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.
Tropical Storm Bertha forms in the Atlantic JULY 3,08
MIAMI - Tropical Storm Bertha has formed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. At 11 a.m. EDT Thursday, the center of the storm was located about 190 miles south-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands.The second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season is moving toward the west-northwest at about 14 mph, and forecasters expect that to continue for the next couple of days.Maximum sustained winds were near 40 mph. Some gradual strengthening is forecast during the next day or two.It's still too early to say if or where Bertha will hit land.The first named storm this year, Arthur, formed in the Atlantic the day before the season officially started June 1 and soaked the Yucatan Peninsula.
Tropical depression forms in Atlantic Ocean Thu Jul 3, 5:33 AM ET
MIAMI - A tropical depression has formed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts. But some strengthening was forecast and the National Hurricane Center said early Thursday that the depression could become a tropical storm later in the day.The storm is located about 250 miles south-southeast of the Cape Verde Islands.The depression is moving toward the west-northwest at about 9 mph, and forecasters are expecting that to continue with some increase in speed over the next couple days.
Tropical Storm Douglas forms off Mexico Thu Jul 3, 12:46 AM ET
MEXICO CITY - Tropical Storm Douglas formed off Mexico's west coast on Wednesday and as with two other recent storms this eastern Pacific season, it was not expected to hit land. Douglas was located about 290 miles (465 kilometers) south of Cabo San Lucas, on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.Douglas had winds of about 40 mph (65 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, which said the storm could dump heavy rains between Lazaro Cardenas and Puerto Vallarta, on the mainland Pacific coast.Baja California will also get some rough weather and people there should watch out for any change in course, said James Franklin, senior hurricane specialist with the center.Right now we are not forecasting it to hit land but there is always uncertainty, Franklin said. We couldn't rule out at this point some impact in the southern Baja Peninsula.The storm was moving northwest at 9 mph (15 kph). Forecasters described the storm as poorly organized and said it might strengthen slightly before moving over cooler waters and weakening out at sea.Meanwhile, former hurricane Boris lost force far out in the Pacific and declined to tropical storm status. Boris' winds fell to about 60 mph (95 kph), and were expected to weaken further.Tropical Storm Cristina dissipated without reaching land at the end of June.The first tropical storm of the eastern Pacific season, Alma, hit Nicaragua's northwest corner.
Mich., Ohio storms bring flooding, power outages JULY 3,08
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Severe thunderstorms swept across parts of Michigan, flooding streets and cutting power to hundreds of thousands of residents. Jackson-based CMS Energy Corp. said about 156,000 of its customers had no electricity as of 4 a.m. Thursday. In the Detroit area, DTE Energy Co. said about 30,000 of its customers were without power. Water on freeways also disrupted the morning rush hour commute.A lightning strike apparently sparked a house fire in Grand Rapids on Wednesday, injuring a firefighter, but not seriously.More than 4 inches of rain was reported in Lenawee County.The storm system also brought heavy rain late Wednesday and early Thursday to parts of Ohio, including Toledo, were 3 1/2 inches fell.A rotating funnel cloud was spotted west of Toledo, but National Weather Service meteorologist Karen Oudeman said no tornado touchdowns were reported. Flooding closed a portion of Interstate 475 in the area early Thursday.About 3,000 customers lost power, Toledo Edison said, but most were back up by Thursday morning.To the west, authorities said a tornado damaged some farm buildings late Wednesday in Iowa's Benton County, but no one was hurt.
REVELATION 9:1-6
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
U THINK THESE BUGS ARE BAD THE DEMONIC LOCUSTS WILL TORTURE SINNERS FOR 5 MONTHS, NOW THATS GONNA BE PAIN AND SUFFERING.
First floods, now pesky mosquitoes for Midwest By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer Wed Jul 2, 5:52 PM ET
CHICAGO - First came the floods — now the mosquitoes. An explosion of pesky insects are pestering clean-up crews and just about anyone venturing outside in the waterlogged Midwest. In some parts of Iowa there are 20 times the normal number, and in Chicago up to five times more than usual.The good news is these are mostly floodwater mosquitoes, not the kind that usually carry West Nile virus and other diseases. But they are very hungry, and sometimes attack in swarms with a stinging bite.Heavy rain followed by high temperatures creates ideal conditions for these bugs, whose eggs hatch in the soil after heavy rains. Scientists call them nuisance mosquitoes. You could call that an understatement.About 3 p.m. the bugs come out pretty bad. They're all over the place, Bill Driscoll, a flood cleanup worker in Palo, Iowa, said this week. We've been burning through the repellent with the volunteers.In Lisbon, Iowa, about 20 miles east of flood-ravaged Cedar Rapids, biker Larry Crystal said mosquitoes have made his rides miserable.
Every time I stop to rest at a rest area these buggers just find a way to bite me all over my neck area between my helmet and jacket, he wrote on a bikers' blog.They seem to be very aggressive, they're even coming into my helmet, finding any bits of skin, Crystal told The Associated Press. They're just going at it.Some mosquito surveillance traps in Iowa have up to 20 times more mosquitoes than in recent years, said Lyric Bartholomay, an Iowa State University insect expert.For example, last week, 3,674 mosquitoes were counted in Ames-area traps, compared with 182 for the same week last year, Bartholomay said Wednesday. Trap quantities are just a tiny snapshot of the true numbers of mosquitoes flying around.In Iowa, the main culprit is the Aedes trivittatus, a common nuisance mosquito with a voracious appetite and they hurt when they feed on you, she said.A relative called Aedes vexans is doing much of the biting in Chicago's suburbs, hit by recent heavy rains, said Mike Szyska of the Northwest Mosquito Abatement District.Mosquito numbers in northwestern suburbs peaked last week at about five times higher than normal for this time of year, Szyska said.
Complaints and requests for insecticide spraying have the district working day and night. We're extremely busy, he said.Right now there's no evidence of higher than normal numbers of Culex mosquitoes, more commonly associated with West Nile virus. Several states have found evidence of West Nile, but only a few cases, which tend to start occurring later in July.But health authorities say that could change with drier weather, which Culex mosquitoes prefer, so they're advising people to take precautions.Culex mosquitoes breed in stagnant water and sludge in protected areas like ditches, storm drains or backyard bird baths and discarded tires, Szyska said.One thing that we're warning people with the flooded homes, as they're gutting them and getting rid of debris, make sure you dispose of that kind of stuff correctly, said Howard Pue of Missouri's Department of Public Health. In the meantime, the explosion of floodwater mosquitoes has left many people feeling like mosquito magnets. And about 10 percent of the population actually qualifies, according to entomologist Jerry Butler, a professor emeritus at the University of Florida. These are the people who get covered in bites while their porch partners or biking buddies are left unscathed. Many of them get exaggerated skin reactions to the bugs — hard red welts or hives that can itch for days. Children are more susceptible to these reactions, which can cause a lot of discomfort but generally are not dangerous, said Dr. Anju Peters, an allergy specialist at Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Her 7-year-old daughter got several bites and broke out in hives last week inside the family's Chicago home when an outside door was left open for just a few minutes, Peters said.
Some people have allergies to mosquitoes, developing limited but severe skin reactions that researchers call skeeter syndrome. Some can develop potentially dangerous, widespread reactions including wheezing, and, rarely, life-threatening throat-swelling and breathing problems. Research is under way to develop skin tests and treatment for these allergies using mosquito saliva. Because tests are not widely available, allergic reactions to mosquitoes are underdiagnosed and undertreated, according to the University of Manitoba's Dr. Estelle Simons, a leading mosquito allergy expert.
Whether true allergies or normal reactions to mosquito saliva, the bumps and itching can sometimes be eased, though not prevented. Using over-the-counter antihistamines such as Zyrtec and Claritin throughout mosquito season or after a bite can help, doctors say.
Sweat and carbon dioxide given off by the skin and from breathing are among the best known mosquito magnets, said Butler, who has long studied which odors and substances attract mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes often target larger people, who tend to give off more carbon dioxide, he said. And alcohol is another lure, so people who have been drinking are going to be more attractive to the bugs, he said. Alcohol in lotions and perfumes also attracts mosquitoes, as do some cosmetic fragrances including lavender, Butler said. Also, he said, there's evidence that people with very high cholesterol levels often are mosquito magnets. Butler said mosquitoes need fats like cholesterol but can't make them so get them by feeding on others. On the Net: Iowa State: http://www.ipm.iastate.edu
West Nile: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm
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 PRICES ENTICE BEAR MARKET
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8620072&ch=4226720&src=news
THEM BILDERBERGS HAVE THE WORLD ECONOMY WELL IN CONTROL AT THEIR MEETING THEY SAID BY JULY 4 OIL WOULD BE AROUND $150.00 A BARREL.
Oil hits new record above $145 By PABLO GORONDI, Associated Press Writer JULY 3,08
Oil prices briefly soared to a record near $146 a barrel Thursday, then eased when the European Central Bank did not signal more rate hikes and a report showed unemployment in the United States has continued to climb. Earlier in the session, prices were lifted to new highs by concerns over a larger-than-expected drop in U.S. oil stockpiles, the threat of violent conflict with Iran and comments by Saudi Arabia's oil minister suggesting his country would not boost production.Light, sweet crude for August delivery rose 2 cents to $143.59 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier in the session, it rose as high as $145.85 a barrel, a new trading record.On Wednesday, the contract set a new closing record for floor trade at $143.57 — a full $2.60 above the previous close.
With the latest spike, the price of crude has risen more than 50 percent since the end of last year, when oil was going for $96 a barrel.In London, Brent crude futures rose to a trading record of $146.69 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange before retreating to $144.68, up 42 cents.The push above $145 a barrel was seen as the last technical barrier to prices hitting $150, in what analyst Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix in Switzerland called the Morgan Stanley self fulfilling prophecy.In early June, Morgan Stanley analyst Ole Slorer predicted oil prices could reach $150 by the July 4 weekend, preceding a nearly $11 one-day jump in the Nymex contract.U.S. employers cut payrolls by 62,000 in June, the sixth straight month of nationwide job losses, underscoring the economy's fragile state. The unemployment rate held steady at 5.5 percent. The weak economy has U.S. consumers cutting back on driving and paring other energy related costs.The nation's services sector declined unexpectedly in June after two months of growth, as new orders fell sharply and oil prices took their toll on businesses.
The Institute for Supply Management said Thursday that the services sector reading fell to 48.2 in June from 51.7 in May. It missed economists' prediction of a reading of 51.0, according to the consensus estimate of Wall Street economists surveyed by Thomson Financial/IFR. A reading above 50 signals growth.Thursday's ECB decision to raise interest rates in the 15-nation euro zone by a quarter percentage point to 4.25 percent already had been priced in by the markets. Comments by ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet suggesting that further rate cuts — also expected by the market — were far from certain helped strengthen the dollar.When the dollar weakens, it usually drives oil prices higher as investors turn to commodities as a hedge against a falling greenback.After Trichet's comments, the euro sank to $1.5754, from 1.5885 on Wednesday. The U.S. currency also rose to 106.64 Japanese yen, from 106.01 yen the day before.Speaking Thursday in Madrid, Saudi Arabia's oil minister, Ali Naimi, left the door open for increased output, but said the kingdom's oil customers were satisfied and that no production growth was planned for now.The Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said Wednesday crude oil supplies fell by 2 million barrels last week, or about 800,000 barrels more than analysts surveyed by the energy research firm Platts had predicted.However, the report offered a mixed picture of energy use by the world's thirstiest oil consumer. Gasoline supplies unexpectedly grew by a considerable amount, and demand continued to slide — suggesting record fuel prices are prompting a shift in American driving habits.Ongoing rhetoric about possible attacks on Iran, the world's fourth-largest oil producer and OPEC's second-largest exporter, also left the market jittery. Traders are worried Tehran could try to halt shipments and seize control of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz if attacked by Israel or the United States. About 40 percent of the world's tanker traffic passes through the Middle Eastern choke-point.
Iran's foreign minister did not rule the possibility that Iran could try to restrict oil traffic in the strait if the country was attacked. In Iran we must defend our national security, our country and our revolutionary system and we will continue to do so, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said in an interview with The Associated Press in New York. Mottaki said he does not believe Israel or the United States will attack, however, calling the prospect of another war in the Middle East craziness.A senior U.S. military commander vowed to ensure that the strait remains open. We will not allow Iran to close it, said Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff, commander of the 5th Fleet based in Bahrain, after talks with naval commanders of Persian Gulf countries in the United Arab Emirates.
The saber-rattling has left energy traders on edge as they try to ascertain the likelihood of a Middle East flare-up and the effect it could have on the world's already tight supply of oil. In other Nymex trading, heating oil futures added 0.3 cent to $4.1062 a gallon (3.8 liters), while gasoline futures rose 1.96 cents to $3.5690 a gallon. Natural gas futures gained 0.1 cent to $13.39 per 1,000 cubic feet. AP Business Writer Adam Schreck in New York and AP writers Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and George Jahn in Madrid, Spain, contributed to this report.
WILDFIRE NEARING BIG SUR
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8654398&ch=4226713&src=news
BIG SUR EVACUATION ORDERED
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=8654048&ch=4226713&src=news
Big Sur evacuates as massive wildfire spreads By AMANDA FEHD, Associated Press Writer Thu Jul 3, 7:11 AM ET
BIG SUR, Calif. - Flames ominously licked the ridge overlooking this scenic coastal community, which appeared nearly abandoned Thursday after an explosive wildfire caused authorities to order more residents out of the area. New mandatory evacuation notices were issued Wednesday for an additional 16-mile stretch along Highway 1 after the blaze jumped a fire line in the Los Padres National Forest. A total of 31 miles of the coastal highway, lined with homes and businesses, is now closed.Several hundred evacuees attended a meeting Wednesday evening where officials braced them for a long fire season. The blaze, which already has burned 16 homes and nearly 88 square miles, was only 3 percent contained and wasn't expected to be fully surrounded until the end of the month.
John Friel, 62, who had been living with his kitten in his car for the past three days after being forced to leave his mobile home, was disappointed by the news.I've had six strokes this year and a heart attack. I'm feeling pretty scattered, said the retiree, who moved to Big Sur three years ago. It was like putting a Rubik's Cube back together before, so this ain't helping. It just notches up the stress level.The blaze near Big Sur was one of more than 1,700 wildfires — most ignited by lightning — that have scorched more than 770 square miles and destroyed 64 structures across northern and central California since June 20, according to state officials.Mild temperatures and light winds did little to calm the inferno near Big Sur, which officials described as fuel-driven rather than wind-driven. A statewide drought has created tinder-like trees and brush, feeding the flames in California's forests.
The fire is just a big raging animal right now, said Darby Marshall, spokesman for the Monterey County Office of Emergency Services.Janna Fournier, one of the 850 Big Sur residents affected by the evacuation order, went to retrieve artwork and rescue her pet tarantula before roads closed Wednesday afternoon.I feel sad for the wilderness and the people who lost their homes, Fournier said. We chose to live in a wilderness among all this beauty, so I know there's that chance you always take.Helicopters hauling large containers of water droned loudly overhead as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, R. David Paulison, visited the area.If people evacuate like they're told to, we shouldn't lose any lives, Paulison said in an interview. My only concern is that people don't take it seriously enough.Some residents did choose to ignore the evacuation order, including Scott Parker, who stopped by the local general store as firefighters trimmed trees above the store to ward off flames snaking along the hillside a quarter-mile away.My wife and I are going to stay at least until we are in imminent danger. If there's a possibility of saving the house, then we're going to do it, said Parker, a landscaper who moved to Big Sur 30 years ago. We've had a couple close ones, but this is the closest.Meanwhile, a fire in the southern extension of the Los Padres forest north of Santa Barbara forced about 45 residents to evacuate as winds up to 35 mph pushed flames toward homes in the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains.
The blaze has burned nearly 2 square miles of rough terrain, officials said. As night fell Wednesday, about 150,000 Southern California Edison customers in Goleta and Santa Barbara lost power when thick smoke forced the shutdown of power transmission lines. Crews restored power to about half of the affected customers.In the Sequoia National Forest east of Bakersfield, firefighters struggled to contain a 22-square-mile blaze. Powerful gusts and choking smoke traveling up the steep canyons hampered their progress, and residents of neighboring towns were ordered to evacuate.Back in Big Sur, construction worker Billy Rose helped clear brush around local businesses to protect the community where he grew up. Big Sur people are used to stress — rock slides, water spouts, 40-foot waves, you get numb to it, he said, looking weary as he sharpened his chain saw. You can't tame Big Sur — this place is untamable.
Associated Press writers Marcus Wohlsen and Scott Lindlaw in San Francisco and Raquel Maria Dillon in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
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).
Poland and US reach missile defence deal
LEIGH PHILLIPS JULY 3,08 Today @ 09:26 CET
The US and Poland have reached an agreement that will see sections of the American missile defence system based in the former Eastern Bloc nation, according to officials from both countries.Poland's deputy foreign minister, Witold Waszcykowski has said that he had completed negotiations with US negotiator John Rood on the matter on Tuesday (1 July), according to the AP. The US defence system looks set to have 10 interceptor missiles based in Poland (Photo: wikipedia)
Officials from the Bush administration confirmed the conclusion of the deal, but remained nameless as the deal must still be approved by the Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk.The US wants 10 interceptor missiles to be based on Polish territory. Washington says the system is necessary for defence against possible nuclear attacks from Iran. Russia however, which is steadfastly opposed to a US missile defence being based in EU countries, argues that the system is targeted at itself, and diminishes its nuclear deterrent.
Details of the agreement have yet to be released, but in negotiations Poland was demanding billions of euros to renovate its own air defences. The work would be necessary, the country argued, due to the increased threat from Russia in the wake of the basing of missile defence on its territory.Russia has said that should Poland agree to hosting missiles, it would target the country, a threat that has also been made against the Czech Republic, which recently agreed to host the advanced radar system for US missile defence.The Bush administration is hoping to begin construction in the two countries before the end of the president's term of office, as it would limit his replacement's ability to back-track on the deal.Presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain backs missile defence, while the Democrats' Barack Obama has expressed misgivings.The system, which has cost more than €63 billion ($100 billion) to develop and costs €7 billion a year to maintain – the single biggest line item in the Pentagon's budget – is unpopular in the US Congress too, where congress members argue the technology remains unproven. Most Poles and Czechs also oppose the plan, according to polls.
EUROPEAN UNION ARMY
DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)
DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.
DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.
REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)
UK foreign minister backs French defence plans
ELITSA VUCHEVA JULY 3,08 Today @ 09:16 CET
UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Wednesday (2 July) backed French plans to boost European defence, saying they were not incompatible with NATO and stressing they did not mean creating a European army.The countries of Europe need to be better at using hard power. That is why I strongly welcome President Sarkozy's proposals to reintegrate France into NATO's military structure and support his call for the EU to play a greater role in crisis management, Mr Miliband told Progress, an independent organisation of Labour Party members, Reuters reports.Mr Miliband backed France's plans to boost European defence - but reiterated his opposition to creating a European army. (Photo: eurocorps.net)
Paris has said that strengthening Europe's defence policy would be one of the main priorities of its six-month EU presidency, which started on 1 July, and securing the backing of the UK as another military heavyweight in the EU was seen as essential in that respect.Mr Miliband's statements are the first to openly support Mr Sarkozy's defence plans coming from a UK politician of this rank. Britain has traditionally been wary of such ideas – fearing they could undermine NATO, or pose a threat to its national sovereignty.
