughout the country so far this year, Turkish officials said on Tuesday.The number of forest fires this year has registered an increase as statistics by the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Forestry show that an average of 1,143 forest fires take place in Turkey every year. Currently, a number of forest fires are
burning in different locations along Turkey's Mediterranean and Aegean coasts, said the officials. About 300 firefighters are now trying to contain a big forest fire near the Aegean resort town of Bodrum in Mugla province in western Turkey, but have not yet managed to bring it under control, said the officials. The fire has destroyed 600 hectares of forest near Bodrum so far, prompting local authorities to evacuate hundreds of summer and village houses as a precaution. Source: Xinhua
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
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)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
EU to discuss contributions to UN force in Lebanon
www.chinaview.cn 2006-08-22 04:03:30
Special reports: Israel-Lebanon Conflicts
HELSINKI, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- European Union members will meet in Brussels on Friday to discuss their contributions to a UN force in Lebanon, the EU's Finnish presidency announced here Tuesday. Finland, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, will convene an extraordinary meeting of EU foreign ministers to discuss issues relating to UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan will attend the meeting, which will be chaired by Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja. Earlier in the day, Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema asked Finland to convene a special meeting to discuss EU participation in the UN peacekeeping force to Lebanon. Italy has offered to lead the peacekeeping force. Enditem
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
Tuesday, 22 August 2006, 11:43 GMT 12:43 UK
Climate linked to plague increase
Up to 3,000 cases of plague are reported each year (Image: Barry Dowsett/Science Photo Library) Climatic changes could lead to more outbreaks of bubonic plague among human populations, a study suggests. Researchers found that the bacterium that caused the deadly disease became more widespread following warmer springs and wetter summers. The disease occurs naturally in many parts of the world, and the team hopes their findings will help officials limit the risk of future outbreaks. The study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The bacterium Yersinia pestis is believed to have triggered the Black Death that killed more than 20 million people in the Middle Ages.
Rodent hosts
The international team of scientists, who focused their research on Kazakhstan, said the disease was widespread among rodent populations. Writing in the paper, co-author Nils Stenseth from the University of Oslo said: The desert regions of Central Asia are known to contain natural foci of plague where the great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus) is the primary host. Plague spread requires both a high abundance of hosts and a sufficient number of active fleas as vectors transmitting plague bacteria between hosts,the Norwegian scientist added.Fleas became active when the temperature exceeded 10C (50F), so a warm, frost-free spring led to an early start to breeding.
Plague is passed to humans through flea bites
The flea population continued to grow when the spring was followed by a wet, humid summer, the researcher wrote. The combination of the two seasons' climatic conditions lead to an increase in the number of the insects feeding off the great gerbils, resulting in a greater transmission of plague. The study showed that just a 1C (1.8F) rise in the springtime temperature led to a 59% increase in the prevalence of the disease.The greater prevalence of plague in the region's wildlife increased the risk of local people becoming infected.Each year, up to 3,000 cases of humans contracting bubonic plague are reported in Asia, parts of Africa, the US and South America.The researchers studied data on infected gerbils, flea counts and climate patterns from 1949 to 1995.
Professor Stenseth added that their findings also helped shed light on two of the world's worst plague outbreaks; the medieval Black Death and the Asian pandemic in the 19th Century, which claimed the lives of tens of millions of people. Analyses of tree-ring proxy climate data shows that conditions during the period of the Black Death (1280-1350) were both warmer and increasingly wet. The same was true during the origin of the Third Pandemic (1855-1870) when the climate was wetter and underwent an increasingly warm trend,he added. The researchers hope their findings will help health officials put measures in place to limit the impact of future
outbreaks.But Professor Stenseth warned that recent changes to the region's climate suggested that warmer springs were becoming more frequent, increasing the risk of human infections.
REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he causeth all, 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,(CHIP IMPLANT)
or the name of the beast,(DICTATORS NAME) or the number of his name.(LETTERS OF DICTATORS NAME IN NUMBERS).18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding
count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man;(6-GOD CREATED MAN ON DAY 6 OF CREATION) and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(666)(OR 600+20+20+20+6).
MAYBE IT WILL BE A 10 LETTER NAME (THE DICTATORS) AND THE CHIP NUMBER MIGHT BE SOMETHING LIKE 6002020206. IM JUST THROWING AROUND SUGGESTIONS HERE.
Infineon to supply ID chips for U.S. e-passports
John Walko,EE Times Europe (08/21/2006 7:21 AM EDT)
LONDON — Infineon Technologies AG is to supply security chips for the electronic passports being issued by the U.S. government. The value of the deal was not revealed, but the company quoted U.S. government estimates that up to 15 million of the new passports would be issued in the first full year of the program, and that over the past ten years, the government issued 67 million passports. Each e-passport contains a chip, protected by shielding material, which contains an encrypted copy of the printed information on the passport including the bearers name, date of birth, validity period and a digital photo of the individual. The digital photo allows the use of facial recognition technology at border crossings to authenticate the passport holders identity.
Infineon is just one of the companies that will provide the technology to the U.S. government for the project. The German company is already supplying secure ID chips to about 20 countries that have started to use electronic passports or have started testing the technology, including Germany, Hong Kong, Norway and Sweden. One of the major competitors for the devices is Philips Semiconductors. Data transmission occurs over a distance of about 10 centimeters. In addition to shielding and Basis Access Control (BAC), which lets immigration controllers pass the passport over a scanner, there are more than 50 individual security mechanisms inside the Infineon chip, including sophisticated computing methods for encrypting data, to help ensure that personal data remains private.Security mechanisms on the ID chips also include active protective shields on the surface of the chip and sensors that help prevent unauthorized people from being able to read the contents of the chip.
The US began issuing electronic passports to diplomats and other government workers in late 2005, and is now expanding the program to include the widely issued tourist passport used by private citizens. By the end of this year, the government expects that all new US passports will be issued as electronic passports.
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
UPDATED: 07:55, August 23, 2006
Turkey suffers nearly 1,500 forest fires this year
Turkey has suffered 1,448 forest fires that destroyed 2,533 hectares of forest throughout the country so far this year, Turkish officials said on Tuesday.The number of forest fires this year has registered an increase as statistics by the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Forestry show that an average of 1,143 forest fires take place in Turkey every year. Currently, a number of forest fires are
burning in different locations along Turkey's Mediterranean and Aegean coasts, said the officials. About 300 firefighters are now trying to contain a big forest fire near the Aegean resort town of Bodrum in Mugla province in western Turkey, but have not yet managed to bring it under control, said the officials. The fire has destroyed 600 hectares of forest near Bodrum so far, prompting local authorities to evacuate hundreds of summer and village houses as a precaution. Source: Xinhua
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
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)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
EU to discuss contributions to UN force in Lebanon
www.chinaview.cn 2006-08-22 04:03:30
Special reports: Israel-Lebanon Conflicts
HELSINKI, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- European Union members will meet in Brussels on Friday to discuss their contributions to a UN force in Lebanon, the EU's Finnish presidency announced here Tuesday. Finland, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, will convene an extraordinary meeting of EU foreign ministers to discuss issues relating to UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan will attend the meeting, which will be chaired by Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja. Earlier in the day, Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema asked Finland to convene a special meeting to discuss EU participation in the UN peacekeeping force to Lebanon. Italy has offered to lead the peacekeeping force. Enditem
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
Tuesday, 22 August 2006, 11:43 GMT 12:43 UK
Climate linked to plague increase
Up to 3,000 cases of plague are reported each year (Image: Barry Dowsett/Science Photo Library) Climatic changes could lead to more outbreaks of bubonic plague among human populations, a study suggests. Researchers found that the bacterium that caused the deadly disease became more widespread following warmer springs and wetter summers. The disease occurs naturally in many parts of the world, and the team hopes their findings will help officials limit the risk of future outbreaks. The study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The bacterium Yersinia pestis is believed to have triggered the Black Death that killed more than 20 million people in the Middle Ages.
Rodent hosts
The international team of scientists, who focused their research on Kazakhstan, said the disease was widespread among rodent populations. Writing in the paper, co-author Nils Stenseth from the University of Oslo said: The desert regions of Central Asia are known to contain natural foci of plague where the great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus) is the primary host. Plague spread requires both a high abundance of hosts and a sufficient number of active fleas as vectors transmitting plague bacteria between hosts,the Norwegian scientist added.Fleas became active when the temperature exceeded 10C (50F), so a warm, frost-free spring led to an early start to breeding.
Plague is passed to humans through flea bites
The flea population continued to grow when the spring was followed by a wet, humid summer, the researcher wrote. The combination of the two seasons' climatic conditions lead to an increase in the number of the insects feeding off the great gerbils, resulting in a greater transmission of plague. The study showed that just a 1C (1.8F) rise in the springtime temperature led to a 59% increase in the prevalence of the disease.The greater prevalence of plague in the region's wildlife increased the risk of local people becoming infected.Each year, up to 3,000 cases of humans contracting bubonic plague are reported in Asia, parts of Africa, the US and South America.The researchers studied data on infected gerbils, flea counts and climate patterns from 1949 to 1995.
Professor Stenseth added that their findings also helped shed light on two of the world's worst plague outbreaks; the medieval Black Death and the Asian pandemic in the 19th Century, which claimed the lives of tens of millions of people. Analyses of tree-ring proxy climate data shows that conditions during the period of the Black Death (1280-1350) were both warmer and increasingly wet. The same was true during the origin of the Third Pandemic (1855-1870) when the climate was wetter and underwent an increasingly warm trend,he added. The researchers hope their findings will help health officials put measures in place to limit the impact of future
outbreaks.But Professor Stenseth warned that recent changes to the region's climate suggested that warmer springs were becoming more frequent, increasing the risk of human infections.
IRAN CLAIMS NEGOTIATIONS
1-WINNEPEG TORNADO. 2-Tropical system brings rain to islands. 3-Tourists flee Greek fires 4-Pope laments length of Mideast conflict, 5-Italy offers to lead UN Lebanon force. 6-Greek FM's Mideast tour signals Athens' interest in region. 7-OH YA IRAN REALLY WANTS NEGOTIATIONS...........RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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;
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
LUKE 17:36
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.(JUDGEMENT)
WINNEPEG TORNADO
Woman's unborn baby OK despite tornado
La Broquerie, Man. -- Doctors say the unborn baby of a 26-year-old woman who hid in her home when a tornado ripped through the family's farmyard is doing fine.Elsie Peters, whose baby is due in December, was hiding near a large freezer and other appliances when her husband ran to the ruined house to check on her after the twister went through on Sunday.Jim Peters, 37, was baling hay on the farm near La Broquerie, southeast of Winnipeg, when the storm hit. The tornado touched down near the couple's house and carried the roof about 60 metres. CP
Tropical system brings rain to islands 1 hour, 43 minutes ago
MIAMI - The outer bands of a tropical depression produced rain squalls in the southern Cape Verde islands in the far eastern Atlantic as it passed the nation on Tuesday, forecasters said. At 5 p.m. EDT, the depression was centered 210 miles west of the southernmost Cape Verde islands and was moving west-northwest at about 18 mph.The storm's maximum sustained wind speed was near 35 mph, 4 mph below the threshold for a tropical storm and well below hurricane strength of 74 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.However, it was expected to become a tropical storm by Wednesday and would take the name Debby.
Forecasters said the system was expected to turn northwestward and long-range forecasts show the storm nearing Bermuda in about a week. It was still too early to tell whether it would hit land, senior hurricane specialist James Franklin said.The government of Cape Verde, 350 miles off the African coast, discontinued a tropical storm warning as the system passed.There have been three named storms of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season.
On the Net:National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
Times Online August 22, 2006 Tourists flee Greek fires
By NIKOLAS GIAKOUMIDIS, AP, Kriopigi, Greece
A German tourist was killed and dozens of people were hospitalized with breathing problems and burns on Tuesday, as a fire raged in northern Greece, forcing an overnight evacuation of hotels and holiday homes, authorities said. Several thousand people fled the blaze on the Halkidiki peninsula - popular with European vacationers - which destroyed or seriously damaged more than 50 homes and dozens of cars.Fire officials said there had been indications of arson. This is a major fire, and a disaster has been declared in the area. With the daylight, firefighting planes are being used and that is helping this effort,said Giorgos Kalatzis, minister for Greece’s Macedonia and Thrace administrative regions.
Ten water-bombing planes and helicopters began assisting the effort at first light, as more than 250 firefighters and soldiers battled the fire that swept over rugged terrain, fanned by gusts of wind and temperatures reaching 40 Celsius. Police said a German tourist had drowned while trying to escape a fire-stricken area by boat. Earlier, coast guard and private boats picked up stranded tourists and local residents from beaches in the Cassandra area. Kalatzis said he hoped the fire could be contained by the end of Tuesday. The fire burned out of control on two main fronts, about 50 miles south of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city. At least 50 people - mostly Greeks - were hospitalized with breathing problems, and several people were being treated for burns. Nearly 1,200 people were transported by coast guard vessels away from the fire, the Merchant Marine Ministry said.
Ian Whitting, deputy head of mission at the British Embassy in Athens, said around 600 people had been evacuated and that the embassy was working with tour operators to help vacationers return early if they wanted to. We have had no reports of casualties and no requests at all for consular assistance, he told Britain’s Sky Television. But we obviously take this very seriously, that is why we are working closely with tour operators to make sure everyone is accounted for as soon as possible. Hundreds of tourists spent the night on the beach, sleeping on sunbeds, while others were taken to temporary shelters set up on other parts of the peninsula.
Halkidiki governor Argyris Lafazanis said many tourists were being bused back to their hotels Tuesday after the fire receded from several resorts. The resorts affected by the fire included Polychrono, Hanioti, Kriopigi and Pefkochori.
REVELATION 17:2
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Pope laments length of Mideast conflict Mon Aug 21, 7:59 AM ET
VATICAN CITY-Pope Benedict XVI has expressed dismay that the conflict in the Middle East has persisted for so long and lamented a lack of dialogue to bring lasting peace, according to messages released Monday by the Vatican. The pontiff had made several impassioned pleas for a cease-fire during the recent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon. He made his latest appeal for reconciliation in a message that was read during a Mass on Sunday at a religious gathering in the Italian sea resort of Rimini.In this moment of profound trouble, the thoughts of the Holy Father are with the Holy Land and the Middle East regions,said the message released Monday.Populations live there who are today tormented by enmity, by the absence of dialogue and of reconciliation, by the violence which tramples every right and legitimate expectation of people of good will, the message said.
