U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said Monday that Iran will have a nuclear weapon within one year, if not less. Speaking in an interview with CBS Evening News, Leon Panetta said that it would probably take a year for Tehran to assemble a nuclear bomb, but said that one provision is if the Iranians have a hidden facility that "may be enriching fuel."
'Fountains' of methane 1,000m across erupt from Arctic ice - a greenhouse gas 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide
They made a terrifying discovery - huge plumes of methane bubbles rising to the surface from the seabed. 'We found more than 100 fountains, some more than a kilometre across,' said Dr Igor Semiletov, 'These are methane fields on a scale not seen before. The emissions went directly into the atmosphere.'
Hamas has established forward bases and rocket production facilities in the Sinai Peninsula in an effort to protect them from Israeli air strikes, The Jerusalem Post has learned.By establishing the facilities in Egypt, Hamas aims to protect its assets since it believes Israel will not strike targets inside Egypt due to the affect it would have on bilateral relations.And in another news story:
The U.S. government has sought to encourage the Palestinian Authority to negotiate with Israel but has labeled Hamas as a terrorist group.Terrorists fired four rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel Saturday morning, Army Radio reported. Two rockets exploded in an open area of the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council after two earlier rockets were fired into the Eshkol Regional Council area .Hamas militant group, which controls the Gaza Strip, and the Palestinians' governing body, the Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank, represent "an enormous desire to destroy Israel.
The latest attacks bring the total number of rockets fired in the past 24 hours to 17. No injuries or damages were reported.
This is from The Telegraph UK:A Hamas spokesperson said Thursday Israel was to blame for an escalation of violence between the Gaza Strip and the Jewish state, calling on Egypt and the United Nations to pressure Jerusalem to discontinue attacks in Gaza.
Earlier Thursday, the IDF thwarted an attack from the Sinai Peninsula after the Air Force bombed targets in the northern Gaza Strip, killing a number of senior terrorists involved in plotting attacks against Israel.
It’s amazing that this news has not made more headlines….Voters chose both parties and individuals in the complex electoral system. The Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamic fundamentalist group that was the best known and organized party, and the more radical Al-Nour party - ultraconservative Islamists known as Salafis - took about 60 per cent of the vote for parties together, according to official results.
The vote -which is being held in three stages - was the freest and fairest in Egypt's modern history. The final two rounds are not expected to alter the Islamists' dominance.The result was a devastating blow for the mostly secular and liberal youth who drove the uprising.
“Abuse of prescription painkiller have reached "epidemic" levels in the US, a government report says.
Overdoses of pain relievers cause more deaths than heroin and cocaine combined,
the report has found.”
And that’s all I’ve got to say about that.
Forrest Gump
The Occupy Wall Street movement has received so much media coverage in recent weeks that it’s nearly impossible to keep abreast of all the developments. So many endorsements and criticisms coming from all directions enter the news cycle in such rapid succession that even the most dedicated news junkies may have missed out on many of the pronouncements. Supporters and detractors of OWS both might find it useful to have a handy all-inclusive list of who has endorsed or embraced the protest.The 99%: Official list of Occupy Wall Street’s supporters, sponsors and sympathizers
To satisfy that demand, we hereby present a list of groups, organizations, individuals and entities that have expressed their support for, sponsorship of, or sympathy for the Occupy Wall Street movement.
Communist Party USA
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American Nazi Party |
Ayatollah Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran
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Barack Obama
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The government of North Korea |
Louis Farrakhan, Nation of Islam |
Revolutionary Communist Party |
David Duke
|
Joe Biden
|
Hugo Chavez
|
Revolutionary Guards of Iran
|
Black Panthers (original)
|
Socialist Party USA
|
US Border Guard |
Industrial Workers of the World
|
CAIR
|
Nancy Pelosi |
Communist Party of China |
Hezbollah
|
9/11Truth.org
|
International Bolshevik Tendency
|
Anonymous
|
White Revolution
|
International Socialist Organization |
PressTV (Iranian government outlet) |
Marxist Student Union |
Freedom Road Socialist Organization
|
ANSWER
|
Party for Socialism and Liberation From http://pjmedia.com/zombie/2011/10/31/the-99-official-list-of-ows/ |
Texas youth targeted by Mexican drug cartels Mexican drug cartels appear to be expanding their presence and activities in the United States, even targeting ‘expendable’ US teens in a concerning new trend, say Texas officials. The United States is the primary market for Mexico’s drug cartels, feeding the cycle of violence in the country as the state tries to suppress the violent gangs, but now Mexico’s war on the drug cartels may be spilling over into the United States.