The British foreign secretary stressed, however, that strong European defence was fully compatible with the North Atlantic alliance and was in no way a threat to it.NATO would remain the cornerstone of European defence, he said, adding that the US ambassador to the organisation, Victoria Nuland, had herself spoken in favour of a more capable European defence capacity.As the Balkans wars in the 1990s demonstrated, unless Europe can develop its own capabilities, Mr Miliband added, it will be consigned always to wait impotently until the US and NATO are ready and able to intervene.The foreign secretary also underlined that the French plans did not mean creating a supranational European army – something still strongly opposed by the UK.There's no question of a European army. President Sarkozy is against a European army and so am I. What we are in favour of is British, French and other troops working together, he later told Channel Four news television.In a speech in June, the French president made a similar statement, saying that French forces are and will remain national. They will not be integrated into any supranational force.On Wednesday, Mr Miliband also expressed a more general UK support for the priorities France has set for its time at the EU helm.What strikes me about the French priorities for their presidency is how closely they tie in with our own ambitions for the EU… whether on energy and climate change, migration, near neighbourhood policy, or the next steps on European defence, he said.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
PALESTINIAN ON RAMPAGE
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.
PALESTINIAN MUSLIM ON RAMPAGE
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TRACTOR SLAMS INTO BUS
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Palestinian goes on rampage in Jerusalem; 3 killed By STEVEN GUTKIN, Associated Press Writer JULY 02,08
JERUSALEM - A Palestinian man plowed an enormous construction vehicle into cars, buses and pedestrians on a busy street Wednesday, killing at least three people and wounding at least 45 before he was shot dead by security officers. The violence, the first major attack in Jerusalem since March, wreaked havoc in the heart of downtown. Hundreds of people fled in panic through the streets as medics treated the wounded.Three Palestinian militant groups took responsibility for the attack, but the claims could not be independently verified. Israeli police referred to the attacker as a terrorist acting on his own and said he was a bulldozer operator who worked in the area for a construction firm.The attack took place in front of a building housing the offices of The Associated Press and other media outlets. British Broadcasting Corp. footage captured the huge front loader crushing a vehicle and an off-duty soldier shooting the perpetrator in the head several times at point-blank range as onlookers screamed.Israel's national rescue service confirmed three deaths, and the bodies lay motionless on the ground covered in plastic.Hen Shimon, a 19-year-old soldier, said the whole scene was a nightmare.I just got off the bus and I saw the tractor driving and knocking everything down in his path, she said. Everything he saw he rammed.
Eyal Lang Ben-Hur, 16, was in a bus when the driver yelled Get out of the vehicle! Everyone out! People fled in a panic, he said, and the bus was hit an instant later.Eli Mizrahi, an officer in a special anti-terror unit, said he and his partner sped to the scene on a motorcycle from the nearby Mahane Yehuda market in downtown Jerusalem. An off-duty soldier had just shot the attacker, but not killed him.I ran up the stairs (of the vehicle) and, when he was still driving like crazy and trying to harm civilians, I fired at him twice more and, that's it, he was liquidated, Mizrahi told reporters.The attack occurred in an area where Jerusalem is building a new train system. The project has turned many parts of the city into a big construction zone.Wednesday's attack represented a departure from militants' previous methods, which were mostly suicide bombings and shootings.During the second Palestinian uprising, which erupted in late 2000, Jerusalem experienced dozens of suicide bombings and other attacks. The city has been largely quiet in the past three years, though sporadic attacks have persisted. In March, a Palestinian gunman entered a Jerusalem seminary and killed eight young students.Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev called Wednesday's attack a senseless act of murderous violence.President Bush called Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to express condolences about the attack and planned to call Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as well, White House press secretary Dana Perino said.The three organizations that took responsibility for the attack included the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, which is affiliated with Abbas. Abbas aide Saeb Erekat condemned the violence.The other two are the Galilee Freedom Battalion, which is suspected of being affiliated with Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a fringe left-wing militant group.The Hamas militant group, which runs the Gaza Strip and is currently maintaining a fragile cease-fire with Israel, said it did not carry out the attack but nevertheless praised it. We consider it as a natural reaction to the daily aggression and crimes committed against our people in the West Bank and all over the occupied lands, said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri. Despite the Palestinian claims of responsibility, Israeli police chief Dudi Cohen said the attacker appeared to be acting alone. It looks as if it was a spontaneous act, he said. Major Israeli retaliation appeared unlikely given the police chief's claim that the attacker acted alone and the Jewish state's desire to maintain the Gaza cease-fire and to support Abbas' security forces in the West Bank. Israeli police said the man, a father of two children, was an Arab in his 30s from east Jerusalem and had a criminal background. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said he had worked as a construction worker on the railway project. Later Wednesday, five military vehicles gathered outside the man's two-story home in east Jerusalem. Police entered the house, took pictures and questioned relatives for an hour before leaving without making arrests.
Friends of the family identified the attacker as Hussam Dwikat. They said the 29-year-old was a devout Muslim, but had no known ties to any militant groups. Everybody is in shock. When I was told what happened I started to curse Hussam because this is the first time he has done something like this, said Salayan Weyed, a friend of the attacker's wife. In contrast to West Bank Palestinians, Arab residents of Jerusalem have full freedom to work and travel throughout Israel. About two-thirds of Jerusalem's 700,000 residents are Jews, and the rest are Palestinians who came under Israeli control when Israel captured their part of the city in 1967. Israel's national rescue service said at least 45 people were wounded in Wednesday's attack. Wounded people sat dazed on the ground amid piles of broken glass and blood stains on the street. A half-dozen cars were flattened and others were overturned by the Caterpillar vehicle. A bus was overturned and another bus was heavily damaged. A woman sprinkled water over a baby's bloodied face, a rescue worker stroked the hair of a dazed elderly pedestrian and a loved one raised the bleeding leg of a woman sitting outside the overturned bus. Yosef Spielman, who witnessed the attack, said the construction vehicle picked up a car like a toy.I was shocked. I saw a guy going crazy, he said. All the people were running. They had no chance.Esther Valencia, a 52-year-old pedestrian, said she barely escaped the carnage. He almost hit me. Someone pushed me out of the way at the last moment. It was a miracle that I got out of there.Cassia Pereira, office manager for AP's Jerusalem bureau, watched the attack unfold outside her window. I saw him but it was too late and there was nothing to do, she said, with tears in her eyes. I was in panic I couldn't say a word ... I realized something was not normal, something was wrong.
The mayor of Jerusalem, Uri Lupolianski, said his daughter was on one of the buses rammed by the attacker, but she was not injured.
To our regret the attackers do not cease coming up with new ways to strike at the heart of the Jewish people here in Jerusalem, Lupolianski said. Associated Press Writer Aron Heller contributed to this report.
Hezbollah confirms prisoner exchange with Israel JULY 02,08
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Hezbollah's leader says his group will hand over two captured Israeli soldiers in exchange for five Lebanese prisoners in Israel. It's Hezbollah's first confirmation of the deal, which was approved by Israel's Cabinet on Sunday.Israel's prime minister has said he believes the two soldiers, captured in a July 2006 raid that sparked a war between Israel and Hezbollah, are dead. But the militant group has never confirmed that.Sheik Hassan Nasrallah says he'll also provide information on missing Israeli airman Ron Arad.Nasrallah spoke by video link to reporters Wednesday in Beirut.
Iran says any attack would provoke fierce reaction By GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press Writer JULY 02,08
MADRID, Spain - With Middle East tensions building, Iran's oil minister warned Wednesday that an attack on his country would provoke an unimaginably fierce response. Minister Gholam Hossein Nozari said, however, that Tehran would not cut oil deliveries and would continue supplying the market even if struck by Israel or the United States.Tehran is not going to be quiet, if attacked, Nozari told reporters. It's going to react fiercely, and nobody can imagine what would be the reaction of Iran, he added.Over the weekend, the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned that Tehran would respond to an attack by barraging Israel with missiles and could seize control of a key oil passageway in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz.But a senior U.S. military commander said Wednesday that Washington would not allow that to happen.Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff, commander of the 5th Fleet spoke to reporters after talks with naval commanders of Gulf countries in the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi. The one-day meeting was to focus on the security of the region's maritime and trade routes and the threat of terrorism.The 5th Fleet is based in Bahrain, across the Gulf from Iran. Cosgriff said that if Iran choked off the Strait of Hormuz, it would be saying to the world that 40 percent of oil is now held hostage by a single country.
We will not allow Iran to close it, he told reporters.
Minister Nozari addressed rising tensions outside the 19th World Petroleum Congress after a presentation on Iran's oil and gas industry to a packed audience, including representatives of European and U.S. energy companies.Tehran is under U.N., U.S. and European sanctions because it has defied U.N. Security Council demands to suspend its uranium enrichment program. But with oil supplies tight and prices at unprecedented levels, the energy industry remains tempted by the possibilities of investing in Iran, OPEC's second largest oil producer and No. 2 in terms of the world's natural gas reserves.President Bush has repeatedly said that a military strike on Tehran is possible as a last-resort if Iran continues to pursues uranium enrichment and fails to heed other Security Council demands.Last month, Israel sent warplanes on a major exercise in the eastern Mediterranean that U.S. officials said was a message to Iran — a show of force as well as practice in the operations needed for a long-range strike mission.ABC News quoted an unnamed senior Pentagon official warning of an increasing likelihood that Israel will strike Iran's nuclear facilities before the end of the year.Nozari said such any attack would send oil prices further into uncharted territory.We don't think the wise people in the world even think about any action like that, he said. Can you imagine ... what would be the result in the oil market?
Oil prices hit a record high above $143 this week.
But Nozari indicated Iran would not withhold its crude from the market even if attacked.Iran has always been a reliable source of supply to the market, and Iran remains a (reliable) source of supply, he said. He dismissed suggestions that the standoff over Iran's nuclear program has diminished Iran's oil and gas exports, despite U.S. sanctions that prohibit American companies from doing business with Tehran and growing pressure from Washington on other countries to follow suit. We have increased our production in the past two years by 250,000 barrels a day and we have added to the production of our gas, he told the AP.
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 prices advance as US oil supplies fall By ADAM SCHRECK, AP Business Writer JULY 02,08
NEW YORK - Oil prices are rising after the government reported U.S. crude oil supplies fell more than expected last week, although trading is volatile as the report also showed gasoline stockpiles unexpectedly grew. The Energy Department's Energy Information Administration reported crude oil supplies fell by 2 million barrels. Analysts surveyed by the energy research firm Platts predicted a decline of 1.2 million barrels.Light, sweet crude for August delivery is up 46 cents at $141.43 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.Gasoline stockpiles rose by 2.1 million barrels, although analysts predicted they would decline by half a million barrels.
Energy experts puzzled over oil prices By GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press Writer Wed Jul 2, 6:12 AM ET
MADRID, Spain - As crude soared to a new record, the head of the International Energy Agency declared that the world was in the grip of an oil shock, and the president of OPEC acknowledged he could not say whether prices would flatten out or continue to soar. The comments by IEA chief Nobuko Tanaka, OPEC chief and Algerian Energy minister Chakib Khelil and other industry leaders at the 19th World Petroleum conference reflected the concern surrounding record oil prices that seem ready to spike higher.An IEA report released at the conference confirmed what most consumers fear: that supplies of oil will remain tight, whether for cooking fires in the poorest countries or powering cars and cooling or heating homes in the richest. And that's despite record prices and reduced demand as costly crude dampens the world's oil hunger.Reflecting the world's oil price doldrums, light, sweet crude for August delivery rose 97 cents to settle at a new high of $140.97 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices at one point rose as high as $143.33, just 34 cents shy of Monday's trading record.We are clearly in the third oil price shock, declared Tanaka, comparing the effects to periods of soaring prices in the 1970s and 1980s.But he suggested there is less of a likelihood of a quick fix this time.Those price peaks forced consumers into saving oil and oil companies to look for new wells, said Tanaka, but now the biggest energy savings have been made (and) ... the easy oil outside (of) a few countries has been found.His agency's report said the world's estimated daily oil needs would rise from 86.87 million barrels this year to 94.14 million barrels in 2013 — less than anticipated in its 2007 report because of skyrocketing prices.
The energy agency predicted producers would be able to meet world needs — but noted that supply will exceed projected demand only by a daily 2 million barrels, a relatively thin cushion.Tanaka said that tight supplies despite a price surge that would normally lead to increased availability came as a shock.His comments reflected the high-level bedevilment at the meeting about what is causing prices to sizzle.In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, earlier this month, the kingdom said it would add 200,000 barrels per day in July to a 300,000 barrel per day production increase it first announced in May, raising total daily output to 9.7 million barrels. Production increases normally check prices, but the market has shrugged off the Saudi gesture and set several new records since.Khelil, the OPEC president, offered no solace to consumers.We are very uncertain about the oil prices since it's highly volatile and we don't really know whether it is going to be stabilizing or going to lower levels, he told delegates. But everybody agrees that oil prices are too high.There is a lot of uncertainty about demand, Khelil said. Consequently there is a lot of uncertainty about the decision of investing the tens of billions of dollars needed to make additional crude and refined supplies available.He identified the main driver of prices as the weak U.S. dollar and the linked subprime crisis in America; geopolitical tensions, and increased emphasis on U.S. bioethanol production which he suggested diverted production of diesel and led to shortages.Urging the world to brace for a really big reshuffle in energy expectations, Christophe de Margerie, CEO of French energy giant Total SA, said he expected oil production to plateau in just 12 years at 94 million barrels a day —less then 10 million barrels more than available now. And he warned the forecast was optimistic.We will have to fight against the natural decline of (present) oil fields, he told the same forum Khelil attended. It will not go smoothly.Producers and refiners in the Spanish capital are also looking to find answers not only on how to ensure stable supply, but also on doing it in a way that minimizes emissions of the greenhouse gases believed to cause global warming. Still the primary concern at the meeting was over availability and prices that have been bouncing from record to record over the past few months — a worry echoed by de Margerie.
Consumers worldwide expect a better environment, he said. But they expect first access to energy.
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.
BIG SUR BLAZE HARD TO CONTAIN
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National Guard troops set to relieve fire crews By GARANCE BURKE, Associated Press Writer JULY 02,08
FRESNO, Calif. - Weary crews battling wildfires across northern and central California are going to get help from the National Guard, the first time the military has been called to ground-based firefighting duty since 1977. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday ordered 200 guardsmen to report for fire training to begin assisting on the fire lines early next week. The extra hands are expected to boost the nearly 19,000 personnel currently fighting the fires.I think that they all are doing a great job, but the danger is that our firefighters get stretched thin, the governor said. A lot of them are working overtime, and they are staying up there for more than 12 hours, sometimes 24 hours, 36 hours. So we have to be very careful that they get enough sleep and they get enough rest.The governor and the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, David Paulison, planned to visit Big Sur on Wednesday for a briefing on firefighting efforts in that hard-hit region.Already this year, drought conditions, high temperatures and a series of lightning storms have contributed to more than 680 square miles of land being charred statewide.Federal fire managers predict an increase in severe wildfire activity in northern California through October due to unusually hot, dry weather and scant rain.The National Interagency Fire Center, headquartered in Boise, Idaho, issued a 2008 Wildland Fire Outlook on Tuesday forecasting significant fire activity to increase or persist in California, as well as in parts of the western Great Basin in Nevada, the northern Rocky Mountains, Texas, and West Virginia.
The agency also upped its national preparedness level Tuesday to Level 5, its highest — a warning that there are major fires that have the potential to exhaust firefighting resources. It's the second earliest date the agency has reached Level 5 since 1990.
California has endured the worst of the fires so far this year, raging from the western edge of the Sierra Nevada to coastal mountains near Big Sur. They have created a smoky haze so stifling that some doctors in the San Joaquin Valley say their waiting rooms have been crowding with patients struggling to breathe.In the Big Sur region of the Los Padres National Forest, about 200 people along a roughly 15-mile stretch of Highway 1 were ordered to leave their homes and businesses. Evacuation orders also remained in place for occupants of at least 75 homes who were forced to leave the region last week, as a 47,000-acre blaze burning through uninhabited forest land moved closer.In Southern California, a fire in the southern extension of the Los Padres forest north of Santa Barbara also prompted mandatory evacuations as wind up to 35 mph pushed flames toward homes in the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains. Officials said the fire had burned nearly 100 acres of heavy brush by Wednesday morning.Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Eli Iskow said about 40 homes were evacuated. County spokesman William Boyer said he didn't know how close flames had gotten to homes.In the Sequoia National Forest east of Bakersfield, crews struggled to contain an 11,500-acre blaze there. Powerful gusts and choking smoke traveling up the steep canyons hampered their progress, and residents of neighboring towns were ordered to evacuate.Even without the blazes, the farming towns and subdivisions dotting the valley are typically shrouded in a layer of smog during the summer. But airborne ash from the blazes caused such a spike in air pollution over the weekend that meteorologist Shawn Ferreria said it took his breath away.I went and bought a mask because my lungs were not happy with me, said Ferreria, a senior air quality specialist for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. What we are experiencing is out of historical norms.Officials had hoped a fog bank along the Northern California coast would help with fire suppression, but the moisture did not extend inland, said Brian Tentinger, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey.Air district officials grew concerned that wind patterns could send more smoke billowing into the valley, which is bordered on three sides by mountains. Once the tiny particles of soot — which are blamed for triggering asthma and other respiratory problems — are carried inland, they're sealed in under a layer of warm air created by hot summer temperatures.Our waiting rooms are full of people with sore throats, itchy eyes and sniffles, said Kevin Hamilton, a respiratory therapist with Sequoia Community Health Center in Fresno.
Schools canceled outdoor activities and residents were warned to stay inside with the air conditioner running. For households lacking air conditioners, the district recommended families hole up in local malls. Since there's fires to the north, west and east of us we're kind of surrounded, said Gary Arcemont, a meteorologist with the Fresno-based air district. Depending on what happens with the intensity and the winds in the next few days, we could be breathing the smoke from any of them.Associated Press writers Tracie Cone in Fresno, Scott Lindlaw in San Francisco, and Jessie Bonner in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this report.
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).
SALMONELLA OUTBREAK
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SALMONELLA OUTBRAKE STILL UNCLEAR
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Salmonella probe adds foods served with tomatoes By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer Wed Jul 2, 6:21 AM ET
WASHINGTON - Adding to tomato confusion, the government is about to start testing numerous other types of fresh produce in the hunt for the source of the nation's record salmonella outbreak — even as it insists tomatoes remain the leading suspect. Investigators are mum on exactly what other vegetables are getting tracked.Items commonly served with fresh tomatoes is the only hint Food and Drug Administration food safety chief Dr. David Acheson would give, calling it irresponsible to point a finger until he has more evidence that some other food really deserves the extra scrutiny.