The pope requested prayers that God touch the heart of all those who are involved in a conflict that has lasted too much time and which has claimed countless victims.He expressed hope that those who live in the Middle East recognize themselves as brothers and work together for a just and lasting peace.Benedict has been following Middle East developments from the Vatican summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, in the Alban Hills near Rome.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
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)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
Italy offers to lead UN Lebanon force
22.08.2006 - 09:57 CET | By Honor Mahony
Italy has formally offered to lead a UN international peacekeeping force in Lebanon and has said it will provide 2000 soldiers.Italian prime minister Romano Prodi made the offer on Monday (21 August) and it has been accepted by Beirut.I confirmed the Italian willingness,said Mr Prodi according to Reuters.He added that UN secretary general Kofi Annan is set to decide about the command of the forces by the weekend.[Mr Annan] will do that after completing all of the analyses and meetings with all of the leaders of all of the countries that could be interested in the mission,said the Italian leader.Italy's promise to send 2000 soldiers is the biggest commitment so far with countries hesitant to make firm promises until the rules of engagement are clear.
The Italian move stands in marked contrast to France which having been behind the diplomatic negotiations to work out a UN ceasefire resolution had also been expected to provide the bulk of the troops - instead it had said it will provide only 200 troops. France's stalling - due to worries about the chain of command - has unleashed strong criticism by several commentators in the US with critical editorials in newspapers such as the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times.A piece in Monday's New York Times entitled Waiting for Jacques' said It would be tempting to laugh about France's paltry commitment of 200 additional peacekeepers for Lebanon, if it weren't so dangerous.
When the Security Council agreed earlier this month on a cease-fire resolution, scripted by the French and the Americans, it was with the clear understanding that Paris would head the 15,000-member international force and contribute a large number of troops, the article continues.The administration in Washington has also voiced some dissatisfaction.I would hope they would put more troops in,president George W. Bush said. They understand the region as well as anybody.With pressure from Washington to see a quick deployment of a UN force in the background, EU officials will meet in Brussels on Wednesday (23 August) to try and coordinate their efforts.So far several EU member states including Italy, France, the UK, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Greece, Belgium, Finland and Portugal have indicated they will contribute.But the general effort falls far short of UN expectations of around 3,500 troops in place by the beginning of September with an overall aim of eventually having 15,000 troops in southern Lebanon.
UPDATED: 10:09, August 22, 2006
Greek FM's Mideast tour signals Athens' interest in region
Greece said on Monday Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis' tour to the Middle East region scheduled on Tuesday signaled Athens strong interest in developments in that region, especially since Greece will take over the presidency of the United Nations Security Council on Sept. 1. Foreign Ministry Spokesman George Koumoutsakos told reporters that the first stop on Bakoyannis tour will be Cyprus, which played a vital role in the evacuation of foreign nationals from besieged Lebanon, where she will meet Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos. The foreign minister is also scheduled to have talks with the political leadership of Lebanon, Israel and Jordan and with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
According to Koumoutsakos, Bakoyannis will seek to contribute to diplomatic efforts for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 during her meetings with Middle East government officials and will also press for full respect of the truce, in order to allow the distribution of humanitarian aid. Other goals of the trip include the support and reinforcement of the Lebanese government, understanding Israel's security concerns, attempting to establish a permanent and stable solution for the Palestinian problem, and promoting efforts for peace that are as broad and comprehensive as possible. Source: Xinhua
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,(JORDAN) and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
EZEKIEL 38:5-6
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
OH YA IRAN REALLY WANTS NEGOTIATIONS...........RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Iran says it is ready for 'serious negotiations' on nuclear dispute
Tue Aug 22, 1:45 PM,By Ali Akbar Dareini
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's top nuclear negotiator said Tuesday that Tehran was ready to enter serious negotiations over its disputed nuclear program but did not say whether it was willing to suspend uranium enrichment - the West's key demand. The negotiator, Ali Larijani, hand-delivered Iran's response to a six-nation package of nuclear incentives aimed at persuading it to suspend enrichment. He gave the reply to ambassadors from Britain, China, Russia, France, Germany and Switzerland, state-run television said, without disclosing details. Iran is prepared as of Aug. 23 to enter serious negotiations with the countries that proposed the package, state-run television quoted Larijani as telling the envoys.
Iranian officials close to the meeting said Iran offered a new formula to resolve the dispute as part of its formal response to the incentive package. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information. Iran has provided a comprehensive response to everything said in the Western package. In addition, Iran, in its formal response, has asked some questions to be answered,one official said, without elaborating. European Union officials declined to comment, saying they needed to study the Iranian offer.Their response was likely to depend on how far Tehran was ready to go in suspending uranium enrichment the cornerstone demand of the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, the six powers that agreed to the package of incentives if Iran compromises and punishments if it does not. At UN headquarters in New York, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said the United States is prepared to quickly submit elements of a new Security Council resolution that would impose economic sanctions on Iran if it does not accept the very, very generous offer" from the five permanent council members and Germany.
We will obviously study the Iranian response carefully, but we are also prepared if it does not meet the terms set by the permanent five foreign ministers to proceed here in the Security Council, as ministers have agreed, with economic sanctions,he said. If, on the other hand, the Iranians have chosen the path of co-operation, as we've said repeatedly, then a different relationship with the United States and the rest of the world is now possible,he said. Iran says it wants to master the technology to generate nuclear power. But critics say it is actually interested in enrichment because it can also be used to make the fissile core of nuclear weapons. The six powers - five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany - offered Iran the package in June. The United States is represented by Switzerland, which looks after U.S. interests in Tehran because it has not had diplomatic relations with Iran since 1979 when Muslim fundamentalists overran the U.S. Embassy.
Mohammed Saeedi, deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said in comments published Tuesday that Tehran's response would provide an exceptional opportunity for a return to the negotiating table for a compromise. Iran's response to the package is a comprehensive reply that can open the way for resumption of talks for a final agreement,Saeedi said. Even so, Iran on Monday twice showed its determination to push ahead with its nuclear program, which continues under the possible threat of economic and diplomatic sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council if it does not halt uranium enrichment by Aug. 31. It turned away International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors from an underground site meant to shelter its uranium enrichment program from attack and its top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared that Tehran will continue to pursue its nuclear activities. Iran has rejected the resolution passed by the council last month as illegal, saying a compromise can only emerge from talks. Likewise, Saeedi's optimistic words Tuesday were tempered by his assessment of the proposed packaged as containing serious ambiguities that need to be clarified in talks. The package does not mention the part of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty that affirms signatories' right to pursue nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, Saeedi said.
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;
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
LUKE 17:36
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.(JUDGEMENT)
WINNEPEG TORNADO
Woman's unborn baby OK despite tornado
La Broquerie, Man. -- Doctors say the unborn baby of a 26-year-old woman who hid in her home when a tornado ripped through the family's farmyard is doing fine.Elsie Peters, whose baby is due in December, was hiding near a large freezer and other appliances when her husband ran to the ruined house to check on her after the twister went through on Sunday.Jim Peters, 37, was baling hay on the farm near La Broquerie, southeast of Winnipeg, when the storm hit. The tornado touched down near the couple's house and carried the roof about 60 metres. CP
Tropical system brings rain to islands 1 hour, 43 minutes ago
MIAMI - The outer bands of a tropical depression produced rain squalls in the southern Cape Verde islands in the far eastern Atlantic as it passed the nation on Tuesday, forecasters said. At 5 p.m. EDT, the depression was centered 210 miles west of the southernmost Cape Verde islands and was moving west-northwest at about 18 mph.The storm's maximum sustained wind speed was near 35 mph, 4 mph below the threshold for a tropical storm and well below hurricane strength of 74 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.However, it was expected to become a tropical storm by Wednesday and would take the name Debby.
Forecasters said the system was expected to turn northwestward and long-range forecasts show the storm nearing Bermuda in about a week. It was still too early to tell whether it would hit land, senior hurricane specialist James Franklin said.The government of Cape Verde, 350 miles off the African coast, discontinued a tropical storm warning as the system passed.There have been three named storms of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season.
On the Net:National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
Times Online August 22, 2006 Tourists flee Greek fires
By NIKOLAS GIAKOUMIDIS, AP, Kriopigi, Greece
A German tourist was killed and dozens of people were hospitalized with breathing problems and burns on Tuesday, as a fire raged in northern Greece, forcing an overnight evacuation of hotels and holiday homes, authorities said. Several thousand people fled the blaze on the Halkidiki peninsula - popular with European vacationers - which destroyed or seriously damaged more than 50 homes and dozens of cars.Fire officials said there had been indications of arson. This is a major fire, and a disaster has been declared in the area. With the daylight, firefighting planes are being used and that is helping this effort,said Giorgos Kalatzis, minister for Greece’s Macedonia and Thrace administrative regions.
Ten water-bombing planes and helicopters began assisting the effort at first light, as more than 250 firefighters and soldiers battled the fire that swept over rugged terrain, fanned by gusts of wind and temperatures reaching 40 Celsius. Police said a German tourist had drowned while trying to escape a fire-stricken area by boat. Earlier, coast guard and private boats picked up stranded tourists and local residents from beaches in the Cassandra area. Kalatzis said he hoped the fire could be contained by the end of Tuesday. The fire burned out of control on two main fronts, about 50 miles south of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city. At least 50 people - mostly Greeks - were hospitalized with breathing problems, and several people were being treated for burns. Nearly 1,200 people were transported by coast guard vessels away from the fire, the Merchant Marine Ministry said.
Ian Whitting, deputy head of mission at the British Embassy in Athens, said around 600 people had been evacuated and that the embassy was working with tour operators to help vacationers return early if they wanted to. We have had no reports of casualties and no requests at all for consular assistance, he told Britain’s Sky Television. But we obviously take this very seriously, that is why we are working closely with tour operators to make sure everyone is accounted for as soon as possible. Hundreds of tourists spent the night on the beach, sleeping on sunbeds, while others were taken to temporary shelters set up on other parts of the peninsula.
Halkidiki governor Argyris Lafazanis said many tourists were being bused back to their hotels Tuesday after the fire receded from several resorts. The resorts affected by the fire included Polychrono, Hanioti, Kriopigi and Pefkochori.
REVELATION 17:2
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Pope laments length of Mideast conflict Mon Aug 21, 7:59 AM ET
VATICAN CITY-Pope Benedict XVI has expressed dismay that the conflict in the Middle East has persisted for so long and lamented a lack of dialogue to bring lasting peace, according to messages released Monday by the Vatican. The pontiff had made several impassioned pleas for a cease-fire during the recent fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon. He made his latest appeal for reconciliation in a message that was read during a Mass on Sunday at a religious gathering in the Italian sea resort of Rimini.In this moment of profound trouble, the thoughts of the Holy Father are with the Holy Land and the Middle East regions,said the message released Monday.Populations live there who are today tormented by enmity, by the absence of dialogue and of reconciliation, by the violence which tramples every right and legitimate expectation of people of good will, the message said.
The pope requested prayers that God touch the heart of all those who are involved in a conflict that has lasted too much time and which has claimed countless victims.He expressed hope that those who live in the Middle East recognize themselves as brothers and work together for a just and lasting peace.Benedict has been following Middle East developments from the Vatican summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, in the Alban Hills near Rome.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
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)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
Italy offers to lead UN Lebanon force
22.08.2006 - 09:57 CET | By Honor Mahony
Italy has formally offered to lead a UN international peacekeeping force in Lebanon and has said it will provide 2000 soldiers.Italian prime minister Romano Prodi made the offer on Monday (21 August) and it has been accepted by Beirut.I confirmed the Italian willingness,said Mr Prodi according to Reuters.He added that UN secretary general Kofi Annan is set to decide about the command of the forces by the weekend.[Mr Annan] will do that after completing all of the analyses and meetings with all of the leaders of all of the countries that could be interested in the mission,said the Italian leader.Italy's promise to send 2000 soldiers is the biggest commitment so far with countries hesitant to make firm promises until the rules of engagement are clear.
The Italian move stands in marked contrast to France which having been behind the diplomatic negotiations to work out a UN ceasefire resolution had also been expected to provide the bulk of the troops - instead it had said it will provide only 200 troops. France's stalling - due to worries about the chain of command - has unleashed strong criticism by several commentators in the US with critical editorials in newspapers such as the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times.A piece in Monday's New York Times entitled Waiting for Jacques' said It would be tempting to laugh about France's paltry commitment of 200 additional peacekeepers for Lebanon, if it weren't so dangerous.
When the Security Council agreed earlier this month on a cease-fire resolution, scripted by the French and the Americans, it was with the clear understanding that Paris would head the 15,000-member international force and contribute a large number of troops, the article continues.The administration in Washington has also voiced some dissatisfaction.I would hope they would put more troops in,president George W. Bush said. They understand the region as well as anybody.With pressure from Washington to see a quick deployment of a UN force in the background, EU officials will meet in Brussels on Wednesday (23 August) to try and coordinate their efforts.So far several EU member states including Italy, France, the UK, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Greece, Belgium, Finland and Portugal have indicated they will contribute.But the general effort falls far short of UN expectations of around 3,500 troops in place by the beginning of September with an overall aim of eventually having 15,000 troops in southern Lebanon.
UPDATED: 10:09, August 22, 2006
Greek FM's Mideast tour signals Athens' interest in region
Greece said on Monday Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis' tour to the Middle East region scheduled on Tuesday signaled Athens strong interest in developments in that region, especially since Greece will take over the presidency of the United Nations Security Council on Sept. 1. Foreign Ministry Spokesman George Koumoutsakos told reporters that the first stop on Bakoyannis tour will be Cyprus, which played a vital role in the evacuation of foreign nationals from besieged Lebanon, where she will meet Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos. The foreign minister is also scheduled to have talks with the political leadership of Lebanon, Israel and Jordan and with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
According to Koumoutsakos, Bakoyannis will seek to contribute to diplomatic efforts for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 during her meetings with Middle East government officials and will also press for full respect of the truce, in order to allow the distribution of humanitarian aid. Other goals of the trip include the support and reinforcement of the Lebanese government, understanding Israel's security concerns, attempting to establish a permanent and stable solution for the Palestinian problem, and promoting efforts for peace that are as broad and comprehensive as possible. Source: Xinhua
PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,(JORDAN) and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
EZEKIEL 38:5-6
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
OH YA IRAN REALLY WANTS NEGOTIATIONS...........RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Iran says it is ready for 'serious negotiations' on nuclear dispute
Tue Aug 22, 1:45 PM,By Ali Akbar Dareini
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's top nuclear negotiator said Tuesday that Tehran was ready to enter serious negotiations over its disputed nuclear program but did not say whether it was willing to suspend uranium enrichment - the West's key demand. The negotiator, Ali Larijani, hand-delivered Iran's response to a six-nation package of nuclear incentives aimed at persuading it to suspend enrichment. He gave the reply to ambassadors from Britain, China, Russia, France, Germany and Switzerland, state-run television said, without disclosing details. Iran is prepared as of Aug. 23 to enter serious negotiations with the countries that proposed the package, state-run television quoted Larijani as telling the envoys.
