“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” (Revelation 3:10)
The Hour Of Temptation
Dear Friends,
Greetings! There is an interesting verse in 2 Thessalonians, chapter two, verse seven, that reads, “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” KJV
The English language has changed over the years since the Bible was translated into the original King James version of the Bible.
For instance the word “letteth” generally no longer has the same connotation that it once had several hundred years ago. One place where it comes close to retaining its original meaning is in the sport of tennis.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the original meaning of “let” as “Middle English letten, from Old English lettan to delay, hinder”.
As you can see the original meaning of 'let', to delay or hinder, is the opposite of what we now consider its meaning, to allow.
The English Standard Version of the Bible interprets this 2 Thessalonians 2:7 closer to its original meaning.
“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way.”
The “mystery of lawlessness” is fully explained in verses one through twelve of this chapter and there can be no mistaking what this “mystery of lawlessness” is, the coming antichrist world dictator who will proclaim that he is God and demand the world's worship and the implementation of the mark of the beast and the ensuing period of Great Tribulation.
Why hasn't the antichrist yet arisen? For want of a better term, God has placed a restraining order on him, but that restraining is due to expire, and it could be soon.
Which makes us look back over the past few months, even weeks. Wouldn't it seem to appear that the crisis enveloping the world has ratcheted up to an unprecedented level not seen before?
Not to worry, God has promised us power for the hour. “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” Revelation 3:10
In every crisis and man made disaster happening in the world today look to see who benefits the most and you will know who is behind it! As the saying goes, “Follow the money”! “For the love of money is the root of all evil.” 1 Timothy 6:10
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WND
SHOCKER! ECONOMIC CRASHES LINKED TO BIBLE PATTERN
'Harbinger' author's new book unlocks 'The Mystery of the Shemitah'
Published: August 17, 2014
WASHINGTON – Wait until Wall Street figures this one out.
The eight greatest postwar economic crashes are all mysteriously connected to a biblical Sabbath year pattern known in Hebrew as “the Shemitah,” reveals a book about to be released by the author of “The Harbinger,” the bestselling Christian book of the last three years.
The much-anticipated sequel by Jonathan Cahn is called “The Mystery of the Shemitah” – and it is certain to rock the world of financial speculators, stock market traders and economists.
Among the stunning findings of the author who found jaw-dropping links between the 9/11 terrorist attack and an otherwise obscure biblical passage, Isaiah 9:10, is that 100 percent of the worst U.S. economic calamities since World War II are all lined to the “Shemitah,” the biblical Sabbath year, its wake or the biblical month of Tishri in which the “Shemitah” falls.
“I have to tell you, economically speaking, this new book by Jonathan Cahn is one of the scariest things I have ever read,” said Joseph Farah, producer of “The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment,” the bestselling documentary film made with the author about the subject matter of “The Harbinger.” “If ‘The Harbinger’ got your attention, ‘The Mystery of the Shemitah’ will have you on your face praying.”
While “The Harbinger” and “The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment” showed that the economic crashes of 2001 and 2008 occurred on the last day of the “Shemitah,” Elul 29 on the biblical calendar, the new book examines other economic crashes of the last 60 years and finds similar striking links to the pattern.
The book, releasing Sept. 2, comes out on the eve of the next “Shemitah” cycle, which ends Sept. 13, 2015 – a day that will also feature a solar eclipse. The good news for Wall Street is that the date falls on a Sunday, so the stock market will be closed.
In 1931, a solar eclipse took place on Sept. 12 – the end of a “Shemitah” year. Eight days later, England abandoned the gold standard, setting off market crashes and bank failures around the world. It also ushered in the greatest monthlong stock market percentage crash in Wall Street history.
In 1987, a solar eclipse took place Sept. 23 – again the end of a “Shemitah” year. Less than 30 days later came “Black Monday” the greatest percentage crash in Wall Street history.
Is Cahn predicting doom and gloom on Sept. 13, 2015? He’s careful to avoid a prediction, saying, “In the past, this ushered in the worst collapses in Wall Street history. What will it bring this time? Again, as before, the phenomenon does not have to manifest at the next convergence. But, at the same time, and again, it is wise to take note.”