Tomatoes aren't off the hook, he stressed. It's just that there is clearly a need to think beyond tomatoes.Still, Acheson widened FDA's probe on Tuesday, activating an emergency network of food laboratories around the country in anticipation of lots of additional samples to test.The reason is that the outbreak continues, with 869 people now confirmed having taken ill. Most troublesome, at least 179 of them fell ill in June, the latest on June 20. That is more than two months after the first salmonella illnesses appeared, meaning the outbreak is continuing weeks longer than food-poisoning specialists had expected — and suggesting the culprit is still on the market.Over the weekend, disease detectives with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began interviewing people sickened in June to find out what they ate and to compare their diets with those of healthy relatives and neighbors. Officials wouldn't reveal early findings, except to say they supported the investigation's new move.Among the possibilities FDA is exploring is whether tomatoes and other produce are sharing a common packing or shipping site where both might become contaminated, or whether multiple foods might be tainted while being grown on adjoining farms or with common water sources.
Pressure is increasing on the FDA to solve the case, with the tomato industry suffering millions of dollars in losses and pushing for Congress to investigate how the agency handled the outbreak.
But Acheson said Tuesday that there's a growing misconception in the public that if tomatoes really were to blame, the outbreak would only have lasted six weeks.That's just not true, he said, pointing to farms that rotate harvests so as to keep producing tomatoes for months.Tomatoes first became a suspect because of what are called case-control studies rapidly conducted in New Mexico and Texas, the outbreak's center, CDC food-poisoning specialist Dr. Robert Tauxe said.Those kinds of studies compare the sick to people who are otherwise similar — in income, lifestyle, where they live — but healthy. In those initial studies, about 80 percent of the ill reported eating certain types of fresh tomatoes, far more than the healthy group did, Tauxe said. Statistically, the association was too strong to think it a coincidence.Some food-poisoning experts say the CDC missed a key step in not taking those studies a step further and trying to trace why some of the healthy ate tomatoes without harm.For now, the FDA continues to urge consumers nationwide to avoid raw red plum, red Roma or red round tomatoes unless they were grown in specific states or countries that the agency has cleared of suspicion. Check the FDA's Web site — http://www.fda.gov — for an updated list. Also safe are grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached.That advice is coming under fire too because tomatoes are sent through multiple repacking and distribution sites around the country, even to Mexico and back, regardless of where they're grown. But Acheson said the advice would be fine-tuned only if new science emerges.
Even Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt expressed frustration Tuesday that the case isn't solved.Nothing happens fast enough when you have a problem like this, Leavitt said as he asked Congress for more funds and stronger legal powers for food and consumer safety agencies. Still, I feel confident we will find the solution to this problem.Associated Press writer Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report.
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 trade commissioner hits back at Sarkozy
ELITSA VUCHEVA JULY 02,08 Today @ 09:24 CET
EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson has fired back at criticism by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, arguing that Mr Sarkozy's statements were undermining the EU's position in world trade talks.
I am being undermined and Europe's negotiating position in the world trade talks is being weakened and I regret that, Mr Mandelson told the BBC's Newsnight programme on Tuesday (1 July). The trade commissioner is mystified by Mr Sarkozy's criticism (Photo: wikipedia)It is very disappointing because the mandate under which I am negotiating in the world trade talks - and trying on Europe's behalf to bring them to a successful conclusion - has been agreed by all the member states, he added.Speaking on French national television on Monday – on the eve of the launch of the French EU presidency – France's president again accused the British commissioner of offering too many concessions during the talks.
[WTO chief] Mr Lamy and Mr Mandelson want to make us accept a deal under which Europe would commit to cutting farm output by 20 percent and reduce farm exports by 10 percent, Mr Sarkozy told national television channel France 3 on Monday.That would be 100,000jobs lost, I won't let it happen, he added.The current round of talks on trade liberalisation – the Doha round – was launched in 2001, but has long failed to progress, as all sides have been refusing to make significant compromises.On Monday, France stressed once again it would veto any deal sacrificing agricultural production on the altar of global liberalism. Paris has also long defended the EU's farm spending – known as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) - as well as its own subsidies for farmers, and opposed any reforms that it sees as too liberalising and potentially destructive.France has set the CAP and its review – or health check – as one of its EU presidency priorities.For his part, Mr Mandelson expressed regret that Mr Sarkozy's intervention last night will make it harder for me.Earlier in the day, his spokesperson in Brussels defended the commissioner's actions and challenged Mr Sarkozy's figures, saying the decrease in farm production and the job losses would be much smaller than what he had presented.The French president has made a number of similar attacks against the EU's trade chief, and in June he suggested that he had played a part in the negative outcome of the Irish referendum on the Lisbon treaty – an accusation that mystified Mr Mandelson.
Sarkozy offers more protectionist Europe as French EU presidency opens ELITSA VUCHEVA 01.07.2008 @ 09:31 CET
During a one-hour television address, the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, promised to protect Europeans during France's time at the EU helm. The French EU presidency, which begins Tuesday (1 July), is saddled with some of the biggest conundrums to face the bloc in years: Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon treaty and the climate of growing discontent among citizens towards what they see as the EU's poor response to growing food and fuel prices.The Eiffel tower will be lit up in the colours of Europe every evening in the next two months. (Photo: wikipedia)We have to profoundly change our way of building Europe, Mr Sarkozy said during his talk on TV channel France 3 on Monday (30 June).There is something wrong, Europe worries today and even worse, [European] citizens are wondering whether in the end they are not better protected at the national rather than at the European level, he added.
Consequently, we must not be afraid of the word protection… We have to reflect on how to turn Europe into a means of protecting Europeans in their everyday lives, he argued.Mr Sarkozy explained that he wanted to provoke a salutary shock through a change in order to save the European idea, which would be in danger if one does not protect the people.The French leader stated on an earlier occasion that one of the things Europeans expected from the EU is to shield them from globalisation's negative effects – but France's protectionist streak is unlikely to be welcomed unanimously by all other 26 member states.He has also opposed the European Commission's position in global trade talks and recently publicly criticised EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson for pursuing a trade liberalisation deal that he said would lead to a one-fifth cut in agricultural production and a reduction in farm exports, while a child dies of hunger every 30 seconds.A review – or health check – of the EU's farm spending is planned before the end of the year.
In the aftermath of the Irish No
A couple of hours after Mr Sarkozy's TV intervention, the Eiffel tower was lit up in the blue and golden glow of the EU's colours under the gaze of of France's foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, and the ambassadors of the other 26 EU states in Paris, as the French EU presidency was officially launched.Despite its ambitious goals however, many analysts argue France's six-month chairmanship of the EU will be clouded by Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon treaty in June.While evoking immigration, climate change and agriculture as some of the main dossiers on which the French presidency will focus, Mr Sarkozy did not offer further details on his plans on defence in his TV speech.Boosting up EU defence has been another one of Paris' declared priorities for the next six months, but also a point on which its rhetoric may need to be toned down, in particular if Irish citizens, wary of EU military plans, are to vote a second time on the Lisbon treaty – as Mr Sarkozy himself has implied they might.France has also proposed a plan to co-ordinate a crackdown on clandestine immigrants - making it harder to come into Europe.But the so-called immigration pact has already been opposed by Spain and watered down under Madrid's pressure.Some of the measures contained in the document were judged too tough by Spain – such as the putting in place of compulsory integration contracts, and making it obligatory for the immigrants to adopt national and European values.Madrid fears the requirement may dissuade legal workers, which it needs to boost its economy.
The French minister of immigration and integration, Brice Hortefeux, will officially present a new version of his plans to EU interior and justice ministers on 7 July, Le Figaro reports.On Monday, the French president also defended once again his plans to cut VAT on fuels in response to the soaring fuel prices – a move opposed by a number of member states, in particular Germany.
ID SAY GODS WORD IS COMING TO PASS THAT THE EU WILL BE A DICTATORSHIP AND THEN CONTROL THE WORLD TO MAKE IT A DICTATORSHIP HEADED BY THE GODLESS PRESIDENT IN THE FUTURE AND EVEN NOW IN ITS EARLY STAGES.
Latin American leaders condemn racist EU law
LEIGH PHILLIPS JULY 02,08 Today @ 09:14 CET
Latin American leaders have sharply criticised as barbarous, xenophobic and racist new European Union legislation on clandestine immigration that allows extended detention of undocumented workers.
It hurts us deeply that there is no respect for the human rights of Latin American immigrants, who had to leave and seek elsewhere what they don't have in their own lands - just like their grandparents did, said Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez, speaking at the 35th summit of the Mercosur trade bloc in Argentina.The EU laws are xenophobic and discriminatory, he said, Bloomberg reports.The EU's return directive, which was passed by the European Parliament in June, allows the detention of irregular immigrants up to 18 months, and bans re-entry for scofflaws for five years.The law has received repeated strong criticism from South American leaders, who were intent on issuing a resolution condemning the policy during the Mercosur meeting. Combined, the bloc is the fifth largest economy in the world, which together with the other South American trade zone, the Andean Community, aims to form a South American Union, Unasur, modelled on the EU.
Legalised barbarism
The Mercosur member states and associate states reject any attempt to criminalise the irregular migration and the adoption of restrictive immigration policies, reads the resolution, which also noted how, conversely South America had welcomed with generosity and solidarity millions of European migrants in previous centuries.
The contrast in the two continents' attitude towards immigration was a common theme amongst the leaders.Europeans who landed in the Americas took possession of thousands of hectares of land, mines, natural resources and exploited our people, accused Bolivia's president, Evo Morales, while immigrants in Europe are not exploiting anyone - they are not taking possession of thousands of hectares of land and mines; they are not destroying the natural resources.We were very generous with the Europeans who arrived in our land in the last century, and the truth is that it is not fair for our people to get a denigrating treatment, said Chile's Michelle Bachelet.Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, for his part, said that the Return Directive embodies racism and discrimination.
We need a strong stance...in defense of the dignity of our people, Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez told his fellow leaders, according to the Associated Press. Civilized Europe - I say that ironically - has legalised barbarism.Mercosur brings together Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela, while Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru have associate member status. Mexico is an observer.
Polish president softens tone on EU treaty
PHILIPPA RUNNER JULY 02,08 Today @ 09:24 CET
Polish President Lech Kaczynski on Tuesday (1 July) toned down his rhetoric against the Lisbon treaty, with the French EU presidency also downplaying the mini-crisis and analysts saying Mr Kaczynski's stance is a bargaining tool for foreign policy concessions.If the Irish change their mind, not under pressure, but of their own free will, there will not be the slightest obstacle to ratification from the Polish side...I will also sign the treaty, he said on a visit to Georgia, PAP reports. I had a big role in negotiating this treaty, and I support it.The comments come after Mr Kaczynski in a newspaper interview earlier the same day said signing the treaty would be pointless after the Irish voted No in June. The Polish parliament approved Lisbon in April but the president must now ink a so-called Ratification Act.The Polish president is an honest, politically-engaged man and I don't doubt for a moment he will keep his word, French leader Nicolas Sarkozy said at a press conference in Paris on Tuesday. I can't imagine that someone who negotiated the treaty and signed it would question their own signature.It's not a Polish refusal to sign, French foreign ministry spokesman, Eric Chevallier, added, Le Monde reports. The president said that, for the moment, he has chosen to postpone his ratification signature. He didn't say I will never sign he said for the moment.
France plans to hold high-level talks with Poland to resolve the situation, using Mr Kaczynski's desire to give Ukraine an EU membership perspective as leverage, French diplomats explained. We have to try and keep everyone together, keep the European family together, one diplomat said.
The Lisbon gambit
Polish neighbours and analysts speculate the president's stance is not really designed to protect Irish voters or the EU principle of unanimity, with Czech Europe minister Alexandr Vondra and Swedish Europe minister Cecilia Malmstrom both saying it is a tactical move in internal Polish games.Mr Kaczynski is fighting to win oversight powers on Polish government behaviour in EU negotiations and to get government approval for Poland to host a US missile shield. The Lisbon row also generates momentum for his flagging conservative opposition party, as campaigning slowly begins for the 2009 European Parliament elections.If Lech Kaczynski signs the treaty it will be a victory for [Polish liberal Prime Minister Donald] Tusk. So the president wants his own victory by winning concessions from the liberals, Polish Institute of Political Sciences analyst Kazimierz Kik told AFP.Support for the treaty could also be traded [with France and Germany] for support for a Polish candidate for one of the most important EU positions [such as European Parliament president], Polish daily Rzeczpospolita wrote in an editorial comment.
Heating things up
Mr Kaczynski's remarks on the pointlessness of Lisbon caused outrage inside Poland, with socialist and liberal MPs tabling a parliamentary resolution urging him to sign and Prime Minister Tusk saying it is needless for Poland to find itself attached to Ireland as a country...in a difficult situation.A European Commission statement on Tuesday reminding Mr Kaczynski that he is obliged to ratify the treaty after his part in the signing ceremony in Lisbon last year also generated heat.With all due respect, the European Commission is a European Union organ without the authority to evaluate the decisions of the leaders of individual member states, the Polish president said.
European Commission puts social conscience on show
LUCIA KUBOSOVA JULY 02,08 Today @ 17:45 CET
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Commission has come up with a renewed social agenda to highlight its efforts for better protection of citizens, despite criticism by some in the European Parliament and in national capitals, accusing Brussels of a narrow focus on economic growth and the internal market.Europe's social dimension has never been as relevant as it is today, commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said on Wednesday (2 July) in a statement on a package of documents addressing the key social policy areas where Europe is currently active.Patients' rights and a new anti-discrimination bill have so far attracted the most attention in the basket of policies, but the social agenda also includes specific ideas on how to help Roma people, as well as a proposal on works councils which currently operate in 820 major firms and cover some 14.5 million employees.Brussels argues the role of works councils in big multinational companies should be strengthened, so as to help foster transnational social dialogue in large enterprises, to improve corporate governance and to anticipate and manage change in a socially responsible way.
Employers' groups fear the move would mean a slow-down in corporate decision-making. The commission's proposal runs counter to its intention of having a social agenda that is responsive to change, reacted BusinessEurope, an umbrella group of big businesses.Arnaldo Abruzzini of Eurochambres commented we question the rationale of the whole package, which appears like a patchwork of a dozen of initiatives, randomly put together without any clear coherence, adding that there could be questionable impact on businesses from some of the proposals.On the other hand, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) argues Brussels has made a modest step forward with its social agenda in general and on works councils in particular.But ETUC chief John Monks said We are waiting for stronger and more ambitious initiatives.In a similar tone, The Social Platform, the alliance of European NGOs active in the social sector expressed some measured optimism on the commission's package while noting that a clear commitment to making social issues central to EU strategy is still some way off.Until the commission puts forward a social pact, making concrete pledges for social progress central to its vision for the EU, equality for all and the eradication of poverty will be impossible to achieve, said Conny Reuter, president of the Social Platform.In a final remark in his briefing to journalists on Wednesday, social policy commissioner Vladimir Spidla said if you expect social progress, don't expect it will arrive by mere action in Brussels. We all together make up Europe and we all have to work together to achieve it.
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.
PALESTINIAN MUSLIM ON RAMPAGE
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TRACTOR SLAMS INTO BUS
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Palestinian goes on rampage in Jerusalem; 3 killed By STEVEN GUTKIN, Associated Press Writer JULY 02,08
JERUSALEM - A Palestinian man plowed an enormous construction vehicle into cars, buses and pedestrians on a busy street Wednesday, killing at least three people and wounding at least 45 before he was shot dead by security officers. The violence, the first major attack in Jerusalem since March, wreaked havoc in the heart of downtown. Hundreds of people fled in panic through the streets as medics treated the wounded.Three Palestinian militant groups took responsibility for the attack, but the claims could not be independently verified. Israeli police referred to the attacker as a terrorist acting on his own and said he was a bulldozer operator who worked in the area for a construction firm.The attack took place in front of a building housing the offices of The Associated Press and other media outlets. British Broadcasting Corp. footage captured the huge front loader crushing a vehicle and an off-duty soldier shooting the perpetrator in the head several times at point-blank range as onlookers screamed.Israel's national rescue service confirmed three deaths, and the bodies lay motionless on the ground covered in plastic.Hen Shimon, a 19-year-old soldier, said the whole scene was a nightmare.I just got off the bus and I saw the tractor driving and knocking everything down in his path, she said. Everything he saw he rammed.
Eyal Lang Ben-Hur, 16, was in a bus when the driver yelled Get out of the vehicle! Everyone out! People fled in a panic, he said, and the bus was hit an instant later.Eli Mizrahi, an officer in a special anti-terror unit, said he and his partner sped to the scene on a motorcycle from the nearby Mahane Yehuda market in downtown Jerusalem. An off-duty soldier had just shot the attacker, but not killed him.I ran up the stairs (of the vehicle) and, when he was still driving like crazy and trying to harm civilians, I fired at him twice more and, that's it, he was liquidated, Mizrahi told reporters.The attack occurred in an area where Jerusalem is building a new train system. The project has turned many parts of the city into a big construction zone.Wednesday's attack represented a departure from militants' previous methods, which were mostly suicide bombings and shootings.During the second Palestinian uprising, which erupted in late 2000, Jerusalem experienced dozens of suicide bombings and other attacks. The city has been largely quiet in the past three years, though sporadic attacks have persisted. In March, a Palestinian gunman entered a Jerusalem seminary and killed eight young students.Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev called Wednesday's attack a senseless act of murderous violence.President Bush called Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to express condolences about the attack and planned to call Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as well, White House press secretary Dana Perino said.The three organizations that took responsibility for the attack included the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, which is affiliated with Abbas. Abbas aide Saeb Erekat condemned the violence.The other two are the Galilee Freedom Battalion, which is suspected of being affiliated with Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a fringe left-wing militant group.The Hamas militant group, which runs the Gaza Strip and is currently maintaining a fragile cease-fire with Israel, said it did not carry out the attack but nevertheless praised it. We consider it as a natural reaction to the daily aggression and crimes committed against our people in the West Bank and all over the occupied lands, said Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri. Despite the Palestinian claims of responsibility, Israeli police chief Dudi Cohen said the attacker appeared to be acting alone. It looks as if it was a spontaneous act, he said. Major Israeli retaliation appeared unlikely given the police chief's claim that the attacker acted alone and the Jewish state's desire to maintain the Gaza cease-fire and to support Abbas' security forces in the West Bank. Israeli police said the man, a father of two children, was an Arab in his 30s from east Jerusalem and had a criminal background. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said he had worked as a construction worker on the railway project. Later Wednesday, five military vehicles gathered outside the man's two-story home in east Jerusalem. Police entered the house, took pictures and questioned relatives for an hour before leaving without making arrests.