Iranian officials close to the meeting said Iran offered a new formula to resolve the dispute as part of its formal response to the incentive package. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information. Iran has provided a comprehensive response to everything said in the Western package. In addition, Iran, in its formal response, has asked some questions to be answered,one official said, without elaborating. European Union officials declined to comment, saying they needed to study the Iranian offer.Their response was likely to depend on how far Tehran was ready to go in suspending uranium enrichment the cornerstone demand of the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, the six powers that agreed to the package of incentives if Iran compromises and punishments if it does not. At UN headquarters in New York, U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said the United States is prepared to quickly submit elements of a new Security Council resolution that would impose economic sanctions on Iran if it does not accept the very, very generous offer" from the five permanent council members and Germany.
We will obviously study the Iranian response carefully, but we are also prepared if it does not meet the terms set by the permanent five foreign ministers to proceed here in the Security Council, as ministers have agreed, with economic sanctions,he said. If, on the other hand, the Iranians have chosen the path of co-operation, as we've said repeatedly, then a different relationship with the United States and the rest of the world is now possible,he said. Iran says it wants to master the technology to generate nuclear power. But critics say it is actually interested in enrichment because it can also be used to make the fissile core of nuclear weapons. The six powers - five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany - offered Iran the package in June. The United States is represented by Switzerland, which looks after U.S. interests in Tehran because it has not had diplomatic relations with Iran since 1979 when Muslim fundamentalists overran the U.S. Embassy.
Mohammed Saeedi, deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said in comments published Tuesday that Tehran's response would provide an exceptional opportunity for a return to the negotiating table for a compromise. Iran's response to the package is a comprehensive reply that can open the way for resumption of talks for a final agreement,Saeedi said. Even so, Iran on Monday twice showed its determination to push ahead with its nuclear program, which continues under the possible threat of economic and diplomatic sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council if it does not halt uranium enrichment by Aug. 31. It turned away International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors from an underground site meant to shelter its uranium enrichment program from attack and its top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared that Tehran will continue to pursue its nuclear activities. Iran has rejected the resolution passed by the council last month as illegal, saying a compromise can only emerge from talks. Likewise, Saeedi's optimistic words Tuesday were tempered by his assessment of the proposed packaged as containing serious ambiguities that need to be clarified in talks. The package does not mention the part of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty that affirms signatories' right to pursue nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, Saeedi said.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
BIG HITS ON MY SITE
1-BIG HITS. 2-Two Significant Earthquakes Rattle Virgin Islands In One Day. 3-Fourth tropical depression forms in Atlantic. 4-Mekong flooding claims dozens. 5-Mosquito Infestation' in China Leaves 26 Dead. 6-Train crashes kill 60 in Egypt and Spain.
BIG HITS
I JUST HAVE TO TAKE A MINUTE TO GIVE GOD (JESUS,THE GOD OF ISRAEL) ALL THE PRAISE AND GLORY FOR BLESSING MY SITE WITH 12,000 HITS IN 6 HOURS LAST WEDNESDAY FROM BLOGTOPSITES. AS OF SUNDAY NIGHT I HAVE A TOTAL OF 15,610 HITS AND MY SITE HAS BEEN OFFICALLY GOING SINCE JULY 1,2006 EVEN THOUGH MY SIGN UP DATE WAS APRIL 18TH. I GIVE GOD ALL THE PRAISE AND GLORY THAT I CAN PLANT SEEDS OF TRUTH TO THE WHOLE WORLD IN THESE LAST DAYS.
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
Two Significant Earthquakes Rattle Virgin Islands In One Day
Contributed by Andrea Milam,Monday, 21 August 2006
Monday, August 14, was a busy day for seismologists in the Virgin Islands. Two significant earthquakes shook the region — a 5.0 on Monday morning, and a 4.5 on Monday evening.A magnitude 5.0 earthquake rocked the territory at 9:09 a.m., according to the Puerto Rico Seismic Network.The earthquake originated at 19.022 degrees north, 64.636 west, or 50 miles north-northeast of Charlotte Amalie, at a depth of 13.3 miles.At 9:30 that evening, a magnitude 4.5 quake again rattled the territory. The evening’s quake was centered at 19.008 degrees north, 64.728 west, or 47 miles north-northeast of Charlotte Amalie, at a depth of 4.3 miles.
August 14 was an active day, with more than 30 recorded earthquakes, most in the 2.0-3.0 range, according to the Puerto Rico Seismic Network. Monday morning’s quake was the second strongest in the region for 2006.
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake, located at 19.358 degrees north, 63.787 degrees west, occurred on March 2 at 11:35 p.m. Monday morning’s quake was enough to shake items such as potted plants and, in some cases, send residents scurrying outside, but no significant damage was reported.
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;
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Fourth tropical depression forms in Atlantic Mon Aug 21, 6:12 PM ET
MIAMI (Reuters) - The fourth tropical depression of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season formed on Monday in the far eastern Atlantic and was expected to become Tropical Storm Debby as it approached the southernmost Cape Verde islands. By 5 p.m. (2100 GMT), the depression was about 250 miles southeast of the islands, and moving toward the west-northwest at 12 miles per hour, the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said.It was too early to predict whether the weather system would eventually reach the Gulf of Mexico or the U.S. East coast, both battered last year by a record hurricane season that produced 28 storms, including Hurricane Katrina.Oil traders, wary of storms since hurricanes ripped through oil and gas platforms in the Gulf in 2004 and 2005, said they were keeping an eye on the depression.
The hurricane center said the government of the Cape Verde islands had issued a tropical storm warning as the depression's maximum sustained winds reached 35 mph (55 kph).Once it reaches 39 mph (63 kph), the system will be categorized as a tropical storm and be given a name, Debby. That was expected to occur within the next 24 hours, the hurricane center said.The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season has been quiet to date. So far, only three tropical storms have formed -- Alberto, Beryl and Chris. Strong wind shear -- the difference in wind speed and direction at different levels of the atmosphere -- has disrupted some of the tropical weather systems that eventually become cyclones.In comparison, nine storms developed by August 7 last year.Last year Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans after coming ashore in Louisiana on August 29, killing around 1,300 people and Hurricane Wilma, later in the season, at one point became the strongest Atlantic storm on record.Hurricane experts say it is not unusual for the first two or three months of the June 1 to November 30 storm season to see little activity. The worst part of the season is usually between mid-August and late October.
Mekong flooding claims dozens
Tuesday, August 22, 2006 Posted: 0104 GMT (0904 HKT)
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Reuters) Cambodia and Vietnam are trying to rush aid to thousands of people left homeless from heavy rain that have claimed more than four dozen lives in the two countries.
In Cambodia, torrential rains swelling the annual Mekong floods have killed at least eight Cambodians and damaged several thousand hectares (acres) of paddy fields, officials said.
The government was seeking United Nations help to get food to thousands of villagers made homeless by the floods, Nhim Vanda, deputy chairman of the national disaster committee, told Reuters on Monday.Cambodia's Red Cross had distributed food to nearly 10,000 people in the southern province of Kampot, the hardest hit, but others were still awaiting help, provincial governor Thach Khorn said.Four people were killed in Kampot, where the floods had damaged more than 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) of paddy fields, he said.
In the western province of Kampong Speu, a 14-year-old girl was swept away by a flash flood while cutting grass to feed cattle and two children drowned in the northeastern province of Kratie, officials said.Nhim Vanda said that while the floods had damaged rice crops in the short term, they might be beneficial overall.Floods have killed people and destroyed infrastructures, but at the same
time they are also bringing fertile marsh soil,he said.The floods also damaged roads, bridges and schools, officials said.In Vietnam, flooding, landslides and lightning have killed 15 people and left one missing since this past weekend in Vietnam, bringing the country's toll in a week of torrential rain to 42, according to reports in that country.Thousands have been evacuated to higher ground
as water levels in the northern region's main rivers were expected to continue rising with more rainfall forecast for the coming week, state media quoted a government report as saying on Sunday.Northern Vietnam is not the country's key area for rice production, but more rain also was expected in the southern Mekong Delta rice basket in coming days. However, most of the summer-autumn rice crop has already been harvested.Natural disasters, especially floods and storms, kill several hundred people in Vietnam each year, mainly during the storm season between May and October.
This year's rains and floods caused no damage to the coffee crop in the Central Highlands where coffee trees are planted on higher ground.Officials said four people were killed in a landslide in the northern province of Yen Bai on Saturday.
Lightning killed two people in Nghe An province and two more on the outskirts of capital Hanoi while five were swept away in flash flooding.Sunday's Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper said two people drowned as their boat capsized early on Saturday on a river in the southern province of Dong Nai.
Another man was swept away and reported missing in the northern province of Phu Tho after he tried to save his fish pond, the government report said.As of Friday, at least 27 people were reported killed in northern and central regions of the Southeast Asian country.Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
Mosquito Infestation' in China Leaves 26 Dead
By Osman Erol, Cihan News Agency, Beijing,Monday, August 21, 2006,zaman.com
In China, the death toll stemming from the mosquito-borne disease Encephalitis B rose to 26.With the seven additional deaths, the encephalitis death toll reached 26 in Shanghai province, northern China, reporters said. Officials took all emergency precautions to bring the outbreak under control. Children and those residing outside of cities make up 82 percent of those affected by the diseases, Shanghai Province Health Bureau reported. Encephalitis can appear in people who have been bitten by mosquitoes carrying the disease. The disease leads to the inflammation of the brain and subsequent paralysis of the central nervous system, if left untreated, leaves 60 percent of those infected dead. Each year 50,000 “Encephalitis B” cases appear in Asia, and 15,000 result in death, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) records.The outbreak first appeared in Shanghai on July 13.
NAHUM 2:3-4
3 The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots(AUTOMOBILES) shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation,(LIGHTS) and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.
4 The chariots shall rage in the streets,(DRIVE FAST) they shall justle(ACCIDENTS) one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.(LIGHTS AND FAST)
22 August 2006
Train crashes kill 60 in Egypt and Spain
TRAIN accidents in Egypt and Spain killed more than 60 people yesterday while the Channel Tunnel was also closed to passengers following a fire. A passenger train travelling towards a railway station in northern Egypt collided with a second train, killing at least 58 people and injuring 143 — in the latest accident on Egypt’s dilapidated third-class railway service.In Spain at least five people died in a train derailment in northern Spain.The six-carriage, long-distance train was carrying 460 passengers.
A spokeswoman for the state rail company RENFE said the train had derailed shortly before 4pm local time (3pm Irish time) near the town of Villada, in the Palencia province of northern Spain. There was no immediate indication of terrorism or other foul play, said Civil Guard spokesman Ruben Marcos.The train was heading from the northwest Galicia region through the Basque region toward the border with France when it derailed in the station in Villada.The accident came just over a month after 43 people were killed when a subway train derailed in downtown Valencia in eastern Spain. That accident — the worst for a subway system in Spain — was blamed on excessive speed.Egypt’s official Middle East News Agency quoted Minister of Health Hatem el-Gabaly on the death toll for the accident that happened at 7am local time (5am Irish time) outside the town of Qalyoub, about 12 miles north of the capital Cairo.Mr el-Gabaly said four of the wounded were in a critical condition.
The front part of one train was crumpled in, while mangled carriages from both trains lay on their sides or on the edge of a neighbouring cornfield. Both trains were southbound and carrying commuters to Cairo from the Nile Delta towns of Mansoura and Benha.The train from Mansoura was going at least 50mph when the collision occurred, having failed to heed a stop signal outside Qalyoub station, police sources said.A fire that broke out as a result of the incident was extinguished.Meanwhile, the decision to suspend all Channel Tunnel services came after a smoke alarm was activated on a Eurotunnel freight shuttle train carrying 34 people at around 12.30pm.The train occupants were safely evacuated into the service tunnel.No one was injured in the incident, which saw the tunnel closed for four and a half hours.
BIG HITS
I JUST HAVE TO TAKE A MINUTE TO GIVE GOD (JESUS,THE GOD OF ISRAEL) ALL THE PRAISE AND GLORY FOR BLESSING MY SITE WITH 12,000 HITS IN 6 HOURS LAST WEDNESDAY FROM BLOGTOPSITES. AS OF SUNDAY NIGHT I HAVE A TOTAL OF 15,610 HITS AND MY SITE HAS BEEN OFFICALLY GOING SINCE JULY 1,2006 EVEN THOUGH MY SIGN UP DATE WAS APRIL 18TH. I GIVE GOD ALL THE PRAISE AND GLORY THAT I CAN PLANT SEEDS OF TRUTH TO THE WHOLE WORLD IN THESE LAST DAYS.
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
Two Significant Earthquakes Rattle Virgin Islands In One Day
Contributed by Andrea Milam,Monday, 21 August 2006
Monday, August 14, was a busy day for seismologists in the Virgin Islands. Two significant earthquakes shook the region — a 5.0 on Monday morning, and a 4.5 on Monday evening.A magnitude 5.0 earthquake rocked the territory at 9:09 a.m., according to the Puerto Rico Seismic Network.The earthquake originated at 19.022 degrees north, 64.636 west, or 50 miles north-northeast of Charlotte Amalie, at a depth of 13.3 miles.At 9:30 that evening, a magnitude 4.5 quake again rattled the territory. The evening’s quake was centered at 19.008 degrees north, 64.728 west, or 47 miles north-northeast of Charlotte Amalie, at a depth of 4.3 miles.
August 14 was an active day, with more than 30 recorded earthquakes, most in the 2.0-3.0 range, according to the Puerto Rico Seismic Network. Monday morning’s quake was the second strongest in the region for 2006.
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake, located at 19.358 degrees north, 63.787 degrees west, occurred on March 2 at 11:35 p.m. Monday morning’s quake was enough to shake items such as potted plants and, in some cases, send residents scurrying outside, but no significant damage was reported.
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;
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Fourth tropical depression forms in Atlantic Mon Aug 21, 6:12 PM ET
MIAMI (Reuters) - The fourth tropical depression of the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season formed on Monday in the far eastern Atlantic and was expected to become Tropical Storm Debby as it approached the southernmost Cape Verde islands. By 5 p.m. (2100 GMT), the depression was about 250 miles southeast of the islands, and moving toward the west-northwest at 12 miles per hour, the Miami-based U.S. National Hurricane Center said.It was too early to predict whether the weather system would eventually reach the Gulf of Mexico or the U.S. East coast, both battered last year by a record hurricane season that produced 28 storms, including Hurricane Katrina.Oil traders, wary of storms since hurricanes ripped through oil and gas platforms in the Gulf in 2004 and 2005, said they were keeping an eye on the depression.