According to The Wall Street Journal Moody’s Analytics said its near-term outlook for the U.S. economy has fallen significantly in the past month wake of the debate over the U.S. debt ceiling and the downgrade of the nation’s credit ratings by Standard & Poor’s .
President Barack Obama has promised a "very specific" plan next month to improve the flagging US economy. He was in Iowa on day one of a rural Midwest bus tour. By the way, those two armored and tricked out buses cost us 2 million dollars. Anyway he said he would put forward the blueprint when Congress returned in September.
Meanwhile Europe continues to slide toward a fiscal meltdown. This is from Bloomberg:
Swiss Ponder Battle Over Runaway Franc
Switzerland, the nation that hasn’t gone to war with a foreign power since Napoleon, is reluctantly debating a generational taboo: ceding monetary independence to win a battle over its runaway currency. Swiss National Bank Vice President Thomas Jordan said the central bank is assessing “a whole range of options” to prevent the franc, which reached a record against the euro this month, from making Swiss goods prohibitively expensive.
EUROPE ‘ON COURSE TO BECOME ONE COUNTRY’
DAVID Cameron was under mounting pressure last night to hold a referendum on EU membership amid claims that the Coalition is paving the way for full eurozone financial integration.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/265048/Europe-on-course-to-become-one-country-
Merkel, Sarkozy take on debt crisis amid slowdown
A slowdown in European economic growth is overshadowing a meeting Tuesday between the leaders of Germany and France aimed at getting the eurozone's 17 countries to work closer together to dig Europe out of its debt crisis.
http://news.yahoo.com/merkel-sarkozy-debt-crisis-amid-slowdown-095419635.html
Eurozone bank buys record €22bn in bonds to contain euro crisis
The European Central Bank last week spent a record €22bn buying euro-zone government bonds in a bid to prevent the eurozone debt crisis spreading, a move that is likely to fuel debate on the creation of eurobonds. The buying spree represented the most the central bank has spent since it first began bond-buying in May last year in response to the Greek debt crisis.
http://euobserver.com/19/113325
Perils abound, but answers are elusive. I think "very specific" plan next month are too late and too little.
In the words of my grandpaw:
Never kick a fresh cow patty on a hot day.
//rb
In the wake of threatening to shut down social security because of a lack of money, and walking of budget talking, Mr O'bama apparent thinks we have got money to help a terrorist group. Kinda makes you question his priorities, doesn't it?
(CNSNews.com) – Facing strong bipartisan support in Congress for defunding a Palestinian government that includes the terrorist group Hamas, the Obama administration on Tuesday stressed the importance of continuing the funding, arguing that the Fatah-Hamas power-sharing deal has changed nothing on the ground.
Meanwhile,
Moody's Investors Service yesterday (July 13) threatened to downgrade America's credit rating, rattling the White House and lawmakers. Moody's on Tuesday (11 July) downgraded Ireland's debt to junk status, amid growing market concerns about the stability of the eurozone as the debt crisis reaches Italy and Spain. Moody's made the same move last week when it downgraded Portugal's rating by three notches to Ba2 status. Greece's rating is considerably lower - Caa1 which stands for "substantial risk", just three steps before what a rating agency considers "default" and with no perspective for investors to recover their money.
According to the EUOBSERVER
Just a question - with all this talk about Congress raising the debt ceiling it made me wonder. Could I go to my credit card company and say that I need to have my credit limit raised because if I don't then my household will shut down and I won't be able to feed my dog? Do you think that would work?