Friends of the family identified the attacker as Hussam Dwikat. They said the 29-year-old was a devout Muslim, but had no known ties to any militant groups. Everybody is in shock. When I was told what happened I started to curse Hussam because this is the first time he has done something like this, said Salayan Weyed, a friend of the attacker's wife. In contrast to West Bank Palestinians, Arab residents of Jerusalem have full freedom to work and travel throughout Israel. About two-thirds of Jerusalem's 700,000 residents are Jews, and the rest are Palestinians who came under Israeli control when Israel captured their part of the city in 1967. Israel's national rescue service said at least 45 people were wounded in Wednesday's attack. Wounded people sat dazed on the ground amid piles of broken glass and blood stains on the street. A half-dozen cars were flattened and others were overturned by the Caterpillar vehicle. A bus was overturned and another bus was heavily damaged. A woman sprinkled water over a baby's bloodied face, a rescue worker stroked the hair of a dazed elderly pedestrian and a loved one raised the bleeding leg of a woman sitting outside the overturned bus. Yosef Spielman, who witnessed the attack, said the construction vehicle picked up a car like a toy.I was shocked. I saw a guy going crazy, he said. All the people were running. They had no chance.Esther Valencia, a 52-year-old pedestrian, said she barely escaped the carnage. He almost hit me. Someone pushed me out of the way at the last moment. It was a miracle that I got out of there.Cassia Pereira, office manager for AP's Jerusalem bureau, watched the attack unfold outside her window. I saw him but it was too late and there was nothing to do, she said, with tears in her eyes. I was in panic I couldn't say a word ... I realized something was not normal, something was wrong.
The mayor of Jerusalem, Uri Lupolianski, said his daughter was on one of the buses rammed by the attacker, but she was not injured.
To our regret the attackers do not cease coming up with new ways to strike at the heart of the Jewish people here in Jerusalem, Lupolianski said. Associated Press Writer Aron Heller contributed to this report.
Hezbollah confirms prisoner exchange with Israel JULY 02,08
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Hezbollah's leader says his group will hand over two captured Israeli soldiers in exchange for five Lebanese prisoners in Israel. It's Hezbollah's first confirmation of the deal, which was approved by Israel's Cabinet on Sunday.Israel's prime minister has said he believes the two soldiers, captured in a July 2006 raid that sparked a war between Israel and Hezbollah, are dead. But the militant group has never confirmed that.Sheik Hassan Nasrallah says he'll also provide information on missing Israeli airman Ron Arad.Nasrallah spoke by video link to reporters Wednesday in Beirut.
Iran says any attack would provoke fierce reaction By GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press Writer JULY 02,08
MADRID, Spain - With Middle East tensions building, Iran's oil minister warned Wednesday that an attack on his country would provoke an unimaginably fierce response. Minister Gholam Hossein Nozari said, however, that Tehran would not cut oil deliveries and would continue supplying the market even if struck by Israel or the United States.Tehran is not going to be quiet, if attacked, Nozari told reporters. It's going to react fiercely, and nobody can imagine what would be the reaction of Iran, he added.Over the weekend, the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned that Tehran would respond to an attack by barraging Israel with missiles and could seize control of a key oil passageway in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz.But a senior U.S. military commander said Wednesday that Washington would not allow that to happen.Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff, commander of the 5th Fleet spoke to reporters after talks with naval commanders of Gulf countries in the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi. The one-day meeting was to focus on the security of the region's maritime and trade routes and the threat of terrorism.The 5th Fleet is based in Bahrain, across the Gulf from Iran. Cosgriff said that if Iran choked off the Strait of Hormuz, it would be saying to the world that 40 percent of oil is now held hostage by a single country.
We will not allow Iran to close it, he told reporters.
Minister Nozari addressed rising tensions outside the 19th World Petroleum Congress after a presentation on Iran's oil and gas industry to a packed audience, including representatives of European and U.S. energy companies.Tehran is under U.N., U.S. and European sanctions because it has defied U.N. Security Council demands to suspend its uranium enrichment program. But with oil supplies tight and prices at unprecedented levels, the energy industry remains tempted by the possibilities of investing in Iran, OPEC's second largest oil producer and No. 2 in terms of the world's natural gas reserves.President Bush has repeatedly said that a military strike on Tehran is possible as a last-resort if Iran continues to pursues uranium enrichment and fails to heed other Security Council demands.Last month, Israel sent warplanes on a major exercise in the eastern Mediterranean that U.S. officials said was a message to Iran — a show of force as well as practice in the operations needed for a long-range strike mission.ABC News quoted an unnamed senior Pentagon official warning of an increasing likelihood that Israel will strike Iran's nuclear facilities before the end of the year.Nozari said such any attack would send oil prices further into uncharted territory.We don't think the wise people in the world even think about any action like that, he said. Can you imagine ... what would be the result in the oil market?
Oil prices hit a record high above $143 this week.
But Nozari indicated Iran would not withhold its crude from the market even if attacked.Iran has always been a reliable source of supply to the market, and Iran remains a (reliable) source of supply, he said. He dismissed suggestions that the standoff over Iran's nuclear program has diminished Iran's oil and gas exports, despite U.S. sanctions that prohibit American companies from doing business with Tehran and growing pressure from Washington on other countries to follow suit. We have increased our production in the past two years by 250,000 barrels a day and we have added to the production of our gas, he told the AP.
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 prices advance as US oil supplies fall By ADAM SCHRECK, AP Business Writer JULY 02,08
NEW YORK - Oil prices are rising after the government reported U.S. crude oil supplies fell more than expected last week, although trading is volatile as the report also showed gasoline stockpiles unexpectedly grew. The Energy Department's Energy Information Administration reported crude oil supplies fell by 2 million barrels. Analysts surveyed by the energy research firm Platts predicted a decline of 1.2 million barrels.Light, sweet crude for August delivery is up 46 cents at $141.43 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.Gasoline stockpiles rose by 2.1 million barrels, although analysts predicted they would decline by half a million barrels.
Energy experts puzzled over oil prices By GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press Writer Wed Jul 2, 6:12 AM ET
MADRID, Spain - As crude soared to a new record, the head of the International Energy Agency declared that the world was in the grip of an oil shock, and the president of OPEC acknowledged he could not say whether prices would flatten out or continue to soar. The comments by IEA chief Nobuko Tanaka, OPEC chief and Algerian Energy minister Chakib Khelil and other industry leaders at the 19th World Petroleum conference reflected the concern surrounding record oil prices that seem ready to spike higher.An IEA report released at the conference confirmed what most consumers fear: that supplies of oil will remain tight, whether for cooking fires in the poorest countries or powering cars and cooling or heating homes in the richest. And that's despite record prices and reduced demand as costly crude dampens the world's oil hunger.Reflecting the world's oil price doldrums, light, sweet crude for August delivery rose 97 cents to settle at a new high of $140.97 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices at one point rose as high as $143.33, just 34 cents shy of Monday's trading record.We are clearly in the third oil price shock, declared Tanaka, comparing the effects to periods of soaring prices in the 1970s and 1980s.But he suggested there is less of a likelihood of a quick fix this time.Those price peaks forced consumers into saving oil and oil companies to look for new wells, said Tanaka, but now the biggest energy savings have been made (and) ... the easy oil outside (of) a few countries has been found.His agency's report said the world's estimated daily oil needs would rise from 86.87 million barrels this year to 94.14 million barrels in 2013 — less than anticipated in its 2007 report because of skyrocketing prices.
The energy agency predicted producers would be able to meet world needs — but noted that supply will exceed projected demand only by a daily 2 million barrels, a relatively thin cushion.Tanaka said that tight supplies despite a price surge that would normally lead to increased availability came as a shock.His comments reflected the high-level bedevilment at the meeting about what is causing prices to sizzle.In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, earlier this month, the kingdom said it would add 200,000 barrels per day in July to a 300,000 barrel per day production increase it first announced in May, raising total daily output to 9.7 million barrels. Production increases normally check prices, but the market has shrugged off the Saudi gesture and set several new records since.Khelil, the OPEC president, offered no solace to consumers.We are very uncertain about the oil prices since it's highly volatile and we don't really know whether it is going to be stabilizing or going to lower levels, he told delegates. But everybody agrees that oil prices are too high.There is a lot of uncertainty about demand, Khelil said. Consequently there is a lot of uncertainty about the decision of investing the tens of billions of dollars needed to make additional crude and refined supplies available.He identified the main driver of prices as the weak U.S. dollar and the linked subprime crisis in America; geopolitical tensions, and increased emphasis on U.S. bioethanol production which he suggested diverted production of diesel and led to shortages.Urging the world to brace for a really big reshuffle in energy expectations, Christophe de Margerie, CEO of French energy giant Total SA, said he expected oil production to plateau in just 12 years at 94 million barrels a day —less then 10 million barrels more than available now. And he warned the forecast was optimistic.We will have to fight against the natural decline of (present) oil fields, he told the same forum Khelil attended. It will not go smoothly.Producers and refiners in the Spanish capital are also looking to find answers not only on how to ensure stable supply, but also on doing it in a way that minimizes emissions of the greenhouse gases believed to cause global warming. Still the primary concern at the meeting was over availability and prices that have been bouncing from record to record over the past few months — a worry echoed by de Margerie.
Consumers worldwide expect a better environment, he said. But they expect first access to energy.
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.
BIG SUR BLAZE HARD TO CONTAIN
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National Guard troops set to relieve fire crews By GARANCE BURKE, Associated Press Writer JULY 02,08
FRESNO, Calif. - Weary crews battling wildfires across northern and central California are going to get help from the National Guard, the first time the military has been called to ground-based firefighting duty since 1977. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday ordered 200 guardsmen to report for fire training to begin assisting on the fire lines early next week. The extra hands are expected to boost the nearly 19,000 personnel currently fighting the fires.I think that they all are doing a great job, but the danger is that our firefighters get stretched thin, the governor said. A lot of them are working overtime, and they are staying up there for more than 12 hours, sometimes 24 hours, 36 hours. So we have to be very careful that they get enough sleep and they get enough rest.The governor and the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, David Paulison, planned to visit Big Sur on Wednesday for a briefing on firefighting efforts in that hard-hit region.Already this year, drought conditions, high temperatures and a series of lightning storms have contributed to more than 680 square miles of land being charred statewide.Federal fire managers predict an increase in severe wildfire activity in northern California through October due to unusually hot, dry weather and scant rain.The National Interagency Fire Center, headquartered in Boise, Idaho, issued a 2008 Wildland Fire Outlook on Tuesday forecasting significant fire activity to increase or persist in California, as well as in parts of the western Great Basin in Nevada, the northern Rocky Mountains, Texas, and West Virginia.
The agency also upped its national preparedness level Tuesday to Level 5, its highest — a warning that there are major fires that have the potential to exhaust firefighting resources. It's the second earliest date the agency has reached Level 5 since 1990.
California has endured the worst of the fires so far this year, raging from the western edge of the Sierra Nevada to coastal mountains near Big Sur. They have created a smoky haze so stifling that some doctors in the San Joaquin Valley say their waiting rooms have been crowding with patients struggling to breathe.In the Big Sur region of the Los Padres National Forest, about 200 people along a roughly 15-mile stretch of Highway 1 were ordered to leave their homes and businesses. Evacuation orders also remained in place for occupants of at least 75 homes who were forced to leave the region last week, as a 47,000-acre blaze burning through uninhabited forest land moved closer.In Southern California, a fire in the southern extension of the Los Padres forest north of Santa Barbara also prompted mandatory evacuations as wind up to 35 mph pushed flames toward homes in the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains. Officials said the fire had burned nearly 100 acres of heavy brush by Wednesday morning.Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Eli Iskow said about 40 homes were evacuated. County spokesman William Boyer said he didn't know how close flames had gotten to homes.In the Sequoia National Forest east of Bakersfield, crews struggled to contain an 11,500-acre blaze there. Powerful gusts and choking smoke traveling up the steep canyons hampered their progress, and residents of neighboring towns were ordered to evacuate.Even without the blazes, the farming towns and subdivisions dotting the valley are typically shrouded in a layer of smog during the summer. But airborne ash from the blazes caused such a spike in air pollution over the weekend that meteorologist Shawn Ferreria said it took his breath away.I went and bought a mask because my lungs were not happy with me, said Ferreria, a senior air quality specialist for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. What we are experiencing is out of historical norms.Officials had hoped a fog bank along the Northern California coast would help with fire suppression, but the moisture did not extend inland, said Brian Tentinger, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey.Air district officials grew concerned that wind patterns could send more smoke billowing into the valley, which is bordered on three sides by mountains. Once the tiny particles of soot — which are blamed for triggering asthma and other respiratory problems — are carried inland, they're sealed in under a layer of warm air created by hot summer temperatures.Our waiting rooms are full of people with sore throats, itchy eyes and sniffles, said Kevin Hamilton, a respiratory therapist with Sequoia Community Health Center in Fresno.
Schools canceled outdoor activities and residents were warned to stay inside with the air conditioner running. For households lacking air conditioners, the district recommended families hole up in local malls. Since there's fires to the north, west and east of us we're kind of surrounded, said Gary Arcemont, a meteorologist with the Fresno-based air district. Depending on what happens with the intensity and the winds in the next few days, we could be breathing the smoke from any of them.Associated Press writers Tracie Cone in Fresno, Scott Lindlaw in San Francisco, and Jessie Bonner in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this report.
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).
SALMONELLA OUTBREAK
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SALMONELLA OUTBRAKE STILL UNCLEAR
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Salmonella probe adds foods served with tomatoes By LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer Wed Jul 2, 6:21 AM ET
WASHINGTON - Adding to tomato confusion, the government is about to start testing numerous other types of fresh produce in the hunt for the source of the nation's record salmonella outbreak — even as it insists tomatoes remain the leading suspect. Investigators are mum on exactly what other vegetables are getting tracked.Items commonly served with fresh tomatoes is the only hint Food and Drug Administration food safety chief Dr. David Acheson would give, calling it irresponsible to point a finger until he has more evidence that some other food really deserves the extra scrutiny.
Tomatoes aren't off the hook, he stressed. It's just that there is clearly a need to think beyond tomatoes.Still, Acheson widened FDA's probe on Tuesday, activating an emergency network of food laboratories around the country in anticipation of lots of additional samples to test.The reason is that the outbreak continues, with 869 people now confirmed having taken ill. Most troublesome, at least 179 of them fell ill in June, the latest on June 20. That is more than two months after the first salmonella illnesses appeared, meaning the outbreak is continuing weeks longer than food-poisoning specialists had expected — and suggesting the culprit is still on the market.Over the weekend, disease detectives with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began interviewing people sickened in June to find out what they ate and to compare their diets with those of healthy relatives and neighbors. Officials wouldn't reveal early findings, except to say they supported the investigation's new move.Among the possibilities FDA is exploring is whether tomatoes and other produce are sharing a common packing or shipping site where both might become contaminated, or whether multiple foods might be tainted while being grown on adjoining farms or with common water sources.
Pressure is increasing on the FDA to solve the case, with the tomato industry suffering millions of dollars in losses and pushing for Congress to investigate how the agency handled the outbreak.
But Acheson said Tuesday that there's a growing misconception in the public that if tomatoes really were to blame, the outbreak would only have lasted six weeks.That's just not true, he said, pointing to farms that rotate harvests so as to keep producing tomatoes for months.Tomatoes first became a suspect because of what are called case-control studies rapidly conducted in New Mexico and Texas, the outbreak's center, CDC food-poisoning specialist Dr. Robert Tauxe said.Those kinds of studies compare the sick to people who are otherwise similar — in income, lifestyle, where they live — but healthy. In those initial studies, about 80 percent of the ill reported eating certain types of fresh tomatoes, far more than the healthy group did, Tauxe said. Statistically, the association was too strong to think it a coincidence.Some food-poisoning experts say the CDC missed a key step in not taking those studies a step further and trying to trace why some of the healthy ate tomatoes without harm.For now, the FDA continues to urge consumers nationwide to avoid raw red plum, red Roma or red round tomatoes unless they were grown in specific states or countries that the agency has cleared of suspicion. Check the FDA's Web site — http://www.fda.gov — for an updated list. Also safe are grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached.That advice is coming under fire too because tomatoes are sent through multiple repacking and distribution sites around the country, even to Mexico and back, regardless of where they're grown. But Acheson said the advice would be fine-tuned only if new science emerges.
Even Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt expressed frustration Tuesday that the case isn't solved.Nothing happens fast enough when you have a problem like this, Leavitt said as he asked Congress for more funds and stronger legal powers for food and consumer safety agencies. Still, I feel confident we will find the solution to this problem.Associated Press writer Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report.
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 trade commissioner hits back at Sarkozy
ELITSA VUCHEVA JULY 02,08 Today @ 09:24 CET
EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson has fired back at criticism by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, arguing that Mr Sarkozy's statements were undermining the EU's position in world trade talks.
I am being undermined and Europe's negotiating position in the world trade talks is being weakened and I regret that, Mr Mandelson told the BBC's Newsnight programme on Tuesday (1 July). The trade commissioner is mystified by Mr Sarkozy's criticism (Photo: wikipedia)It is very disappointing because the mandate under which I am negotiating in the world trade talks - and trying on Europe's behalf to bring them to a successful conclusion - has been agreed by all the member states, he added.Speaking on French national television on Monday – on the eve of the launch of the French EU presidency – France's president again accused the British commissioner of offering too many concessions during the talks.
[WTO chief] Mr Lamy and Mr Mandelson want to make us accept a deal under which Europe would commit to cutting farm output by 20 percent and reduce farm exports by 10 percent, Mr Sarkozy told national television channel France 3 on Monday.That would be 100,000jobs lost, I won't let it happen, he added.The current round of talks on trade liberalisation – the Doha round – was launched in 2001, but has long failed to progress, as all sides have been refusing to make significant compromises.On Monday, France stressed once again it would veto any deal sacrificing agricultural production on the altar of global liberalism. Paris has also long defended the EU's farm spending – known as the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) - as well as its own subsidies for farmers, and opposed any reforms that it sees as too liberalising and potentially destructive.France has set the CAP and its review – or health check – as one of its EU presidency priorities.For his part, Mr Mandelson expressed regret that Mr Sarkozy's intervention last night will make it harder for me.Earlier in the day, his spokesperson in Brussels defended the commissioner's actions and challenged Mr Sarkozy's figures, saying the decrease in farm production and the job losses would be much smaller than what he had presented.The French president has made a number of similar attacks against the EU's trade chief, and in June he suggested that he had played a part in the negative outcome of the Irish referendum on the Lisbon treaty – an accusation that mystified Mr Mandelson.
Sarkozy offers more protectionist Europe as French EU presidency opens ELITSA VUCHEVA 01.07.2008 @ 09:31 CET
During a one-hour television address, the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, promised to protect Europeans during France's time at the EU helm. The French EU presidency, which begins Tuesday (1 July), is saddled with some of the biggest conundrums to face the bloc in years: Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon treaty and the climate of growing discontent among citizens towards what they see as the EU's poor response to growing food and fuel prices.The Eiffel tower will be lit up in the colours of Europe every evening in the next two months. (Photo: wikipedia)We have to profoundly change our way of building Europe, Mr Sarkozy said during his talk on TV channel France 3 on Monday (30 June).There is something wrong, Europe worries today and even worse, [European] citizens are wondering whether in the end they are not better protected at the national rather than at the European level, he added.
