CALIFORNIA QUAKE RESULTS
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EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
China says death toll in quake more than 51,000 By AUDRA ANG, Associated Press Writer MAY 22,08
BEICHUAN, China - China said the toll of dead and missing from last week's powerful earthquake jumped to more than 80,000, while the government appealed Thursday for millions of tents to shelter homeless survivors. The confirmed number of dead rose nearly 10,000 from the day before to 51,151, Cabinet spokesman Guo Weimin told a news conference. Another 29,328 people remained missing and nearly 300,000 were hurt in the May 12 quake centered in Sichuan province, he said.The disaster left 5 million people homeless and leveled more than 80 percent of the buildings in some remote towns and villages near the epicenter. In bigger cities entire apartment blocks collapsed or are now too dangerous to live in because of damage and worries about aftershocks.We need more than 3.3 million tents, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters, adding that 400,000 tents have already been delivered. It was the second call for tents from China in recent days.We hope and welcome international assistance in this regard. We hope the international community can give priority in providing tents, he said.U.S. aid to earthquake victims totals $2.8 million, Ambassador Clark T. Randt Jr. said, including medical equipment and satellite images of damaged infrastructure. The American Red Cross had donated $10 million, and American companies operating in China have pledged more than $34 million.
Underscoring the need, Chinese President Hu Jintao visited two tent manufacturing companies in eastern Zhejiang province, urging workers to boost production to meet needs from the disaster area, state media reported.Hu also chaired a meeting on the quake by China's highest governing body, the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party, where leaders vowed to continue the rescue effort to the last village, according to a statement.Vital supplies must be ensured in affected areas and stability restored to society, the committee said, adding that schools should be reopened and agricultural production restarted.
In one quake-hit area, the rescue effort was called off and work turned to reconstruction. Rescue teams departed Dujiangyan, where workers were burying bodies and clearing rubble from collapsed buildings, The Beijing Times state-run newspaper reported.In the effort to assure people the government was placing top priority on relief efforts, Premier Wen Jiabao returned Thursday to the disaster zone, the official Xinhua News Agency said — his second trip there following a visit immediately after the quake.The government is also grappling with official estimates of more than 4,000 children orphaned by the quake, and received hundreds calls from people offering to adopt them.Anger that so many children died because their school buildings were poorly built continued to simmer online and in state media. The Southern Metropolis News quoted a rescuer as saying that rubble from the Juyuan high school, where more than 270 students died, showed that no steel reinforcing bars were used in construction, only iron wire.Pictures posted online of Wufu town, where some 200 students died when the Fuxin No. 2 Primary School collapsed, showed roads lined with wreaths. Piles of dusty school bags were among the rubble.The children did not die because of a natural disaster, they died because of a dangerous building, read a hand-painted banner strung across a roadway.In Beichuan, the smell of bleach was overpowering as rescue workers in white safety suits sprayed disinfectant in the area. Villagers were picking up medicine from stands set up by the government.The town's government offices opened Thursday at a hotel in neighboring Anxian county.Our previous office buildings collapsed, but our responsibilities, never, Ma Yun, head of the county's administrative office, was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
Blocked streams, earthquake-loosened soil, mudslides and the upcoming rainy season create the risk of secondary disasters that can make relief work and rebuilding even more difficult, officials with the Ministry of Land and Resources said Thursday. Avoiding further geological disasters during relief work and rebuilding will be a daunting task, said Yun Xiaosu, vice minister of land and resources. The earthquake and aftershocks created 34 lakes, known as barrier lakes, as debris blocked rivers and streams throughout the earthquake area. The dangers at the barrier lakes are severe, Yun said. The water level in some lakes is high and rising. If there's a break, it will cause severe damage.People who might be in the way of breaks already have been evacuated, he added. The region's rainy season starts in June, creating further problems and risk of major mudslides, Yun said. The torch relay, a symbol of the country's hopes for the Beijing Olympics, restarted Thursday with a minute of silence at a container terminal in the eastern seaport city of Ningbo. The torch run has been toned down in the wake of the temblor. Originally planned for next month, organizers said the Sichuan leg of the run would be delayed until just before the start of the Aug. 8 games.In another sign of attempts to return to normal after the quake, officials in the Sichuan provincial capital of Chengdu ordered all government bodies and companies to resume regular operations, Xinhua reported. Associated Press writer Elaine Kurtenbach in Ningbo contributed to this report.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
UN URGES MORE AID TO BURMA
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US government: Up to 9 Atlantic hurricanes in 2008 By ANTHONY McCARTNEY, Associated Press Writer MAY 22,08
TAMPA, Fla. - The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season should be about as bad as normal or slightly busier, with a good chance of six to nine hurricanes forming, federal forecasters said Thursday in a new way of making predictions. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials also said 12 to 16 named storms and two to five major hurricanes could form.They said there is only a 60 to 70 percent chance for their predictions to come true, the first time officials gave a probability. They took that step following years of criticism of their long range forecasts, which have usually been fairly accurate but in some cases have been way off.For example, government forecasters expected 12 to 15 named storms in 2005, but there turned out to be 28, the busiest season on record.Forecasters stress that residents should always be prepared no matter what the seasonal forecasts say, because even a slow season can be disastrous. Seasonal forecasts don't predict whether, where or when any of these storms may hit land.
We don't want anyone changing their preparation plans because of the seasonal outlook. The only number that matters is the number one, the one storm that you need to prepare for, said Dennis Feltgen, spokesman for the National Hurricane Center, which is part of NOAA.An average season has 11 named storms, including six hurricanes of which two reach major status with winds of more than 110 mph.Forecasters and emergency responders fear that coastal residents will be apathetic this year after the United States escaped the past two storm seasons virtually unscathed.Living in a coastal state means having a plan for each and every hurricane season. Review or complete emergency plans now — before a storm threatens, said Conrad C. Lautenbacher, NOAA administrator. Planning and preparation is the key to storm survival and recovery.
Colorado State University weather researcher William Gray expects 15named storms, eight hurricanes and four major this year.Last year, there were 15 named storms and six hurricanes, two of which were major. The government predicted 13 to 17 named storms, seven to 10 hurricanes and three to five major hurricanes.Gray was further off the mark. Before the start of the season, he forecast 17 named storms, including nine hurricanes, five of them major.The Atlantic season begins June 1 and runs through Nov. 30.
HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER
DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.
JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.
REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM
FAMINE
REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.(A DAYS WAGES FOR A LOAF OF BREAD)
OIL EXECS IN HOT SEAT
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OIL EXECS GRILLED - CNN
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Gas over $3.83 as early holiday travelers hit road By JOHN WILEN, AP Business Writer MAY 22,08
NEW YORK - Americans getting an early start on the Memorial Day weekend found that gasoline prices again sprinted to a new record high overnight, reaching a national average above $3.83 a gallon. Some analysts predict gas will break past $4 as early as next week.
Oil prices, meanwhile, fluctuated Thursday after setting a new record of $135.09 in overnight trading. A stronger dollar gave some investors reason to sell oil futures to lock in profits from crude's record run. But concerns about falling supplies and rising demand are expected to keep propelling prices higher in the days and weeks to come.Oil's surge is contributing directly to the pain consumers feel every time they fill up. At the pump, the average national price of a gallon of regular gas rose 2.4 cents overnight to $3.831, according to a survey of stations by AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Prices are 61 cents higher than a year ago.Unlike last year, oil prices are setting new record highs on a daily basis. That's pushing gas prices higher, and analysts see no reason for gas not to follow.We're going to blast past $4, said James Cordier, president of Tampa, Fla.-based trading firms Liberty Trading Group and OptionSellers.com.Prices may rise as high as $3.90 on a national basis by this weekend, he said. Prices are already above $4 a gallon at many stations around the country, and are averaging more than $4 in California, New York and Illinois, among other states.Oil prices rose to $135.09 a barrel in overnight electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange before retreating to trade down $1.13 at $132.04 a barrel.Analysts said oil futures are caught between the supply and demand concerns that boosted crude to its latest record, and a desire by some investors to cash in some profits. The dollar, one of the factors that has fed oil's rally from about $65 a year ago, strengthened against the euro Thursday. When the greenback gains ground, commodities such as oil lose their value as hedges against inflation. Also, a stronger dollar makes oil more expensive to investors overseas.
Analysts viewed oil's decline as temporary. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the Paris-based International Energy Agency is trying to comprehensively assess the condition of the world's 400largest oil fields, a review that could lead to a sharp downward revision in its estimates of global oil supplies.The market is really structurally tight ... oil demand is not growing that fast but supply is constrained, said Victor Shum, an energy analyst with Purvin & Gertz in Singapore.Some analysts say crude has been boosted in recent days by especially strong demand for diesel in China, where power plants in some areas are running desperately short of coal after last week's earthquake, Kevin Norrish, an analyst with Barclays Capital PLC, said new data from China shows demand for diesel was already rising quickly before the disaster. Chinese diesel imports rose 9.2 percent in April compared to last year, Norrish wrote.Still, many analysts argue that oil prices have risen far beyond levels that can be justified by supply and demand. This school of thought believes the dollar's decline has attracted speculators to oil and other commodities, artificially inflating prices. Some analysts see signs in the prices differences between the current July crude contract and contracts for delivery in future months that could mean oil prices are set to decline in coming months.In other Nymex trading Thursday, June heating oil futures rose 1.91 cents to $3.9275 a gallon after earlier rising to a record $4.0153. Heating oil, which is closely related to diesel, is often traded as a proxy for diesel.June gasoline futures fell 4.25 cents to $3.354 a gallon, and June natural gas futures rose 10.8 cents to $11.748 per 1,000 cubic feet. The Energy Department said natural gas inventories rose last week by 85 billion cubic feet, in line with analyst estimates.In London, July Brent crude futures fell 97 cents to $131.73 on the ICE Futures Exchange.
Associated Press Writer Pablo Gorondi in Budapest and AP Business Writer Thomas Hogue in Bangkok, Thailand, contributed to this report.
FIRES AND EXPLOSIONS
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.
May 22, 2008 Wildland fire activity remains light with 13 large fires burning a total of 91,032 acres.
Weather Discussion: Dry and windy conditions are predicted again for today over Arizona, New Mexico, eastern Colorado, and west Texas. The Sacramento Valley in California will also have windy conditions. Source: National Interagency Coordination Center
According to news sources, there were nine large fires burning in Florida Saturday (May 19) and as many as fifteen fires burning today (May 21). Florida has been parched by drought in recent months, and there is still no rain in the immediate forecast.
The Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) acquired this true-color image of Florida on May 19, revealing a lot of smoke and haze blanketing most of the state. The red pixels show the locations of some of the larger fires and their resulting smoke plumes. (The brightness in the water west of Florida is due to sun glint.) The largest of the current fires is burning in Big Cypress National Preserve, located about 120 km (75 miles) west of Miami. That fire has already consumed roughly 15,000 acres and was only partially contained by firefighters at the time this image was taken.
Officials estimate that 2,648 wildfires have scorched nearly 194,000acres in Florida since January of this year. There is concern that those statistics will rise at the onset of the rainy season. Until the rains come full force, the potential for lightning strikes increases fire risks under such dry conditions.
DISEASES
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse:(CHLORES GREEN) and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword,(WEAPONS) and with hunger,(FAMINE) and with death,(INCURABLE DISEASES) and with the beasts of the earth.(ANIMAL TO HUMAN DISEASE).
Bangladesh reports 1st human case of H5N1 bird flu Thu May 22, 9:18 AM ET
DHAKA, Bangladesh - Bangladesh's Health Ministry says the nation's first human case of the H5N1 strain of bird flu has been detected.
The Directorate General of Health Services statement says a child was infected by the virus in January.The statement Thursday did not give the child's name, age, or other details, but said the child was recovering after treatment.The statement says the case was diagnosed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.Bangladesh has slaughtered hundreds of thousands of birds in recent months after the H5N1 virus was detected in the impoverished South Asian nation last year.
MUSLIM NATIONS
EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
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.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
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,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)
EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Olmert proposes naval blockade on Iran: report Wed May 21, 4:50 PM ET
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert proposed in talks with a U.S. congressional leader that a naval blockade be imposed on Iran to try to curb its nuclear program, an Israeli newspaper reported on Wednesday. The Haaretz daily quoted Olmert as telling Nancy Pelosi that the present economic sanctions have exhausted themselves and the international community needed to take more drastic steps to stop Iran's efforts to obtain nuclear weapons.