The hurricane center said the government of the Cape Verde islands had issued a tropical storm warning as the depression's maximum sustained winds reached 35 mph (55 kph).Once it reaches 39 mph (63 kph), the system will be categorized as a tropical storm and be given a name, Debby. That was expected to occur within the next 24 hours, the hurricane center said.The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season has been quiet to date. So far, only three tropical storms have formed -- Alberto, Beryl and Chris. Strong wind shear -- the difference in wind speed and direction at different levels of the atmosphere -- has disrupted some of the tropical weather systems that eventually become cyclones.In comparison, nine storms developed by August 7 last year.Last year Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans after coming ashore in Louisiana on August 29, killing around 1,300 people and Hurricane Wilma, later in the season, at one point became the strongest Atlantic storm on record.Hurricane experts say it is not unusual for the first two or three months of the June 1 to November 30 storm season to see little activity. The worst part of the season is usually between mid-August and late October.
Mekong flooding claims dozens
Tuesday, August 22, 2006 Posted: 0104 GMT (0904 HKT)
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (Reuters) Cambodia and Vietnam are trying to rush aid to thousands of people left homeless from heavy rain that have claimed more than four dozen lives in the two countries.
In Cambodia, torrential rains swelling the annual Mekong floods have killed at least eight Cambodians and damaged several thousand hectares (acres) of paddy fields, officials said.
The government was seeking United Nations help to get food to thousands of villagers made homeless by the floods, Nhim Vanda, deputy chairman of the national disaster committee, told Reuters on Monday.Cambodia's Red Cross had distributed food to nearly 10,000 people in the southern province of Kampot, the hardest hit, but others were still awaiting help, provincial governor Thach Khorn said.Four people were killed in Kampot, where the floods had damaged more than 4,000 hectares (10,000 acres) of paddy fields, he said.
In the western province of Kampong Speu, a 14-year-old girl was swept away by a flash flood while cutting grass to feed cattle and two children drowned in the northeastern province of Kratie, officials said.Nhim Vanda said that while the floods had damaged rice crops in the short term, they might be beneficial overall.Floods have killed people and destroyed infrastructures, but at the same
time they are also bringing fertile marsh soil,he said.The floods also damaged roads, bridges and schools, officials said.In Vietnam, flooding, landslides and lightning have killed 15 people and left one missing since this past weekend in Vietnam, bringing the country's toll in a week of torrential rain to 42, according to reports in that country.Thousands have been evacuated to higher ground
as water levels in the northern region's main rivers were expected to continue rising with more rainfall forecast for the coming week, state media quoted a government report as saying on Sunday.Northern Vietnam is not the country's key area for rice production, but more rain also was expected in the southern Mekong Delta rice basket in coming days. However, most of the summer-autumn rice crop has already been harvested.Natural disasters, especially floods and storms, kill several hundred people in Vietnam each year, mainly during the storm season between May and October.
This year's rains and floods caused no damage to the coffee crop in the Central Highlands where coffee trees are planted on higher ground.Officials said four people were killed in a landslide in the northern province of Yen Bai on Saturday.
Lightning killed two people in Nghe An province and two more on the outskirts of capital Hanoi while five were swept away in flash flooding.Sunday's Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper said two people drowned as their boat capsized early on Saturday on a river in the southern province of Dong Nai.
Another man was swept away and reported missing in the northern province of Phu Tho after he tried to save his fish pond, the government report said.As of Friday, at least 27 people were reported killed in northern and central regions of the Southeast Asian country.Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
Mosquito Infestation' in China Leaves 26 Dead
By Osman Erol, Cihan News Agency, Beijing,Monday, August 21, 2006,zaman.com
In China, the death toll stemming from the mosquito-borne disease Encephalitis B rose to 26.With the seven additional deaths, the encephalitis death toll reached 26 in Shanghai province, northern China, reporters said. Officials took all emergency precautions to bring the outbreak under control. Children and those residing outside of cities make up 82 percent of those affected by the diseases, Shanghai Province Health Bureau reported. Encephalitis can appear in people who have been bitten by mosquitoes carrying the disease. The disease leads to the inflammation of the brain and subsequent paralysis of the central nervous system, if left untreated, leaves 60 percent of those infected dead. Each year 50,000 “Encephalitis B” cases appear in Asia, and 15,000 result in death, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) records.The outbreak first appeared in Shanghai on July 13.
NAHUM 2:3-4
3 The shield of his mighty men is made red, the valiant men are in scarlet: the chariots(AUTOMOBILES) shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation,(LIGHTS) and the fir trees shall be terribly shaken.
4 The chariots shall rage in the streets,(DRIVE FAST) they shall justle(ACCIDENTS) one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings.(LIGHTS AND FAST)
22 August 2006
Train crashes kill 60 in Egypt and Spain
TRAIN accidents in Egypt and Spain killed more than 60 people yesterday while the Channel Tunnel was also closed to passengers following a fire. A passenger train travelling towards a railway station in northern Egypt collided with a second train, killing at least 58 people and injuring 143 — in the latest accident on Egypt’s dilapidated third-class railway service.In Spain at least five people died in a train derailment in northern Spain.The six-carriage, long-distance train was carrying 460 passengers.
A spokeswoman for the state rail company RENFE said the train had derailed shortly before 4pm local time (3pm Irish time) near the town of Villada, in the Palencia province of northern Spain. There was no immediate indication of terrorism or other foul play, said Civil Guard spokesman Ruben Marcos.The train was heading from the northwest Galicia region through the Basque region toward the border with France when it derailed in the station in Villada.The accident came just over a month after 43 people were killed when a subway train derailed in downtown Valencia in eastern Spain. That accident — the worst for a subway system in Spain — was blamed on excessive speed.Egypt’s official Middle East News Agency quoted Minister of Health Hatem el-Gabaly on the death toll for the accident that happened at 7am local time (5am Irish time) outside the town of Qalyoub, about 12 miles north of the capital Cairo.Mr el-Gabaly said four of the wounded were in a critical condition.
The front part of one train was crumpled in, while mangled carriages from both trains lay on their sides or on the edge of a neighbouring cornfield. Both trains were southbound and carrying commuters to Cairo from the Nile Delta towns of Mansoura and Benha.The train from Mansoura was going at least 50mph when the collision occurred, having failed to heed a stop signal outside Qalyoub station, police sources said.A fire that broke out as a result of the incident was extinguished.Meanwhile, the decision to suspend all Channel Tunnel services came after a smoke alarm was activated on a Eurotunnel freight shuttle train carrying 34 people at around 12.30pm.The train occupants were safely evacuated into the service tunnel.No one was injured in the incident, which saw the tunnel closed for four and a half hours.
Monday, August 21, 2006
IRAN CONTINUES NUCLEAR PROGRAM
1-Japan set to kick-start pan-Asian free trade area. 2-Eight killed in Cambodia floods. 3-Italy ready to lead Lebanon force if Europe commits.4-Annan abuses power – sides again against Israel. 5-Calls Intensify for Government´s Resignation. 5-Oil nears $72 on Iran nuke deadline. 6-Iran's Supreme Leader Vows to Continue Nuclear Program.
DANIEL 7:23
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING
BLOCKS)
Japan set to kick-start pan-Asian free trade area
21.08.2006 - 09:57 CET | By Lisbeth Kirk
Japanese minister of economy Toshihiro Nikai is set to unveil plans for a pan-Asian free trade area of 3.1 billion people, half the world's population, Malaysian news agency Bernama has reported ahead of the 38th ASEAN Economic Ministers meeting starting today in Kuala Lumpur.The free trade area would include ASEAN-countries Australia, China, South Korea, India, Japan and New Zealand and would be promoted by a Japanese fund of 100 million US dollars.The Japanese minister will travel to Malaysia on Tuesday (22 August) seeking acceptance for his plan from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministers.
The 39-year-old ASEAN bloc agreed already in October 2003 to set up a single market by 2020, modelled on the EU. But ministers meeting this week hope to speed up the plans and get it ready by 2015.We need to muster political will to create the AEC [Asean Economic Community] by 2015, instead of 2020,ASEAN secretary-general Ong Keng Yong said, according to AP.China and ASEAN have already agreed to create no-tariff zone by 2010 in their combined market of 2 billion people.
At this week's meeting a deal with the US to facilitate trade and investment is expected to get signed. ASEAN is the America's fourth largest trading partner.
ASEAN was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok by Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Burma and Cambodia have joined later.The grouping was originally set up to insure that south east Asian countries would provide a buffer against Communist China.
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;
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Eight killed in Cambodia floods Mon Aug 21, 6:57 AM ET
PHNOM PENH (AFP) - At least eight people have been killed by heavy floods in Cambodia as the Mekong River burst its banks due to heavy seasonal rains.Five people were killed in floods in the southwestern provinces of Kampot and Kampong Speu, said Nhim Vanda, head of the national disaster management committee.Some of them were swept away as they tried to find food for their animals and themselves, he said Monday.One of them was very old and he could not run away from the floodwater. Another man was killed while fishing in a stream,Nhim Vanda told AFP.
Three other people drowned in the Mekong's raging waters in northeastern Kratie province, he said.The floods have damaged roads and destroyed thousands of hectares (acres) of rice paddies and other crops, but the government has not released an official casualty figure.Prime Minister Hun Sen last Wednesday ordered officials and armed forces to be ready to rescue thousands of villagers who could be trapped by the floods.Impoverished Cambodia is a mainly agricultural country where the vast majority of people live on farming to make a living. Flooding due to seasonal rains is an annual hazard.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
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)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
Italy ready to lead Lebanon force if Europe commits By Stephen Brown
Mon Aug 21, 7:29 AM ET
ROME (Reuters) - Italy is ready to lead a U.N. force in southern Lebanon if its European partners commit themselves to the operation, which the Italian opposition warned on Monday could prove to be a kamikaze mission. Prime Minister Romano Prodi,
asked by Israel's Ehud Olmert on Sunday to lead the new multinational force of up to 15,000 troops, sought French, German and Turkish assurances this weekend that Italy would not head into Lebanon alone.
I understand we all have our problems, but we must go forward in unity,he was quoted as saying by Corriere della Sera newspaper in telephone calls to muster support.But the centre-right opposition, mindful of public sensitivity to military casualties which forced Prodi's predecessor Silvio Berlusconi to scale back Italy's presence in Iraq, said Rome's enthusiasm was unmatched by its neighbors.
Chirac will send a few generals, Germany a launch or two, while we have to send troops dressed as kamikazes in the Italian flag, said Francesco Storace of the rightist National Alliance.The Italian government has approved sending up to 3,000 troops, making it the biggest contributor so far to the peacekeeping force that will try to uphold the current truce.In contrast, France has scaled down its commitment to 200 troops for now, due to worries about the chain of command.Turkey may be a major contributor but like Italy, Spain and others it awaits clear rules of engagement by the United Nations.
GOOD RELATIONS
Italy's so far unmatched commitment stems from its proximity to the Middle East and Prodi's wish to reverse the isolation in Europe that Rome suffered as a result of the pro-U.S. stance of Berlusconi.Italy can resume the role it used to have, like in the Suez crisis, Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Bobo Craxi told La Repubblica daily, referring to Italian mediation in the 1950s.Italy hosted Lebanon crisis talks in July but the meeting was criticized for not agreeing to call for an immediate ceasefire.Prodi's office said calls with Olmert and Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora on Sunday elicited praise for Italy with its excellent relations with all
countries in the area, being ready for a role of primary importance in the UNIFIL mission.Prodi has not yet spoken of an Italian command, but Defense Minister Arturo Parisi has said this could happen eventually.One general with peacekeeping experience said Italy's good relations in the Middle East made it diplomatically suitable.
I believe an Italian command would meet with approval among the Arabs and Israelis,Carlo Cabigiosu, a retired general who led a multinational force in Kosovo, told La Repubblica.And we have a good card to play with Hizbollah: our good relations with Iran, he said, referring to Iran's patronage of the Lebanese-based guerrillas whose month-long war with Israel devastated southern Lebanon.Prodi also runs the risk of opposition to the Lebanon force emerging inside his own coalition, which includes communists who recently tried to block Prodi from keeping Italian soldiers on a NATO-led peace and reconstruction mission in Afghanistan.
Annan abuses power – sides again against Israel
Refused to condemn Hizb'allah's violation of the ceasefire
For the second time in a month, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan revealed his pro-Arab bias at the weekend when, instead of condemning the Hizb’allah for breaking the terms of the ceasefire between it and Israel, he condemned Israel for acting in accordance with the provisions of that agreement.Annan was backed up by his special Middle East envoy and also long-time critic of Israel, Terje Roed-Larsen.
The UN chief wagged his finger at Israel after an IDF commando raid carried out an operation Saturday aimed at preventing Hizb’allah armaments from being replenished via Syria.According to the ceasefire resolution passed by the UN Security Council last week, the Lebanese government is obliged to prevent the re-supplying of Hizb’allah with weaponry, and Israel has the right to exercise self-defense to prevent such a rearmament taking place.
In a 33-day-long war ignited by an unprovoked Hizb’allah attack inside sovereign Israeli territory last month, the Iranian- and Syrian supplied Muslim terrorist organization repeatedly committed war crimes under international law when it rained more than 3000 rockets down on Israeli population centers, with the express intent of killing as many Jewish civilians as possible.Throughout the war Syria was seen to be replenishing the Hizb’allah’s rocket stocks.An integral part of the ceasefire subsequently imposed on the two main parties to the conflict – Israel and Lebanon – and agreed to by the parties, banned the Hizb’allah from continuing its aggression against Israel, and granted Israel the right to take self-defensive action to ensure that no further Hizb’allah aggression was facilitated against Israel.
When, on Saturday, the Israeli government learned that Hizb’allah was indeed being re-supplied through Syria, it sent IDF forces to carry out a raid in order to thwart this attempt.As such, Israel’s action was in full compliance with the Security Council resolution, and the Hizb’allah, together with its support base in the Lebanese government, was in violation of that resolution.Instead of scoring the guilty parties, however, Annan chose to condemn the IDF operation, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire.Late last month, after a building collapsed following an Israeli Air Force raid, killing a still undetermined number of Lebanese in the village of Kana, Annan accused Israel of deliberately killing civilians.The one issue that most unites the nations of Annan’s UN is the Arab-Israeli conflict, regarding which that organization has passed more resolutions – all of which have condemned Israel – than any other conflict on earth.