Consequently, we must not be afraid of the word protection… We have to reflect on how to turn Europe into a means of protecting Europeans in their everyday lives, he argued.Mr Sarkozy explained that he wanted to provoke a salutary shock through a change in order to save the European idea, which would be in danger if one does not protect the people.The French leader stated on an earlier occasion that one of the things Europeans expected from the EU is to shield them from globalisation's negative effects – but France's protectionist streak is unlikely to be welcomed unanimously by all other 26 member states.He has also opposed the European Commission's position in global trade talks and recently publicly criticised EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson for pursuing a trade liberalisation deal that he said would lead to a one-fifth cut in agricultural production and a reduction in farm exports, while a child dies of hunger every 30 seconds.A review – or health check – of the EU's farm spending is planned before the end of the year.
In the aftermath of the Irish No
A couple of hours after Mr Sarkozy's TV intervention, the Eiffel tower was lit up in the blue and golden glow of the EU's colours under the gaze of of France's foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, and the ambassadors of the other 26 EU states in Paris, as the French EU presidency was officially launched.Despite its ambitious goals however, many analysts argue France's six-month chairmanship of the EU will be clouded by Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon treaty in June.While evoking immigration, climate change and agriculture as some of the main dossiers on which the French presidency will focus, Mr Sarkozy did not offer further details on his plans on defence in his TV speech.Boosting up EU defence has been another one of Paris' declared priorities for the next six months, but also a point on which its rhetoric may need to be toned down, in particular if Irish citizens, wary of EU military plans, are to vote a second time on the Lisbon treaty – as Mr Sarkozy himself has implied they might.France has also proposed a plan to co-ordinate a crackdown on clandestine immigrants - making it harder to come into Europe.But the so-called immigration pact has already been opposed by Spain and watered down under Madrid's pressure.Some of the measures contained in the document were judged too tough by Spain – such as the putting in place of compulsory integration contracts, and making it obligatory for the immigrants to adopt national and European values.Madrid fears the requirement may dissuade legal workers, which it needs to boost its economy.
The French minister of immigration and integration, Brice Hortefeux, will officially present a new version of his plans to EU interior and justice ministers on 7 July, Le Figaro reports.On Monday, the French president also defended once again his plans to cut VAT on fuels in response to the soaring fuel prices – a move opposed by a number of member states, in particular Germany.
ID SAY GODS WORD IS COMING TO PASS THAT THE EU WILL BE A DICTATORSHIP AND THEN CONTROL THE WORLD TO MAKE IT A DICTATORSHIP HEADED BY THE GODLESS PRESIDENT IN THE FUTURE AND EVEN NOW IN ITS EARLY STAGES.
Latin American leaders condemn racist EU law
LEIGH PHILLIPS JULY 02,08 Today @ 09:14 CET
Latin American leaders have sharply criticised as barbarous, xenophobic and racist new European Union legislation on clandestine immigration that allows extended detention of undocumented workers.
It hurts us deeply that there is no respect for the human rights of Latin American immigrants, who had to leave and seek elsewhere what they don't have in their own lands - just like their grandparents did, said Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez, speaking at the 35th summit of the Mercosur trade bloc in Argentina.The EU laws are xenophobic and discriminatory, he said, Bloomberg reports.The EU's return directive, which was passed by the European Parliament in June, allows the detention of irregular immigrants up to 18 months, and bans re-entry for scofflaws for five years.The law has received repeated strong criticism from South American leaders, who were intent on issuing a resolution condemning the policy during the Mercosur meeting. Combined, the bloc is the fifth largest economy in the world, which together with the other South American trade zone, the Andean Community, aims to form a South American Union, Unasur, modelled on the EU.
Legalised barbarism
The Mercosur member states and associate states reject any attempt to criminalise the irregular migration and the adoption of restrictive immigration policies, reads the resolution, which also noted how, conversely South America had welcomed with generosity and solidarity millions of European migrants in previous centuries.
The contrast in the two continents' attitude towards immigration was a common theme amongst the leaders.Europeans who landed in the Americas took possession of thousands of hectares of land, mines, natural resources and exploited our people, accused Bolivia's president, Evo Morales, while immigrants in Europe are not exploiting anyone - they are not taking possession of thousands of hectares of land and mines; they are not destroying the natural resources.We were very generous with the Europeans who arrived in our land in the last century, and the truth is that it is not fair for our people to get a denigrating treatment, said Chile's Michelle Bachelet.Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, for his part, said that the Return Directive embodies racism and discrimination.
We need a strong stance...in defense of the dignity of our people, Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez told his fellow leaders, according to the Associated Press. Civilized Europe - I say that ironically - has legalised barbarism.Mercosur brings together Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela, while Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru have associate member status. Mexico is an observer.
Polish president softens tone on EU treaty
PHILIPPA RUNNER JULY 02,08 Today @ 09:24 CET
Polish President Lech Kaczynski on Tuesday (1 July) toned down his rhetoric against the Lisbon treaty, with the French EU presidency also downplaying the mini-crisis and analysts saying Mr Kaczynski's stance is a bargaining tool for foreign policy concessions.If the Irish change their mind, not under pressure, but of their own free will, there will not be the slightest obstacle to ratification from the Polish side...I will also sign the treaty, he said on a visit to Georgia, PAP reports. I had a big role in negotiating this treaty, and I support it.The comments come after Mr Kaczynski in a newspaper interview earlier the same day said signing the treaty would be pointless after the Irish voted No in June. The Polish parliament approved Lisbon in April but the president must now ink a so-called Ratification Act.The Polish president is an honest, politically-engaged man and I don't doubt for a moment he will keep his word, French leader Nicolas Sarkozy said at a press conference in Paris on Tuesday. I can't imagine that someone who negotiated the treaty and signed it would question their own signature.It's not a Polish refusal to sign, French foreign ministry spokesman, Eric Chevallier, added, Le Monde reports. The president said that, for the moment, he has chosen to postpone his ratification signature. He didn't say I will never sign he said for the moment.
France plans to hold high-level talks with Poland to resolve the situation, using Mr Kaczynski's desire to give Ukraine an EU membership perspective as leverage, French diplomats explained. We have to try and keep everyone together, keep the European family together, one diplomat said.
The Lisbon gambit
Polish neighbours and analysts speculate the president's stance is not really designed to protect Irish voters or the EU principle of unanimity, with Czech Europe minister Alexandr Vondra and Swedish Europe minister Cecilia Malmstrom both saying it is a tactical move in internal Polish games.Mr Kaczynski is fighting to win oversight powers on Polish government behaviour in EU negotiations and to get government approval for Poland to host a US missile shield. The Lisbon row also generates momentum for his flagging conservative opposition party, as campaigning slowly begins for the 2009 European Parliament elections.If Lech Kaczynski signs the treaty it will be a victory for [Polish liberal Prime Minister Donald] Tusk. So the president wants his own victory by winning concessions from the liberals, Polish Institute of Political Sciences analyst Kazimierz Kik told AFP.Support for the treaty could also be traded [with France and Germany] for support for a Polish candidate for one of the most important EU positions [such as European Parliament president], Polish daily Rzeczpospolita wrote in an editorial comment.
Heating things up
Mr Kaczynski's remarks on the pointlessness of Lisbon caused outrage inside Poland, with socialist and liberal MPs tabling a parliamentary resolution urging him to sign and Prime Minister Tusk saying it is needless for Poland to find itself attached to Ireland as a country...in a difficult situation.A European Commission statement on Tuesday reminding Mr Kaczynski that he is obliged to ratify the treaty after his part in the signing ceremony in Lisbon last year also generated heat.With all due respect, the European Commission is a European Union organ without the authority to evaluate the decisions of the leaders of individual member states, the Polish president said.
European Commission puts social conscience on show
LUCIA KUBOSOVA JULY 02,08 Today @ 17:45 CET
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Commission has come up with a renewed social agenda to highlight its efforts for better protection of citizens, despite criticism by some in the European Parliament and in national capitals, accusing Brussels of a narrow focus on economic growth and the internal market.Europe's social dimension has never been as relevant as it is today, commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said on Wednesday (2 July) in a statement on a package of documents addressing the key social policy areas where Europe is currently active.Patients' rights and a new anti-discrimination bill have so far attracted the most attention in the basket of policies, but the social agenda also includes specific ideas on how to help Roma people, as well as a proposal on works councils which currently operate in 820 major firms and cover some 14.5 million employees.Brussels argues the role of works councils in big multinational companies should be strengthened, so as to help foster transnational social dialogue in large enterprises, to improve corporate governance and to anticipate and manage change in a socially responsible way.
Employers' groups fear the move would mean a slow-down in corporate decision-making. The commission's proposal runs counter to its intention of having a social agenda that is responsive to change, reacted BusinessEurope, an umbrella group of big businesses.Arnaldo Abruzzini of Eurochambres commented we question the rationale of the whole package, which appears like a patchwork of a dozen of initiatives, randomly put together without any clear coherence, adding that there could be questionable impact on businesses from some of the proposals.On the other hand, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) argues Brussels has made a modest step forward with its social agenda in general and on works councils in particular.But ETUC chief John Monks said We are waiting for stronger and more ambitious initiatives.In a similar tone, The Social Platform, the alliance of European NGOs active in the social sector expressed some measured optimism on the commission's package while noting that a clear commitment to making social issues central to EU strategy is still some way off.Until the commission puts forward a social pact, making concrete pledges for social progress central to its vision for the EU, equality for all and the eradication of poverty will be impossible to achieve, said Conny Reuter, president of the Social Platform.In a final remark in his briefing to journalists on Wednesday, social policy commissioner Vladimir Spidla said if you expect social progress, don't expect it will arrive by mere action in Brussels. We all together make up Europe and we all have to work together to achieve it.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
FRANCE TAKE EU PRESIDENCY TODAY
HAPPY JULY 1 CANADA DAY - CANNNADA
WHEN I USED TO LIVE IN NEWTON ONTARIO, EVERY TIME I WENT BY THE CENTENIAL SIGN 1867-1967, I WAS ALWAYS AMAZED. NOW I KNOW WHY ISRAEL RECAPTURED JERUSALEM THAT YEAR. LITTLE DID I KNOW THEN I WOULD BE AN ISRAEL SUPPORTER AND THAT 1967 WOULD BE THE START OF THE LAST 40-51 YEAR GENERATION TILL ALL THE PROPHECIES OF THE BIBLE WOULD BE FULFILLED.
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.
INUNDATED FLOODS,PONDERED FUTURES
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BAKER HOPES TO RISE FROM FLOOD
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River cresting above flood stage at St. Louis By JIM SALTER, Associated Press Writer Mon Jun 30, 12:47 PM ET
ST. LOUIS - The Mississippi River climbed toward its high-water mark Monday at St. Louis and was expected to crest over the next couple of days at points downriver, but the worst of the flood of 2008 appeared to be over. The National Weather Service said the river was leveling off at St. Louis at slightly less than 9 feet above flood stage and was expected to stay there into Tuesday before slowly falling, barring more torrential rain to the north.
The high water wasn't causing any major problems because low-lying areas are protected by a floodwall and the downtown area rises sharply from the river. Along the river, the President Casino remained closed, as did a couple of riverboat excursions and a bike rental business near the Gateway Arch. The arch is unaffected by flooding.The message is we are open for business, said Donna Andrews, a spokeswoman for the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission.The city's annual Independence Day festival will move away from the Arch grounds to another spot downtown. The Live on the Levee concert series normally held at the arch also has been relocated. With the Cubs in town for a weekend series with the Cardinals, Andrews expects big crowds for the holiday weekend, flooding or not.At Ste. Genevieve, a quaint village of 4,400 people 64 miles south of St. Louis, this year's flood fight is nothing like the one in 1993, when hundreds of volunteers barely managed to hold back the swollen river. This year's crest at Ste. Genevieve, while well above flood stage, will be about 12 feet short of the '93record, and a $41 million levee has been built to protect the French Colonial village, which dates to 1735.The only problems were relatively minor — water closed a highway in a couple of spots around nearby St. Mary, some agricultural land was flooded and seeping water created so-called sand boils at a farm levee.We're actually in pretty decent shape, said Ste. Genevieve County Commissioner Albert Fults.
The river at Cape Girardeau in southeast Missouri is expected to crest at 42.5 feet on Wednesday, 12.5 feet above flood stage. Thousands of acres of farmland are flooded, but a floodwall protects Cape Girardeau and most of its 36,000 residents. Few if any homes will be affected, Cape Girardeau County emergency management director Richard Knaup said.In hard-hit Lincoln County, upriver and northwest of St. Louis, water was slowly starting to recede in towns like Winfield and Foley. Hundreds of homes were flooded, but it likely will be weeks before a damage estimate is available.On the Net:St. Louis: http://www.explorestlouis.com
Gateway Arch: http://www.nps.gov/jeff/
Storms in South, East cause delays; 1 child killed Sun Jun 29, 10:40PM ET
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - A 5-year-old was killed when strong winds blew over a row of tents at an Alabama air show during storms that stretched across the South on Sunday while severe weather caused airport delays in the East, officials said. The winds that toppled the tents and canceled the air show in Huntsville came during an isolated strong thunderstorm that developed just west of the airport with gusts of 48 mph, said Tim Troutman of the National Weather Service.Witnesses told The Huntsville Times that a generator fell on the child Sunday. The death was confirmed by the Madison County coroner's office.Twelve others were treated for injuries, but only one, a different child, was admitted to the hospital. That child was in serious condition, said Pam Sparks, spokeswoman at Huntsville Hospital.In New York, severe thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon battered LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International airports, causing delays of as much as three hours at Kennedy airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Some LaGuardia flights were delayed up to 75 minutes.Weather also caused delays averaging more than an hour and a half in flights to Boston's Logan International Airport and delays of more than two hours at Newark International Airport in New Jersey, the FAA said.The National Weather Service in Omaha, Neb. said Sunday it estimated the winds that caused extensive damage in eastern Nebraska Friday reached 115 mph, but the storm did not spawn a tornado.Residents of Omaha and the surrounding area continued cleaning up debris and fallen tree limbs Sunday as utility crews worked to restore power.The weather agency said the winds were likely at their strongest when the storm was between Fremont and Omaha, where evidence of winds between 110-115 mph was found. The winds slowed before hitting Omaha but remained between 70-90 mph.Omaha Public Power District officials estimated that nearly 33,000 customers still lacked power Sunday. And some customers likely will not regain power until next Saturday.
Twin tropical storms weaken in Pacific Mon Jun 30, 12:28 PM ET
MEXICO CITY - Tropical Storm Boris is weakening far off Mexico's Pacific coast and isn't a threat to land. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the storm's maximum sustained wind speeds have fallen to 65 mph (100 kph.) It is located hundreds of miles off Mexico's Pacific Coast and is expected to continue to move out to sea.Farther out in the Pacific, a second tropical storm, Cristina, weakened to a tropical depression on Monday. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kpm) and isn't expected to threaten land.
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.
NO RELIEF FOR CAL FIRES
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A LONGER FIRE SEASON
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Forest fire threatens another Sask. community
Last Updated: Monday, June 30, 2008 | 5:26 PM CT CBC News
Fire could be seen from Stony Rapids on Sunday before the community was evacuated. (Submitted by Ken Sayies)Forest fires were forcing more people to leave their homes in northern Saskatchewan on Monday.
On Monday morning, evacuations began in Sandy Bay, close to the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border, due to smoke concerns, the Saskatchewan Environment Ministry said. About 210 residents described as high risk were being moved to Saskatoon.On Sunday, about 170 people were forced to leave their homes in Stony Rapids, close to the Northwest Territories-Saskatchewan boundary.They're staying in Prince Albert in dormitories at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences.Ken Sayies, one of the last people to leave Stony Rapids on Sunday night, said the fire was only a few kilometres away when he left.You could see the flames in the distance, he said.Most of the evacuees in Prince Albert are comfortable, although some aren't happy with the accommodations, he said. People are confident fire crews will keep their homes safe, he said.They'll save that town, Sayies said.
At Sandy Bay, several hundred kilometres southeast of Stony Rapids, children, the elderly, and people with breathing difficulties were being encouraged to leave.Those who've left are being put up at the University of Saskatchewan and at Saskatoon hotels.The fires in northern Saskatchewan are disrupting the power supply for Sandy Bay and two other northern communities.SaskPower says some of its power poles have been burned.The government utility is asking people to conserve energy in the communities of Deschambault Lake, Pelican Narrows, and Sandy Bay.Until we can see the situation clearing up and the forest fires being controlled and reinstalling poles, we're asking customers to reduce their consumption so that everybody gets electricity, SaskPower spokesman Larry Christie said.People can still use power, but they should limit consumption to only what's necessary, Christie said.There are 54 forest fires burning in the province, the Saskatchewan Environment Ministry said. So far this year, there have been 433 fires, twice as many as the year before.
Wildfires force firefighters to pick their battles By SCOTT LINDLAW, Associated Press Writer JUNE 30,08
SAN FRANCISCO - With hundreds of wildfires raging across remote, rugged parts of California for a second week, fire officials have been forced to strategically choose which to fight and which to leave to burn for weeks or even months. The number of fires burning in central and Northern California — more than 1,000 according to state fire officials — means authorities can't send firefighters to battle every blaze, Jason Kirchner, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service, said Monday.It's like eating an elephant — you've got to eat it one bite at a time, he said.It's also impossible to attack wildfires in some rugged, remote areas because the risk to firefighters is too great, he said.We have to take a step back, figure out where the best place is to make a stand and sometimes wait for the fire to come to us in those situations, he said. We've got to pick the battles we can win.Long-running wildfires are not unusual in California. It was four months before firefighters controlled a blaze that blackened more than 240,000 acres of Santa Barbara County backcountry last year.
What is extraordinary this year is the number of fires burning at the same time, Kirchner said. The weekend of June 21, some 1,200 fires were burning — a figure Forest Service officials said appeared to be an all-time record in California.The Forest Service put the figure at about 600 on Monday. It attributed the gains to its tactic of attacking small fires first, and to significant assistance from other states and Canada.State officials, however, counted more than 1,000 ongoing blazes. The source of the discrepancy was apparently a different counting method.Also unusual, Kirchner said, was that there have been no significant injuries to civilians or firefighters even though some 570 square miles have burned in California this season. There were, however, a few minor injuries as harsh terrain hampered firefighters' efforts to battle a blaze in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.It is extremely steep, very rugged territory, and there are a lot of injuries, twisting ankles, slipping on hills, Kirchner said. Burning debris is rolling downhill right past your containment line. It's very complicated, difficult, dirty firefighting work.Even so, firefighters managed to increase their containment of that 30,000-acre fire from 15 to 23 percent.Two wildfires choked parts of the Sierra Nevada foothills, sending up plumes of smoke that darkened patches of the 100-mile stretch between Sacramento and Reno.The fires in the Tahoe National Forest blanketed portions of the Interstate 80 corridor linking the two cities and the foothill communities in between where tens of thousands of people live.Along the Pacific, fire officials said fog and humidity helped them gain ground against a blaze that was just 3 percent contained in the storied town of Big Sur. John Heil, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service, said it had blackened about 39,600 acres.