A spokesman for Olmert declined to comment on the Israeli leader's talks on Monday with Pelosi, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, in Jerusalem.It was a confidential discussion, said the spokesman, Mark Regev.Pelosi's office had no immediate comment. On her return to Washington, Pelosi said she and the congressional delegation she led to Israel had discussed with its leaders the threat posed by Iran.The prime minister's suggestions, Haaretz said, included a naval blockade of Iran using U.S. warships to limit the movement of Iranian merchant vessels.Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said he was unaware of any blockade plans but said the United States intended to step up pressure on the Islamic Republic.I'm not going to get into specifics of how we may or may not increase that pressure militarily, Morrell said. But as we've said from the outset of this problem, all military options remain on the table.Keeping open a military option has long been the stance of the Bush administration on dealing with Iran and its nuclear program -- which Tehran says is for energy purposes, but which the United States and its allies say is aimed at developing a nuclear weapon.Olmert also said, according to the report, that international restrictions should be placed on Iranian aircraft, business executives and senior officials.Iranian business people who would not be able to land anywhere in the world would pressure the regime, Haaretz quoted Olmert as saying.Three rounds of limited U.N. sanctions have been imposed on Iran over its nuclear program but Iran has said it will not cease uranium enrichment. Israel, widely believed to have atomic weapons, has said the Iranian nuclear program is a risk to its existence.Olmert plans to visit Washington in two weeks for talks.
Regev said last week after a visit to Israel by U.S. President George W. Bush that the United States and Israel agreed on the need for tangible action and additional steps to prevent Iran from developing nuclear arms.Olmert has stopped short of publicly threatening to use force against Iran. (Additional reporting by Brenda Gazzar in Jerusalem and David Morgan in Washington, Writing by Jeffrey Heller)
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
OBAMA ALMOST DEMOCRAT WINNER
EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
China's post-quake challenge: 5 million homeless By TINI TRAN, Associated Press Writer MAY 28,08
AN XIAN, China - China is grappling with the next massive task in the aftermath of its earthquake — how to shelter the 5 million people left homeless. Many were living Tuesday in tent cities like one at the base of Qianfo mountain in the disaster zone, offering some stability — along with food and medical care — to those whose lives were upended.After the quake, we couldn't sleep for five days. We were really, really afraid, said Chen Shigui, a weathered 55-year-old farmer who climbed for two days with his wife and injured father to reach the camp from their mountain village. I felt relieved when we got here. It's much safer compared to my home.
But there's not enough room to go around.
The government issued an urgent appeal Tuesday for tents and brought in the first foreign teams of doctors and field hospitals, some of whom were swapping out with overseas search and rescue specialists.The switch underscored a shift in the response to China's worst disaster in three decades from an emergency stage to one of recovery — and for many, enduring hardship.On the second of a three-day national mourning period, the authoritarian government appeared to be moving to rein in the unusually free reporting it allowed in the disaster's first week. Most major newspapers carried near-identical photographs on their front pages of President Hu Jintao and other senior leaders with their heads bowed — a uniformity that is typical when state media censors direct coverage.
The May 12 earthquake's confirmed death toll rose to more than 40,000, with at least 10,000 more deaths expected, and officials said more than 32,000 people were missing. The State Council, China's Cabinet, said 80 percent of the bodies found in Sichuan province had been either cremated or buried.Authorities rushed to dispose of corpses, burning them or laying them side by side in pits. Vice Minister for Civil Affairs Jiang Li said officials had begun collecting DNA samples from bodies so their identities could be confirmed later.Rescues — becoming more remarkable by the hour — continued on the eighth day since the quake, but the trickle of earlier days had slowed to a drip.A 60-year-old woman was pulled from the rubble of a collapsed temple in the city of Pengzhou 195 hours after the quake, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Wang Youqun suffered only a hip fracture and bruises on her face during her eight days in the rubble, Hong Kong-based Phoenix Satellite Television reported, citing air force officer Xie Linglong.Jiang said 5 million people were homeless and that the government was setting up temporary housing for victims unable to find shelter with relatives. He said nearly 280,000 tents had been shipped to the area and 700,000 more ordered and that factories were ramping up to meet demand. Sichuan's governor said 3 million tents were needed.In this encampment in An Xian, hundreds of large blue tents dot the flat farmland where rice and barley are being grown. The dried furrows provide orderly markers, lining up the temporary shelters with military precision in the fairly tidy area the size of a football field.Some 4,600 people are being housed here, 90 percent of them from the mountains around Chaping village, about 20 miles away, which remains cut off by road, said camp director Yang Jianxin.
All these refugees have lost their homes — their clothes and possessions are buried, he said. We are doing what we can to help them.As he spoke, the ground rumbled with the latest of what he said were hundreds of aftershocks felt in the past week. Refugees nearby gasped, and some ran from their tents in confusion, before calm settled after the 10-second tremor.The entire quake zone is jittery. The Sichuan Seismological Bureau, one day after triggering a panic in the provincial capital of Chengdu by issuing a public warning of major aftershocks, said in a statement Tuesday the city was not a high risk area and was strong enough to withstand big tremors.In the An Xian camp, more people are expected to show up in the next few days as more survivors make their way down from the mountains, Yang said. Some 500 people are either dead or missing from the Chaping area's main town, which still has about 1,800 survivors living in the mountains, he said. Many of them, like Chen, made the 10-hour-plus hike down from the mountains with only the clothes they were wearing. We didn't sleep until we got here, Chen said. I carried my father on my back part of the way, and then others helped me carry him down.The camp has a clinic, food distribution points, toilets, a trash dump, and even plans for a temporary school. A red banner reads Love is all around. We never feel lonely.A giant, colorful pile of donated clothing lies in one corner, and dozens of women looking through it. Men in red vests regularly sweep and clean the area. Another area is a donation drop-off for a stream of well-wishers. Among them was Tan Xuqiong, a 36-year-old teacher with a shiny black Prada bag slung over her shoulder, who came with her 18-year-old son to drop off boxes of water, food, and medicine. My hometown was only slightly affected. When I see these people living like this, I think it's so miserable. The contrast is shocking, said Tan, who is from Deyang city.
Each person in the camp receives regular daily rations: three bottles of water, a package of instant noodles, bread, and some crackers. Families also received small radios and copies of the local Mianyang Daily newspaper. Loudspeakers regularly blare announcements about hygiene and reminders to get daily health checks — a precaution against possible disease outbreaks. The clinic is staffed by eight physicians and six nurses — all volunteers with China's Red Cross. Running from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., the medical staff sees about 1,000 patients a day, said Dr. Ye Mao, a 51-year-old orthopedic surgeon from Guangdong province. The biggest problem is the density of the camps. If an infection breaks out, it can spread very quickly, he said. No outbreaks have been reported. After initially refusing foreign help, China is now allowing in medical and rescue teams. A Russian mobile hospital arrived Tuesday in the provincial capital of Chengdu, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said, and other medical teams were headed in from Taiwan, Germany, Italy and Japan. The disaster has raised some sensitive issues for the government about building standards, especially for schools, and about whether authorities did enough to reach survivors quickly. Xinhua reported Tuesday that 129 students and 10 teachers who were trapped in the village of Xu Yong were flown out two days after local officials said all outlying villages had been reached. Chen, the farmer, said refugees in his camp are getting what they need to survive, and they are grateful for the help despite the crowded conditions. His family shares a tent with 10 other people. His 46-year-old wife Liu Yingchun was wistful: I still feel bad because I can't forget all the things we lost. I used half my life to get all this and then suddenly I've lost everything. I don't know if I can ever get back what I had.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Campgrounds struggle to open following St. John River flooding Tue May 20, 11:48 AM
The first long weekend of the camping season proved less than profitable for some campgrounds still cleaning up from the St. John River flooding in New Brunswick.Peter Delmas, owner of the Mic Mac Tent and Trailer Park in Cambridge Narrows, east of Fredericton, said it's going to be at least another three weeks before the campground is able to open to campers.The flooding of the St. John River in April and early-May ruined fencing at the campground and also destroyed four trailers that remain on the site, Delmas said.
Fallen trees and garbage left as flotsam by the flood are still being cleaned up and there was no way the campground could have opened for the long weekend, Delmas said.He will have to wait for the water to subside before doing some work since there are still 12sites in the water, he said.Delmas said the campground tried to contact regulars and those who keep their trailers at the site permanently to notify them the facility was closed.But people still were showing up to try to camp on Friday night and Saturday, he said. A sign was posted at the entrance to indicate the campground would be closed temporarily because of the flood.Maybe they'll understand and come back later, Delmas said, adding that there's not yet any estimate on the cost of the damages or the impact the temporary closure will have on the year's revenue.
Managed to open to public
In the Grand Bay-Westfield area, Howard Haines, owner of the Hardings Point campground, managed to open to the public for the weekend.But it was a struggle, Haines said, as the water in the area hadn't receded enough to begin cleanup until just last week.
Haines said hundreds of buckets of debris had to be cleaned from the road leading into the campground and the beach had to be roped off from campers.A month ago everything was ready to open ... to face all this a week before opening was pretty hard but we got through it, Haines said.Though the campground was open for the weekend, Haines said, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done on the grounds. Heavy equipment operators will be on site beginning this week to begin rebuilding some of the hardest hit areas, he said.The repairs are going to cost thousands of dollars, Haines said.Haines has applied for the flood compensation package that is being offered by the province, but said he couldn't wait to receive any of the funding.We are very busy and the park is pretty well fully sold-out for the summer so we have no choice but to get it back online as quickly as possible, he said.More than 1,500 homes and businesses have applied for the compensation package that is directed at flood victims. Homeowners are eligible for up to $80,000 in compensation after paying a $1,000 deductible.Businesses and farms have a $5,000 deductible and can be compensated for 100 per cent of damage claims up to $100,000 and 75 per cent beyond that.
Flooding threatens B.C. Interior Tue May 20, 10:55 AM
CALGARY (CBC) - Prince George residents are keeping a close eye on the Fraser River Tuesday morning after the province issued a high water advisory on Monday.The Fraser River was expected to peak at nine metres and the Prince George fire department warned that could mean localized flooding along low-lying areas.Warm weather over the weekend rapidly melted the heavy snow pack in the mountains, resulting in localized flooding at a number of locations in the south and central interior.High water advisories were also issued for Smithers and Chetwynd. Flood watches remain in effect for areas along the Kootenay, Boundary and Similkameen rivers in southern B.C.
Ban Ki-moon says Myanmar situation critical, country mourns cyclone victims MAY 20,08
YANGON (AFP) - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon left for Myanmar Tuesday, calling the situation there critical with relief efforts reaching only a quarter of those in need.Ban also said that Myanmar had granted permission for nine World Food Program helicopters to operate in remote areas.This is a critical moment for Myanmar. We have a functioning relief program in place but so far we have been able to reach only about 25 percent of Myanmar's people in need, Ban told reporters at UN headquarters.Ban, set to arrive in Myanmar early Thursday after a stop in Thailand, planned to visit the worst-hit Irrawaddy delta region and to attend weekend fund-raising talks in Yangon.The UN chief has warned of a second catastrophe -- the potential for disease to prey on weakened survivors -- and will appear in person to try to persuade Myanmar's military junta to accept more international aid for some 2.4 million survivors.
Myanmar began three days of mourning Tuesday for 133,000 people dead or missing after its cyclone, but barely anyone seemed to notice and most of the two million survivors were still desperate for help.UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who is heading to Myanmar, called the situation there critical with relief efforts reaching only a quarter of those in need.In one of the first official displays of grief since the cyclone pummelled the impoverished country 18 days ago, national flags in front of Yangon's City Hall fluttered at half mast under overcast skies.But there was no public ceremony nor moment of silence, and most people in Yangon appeared unaware of the mourning period.We didn't know about this news. How are we meant to show our grief for storm victims? said Mya Mya, a 43-year-old flower seller who is sheltering in a school after the storm destroyed her home.Like most cyclone survivors still waiting for food , shelter and medicine, Mya Mya said she had yet to receive any emergency relief from the military government.Global pressure is mounting on the regime to do more for the storm victims.The UN chief, set to arrive early Thursday, said that so far we have been able to reach only about 25 percent of Myanmar's people in need.Ban, who had earlier failed to get reclusive junta leader Senior General Than Shwe even to take his telephone calls, plans to visit the worst-hit Irrawaddy delta region and to attend weekend fund-raising talks in Yangon.I will do my utmost for the people of Myanmar, he vowed.There have been some advances, with the government agreeing at regional talks Monday in Singapore to allow neighbouring countries to coordinate an international relief effort.We are seeing a little bit of progress, we see small steps being made, said Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman for OCHA, the UN's disaster response arm in Geneva.OCHA head John Holmes said he held useful meetings Tuesday with Myanmar's Prime Minister Thein Sein and three government ministers, one day after he toured parts of the Irrawaddy Delta where entire villages were washed away by the May 2-3 storm.