On Sunday night, Annan’s special envoy, Roed-Larsen, announced his intention to visit Israel and be as forceful as he could be in dealing with the government in Jerusalem.In this way the United Nations once again demonstrated the international community’s intention to override Israeli sovereignty and support acts of Arab aggression against the Jewish state.The ancient Hebrew Scriptures warn repeatedly of a future when all the nations of the world will be gathered together against the restored nation of Israel.Many Christians believe that the world’s unmitigated hostility towards and unjust treatment of the Jewish state evidenced in the last four decades is evidence that we are living in those foretold days.
Calls Intensify for Government´s Resignation
By Hillel Fendel(INN)
Lebanese war reserve soldier veterans, newspaper columnists on right and left, MKs, new Russian immigrants and more - are calling for the government to resign in the wake of the recent Lebanese War. A group of reserve soldiers who fought in Lebanon will set off on a protest march today (Monday), calling upon Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz to resign.
The soldiers say that Olmert and Peretz failed in managing the just-ended war in Lebanon.The march will set out from the Kastel - an Independence War battle site near Mevaseret Zion - and will head towards the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem, a 7-kilometer (4.5-mile) trek. The soldiers explain that the confused and contradictory orders handed down to them during the course of the war indicate an unclear strategy and set of objectives. They also claim that severe problems in logistics, manifest in outdated equipment and lack of food, helped lose some battles.
Two Thursdays ago, some 50 people gathered in Rabin Square to demand personal responsibility from the government ministers, and their consequent resignation. This past Thursday, the number grew to 150 - and this coming Thursday, the organizers expect even more. Among them will be at least one busload of new immigrants from Russia, Ariella, one of the chief organizers, told Arutz-7.This is apparently the first time they are really taking to the streets for a political cause.Ariella explained that the people represented at the Thursday rallies are from all parts of the political spectrum.Haaretz reported that some 160 infantry reserve soldiers accuse their commanders of preventing them from participating in the demonstration.
The reservists say their release from the army was delayed just long enough to keep them from taking part.Just a few days ago, MK Nissan Slomiansky (National Religious Party) said, in response to the government decision to push off a Knesset vote on a budget cut, In continuation of the general public atmosphere that the time has come to replace this government, it turns out that the government doesn't even have full
support within the coalition.
MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) called for Olmert to suspend himself.
Columnist Uzi Benziman of Haaretz wrote, towards the end of the war: Whichever way you look at it, if the prime minister opposed the broadening of the war, why did he succumb to the pressure of the military establishment? And, if he did approve it, how dare his aides attempt to clear him, in retrospect, of the responsibility for its painful results...? Furthermore, how does the decision to rush toward the Litani River fit with the frenzied disposition at the IDF, as the flames are dying, to withdraw 'quickly and carefully' most of the troops from Lebanese soil? And, if Olmert indeed did not intend to broaden the war and was more inclined toward a ceasefire, why did he agree to the dismissal of the head of the Northern Command a day earlier? After all, if the war is about to end, why is it necessary to humiliate the commander of the war front during the last day of the fighting? When Olmert announces that he, above all others, is responsible for the way the war was carried out, but avoids reaching the necessary personal conclusions, he is behaving according to norms that have dominated public life in recent years: the declaration is enough. In other words, there is no need to pay the price that problematic behavior demands.
The Jerusalem Post's Caroline Glick has written that there is no need for an official commission of inquiry to investigate the war - simply because it is obvious that the Olmert government has failed on every level. The Olmert government must go.If the Knesset does not topple the government, the people of Israel must take to the streets in mass demonstrations to demand this.
It was the government's responsibility,Glick writes, to question the IDF's operational model of aerial warfare and to cut its losses when after two or three days it was clear that the model was wrong. At that point the government should have called up the reserves and launched a combined ground and air offensive. [Instead,] it abandoned its war goals, declared victory and sued for a cease-fire. When the public objected, after waiting two precious weeks, the government called up the reserves but then waited another unforgivable 10 days before committing them to battle.Glick says that Foreign Minister Livny did her best to demoralize the IDF and
the public by publicly proclaiming that there is no military solution to what is clearly a military conflict,and chose not to publicly argue Israel's case.
Ari Shavit of Haaretz wrote:You cannot lead an entire nation to war promising victory, produce humiliating defeat and remain in power. You cannot bury 120 [159] Israelis in cemeteries, keep a million Israelis in shelters for a month, wear down deterrent power, bring the next war very close, and then say, Oops, I made a mistake, that was not the intention, pass me a cigar, please.There is no mistake Ehud Olmert did not make this past month.
He went to war hastily, without properly gauging the outcome. He blindly followed the military without asking the necessary questions. He mistakenly gambled on air operations, was strangely late with the ground operation, and failed to implement the army's original plan, much more daring and sophisticated than that which was implemented. And after arrogantly and hastily bursting into war, Olmert managed it hesitantly, unfocused and limp. He neglected the home front and abandoned the residents of the north. He also failed shamefully on the diplomatic front.
Oil nears $72 on Iran nuke deadline
No. 4 oil exporter vows to continue uranium program ahead of Tuesday's response.
August 21 2006: 11:35 AM EDT
SINGAPORE (Reuters) -- Oil rose to almost $72 a barrel on Monday as Iran vowed to pursue its nuclear program, inviting possible sanctions against the world's fourth-largest oil exporter.
Iran's supreme leader on Monday said the Islamic Republic would press on with its nuclear work. Iran had said it would respond formally by Tuesday to Western incentives to halt nuclear enrichment.The market is saying, my God, there are going to be sanctions and it may involve oil,said Deborah White, oil analyst at Societe Generale.U.S. crude was up 71 cents at $71.85 a barrel by 10:54 a.m. ET. London Brent crude rose $1.10 to $73.40.The United Nations Security Council has demanded that Iran halt its nuclear work by a second deadline of Aug. 31, raising the prospect of punitive action by the U.N.
The Iranian situation is obviously going to cause some concern over the next few days,said Kevin Norrish, oil analyst at Barclays Capital.Overall, the downside appears to be over for the time being.The United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany have offered incentives for Iran to suspend enrichment. Tehran, which insists its nuclear aims are purely civilian, shows no sign of accepting the package.Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's highest authority, was quoted on state television on Monday as saying Iran would pursue its nuclear plans.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has made its decision and, in the issue of nuclear energy, will continue its path powerfully ...and it will receive the sweet fruits of its efforts,he said.U.S. crude has risen about 18 percent this year on concern the nuclear row could cut Iran's exports of more than 2 million barrels per day and as violence in Nigeria reduced supplies.The West accuses Iran of seeking to develop atomic weapons under cover of a civilian nuclear program. Tehran denies it seeks to make bombs, saying it only wants to make electricity.Oil traders are also watching the week-old truce between Israel and Hezbollah, which the U.N. said on Sunday could easily collapse again if the U.N. resolution that engendered it was violated further.
The conflict had boosted New York crude to a record $78.40 on July 14 on worries it could spread to oil producers in the Middle East, source of almost a third of world supply.But prices fell back in response to the cease fire and on Friday dipped below $70 for the first time since June.Easing supply pressure, BP (up $0.37 to $70.34, Charts) said on Friday that it had boosted output by 70,000 bpd at its Prudhoe Bay oilfield in Alaska in the last several days to about 220,000 bpd, or about half of normal operating levels.The supply loss from the biggest U.S. oilfield raised fears of an unexpectedly big drop in crude inventories. But data last week showed a decline that was in line with forecasts.
Iran's Supreme Leader Vows to Continue Nuclear Program
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Aug 21,06
Iran's supreme leader says his country will continue to pursue nuclear technology, despite a U.N. demand it stop sensitive nuclear work.Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Iran has made up its mind to press on with nuclear work. He says the United States is putting pressure on Iran to abandon nuclear research even though it knows Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons.The United Nations Security Council has given Iran until the end of this month to suspend uranium enrichment or face possible sanctions.
President Bush says he hopes the Security Council will quickly take action if Iran fails to meet the deadline.Iran says it will respond Tuesday to the West's incentive offer to stop its uranium enrichment. But officials say it has no plans to give up nuclear work.
The United States and much of Europe accuse Iran of planning to build a nuclear bomb - a charge Tehran denies.Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
DANIEL 7:23
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING
BLOCKS)
Japan set to kick-start pan-Asian free trade area
21.08.2006 - 09:57 CET | By Lisbeth Kirk
Japanese minister of economy Toshihiro Nikai is set to unveil plans for a pan-Asian free trade area of 3.1 billion people, half the world's population, Malaysian news agency Bernama has reported ahead of the 38th ASEAN Economic Ministers meeting starting today in Kuala Lumpur.The free trade area would include ASEAN-countries Australia, China, South Korea, India, Japan and New Zealand and would be promoted by a Japanese fund of 100 million US dollars.The Japanese minister will travel to Malaysia on Tuesday (22 August) seeking acceptance for his plan from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministers.
The 39-year-old ASEAN bloc agreed already in October 2003 to set up a single market by 2020, modelled on the EU. But ministers meeting this week hope to speed up the plans and get it ready by 2015.We need to muster political will to create the AEC [Asean Economic Community] by 2015, instead of 2020,ASEAN secretary-general Ong Keng Yong said, according to AP.China and ASEAN have already agreed to create no-tariff zone by 2010 in their combined market of 2 billion people.
At this week's meeting a deal with the US to facilitate trade and investment is expected to get signed. ASEAN is the America's fourth largest trading partner.
ASEAN was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok by Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Burma and Cambodia have joined later.The grouping was originally set up to insure that south east Asian countries would provide a buffer against Communist China.
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;
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Eight killed in Cambodia floods Mon Aug 21, 6:57 AM ET
PHNOM PENH (AFP) - At least eight people have been killed by heavy floods in Cambodia as the Mekong River burst its banks due to heavy seasonal rains.Five people were killed in floods in the southwestern provinces of Kampot and Kampong Speu, said Nhim Vanda, head of the national disaster management committee.Some of them were swept away as they tried to find food for their animals and themselves, he said Monday.One of them was very old and he could not run away from the floodwater. Another man was killed while fishing in a stream,Nhim Vanda told AFP.
Three other people drowned in the Mekong's raging waters in northeastern Kratie province, he said.The floods have damaged roads and destroyed thousands of hectares (acres) of rice paddies and other crops, but the government has not released an official casualty figure.Prime Minister Hun Sen last Wednesday ordered officials and armed forces to be ready to rescue thousands of villagers who could be trapped by the floods.Impoverished Cambodia is a mainly agricultural country where the vast majority of people live on farming to make a living. Flooding due to seasonal rains is an annual hazard.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
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)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
Italy ready to lead Lebanon force if Europe commits By Stephen Brown
Mon Aug 21, 7:29 AM ET
ROME (Reuters) - Italy is ready to lead a U.N. force in southern Lebanon if its European partners commit themselves to the operation, which the Italian opposition warned on Monday could prove to be a kamikaze mission. Prime Minister Romano Prodi,
asked by Israel's Ehud Olmert on Sunday to lead the new multinational force of up to 15,000 troops, sought French, German and Turkish assurances this weekend that Italy would not head into Lebanon alone.
I understand we all have our problems, but we must go forward in unity,he was quoted as saying by Corriere della Sera newspaper in telephone calls to muster support.But the centre-right opposition, mindful of public sensitivity to military casualties which forced Prodi's predecessor Silvio Berlusconi to scale back Italy's presence in Iraq, said Rome's enthusiasm was unmatched by its neighbors.
Chirac will send a few generals, Germany a launch or two, while we have to send troops dressed as kamikazes in the Italian flag, said Francesco Storace of the rightist National Alliance.The Italian government has approved sending up to 3,000 troops, making it the biggest contributor so far to the peacekeeping force that will try to uphold the current truce.In contrast, France has scaled down its commitment to 200 troops for now, due to worries about the chain of command.Turkey may be a major contributor but like Italy, Spain and others it awaits clear rules of engagement by the United Nations.
GOOD RELATIONS
Italy's so far unmatched commitment stems from its proximity to the Middle East and Prodi's wish to reverse the isolation in Europe that Rome suffered as a result of the pro-U.S. stance of Berlusconi.Italy can resume the role it used to have, like in the Suez crisis, Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Bobo Craxi told La Repubblica daily, referring to Italian mediation in the 1950s.Italy hosted Lebanon crisis talks in July but the meeting was criticized for not agreeing to call for an immediate ceasefire.Prodi's office said calls with Olmert and Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora on Sunday elicited praise for Italy with its excellent relations with all
countries in the area, being ready for a role of primary importance in the UNIFIL mission.Prodi has not yet spoken of an Italian command, but Defense Minister Arturo Parisi has said this could happen eventually.One general with peacekeeping experience said Italy's good relations in the Middle East made it diplomatically suitable.
I believe an Italian command would meet with approval among the Arabs and Israelis,Carlo Cabigiosu, a retired general who led a multinational force in Kosovo, told La Repubblica.And we have a good card to play with Hizbollah: our good relations with Iran, he said, referring to Iran's patronage of the Lebanese-based guerrillas whose month-long war with Israel devastated southern Lebanon.Prodi also runs the risk of opposition to the Lebanon force emerging inside his own coalition, which includes communists who recently tried to block Prodi from keeping Italian soldiers on a NATO-led peace and reconstruction mission in Afghanistan.
Annan abuses power – sides again against Israel
Refused to condemn Hizb'allah's violation of the ceasefire
For the second time in a month, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan revealed his pro-Arab bias at the weekend when, instead of condemning the Hizb’allah for breaking the terms of the ceasefire between it and Israel, he condemned Israel for acting in accordance with the provisions of that agreement.Annan was backed up by his special Middle East envoy and also long-time critic of Israel, Terje Roed-Larsen.
The UN chief wagged his finger at Israel after an IDF commando raid carried out an operation Saturday aimed at preventing Hizb’allah armaments from being replenished via Syria.According to the ceasefire resolution passed by the UN Security Council last week, the Lebanese government is obliged to prevent the re-supplying of Hizb’allah with weaponry, and Israel has the right to exercise self-defense to prevent such a rearmament taking place.
In a 33-day-long war ignited by an unprovoked Hizb’allah attack inside sovereign Israeli territory last month, the Iranian- and Syrian supplied Muslim terrorist organization repeatedly committed war crimes under international law when it rained more than 3000 rockets down on Israeli population centers, with the express intent of killing as many Jewish civilians as possible.Throughout the war Syria was seen to be replenishing the Hizb’allah’s rocket stocks.An integral part of the ceasefire subsequently imposed on the two main parties to the conflict – Israel and Lebanon – and agreed to by the parties, banned the Hizb’allah from continuing its aggression against Israel, and granted Israel the right to take self-defensive action to ensure that no further Hizb’allah aggression was facilitated against Israel.