To top it off, “Shemitah” years are also grouped in sevens – with the 50th year being a year of jubilee – or trumpet blast.
“The jubilee was something of a super Shemitah,” writes Cahn. “It was the Shemitah taken to a new level. In the year of the Shemitah the land rested – so too in the Year of Jubilee. In the year of the Shemitah came release. But in the Year of Jubilee the release took on new meaning. It was not simply the letting go of land or debt. In the jubilee, slaves and prisoners were set free. It was thus the year of liberty.”
While no one is certain when the year of jubilee is, Cahn presents evidence that the next one may coincide with the end of the next Shemitah year – again Sept. 13 on the Gregorian calendar. Cahn also looks at the five greatest financial turning points of the past 40 years and finds they are connected to the Shemitah cycle.
As he puts it, “From the 40-year period beginning in 1973, every single one of the five greatest financial and economic peaks and collapses have converged, clustered and taken place according to the set time of the Shemitah.”
“Something very much more than natural is indeed going on,” concludes the understated Cahn. “And the signs of the phenomenon all point to the same ancient biblical mystery. If the collapse of the world’s stock markets were an act of crime, the Shemitah would have long ago been indicted for the evidence left at the crime scene. In its numbers, its connections, its convergences, its percentages, its magnitude and its consistency, the amount of fingerprints covering the financial cataclysms of modern times is overwhelming.”
Likewise, “The Mystery of the Shemitah” is somewhat overwhelming, too. The economic coincidences are only part of the story. The book also explores the rise and fall of kingdoms and their connections with the Shemitah cycles – its connections with World War I, World War II and the Cold War.
But Cahn is careful not to predict what will happen in the coming Shemitah year.
“The phenomenon may manifest in one cycle and not in another and then again in the next,” he writes. “And the focus of the message is not date-setting but the call of God to repentance and return. At the same time, something of significance could take place, and it is wise to note the times.”
Cahn also notes the fact that 2014 and 2015 are marked by a series of blood moons – a pattern that began on Passover 2014 and will conclude on the Feast of Tabernacles in 2015, as discovered by Pastor Mark Biltz, author of “Blood Moons” and the inspiration for a documentary of the same name.
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YAHOO! NEWS
God will give me two or three more years, says Pope
August 17, 2014
Aboard the papal plane (AFP) - Pope Francis on Monday publicly broached the prospect of his own death for the first time, giving himself "two or three years" but not ruling out retirement before then.
Talking to reporters on a flight back to the Vatican from South Korea, the 77-year-old pontiff, who seemed in good spirits, was asked about his global popularity, which was evident again during his five-day visit.
"I see it as the generosity of the people of God. I try to think of my sins, my mistakes, not to become proud. Because I know it will last only a short time. Two or three years and then I'll be off to the Father's House," he replied light-heartedly.
The Argentine pope said he could handle the popularity "more naturally" these days, though at first it had "scared me a little".
While the pope has not spoken publicly before about when he might meet his maker, a Vatican source said he had previously told those close to him that he thought he only had a few years left.
Pope Francis also mentioned the possibility of retiring from the Papacy, as his predecessor Benedict XVI did last year, if he felt he could no longer adequately perform his duties.
Pope Francis (C) gives a press conference aboard a flight carrying them back to Rome
Resigning the papacy was a possibility "even if it does not appeal to some theologians", he told reporters.
He added that 60 years ago it was practically unheard of for Catholic bishops to retire, but nowadays it was common.
"Benedict XVI opened a door," he said.
Francis admitted that he had "some nerve problems", which required treatment.
"Must treat them well, these nerves, give them mate (an Argentine stimulant tea) every day," he joked.
"One of these neuroses, is that I'm too much of a homebody," he added, recalling that the last time he'd taken a holiday outside of his native Argentina was "with the Jesuit community in 1975".
Newsmax
Prophecy on Pope Fulfilled by Eclipses? -
April 7, 2005 (First published on People of the Keys December 2009.)