Firefighters poured personnel and equipment into the area to ensure the fire did not reach the town, said John Ahlman, a spokesman for the Los Padres National Forest.Heil said there was a possibility of rain in the far northern part of the state this week. But the changing weather pattern could also bring new lightning and high winds, which could touch off new blazes and fan the current ones, he said.Unless it rains, and we get some really good rainfall, you can pretty much expect it to be here right through October, he said. In Arizona, a wildfire that had burned more than 6 square miles of wilderness crept within 500 feet of the remote mountain community of Crown King north of Phoenix, officials said Monday. Three homes and four other structures had been destroyed, but it was unclear when, authorities said. About 120 residents voluntarily evacuated Sunday. Crews in central New Mexico's Manzano Mountains were doing mop-up operations Monday on an almost 9-square-mile fire that destroyed six homes and 10 outbuildings. Residents who left last week were allowed to return Sunday. The fire, started by lightning June 23, was 95 percent contained. In Guffey, Colo., about 40 miles west of Colorado Springs, most of the 100 residents who fled a 1,115-acre lightning-started wildfire were allowed back Sunday. Final evacuation orders were lifted Monday.
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)
Wheat prices expected to remain high: analysts
Last Updated: Monday, June 30, 2008 | 12:46 PM CT CBC News
After weeks of volatility on international wheat markets, prices of the grain appear to have settled down but remain relatively high.
While they are not at an all-time high — grain on the international commodities markets was selling for more than $12 US a bushel in February — prices are more than double compared to two years ago.
Wheat prices in Chicago were above $9 US a bushel last week. Two years ago, they were about $3.60 US.Canadian Wheat Board market analysts are predicting prices will remain high for at least another year.In some cases, even those who decided not to grow wheat this year have been able to cash in.Farmer Neal Hardy didn't plant any wheat on his farm near Hudson Bay after having poor luck with the crop in recent years.Fortunately, Hardy still had some feed wheat in his bins — although it was wheat that had suffered frost damage in 2004.He held onto it because prices were so low at the time, he wouldn't have been able to cover his costs. This spring, it was a completely different situation.I just sold it a little bit ago, Hardy said. I sold it to a feed mill and I got $7 a bushel.If wheat prices have softened since early spring, flooding in the U.S. Midwest could boost them again.
Economists say rising prices of one grain can cause the increase of the price of another grain. When people substitute a cheaper grain for a higher-priced one, the increase in demand starts to push up the price.David Boyes, a market analyst with the Canadian Wheat Board, notes that flooding in the Midwest has devastated the corn crop, with implications for wheat. As you have seen in the news, they have had anything but ideal conditions, he said. Prices are at record levels for U.S. corn and that is providing a lot of support for the wheat market right now.Even though a record amount of wheat has been planted this year, prices will remain high for another 12 months at least, Boyes said.
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
OIL PEAKS AT $143.00 A BARREL
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Oil is making millionaires in North Dakota By JAMES MacPHERSON, Associated Press Writer Mon Jun 30, 5:00 AM ET
BEULAH, N.D. - Oscar Stohler was raised in a sod house in western North Dakota and ranched there for nearly seven decades. He never gave much thought to what lay below the grass that fattened his cattle. When oilmen wanted to drill there last year, Stohler, 83, doubted oil would be found two miles underground on his property. He even joked about it.I told them if they hit oil, I was going to buy a Cadillac convertible and put those big horns on the front and wear a 10-gallon hat, Stohler recalled.He still drives his old pickup and wears a mesh farm cap — but it's by choice.
In less than a year, Stohler and his wife, Lorene, 82, have become millionaires from the production of one well on their land near Dunn Center, a mile or so from the sod home where Oscar grew up. A second well has begun producing on their property and another is being drilled — all aimed at the Bakken shale formation, a rich deposit that the U.S. Geological Survey calls the largest continuous oil accumulation it has ever assessed.Landowners in western North Dakota have a much better chance of striking it rich from oil than they do playing the lottery, say the Stohlers. Some of their neighbors in the town of about 120, from bar tenders to Tupperware salespeople, have become overnight millionaires from oil royalty payments.It's the easiest money we've ever made, said Lorene Stohler, who worked for decades as a sales clerk at a small department store.State and industry officials say North Dakota is on pace to set a state oil-production record this year, surpassing the 52.6 million barrels produced in 1984. A record number of drill rigs are piercing the prairie and North Dakota has nearly 4,000 active oil wells.The drilling frenzy has led companies to search for oil using horizontal drilling beneath Parshall, a town of about 980 in Mountrail County, and under Lake Sakakawea, 180-mile-long reservoir on the Missouri River.I have heard, anecdotally, that there is a millionaire a day being created in North Dakota, said Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council.Kathy Strombeck, a state Tax Department analyst, said the number of income millionaires in North Dakota is rising.The number of taxpayers reporting adjusted gross income of more than $1 million in North Dakota rose from 266 in 2005 to 388 in 2006, Strombeck said. The 2007 numbers won't be known until October, she said.
Bruce Gjovig, director of the University of North Dakota's Center for Innovation, said his informal survey estimates the number of new millionaires in Mountrail County, one of the biggest drilling areas of the Bakken, may be as many as 2,000 — or nearly a third of the county's population — in the next three to five years.North Dakota's per capita income in 2007 was $36,846, ranking the state 30th in the nation and up from 42nd in 1997, said Richard Rathge, the state Data Center director and North Dakota demographer.The two main drivers are energy and agriculture income, Rathge said. The increasing wealth in the state from oil should push the average annual wage in North Dakota, he said.The oil boom has spurred several Jed Clampett-like tales of ordinary folks getting rich, said Tom Rolfstad, the economic development director for the city of Williston.Rolfstad said he hasn't spotted any Ferraris or Rolls Royces in town, though several people can afford them now.I'm seeing a lot more big, shiny gas-guzzling pickups, he said. Several homes that cost more than a million dollars also are being built in Williston, he said. The community of about 12,500 people is perhaps best known as the hometown of NBA coach Phil Jackson. Most people don't want people to know how much money they got and they don't want to be tagged with being wealthy — they want to be themselves, Rolfstad said. Oscar and Lorene Stohler said their newly found wealth hasn't changed them. We still know what tough times are, Oscar said. We grew up in the Dirty '30s.We put our kids through college without that oil money, Lorene said. The couple moved a few miles east to Beulah and paid cash for their new home, the first one they have owned. They have established trust accounts for their four children. Lorene said the only thriftless purchase was an automatic sprinkler system for her flowers that surround the couple's new home. And Oscar bought a $1,000 ring for his wife to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. We got enough now to buy new stuff, Lorene said, but we like our old stuff.
WERES OIL HEADED
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Oil prices end down after topping $143 a barrel By J.W. ELPHINSTONE, AP Business Writer Mon Jun 30, 3:56 PM ET
NEW YORK - The price of crude oil hit yet another record on the last day of a tumultuous first half, spurting past $143 a barrel before ending lower on demand fears and a resilient dollar. Crude has shot up nearly 50 percent since the start of the year, in large part on the dollar's troubles, and analysts expect that trend to remain intact as the second half of 2008 begins. A government report lowering oil and gasoline demand estimates and a dollar hanging tough nullified investor concerns over supply, a fragile global economy and continued tensions in the Middle East.What this shows is that demand destruction in the U.S. is a lot larger than previously thought, said Phil Flynn, an energy analyst at Alaron Trading Corp. in Chicago. There are more signs that demand is deteriorating.Light, sweet crude for August delivery lost 21 cents to settle at $140.00 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. In early electronic trading, the contract hit a record $143.67.
The Energy Information Administration reported that oil usage in April was lower than previously estimated, falling to 4.2 percent to 19.768 million barrels per day from 20.631 million. That was 3.9 percent lower than in April 2007 and the lowest level for the month in six years.The price of oil, which began 2008 at $96 a barrel, has risen in part on expectations of higher demand in China and other developing nations. But its almost relentless advance has also forced consumers and businesses to cut back the amount of gas and oil they use; it is also posing a threat to U.S. economic growth that could further slice into demand.A hardier dollar also sent oil prices lower on Monday. Often, oil futures are used as a hedge against a weaker dollar.A lot of the momentum from late last week was the expectation we would continue to see a weaker U.S. dollar. When that didn't materialize, we had some profit-taking, said James Cordier, president of Tampa, Fla.-based trading firms Liberty Trading Group and OptionSellers.com.The dollar rose against the 15-nation euro after the Chicago Purchasing Managers' index came in better than expected. The index for June rose to 49.6 from 49.1 in May, topping estimates of 49.1. The report is seen as a precursor for the national Institute for Supply Management report, to be released Tuesday.
But there was little expectation in the market that Monday's trading was the start of a turnaround in the dollar that would send oil falling much further. The dollar has weakened on expectations the Federal Reserve Board won't soon raise interest rates as the U.S. economy struggles with low growth. The Fed left its benchmark rate unchanged last week.European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet's hawkish stance (on) inflation could mean the dollar may be headed for further weakness against the euro and that's not bearish for oil, said The Schork Report edited by U.S. analyst and trader Stephen Schork. When other countries raise their interest rates, they are more competitive with U.S. rates, and that weakens the dollar.If the Federal Reserve is powerless to raise interest rates because the economy continues to be soft, then we'll see low interest rates push oil higher, Flynn said.Meanwhile, retail gasoline, which has been tracking oil higher, reached a new national average of $4.086 a gallon, according to a survey of stations by AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express. The previous record of $4.08 was reached June 16; since then, oil has moved past $140 and been setting new records of its own.Gasoline's surge higher has clearly affected consumer spending in the U.S. The concern is that the inflationary effects of higher oil and gas will force consumers to cut back their spending on non-essentials further in the months ahead.Geopolitical tensions, particularly surrounding Iran, also continue to boost oil prices. Traders were digesting reported comments from the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, who warned that if his country is attacked, Tehran would strike back by barraging Israel with missiles. In a report published Saturday in the conservative Jam-e-Jam newspaper, Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari said that if Iran were provoked, it would also move to control a key oil passageway in the Gulf.Iran is the world's fourth-largest oil exporter and about 60 percent of the world's oil passes through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Global supply also remains a concern. The Iraqi government opened six oil fields to international bidding Monday as the nation attempts to boost daily production by 60 percent.The potential participation of big Western companies like BP PLC, Chevron Corp., Exxon Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Total SA in Iraq's oil industry has been criticized in recent weeks following published reports that several were close to signing no-bid contracts with the Iraqi government. Those contracts were expected to be announced Monday, but Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani instead named 35 companies that would be qualified to bid on service contracts for the oil fields of Rumeila, Zubair, Qurna West, Maysan, Kirkuk and Bay Hassan. In other Nymex trading, heating oil futures slipped less than a cent to settle at $3.9029 a gallon while gasoline prices rose less than a penny to $3.5015 a gallon. Natural gas futures increased 15.5 cents to end at $13.353 per 1,000 cubic feet. In London, Brent crude futures lost 48 cents to settle at $139.83 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London. Earlier Monday, the price for Brent had peaked at $143.91. AP Business Writer Malcolm Foster in Bangkok, Thailand, and Associated Press Writer Pablo Gorondi in Budapest, Hungary, contributed to this report.
EU DICTATOR (WORLD LEADER)
REVELATION 17:12-13
12 And the ten horns (NATIONS) which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
REVELATION 6:1-2
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse:(PEACE) and he that sat on him had a bow;(EU DICTATOR) and a crown was given unto him:(PRESIDENT OF THE EU) and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(MILITARY GENIUS)
REVELATION 13:1-10
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(THE EU AND ITS DICTATOR IS GODLESS)
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.(DICTATOR COMES FROM NEW AGE OR OCCULT)
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death;(MURDERERD) and his deadly wound was healed:(COMES BACK TO LIFE) and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE WORLD THINKS ITS GOD IN THE FLESH, MESSIAH TO ISRAEL)
4 And they worshipped the dragon (SATAN) which gave power unto the beast:(JEWISH EU DICTATOR) and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?(FALSE RESURRECTION,SATAN BRINGS HIM TO LIFE)
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.(GIVEN WORLD CONTROL FOR 3 1/2YRS)
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God,(HES A GOD HATER) to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.(HES A LIBERAL OR DEMOCRAT,WILL PUT ANYTHING ABOUT GOD DOWN)
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints,(BEHEAD THEM) and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.(WORLD DOMINATION)
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.(WORLD DICTATOR)
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.(SAVED CHRISTIANS AND JEWS DIE FOR THEIR FAITH AT THIS TIME,NOW WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE BUT DURING THE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH, PEOPLE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH (BEHEADINGS) FOR THEIR BELIEF IN GOD (JESUS) OR THE BIBLE.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come (ROMANS IN AD 70) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMANS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he( EU ROMAN, JEWISH DICTATOR) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:( 7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,( 3 1/2 YRS) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
ITS FRANCES TURN
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FRANCE TAKES OVER THE PRESIDENCY OF THE EU FOR THE NEXT 6 MONTHS, WATCH THINGS COME TOGETHER NOW SARKO WILL GET THINGS DONE, INCLUDING THE MEDITERREAN UNION ON JULY 13,08
Sarkozy combative as France assumes EU presidency By JOHN LEICESTER, Associated Press Writer Mon Jun 30, 5:36 PM ET
PARIS - President Nicolas Sarkozy was in combative mood Monday as France assumed leadership of the European Union, criticizing the bloc's trade chief and warning Europe's central bank against raising interest rates. Some analysts have questioned whether Sarkozy's sometimes brash and often direct style will be suited to the task of building consensus among the EU's 27 member nations as France holds the rotating presidency for the next six months.The EU is facing formidable problems in high oil prices, the threat to overseas sales from the euro's strength against the U.S. dollar and uncertainty about the bloc's future after Ireland's voters rejected a reform treaty this month.In a TV interview, Sarkozy reiterated France's priorities during its half-year at the helm would be stemming the influx of illegal immigrants, combatting global warming and softening the blow of oil prices. He said Europeans also want the EU to deal with threats posed by globalization.
The European idea will be in danger if we don't protect Europeans, Sarkozy said.One of Sarkozy's long-standing complaints is that the EU's euro currency is overvalued, hurting European economic competitiveness in global trade.The European Central Bank is widely expected to raise its interest rates this week amid high inflation in the euro zone — a move that could send the currency even higher against the dollar.Sarkozy said raising interest rates would prevent people and companies from borrowing and investing. He blamed inflation on rising prices for commodities like oil and said doubling or even tripling interest rates would not bring oil prices down.Don't tell me that to fight inflation, we must raise interest rates, he said.Sarkozy indicated that he, like his predecessor as French president, Jacques Chirac, would be a strong defender of European farmers.He accused the EU's trade chief, Peter Mandelson, and the head of the World Trade Organization of pushing trade proposals that Sarkozy said would lead to a 20 percent drop in European agricultural production and a 10 percent cut in its agricultural exports.That is 100,000 jobs lost. I will not let that happen, Sarkozy said.Irish voters' rejection of the EU reform treaty June 13 has cast a pall over France's EU presidency. The treaty can only take effect in 2009 only if ratified by all 27 EU states.The treaty, which took years to draft, aims to streamline the way the bloc makes decisions and bolster its powers in such areas as immigration and fighting crime. It also seeks to make the EU's foreign policy more effective with the creation of an EU president and single envoy to represent the bloc abroad.
Big personality and big problems to mark French EU presidency Not quite the presidency agenda Paris wanted (Photo: EUobserver.com) HONOR MAHONY 30.06.2008 @ 07:40 CET
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – On Tuesday 1 July, France takes over the EU presidency armed with a big country's sense of the natural order of things, a hyperactive president and a lengthy list of priorities.
But its six month term will operate under the twin black clouds of Ireland's rejection of the EU Lisbon Treaty as well as rising discontent among European citizens about the recent hikes in food and fuel prices.The Irish question will simmer throughout Paris' reign of the EU as member states try and pull off the public relations feat of making it look like the Irish vote counts but putting pressure on Dublin to put the document to referendum for a second time. Whether they achieve this will depend as much on the way Paris conducts the talks as on the actions of Irish prime minister Brian Cowen. However, France's hopes of brokering deals on who would occupy new posts created by the Lisbon treaty – such as the EU president – have been scuppered.French presidency Nicolas Sarkozy is set to visit the Irish capital on 11 July. The issue will come up at the October meeting of EU leaders and once again at the December summit where member states will be hoping that Dublin will set out a concrete plan of action.
Meanwhile, the worsening global economic situation is set to bring the country - as both the EU presidency as well as member state with a firm protectionist streak - into conflict with other EU partners.During its presidency, the bloc is supposed to have serious discussions on reforming its Common Agricultural Policy but rising food prices may undermine any sense of approaching the talks with a real view for change. Mr Sarkozy has already riled other capitals by suggesting that VAT on fuel be reduced - something the European Commission has now reluctantly agreed to look into.
Climate change
A concrete issue where progress could be made is on a climate change deal. The EU in March last year agreed a series of ambitious goals, including reducing CO2 emissions by 20 percent by 2020. In January, the European Commission suggested how each country should contribute to these goals. Virtually every member state would like something changed in their environment package meaning it will need both good negotiating skills plus France's clout as a large member state to secure a deal. An agreement should be in sight at the end of the year if it is to be approved by the European Parliament before it goes into election recess in Spring next year. Only with a deal under its belt will Europe will be able to go into the 2009 global talks in Copenhagen on a successor to the Kyoto agreement with any moral authority.
Defence and Mediterranean Union
In the run up to its presidency, France has made no secret of its desire to boost defence policy in the bloc. In a major speech on 17 June, Mr Sarkozy spoke of a making the first step towards a genuine revival of European defence.However, it is unclear how much Paris can achieve without real cooperation from Britain – the other military heavyweight in the Union. London remains opposed to plans for a European military headquarters, something Paris is particularly keen on. In addition, neutral Ireland's No to the treaty is likely to mean that France has to tone down its rhetoric on defence – particularly if Irish citizens are once more to go to the polls on the treaty.The uncertainty created by the Lisbon Treaty means that even more focus will be put on France's idea of a Mediterranean Union as another of its major plans.Already watered down by other EU member states for being too divisive, the Mediterranean Union will be launched at a special summit on 13 July in Brussels but it is unclear how many leaders will attend - both from EU country and non-EU Mediterranean states - as well as what exactly the new set-up will achieve.
The Sarkozy factor
But despite the lowering of general expectations for the French presidency, Mr Sarkozy alone is set to generate high levels of interest.Brussels has operated under a pall since the beginning of the year. It maintained a low-key approach in anticipation of the Irish referendum, this was coupled with the traditional quiet-before-the-storm feeling that precedes any big-country presidency.