When, on Saturday, the Israeli government learned that Hizb’allah was indeed being re-supplied through Syria, it sent IDF forces to carry out a raid in order to thwart this attempt.As such, Israel’s action was in full compliance with the Security Council resolution, and the Hizb’allah, together with its support base in the Lebanese government, was in violation of that resolution.Instead of scoring the guilty parties, however, Annan chose to condemn the IDF operation, accusing Israel of violating the ceasefire.Late last month, after a building collapsed following an Israeli Air Force raid, killing a still undetermined number of Lebanese in the village of Kana, Annan accused Israel of deliberately killing civilians.The one issue that most unites the nations of Annan’s UN is the Arab-Israeli conflict, regarding which that organization has passed more resolutions – all of which have condemned Israel – than any other conflict on earth.
On Sunday night, Annan’s special envoy, Roed-Larsen, announced his intention to visit Israel and be as forceful as he could be in dealing with the government in Jerusalem.In this way the United Nations once again demonstrated the international community’s intention to override Israeli sovereignty and support acts of Arab aggression against the Jewish state.The ancient Hebrew Scriptures warn repeatedly of a future when all the nations of the world will be gathered together against the restored nation of Israel.Many Christians believe that the world’s unmitigated hostility towards and unjust treatment of the Jewish state evidenced in the last four decades is evidence that we are living in those foretold days.
Calls Intensify for Government´s Resignation
By Hillel Fendel(INN)
Lebanese war reserve soldier veterans, newspaper columnists on right and left, MKs, new Russian immigrants and more - are calling for the government to resign in the wake of the recent Lebanese War. A group of reserve soldiers who fought in Lebanon will set off on a protest march today (Monday), calling upon Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz to resign.
The soldiers say that Olmert and Peretz failed in managing the just-ended war in Lebanon.The march will set out from the Kastel - an Independence War battle site near Mevaseret Zion - and will head towards the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem, a 7-kilometer (4.5-mile) trek. The soldiers explain that the confused and contradictory orders handed down to them during the course of the war indicate an unclear strategy and set of objectives. They also claim that severe problems in logistics, manifest in outdated equipment and lack of food, helped lose some battles.
Two Thursdays ago, some 50 people gathered in Rabin Square to demand personal responsibility from the government ministers, and their consequent resignation. This past Thursday, the number grew to 150 - and this coming Thursday, the organizers expect even more. Among them will be at least one busload of new immigrants from Russia, Ariella, one of the chief organizers, told Arutz-7.This is apparently the first time they are really taking to the streets for a political cause.Ariella explained that the people represented at the Thursday rallies are from all parts of the political spectrum.Haaretz reported that some 160 infantry reserve soldiers accuse their commanders of preventing them from participating in the demonstration.
The reservists say their release from the army was delayed just long enough to keep them from taking part.Just a few days ago, MK Nissan Slomiansky (National Religious Party) said, in response to the government decision to push off a Knesset vote on a budget cut, In continuation of the general public atmosphere that the time has come to replace this government, it turns out that the government doesn't even have full
support within the coalition.
MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) called for Olmert to suspend himself.
Columnist Uzi Benziman of Haaretz wrote, towards the end of the war: Whichever way you look at it, if the prime minister opposed the broadening of the war, why did he succumb to the pressure of the military establishment? And, if he did approve it, how dare his aides attempt to clear him, in retrospect, of the responsibility for its painful results...? Furthermore, how does the decision to rush toward the Litani River fit with the frenzied disposition at the IDF, as the flames are dying, to withdraw 'quickly and carefully' most of the troops from Lebanese soil? And, if Olmert indeed did not intend to broaden the war and was more inclined toward a ceasefire, why did he agree to the dismissal of the head of the Northern Command a day earlier? After all, if the war is about to end, why is it necessary to humiliate the commander of the war front during the last day of the fighting? When Olmert announces that he, above all others, is responsible for the way the war was carried out, but avoids reaching the necessary personal conclusions, he is behaving according to norms that have dominated public life in recent years: the declaration is enough. In other words, there is no need to pay the price that problematic behavior demands.
The Jerusalem Post's Caroline Glick has written that there is no need for an official commission of inquiry to investigate the war - simply because it is obvious that the Olmert government has failed on every level. The Olmert government must go.If the Knesset does not topple the government, the people of Israel must take to the streets in mass demonstrations to demand this.
It was the government's responsibility,Glick writes, to question the IDF's operational model of aerial warfare and to cut its losses when after two or three days it was clear that the model was wrong. At that point the government should have called up the reserves and launched a combined ground and air offensive. [Instead,] it abandoned its war goals, declared victory and sued for a cease-fire. When the public objected, after waiting two precious weeks, the government called up the reserves but then waited another unforgivable 10 days before committing them to battle.Glick says that Foreign Minister Livny did her best to demoralize the IDF and
the public by publicly proclaiming that there is no military solution to what is clearly a military conflict,and chose not to publicly argue Israel's case.
Ari Shavit of Haaretz wrote:You cannot lead an entire nation to war promising victory, produce humiliating defeat and remain in power. You cannot bury 120 [159] Israelis in cemeteries, keep a million Israelis in shelters for a month, wear down deterrent power, bring the next war very close, and then say, Oops, I made a mistake, that was not the intention, pass me a cigar, please.There is no mistake Ehud Olmert did not make this past month.
He went to war hastily, without properly gauging the outcome. He blindly followed the military without asking the necessary questions. He mistakenly gambled on air operations, was strangely late with the ground operation, and failed to implement the army's original plan, much more daring and sophisticated than that which was implemented. And after arrogantly and hastily bursting into war, Olmert managed it hesitantly, unfocused and limp. He neglected the home front and abandoned the residents of the north. He also failed shamefully on the diplomatic front.
Oil nears $72 on Iran nuke deadline
No. 4 oil exporter vows to continue uranium program ahead of Tuesday's response.
August 21 2006: 11:35 AM EDT
SINGAPORE (Reuters) -- Oil rose to almost $72 a barrel on Monday as Iran vowed to pursue its nuclear program, inviting possible sanctions against the world's fourth-largest oil exporter.
Iran's supreme leader on Monday said the Islamic Republic would press on with its nuclear work. Iran had said it would respond formally by Tuesday to Western incentives to halt nuclear enrichment.The market is saying, my God, there are going to be sanctions and it may involve oil,said Deborah White, oil analyst at Societe Generale.U.S. crude was up 71 cents at $71.85 a barrel by 10:54 a.m. ET. London Brent crude rose $1.10 to $73.40.The United Nations Security Council has demanded that Iran halt its nuclear work by a second deadline of Aug. 31, raising the prospect of punitive action by the U.N.
The Iranian situation is obviously going to cause some concern over the next few days,said Kevin Norrish, oil analyst at Barclays Capital.Overall, the downside appears to be over for the time being.The United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany have offered incentives for Iran to suspend enrichment. Tehran, which insists its nuclear aims are purely civilian, shows no sign of accepting the package.Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's highest authority, was quoted on state television on Monday as saying Iran would pursue its nuclear plans.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has made its decision and, in the issue of nuclear energy, will continue its path powerfully ...and it will receive the sweet fruits of its efforts,he said.U.S. crude has risen about 18 percent this year on concern the nuclear row could cut Iran's exports of more than 2 million barrels per day and as violence in Nigeria reduced supplies.The West accuses Iran of seeking to develop atomic weapons under cover of a civilian nuclear program. Tehran denies it seeks to make bombs, saying it only wants to make electricity.Oil traders are also watching the week-old truce between Israel and Hezbollah, which the U.N. said on Sunday could easily collapse again if the U.N. resolution that engendered it was violated further.
The conflict had boosted New York crude to a record $78.40 on July 14 on worries it could spread to oil producers in the Middle East, source of almost a third of world supply.But prices fell back in response to the cease fire and on Friday dipped below $70 for the first time since June.Easing supply pressure, BP (up $0.37 to $70.34, Charts) said on Friday that it had boosted output by 70,000 bpd at its Prudhoe Bay oilfield in Alaska in the last several days to about 220,000 bpd, or about half of normal operating levels.The supply loss from the biggest U.S. oilfield raised fears of an unexpectedly big drop in crude inventories. But data last week showed a decline that was in line with forecasts.
Iran's Supreme Leader Vows to Continue Nuclear Program
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Aug 21,06
Iran's supreme leader says his country will continue to pursue nuclear technology, despite a U.N. demand it stop sensitive nuclear work.Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Iran has made up its mind to press on with nuclear work. He says the United States is putting pressure on Iran to abandon nuclear research even though it knows Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons.The United Nations Security Council has given Iran until the end of this month to suspend uranium enrichment or face possible sanctions.
President Bush says he hopes the Security Council will quickly take action if Iran fails to meet the deadline.Iran says it will respond Tuesday to the West's incentive offer to stop its uranium enrichment. But officials say it has no plans to give up nuclear work.
The United States and much of Europe accuse Iran of planning to build a nuclear bomb - a charge Tehran denies.Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
IRAN TEST FIRES MISSLE
1-Three quakes hit Hawke's Bay within 20 mins. 2-Powerful quake hits near Antarctica. 3-186 destructive quakes hit Indonesia 1629-2006 period. 4-Atlantic hurricanes could rev up any time. 5-Storms, floods and record tides on way. 6-Twenty-one feared dead as floods hit Indian desert state. 7-Ethiopia flood misery deepens as rains threaten dams. 8-OH OH The Bible says this Ozone will be worse not better in the future. 9-France wants EU meeting over Lebanon. 10-Iran Test-Fires Short-Range Missile.
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.
Three quakes hit Hawke's Bay within 20 mins
21 August 2006
The Hawke's Bay was shaking yesterday evening as three earthquakes followed each other in rapid succession. GNS Science reported the first earthquake, measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale, hit the Hawke's Bay region at 5.15pm. It was located 20km southeast of Hastings, at a depth of 40km. It was quickly followed by a second quake five minutes later, measuring 3.7 at exactly the same location. The third hit the same spot at 5.34pm, again measuring 3.7 on the Richter scale. No damage was immediately reported and a Napier resident contacted by NZPA said he had not felt any of the tremors.
Powerful quake hits near Antarctica Sun Aug 20, 1:57 AM ET
TOKYO - A powerful earthquake struck Sunday in the Scotia Sea between South America and Antarctica, Japanese and U.S. officials said. No tsunami alert was issued by the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, said Dale Grant, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center.The 6.9-magnitude quake struck at 1:41 a.m. local time, the USGS said.Japan's Meteorological Agency put the preliminary magnitude at 7.2.The quake, with a depth of about six miles, was centered in the Scotia Sea, approximately 305 miles southwest of Bristol Island in the South Sandwich island group, the USGS said.
186 destructive quakes hit Indonesia 1629-2006 period
Bandung (ANTARA News) - The Center for Volcanic and Geological Disasters Mitigation (PVMBG) has recorded 186 destructive earthquakes hitting Indonesia in the past 377 years, including 110 quakes that triggered tsunami.Head of PVMBG Dr.Surono disclosed here early this week that the 186 destructive quakes hit different areas in Indonesia from 1629 to 2005, with Sumatra ranking first by recording 45 quakes and 26 tsunami disasters and Maluku ranking second by registering 41 quakes and 33 tsunami disasters.Sumatra was more frequently hit by earthquakes, but Maluku was more severely devastated by the quakes as 80 percent of the 41 quakes jolting that region were followed by tsunami disasters.
Of the 186 quakes, 23 hit different areas on Java island during that period, and nine of the quakes triggered tsunami, including the recent quake striking Ciamis regency, West Java, which was followed by tsunami that devastated Pangandaran beach resort.
Thirty-four of the destructive quakes struck different areas in Bali and Nusa Tenggara, and 20 of the quakes sparked tsunami. Sulawesi was rocked by 27 strong quakes, including 17 quakes that stimulated tsunami, and Papua was jolted by 16 strong quakes, including five quakes followed by tsunami.Indonesia is frequently jolted by earthquakes as the country is located between three tectonic plates, comprising the Eurasia plate, the Indo-Australia plate and the Pacific plate, Surono explained.
The strong earthquakes followed by huge tsunami in Aceh on December 24, 2004 and moderate tsunami in several coastal areas in West Java and Central Java on May 27, 2006, were triggered by the bumping between the Indo-Australia plate and the Eurasia plate, he said.© 2006 ANTARA,August 20, 2006
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;
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Atlantic hurricanes could rev up any time By Jim Loney
Sun Aug 20, 5:53 PM ET
MIAMI (Reuters) - There has been little action in the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season so far, but that may be about to change.
Max Mayfield, director of the U.S National Hurricane Center in Miami, said there are signs of increased activity near the west coast of Africa, source of the troublesome Cape Verde hurricanes that grow powerful on their long trip across the Atlantic.The bell's going to start ringing here before long,he said in an interview last week.There's absolutely nothing that I know of that is unfavorable (to hurricane development) in the eastern Atlantic.Last year's wildly busy Atlantic hurricane season changed many people's expectations, but it is perfectly normal for the first two or three months of a season to be fairly quiet.The storm season runs from June 1 to November 30 and the worst part of it usually is between mid-August and late October, with the peak around September 10. The average season produces about 10 tropical storms, of which six develop into hurricanes.
Last year saw nine storms develop by August 7, on the way to a total of 28 in a record-shattering season that lasted until early January. Hurricane Katrina, the 11th and most destructive storm of the year, hit south Florida on August 25 and New Orleans on August 29, sparking massive flooding in the Louisiana city and killing more than 1,300 people.Hurricane Andrew, which was the costliest storm in U.S. history until Katrina, was the first Atlantic storm of 1992 and hit Miami on August 24 that year.We have a lot of years that don't really get started until the middle or end of August,Mayfield said.So far this year, only three tropical storms have formed -- Alberto, Beryl and Chris. Strong wind shear -- the difference in wind speed and direction at different levels of the atmosphere -- has disrupted some of the tropical weather systems that eventually become cyclones.Mayfield expressed puzzlement as to why the season hasn't been a little more active.We're actually not sure why some of these are not developing,he said.
Storms, floods and record tides on way
By Marco Giannangeli,(Filed: 21/08/2006)
Storms and floods are forecast in the coming weeks as the hot summer comes to an end.Experts said last night that heavy rainfall was expected to affect many central and eastern regions during the next two days as areas of low pressure sweep in from the Atlantic. Further torrential downpours are forecast for Thursday and Friday.Waves batter a train as gales combine with high tides
But of most concern is a record spring tide, which could flood many areas next month.Seaside towns have been placed on alert for the highest tides for 20 years - which could be as much as 3ft higher than normal - from Sept 9. Towns and villages along the Bristol Channel and in Norfolk and Suffolk were said to be particularly vulnerable.