A 10th Century Irish bishop - St. Malachy - predicted every pope that would preside over the Catholic Church. Almost ten centuries ago, Malachy predicted this pope, (John Paul ll,) would be noted by an eclipse of the sun. John Paul II was the only known pope to be born on the day of a solar eclipse.
But the prophetic link doesn't end there. Pope John Paul II will be buried this Friday during another solar eclipse.
Astronomers say that on Friday, the day of the Pope's funeral, a partial solar eclipse will blot out most of the sun and darken a wide area of the world, from the South Pacific to the Western Hemisphere.
Solar eclipses are not unusual. But what makes this coming Friday's eclipse notable is the fact that there was a near total eclipse of the sun seen across Europe on May 18, 1920, the very day that John Paul II was born in Poland.
Adding fuel to the arcane speculation about these events is the prophecy of St. Malachy.
Malachy was discovered to have left behind a prophetic list of all future popes beginning with Pope Celestine II, whose papacy began in 1143 A.D., up to and including the 112th. The list includes John Paul and just two more popes who will follow him.
In his list of popes, he uses a single line in Latin identifying a characteristic of each pope.
The description applied to the 110th pope on his list - John Paul II - is "De Labore Solis" (Of the Solar Eclipse), which seems to add great weight to the validity of St. Malachy's chilling prophecy: that the next two popes chosen to succeed John Paul II will be the last popes. (Pope Benedict XVI is the current pope.)
After the reign of the last pope, "Peter the Roman," St. Malachy wrote, Rome will be destroyed.
As NewsMax.com reported April 3, Saint's Prophecy: Only Two Popes Remain, the 112th prophecy says, "In the final persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will reign Petrus Romanus (Peter the Roman), who will feed his flock amid many tribulations; after which the seven-hilled city [Rome] will be destroyed and the dreadful Judge will judge the people," an indication that the world will end.
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WND
IS IT POSSIBLE TEMPLE WASN'T ON 'TEMPLE MOUNT'?
Biblical historian calls discovery a 'stepping stone of prophecy' heralding Christ's return
Published: August 17, 2014
MICHAEL CARL
Biblical archaeologists, historians and prophecy teachers have speculated for years on the location of Solomon’s Temple.
Now, biblical historian, author and filmmaker Ken Klein believes he’s found evidence to pinpoint the Temple’s location. Klein also believes the precise location for the Temple is historically and biblically significant for the return of Christ.
“In order for there to be a return of Christ, there has to be an Antichrist,” Klein told WND. “The Antichrist is mentioned in the book of Second Thessalonians as the one who will go into the Temple of God and proclaim himself to be God.
“That will be a defiling of that Temple, so yes, it’s significant to Christians because it fits into the stepping stones of prophecy that need to be fulfilled before Christ returns,” he continued.
“Now, many Christians say the Rapture is going to happen and we will be out of here before that. That’s an academic discussion,” Klein said. “One thing we know for sure: Before Christ returns to set up His kingdom, there has to be a rebuilt Temple. So, is it going to be built on the Temple Mount where the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque are, where most people believe it will be built?
“The Jews could tear down the mosque and build their Temple there, but that will be wrong,” Klein said.
Klein believes that through his research, he has found the location of the (Solomon’s) First Temple and (Ezra’s, later also called Herod’s) Second Temple and, therefore, the location for the Third Temple yet to be rebuilt.
“I suspect it will be built on the southeast ridge of the Temple Mount,” Klein told WND. “The First Temple was built on the southeast ridge, and the Second Temple was built on the southeast ridge (in a location about 600 feet from the present wall) and we prove it pretty dramatically in my film.”
Klein says he believes he received further confirmation for the accuracy of his discovery in a recent trip to Jerusalem.
“When we went to Jerusalem a month ago, my colleague David, who’s in my film, we followed Solomon’s prayer and went down and prayed where we thought the Temple was, on the southeastern ridge, about 600 feet down from the southern wall. We prayed. Right away we noticed God working circumstantially in our itinerary,” Klein said.