But doubts emerged over how effective any relief effort would be, since the junta has refused to allow in foreign aid workers in anything like the numbers needed, despite warnings that people could die without help.Human Rights Watch warned that the aid effort led by ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) fell well short of the operation needed to address victims' urgent needs.The Asian Development Bank said it might send experts to assess reconstruction needs, but the World Bank said it could not provide the regime with any funds because the junta has not been repaying existing loans.The UN, which estimates that only 500,000 of the 2.4 million affected by the storm are receiving aid, is making a top-level diplomatic effort to press the regime to open up the country.I hope the senior general will see Secretary General Ban Ki-moon when he comes, Holmes said, adding that he handed over a letter from Ban intended for Than Shwe saying the two sides needed to find a way to work together better.Analysts believe the ASEAN deal, which will also see teams of Asian medics from nine countries travel to Myanmar, was a face-saving way for the junta to allow in relief without being seen to cave in to Western pressure.
A Western diplomat in Yangon said the regime was taking its cue from close ally China, which is also dealing with disaster after an earthquake killed more than 40,000 people in the southwest.The fact that the junta has declared three days of mourning now, whereas the cyclone took place more than two weeks ago, is very significant, the diplomat said.China, for its part, began three days of mourning for its quake victims on Monday, exactly one week after the tragedy.
Than Shwe spent a second consecutive day Monday touring the disaster zone, venturing into the hardest-hit regions of the delta for the first time, state television reported.On Tuesday he announced on state media that the government would build new schools for children orphaned by the cyclone.Until Sunday, the senior general had not made a public appearance or remark about the disaster.
Heavy dust storm enshrouds Beijing MAY 20,08
BEIJING (AFP) - A heavy sandstorm hit Beijing Tuesday, shrouding the Chinese capital in a cloud of yellow dust and hampering visibility, the local environmental department said.Clouds of dust were being blown in from neighbouring Inner Mongolia and Shanxi province as a cold front moved in from the north, the Beijing environmental protection bureau said on its website.Air quality has become a key concern ahead of the August Beijing Olympic Games, with city officials vowing to limit the number of cars on city streets and halt construction projects during the Games.Dust kicked up by numerous construction projects in and around the capital is often cited as a major cause of Beijing's air pollution along with the city's growing number of cars.The dust storm was expected to last up to three days, but could begin to dissipate on Wednesday, it said.It was the third such dust storm to hit the capital so far this year, the bureau said.Although Tuesday's storm limited visibility to less than one kilometre (0.62 miles) in some parts of the city, it did not lead to any flight cancellations or delays, Xinhua news agency said.
CLINTON STAYING IN
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=7905954&ch=4226716&src=news
OBAMA WE SHOULDN'T BE AFRAID
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=7906398&ch=4226716&src=news
Obama on brink of nomination, though Clinton wins Ky. By DAVID ESPO and SARA KUGLER, Associated Press Writers MAY 20,08
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Barack Obama stepped to the brink of victory in the Democratic presidential race Tuesday night despite a lopsided loss in the Kentucky primary, moving within 100 delegates of the total needed to claim the prize at the party convention this summer. You have put us within reach of the Democratic nomination, he told cheering supporters in Iowa, the overwhelmingly white state that launched him, a black, first-term senator from Illinois, on his improbable path to victory last January.Obama lavished praise on Hillary Rodham Clinton, his rival in a race unlike any other, and accused Republican John McCain of a campaign run by lobbyists.
You are Democrats who are tired of being divided, Republicans who no longer recognize the party that runs Washington, independents who are hungry for change, he said, speaking to a crowd on the grounds of the Iowa Capitol in Des Moines as well as the millions around the country who will elect the nation's 44th president in November.Despite losing Kentucky to Clinton by a margin of 65 percent to 30 percent, Obama picked up at least 14 delegates in the state. That gave him 1,931 out of the 2,026 needed. The former first lady has 1,755 in their marathon race — a black man running against a woman — that has shattered voter turnout records in state after state.The two rivals also collided in Oregon's unique vote-by-mail primary.Obama said the night's contests gave him a majority of the delegates elected in all 56 primaries and caucuses combined — as distinct from nearly 800 superdelegates who hold the balance of power at the convention.We still have work to do to in the remaining states, where we will compete for every delegate available, he said in an e-mail sent to supporters. But tonight, I want to thank you for everything you have done to take us this far —farther than anyone predicted, expected or even believed possible.
Clinton, the one-time front-runner in the race, said she was in it still.This is one of the closest races for a party's nomination in modern history, the former first lady told supporters celebrating her Kentucky victory. We're winning the popular vote, she said, despite figures from competitive contests that show otherwise. I'm more determined than ever to see that every vote is cast and every ballot is counted.Even so, she commended Obama, adding, while we continue to go toe-to-toe for this nomination, we do see eye-to-eye when it comes to uniting our party to elect a Democratic president this fall.She also said Michigan and Florida Democrats deserve to have their votes counted, a reference to the lingering controversy surrounding primaries in both states held in defiance of Democratic National Committee rules.Party officials are scheduled to meet later this month to consider how — or whether — to seat all or part of the states' delegates.
KENNEDY BRAIN TUMOR
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=7906508&ch=4226723&src=news
TRACKING TEEN DRIVERS
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=7905997&ch=4226713&src=news
Bush apologizes over US soldier's Quran shooting By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writer MAY 20,08
BAGHDAD - President Bush has apologized to Iraq's prime minister for an American sniper's shooting of a Quran, and the Iraqi government called on U.S. military commanders to educate their soldiers to respect local religious beliefs. Bush's spokeswoman said Tuesday that the president apologized during a videoconference Monday with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who told the president that the shooting of Islam's holy book had disappointed and angered both the Iraqi people and their leaders.He apologized for that in the sense that he said that we take it very seriously, White House press secretary Dana Perino said. We are concerned about the reaction. We wanted them to know that the president knew that this was wrong.It was the highest level in a string of statements by U.S. officials trying to soothe anger over the shooting incident, particularly among Sunni Arabs who have become key allies in the fight against insurgents.The U.S. military said Sunday that it had disciplined the sniper and removed him from Iraq after he was found to have used Islam's holy book for target practice May 9 in a predominantly Sunni area west of Baghdad. The book was found two days later by Iraqis on a firing range in Radwaniyah with 14 bullet holes in it and graffiti written on its pages, tribal leaders said.Similar perceived insults against Islam in Europe and elsewhere have sparked violent protests, and American officials appeared eager to contain the outrage.Al-Maliki, a Shiite, told Bush of the disappointment and anger of the people and government of Iraq over the soldier's disgraceful action, according to a statement from his office.
Al-Maliki's office said Bush told the prime minister that the sniper would face trial, but Perino did not say whether Bush made such a promise. Military officials have not spoken of any further action against the soldier, who has not been identified.Al-Maliki's office said the Iraqi Cabinet called on Tuesday for the severest punishment against the sniper and warned of grave consequences if similarly offensive actions were committed in the future.It also called on commanders of U.S.-led foreign troops in Iraq to educate their soldiers on the need to respect the religious beliefs of Iraqis.On Tuesday, Khalaf al-Elyan, a senior Sunni Arab lawmaker, said the sniper must stand trial, preferably in Baghdad.It is a dangerous case. We had been silent and accepted the killing of our sons, the destruction of our homes and the theft of our money, but we do not accept insults to the holy Quran, he said at a news conference.Bush's statement of regret came after similar moves by U.S. military leaders.Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond, the commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad, met with tribal leaders in Radwaniyah on Sunday to apologize while another American officer kissed a copy of the Quran before presenting it to the chiefs.On Monday, the No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, paid visits to al-Maliki as well as Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi and parliament speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, both of whom are Sunni Arabs.Al-Hashemi, the top Sunni Arab in the government, told Austin that the feelings of bitterness and anger cannot be eased unless there is a deterrent punishment and real guarantees such an incident won't be repeated, according to a statement from his office.Al-Hashemi expressed his appreciation for the visit but asked for a written apology from the U.S. military.The vice president's Iraqi Islamic Party also issued a tough statement saying an apology alone was not enough and the U.S. military should impose the severest punishment on the soldier. Austin underlined in all three meetings that the soldier had been removed from Iraq, the military said. He assured them that the matter was serious and that we hold our soldiers accountable for their actions, the statement said. Associated Press writer Ben Feller in Washington contributed to this report.
SIGNS OF THE END OF THE AGE (NOT THE WORLD) THE WORLD GOES ON FOREVER.
GENESIS 1:5,14
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:(ISRAELS HOLY DAYS AND SABBATH STARTS AT 6PM) And for SIGNS (PROPHECY SIGNS TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, OUR DAY)
SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON AND STARS
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
Missing matter found in deep space By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor Tue May 20, 3:17 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Astronomers have found some matter that had been missing in deep space and say it is strung along web-like filaments that form the backbone of the universe. The ethereal strands of hydrogen and oxygen atoms could account for up to half the matter that scientists knew must be there but simply could not see, the researchers reported on Tuesday.Scientists have long known there is far more matter in the universe than can be accounted for by visible galaxies and stars. Not only is there invisible baryonic matter -- the protons and neutrons that make up atoms -- but there also is an even larger amount of invisible dark matter.Now about half of the missing baryonic matter has turned up, seen by the orbiting Hubble space telescope and NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer, or FUSE.We think we are seeing the strands of a web-like structure that forms the backbone of the universe, said Mike Shull of the University of Colorado, who helped lead the study published in The Astrophysical Journal.The matter is spread as superheated oxygen and hydrogen in what looked like vast empty spaces between galaxies.However, observations of a quasar -- a bright object far off in space -- show its light is diffused much as a lighthouse can reflect on a thin fog that was invisible in the dark.
It is kind of like a spider web. The gravity of the spider web is what produced what we see, Shull said in a telephone interview. It's very thin. Some of it is very hot gas, almost a million degrees.This is where the dark matter comes in. The dark matter is heating up the gas, Shull said.Dark matter has gravity. It pulls the gas in, Shull said. This causes what I call sonic booms -- shock waves. This shock heats it to a million degrees. That makes it even harder to see.The atoms of oxygen are in a stripped-down, ionized form. Five of the eight electrons are gone. It emits an ultraviolet spectrum of light that instruments aboard FUSE and Hubble can spot, Shull said.These web-like filaments of matter are the structure upon which the galaxies form, he said.So when we look at the distribution of galaxies on a very large scale, we see they are not uniform, Shull said. They spread out in sheets and filaments.Some faint dwarf galaxies or wisps of matter in these structures could be forming galaxies right now, the researchers said.Shull and colleagues said these webs of hydrogen and oxygen are too hot to be seen in visible light and too cool to be seen in X-rays.(Editing by Will Dunham and Xavier Briand)
HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER
DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.
JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.
REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM
FAMINE
REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.(A DAYS WAGES FOR A LOAF OF BREAD)
Oil settles above $129 for first time By ADAM SCHRECK, AP Business Writer Tue May 20, 5:12 PM ET
NEW YORK - Just in time for the start of the summer driving season: Oil near $130 a barrel and gas getting closer to an average of $4 a gallon. Crude prices spiked to yet another trading high Tuesday as supply concerns mounted. At filling stations across the country, the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline touched $3.80 for the first time, having followed oil's spectacular rise.
The June contract for light, sweet crude traded as high as $129.60 on the New York Mercantile Exchange before settling at $129.07, up $2.02 from Monday's record high. The expiration of that contract, which ended with the close of Tuesday's trading, created additional volatility as traders scrambled to lock in positions.It was the 10th time in the last 12 sessions crude prices have hit trading or closing records, if not both.The July contract, meanwhile, hit its own new high, trading up to $129.29. It will become what traders call the front-month contract on Wednesday.I keep making projections, and they keep turning out to be too low, said Darin Newsom, senior analyst at market analysis provider DTN. We're already pushing up against $130. If we clear that, there's no reason to believe crude oil can't get to $140.Oil's march to new highs coincided with the Labor Department's report of an bigger-than-expected rise last month in wholesale inflation excluding energy and food. The combination raised fears that rising costs will slice into Americans' discretionary spending, and that sent stocks falling sharply on Wall Street, with the Dow Jones industrials losing nearly 200 points and closing at 12,828.68.