Parts of the country have already experienced heavy downpours. Yorkshire and the Midlands were hit by flash floods last week and heavy rain over the weekend affected central and south-western parts of England. More than 130,000 fans had to wade through mud at the V music festival at Chelmsford, Essex. In Cheltenham, Glos, rain caused the closure of visitor attractions and flooded homes.
A Met Office spokesman said: It is fair to say that we are entering a period of particularly unsettled weather as areas of low pressure make their way across the country from the west.19 August 2006: Lightning, floods and storms as heatwave is forgotten Drought reveals the lost footprints of history from the air
Twenty-one feared dead as floods hit Indian desert state Sun Aug 20, 10:05 AM ET
JODHPUR, India (AFP) - At least 21 people were swept away and feared dead as monsoon rains triggered rare floods in the Indian desert state of Rajasthan. A cross-border train that shuttles between India and Pakistan was also briefly stranded, a railways spokesman said in Jaipur, capital of the northern state.Two soldiers who were part of a rescue effort were swept away in Jodhpur district but one was rescued, state Relief Minister Kirorimal Meena said and put the weather-related death toll at 21 since the floods hit Rajasthan Friday.Four of those killed were children who drowned in the rising waters after clinging to a tree for hours on Saturday.In the last 33 years we have not seen such a situation in Rajasthan, Meena said Sunday as torrential rains lashed cut-off villages and towns more used to droughts.
Meena said districts such as Jodhpur, Jalore and Kota, which nestles in the desolate Thar desert, were severely hit by the floods and added the army was out in three other districts were tens of thousands of people were stranded.Railways spokesman A.K. Khanna said the train was on its return trip from Khokhrapar in Pakistan's Sindh province when it was stranded in the floods but reached its destination at Munabao station in Rajasthan's Barmer district several hours behind schedule.Earlier this month, more than 10 million people were affected by floods in four states while western Gujarat faced the brunt with its diamond-polishing hub of Surat remaining under water for five days.
Ethiopia flood misery deepens as rains threaten dams by Abrahama Fisseha
Sun Aug 20, 11:56 AM ET
ADDIS ABABA (AFP) - Ethiopia braced for more damage from deadly nationwide flash floods as the government warned that unusually heavy seasonal rains could force the release of water from dangerously swollen dams. A task force set up to deal with flooding crises that have affected nearly 75,000 people said three dams in the west, south and north of the country were close to the breaking point and advised residents in their vicinities to leave.It said that, although controlled, the release of water from the threatened dams on the Omo, Awash and Blue Nile rivers could compound devastation from floods that have already killed at least 626 people in the south, east and north.
Currently, the main dams are planning to release some waters, and the national task force is advising people living near the dams and downstream to take precautionary measures and, if possible, move to higher ground,it said Sunday.The facilities are the Gilgel Gibe dam on the Omo River, which has already flooded huge areas in the southwest; the Koka dam on the Awash River that has flooded in the east; and the Tise Aby dam on the Blue Nile in the north.The release of water from these dams may flood some areas,the task force said in a statement released by the information ministry.In addition to the confirmed deaths, some 250 people are missing and 73,000 are affected, many of them left homeless by the raging waters that have killed thousands of valuable livestock and flooded huge tracts of farmland.
Officials said they had relocated at least 15,000 people to safer areas in view of the increasing threat of fresh flooding across the country, according to state television.Some 13,000 people in the northern region and another 2,000 in the south had been relocated for fear of further flooding and landslides.Overwhelmed authorities have appealed for international aid, and US soldiers began relief work on Saturday in the town of Dire Dawa, about 500 kilometers (300 miles) east of Addis Ababa, which was hit by floods on August 6.The 35 Djibouti-based US naval engineers were setting up 52 large tents to house many of 6,000 people displaced by the waters, which killed 256, and erecting sanitation facilities amid growing fears of the spread of water-borne diseases.I am very impressed with what the Ethiopians and the others are doing to help the displaced. I am glad that we are part of this operation, Richard Hunt, head of the Djibouti-based Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, told AFP by phone.
With poor weather continuing to hamper relief efforts, particularly in the southwest Omo River valley where 364 drowned last week and up to 8,000 remain marooned in 14 inundated villages, officials feared a rise in the death toll.The rain in the highlands has continued, and the river waters are showing no signs of decreasing,said Major Solomon Gebere Michael, commander of army relief operations in the Southern Nationalities, Nations and People's state.It is hurting the search and rescue mission,he told AFP by phone from Amorate, some 800 kilometers (500 miles) south of Addis Ababa.Military helicopters dangling special forces troops from ropes and ladders continued to fly over affected areas, dropping food and water and attempting where possible to pluck survivors from roofs and tree tops, Solomon said.
At the same time, he said rescue teams in boats had begun to face difficulties due to powerful currents and obstacles in newly created vast marsh areas in the Omo basin.Meteorologists have warned that six areas in the north, west and south of the country will likely face further flood threats from the downpours that are expected to continue until the end of the June-to-September rainy season. Ethiopia has repeatedly suffered heavy floods and droughts in recent years, devastating agriculture that provides a livelihood for the majority of the 70 million people living in the Horn of Africa nation.
OH OH The Bible says this Ozone will be worse not better in the future.
ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:
MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
Ozone Layer Healing, but More Slowly Than Hoped
Reuters Saturday, August 19, 2006; Page A03
GENEVA, Aug 18 -- Earth's ozone layer is finally on the mend after decades of damage, two U.N. agencies reported Friday.
But the agencies, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), said the protective layer, which filters dangerous solar radiation, was recovering more slowly than experts had originally hoped.Over huge areas of Africa, Asia, southern Australasia, Europe, Latin America and North America, the layer will be back to pre-1980 levels by 2049, the agencies said. That is five years later than forecast in the last major scientific report, in 2002.
The early signs that the atmosphere is healing demonstrate that the Montreal Protocol is working,said Achim Steiner, UNEP executive director, referring to the 1987 global treaty that aims to reduce the use of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
But the delayed recovery is a warning that we cannot take the ozone layer for granted and must maintain and accelerate our efforts to phase out harmful chemicals,he said in a statement.Over Antarctica, where ozone holes have grown over the past 30 years, recovery was likely to be delayed until 2065, 15 years later than hoped.While these latest projections of ozone recovery are disappointing, the good news is that the level of ozone-depleting substances continues to decline from its 1992-94 peak in the troposphere and the 1990s peak in the stratosphere,WMO Secretary General Michel Jarraud said in a statement.
The ozone layer blocks harmful ultraviolet rays, and holes in it have been blamed for increased risk of skin cancer and cataracts in humans. The holes may also harm crop yields and sea life.Depletion of the ozone layer is caused by the chemical action of chlorine and bromine released by gases such as CFCs, which are used in aerosol sprays and cooling equipment, including refrigerators and some air-conditioning systems.
France wants EU meeting over Lebanon By Swaha Pattanaik
2 hours, 29 minutes ago
PARIS (Reuters) - France called on Sunday for a European Union meeting next week to co-ordinate what member countries plan to do about a U.N. force for Lebanon. We ask that European solidarity is expressed as soon as possible about Lebanon, Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy told France Info radio, adding that he had asked EU president Finland to call a meeting in Brussels early next week.France wanted to know what our different European partners count on doing as quickly as possible about Lebanon, he said.France has so far pledged to send only 200 extra troops to Lebanon, disappointing Washington and the United Nations, which had hoped it would form the backbone of an expanded U.N. force.On Saturday, President Jacques Chirac spoke to leaders from several countries, including Italy's Romano Prodi and Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, to stress the need for a clearer mandate for the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
A Finnish official said France was asking for a meeting of the EU's Political and Security Committee on Wednesday.The meeting is to discuss what the countries are going to do in Lebanon. Even though it's not an EU mission, it's to coordinate what different EU countries are going to do,said Susanna Parkkonen, spokeswoman for Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja.She said those attending would be diplomats, and possibly military specialists, from the 25 member states. No foreign ministers were expected to attend.The expanded U.N. peacekeeping force is meant to help the Lebanese army supervise the pullout of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon.Chirac told leaders to whom he spoke that the composition of the U.N. force needed to be balanced and to reflect the commitment of the whole international community, in particular, of European countries, his office said on Saturday.
Asked about other EU states' contributions to an enlarged U.N. force, Douste-Blazy said he believed there would be two phases, the first an urgent one, of which the decision to send 200 extra French troops to Lebanon was part.About 50 French peacekeepers arrived in south Lebanon on Saturday and 150 more left France for Lebanon on Sunday.The second phase would involve sending in the final number but that required further clarifications, Douste-Blazy said.For that (second phase)...we want clarifications from the United Nations on the mission of UNIFIL, on the chain of command, how it will be organized, how this force should report on its actions and to whom,he said.Germany pressed at the weekend for a clear and robust mandate for the force and said its troops needed concrete guidelines in case they were drawn into hostilities.
Berlin has ruled out sending ground troops or police but has said it is ready to send its navy to help prevent weapons shipments from reaching Hizbollah fighters via the coast.It must be clear what happens if soldiers are drawn into fighting. These rules still need to be worked out,Chancellor Angela Merkel told the weekly newspaper Welt am Sonntag.(Additional reporting by Huw Jones in Brussels and Noah Barkin in Berlin)
NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.
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.
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.
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
REVELATION 9:18
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.
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).
MATTHEW 24:37-51
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Iran Test-Fires Short-Range Missile
Tests Comes While Military Training Plane Catches Fire, Crashes During War Games
TEHRAN, Iran, Aug. 20, 2006
(AP) Iran test-fired a surface-to-surface short-range missile on Sunday while a military training plane crashed outside the capital Tehran after catching fire, state-run television reported Sunday. The missile testing came a day after Iran launched a series of large-scale military maneuvers geared at introducing the country's new defensive doctrine. Saegheh, the missile, has a range of between 80 to 250 kilometers,State-run television said. It said the missile was tested in the Kashan desert, about 155 miles southeast of the capital of Tehran.Saegheh means lightning in Farsi.
Authorities set the military plane that crashed on Sunday after catching fire was not taking part in the maneuvers. It did not elaborate. The broadcast said the plane was making an emergency landing on a highway in northeast Tehran but it crashed after a wing of the plane hit a water reservoir and burst into flames. The television said the only pilot in the plane parachuted safely. Iran has routinely held war games over the past two decades to improve its combat readiness and to test equipment such as missiles, tanks and armored personnel carriers. But the new tests, in the wake of the Lebanon-Hezbollah fighting, seemed certain to create new tensions with the West. State-run television said the missile was built based on domestic know-how, although outside experts say much of the country's missile technology originated from other countries.
State-run TV showed video showing 10 missiles being launched from mobile launching pads. Iran said its new military exercises launched Saturday are being held in 14 of the country's 30 provinces and could last as long as five weeks, the government has said.
The Islamic Republic, which views the United States as an arch foe, is concerned about the U.S. military presence in neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan.It also has expressed worry about Israeli threats to destroy its nuclear facilities, which the West contends could be used to make a bomb but which Iran insists are for civilian uses only. Iran is already equipped with the Shahab-3 missile, which means shooting star in Farsi, and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. An upgraded version of the ballistic missile has a range of more than 2,000 kilometers and can reach Israel and U.S. forces in the Middle East.
Last year, former Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani said Tehran had successfully tested a solid fuel motor for the Shahab-3, a technological breakthrough for the country's military.Iran's military test-fired a series of missiles during large-scale war games in the Persian Gulf in March and April, including a missile it claimed was not detectable by radar that can use multiple warheads to hit several targets simultaneously.After decades of relying on foreign weapons purchases, Iran's military has been working to boost its domestic production of armaments.Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles and a fighter plane, the government has said. It announced in early 2005 that it had begun production of torpedoes.
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.
Three quakes hit Hawke's Bay within 20 mins
21 August 2006
The Hawke's Bay was shaking yesterday evening as three earthquakes followed each other in rapid succession. GNS Science reported the first earthquake, measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale, hit the Hawke's Bay region at 5.15pm. It was located 20km southeast of Hastings, at a depth of 40km. It was quickly followed by a second quake five minutes later, measuring 3.7 at exactly the same location. The third hit the same spot at 5.34pm, again measuring 3.7 on the Richter scale. No damage was immediately reported and a Napier resident contacted by NZPA said he had not felt any of the tremors.
Powerful quake hits near Antarctica Sun Aug 20, 1:57 AM ET
TOKYO - A powerful earthquake struck Sunday in the Scotia Sea between South America and Antarctica, Japanese and U.S. officials said. No tsunami alert was issued by the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, said Dale Grant, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center.The 6.9-magnitude quake struck at 1:41 a.m. local time, the USGS said.Japan's Meteorological Agency put the preliminary magnitude at 7.2.The quake, with a depth of about six miles, was centered in the Scotia Sea, approximately 305 miles southwest of Bristol Island in the South Sandwich island group, the USGS said.
186 destructive quakes hit Indonesia 1629-2006 period
Bandung (ANTARA News) - The Center for Volcanic and Geological Disasters Mitigation (PVMBG) has recorded 186 destructive earthquakes hitting Indonesia in the past 377 years, including 110 quakes that triggered tsunami.Head of PVMBG Dr.Surono disclosed here early this week that the 186 destructive quakes hit different areas in Indonesia from 1629 to 2005, with Sumatra ranking first by recording 45 quakes and 26 tsunami disasters and Maluku ranking second by registering 41 quakes and 33 tsunami disasters.Sumatra was more frequently hit by earthquakes, but Maluku was more severely devastated by the quakes as 80 percent of the 41 quakes jolting that region were followed by tsunami disasters.
Of the 186 quakes, 23 hit different areas on Java island during that period, and nine of the quakes triggered tsunami, including the recent quake striking Ciamis regency, West Java, which was followed by tsunami that devastated Pangandaran beach resort.
Thirty-four of the destructive quakes struck different areas in Bali and Nusa Tenggara, and 20 of the quakes sparked tsunami. Sulawesi was rocked by 27 strong quakes, including 17 quakes that stimulated tsunami, and Papua was jolted by 16 strong quakes, including five quakes followed by tsunami.Indonesia is frequently jolted by earthquakes as the country is located between three tectonic plates, comprising the Eurasia plate, the Indo-Australia plate and the Pacific plate, Surono explained.
The strong earthquakes followed by huge tsunami in Aceh on December 24, 2004 and moderate tsunami in several coastal areas in West Java and Central Java on May 27, 2006, were triggered by the bumping between the Indo-Australia plate and the Eurasia plate, he said.© 2006 ANTARA,August 20, 2006
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;
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Atlantic hurricanes could rev up any time By Jim Loney
Sun Aug 20, 5:53 PM ET
MIAMI (Reuters) - There has been little action in the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season so far, but that may be about to change.