“When you think about the hundreds of books and all of these people who are on radio and TV and say that Jesus is going to walk through the Eastern Gate, that’s not the Eastern Gate and that’s not even the Temple,” Klein asserted. “The places they go on their tours of the Holy Land – it’s silliness. It has nothing to do with reality or the history of Jerusalem.”
Klein also told WND he believes rebuilding the Temple on the correct location will signal the nearness of the return of Jesus to the earth.
Click the link for "If I Forget Thee for our April 2013 document which addresses this topic.
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THE INDEPENDENT
Gaza rift: ‘The sense is that Americans are disgusted with Netanyahu’
Israel denies relations with the US have deteriorated. Yet arms shipments to the Jewish state are being blocked as concerns grow over the large number of Palestinian casualties
BEN LYNFIELD
JERUSALEM
Saturday 16 August 2014
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has denied reports of a crisis in US-Israeli relations over the Gaza war, after the state department confirmed a new policy of placing weapons shipments to the Jewish state under closer scrutiny due to concern over the large number of Palestinian civilian fatalities.
Israeli officials, speaking to the liberal Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, confirmed that delivery of a consignment of Hellfire missiles, which are fitted to helicopters, has been blocked by the US since late last month as part of the American decision to impose limits on the transfer of weaponry that could be used in Gaza. The suspension, the first of its kind in more than three decades, was first reported in an article in The Wall Street Journal on Thursday.
The article added that the Obama administration was convinced Israel had not done enough to minimise civilian casualties and that its concerns included the use of artillery rather than more precise weaponry in the densely populated coastal enclave.
Israel says Hamas uses the civilian population as human shields and thus bears sole responsibility for the casualties. It sees US criticism over the Gaza toll as falling short of the unqualified support it believes it deserves in combatting a terrorist enemy.Mr Netanyahu’s spokesman, Mark Regev, said he had no knowledge of the Hellfire missiles being suspended. “We made a request and expect it to be fulfilled. There is no crisis, on the contrary the prime minister used the word terrific a few days ago to describe the support we have received from the US. Obviously our positions aren’t always identical but we are bound by common strategic interests and common values. We have a unique partnership.”
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IJAN
Over 300 Survivors and Descendants of Survivors of Victims of the Nazi Genocide Condemn Israel’s Assault on Gaza
313 Jewish survivors and descendants of survivors and victims of the Nazi genocide have signed this letter written in response to Elie Wiesel’s manipulation of the Nazi Genocide to attempt to justify the attacks on Gaza.
Jewish survivors and descendants of survivors and victims of Nazi genocide unequivocally condemn the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza
As Jewish survivors and descendants of survivors and victims of the Nazi genocide we unequivocally condemn the massacre of Palestinians in Gaza and the ongoing occupation and colonization of historic Palestine. We further condemn the United States for providing Israel with the funding to carry out the attack, and Western states more generally for using their diplomatic muscle to protect Israel from condemnation. Genocide begins with the silence of the world.
We are alarmed by the extreme, racist dehumanization of Palestinians in Israeli society, which has reached a fever-pitch. In Israel, politicians and pundits in The Times of Israel and The Jerusalem Post have called openly for genocide of Palestinians and right-wing Israelis are adopting Neo-Nazi insignia.
Furthermore, we are disgusted and outraged by Elie Wiesel’s abuse of our history in these pages to promote blatant falsehoods used to justify the unjustifiable: Israel’s wholesale effort to destroy Gaza and the murder of nearly 2,000 Palestinians, including many hundreds of children. Nothing can justify bombing UN shelters, homes, hospitals and universities. Nothing can justify depriving people of electricity and water.
We must raise our collective voices and use our collective power to bring about an end to all forms of racism, including the ongoing genocide of Palestinian people. We call for an immediate end to the siege against and blockade of Gaza. We call for the full economic, cultural and academic boycott of Israel. “Never again” must mean NEVER AGAIN FOR ANYONE!
Signed,
Survivors:
Hajo Meyer, survivor of Auschwitz, The Netherlands.