Drivers looking forward to road trips this holiday weekend will find no relief at the gas pump. The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is now $3.80 on the nose, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service, meaning gas prices are up about 19 percent from this time last year. Diesel jumped nearly 2cents overnight to a record $4.54 a gallon.Many analysts expect prices for both fuels will continue to rise.Eventually the higher prices do change consumer behavior and investment patterns, Energy Information Administrator Guy Caruso said. But there's no short-term magic wand. It's going to take time.Oil futures are now selling for about twice what they were just a year ago. Prices have been propelled by a number of factors, including worries about insufficient supply, soaring global demand and a sliding dollar that has made oil cheaper for some buyers overseas. Speculative buying has also helped push prices higher, analysts say.It's a runaway market at this point, said Fred Rozell, retail pricing director at the Oil Price Information Service. I think it's just money chasing money.Industry observers in recent days have also pointed to especially strong demand for diesel in China, where power plants in some areas are running desperately short of coal and certain earthquake-hit regions are relying on diesel generators for power. The country is also ramping up diesel imports ahead of the Olympic games, analysts say, driving up prices.DTN's Newsom said that trend is likely to continue at least through the beginning of the games, which run from Aug. 8 to 24.China going into the Summer Olympics is putting its best face forward. They're going to continue to bring in diesel for their power plants and are going to have plenty on hand, Newsom said. What's going to happen after that, we don't know.Crude's latest surge came one day after Algerian Energy Minister Chakib Khelil, OPEC's current president, was quoted by a government newspaper as saying the cartel won't boost output before its next meeting in September, adding to concerns about global supply.Oil's rally has helped drag the price of refined fuels higher as well. Futures for heating oil, which is used as a proxy for the price of diesel, and gasoline both set new records Tuesday.Diesel and gas are just taking a ride. This is really a crude market this year, and crude is really the driving force that's pushing prices higher, Rozell said.
Heating oil futures jumped almost a dime to settle at $3.775 a gallon, after earlier rising to a record $3.792, while gasoline futures added 6.78 cents to settle at $3.3044 a gallon, just short of the intraday high of $3.3085. In other Nymex trading, natural gas futures surged 41.1 cents to settle at $11.365 per 1,000 cubic feet. In London, Brent crude for July delivery jumped $2.78 to settle at $127.84 on the ICE Futures Exchange. AP Business Writer Dan Caterinicchia contributed to this report from Washington
INVENTION OF THE ATOMIC BOMB.
2 PETER 3:10-11
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.
REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200 MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)
ISAIAH 66:15-18
15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die).
ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.
JOEL 2:20,30
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
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.
[FOCUS] Brussels wants Europe to drop nuclear taboos 19.05.2008 - 14:54 CET | By Leigh Phillips
EUOBSERVER / FOCUS - Europe's top energy official has called for a fresh discussion of the pros and cons of nuclear energy without taboos.Energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs wrote on Friday (16 May) in his blog that Use of nuclear energy ... would increase our energy independence and supply security as well as contribute to the limitation of CO2 emissions.Energy efficiency, renewables and sustainable biofuels have all a very important and growing contribution to make for a sustainable energy policy, he added.
However, for the production of base-load energy at competitive prices, nuclear energy is currently the main low-carbon source in many EU member states.The commissioner went on to offer a robust defence of nuclear energy as part of Europe's future energy strategy.Currently, nuclear energy provides more than a third of EU electricity. It has proven to be a stable, reliable source, relatively shielded from price fluctuations when compared to the oil and gas markets. Conventional nuclear energy is essentially free from CO2 emissions and ... fulfils an important requirement of all three pillars of the EU energy policy, which are competitiveness, security of supply and sustainability.The commissioner conceded that before Europe as a whole could move forward with a pro-nuclear strategy, the European public would have to change its mind about nuclear safety, as opposition remains substantial in many member states.Political and public acceptance is a prerequisite for the further development of nuclear energy, he said. The European citizens' concerns about the safety of nuclear installations and the safe management of radioactive waste must be properly addressed.
At present, just 20 percent of Europeans favour the controversial energy source, according to a 2007 Eurobarometer survey. By contrast, some 80 percent of Europeans support greater use of solar energy.Opposition historically is a product of public fears about the safety of the technology. These fears stem from the Chernobyl disaster in the former Soviet Union in 1986, and even the Three Mile Island accident in the United States in the 1970. However, environmental critics tend to focus more on worries about the ability to store radioactive waste and the potential for severe radioactive contamination to a surrounding region.
Opinion mixed
But opinion is not uniform. Sweden, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Finland all have majorities in favour of nuclear energy. Austria on the other hand is home to the most keenly anti-nuclear public, with 80 percent opposed. The country has no operational nuclear power plants and, in 1997, the Austrian parliament voted unanimously to maintain the country's anti-nuclear policy. In 1994, the Netherlands voted to phase out nuclear power, although implementation has been repeatedly delayed. In mid-May, the Dutch economy minister, Maria van der Hoeven, said her country may have to consider nuclear power if it is to meet European carbon emissions targets.Meanwhile, in 2000, Germany also agreed to a gradual shutting down of its nuclear power stations but the decision continues to cause strong differences between the two main political parties in the country.On Friday, the commissioner is to travel to Prague for the second meeting of the European Nuclear Energy Forum (ENEF), launched by the commission in late 2007 as a platform for debate on nuclear energy in Europe and to promote a friendlier image to the European public.Although nuclear policy remains the responsibility of EU member states, the European Commission is becoming increasingly bold in its championing of nuclear power.The commissioner's blog posting echoes the words of commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, who sent a letter to the first meeting of ENEF last November, saying: In this context I really believe that there is a need for a full and frank debate about nuclear energy.
Delicately tip-toeing around the issue of jurisdiction, Mr Barroso said: It is not the EU's role, or indeed the role of the commission, to decide for member states whether they use nuclear energy or not.But it is - in my view - not surprising that we are witnessing a renewed interest of nuclear energy at global level.
China: Earthquake buried 32 sources of radiation By ANITA CHANG, Associated Press Writer Tue May 20, 1:21 PM ET
BEIJING - More than 30 sources of radiation were buried by debris from the massive earthquake in central China last week and all have either been recovered or safely cordoned off, state media reported Tuesday. A French nuclear expert said the radioactive sources likely came from materials used in hospitals, factories or in research, not for weapons.The Chinese government has previously said all nuclear facilities affected by the May 12 earthquake were safe and under control, but did not give any details about which sites were affected or whether any were damaged.But the quake buried 32 sources of radiation under rubble in Sichuan province, the heart of the disaster zone, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing Minister of Environmental Protection Zhou Shengxian.All but two have been recovered, and the remaining two have been located, cordoned and will soon be transported to a safer location, Xinhua said.
Xinhua did not elaborate on any potential threat to the public and did not provide details on what the radioactive materials were or where exactly they were found. It said nuclear facilities and radioactive sources for civilian purposes ... have been confirmed safe and controllable.Though Sichuan has no commercial nuclear power plants, the province has extensive military and nuclear weapons research facilities. The headquarters for China's nuclear weapons design facility is in Mianyang and a plutonium processing facility is in Guangyuan, both cities damaged by the quake.Hans Kristensen, a nuclear arms expert at the Federation of American Scientists, was skeptical that no information had been released by the Chinese government on damage to the nuclear weapons plants.
I find it hard to believe, given the widespread destruction in this region, that the military plants that have nuclear materials somehow escaped (the disaster's) reach, he said.In response to the quake, the military sent soldiers to protect nuclear sites and the country's nuclear safety agency notified staff to be prepared in case of an environmental emergency.China's main government Web site and a state-run newspaper described nuclear facilities and radioactive sources as including power plants, reactors, and sites for fuel production and waste disposal, as well as materials used for scientific research and medical treatment.An official at a French nuclear watchdog who has seen reports from the Chinese nuclear safety agency said materials found in the rubble appeared to come from hospitals, factories or laboratories and were not for used for making nuclear fuel or weapons.It doesn't shock me that there would be radioactive items found, particularly hospital equipment, said Thierry Charles, director of plant safety at the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety.
An unknown number of hospitals were damaged or destroyed in the earthquake. The Sichuan province health department listed 489 major hospitals in areas that were hardest hit.Kristensen said if the buried radioactive materials can be isolated and sealed quickly, there should be no risk to the public.Workers removing radioactive material would first find it with detection devices, then extract the material and place it in a sealed container quickly, Charles said. Then it would be repaired or disposed of as nuclear waste.
Information so far suggests a good reaction by the Chinese teams, Charles said.However, he said risks remain, primarily from any materials that have not been retrieved or sealed. People who remain in close proximity could receive excessive doses of radiation. There was also a risk that people could be exposed to radioactivity if some materials were crushed in a building collapse, for example, he said.Overall, he did not foresee a major risk to groundwater or health because most of the material was probably metal equipment, not fuel or something that disperses more widely. The French watchdog agency has previously said that China reported light damage to unspecified nuclear facilities that were being dismantled before the quake. Associated Press writers Angela Charlton in Paris and Lily Hindy in New York contributed to this report.
JERUSALEM DIVIDED
ZECHARIAH 12:1-5 King James Bible
1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.
JOEL 3:2
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
ZECHARIAH 14:1-9 King James Bible
1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
JERUSALEM PRAYER TEAM MAY 20,08
Dear Stan,
I am writing you from Jerusalem. My heart broke as I sat in the meeting with many of the world leaders listening to President Bush tell the nation of Israel that he has come representing America with his Road Map to Peace Plan; his plan to divide Jerusalem before he leaves office at the end of 2008.President Bush went from celebrating the baby’s birthday to an Arab Summit (which he hosted) where he was attempting to cut up the baby.The Jewish people are suffering horribly and they don’t understand why Christians are silent. They are saying to me if Islamic terrorists are threatening America and you are not defeating them in Iraq why do you want to establish a new state for them in Israel.
The Arab’s talk of peace is just a tactic to destroy us. We know that no one will save us if we are weak. The Bible is our Road Map. We are trusting in God. How long will America keeping hopping between two opinions? Please sign the petition immediately. Let the President know that you do not support the Road Map.
Your Ambassador to Jerusalem,
Mike Evans Your Jerusalem World News: www.myjwn.com
Your Save Jerusalem Site: www.savejerusalem.org
EVIL INVENTIONS ARE PREDICTED IN THE BIBLE.
ROMANS 1:29-32
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
REVELATION 9:7-8
7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
MPs back hybrid embryo research MAY 19,08
Critics say tinkering with human embryos is immoral.The government has survived two big challenges to its controversial plans to change the law on embryo research for the first time in 20 years. A cross-party attempt to ban hybrid human animal embryos was defeated on a free vote, by 336 to 176. Catholic cabinet ministers Ruth Kelly, Des Browne and Paul Murphy voted for a ban. PM Gordon Brown and Tory leader David Cameron both opposed it. A bid to ban saviour siblings was voted down by 342 votes to 163. The votes followed two impassioned debates in the committee stage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, aimed at updating laws from 1990 in line with scientific advances.
Ethically wrong
On Tuesday, MPs have a further free vote on the emotive issue of cutting the abortion time limit. Mr Cameron, along with Mr Brown, has backed the use of hybrid embryos as a means to develop treatments for cancer and conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. They also both support the creation of saviour siblings. However, the majority of the Tory shadow cabinet, including shadow foreign secretary William Hague and shadow home secretary David Davis, backed the unsuccessful attempt to ban hybrids. Ex-minister Edward Leigh, who led the fight against the creation of hybrid admixed embryos, said they were ethically wrong and almost certainly medically useless. He said there was no evidence yet to substantiate claims the work could lead to treatment for degenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The bill would allow regulated research using hybrid or admix embryos, where the nuclei of human cells are inserted into animal eggs. The resulting embryos would be kept for up to 14 days to harvest stem cells.
Health Minister Dawn Primarolo says any research done using human embryos must satisfy the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority that it was necessary or desirable. No human admix embryo would be implanted into a woman or animal, she says.
Too human?
But Mr Leigh said: We do not believe that regulation is enough. We believe this is a step too far and therefore should be banned. In embryos, we do have the genetic make up of a complete human being and we could not and should not be spliced together with the animal kingdom.
How hybrid embryos might be created
And ex-Labour minister Sir Gerald Kaufman, agreed, adding: How far do you go? Where do you stop? What are the limits and what are the boundaries? If you permit the creation of hybrid embryos now, what will you seek to permit next time, even if you have no idea where it will lead?