Gaza Flotilla on the rocks?
As Ynet news reports it, the Gaza flotilla is off to a rocky start. French ship Dignity which departed for the rendezvous with vessels participating in the Gaza flotilla on Saturday has apparently decided to skip the Athens stop and is en route to Gaza. Flotilla organizers refused to officially confirm the ship is approaching the region and are maintaining secrecy.
Jordanian activists said they purchased an additional ship for $805,000 which could carry as many as 200 activists. It was said it will carry 35 Jordanian activists. The organizers said that the flotilla will set sail on Thursday but noted there may be delays.
The Irish ship is apparently docking at an undisclosed port in the Mediterranean to avoid delays in Greece.
The American ship and the Greek-Swedish ship are delayed in Greece.
According to the organizers, the Italian ship Stefano Chiarim will carry the most passengers with 65 people; Canadian ship Tahrir will carry 48 passengers and the American vessel, which is currently detained in Greece, will carry 40 passengers.
An additional seven ships are expected to depart from Spain, France, Ireland, Greece, Sweden and Norway.
The organizers are disappointed in the limited turnout. Less than 300 are expected to board the flotilla ships, 36 members of the press.
Confrontation looms on the horizon. The Israeli military, which argues the strict blockade imposed in 2007 is necessary for security reasons, specifically to stop the Hamas government in Gaza from acquiring weapons, has been holding drills for special commandos and snipers to prepare to intercept what some commanders have called the “hate flotilla,” the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.
Canadian department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has since added this warning: “The border around the Gaza Strip is under the control of Israeli and Egyptian authorities. Canadians who break the laws of another country are subject to the judicial system of that country. DFAIT can neither offer protection from the consequences of such actions nor override the decisions of local authorities.”
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made similar statements Thursday calling it “unnecessary” and “unhelpful” to be “entering into Israeli waters and creating a situation in which the Israelis have the right to defend themselves.”
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and a number of governments have warned the flotilla not to start. The US government has warned its nationals against taking part in the protest.
Israel has strongly urged Turkey to block the flotilla from leaving. The United Nations has said that aid shipments should be sent through formal UN structures.
We will see...
//rb
Erdogan strongest leader in Middle East
Haarethz New had an article by Anshel Pfeffer that says Recep Tayyip Erdogan, of Turkey is the strongest leader in the Middle East.
The thousands of refugees who fled Syria in the past week are providing Erdogan with an opportunity to determine the fate of Syria.
The political earthquake in Arab countries has yielded additional unexpected benefits for the Turkish prime minister. In the short term, the thousands of refugees who fled Syria in the past week created a logistic and humanitarian headache for Ankara, and may even be increasing fears of renewed tension with the Kurds. However, they are providing Erdogan with an opportunity to determine the fate of Syria.
The regime in Damascus, in the first three months of the revolution being fought against it, contained events within the country's borders. It cut off Western media and expelled their correspondents, greatly undermining the ability of the few opposition groups - inside Syria and in exile - to close ranks against the government and to begin to offer an alternative to the Assad dynasty.
The coming months will see the government in Damascus grow weaker, with more soldiers refusing to fire on civilians and ethnic groups increasingly joining the revolution. The refugee camps on Turkish soil will serve as a breeding ground for the new Syrian opposition; only factions friendly to Ankara will be permitted to grow. If that happens as expected, the new Syria will be a vassal state of Turkey.
Syrian opposition groups are planning to ignite a new wave of protests in Arab capitals to push President Bashir al-Assad from power by harnessing international anger at the state's brutal attack on demonstrators, according to the Telegraph in the UK.
The protests are planned for the first week of July in the hope of persuading Arab governments to turn against the regime, Wissam Tarif, a prominent activist said.
Meanwhile, refugees who have set up camps inside Syria near Turkey are forming "people's committees" and arming against further government retaliation.