Henri Wajnblum, survivor and son of a victim of Auschwitz from Lodz, Poland. Lives in Belgium.
Renate Bridenthal, child refugee from Hitler, granddaughter of Auschwitz victim, United States.
Marianka Ehrlich Ross, survivor of Nazi ethnic cleansing in Vienna, Austria. Now lives in United States.
Irena Klepfisz, child survivor from the Warsaw Ghetto, Poland. Now lives in United States.
Hedy Epstein, her parents & other family members were deported to Camp de Gurs & subsequently all perished in Auschwitz. Now lives in United States.
Lillian Rosengarten, survivor of the Nazi Holocaust, United States.
Suzanne Weiss, survived in hiding in France, and daughter of a mother who was murdered in Auschwitz. Now lives in Canada.
H. Richard Leuchtag, survivor, United States.
Ervin Somogyi, survivor and son of survivors, United States.
Ilse Hadda, survivor on Kindertransport to England. Now lives in United States.
Jacques Glaser, survivor, France.
Norbert Hirschhorn, refugee of Nazi genocide and grandson of three grandparents who died in the Shoah, London.
Eva Naylor, surivor, New Zealand.
Suzanne Ross, child refugee from Nazi occupation in Belgium, two thirds of family perished in the Lodz Ghetto, in Auschwitz, and other Camps, United States.
Bernard Swierszcz, Polish survivor, lost relatives in Majdanek concentration camp. Now lives in the United States.
Joseph Klinkov, hidden child in Poland, still lives in Poland.
Nicole Milner, survivor from Belgium. Now lives in United States.
Hedi Saraf, child survivor and daughter of survivor of Dachau, United States.
Michael Rice, child survivor, son and grandson of survivor, aunt and cousin murderd, ALL 14 remaining Jewish children in my Dutch boarding school were murdered in concentration camps, United States.
Barbara Roose, survivor from Germany, half-sister killed in Auschwitz, United States.
Sonia Herzbrun, survivor of Nazi genocide, France.
Ivan Huber, survivor with my parents, but 3 of 4 grandparents murdered, United States.
Altman Janina, survivor of Janowski concentration camp, Lvov. Lives in Israel.
Leibu Strul Zalman, survivor from Vaslui Romania. Lives in Jerusalem, Palestine.
Miriam Almeleh, survivor, United States.
George Bartenieff, child survivor from Germany and son of survivors, United States.
Margarete Liebstaedter, survivor, hidden by Christian people in Holland. Lives in Belgium.
Edith Bell, survivor of Westerbork, Theresienstadt, Auschwitz and Kurzbach. Lives in United States.
Janine Euvrard, survivor, France.
Harry Halbreich, survivor, German.
Ruth Kupferschmidt, survivor, spent five years hiding, The Netherlands.
Annette Herskovits, PhD, hidden child and daughter of victims, United States.
Felicia & Moshe Langer, survivors from Germany, Moshe survived 5 concentration camps, family members were exterminated. Live in Germany.
Adam Policzer, hidden child from Hungary. Now lives in Canada.
Juliane Biro, survivor via the Kindertransport to England, daughter of survivors, niece of victims, United States.
Edith Rubinstein, child refugee, granddaughter of 3 victims, many other family members were victims, Belgium.
Jacques Bude, survivor, mother and father murdered in Auschwitz, Belgium.
Nicole Kahn, survivor, France.
Children of survivors:
Liliana Kaczerginski, daughter of Vilna ghetto resistance fighter and granddaughter of murdered in Ponary woods, Lithuania. Now lives in France.
Jean-Claude Meyer, son of Marcel, shot as a hostage by the Nazis, whose sister and parents died in Auschwitz. Now lives in France.
Chava Finkler, daughter of survivor of Starachovice labour camp, Poland. Now lives in Canada.
Micah Bazant, child of a survivor of the Nazi genocide, United States.
Sylvia Schwarz, daughter and granddaughter of survivors and granddaughter of victims of the Nazi genocide, United States.
Margot Goldstein, daughter and granddaughter of survivors of the Nazi genocide, United States.