MPs comment on embryo bill defeat
Labour's Chris Bryant, a former Anglican curate, said Mr Leigh's arguments were like those used by church leaders against the smallpox vaccine. They were wrong and I think you are wrong today, he said. Liberal Democrat Evan Harris criticised those who argued hybrid embryos were too human. If it's ethically acceptable to use up and destroy fully human embryos with all the potential they have, how is it right to provide for hybrid embryos, with less potential of viability, greater protection? he said. A separate attempt to ban pure hybrid embryos, that would mix a human egg with animal sperm or vice versa, was also defeated in the Commons by 286 votes to 223, a government majority of 63. Tory David Burrowes' attempt to stop parents having so-called saviour siblings - babies selected to provide genetic material for seriously ill relatives - also suffered defeat. The Bill would allow the selection of embryos that are a tissue match for a sick older brother or sister. But Mr Burrowes said it was wrong to create a child for the benefit of another, regardless of the need. MPs are being given a free vote on four controversial parts of the bill. The other two areas are: Role of fathers in fertility treatment: Would end the requirement for IVF clinics to consider the welfare of any child created in terms of need for a father. Debate from 1530 BST Tuesday, with vote at about 1830 BST. The upper limit for abortion: Amendments have been put down to the bill to cut from 24 weeks the time limit for abortions. Debate on Tuesday from 1830 BST, with votes at about 2200BST. The Roman Catholic Church has branded the use of hybrid embryos as monstrous and says tinkering with life in this way is immoral. Catholic bishops in Britain and the Irish Republic have given £25,000 to scientists using adult stem cells, which is less controversial than using immature ones.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADE BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
EU-Latin America summit achieves little
19.05.2008 - 17:52 CET | By Leigh Phillips
Very little of any substance was achieved at the EU Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) summit over the weekend, with the almost 50 heads of state failing to agree to any movement in trade discussions, one of Europe's main objectives in attending the summit.The leaders said in a joint statement they hoped to actively pursue two free trade agreements. One between between Europe and Central America and the other between the EU and the Andean Community (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru).Summit host centre-left Peruvian President Alan Garcia said the leaders of the Andean Community had agreed on more flexible free trade agreement negotiations.We're basically in agreement to move toward an accord at the next round of talks in Brussels on June 12, Mr Garcia said at the end of the summit.
However, fellow Andean leaders Evo Morales of Bolivia and Rafael Correa of Ecuador said it was still too early to move toward any free trade agreement. The more leftist leaders were opposed to further opening up their markets to European competition before they had a chance for their economies to develop, while the more centrist among them were frustrated at their intransigence.
Nonetheless, the Ecuadorian leader was optimistic: We made important progress, Mr Correa told reporters in Lima on Saturday. It's a general framework with flexibility that means in principle countries can sign parts of the agreement and not others.The leaders did however attempt to put a positive spin on the largely fruitless series of meetings, highlighting discussions that had taken place on climate change and poverty reduction.Particularly intense debates were held on combating climate change, said Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, whose country currently holds the six-month rotating EU presidency.Meanwhile, European leaders backed Brazilian President Lula da Silva, whose country is the world's top producer of ethanol, in their insistence that biofuels are not the cause of sky-rocketing food prices that have rocked much of the developing world in recent months, producing a wave of riots, demonstrations and strikes.The impact of biofuels should not provoke such alarm, because from my point of view the relationship isn't that clear, said Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Most other Latin American leaders, for their part, remained unconvinced.All the leaders were able to agree on regarding the matter was that something should be done regarding the food crisis. What exactly remained unsaid. [We are] deeply concerned by the impact of increased food prices, the leaders said in a declaration released on 16 May, and called for immediate measures to assist the most vulnerable countries and populations affected.At the same time, the major spat that had preceded the talks between Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and German Chancellor Angela Merkel largely dissipated. Mr Chavez told reporters he had kissed the chancellor on the cheek and had apologised to the chancellor for his comments comparing her Christian Democrat party to the same movement that supported Hitler.
Ahead of the meeting, Ms Merkel had warned other Latin American countries to stay away from the Venezuelan socialist's left-wing populism.
Divisions between Latin American leaders were also on display, with Mr Chavez and Colombia's right-wing leader, Avaro Uribe, refusing to speak to one another. In March of this year, Mr Uribe bombed alleged encampments of Colombia's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) within Ecuador without Quito's permission, and has accused the Venezuelan president of supporting the Colombian guerillas.
IRISH EU TREATY REFERENDUM
http://www.euractiv.com/en/future-eu/irish-eu-treaty-referendum/article-172508
EU EXTENDS MANDATE OF GAZA BORDER CROSSING
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/20/europe/EU-GEN-EU-Palestinians.php
EU FINE-TUNES MED UNION
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1406367.php/EU_commission_fine-tunes_French_plans_for_a_Mediterranean_Union
EU PROPOSES MIDEAST AIDE
http://www.pr-inside.com/eu-proposes-revamp-of-mideast-aid-r599035.htm
EU urges Club Med focus on trade links, environment
Tue 20 May 2008, 12:06 GMT
STRASBOURG, France, May 20 (Reuters) - A planned Euro-Mediterranean Union should start by upgrading sea and road links, cleaning up the Mediterranean Sea and developing solar energy, the European Commission said on Tuesday.Laying out its vision for an initiative launched by French President Nicolas Sarkozy but watered down by other EU states, the EU executive said the Mediterranean was of vital strategic importance and ties with the region needed a higher profile.The project should encompass all 27 EU states plus Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Albania, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Monaco, it said in a policy paper.The union, to be launched at a Paris summit on July 13, will build on the existing Euro-Mediterranean partnership, launched in 1995 in Barcelona, and hence known as the Barcelona process.The Commission recommended that the new organisation, dubbed Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean, should hold summits every two years, but avoided suggesting where to locate its headquarters, saying that should be decided by consensus.
It called for a shared presidency, to be held by France for an initial six months on the EU side before the Lisbon treaty reforming EU institutions enters into force.After that the new long-term president of the council of EU states, the European Commission president and the EU's high representative for foreign policy will lead the European side.The presidency on the side of non-EU Mediterranean partner states would be chosen for a period of two years, it said.The Commission set out four projects that should be considered for approval at the inaugural July 13 Paris summit.
PROJECTS
These included improved maritime and road infrastructure, identifying new sea routes and upgrading port facilities, and building a new road to link the Maghreb Arab states -- Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya.The new union should also give added impetus and finance to a plan agreed by Euro-Med ministers in 2006 for depollution of Mediterranean, a key French priority.
Additional projects cover improved maritime security and plans to exploit North Africa's plentiful sunshine to generate solar power to help meet the EU's huge energy import needs.Sarkozy was forced to scale back his original grand vision after Germany voiced reservations, fearing it would split the EU and siphon off common funds.In March, EU leaders agreed to a limited union involving a regular summit, a joint presidency and a small secretariat.In practice, it will be little more than a new political umbrella over the existing partnership.Paris had originally wanted EU members of the grouping limited to those with Mediterranean coasts and then sought to confine the presidency to such states. It still wants the union's permanent secretariat to be based in a Mediterranean country, with French officials suggesting Morroco, Tunisia or EU member Malta as possibilities.Diplomats say the Commission is keen for practical and political reasons to have the headquarters in Brussels, where it could exert most influence.Sarkozy has dismissed fears the plan would tie EU states into a new, unwanted political corset, saying it would allow some states to work closely and others to stay on the sidelines.Syria, Libya and some other Arab states appear lukewarm as it might suggest an indirect normalisation of ties with Israel, while Turkey has been reluctant to engage in anything that might be seen as an alternative to its drive for full EU membership.French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has said Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak could lead southern states in the union. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom, editing by Paul Taylor)
GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
EARTHQUAKES
MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
China's post-quake challenge: 5 million homeless By TINI TRAN, Associated Press Writer MAY 28,08
AN XIAN, China - China is grappling with the next massive task in the aftermath of its earthquake — how to shelter the 5 million people left homeless. Many were living Tuesday in tent cities like one at the base of Qianfo mountain in the disaster zone, offering some stability — along with food and medical care — to those whose lives were upended.After the quake, we couldn't sleep for five days. We were really, really afraid, said Chen Shigui, a weathered 55-year-old farmer who climbed for two days with his wife and injured father to reach the camp from their mountain village. I felt relieved when we got here. It's much safer compared to my home.
But there's not enough room to go around.
The government issued an urgent appeal Tuesday for tents and brought in the first foreign teams of doctors and field hospitals, some of whom were swapping out with overseas search and rescue specialists.The switch underscored a shift in the response to China's worst disaster in three decades from an emergency stage to one of recovery — and for many, enduring hardship.On the second of a three-day national mourning period, the authoritarian government appeared to be moving to rein in the unusually free reporting it allowed in the disaster's first week. Most major newspapers carried near-identical photographs on their front pages of President Hu Jintao and other senior leaders with their heads bowed — a uniformity that is typical when state media censors direct coverage.
The May 12 earthquake's confirmed death toll rose to more than 40,000, with at least 10,000 more deaths expected, and officials said more than 32,000 people were missing. The State Council, China's Cabinet, said 80 percent of the bodies found in Sichuan province had been either cremated or buried.Authorities rushed to dispose of corpses, burning them or laying them side by side in pits. Vice Minister for Civil Affairs Jiang Li said officials had begun collecting DNA samples from bodies so their identities could be confirmed later.Rescues — becoming more remarkable by the hour — continued on the eighth day since the quake, but the trickle of earlier days had slowed to a drip.A 60-year-old woman was pulled from the rubble of a collapsed temple in the city of Pengzhou 195 hours after the quake, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Wang Youqun suffered only a hip fracture and bruises on her face during her eight days in the rubble, Hong Kong-based Phoenix Satellite Television reported, citing air force officer Xie Linglong.Jiang said 5 million people were homeless and that the government was setting up temporary housing for victims unable to find shelter with relatives. He said nearly 280,000 tents had been shipped to the area and 700,000 more ordered and that factories were ramping up to meet demand. Sichuan's governor said 3 million tents were needed.In this encampment in An Xian, hundreds of large blue tents dot the flat farmland where rice and barley are being grown. The dried furrows provide orderly markers, lining up the temporary shelters with military precision in the fairly tidy area the size of a football field.Some 4,600 people are being housed here, 90 percent of them from the mountains around Chaping village, about 20 miles away, which remains cut off by road, said camp director Yang Jianxin.
All these refugees have lost their homes — their clothes and possessions are buried, he said. We are doing what we can to help them.As he spoke, the ground rumbled with the latest of what he said were hundreds of aftershocks felt in the past week. Refugees nearby gasped, and some ran from their tents in confusion, before calm settled after the 10-second tremor.The entire quake zone is jittery. The Sichuan Seismological Bureau, one day after triggering a panic in the provincial capital of Chengdu by issuing a public warning of major aftershocks, said in a statement Tuesday the city was not a high risk area and was strong enough to withstand big tremors.In the An Xian camp, more people are expected to show up in the next few days as more survivors make their way down from the mountains, Yang said. Some 500 people are either dead or missing from the Chaping area's main town, which still has about 1,800 survivors living in the mountains, he said. Many of them, like Chen, made the 10-hour-plus hike down from the mountains with only the clothes they were wearing. We didn't sleep until we got here, Chen said. I carried my father on my back part of the way, and then others helped me carry him down.The camp has a clinic, food distribution points, toilets, a trash dump, and even plans for a temporary school. A red banner reads Love is all around. We never feel lonely.A giant, colorful pile of donated clothing lies in one corner, and dozens of women looking through it. Men in red vests regularly sweep and clean the area. Another area is a donation drop-off for a stream of well-wishers. Among them was Tan Xuqiong, a 36-year-old teacher with a shiny black Prada bag slung over her shoulder, who came with her 18-year-old son to drop off boxes of water, food, and medicine. My hometown was only slightly affected. When I see these people living like this, I think it's so miserable. The contrast is shocking, said Tan, who is from Deyang city.
Each person in the camp receives regular daily rations: three bottles of water, a package of instant noodles, bread, and some crackers. Families also received small radios and copies of the local Mianyang Daily newspaper. Loudspeakers regularly blare announcements about hygiene and reminders to get daily health checks — a precaution against possible disease outbreaks. The clinic is staffed by eight physicians and six nurses — all volunteers with China's Red Cross. Running from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., the medical staff sees about 1,000 patients a day, said Dr. Ye Mao, a 51-year-old orthopedic surgeon from Guangdong province. The biggest problem is the density of the camps. If an infection breaks out, it can spread very quickly, he said. No outbreaks have been reported. After initially refusing foreign help, China is now allowing in medical and rescue teams. A Russian mobile hospital arrived Tuesday in the provincial capital of Chengdu, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said, and other medical teams were headed in from Taiwan, Germany, Italy and Japan. The disaster has raised some sensitive issues for the government about building standards, especially for schools, and about whether authorities did enough to reach survivors quickly. Xinhua reported Tuesday that 129 students and 10 teachers who were trapped in the village of Xu Yong were flown out two days after local officials said all outlying villages had been reached. Chen, the farmer, said refugees in his camp are getting what they need to survive, and they are grateful for the help despite the crowded conditions. His family shares a tent with 10 other people. His 46-year-old wife Liu Yingchun was wistful: I still feel bad because I can't forget all the things we lost. I used half my life to get all this and then suddenly I've lost everything. I don't know if I can ever get back what I had.
STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES
LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
Campgrounds struggle to open following St. John River flooding Tue May 20, 11:48 AM
The first long weekend of the camping season proved less than profitable for some campgrounds still cleaning up from the St. John River flooding in New Brunswick.Peter Delmas, owner of the Mic Mac Tent and Trailer Park in Cambridge Narrows, east of Fredericton, said it's going to be at least another three weeks before the campground is able to open to campers.The flooding of the St. John River in April and early-May ruined fencing at the campground and also destroyed four trailers that remain on the site, Delmas said.