Max Mayfield, director of the U.S National Hurricane Center in Miami, said there are signs of increased activity near the west coast of Africa, source of the troublesome Cape Verde hurricanes that grow powerful on their long trip across the Atlantic.The bell's going to start ringing here before long,he said in an interview last week.There's absolutely nothing that I know of that is unfavorable (to hurricane development) in the eastern Atlantic.Last year's wildly busy Atlantic hurricane season changed many people's expectations, but it is perfectly normal for the first two or three months of a season to be fairly quiet.The storm season runs from June 1 to November 30 and the worst part of it usually is between mid-August and late October, with the peak around September 10. The average season produces about 10 tropical storms, of which six develop into hurricanes.
Last year saw nine storms develop by August 7, on the way to a total of 28 in a record-shattering season that lasted until early January. Hurricane Katrina, the 11th and most destructive storm of the year, hit south Florida on August 25 and New Orleans on August 29, sparking massive flooding in the Louisiana city and killing more than 1,300 people.Hurricane Andrew, which was the costliest storm in U.S. history until Katrina, was the first Atlantic storm of 1992 and hit Miami on August 24 that year.We have a lot of years that don't really get started until the middle or end of August,Mayfield said.So far this year, only three tropical storms have formed -- Alberto, Beryl and Chris. Strong wind shear -- the difference in wind speed and direction at different levels of the atmosphere -- has disrupted some of the tropical weather systems that eventually become cyclones.Mayfield expressed puzzlement as to why the season hasn't been a little more active.We're actually not sure why some of these are not developing,he said.
Storms, floods and record tides on way
By Marco Giannangeli,(Filed: 21/08/2006)
Storms and floods are forecast in the coming weeks as the hot summer comes to an end.Experts said last night that heavy rainfall was expected to affect many central and eastern regions during the next two days as areas of low pressure sweep in from the Atlantic. Further torrential downpours are forecast for Thursday and Friday.Waves batter a train as gales combine with high tides
But of most concern is a record spring tide, which could flood many areas next month.Seaside towns have been placed on alert for the highest tides for 20 years - which could be as much as 3ft higher than normal - from Sept 9. Towns and villages along the Bristol Channel and in Norfolk and Suffolk were said to be particularly vulnerable.
Parts of the country have already experienced heavy downpours. Yorkshire and the Midlands were hit by flash floods last week and heavy rain over the weekend affected central and south-western parts of England. More than 130,000 fans had to wade through mud at the V music festival at Chelmsford, Essex. In Cheltenham, Glos, rain caused the closure of visitor attractions and flooded homes.
A Met Office spokesman said: It is fair to say that we are entering a period of particularly unsettled weather as areas of low pressure make their way across the country from the west.19 August 2006: Lightning, floods and storms as heatwave is forgotten Drought reveals the lost footprints of history from the air
Twenty-one feared dead as floods hit Indian desert state Sun Aug 20, 10:05 AM ET
JODHPUR, India (AFP) - At least 21 people were swept away and feared dead as monsoon rains triggered rare floods in the Indian desert state of Rajasthan. A cross-border train that shuttles between India and Pakistan was also briefly stranded, a railways spokesman said in Jaipur, capital of the northern state.Two soldiers who were part of a rescue effort were swept away in Jodhpur district but one was rescued, state Relief Minister Kirorimal Meena said and put the weather-related death toll at 21 since the floods hit Rajasthan Friday.Four of those killed were children who drowned in the rising waters after clinging to a tree for hours on Saturday.In the last 33 years we have not seen such a situation in Rajasthan, Meena said Sunday as torrential rains lashed cut-off villages and towns more used to droughts.
Meena said districts such as Jodhpur, Jalore and Kota, which nestles in the desolate Thar desert, were severely hit by the floods and added the army was out in three other districts were tens of thousands of people were stranded.Railways spokesman A.K. Khanna said the train was on its return trip from Khokhrapar in Pakistan's Sindh province when it was stranded in the floods but reached its destination at Munabao station in Rajasthan's Barmer district several hours behind schedule.Earlier this month, more than 10 million people were affected by floods in four states while western Gujarat faced the brunt with its diamond-polishing hub of Surat remaining under water for five days.
Ethiopia flood misery deepens as rains threaten dams by Abrahama Fisseha
Sun Aug 20, 11:56 AM ET
ADDIS ABABA (AFP) - Ethiopia braced for more damage from deadly nationwide flash floods as the government warned that unusually heavy seasonal rains could force the release of water from dangerously swollen dams. A task force set up to deal with flooding crises that have affected nearly 75,000 people said three dams in the west, south and north of the country were close to the breaking point and advised residents in their vicinities to leave.It said that, although controlled, the release of water from the threatened dams on the Omo, Awash and Blue Nile rivers could compound devastation from floods that have already killed at least 626 people in the south, east and north.
Currently, the main dams are planning to release some waters, and the national task force is advising people living near the dams and downstream to take precautionary measures and, if possible, move to higher ground,it said Sunday.The facilities are the Gilgel Gibe dam on the Omo River, which has already flooded huge areas in the southwest; the Koka dam on the Awash River that has flooded in the east; and the Tise Aby dam on the Blue Nile in the north.The release of water from these dams may flood some areas,the task force said in a statement released by the information ministry.In addition to the confirmed deaths, some 250 people are missing and 73,000 are affected, many of them left homeless by the raging waters that have killed thousands of valuable livestock and flooded huge tracts of farmland.
Officials said they had relocated at least 15,000 people to safer areas in view of the increasing threat of fresh flooding across the country, according to state television.Some 13,000 people in the northern region and another 2,000 in the south had been relocated for fear of further flooding and landslides.Overwhelmed authorities have appealed for international aid, and US soldiers began relief work on Saturday in the town of Dire Dawa, about 500 kilometers (300 miles) east of Addis Ababa, which was hit by floods on August 6.The 35 Djibouti-based US naval engineers were setting up 52 large tents to house many of 6,000 people displaced by the waters, which killed 256, and erecting sanitation facilities amid growing fears of the spread of water-borne diseases.I am very impressed with what the Ethiopians and the others are doing to help the displaced. I am glad that we are part of this operation, Richard Hunt, head of the Djibouti-based Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, told AFP by phone.
With poor weather continuing to hamper relief efforts, particularly in the southwest Omo River valley where 364 drowned last week and up to 8,000 remain marooned in 14 inundated villages, officials feared a rise in the death toll.The rain in the highlands has continued, and the river waters are showing no signs of decreasing,said Major Solomon Gebere Michael, commander of army relief operations in the Southern Nationalities, Nations and People's state.It is hurting the search and rescue mission,he told AFP by phone from Amorate, some 800 kilometers (500 miles) south of Addis Ababa.Military helicopters dangling special forces troops from ropes and ladders continued to fly over affected areas, dropping food and water and attempting where possible to pluck survivors from roofs and tree tops, Solomon said.
At the same time, he said rescue teams in boats had begun to face difficulties due to powerful currents and obstacles in newly created vast marsh areas in the Omo basin.Meteorologists have warned that six areas in the north, west and south of the country will likely face further flood threats from the downpours that are expected to continue until the end of the June-to-September rainy season. Ethiopia has repeatedly suffered heavy floods and droughts in recent years, devastating agriculture that provides a livelihood for the majority of the 70 million people living in the Horn of Africa nation.
OH OH The Bible says this Ozone will be worse not better in the future.
ISAIAH 30:26-27
26 Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.
27 Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire:
MATTHEW 24:21-22,29
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened (Daylight hours shortened)
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
REVELATION 16:7-9
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
Ozone Layer Healing, but More Slowly Than Hoped
Reuters Saturday, August 19, 2006; Page A03
GENEVA, Aug 18 -- Earth's ozone layer is finally on the mend after decades of damage, two U.N. agencies reported Friday.
But the agencies, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), said the protective layer, which filters dangerous solar radiation, was recovering more slowly than experts had originally hoped.Over huge areas of Africa, Asia, southern Australasia, Europe, Latin America and North America, the layer will be back to pre-1980 levels by 2049, the agencies said. That is five years later than forecast in the last major scientific report, in 2002.
The early signs that the atmosphere is healing demonstrate that the Montreal Protocol is working,said Achim Steiner, UNEP executive director, referring to the 1987 global treaty that aims to reduce the use of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
But the delayed recovery is a warning that we cannot take the ozone layer for granted and must maintain and accelerate our efforts to phase out harmful chemicals,he said in a statement.Over Antarctica, where ozone holes have grown over the past 30 years, recovery was likely to be delayed until 2065, 15 years later than hoped.While these latest projections of ozone recovery are disappointing, the good news is that the level of ozone-depleting substances continues to decline from its 1992-94 peak in the troposphere and the 1990s peak in the stratosphere,WMO Secretary General Michel Jarraud said in a statement.
The ozone layer blocks harmful ultraviolet rays, and holes in it have been blamed for increased risk of skin cancer and cataracts in humans. The holes may also harm crop yields and sea life.Depletion of the ozone layer is caused by the chemical action of chlorine and bromine released by gases such as CFCs, which are used in aerosol sprays and cooling equipment, including refrigerators and some air-conditioning systems.
France wants EU meeting over Lebanon By Swaha Pattanaik
2 hours, 29 minutes ago
PARIS (Reuters) - France called on Sunday for a European Union meeting next week to co-ordinate what member countries plan to do about a U.N. force for Lebanon. We ask that European solidarity is expressed as soon as possible about Lebanon, Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy told France Info radio, adding that he had asked EU president Finland to call a meeting in Brussels early next week.France wanted to know what our different European partners count on doing as quickly as possible about Lebanon, he said.France has so far pledged to send only 200 extra troops to Lebanon, disappointing Washington and the United Nations, which had hoped it would form the backbone of an expanded U.N. force.On Saturday, President Jacques Chirac spoke to leaders from several countries, including Italy's Romano Prodi and Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, to stress the need for a clearer mandate for the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
A Finnish official said France was asking for a meeting of the EU's Political and Security Committee on Wednesday.The meeting is to discuss what the countries are going to do in Lebanon. Even though it's not an EU mission, it's to coordinate what different EU countries are going to do,said Susanna Parkkonen, spokeswoman for Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja.She said those attending would be diplomats, and possibly military specialists, from the 25 member states. No foreign ministers were expected to attend.The expanded U.N. peacekeeping force is meant to help the Lebanese army supervise the pullout of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon.Chirac told leaders to whom he spoke that the composition of the U.N. force needed to be balanced and to reflect the commitment of the whole international community, in particular, of European countries, his office said on Saturday.
Asked about other EU states' contributions to an enlarged U.N. force, Douste-Blazy said he believed there would be two phases, the first an urgent one, of which the decision to send 200 extra French troops to Lebanon was part.About 50 French peacekeepers arrived in south Lebanon on Saturday and 150 more left France for Lebanon on Sunday.The second phase would involve sending in the final number but that required further clarifications, Douste-Blazy said.For that (second phase)...we want clarifications from the United Nations on the mission of UNIFIL, on the chain of command, how it will be organized, how this force should report on its actions and to whom,he said.Germany pressed at the weekend for a clear and robust mandate for the force and said its troops needed concrete guidelines in case they were drawn into hostilities.
Berlin has ruled out sending ground troops or police but has said it is ready to send its navy to help prevent weapons shipments from reaching Hizbollah fighters via the coast.It must be clear what happens if soldiers are drawn into fighting. These rules still need to be worked out,Chancellor Angela Merkel told the weekly newspaper Welt am Sonntag.(Additional reporting by Huw Jones in Brussels and Noah Barkin in Berlin)
NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.
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.
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.
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
REVELATION 8:7
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
REVELATION 9:18
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.
HALF OF EARTHS POPULATION DIE DURING THE 7 YR TRIBULATION.(THESE VERSES ARE JUDGEMENT SCRIPTURES NOT RAPTURE SCRIPTURES)
LUKE 17:34-37
34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.(Christians have new bodies,this is the people against Jerusalem during the 7 yr treaty)(Christians bodies are not being eaten by the birds).
MATTHEW 24:37-51
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Iran Test-Fires Short-Range Missile
Tests Comes While Military Training Plane Catches Fire, Crashes During War Games
TEHRAN, Iran, Aug. 20, 2006
(AP) Iran test-fired a surface-to-surface short-range missile on Sunday while a military training plane crashed outside the capital Tehran after catching fire, state-run television reported Sunday. The missile testing came a day after Iran launched a series of large-scale military maneuvers geared at introducing the country's new defensive doctrine. Saegheh, the missile, has a range of between 80 to 250 kilometers,State-run television said. It said the missile was tested in the Kashan desert, about 155 miles southeast of the capital of Tehran.Saegheh means lightning in Farsi.
Authorities set the military plane that crashed on Sunday after catching fire was not taking part in the maneuvers. It did not elaborate. The broadcast said the plane was making an emergency landing on a highway in northeast Tehran but it crashed after a wing of the plane hit a water reservoir and burst into flames. The television said the only pilot in the plane parachuted safely. Iran has routinely held war games over the past two decades to improve its combat readiness and to test equipment such as missiles, tanks and armored personnel carriers. But the new tests, in the wake of the Lebanon-Hezbollah fighting, seemed certain to create new tensions with the West. State-run television said the missile was built based on domestic know-how, although outside experts say much of the country's missile technology originated from other countries.
State-run TV showed video showing 10 missiles being launched from mobile launching pads. Iran said its new military exercises launched Saturday are being held in 14 of the country's 30 provinces and could last as long as five weeks, the government has said.
The Islamic Republic, which views the United States as an arch foe, is concerned about the U.S. military presence in neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan.It also has expressed worry about Israeli threats to destroy its nuclear facilities, which the West contends could be used to make a bomb but which Iran insists are for civilian uses only. Iran is already equipped with the Shahab-3 missile, which means shooting star in Farsi, and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. An upgraded version of the ballistic missile has a range of more than 2,000 kilometers and can reach Israel and U.S. forces in the Middle East.
Last year, former Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani said Tehran had successfully tested a solid fuel motor for the Shahab-3, a technological breakthrough for the country's military.Iran's military test-fired a series of missiles during large-scale war games in the Persian Gulf in March and April, including a missile it claimed was not detectable by radar that can use multiple warheads to hit several targets simultaneously.After decades of relying on foreign weapons purchases, Iran's military has been working to boost its domestic production of armaments.Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles and a fighter plane, the government has said. It announced in early 2005 that it had begun production of torpedoes.
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