Ellen Schwarz Wasfi, daughter of survivors from Vienna, Austria. Now lives in United States.
Lisa Kosowski, daughter of survivor and granddaughter of Auschwitz victims, United States.
Daniel Strum, son of a refugee from Vienna, who, with his parents were forced to flee in 1939, his maternal grand-parents were lost, United States.
Bruce Ballin, son of survivors, some relatives of parents died in camps, one relative beheaded for being in the Baum Resistance Group, United States.
Rachel Duell, daughter of survivors from Germany and Poland, United States.
Tom Mayer, son of survivor and grandson of victims, United States.
Alex Nissen, daughter of survivors who escaped but lost family in the Holocaust, United States.
Mark Aleshnick, son of survivor who lost most of her family in Nazi genocide, United States.
Prof. Haim Bresheeth, son of two survivors of Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen, London.
Todd Michael Edelman, son and grandson of survivors and great-grandson of victims of the Nazi genocide in Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, United States.
Tim Naylor, son of survivor, New Zealand.
Victor Nepomnyashchy, son and grandson of survivors and grandson and relative of many victims, United States.
Tanya Ury, daughter of parents who fled Nazi Germany, granddaughter, great granddaugher and niece of survivors and those who died in concentration camps, Germany.
Rachel Giora, daughter of Polish Jews who fled Poland, Israel.
Jane Hirschmann, daughter of survivors, United States.
Jenny Heinz, daughter of survivor, United States.
Jaap Hamburger, son of survivors and grandchild of 4 grandparents murdered in Auschwitz, The Netherlands.
Elsa Auerbach, daughter of Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, United States.
Julian Clegg, son and grandson of Austrian refugees, relative of Austrian and Hungarian concentration camp victims, Taiwan.
David Mizner, son of a survivor, relative of people who died in the Holocaust, United States.
Jeffrey J. Westcott, son and grandson of Holocaust survivors from Germany, United States.
Susan K. Jacoby, daughter of parents who were refugees from Nazi Germany, granddaughter of survivor of Buchenwald, United States.
Audrey Bomse, daughter of a survivor of Nazi ethnic cleansing in Vienna, lives in United States.
Daniel Gottschalk, son and grandson of refugees from the Holocaust, relative to various family members who died in the Holocaust, United States.
Barbara Grossman, daughter of survivors, granddaughter of Holocaust victims, United States.
Abraham Weizfeld PhD, son of survivorswho escaped Warsaw (Jewish Bundist) and Lublin ghettos, Canada.
David Rohrlich, son of refugees from Vienna, grandson of victim, United States.
Walter Ballin, son of holocaust survivors, United States.
Fritzi Ross, daughter of survivor, granddaughter of Dachau survivor Hugo Rosenbaum, great-granddaughter and great-niece of victims, United States.
Reuben Roth, son of survivors who fled from Poland in 1939, Canada.
Tony Iltis, father fled from Czechoslovakia and grandmother murdered in Auschwitz, Australia.
Anne Hudes, daughter and granddaughter of survivors from Vienna, Austria, great-granddaughter of victims who perished in Auschwitz, United States.
Mateo Nube, son of survivor from Berlin, Germany. Lives in United States.
John Mifsud, son of survivors from Malta, United States.
Mike Okrent, son of two holocaust / concentration camp survivors, United States.
Susan Bailey, daughter of survivor and niece of victims, UK.
Brenda Lewis, child of Kindertransport survivor, parent’s family died in Auschwitz and Terezin. Lives in Canada.
Patricia Rincon-Mautner, daughter of survivor and granddaughter of survivor, Colombia.
Barak Michèle, daughter and grand-daughter of a survivor, many members of family were killed in Auschwitz or Bessarabia. Lives in Germany.
Jessica Blatt, daughter of child refugee survivor, both grandparents’ entire families killed in Poland. Lives in United States
Maia Ettinger, daughter & granddaughter of survivors, United States.
Ammiel Alcalay, child of survivors from then Yugoslavia. Lives in United States.