Fallen trees and garbage left as flotsam by the flood are still being cleaned up and there was no way the campground could have opened for the long weekend, Delmas said.He will have to wait for the water to subside before doing some work since there are still 12sites in the water, he said.Delmas said the campground tried to contact regulars and those who keep their trailers at the site permanently to notify them the facility was closed.But people still were showing up to try to camp on Friday night and Saturday, he said. A sign was posted at the entrance to indicate the campground would be closed temporarily because of the flood.Maybe they'll understand and come back later, Delmas said, adding that there's not yet any estimate on the cost of the damages or the impact the temporary closure will have on the year's revenue.
Managed to open to public
In the Grand Bay-Westfield area, Howard Haines, owner of the Hardings Point campground, managed to open to the public for the weekend.But it was a struggle, Haines said, as the water in the area hadn't receded enough to begin cleanup until just last week.
Haines said hundreds of buckets of debris had to be cleaned from the road leading into the campground and the beach had to be roped off from campers.A month ago everything was ready to open ... to face all this a week before opening was pretty hard but we got through it, Haines said.Though the campground was open for the weekend, Haines said, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done on the grounds. Heavy equipment operators will be on site beginning this week to begin rebuilding some of the hardest hit areas, he said.The repairs are going to cost thousands of dollars, Haines said.Haines has applied for the flood compensation package that is being offered by the province, but said he couldn't wait to receive any of the funding.We are very busy and the park is pretty well fully sold-out for the summer so we have no choice but to get it back online as quickly as possible, he said.More than 1,500 homes and businesses have applied for the compensation package that is directed at flood victims. Homeowners are eligible for up to $80,000 in compensation after paying a $1,000 deductible.Businesses and farms have a $5,000 deductible and can be compensated for 100 per cent of damage claims up to $100,000 and 75 per cent beyond that.
Flooding threatens B.C. Interior Tue May 20, 10:55 AM
CALGARY (CBC) - Prince George residents are keeping a close eye on the Fraser River Tuesday morning after the province issued a high water advisory on Monday.The Fraser River was expected to peak at nine metres and the Prince George fire department warned that could mean localized flooding along low-lying areas.Warm weather over the weekend rapidly melted the heavy snow pack in the mountains, resulting in localized flooding at a number of locations in the south and central interior.High water advisories were also issued for Smithers and Chetwynd. Flood watches remain in effect for areas along the Kootenay, Boundary and Similkameen rivers in southern B.C.
Ban Ki-moon says Myanmar situation critical, country mourns cyclone victims MAY 20,08
YANGON (AFP) - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon left for Myanmar Tuesday, calling the situation there critical with relief efforts reaching only a quarter of those in need.Ban also said that Myanmar had granted permission for nine World Food Program helicopters to operate in remote areas.This is a critical moment for Myanmar. We have a functioning relief program in place but so far we have been able to reach only about 25 percent of Myanmar's people in need, Ban told reporters at UN headquarters.Ban, set to arrive in Myanmar early Thursday after a stop in Thailand, planned to visit the worst-hit Irrawaddy delta region and to attend weekend fund-raising talks in Yangon.The UN chief has warned of a second catastrophe -- the potential for disease to prey on weakened survivors -- and will appear in person to try to persuade Myanmar's military junta to accept more international aid for some 2.4 million survivors.
Myanmar began three days of mourning Tuesday for 133,000 people dead or missing after its cyclone, but barely anyone seemed to notice and most of the two million survivors were still desperate for help.UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who is heading to Myanmar, called the situation there critical with relief efforts reaching only a quarter of those in need.In one of the first official displays of grief since the cyclone pummelled the impoverished country 18 days ago, national flags in front of Yangon's City Hall fluttered at half mast under overcast skies.But there was no public ceremony nor moment of silence, and most people in Yangon appeared unaware of the mourning period.We didn't know about this news. How are we meant to show our grief for storm victims? said Mya Mya, a 43-year-old flower seller who is sheltering in a school after the storm destroyed her home.Like most cyclone survivors still waiting for food , shelter and medicine, Mya Mya said she had yet to receive any emergency relief from the military government.Global pressure is mounting on the regime to do more for the storm victims.The UN chief, set to arrive early Thursday, said that so far we have been able to reach only about 25 percent of Myanmar's people in need.Ban, who had earlier failed to get reclusive junta leader Senior General Than Shwe even to take his telephone calls, plans to visit the worst-hit Irrawaddy delta region and to attend weekend fund-raising talks in Yangon.I will do my utmost for the people of Myanmar, he vowed.There have been some advances, with the government agreeing at regional talks Monday in Singapore to allow neighbouring countries to coordinate an international relief effort.We are seeing a little bit of progress, we see small steps being made, said Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman for OCHA, the UN's disaster response arm in Geneva.OCHA head John Holmes said he held useful meetings Tuesday with Myanmar's Prime Minister Thein Sein and three government ministers, one day after he toured parts of the Irrawaddy Delta where entire villages were washed away by the May 2-3 storm.
But doubts emerged over how effective any relief effort would be, since the junta has refused to allow in foreign aid workers in anything like the numbers needed, despite warnings that people could die without help.Human Rights Watch warned that the aid effort led by ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) fell well short of the operation needed to address victims' urgent needs.The Asian Development Bank said it might send experts to assess reconstruction needs, but the World Bank said it could not provide the regime with any funds because the junta has not been repaying existing loans.The UN, which estimates that only 500,000 of the 2.4 million affected by the storm are receiving aid, is making a top-level diplomatic effort to press the regime to open up the country.I hope the senior general will see Secretary General Ban Ki-moon when he comes, Holmes said, adding that he handed over a letter from Ban intended for Than Shwe saying the two sides needed to find a way to work together better.Analysts believe the ASEAN deal, which will also see teams of Asian medics from nine countries travel to Myanmar, was a face-saving way for the junta to allow in relief without being seen to cave in to Western pressure.
A Western diplomat in Yangon said the regime was taking its cue from close ally China, which is also dealing with disaster after an earthquake killed more than 40,000 people in the southwest.The fact that the junta has declared three days of mourning now, whereas the cyclone took place more than two weeks ago, is very significant, the diplomat said.China, for its part, began three days of mourning for its quake victims on Monday, exactly one week after the tragedy.
Than Shwe spent a second consecutive day Monday touring the disaster zone, venturing into the hardest-hit regions of the delta for the first time, state television reported.On Tuesday he announced on state media that the government would build new schools for children orphaned by the cyclone.Until Sunday, the senior general had not made a public appearance or remark about the disaster.
Heavy dust storm enshrouds Beijing MAY 20,08
BEIJING (AFP) - A heavy sandstorm hit Beijing Tuesday, shrouding the Chinese capital in a cloud of yellow dust and hampering visibility, the local environmental department said.Clouds of dust were being blown in from neighbouring Inner Mongolia and Shanxi province as a cold front moved in from the north, the Beijing environmental protection bureau said on its website.Air quality has become a key concern ahead of the August Beijing Olympic Games, with city officials vowing to limit the number of cars on city streets and halt construction projects during the Games.Dust kicked up by numerous construction projects in and around the capital is often cited as a major cause of Beijing's air pollution along with the city's growing number of cars.The dust storm was expected to last up to three days, but could begin to dissipate on Wednesday, it said.It was the third such dust storm to hit the capital so far this year, the bureau said.Although Tuesday's storm limited visibility to less than one kilometre (0.62 miles) in some parts of the city, it did not lead to any flight cancellations or delays, Xinhua news agency said.
CLINTON STAYING IN
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=7905954&ch=4226716&src=news
OBAMA WE SHOULDN'T BE AFRAID
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=7906398&ch=4226716&src=news
Obama on brink of nomination, though Clinton wins Ky. By DAVID ESPO and SARA KUGLER, Associated Press Writers MAY 20,08
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Barack Obama stepped to the brink of victory in the Democratic presidential race Tuesday night despite a lopsided loss in the Kentucky primary, moving within 100 delegates of the total needed to claim the prize at the party convention this summer. You have put us within reach of the Democratic nomination, he told cheering supporters in Iowa, the overwhelmingly white state that launched him, a black, first-term senator from Illinois, on his improbable path to victory last January.Obama lavished praise on Hillary Rodham Clinton, his rival in a race unlike any other, and accused Republican John McCain of a campaign run by lobbyists.
You are Democrats who are tired of being divided, Republicans who no longer recognize the party that runs Washington, independents who are hungry for change, he said, speaking to a crowd on the grounds of the Iowa Capitol in Des Moines as well as the millions around the country who will elect the nation's 44th president in November.Despite losing Kentucky to Clinton by a margin of 65 percent to 30 percent, Obama picked up at least 14 delegates in the state. That gave him 1,931 out of the 2,026 needed. The former first lady has 1,755 in their marathon race — a black man running against a woman — that has shattered voter turnout records in state after state.The two rivals also collided in Oregon's unique vote-by-mail primary.Obama said the night's contests gave him a majority of the delegates elected in all 56 primaries and caucuses combined — as distinct from nearly 800 superdelegates who hold the balance of power at the convention.We still have work to do to in the remaining states, where we will compete for every delegate available, he said in an e-mail sent to supporters. But tonight, I want to thank you for everything you have done to take us this far —farther than anyone predicted, expected or even believed possible.
Clinton, the one-time front-runner in the race, said she was in it still.This is one of the closest races for a party's nomination in modern history, the former first lady told supporters celebrating her Kentucky victory. We're winning the popular vote, she said, despite figures from competitive contests that show otherwise. I'm more determined than ever to see that every vote is cast and every ballot is counted.Even so, she commended Obama, adding, while we continue to go toe-to-toe for this nomination, we do see eye-to-eye when it comes to uniting our party to elect a Democratic president this fall.She also said Michigan and Florida Democrats deserve to have their votes counted, a reference to the lingering controversy surrounding primaries in both states held in defiance of Democratic National Committee rules.Party officials are scheduled to meet later this month to consider how — or whether — to seat all or part of the states' delegates.
KENNEDY BRAIN TUMOR
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=7906508&ch=4226723&src=news
TRACKING TEEN DRIVERS
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Bush apologizes over US soldier's Quran shooting By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writer MAY 20,08
BAGHDAD - President Bush has apologized to Iraq's prime minister for an American sniper's shooting of a Quran, and the Iraqi government called on U.S. military commanders to educate their soldiers to respect local religious beliefs. Bush's spokeswoman said Tuesday that the president apologized during a videoconference Monday with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who told the president that the shooting of Islam's holy book had disappointed and angered both the Iraqi people and their leaders.He apologized for that in the sense that he said that we take it very seriously, White House press secretary Dana Perino said. We are concerned about the reaction. We wanted them to know that the president knew that this was wrong.It was the highest level in a string of statements by U.S. officials trying to soothe anger over the shooting incident, particularly among Sunni Arabs who have become key allies in the fight against insurgents.The U.S. military said Sunday that it had disciplined the sniper and removed him from Iraq after he was found to have used Islam's holy book for target practice May 9 in a predominantly Sunni area west of Baghdad. The book was found two days later by Iraqis on a firing range in Radwaniyah with 14 bullet holes in it and graffiti written on its pages, tribal leaders said.Similar perceived insults against Islam in Europe and elsewhere have sparked violent protests, and American officials appeared eager to contain the outrage.Al-Maliki, a Shiite, told Bush of the disappointment and anger of the people and government of Iraq over the soldier's disgraceful action, according to a statement from his office.
Al-Maliki's office said Bush told the prime minister that the sniper would face trial, but Perino did not say whether Bush made such a promise. Military officials have not spoken of any further action against the soldier, who has not been identified.Al-Maliki's office said the Iraqi Cabinet called on Tuesday for the severest punishment against the sniper and warned of grave consequences if similarly offensive actions were committed in the future.It also called on commanders of U.S.-led foreign troops in Iraq to educate their soldiers on the need to respect the religious beliefs of Iraqis.On Tuesday, Khalaf al-Elyan, a senior Sunni Arab lawmaker, said the sniper must stand trial, preferably in Baghdad.It is a dangerous case. We had been silent and accepted the killing of our sons, the destruction of our homes and the theft of our money, but we do not accept insults to the holy Quran, he said at a news conference.Bush's statement of regret came after similar moves by U.S. military leaders.Maj. Gen. Jeffery Hammond, the commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad, met with tribal leaders in Radwaniyah on Sunday to apologize while another American officer kissed a copy of the Quran before presenting it to the chiefs.On Monday, the No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, paid visits to al-Maliki as well as Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi and parliament speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, both of whom are Sunni Arabs.Al-Hashemi, the top Sunni Arab in the government, told Austin that the feelings of bitterness and anger cannot be eased unless there is a deterrent punishment and real guarantees such an incident won't be repeated, according to a statement from his office.Al-Hashemi expressed his appreciation for the visit but asked for a written apology from the U.S. military.The vice president's Iraqi Islamic Party also issued a tough statement saying an apology alone was not enough and the U.S. military should impose the severest punishment on the soldier. Austin underlined in all three meetings that the soldier had been removed from Iraq, the military said. He assured them that the matter was serious and that we hold our soldiers accountable for their actions, the statement said. Associated Press writer Ben Feller in Washington contributed to this report.