This is likely to mean that Mr Sarkozy's more unconventional way of operating and his sheer unpredictability is set to keep the country in the headlines - even if Paris has its hands tied by outside events.
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).
Czech government blesses EU treaty
PHILIPPA RUNNER 30.06.2008 @ 09:20 CET
The Czech government has advised the country's Constitutional Court that the EU's Lisbon treaty does not violate the Czech Republic's own constitution, improving the climate for ratification in the most problematic EU state after the Irish No vote.Due to its [Lisbon's] ratification, no substantial change in the arrangement of the democratic legal order will occur, the text of a legal opinion submitted by the government to the court late last week states, Czech daily Lidove noviny reported.The government says in its position that...on the basis of legal expert reports the Lisbon treaty complies with the Czech Republic's constitutional order, Europe minister Alexandr Vondra told the CTK news agency on Saturday (28 June).The court is set to make its ruling on the question in September or October, allowing the Czech parliament to complete the ratification process before Prague takes over the rotating EU presidency on 1 January 2009.Analysts expect the EU treaty to get through the 200-seat lower house. But the eurosceptic ODS party, many of whose members say Lisbon is dead after the Irish referendum, holds a 41-strong majority in the 81-seat upper house.
The Czech president, Vaclav Klaus - an outspoken enemy of Lisbon - must also sign the text to make it law. The largely honorary office of the Czech president would find it hard to block a parliamentary decision in practice, however.With Ireland planning to present its first thoughts on how to deal with the No vote at the EU summit only in October, the new EU treaty is unlikely to enter into force before the June 2009 elections, even if it passes through the Czech system smoothly.The situation is set to see Prague enjoy the full perks of its EU presidency, with prime minister Topolanek chairing EU and international summits instead of having to stand aside for the new permanent EU president as envisaged by the Lisbon text.Now we will get our presidencies, a senior Czech diplomat in Brussels wrote in an SMS to a Swedish counterpart the day the Irish referendum result came out on 13 June. Stockholm is to take over the EU chair after Prague in mid-2009.
Ratification map
France, Germany and the European Commission have called for ratification to continue despite the Irish No, pointing to a scenario in which Ireland stands isolated against 26 EU states and faces pressure for a re-vote, as occured with the 2001 Nice treaty referendum.Sixteen EU countries have so far definitively ratified Lisbon. The Finnish, Polish and German parliaments have approved the text, but are awaiting their presidents' signatures. The Swedish, Dutch, Belgian, Italian, Spanish, and Cypriot legislatures will finish voting between July and the autumn.The Czech Republic is not the only problem country left, with the Polish president's office questioning whether the treaty still legally exists and the German constitutional court considering a legal challenge. Austrian leader Alfred Gusenbauer last week said he would also call a referendum if Lisbon is tweaked for a second Irish vote.
EU and US near deal on confidential data sharing
RENATA GOLDIROVA 30.06.2008 @ 09:21 CET
The European Union and the US are near to agreeing a binding international agreement which would make it easier for law enforcement authorities on both sides of the Atlantic to inspect personal data such as credit card transactions, travel histories and internet browsing habits. The New York Times cited on Saturday (28 June) an internal report by the US Homeland Security, Justice and State Departments as well as European negotiators. The report says that it will be lawful for governments and companies to mutually exchange personal information as part of the global fight against terrorism. The deal would let governments and companies exchange personal information as part of the global fight against terrorism (Photo: wikipedia)Information on race, religion, political opinion, health or sexual life should not be used, however unless domestic law provides appropriate safeguards. But the document stops short of specifying what appropriate safeguards are.According to the New York Times, negotiators continue to wrangle over issues linked to privacy protection. For example, they need to agree whether European citizens could file a lawsuit against the US government if they think their personal data have been mishandled.
The EU is sticking to the position that all Europeans require the ability to bring suit in US courts specifically under the Privacy Act for an agreement to be reached on redress, the New York Times reports.The 1974 Privacy Act allows American citizens and permanent residents to challenge the state, but this right does not apply to foreigners.The EU and the US are trying to find a common ground on privacy and to agree non-conflicting obligations on private companies, Stewart A. Baker from the Department of Homeland Security was cited as saying by the American newspaper.
The 9-11 trigger
The EU-US talks were triggered by 2001 terrorist attacks on US soil. Back then, Washington found it difficult to freely obtain data on European air passengers flying to the US as well as information on European financial transactions operated by Belgian-based consortium SWIFT.During the last EU-US summit under the Slovene EU presidency (9-10 June), the two sides agreed that the fight against transnational crime and terrorism requires the ability to share personal data for law enforcement.They reiterated the need for having a binding international agreement, which would lower barriers for data exchange, while guaranteeing that the right to privacy is fully protected.However, criticism is likely to come from the European Parliament, a strong advocate of citizens' rights. I am very worried that once this will be adopted, it will serve as a pretext to freely share our personal data with anyone, so I want it to be very clear about exactly what it means and how it will work, Dutch liberal Sophia in't Veld told the New York Times.
WHEN I USED TO LIVE IN NEWTON ONTARIO, EVERY TIME I WENT BY THE CENTENIAL SIGN 1867-1967, I WAS ALWAYS AMAZED. NOW I KNOW WHY ISRAEL RECAPTURED JERUSALEM THAT YEAR. LITTLE DID I KNOW THEN I WOULD BE AN ISRAEL SUPPORTER AND THAT 1967 WOULD BE THE START OF THE LAST 40-51 YEAR GENERATION TILL ALL THE PROPHECIES OF THE BIBLE WOULD BE FULFILLED.
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.
INUNDATED FLOODS,PONDERED FUTURES
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BAKER HOPES TO RISE FROM FLOOD
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River cresting above flood stage at St. Louis By JIM SALTER, Associated Press Writer Mon Jun 30, 12:47 PM ET
ST. LOUIS - The Mississippi River climbed toward its high-water mark Monday at St. Louis and was expected to crest over the next couple of days at points downriver, but the worst of the flood of 2008 appeared to be over. The National Weather Service said the river was leveling off at St. Louis at slightly less than 9 feet above flood stage and was expected to stay there into Tuesday before slowly falling, barring more torrential rain to the north.
The high water wasn't causing any major problems because low-lying areas are protected by a floodwall and the downtown area rises sharply from the river. Along the river, the President Casino remained closed, as did a couple of riverboat excursions and a bike rental business near the Gateway Arch. The arch is unaffected by flooding.The message is we are open for business, said Donna Andrews, a spokeswoman for the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission.The city's annual Independence Day festival will move away from the Arch grounds to another spot downtown. The Live on the Levee concert series normally held at the arch also has been relocated. With the Cubs in town for a weekend series with the Cardinals, Andrews expects big crowds for the holiday weekend, flooding or not.At Ste. Genevieve, a quaint village of 4,400 people 64 miles south of St. Louis, this year's flood fight is nothing like the one in 1993, when hundreds of volunteers barely managed to hold back the swollen river. This year's crest at Ste. Genevieve, while well above flood stage, will be about 12 feet short of the '93record, and a $41 million levee has been built to protect the French Colonial village, which dates to 1735.The only problems were relatively minor — water closed a highway in a couple of spots around nearby St. Mary, some agricultural land was flooded and seeping water created so-called sand boils at a farm levee.We're actually in pretty decent shape, said Ste. Genevieve County Commissioner Albert Fults.
The river at Cape Girardeau in southeast Missouri is expected to crest at 42.5 feet on Wednesday, 12.5 feet above flood stage. Thousands of acres of farmland are flooded, but a floodwall protects Cape Girardeau and most of its 36,000 residents. Few if any homes will be affected, Cape Girardeau County emergency management director Richard Knaup said.In hard-hit Lincoln County, upriver and northwest of St. Louis, water was slowly starting to recede in towns like Winfield and Foley. Hundreds of homes were flooded, but it likely will be weeks before a damage estimate is available.On the Net:St. Louis: http://www.explorestlouis.com
Gateway Arch: http://www.nps.gov/jeff/
Storms in South, East cause delays; 1 child killed Sun Jun 29, 10:40PM ET
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - A 5-year-old was killed when strong winds blew over a row of tents at an Alabama air show during storms that stretched across the South on Sunday while severe weather caused airport delays in the East, officials said. The winds that toppled the tents and canceled the air show in Huntsville came during an isolated strong thunderstorm that developed just west of the airport with gusts of 48 mph, said Tim Troutman of the National Weather Service.Witnesses told The Huntsville Times that a generator fell on the child Sunday. The death was confirmed by the Madison County coroner's office.Twelve others were treated for injuries, but only one, a different child, was admitted to the hospital. That child was in serious condition, said Pam Sparks, spokeswoman at Huntsville Hospital.In New York, severe thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon battered LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International airports, causing delays of as much as three hours at Kennedy airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Some LaGuardia flights were delayed up to 75 minutes.Weather also caused delays averaging more than an hour and a half in flights to Boston's Logan International Airport and delays of more than two hours at Newark International Airport in New Jersey, the FAA said.The National Weather Service in Omaha, Neb. said Sunday it estimated the winds that caused extensive damage in eastern Nebraska Friday reached 115 mph, but the storm did not spawn a tornado.Residents of Omaha and the surrounding area continued cleaning up debris and fallen tree limbs Sunday as utility crews worked to restore power.The weather agency said the winds were likely at their strongest when the storm was between Fremont and Omaha, where evidence of winds between 110-115 mph was found. The winds slowed before hitting Omaha but remained between 70-90 mph.Omaha Public Power District officials estimated that nearly 33,000 customers still lacked power Sunday. And some customers likely will not regain power until next Saturday.
Twin tropical storms weaken in Pacific Mon Jun 30, 12:28 PM ET
MEXICO CITY - Tropical Storm Boris is weakening far off Mexico's Pacific coast and isn't a threat to land. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the storm's maximum sustained wind speeds have fallen to 65 mph (100 kph.) It is located hundreds of miles off Mexico's Pacific Coast and is expected to continue to move out to sea.Farther out in the Pacific, a second tropical storm, Cristina, weakened to a tropical depression on Monday. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 35 mph (55 kpm) and isn't expected to threaten land.
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.
NO RELIEF FOR CAL FIRES
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A LONGER FIRE SEASON
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Forest fire threatens another Sask. community
Last Updated: Monday, June 30, 2008 | 5:26 PM CT CBC News
Fire could be seen from Stony Rapids on Sunday before the community was evacuated. (Submitted by Ken Sayies)Forest fires were forcing more people to leave their homes in northern Saskatchewan on Monday.
On Monday morning, evacuations began in Sandy Bay, close to the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border, due to smoke concerns, the Saskatchewan Environment Ministry said. About 210 residents described as high risk were being moved to Saskatoon.On Sunday, about 170 people were forced to leave their homes in Stony Rapids, close to the Northwest Territories-Saskatchewan boundary.They're staying in Prince Albert in dormitories at the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences.Ken Sayies, one of the last people to leave Stony Rapids on Sunday night, said the fire was only a few kilometres away when he left.You could see the flames in the distance, he said.Most of the evacuees in Prince Albert are comfortable, although some aren't happy with the accommodations, he said. People are confident fire crews will keep their homes safe, he said.They'll save that town, Sayies said.
At Sandy Bay, several hundred kilometres southeast of Stony Rapids, children, the elderly, and people with breathing difficulties were being encouraged to leave.Those who've left are being put up at the University of Saskatchewan and at Saskatoon hotels.The fires in northern Saskatchewan are disrupting the power supply for Sandy Bay and two other northern communities.SaskPower says some of its power poles have been burned.The government utility is asking people to conserve energy in the communities of Deschambault Lake, Pelican Narrows, and Sandy Bay.Until we can see the situation clearing up and the forest fires being controlled and reinstalling poles, we're asking customers to reduce their consumption so that everybody gets electricity, SaskPower spokesman Larry Christie said.People can still use power, but they should limit consumption to only what's necessary, Christie said.There are 54 forest fires burning in the province, the Saskatchewan Environment Ministry said. So far this year, there have been 433 fires, twice as many as the year before.
Wildfires force firefighters to pick their battles By SCOTT LINDLAW, Associated Press Writer JUNE 30,08
SAN FRANCISCO - With hundreds of wildfires raging across remote, rugged parts of California for a second week, fire officials have been forced to strategically choose which to fight and which to leave to burn for weeks or even months. The number of fires burning in central and Northern California — more than 1,000 according to state fire officials — means authorities can't send firefighters to battle every blaze, Jason Kirchner, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service, said Monday.It's like eating an elephant — you've got to eat it one bite at a time, he said.It's also impossible to attack wildfires in some rugged, remote areas because the risk to firefighters is too great, he said.We have to take a step back, figure out where the best place is to make a stand and sometimes wait for the fire to come to us in those situations, he said. We've got to pick the battles we can win.Long-running wildfires are not unusual in California. It was four months before firefighters controlled a blaze that blackened more than 240,000 acres of Santa Barbara County backcountry last year.
What is extraordinary this year is the number of fires burning at the same time, Kirchner said. The weekend of June 21, some 1,200 fires were burning — a figure Forest Service officials said appeared to be an all-time record in California.The Forest Service put the figure at about 600 on Monday. It attributed the gains to its tactic of attacking small fires first, and to significant assistance from other states and Canada.State officials, however, counted more than 1,000 ongoing blazes. The source of the discrepancy was apparently a different counting method.Also unusual, Kirchner said, was that there have been no significant injuries to civilians or firefighters even though some 570 square miles have burned in California this season. There were, however, a few minor injuries as harsh terrain hampered firefighters' efforts to battle a blaze in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.It is extremely steep, very rugged territory, and there are a lot of injuries, twisting ankles, slipping on hills, Kirchner said. Burning debris is rolling downhill right past your containment line. It's very complicated, difficult, dirty firefighting work.Even so, firefighters managed to increase their containment of that 30,000-acre fire from 15 to 23 percent.Two wildfires choked parts of the Sierra Nevada foothills, sending up plumes of smoke that darkened patches of the 100-mile stretch between Sacramento and Reno.The fires in the Tahoe National Forest blanketed portions of the Interstate 80 corridor linking the two cities and the foothill communities in between where tens of thousands of people live.Along the Pacific, fire officials said fog and humidity helped them gain ground against a blaze that was just 3 percent contained in the storied town of Big Sur. John Heil, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service, said it had blackened about 39,600 acres.
Firefighters poured personnel and equipment into the area to ensure the fire did not reach the town, said John Ahlman, a spokesman for the Los Padres National Forest.Heil said there was a possibility of rain in the far northern part of the state this week. But the changing weather pattern could also bring new lightning and high winds, which could touch off new blazes and fan the current ones, he said.Unless it rains, and we get some really good rainfall, you can pretty much expect it to be here right through October, he said. In Arizona, a wildfire that had burned more than 6 square miles of wilderness crept within 500 feet of the remote mountain community of Crown King north of Phoenix, officials said Monday. Three homes and four other structures had been destroyed, but it was unclear when, authorities said. About 120 residents voluntarily evacuated Sunday. Crews in central New Mexico's Manzano Mountains were doing mop-up operations Monday on an almost 9-square-mile fire that destroyed six homes and 10 outbuildings. Residents who left last week were allowed to return Sunday. The fire, started by lightning June 23, was 95 percent contained. In Guffey, Colo., about 40 miles west of Colorado Springs, most of the 100 residents who fled a 1,115-acre lightning-started wildfire were allowed back Sunday. Final evacuation orders were lifted Monday.
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)
Wheat prices expected to remain high: analysts
Last Updated: Monday, June 30, 2008 | 12:46 PM CT CBC News
After weeks of volatility on international wheat markets, prices of the grain appear to have settled down but remain relatively high.
While they are not at an all-time high — grain on the international commodities markets was selling for more than $12 US a bushel in February — prices are more than double compared to two years ago.
Wheat prices in Chicago were above $9 US a bushel last week. Two years ago, they were about $3.60 US.Canadian Wheat Board market analysts are predicting prices will remain high for at least another year.In some cases, even those who decided not to grow wheat this year have been able to cash in.Farmer Neal Hardy didn't plant any wheat on his farm near Hudson Bay after having poor luck with the crop in recent years.Fortunately, Hardy still had some feed wheat in his bins — although it was wheat that had suffered frost damage in 2004.He held onto it because prices were so low at the time, he wouldn't have been able to cover his costs. This spring, it was a completely different situation.I just sold it a little bit ago, Hardy said. I sold it to a feed mill and I got $7 a bushel.If wheat prices have softened since early spring, flooding in the U.S. Midwest could boost them again.
Economists say rising prices of one grain can cause the increase of the price of another grain. When people substitute a cheaper grain for a higher-priced one, the increase in demand starts to push up the price.David Boyes, a market analyst with the Canadian Wheat Board, notes that flooding in the Midwest has devastated the corn crop, with implications for wheat. As you have seen in the news, they have had anything but ideal conditions, he said. Prices are at record levels for U.S. corn and that is providing a lot of support for the wheat market right now.Even though a record amount of wheat has been planted this year, prices will remain high for another 12 months at least, Boyes said.
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
OIL PEAKS AT $143.00 A BARREL
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Oil is making millionaires in North Dakota By JAMES MacPHERSON, Associated Press Writer Mon Jun 30, 5:00 AM ET
BEULAH, N.D. - Oscar Stohler was raised in a sod house in western North Dakota and ranched there for nearly seven decades. He never gave much thought to what lay below the grass that fattened his cattle. When oilmen wanted to drill there last year, Stohler, 83, doubted oil would be found two miles underground on his property. He even joked about it.I told them if they hit oil, I was going to buy a Cadillac convertible and put those big horns on the front and wear a 10-gallon hat, Stohler recalled.He still drives his old pickup and wears a mesh farm cap — but it's by choice.
In less than a year, Stohler and his wife, Lorene, 82, have become millionaires from the production of one well on their land near Dunn Center, a mile or so from the sod home where Oscar grew up. A second well has begun producing on their property and another is being drilled — all aimed at the Bakken shale formation, a rich deposit that the U.S. Geological Survey calls the largest continuous oil accumulation it has ever assessed.Landowners in western North Dakota have a much better chance of striking it rich from oil than they do playing the lottery, say the Stohlers. Some of their neighbors in the town of about 120, from bar tenders to Tupperware salespeople, have become overnight millionaires from oil royalty payments.It's the easiest money we've ever made, said Lorene Stohler, who worked for decades as a sales clerk at a small department store.State and industry officials say North Dakota is on pace to set a state oil-production record this year, surpassing the 52.6 million barrels produced in 1984. A record number of drill rigs are piercing the prairie and North Dakota has nearly 4,000 active oil wells.The drilling frenzy has led companies to search for oil using horizontal drilling beneath Parshall, a town of about 980 in Mountrail County, and under Lake Sakakawea, 180-mile-long reservoir on the Missouri River.I have heard, anecdotally, that there is a millionaire a day being created in North Dakota, said Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council.Kathy Strombeck, a state Tax Department analyst, said the number of income millionaires in North Dakota is rising.The number of taxpayers reporting adjusted gross income of more than $1 million in North Dakota rose from 266 in 2005 to 388 in 2006, Strombeck said. The 2007 numbers won't be known until October, she said.