More than three months of protests have shocked the Syrian regime, which until March thought it had escaped the "Arab spring"
While the uprising has not overthrown the country's leader, or divided Syria like Libya, it has paralyzed the nation.
Activists blame Russia and China for opposing resolutions to put pressure on the regime at the United Nations, and the Arab League, which has failed to condemn the regime's actions as it did with Libya.
Arab League. Amr Moussa, secretary-general, said members were "worried and angry" at events in Syria, and that the situation was unsustainable.
Israel today Magazine has a good article on 44th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem.
As Israel marked the 44th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem on Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that Israel would never allow the city to be again divided.
"Forty-four years ago, IDF soldiers realized the prophets' vision and returned Jerusalem to its proper place," Netanyahu said, referring to the liberation of the eastern half of Jerusalem during the 1967 Six Day War.
Speaking at Jerusalem's Merkaz Harav Yeshiva, which has long been at the forefront of religious Zionism, Netanyahu continued:
"Jerusalem will never be divided. There's nothing more holy to us than Jerusalem, we'll protect Jerusalem, it's unity, and we'll build and develop it."
US President Barack Obama and other Western leaders have been pushing hard to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks based on Arab demands that Israel return to its pre-1967 borders.
For its part, the Palestinian leadership insists it will never sign a peace deal with Israel that does not include the full surrender of the eastern half of Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount.
Read more:
http://www.israeltoday.co.il/tabid/178/nid/22811/language/en-US/Default.aspx
The United Nations warned on Wednesday of a possible crisis of confidence in, and even a “collapse” of, the U.S. dollar if its value against other currencies continued to decline.
In a mid-year review of the world economy, the UN economic division said such a development, stemming from the falling value of foreign dollar holdings, would imperil the global financial system.
Meanwhile, China's yuan has hit a record high against the US dollar after the US Treasury department said the Chinese currency was undervalued but not manipulated. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) fixed the yuan's mid-point at 6.4856 against the US dollar on Monday.
But, there are reports that China is going organic... but only running their organic farms to feed staff. The "melamine milk" and "glow-in-the-dark" pork and "exploding watermelons" are only for foreign consumption, I reckon.
Australian National University professor Peter Drysdale has prophesied that the TPP will "drive a wedge down the middle of the Pacific between the United States, its partners and China." Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan found himself facing the sharp end of that wedge at the beginning of last week at his summit meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak. Japan is in bad shape, and the specter of five dollar gas and out of control food prices, could be too much for Mr Obama his crew to handle.
But there is good news. ScienceDaily (May 27, 2011:
Recalling painful memories while under the influence of the drug metyrapone reduces the brain's ability to re-record the negative emotions associated with them, according to University of Montreal researchers at the Centre for Studies on Human Stress of Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital. The team's study challenges the theory that memories cannot be modified once they are stored in the brain.
"Metyrapone is a drug that significantly decreases the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that is involved in memory recall," explained lead author Marie-France Marin. Manipulating cortisol close to the time of forming new memories can decrease the negative emotions that may be associated with them. "The results show that when we decrease stress hormone levels at the time of recall of a negative event, we can impair the memory for this negative event with a long-lasting effect," said Dr. Sonia Lupien, who directed the research
If this ever come to market, it will an instance best seller. Does the book 1984 or the movie Soylent Green ring a bell?
G-8 Leaders To Marshal Support For Arab Nations
Arab uprisings are pushing aside deficits and austerity as the biggest worry of the leaders of the Group of Eight industrialized nations this year. The discussions starting Thursday in the chic Normandy resort of Deauville will see the host, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, bring together the heads of wealthy nations for what one of Sarkozy's top advisers describes as "the founding moment" of a partnership between the G-8 and the Arab countries.
President Barack Obama and the other leaders will seek to marshal their combined economic might behind the grass-roots democracy movements that have swept the Arab world — and driven away tourists and investors.