SIGNS OF THE END OF THE AGE (NOT THE WORLD) THE WORLD GOES ON FOREVER.
GENESIS 1:5,14
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:(ISRAELS HOLY DAYS AND SABBATH STARTS AT 6PM) And for SIGNS (PROPHECY SIGNS TO HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE, OUR DAY)
SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON AND STARS
LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
Missing matter found in deep space By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor Tue May 20, 3:17 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Astronomers have found some matter that had been missing in deep space and say it is strung along web-like filaments that form the backbone of the universe. The ethereal strands of hydrogen and oxygen atoms could account for up to half the matter that scientists knew must be there but simply could not see, the researchers reported on Tuesday.Scientists have long known there is far more matter in the universe than can be accounted for by visible galaxies and stars. Not only is there invisible baryonic matter -- the protons and neutrons that make up atoms -- but there also is an even larger amount of invisible dark matter.Now about half of the missing baryonic matter has turned up, seen by the orbiting Hubble space telescope and NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer, or FUSE.We think we are seeing the strands of a web-like structure that forms the backbone of the universe, said Mike Shull of the University of Colorado, who helped lead the study published in The Astrophysical Journal.The matter is spread as superheated oxygen and hydrogen in what looked like vast empty spaces between galaxies.However, observations of a quasar -- a bright object far off in space -- show its light is diffused much as a lighthouse can reflect on a thin fog that was invisible in the dark.
It is kind of like a spider web. The gravity of the spider web is what produced what we see, Shull said in a telephone interview. It's very thin. Some of it is very hot gas, almost a million degrees.This is where the dark matter comes in. The dark matter is heating up the gas, Shull said.Dark matter has gravity. It pulls the gas in, Shull said. This causes what I call sonic booms -- shock waves. This shock heats it to a million degrees. That makes it even harder to see.The atoms of oxygen are in a stripped-down, ionized form. Five of the eight electrons are gone. It emits an ultraviolet spectrum of light that instruments aboard FUSE and Hubble can spot, Shull said.These web-like filaments of matter are the structure upon which the galaxies form, he said.So when we look at the distribution of galaxies on a very large scale, we see they are not uniform, Shull said. They spread out in sheets and filaments.Some faint dwarf galaxies or wisps of matter in these structures could be forming galaxies right now, the researchers said.Shull and colleagues said these webs of hydrogen and oxygen are too hot to be seen in visible light and too cool to be seen in X-rays.(Editing by Will Dunham and Xavier Briand)
HOARDING OF GOLD AND SILVER
DOCTOR DOCTORIAN FROM ANGEL OF GOD
then the angel said, Financial crisis will come to Asia. I will shake the world.
JAMES 5:1-3
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.
3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.
REVELATION 18:10,17,19
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
EZEKIEL 7:19
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.
REVELATION 13:16-18
16 And he(FALSE POPE) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:(CHIP IMPLANT)
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.(6-6-6) A NUMBER SYSTEM
FAMINE
REVELATION 6:5-6
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.(A DAYS WAGES FOR A LOAF OF BREAD)
Oil settles above $129 for first time By ADAM SCHRECK, AP Business Writer Tue May 20, 5:12 PM ET
NEW YORK - Just in time for the start of the summer driving season: Oil near $130 a barrel and gas getting closer to an average of $4 a gallon. Crude prices spiked to yet another trading high Tuesday as supply concerns mounted. At filling stations across the country, the national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline touched $3.80 for the first time, having followed oil's spectacular rise.
The June contract for light, sweet crude traded as high as $129.60 on the New York Mercantile Exchange before settling at $129.07, up $2.02 from Monday's record high. The expiration of that contract, which ended with the close of Tuesday's trading, created additional volatility as traders scrambled to lock in positions.It was the 10th time in the last 12 sessions crude prices have hit trading or closing records, if not both.The July contract, meanwhile, hit its own new high, trading up to $129.29. It will become what traders call the front-month contract on Wednesday.I keep making projections, and they keep turning out to be too low, said Darin Newsom, senior analyst at market analysis provider DTN. We're already pushing up against $130. If we clear that, there's no reason to believe crude oil can't get to $140.Oil's march to new highs coincided with the Labor Department's report of an bigger-than-expected rise last month in wholesale inflation excluding energy and food. The combination raised fears that rising costs will slice into Americans' discretionary spending, and that sent stocks falling sharply on Wall Street, with the Dow Jones industrials losing nearly 200 points and closing at 12,828.68.
Drivers looking forward to road trips this holiday weekend will find no relief at the gas pump. The national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is now $3.80 on the nose, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service, meaning gas prices are up about 19 percent from this time last year. Diesel jumped nearly 2cents overnight to a record $4.54 a gallon.Many analysts expect prices for both fuels will continue to rise.Eventually the higher prices do change consumer behavior and investment patterns, Energy Information Administrator Guy Caruso said. But there's no short-term magic wand. It's going to take time.Oil futures are now selling for about twice what they were just a year ago. Prices have been propelled by a number of factors, including worries about insufficient supply, soaring global demand and a sliding dollar that has made oil cheaper for some buyers overseas. Speculative buying has also helped push prices higher, analysts say.It's a runaway market at this point, said Fred Rozell, retail pricing director at the Oil Price Information Service. I think it's just money chasing money.Industry observers in recent days have also pointed to especially strong demand for diesel in China, where power plants in some areas are running desperately short of coal and certain earthquake-hit regions are relying on diesel generators for power. The country is also ramping up diesel imports ahead of the Olympic games, analysts say, driving up prices.DTN's Newsom said that trend is likely to continue at least through the beginning of the games, which run from Aug. 8 to 24.China going into the Summer Olympics is putting its best face forward. They're going to continue to bring in diesel for their power plants and are going to have plenty on hand, Newsom said. What's going to happen after that, we don't know.Crude's latest surge came one day after Algerian Energy Minister Chakib Khelil, OPEC's current president, was quoted by a government newspaper as saying the cartel won't boost output before its next meeting in September, adding to concerns about global supply.Oil's rally has helped drag the price of refined fuels higher as well. Futures for heating oil, which is used as a proxy for the price of diesel, and gasoline both set new records Tuesday.Diesel and gas are just taking a ride. This is really a crude market this year, and crude is really the driving force that's pushing prices higher, Rozell said.
Heating oil futures jumped almost a dime to settle at $3.775 a gallon, after earlier rising to a record $3.792, while gasoline futures added 6.78 cents to settle at $3.3044 a gallon, just short of the intraday high of $3.3085. In other Nymex trading, natural gas futures surged 41.1 cents to settle at $11.365 per 1,000 cubic feet. In London, Brent crude for July delivery jumped $2.78 to settle at $127.84 on the ICE Futures Exchange. AP Business Writer Dan Caterinicchia contributed to this report from Washington
INVENTION OF THE ATOMIC BOMB.
2 PETER 3:10-11
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL BE USED.
REVELATION 14:18-20
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city,(JERUSALEM) and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.(200 MILES) (THE SIZE OF ISRAEL)
ISAIAH 66:15-18
15 For, behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the LORD.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
ISAIAH 26:21
21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.(WW3,1/2 earths population die).
ISAIAH 13:6-13 KJV
6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:(FROM FRIGHT)
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
ISAIAH 24:17-23 KJV
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
2 TIMOTHY 3:1
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous (DANGEROUS) times shall come.
JOEL 2:20,30
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
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.
[FOCUS] Brussels wants Europe to drop nuclear taboos 19.05.2008 - 14:54 CET | By Leigh Phillips
EUOBSERVER / FOCUS - Europe's top energy official has called for a fresh discussion of the pros and cons of nuclear energy without taboos.Energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs wrote on Friday (16 May) in his blog that Use of nuclear energy ... would increase our energy independence and supply security as well as contribute to the limitation of CO2 emissions.Energy efficiency, renewables and sustainable biofuels have all a very important and growing contribution to make for a sustainable energy policy, he added.
However, for the production of base-load energy at competitive prices, nuclear energy is currently the main low-carbon source in many EU member states.The commissioner went on to offer a robust defence of nuclear energy as part of Europe's future energy strategy.Currently, nuclear energy provides more than a third of EU electricity. It has proven to be a stable, reliable source, relatively shielded from price fluctuations when compared to the oil and gas markets. Conventional nuclear energy is essentially free from CO2 emissions and ... fulfils an important requirement of all three pillars of the EU energy policy, which are competitiveness, security of supply and sustainability.The commissioner conceded that before Europe as a whole could move forward with a pro-nuclear strategy, the European public would have to change its mind about nuclear safety, as opposition remains substantial in many member states.Political and public acceptance is a prerequisite for the further development of nuclear energy, he said. The European citizens' concerns about the safety of nuclear installations and the safe management of radioactive waste must be properly addressed.
At present, just 20 percent of Europeans favour the controversial energy source, according to a 2007 Eurobarometer survey. By contrast, some 80 percent of Europeans support greater use of solar energy.Opposition historically is a product of public fears about the safety of the technology. These fears stem from the Chernobyl disaster in the former Soviet Union in 1986, and even the Three Mile Island accident in the United States in the 1970. However, environmental critics tend to focus more on worries about the ability to store radioactive waste and the potential for severe radioactive contamination to a surrounding region.
Opinion mixed
But opinion is not uniform. Sweden, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Finland all have majorities in favour of nuclear energy. Austria on the other hand is home to the most keenly anti-nuclear public, with 80 percent opposed. The country has no operational nuclear power plants and, in 1997, the Austrian parliament voted unanimously to maintain the country's anti-nuclear policy. In 1994, the Netherlands voted to phase out nuclear power, although implementation has been repeatedly delayed. In mid-May, the Dutch economy minister, Maria van der Hoeven, said her country may have to consider nuclear power if it is to meet European carbon emissions targets.Meanwhile, in 2000, Germany also agreed to a gradual shutting down of its nuclear power stations but the decision continues to cause strong differences between the two main political parties in the country.On Friday, the commissioner is to travel to Prague for the second meeting of the European Nuclear Energy Forum (ENEF), launched by the commission in late 2007 as a platform for debate on nuclear energy in Europe and to promote a friendlier image to the European public.Although nuclear policy remains the responsibility of EU member states, the European Commission is becoming increasingly bold in its championing of nuclear power.The commissioner's blog posting echoes the words of commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, who sent a letter to the first meeting of ENEF last November, saying: In this context I really believe that there is a need for a full and frank debate about nuclear energy.
Delicately tip-toeing around the issue of jurisdiction, Mr Barroso said: It is not the EU's role, or indeed the role of the commission, to decide for member states whether they use nuclear energy or not.But it is - in my view - not surprising that we are witnessing a renewed interest of nuclear energy at global level.
China: Earthquake buried 32 sources of radiation By ANITA CHANG, Associated Press Writer Tue May 20, 1:21 PM ET
BEIJING - More than 30 sources of radiation were buried by debris from the massive earthquake in central China last week and all have either been recovered or safely cordoned off, state media reported Tuesday. A French nuclear expert said the radioactive sources likely came from materials used in hospitals, factories or in research, not for weapons.The Chinese government has previously said all nuclear facilities affected by the May 12 earthquake were safe and under control, but did not give any details about which sites were affected or whether any were damaged.But the quake buried 32 sources of radiation under rubble in Sichuan province, the heart of the disaster zone, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing Minister of Environmental Protection Zhou Shengxian.All but two have been recovered, and the remaining two have been located, cordoned and will soon be transported to a safer location, Xinhua said.
Xinhua did not elaborate on any potential threat to the public and did not provide details on what the radioactive materials were or where exactly they were found. It said nuclear facilities and radioactive sources for civilian purposes ... have been confirmed safe and controllable.Though Sichuan has no commercial nuclear power plants, the province has extensive military and nuclear weapons research facilities. The headquarters for China's nuclear weapons design facility is in Mianyang and a plutonium processing facility is in Guangyuan, both cities damaged by the quake.Hans Kristensen, a nuclear arms expert at the Federation of American Scientists, was skeptical that no information had been released by the Chinese government on damage to the nuclear weapons plants.