Bruce Gjovig, director of the University of North Dakota's Center for Innovation, said his informal survey estimates the number of new millionaires in Mountrail County, one of the biggest drilling areas of the Bakken, may be as many as 2,000 — or nearly a third of the county's population — in the next three to five years.North Dakota's per capita income in 2007 was $36,846, ranking the state 30th in the nation and up from 42nd in 1997, said Richard Rathge, the state Data Center director and North Dakota demographer.The two main drivers are energy and agriculture income, Rathge said. The increasing wealth in the state from oil should push the average annual wage in North Dakota, he said.The oil boom has spurred several Jed Clampett-like tales of ordinary folks getting rich, said Tom Rolfstad, the economic development director for the city of Williston.Rolfstad said he hasn't spotted any Ferraris or Rolls Royces in town, though several people can afford them now.I'm seeing a lot more big, shiny gas-guzzling pickups, he said. Several homes that cost more than a million dollars also are being built in Williston, he said. The community of about 12,500 people is perhaps best known as the hometown of NBA coach Phil Jackson. Most people don't want people to know how much money they got and they don't want to be tagged with being wealthy — they want to be themselves, Rolfstad said. Oscar and Lorene Stohler said their newly found wealth hasn't changed them. We still know what tough times are, Oscar said. We grew up in the Dirty '30s.We put our kids through college without that oil money, Lorene said. The couple moved a few miles east to Beulah and paid cash for their new home, the first one they have owned. They have established trust accounts for their four children. Lorene said the only thriftless purchase was an automatic sprinkler system for her flowers that surround the couple's new home. And Oscar bought a $1,000 ring for his wife to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. We got enough now to buy new stuff, Lorene said, but we like our old stuff.
WERES OIL HEADED
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Oil prices end down after topping $143 a barrel By J.W. ELPHINSTONE, AP Business Writer Mon Jun 30, 3:56 PM ET
NEW YORK - The price of crude oil hit yet another record on the last day of a tumultuous first half, spurting past $143 a barrel before ending lower on demand fears and a resilient dollar. Crude has shot up nearly 50 percent since the start of the year, in large part on the dollar's troubles, and analysts expect that trend to remain intact as the second half of 2008 begins. A government report lowering oil and gasoline demand estimates and a dollar hanging tough nullified investor concerns over supply, a fragile global economy and continued tensions in the Middle East.What this shows is that demand destruction in the U.S. is a lot larger than previously thought, said Phil Flynn, an energy analyst at Alaron Trading Corp. in Chicago. There are more signs that demand is deteriorating.Light, sweet crude for August delivery lost 21 cents to settle at $140.00 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. In early electronic trading, the contract hit a record $143.67.
The Energy Information Administration reported that oil usage in April was lower than previously estimated, falling to 4.2 percent to 19.768 million barrels per day from 20.631 million. That was 3.9 percent lower than in April 2007 and the lowest level for the month in six years.The price of oil, which began 2008 at $96 a barrel, has risen in part on expectations of higher demand in China and other developing nations. But its almost relentless advance has also forced consumers and businesses to cut back the amount of gas and oil they use; it is also posing a threat to U.S. economic growth that could further slice into demand.A hardier dollar also sent oil prices lower on Monday. Often, oil futures are used as a hedge against a weaker dollar.A lot of the momentum from late last week was the expectation we would continue to see a weaker U.S. dollar. When that didn't materialize, we had some profit-taking, said James Cordier, president of Tampa, Fla.-based trading firms Liberty Trading Group and OptionSellers.com.The dollar rose against the 15-nation euro after the Chicago Purchasing Managers' index came in better than expected. The index for June rose to 49.6 from 49.1 in May, topping estimates of 49.1. The report is seen as a precursor for the national Institute for Supply Management report, to be released Tuesday.
But there was little expectation in the market that Monday's trading was the start of a turnaround in the dollar that would send oil falling much further. The dollar has weakened on expectations the Federal Reserve Board won't soon raise interest rates as the U.S. economy struggles with low growth. The Fed left its benchmark rate unchanged last week.European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet's hawkish stance (on) inflation could mean the dollar may be headed for further weakness against the euro and that's not bearish for oil, said The Schork Report edited by U.S. analyst and trader Stephen Schork. When other countries raise their interest rates, they are more competitive with U.S. rates, and that weakens the dollar.If the Federal Reserve is powerless to raise interest rates because the economy continues to be soft, then we'll see low interest rates push oil higher, Flynn said.Meanwhile, retail gasoline, which has been tracking oil higher, reached a new national average of $4.086 a gallon, according to a survey of stations by AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express. The previous record of $4.08 was reached June 16; since then, oil has moved past $140 and been setting new records of its own.Gasoline's surge higher has clearly affected consumer spending in the U.S. The concern is that the inflationary effects of higher oil and gas will force consumers to cut back their spending on non-essentials further in the months ahead.Geopolitical tensions, particularly surrounding Iran, also continue to boost oil prices. Traders were digesting reported comments from the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, who warned that if his country is attacked, Tehran would strike back by barraging Israel with missiles. In a report published Saturday in the conservative Jam-e-Jam newspaper, Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari said that if Iran were provoked, it would also move to control a key oil passageway in the Gulf.Iran is the world's fourth-largest oil exporter and about 60 percent of the world's oil passes through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Global supply also remains a concern. The Iraqi government opened six oil fields to international bidding Monday as the nation attempts to boost daily production by 60 percent.The potential participation of big Western companies like BP PLC, Chevron Corp., Exxon Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch Shell PLC and Total SA in Iraq's oil industry has been criticized in recent weeks following published reports that several were close to signing no-bid contracts with the Iraqi government. Those contracts were expected to be announced Monday, but Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani instead named 35 companies that would be qualified to bid on service contracts for the oil fields of Rumeila, Zubair, Qurna West, Maysan, Kirkuk and Bay Hassan. In other Nymex trading, heating oil futures slipped less than a cent to settle at $3.9029 a gallon while gasoline prices rose less than a penny to $3.5015 a gallon. Natural gas futures increased 15.5 cents to end at $13.353 per 1,000 cubic feet. In London, Brent crude futures lost 48 cents to settle at $139.83 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London. Earlier Monday, the price for Brent had peaked at $143.91. AP Business Writer Malcolm Foster in Bangkok, Thailand, and Associated Press Writer Pablo Gorondi in Budapest, Hungary, contributed to this report.
EU DICTATOR (WORLD LEADER)
REVELATION 17:12-13
12 And the ten horns (NATIONS) which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
REVELATION 6:1-2
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse:(PEACE) and he that sat on him had a bow;(EU DICTATOR) and a crown was given unto him:(PRESIDENT OF THE EU) and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.(MILITARY GENIUS)
REVELATION 13:1-10
1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.(THE EU AND ITS DICTATOR IS GODLESS)
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.(DICTATOR COMES FROM NEW AGE OR OCCULT)
3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death;(MURDERERD) and his deadly wound was healed:(COMES BACK TO LIFE) and all the world wondered after the beast.(THE WORLD THINKS ITS GOD IN THE FLESH, MESSIAH TO ISRAEL)
4 And they worshipped the dragon (SATAN) which gave power unto the beast:(JEWISH EU DICTATOR) and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?(FALSE RESURRECTION,SATAN BRINGS HIM TO LIFE)
5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.(GIVEN WORLD CONTROL FOR 3 1/2YRS)
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God,(HES A GOD HATER) to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.(HES A LIBERAL OR DEMOCRAT,WILL PUT ANYTHING ABOUT GOD DOWN)
7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints,(BEHEAD THEM) and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.(WORLD DOMINATION)
8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.(WORLD DICTATOR)
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.(SAVED CHRISTIANS AND JEWS DIE FOR THEIR FAITH AT THIS TIME,NOW WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE BUT DURING THE 7 YEARS OF HELL ON EARTH, PEOPLE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH (BEHEADINGS) FOR THEIR BELIEF IN GOD (JESUS) OR THE BIBLE.
DANIEL 9:26-27
26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come (ROMANS IN AD 70) shall destroy the city and the sanctuary;(ROMANS DESTROYED THE 2ND TEMPLE) and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 And he( EU ROMAN, JEWISH DICTATOR) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:( 7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,( 3 1/2 YRS) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
ITS FRANCES TURN
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FRANCE TAKES OVER THE PRESIDENCY OF THE EU FOR THE NEXT 6 MONTHS, WATCH THINGS COME TOGETHER NOW SARKO WILL GET THINGS DONE, INCLUDING THE MEDITERREAN UNION ON JULY 13,08
Sarkozy combative as France assumes EU presidency By JOHN LEICESTER, Associated Press Writer Mon Jun 30, 5:36 PM ET
PARIS - President Nicolas Sarkozy was in combative mood Monday as France assumed leadership of the European Union, criticizing the bloc's trade chief and warning Europe's central bank against raising interest rates. Some analysts have questioned whether Sarkozy's sometimes brash and often direct style will be suited to the task of building consensus among the EU's 27 member nations as France holds the rotating presidency for the next six months.The EU is facing formidable problems in high oil prices, the threat to overseas sales from the euro's strength against the U.S. dollar and uncertainty about the bloc's future after Ireland's voters rejected a reform treaty this month.In a TV interview, Sarkozy reiterated France's priorities during its half-year at the helm would be stemming the influx of illegal immigrants, combatting global warming and softening the blow of oil prices. He said Europeans also want the EU to deal with threats posed by globalization.
The European idea will be in danger if we don't protect Europeans, Sarkozy said.One of Sarkozy's long-standing complaints is that the EU's euro currency is overvalued, hurting European economic competitiveness in global trade.The European Central Bank is widely expected to raise its interest rates this week amid high inflation in the euro zone — a move that could send the currency even higher against the dollar.Sarkozy said raising interest rates would prevent people and companies from borrowing and investing. He blamed inflation on rising prices for commodities like oil and said doubling or even tripling interest rates would not bring oil prices down.Don't tell me that to fight inflation, we must raise interest rates, he said.Sarkozy indicated that he, like his predecessor as French president, Jacques Chirac, would be a strong defender of European farmers.He accused the EU's trade chief, Peter Mandelson, and the head of the World Trade Organization of pushing trade proposals that Sarkozy said would lead to a 20 percent drop in European agricultural production and a 10 percent cut in its agricultural exports.That is 100,000 jobs lost. I will not let that happen, Sarkozy said.Irish voters' rejection of the EU reform treaty June 13 has cast a pall over France's EU presidency. The treaty can only take effect in 2009 only if ratified by all 27 EU states.The treaty, which took years to draft, aims to streamline the way the bloc makes decisions and bolster its powers in such areas as immigration and fighting crime. It also seeks to make the EU's foreign policy more effective with the creation of an EU president and single envoy to represent the bloc abroad.
Big personality and big problems to mark French EU presidency Not quite the presidency agenda Paris wanted (Photo: EUobserver.com) HONOR MAHONY 30.06.2008 @ 07:40 CET
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – On Tuesday 1 July, France takes over the EU presidency armed with a big country's sense of the natural order of things, a hyperactive president and a lengthy list of priorities.
But its six month term will operate under the twin black clouds of Ireland's rejection of the EU Lisbon Treaty as well as rising discontent among European citizens about the recent hikes in food and fuel prices.The Irish question will simmer throughout Paris' reign of the EU as member states try and pull off the public relations feat of making it look like the Irish vote counts but putting pressure on Dublin to put the document to referendum for a second time. Whether they achieve this will depend as much on the way Paris conducts the talks as on the actions of Irish prime minister Brian Cowen. However, France's hopes of brokering deals on who would occupy new posts created by the Lisbon treaty – such as the EU president – have been scuppered.French presidency Nicolas Sarkozy is set to visit the Irish capital on 11 July. The issue will come up at the October meeting of EU leaders and once again at the December summit where member states will be hoping that Dublin will set out a concrete plan of action.
Meanwhile, the worsening global economic situation is set to bring the country - as both the EU presidency as well as member state with a firm protectionist streak - into conflict with other EU partners.During its presidency, the bloc is supposed to have serious discussions on reforming its Common Agricultural Policy but rising food prices may undermine any sense of approaching the talks with a real view for change. Mr Sarkozy has already riled other capitals by suggesting that VAT on fuel be reduced - something the European Commission has now reluctantly agreed to look into.
Climate change
A concrete issue where progress could be made is on a climate change deal. The EU in March last year agreed a series of ambitious goals, including reducing CO2 emissions by 20 percent by 2020. In January, the European Commission suggested how each country should contribute to these goals. Virtually every member state would like something changed in their environment package meaning it will need both good negotiating skills plus France's clout as a large member state to secure a deal. An agreement should be in sight at the end of the year if it is to be approved by the European Parliament before it goes into election recess in Spring next year. Only with a deal under its belt will Europe will be able to go into the 2009 global talks in Copenhagen on a successor to the Kyoto agreement with any moral authority.
Defence and Mediterranean Union
In the run up to its presidency, France has made no secret of its desire to boost defence policy in the bloc. In a major speech on 17 June, Mr Sarkozy spoke of a making the first step towards a genuine revival of European defence.However, it is unclear how much Paris can achieve without real cooperation from Britain – the other military heavyweight in the Union. London remains opposed to plans for a European military headquarters, something Paris is particularly keen on. In addition, neutral Ireland's No to the treaty is likely to mean that France has to tone down its rhetoric on defence – particularly if Irish citizens are once more to go to the polls on the treaty.The uncertainty created by the Lisbon Treaty means that even more focus will be put on France's idea of a Mediterranean Union as another of its major plans.Already watered down by other EU member states for being too divisive, the Mediterranean Union will be launched at a special summit on 13 July in Brussels but it is unclear how many leaders will attend - both from EU country and non-EU Mediterranean states - as well as what exactly the new set-up will achieve.
The Sarkozy factor
But despite the lowering of general expectations for the French presidency, Mr Sarkozy alone is set to generate high levels of interest.Brussels has operated under a pall since the beginning of the year. It maintained a low-key approach in anticipation of the Irish referendum, this was coupled with the traditional quiet-before-the-storm feeling that precedes any big-country presidency.
This is likely to mean that Mr Sarkozy's more unconventional way of operating and his sheer unpredictability is set to keep the country in the headlines - even if Paris has its hands tied by outside events.
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).
Czech government blesses EU treaty
PHILIPPA RUNNER 30.06.2008 @ 09:20 CET
The Czech government has advised the country's Constitutional Court that the EU's Lisbon treaty does not violate the Czech Republic's own constitution, improving the climate for ratification in the most problematic EU state after the Irish No vote.Due to its [Lisbon's] ratification, no substantial change in the arrangement of the democratic legal order will occur, the text of a legal opinion submitted by the government to the court late last week states, Czech daily Lidove noviny reported.The government says in its position that...on the basis of legal expert reports the Lisbon treaty complies with the Czech Republic's constitutional order, Europe minister Alexandr Vondra told the CTK news agency on Saturday (28 June).The court is set to make its ruling on the question in September or October, allowing the Czech parliament to complete the ratification process before Prague takes over the rotating EU presidency on 1 January 2009.Analysts expect the EU treaty to get through the 200-seat lower house. But the eurosceptic ODS party, many of whose members say Lisbon is dead after the Irish referendum, holds a 41-strong majority in the 81-seat upper house.
The Czech president, Vaclav Klaus - an outspoken enemy of Lisbon - must also sign the text to make it law. The largely honorary office of the Czech president would find it hard to block a parliamentary decision in practice, however.With Ireland planning to present its first thoughts on how to deal with the No vote at the EU summit only in October, the new EU treaty is unlikely to enter into force before the June 2009 elections, even if it passes through the Czech system smoothly.The situation is set to see Prague enjoy the full perks of its EU presidency, with prime minister Topolanek chairing EU and international summits instead of having to stand aside for the new permanent EU president as envisaged by the Lisbon text.Now we will get our presidencies, a senior Czech diplomat in Brussels wrote in an SMS to a Swedish counterpart the day the Irish referendum result came out on 13 June. Stockholm is to take over the EU chair after Prague in mid-2009.
Ratification map
France, Germany and the European Commission have called for ratification to continue despite the Irish No, pointing to a scenario in which Ireland stands isolated against 26 EU states and faces pressure for a re-vote, as occured with the 2001 Nice treaty referendum.Sixteen EU countries have so far definitively ratified Lisbon. The Finnish, Polish and German parliaments have approved the text, but are awaiting their presidents' signatures. The Swedish, Dutch, Belgian, Italian, Spanish, and Cypriot legislatures will finish voting between July and the autumn.The Czech Republic is not the only problem country left, with the Polish president's office questioning whether the treaty still legally exists and the German constitutional court considering a legal challenge. Austrian leader Alfred Gusenbauer last week said he would also call a referendum if Lisbon is tweaked for a second Irish vote.
EU and US near deal on confidential data sharing
RENATA GOLDIROVA 30.06.2008 @ 09:21 CET
The European Union and the US are near to agreeing a binding international agreement which would make it easier for law enforcement authorities on both sides of the Atlantic to inspect personal data such as credit card transactions, travel histories and internet browsing habits. The New York Times cited on Saturday (28 June) an internal report by the US Homeland Security, Justice and State Departments as well as European negotiators. The report says that it will be lawful for governments and companies to mutually exchange personal information as part of the global fight against terrorism. The deal would let governments and companies exchange personal information as part of the global fight against terrorism (Photo: wikipedia)Information on race, religion, political opinion, health or sexual life should not be used, however unless domestic law provides appropriate safeguards. But the document stops short of specifying what appropriate safeguards are.According to the New York Times, negotiators continue to wrangle over issues linked to privacy protection. For example, they need to agree whether European citizens could file a lawsuit against the US government if they think their personal data have been mishandled.
The EU is sticking to the position that all Europeans require the ability to bring suit in US courts specifically under the Privacy Act for an agreement to be reached on redress, the New York Times reports.The 1974 Privacy Act allows American citizens and permanent residents to challenge the state, but this right does not apply to foreigners.The EU and the US are trying to find a common ground on privacy and to agree non-conflicting obligations on private companies, Stewart A. Baker from the Department of Homeland Security was cited as saying by the American newspaper.
The 9-11 trigger
The EU-US talks were triggered by 2001 terrorist attacks on US soil. Back then, Washington found it difficult to freely obtain data on European air passengers flying to the US as well as information on European financial transactions operated by Belgian-based consortium SWIFT.During the last EU-US summit under the Slovene EU presidency (9-10 June), the two sides agreed that the fight against transnational crime and terrorism requires the ability to share personal data for law enforcement.They reiterated the need for having a binding international agreement, which would lower barriers for data exchange, while guaranteeing that the right to privacy is fully protected.However, criticism is likely to come from the European Parliament, a strong advocate of citizens' rights. I am very worried that once this will be adopted, it will serve as a pretext to freely share our personal data with anyone, so I want it to be very clear about exactly what it means and how it will work, Dutch liberal Sophia in't Veld told the New York Times.
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