Egypt and Tunisia, where popular revolts this year overthrew authoritarian regimes, want to show G-8 leaders and international financiers that they are still sound investment destinations — which might be a tall order as the future shape and policies of their governments remains unclear.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=136643689
“Egypt and Tunisia, where popular revolts this year overthrew authoritarian regimes, want to show G-8 leaders and international financiers that they are still sound investment destinations — which might be a tall order as the future shape and policies of their governments remains unclear.”
Unclear indeed! I am leery of these “founding moments” and “new chapters”, and President O’bama’s “change”. Not all of them are beneficial to common folk. And most common folk still don't know who the rebels in Egypt and Tunisia are, much less what their policies will be.
But Egypt is wasting no time in making new friends:
Quote:
Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil el-Araby said he has discussed the possibility of an exchange of ambassadors with his Iranian counterpart, the Egyptians state-run news website Egynews reported on Wednesday.
"We told the Iranian minister that Egypt is opening new chapters with everyone and that it doesn't want any aggressions with anyone in the world," el-Araby said, according to the site.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/internat...years-1.364015
Tunisia is yet an unknown, but the Muslim Brotherhood is there, and they are wily, smart, and in tune with the politics of the region.
The revolution, as Tunisians call it, also has created a power vacuum, and Tunisia faces enormous challenges in rebuilding its political system. The country’s caretaker government has been confronted with nearly daily protests by a variety of groups, the police force has been badly weakened by mass desertions and the firing of top officials, and provincial government offices remain dysfunctional. The judicial system is hobbled by its links to the ousted regime.
The interim government has scheduled elections for July 24, when voters will pick members of an assembly that will rewrite the constitution.
Polling suggests that Ennahda — an Islamic party whose name means the renaissance in Arabic — enjoys broader support than any of the country’s other 60-odd authorized political parties, most of whom did not exist until after the revolution.
Accused as subversives or terrorists, members of Ennahda bore the repressive brunt of Mr. Ben-Ali's reign — two decades of torture, prison or exile — suffering that has established their credibility, particularly among the more conservative residents of the country's rural areas.
Despite repeated assurances of their tolerance and moderation, the party's rise has touched off frenzied rumors of attacks on unveiled women and artists, of bars and brothels sacked by party goons, of plots to turn the country into a caliphate. Ennahda’s popularity and organizational strength are of growing concern to many activists and politicians among the coastal elite, who worry that the secular revolution of January might see the birth of a conservative Islamic government in July.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/tunisia/index.html
The Group of Eight industrialized nations (G-8) are wealthy, but the only they share wealth and a lust for power. You can buy loyalty for a price, and a time. But the money runs out, sooner or later, and then the time’s up. But you can't buy friendship, ever. The members of G-8, and expressly President O’bama need to remember that.
According to sott.net (Sigh of the times) there is a whole lot of moving and shaking going on...
http://www.sott.net/
According to the National Weather Service, 226 tornadoes were recorded from Wednesday morning to Thursday morning, and that's a record for a 24-hour period.
From Wednesday to Friday, 312 tornadoes may have formed.
The previous record for a single weather event was April 3-4, 1974, when 148 twisters were recorded.
Two tall and skinny waterspouts appeared off the south shore of Oahu, Hawaii yesterday, as some of the bad weather that has lately assailed the U.S. mainland has now alighted on the Pacific island.
The Star Advertiser reports that the waterspouts appeared during a hail and lightning storm that had reportedly knocked out power for at least 60,000 East Honolulu and Windward Oahu residents Monday evening. The spouts lasted for about 12 minutes. Waterspouts can become twisters if they reach land, but are usually weak.
Searsport, Maine - As many as 30 tiny earthquakes have been detected over the last few days in the area between Belfast and Bucksport, but geologists say there's no cause for alarm.
"Microquakes is what we call them," Henry Berry, a bedrock geologist with Maine Geological Survey, said in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon. "Unless you were right there, you wouldn't notice them."
But plenty of people have been noticing, Searsport Police Chief Dick LaHaye said Tuesday afternoon, just minutes after he dispatched an officer to Savory Road, where a resident had called to inform authorities about another earthquake.