I find it hard to believe, given the widespread destruction in this region, that the military plants that have nuclear materials somehow escaped (the disaster's) reach, he said.In response to the quake, the military sent soldiers to protect nuclear sites and the country's nuclear safety agency notified staff to be prepared in case of an environmental emergency.China's main government Web site and a state-run newspaper described nuclear facilities and radioactive sources as including power plants, reactors, and sites for fuel production and waste disposal, as well as materials used for scientific research and medical treatment.An official at a French nuclear watchdog who has seen reports from the Chinese nuclear safety agency said materials found in the rubble appeared to come from hospitals, factories or laboratories and were not for used for making nuclear fuel or weapons.It doesn't shock me that there would be radioactive items found, particularly hospital equipment, said Thierry Charles, director of plant safety at the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety.
An unknown number of hospitals were damaged or destroyed in the earthquake. The Sichuan province health department listed 489 major hospitals in areas that were hardest hit.Kristensen said if the buried radioactive materials can be isolated and sealed quickly, there should be no risk to the public.Workers removing radioactive material would first find it with detection devices, then extract the material and place it in a sealed container quickly, Charles said. Then it would be repaired or disposed of as nuclear waste.
Information so far suggests a good reaction by the Chinese teams, Charles said.However, he said risks remain, primarily from any materials that have not been retrieved or sealed. People who remain in close proximity could receive excessive doses of radiation. There was also a risk that people could be exposed to radioactivity if some materials were crushed in a building collapse, for example, he said.Overall, he did not foresee a major risk to groundwater or health because most of the material was probably metal equipment, not fuel or something that disperses more widely. The French watchdog agency has previously said that China reported light damage to unspecified nuclear facilities that were being dismantled before the quake. Associated Press writers Angela Charlton in Paris and Lily Hindy in New York contributed to this report.
JERUSALEM DIVIDED
ZECHARIAH 12:1-5 King James Bible
1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.
JOEL 3:2
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
ZECHARIAH 14:1-9 King James Bible
1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
JERUSALEM PRAYER TEAM MAY 20,08
Dear Stan,
I am writing you from Jerusalem. My heart broke as I sat in the meeting with many of the world leaders listening to President Bush tell the nation of Israel that he has come representing America with his Road Map to Peace Plan; his plan to divide Jerusalem before he leaves office at the end of 2008.President Bush went from celebrating the baby’s birthday to an Arab Summit (which he hosted) where he was attempting to cut up the baby.The Jewish people are suffering horribly and they don’t understand why Christians are silent. They are saying to me if Islamic terrorists are threatening America and you are not defeating them in Iraq why do you want to establish a new state for them in Israel.
The Arab’s talk of peace is just a tactic to destroy us. We know that no one will save us if we are weak. The Bible is our Road Map. We are trusting in God. How long will America keeping hopping between two opinions? Please sign the petition immediately. Let the President know that you do not support the Road Map.
Your Ambassador to Jerusalem,
Mike Evans Your Jerusalem World News: www.myjwn.com
Your Save Jerusalem Site: www.savejerusalem.org
EVIL INVENTIONS ARE PREDICTED IN THE BIBLE.
ROMANS 1:29-32
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
REVELATION 9:7-8
7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
MPs back hybrid embryo research MAY 19,08
Critics say tinkering with human embryos is immoral.The government has survived two big challenges to its controversial plans to change the law on embryo research for the first time in 20 years. A cross-party attempt to ban hybrid human animal embryos was defeated on a free vote, by 336 to 176. Catholic cabinet ministers Ruth Kelly, Des Browne and Paul Murphy voted for a ban. PM Gordon Brown and Tory leader David Cameron both opposed it. A bid to ban saviour siblings was voted down by 342 votes to 163. The votes followed two impassioned debates in the committee stage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, aimed at updating laws from 1990 in line with scientific advances.
Ethically wrong
On Tuesday, MPs have a further free vote on the emotive issue of cutting the abortion time limit. Mr Cameron, along with Mr Brown, has backed the use of hybrid embryos as a means to develop treatments for cancer and conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. They also both support the creation of saviour siblings. However, the majority of the Tory shadow cabinet, including shadow foreign secretary William Hague and shadow home secretary David Davis, backed the unsuccessful attempt to ban hybrids. Ex-minister Edward Leigh, who led the fight against the creation of hybrid admixed embryos, said they were ethically wrong and almost certainly medically useless. He said there was no evidence yet to substantiate claims the work could lead to treatment for degenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The bill would allow regulated research using hybrid or admix embryos, where the nuclei of human cells are inserted into animal eggs. The resulting embryos would be kept for up to 14 days to harvest stem cells.
Health Minister Dawn Primarolo says any research done using human embryos must satisfy the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority that it was necessary or desirable. No human admix embryo would be implanted into a woman or animal, she says.
Too human?
But Mr Leigh said: We do not believe that regulation is enough. We believe this is a step too far and therefore should be banned. In embryos, we do have the genetic make up of a complete human being and we could not and should not be spliced together with the animal kingdom.
How hybrid embryos might be created
And ex-Labour minister Sir Gerald Kaufman, agreed, adding: How far do you go? Where do you stop? What are the limits and what are the boundaries? If you permit the creation of hybrid embryos now, what will you seek to permit next time, even if you have no idea where it will lead?
MPs comment on embryo bill defeat
Labour's Chris Bryant, a former Anglican curate, said Mr Leigh's arguments were like those used by church leaders against the smallpox vaccine. They were wrong and I think you are wrong today, he said. Liberal Democrat Evan Harris criticised those who argued hybrid embryos were too human. If it's ethically acceptable to use up and destroy fully human embryos with all the potential they have, how is it right to provide for hybrid embryos, with less potential of viability, greater protection? he said. A separate attempt to ban pure hybrid embryos, that would mix a human egg with animal sperm or vice versa, was also defeated in the Commons by 286 votes to 223, a government majority of 63. Tory David Burrowes' attempt to stop parents having so-called saviour siblings - babies selected to provide genetic material for seriously ill relatives - also suffered defeat. The Bill would allow the selection of embryos that are a tissue match for a sick older brother or sister. But Mr Burrowes said it was wrong to create a child for the benefit of another, regardless of the need. MPs are being given a free vote on four controversial parts of the bill. The other two areas are: Role of fathers in fertility treatment: Would end the requirement for IVF clinics to consider the welfare of any child created in terms of need for a father. Debate from 1530 BST Tuesday, with vote at about 1830 BST. The upper limit for abortion: Amendments have been put down to the bill to cut from 24 weeks the time limit for abortions. Debate on Tuesday from 1830 BST, with votes at about 2200BST. The Roman Catholic Church has branded the use of hybrid embryos as monstrous and says tinkering with life in this way is immoral. Catholic bishops in Britain and the Irish Republic have given £25,000 to scientists using adult stem cells, which is less controversial than using immature ones.
DANIEL 7:23-24
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast(THE EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADE BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:(10 NATIONS) and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.(BE HEAD OF 3 KINGS OR NATIONS).
EU-Latin America summit achieves little
19.05.2008 - 17:52 CET | By Leigh Phillips
Very little of any substance was achieved at the EU Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) summit over the weekend, with the almost 50 heads of state failing to agree to any movement in trade discussions, one of Europe's main objectives in attending the summit.The leaders said in a joint statement they hoped to actively pursue two free trade agreements. One between between Europe and Central America and the other between the EU and the Andean Community (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru).Summit host centre-left Peruvian President Alan Garcia said the leaders of the Andean Community had agreed on more flexible free trade agreement negotiations.We're basically in agreement to move toward an accord at the next round of talks in Brussels on June 12, Mr Garcia said at the end of the summit.
However, fellow Andean leaders Evo Morales of Bolivia and Rafael Correa of Ecuador said it was still too early to move toward any free trade agreement. The more leftist leaders were opposed to further opening up their markets to European competition before they had a chance for their economies to develop, while the more centrist among them were frustrated at their intransigence.
Nonetheless, the Ecuadorian leader was optimistic: We made important progress, Mr Correa told reporters in Lima on Saturday. It's a general framework with flexibility that means in principle countries can sign parts of the agreement and not others.The leaders did however attempt to put a positive spin on the largely fruitless series of meetings, highlighting discussions that had taken place on climate change and poverty reduction.Particularly intense debates were held on combating climate change, said Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, whose country currently holds the six-month rotating EU presidency.Meanwhile, European leaders backed Brazilian President Lula da Silva, whose country is the world's top producer of ethanol, in their insistence that biofuels are not the cause of sky-rocketing food prices that have rocked much of the developing world in recent months, producing a wave of riots, demonstrations and strikes.The impact of biofuels should not provoke such alarm, because from my point of view the relationship isn't that clear, said Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Most other Latin American leaders, for their part, remained unconvinced.All the leaders were able to agree on regarding the matter was that something should be done regarding the food crisis. What exactly remained unsaid. [We are] deeply concerned by the impact of increased food prices, the leaders said in a declaration released on 16 May, and called for immediate measures to assist the most vulnerable countries and populations affected.At the same time, the major spat that had preceded the talks between Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and German Chancellor Angela Merkel largely dissipated. Mr Chavez told reporters he had kissed the chancellor on the cheek and had apologised to the chancellor for his comments comparing her Christian Democrat party to the same movement that supported Hitler.
Ahead of the meeting, Ms Merkel had warned other Latin American countries to stay away from the Venezuelan socialist's left-wing populism.
Divisions between Latin American leaders were also on display, with Mr Chavez and Colombia's right-wing leader, Avaro Uribe, refusing to speak to one another. In March of this year, Mr Uribe bombed alleged encampments of Colombia's Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) within Ecuador without Quito's permission, and has accused the Venezuelan president of supporting the Colombian guerillas.
IRISH EU TREATY REFERENDUM
http://www.euractiv.com/en/future-eu/irish-eu-treaty-referendum/article-172508
EU EXTENDS MANDATE OF GAZA BORDER CROSSING
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/20/europe/EU-GEN-EU-Palestinians.php
EU FINE-TUNES MED UNION
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1406367.php/EU_commission_fine-tunes_French_plans_for_a_Mediterranean_Union
EU PROPOSES MIDEAST AIDE
http://www.pr-inside.com/eu-proposes-revamp-of-mideast-aid-r599035.htm
EU urges Club Med focus on trade links, environment
Tue 20 May 2008, 12:06 GMT
STRASBOURG, France, May 20 (Reuters) - A planned Euro-Mediterranean Union should start by upgrading sea and road links, cleaning up the Mediterranean Sea and developing solar energy, the European Commission said on Tuesday.Laying out its vision for an initiative launched by French President Nicolas Sarkozy but watered down by other EU states, the EU executive said the Mediterranean was of vital strategic importance and ties with the region needed a higher profile.The project should encompass all 27 EU states plus Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Albania, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Monaco, it said in a policy paper.The union, to be launched at a Paris summit on July 13, will build on the existing Euro-Mediterranean partnership, launched in 1995 in Barcelona, and hence known as the Barcelona process.The Commission recommended that the new organisation, dubbed Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean, should hold summits every two years, but avoided suggesting where to locate its headquarters, saying that should be decided by consensus.
It called for a shared presidency, to be held by France for an initial six months on the EU side before the Lisbon treaty reforming EU institutions enters into force.After that the new long-term president of the council of EU states, the European Commission president and the EU's high representative for foreign policy will lead the European side.The presidency on the side of non-EU Mediterranean partner states would be chosen for a period of two years, it said.The Commission set out four projects that should be considered for approval at the inaugural July 13 Paris summit.
PROJECTS
These included improved maritime and road infrastructure, identifying new sea routes and upgrading port facilities, and building a new road to link the Maghreb Arab states -- Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya.The new union should also give added impetus and finance to a plan agreed by Euro-Med ministers in 2006 for depollution of Mediterranean, a key French priority.
Additional projects cover improved maritime security and plans to exploit North Africa's plentiful sunshine to generate solar power to help meet the EU's huge energy import needs.Sarkozy was forced to scale back his original grand vision after Germany voiced reservations, fearing it would split the EU and siphon off common funds.In March, EU leaders agreed to a limited union involving a regular summit, a joint presidency and a small secretariat.In practice, it will be little more than a new political umbrella over the existing partnership.Paris had originally wanted EU members of the grouping limited to those with Mediterranean coasts and then sought to confine the presidency to such states. It still wants the union's permanent secretariat to be based in a Mediterranean country, with French officials suggesting Morroco, Tunisia or EU member Malta as possibilities.Diplomats say the Commission is keen for practical and political reasons to have the headquarters in Brussels, where it could exert most influence.Sarkozy has dismissed fears the plan would tie EU states into a new, unwanted political corset, saying it would allow some states to work closely and others to stay on the sidelines.Syria, Libya and some other Arab states appear lukewarm as it might suggest an indirect normalisation of ties with Israel, while Turkey has been reluctant to engage in anything that might be seen as an alternative to its drive for full EU membership.French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has said Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak could lead southern states in the union. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom, editing by Paul Taylor)
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