According to RIA Novosti:
Muslim Brotherhood calls for Syrian protest 'declaration of war' - expert
A banned Syrian opposition group's call on anti-government protestors to take to the streets ahead of Friday prayers is a direct challenge to the country's authorities, a political experts says.
It is believed to be the first time that the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood has called for street action since a popular uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began six weeks ago.
Read about it here:
http://en.rian.ru/world/20110429/163772846.html
And here:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.ce7c362a719710baba258bff00b37376.6b1&show_article=1
And The Jerusalem Post reported that:
'Egypt to permanently open Rafah border crossing'
The Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza will open on a permanent basis within seven to ten days, Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Elaraby told Al-Jazeera during an interview Thursday. He said during the interview that steps would be taken in order to alleviate the "suffering of the Palestinain people."
The opening of the crossing would allow greater freedom of movement for people on both sides of the border, as well as goods in and out of Gaza without Israeli permission.
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=218343
The Muslim Brotherhood has been the dominate factor in Egypt since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak.
US to reconsider PA funding following unity deal
The Palestinian government remains in place despite a reconciliation deal between the two main Palestinian factions and US aid continues to flow to it, US State Department spokeswoman Heide Bronke-Fulton said on Thursday, saying it would review aid if a new one is formed. However, a bipartisan group of US lawmakers said on Thursday after a meeting in Tel Aviv with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that "the Palestinian Authority has chosen an alliance with violence and extremism over the democratic values that Israel represents."
PA negotiator Nabil Sha'ath revealed that the PA was working towards getting both the US and the EU to remove Hamas from their list of terror organizations.
This is the height of duplicity, and a sure sign of PA intentions. The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Egypt in the 1920s and is the source of pretty much every extremist Muslim group, including Hamas. No doubt that PA leaders also believe that a unified front that includes all Palestinian Arab areas (i.e., Judea and Samaria and Gaza) would stand a better chance of being recognized internationally as a state. This is the height of duplicity, and a sure sign of PA intentions.
Hamas: We won't negotiate peace with Israel
Mahmoud al-Zahar says peace with Israel not on new Palestinian government's agenda. Meanwhile, Fatah and Hamas officials outline terms of reconciliation agreement, stress deal is first step on the way to establish independent state, in joint press conference in Cairo
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4061540,00.html
Israel FM says Palestinian deal crosses 'red line'
"With this accord, a red line has been crossed," the ultra-nationalist foreign minister told Israel's military radio a day after the Palestinian parties announced a surprise reconciliation agreement.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.a491cf8a990eb5cf692319a5847fb708.581&show_article=1
It looks like the Muslim Brotherhood is expanding it influence rapidly.
The first Arbor Day took place on April 10, 1872 in Nebraska. It was the brainchild of Julius Sterling Morton (1832-1902), a Nebraska journalist and politician originally from Michigan. Throughout his long and productive career, Morton worked to improve agricultural techniques in his adopted state and throughout the United States when he served as President Grover Cleveland's Secretary of Agriculture. But his most important legacy is Arbor Day. ...
In the years following that first Arbor Day, Morton's idea spread beyond Nebraska with Kansas, Tennessee, Minnesota and Ohio all proclaiming their own Arbor Days. Today all 50 states celebrate Arbor Day although the dates may vary in keeping with the local climate. (State Arbor Days) At the federal level, in 1970, President Richard Nixon proclaimed the last Friday in April as National Arbor Day. Arbor Day is also now celebrated in other countries including Australia. Variations are celebrated as 'Greening Week' of Japan, 'The New Year's Days of Trees' in Israel, 'The Tree-loving Week' of Korea, 'The Reforestation Week' of Yugoslavia, 'The Students' Afforestation Day' of Iceland and 'The National Festival of Tree Planting' in India. Julius Sterling Morton would be proud. Sometimes one good idea can make a real difference.
http://www.arbor-day.net/
I have been reading the superbug, New Delhi or NDM-1, in the BBC news and news.com Since it was first identified in 2008, it has popped up in several countries, including the United States, Australia, Britain, Canada and Sweden.
There will come a time when pestilences strike world wide and there will no way to avoid it. Jesus mentioned, specifically, in Mat 24:3 -- Mat 24:8
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
All these [are] the beginning of sorrows.
I mention it because it has been on my mind today. I am not worried about it, I just think it may be a sign of the times.
...see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Europe 'losing' superbugs battle
Antibiotic-resistant infections have reached unprecedented levels and now outstrip our ability to fight them with existing drugs, European health experts are warning.
The World Health Organization says the situation has reached a critical point.
One example is the New Delhi or NDM-1 superbug recently found in UK patients.
They brought the infection back with them from countries like India and Pakistan, which they had visited for medical treatment and cosmetic surgery.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12975693
Deadly superbug in New Delhi water
A DEADLY superbug has been found in about a quarter of water samples taken from drinking supplies and puddles on the streets of New Delhi, according to a new study.
Experts say it's the latest proof that the new drug-resistant bacteria, known as NDM-1, named for New Delhi, is widely circulating in the environment - and could potentially spread to the rest of the world.
The superbug can only be treated with a couple of highly toxic and expensive antibiotics.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/deadly-superbug-in-new-delhi-water/story-e6frfku0-1226035247493#ixzz1Irk5d1lA
Our current leaders are perfect for a post-rapture America
It dawned on me this morning that our current national leaders are perfect for a post-Rapture America. Most are globalists and weak-minded with animus vis a vis national defense and our wonderful American heritage while at the same time eager to bow to the UN and pressures from nations unfriendly to America and Israel. Who better to be in power after the Rapture. They won't blink an eye while surrendering whatever American sovereignty remains to the UN or equivalent. They will fold without a so much as a whimper. America is perfectly positioned to be a non-factor in these rapidly changing last days.
-- vbf
Heavy fighting has forced a shutdown of one of Libya's biggest refineries in the flashpoint town of Zawiyah 50 km (30 miles) west of Tripoli, a refinery official said on Wednesday. ...The Libyan people will take up arms against Western powers if they seek to enforce a no-fly zone in their country's airspace, Muammar Gaddafi said in an interview with Turkish state-run television.
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=211388
IDF is preparing for mass civil uprising in West Bank
The Central Command and the Judea and Samaria Division of the Israel Defense Forces have been closely monitoring the recent events in Arab states and updating their operational plans for dealing with a potential popular, nonviolent uprising. Nearly a year ago the Judea and Samaria Division drew up a comprehensive program to combat large demonstrations in the West Bank, which is currently being adjusted in light of the popular revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/idf-is-preparing-for-mass-civil-uprising-in-west-bank-1.348008
PA Rejects Compromise on Jordan Valley Sovereignty
Quickly responding to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s statements Tuesday that an Israeli military presence in the strategic area is Israel’s “insurance policy” against terrorism, PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad stated, "There is no independent Palestinian state without the Jordan Valley.”
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/142773
Finance Ministry Holds First-Ever War Drill
Israel continues to prepare for war as regional upheavals create uncertainty on its borders and Iranian saber-rattling draws closer. The Finance Ministry held a war drill Tuesday, rehearsing a scenario in which full scale war breaks out. The exercise tested the Ministry's economic readiness for emergency and its functioning in case of damage to vital market systems. The Ministry practiced management of the Israeli market and services to citizens under war conditions.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/142759
Prepare for holy wars
This is not just a political dispute over territory or refugee rights. What we have here is a deep religious war between Judaism and Islam, with political arguments only constituting the outer layer of this religious war. Islam’s hate for Judaism is in some ways different than its hate for Christianity yet similar in other ways. In Islam’s view, both Jews and Christians are infidels and deserve the same fate.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4039081,00.html
Thirteen Egyptians were killed in violence between Christians and Muslims as sectarian tensions resurfaced in Cairo and a new government met for the first time on Wednesday, discussing how to restore law and order.
The Health Ministry said the 13 people were killed and 140 wounded in violence on Tuesday night ignited by tensions built up since an arson attack on a church south of Cairo on Saturday.
The strife poses another challenge to the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces as it charts Egypt's course towards elections that will return power to a civilian, elected government within six months.
The revolution that swept President Hosni Mubarak from power on Feb. 11 was characterised by Christian-Muslim solidarity. Egyptians hoped the uprising had buried tensions that have flared up with increasing regularity in recent years.
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=211399
According to the Assyrian International News Agency a mob of nearly four thousand Muslims has attacked Coptic homes this evening in the village of Soul, Atfif in Helwan Governorate, 30 kilometers from Cairo, and torched the Church of St. Mina and St. George. There are conflicting reports about the whereabouts of the Church pastor Father Yosha and three deacons who were at church; some say they died in the fire and some say they are being held captive by the Muslims inside the church.
This incident was triggered by a relationship between 40-year-old Copt Ashraf Iskander and a Muslim woman. Yesterday a "reconciliation" meeting was arranged between the relevant Coptic and Muslim families and together with the Muslim elders it was decided that Ashraf Iskander would have to leave the village because Muslims torched his house.
The father of the Muslim woman was killed by his cousin because he did not kill his daughter to preserve the family's honor, which led the woman's brother to avenge the death of his father by killing the cousin. The village Muslims blamed the Christians.
The army, which has been stationed for the last two days in the village of Bromil, 7 kilometers from Soul, initially refused to go into Soul, according to the officer in charge. When the army finally sent three tanks to the village, Muslim elders sent them away, saying that everything was "in order now."
A curfew has been imposed on the 12,000 Christians in the village.
Witnesses said the mob chanted "Allahu Akbar" and vowed to conduct their morning prayers on the church plot after razing it.
http://www.aina.org/news/20110304222016.htm
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. 8 But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him."
But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.Two groups: Those who watch and those who ignore.
But as the days of Noe [were], so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two [women shall be] grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye now not what hour your Lord doth come.
But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh....
Blessed [is] that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
'Reviving Sanhedrin may help bridge gaps with Diaspora'
One creative proposal tabled at the Herzliya Conference on Monday suggests resurrecting an ancient Jewish body that hasn’t met, at least in a universally recognized form, in more than 1,600 years.
The supreme Jewish political, religious and judicial body in Judea during the Roman period. The name Sanhedrin is a Greek word, used only in the Roman period (from the 1st century B.C.), but the existence of such a council goes back to Persian times, when it was called "Gerusia" (council of elders).
A diaspora (in Greek, διασπορά - "a scattering [of seeds]") is any movement of a population sharing common national and/or ethnic identity. While refugees may or may not ultimately settle in a new geographic location, the term diaspora refers to a permanently displaced and relocated collective.
Army Chief Ashkenazi: Prepare for all-out war
Given recent changes in the Middle East, Israel must prepare for a battle in several theaters, outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said Monday at the Herzliya Conference. "The connection between the different players requires us to contend with more than one theater," he said. The radical camp in the Middle East is gaining strength, Ashkenazi warned, adding that "the moderate camp among the traditional Arab leadership is weakening."
Muslim Brotherhood text reveals scope of radical creed
...“The Islamic ummah,” it says, referring to the supranational community of Muslims, “can regain its power and be liberated and assume its rightful position which was intended by Allah, as the most exalted nation among men, as the leaders of humanity.” Elsewhere, it exhorts Muslims, “Know your status, and believe firmly that you are the masters of the world, even if your enemies desire your degradation.”
If the Muslim Brotherhood — an Islamist political movement that is banned in autocratic Egypt — takes a central role in a future popularly elected government, the U.S. challenge will be even tougher.
'Reviving Sanhedrin may help bridge gaps with Diaspora'
http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishNews/Article.aspx?id=207425
Army Chief Ashkenazi: Prepare for all-out war
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4025266,00.html
Muslim Brotherhood text reveals scope of radical creed
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=207415
Egypt: Hizbullah and Iran want to 'ignite the region'
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=207456