Julie Deborah Kosowski, daughter of hidden child survivor, grandparents did not return from Auschwitz, United States.
Julia Shpirt, daughter of survivor, United States.
Ruben Rosenberg Colorni, grandson and son of survivors, The Netherlands.
Victor Ginsburgh, son of survivors, Belgium.
Arianne Sved, daughter of a survivor and granddaughter of victim, Spain.
Rolf Verleger, son of survivors, father survived Auschwitz, mother survived deportation from Berlin to Estonia, other family did not survive. Lives in Germany.
Euvrard Janine, daughter of survivors, France.
H. Fleishon, daughter of survivors, United States.
Barbara Meyer, daughter of survivor in Polish concentration camps. Lives in Italy.
Susan Heuman, child of survivors and granddaughter of two grandparents murdered in a forest in Minsk. Lives in United States.
Rami Heled, son of survivors, all grandparents and family killed by the Germans in Treblinka, Oswiecim and Russia. Lives in Israel.
Eitan Altman, son of survivor, France.
Jorge Sved, son of survivor and grandson of victim, United Kingdom
Maria Kruczkowska, daughter of Lea Horowicz who survived the holocaust in Poland. Lives in Poland.
Sarah Lanzman, daughter of survivor of Auschwitz, United States.
Cheryl W, daughter, granddaughter and nieces of survivors, grandfather was a member of the Dutch Underground (Eindhoven). Lives in Australia.
Chris Holmquist, son of survivor, UK.
Beverly Stuart, daughter and granddaughter of survivors from Romania and Poland. Lives in United States.
Peter Truskier, son and grandson of survivors, United States.
Karen Bermann, daughter of a child refugee from Vienna. Lives in United States.
Rebecca Weston, daughter and granddaughter of survivor, Spain.
Prof. Yosefa Loshitzky, daughter of Holocaust survivors, London, UK.
Marion Geller, daughter and granddaughter of those who escaped, great-granddaughter and relative of many who died in the camps, UK.
Susan Slyomovics, daughter and granddaughter of survivors of Auschwitz, Plaszow, Markleeberg and Ghetto Mateszalka, United States.
Helga Fischer Mankovitz, daughter, niece and cousin of refugees who fled from Austria, niece of victim who perished, Canada.
Michael Wischnia, son of survivors and relative of many who perished, United States.
Arthur Graaff, son of decorated Dutch resistance member and nazi victim, The Netherlands.
Yael Kahn, daughter of survivors who escaped Nazi Germany, many relatives that perished, UK.
Pierre Stambul, son of French resistance fighters, father deported to Buchenwalk, grandparents disapeared in Bessarabia, France.
Georges Gumpel, son of a deportee who died at Melk, Austria (subcamp of Mauthausen), France.
Emma Kronberg, daughter of survivor Buchenwald, United States.
Hannah Schwarzschild, daughter of a refugee who escaped Nazi Germany after experiencing Kristallnacht, United States.
Rubin Kantorovich, son of a survivor, Canada.
Daniele Armaleo, son of German refugee, grandparents perished in Theresienstadt, United States.
Aminda Stern Baird, daughter of survivor, United States.
Ana Policzer, daughter of hidden child, granddaughter of victim, niece/grandniece of four victims and two survivors, Canada.
Sara Castaldo, daughter of survivors, United States.
Pablo Policzer, son of a survivor, Canada.
Gail Nestel, daughter of survivors who lost brothers, sisters, parents and cousins, Canada.
Elizabeth Heineman, daughter and niece of unaccompanied child refugees, granddaughter of survivors, great-granddaughter and grand-niece of victims, United States.
Lainie Magidsohn, daughter of child survivor and numerous other relatives from Czestochowa, Poland. Lives in Canada.
Doris Gelbman, daughter and granddaughter of survivors, granddaughter and niece of many who perished, United States.
Erna Lund, daughter of survivor, Norway.
Rayah Feldman, daughter of refugees, granddaughter and niece of victims and survivors, UK.
Hadas Rivera-Weiss, daughter of survivors from Hungary, mother Ruchel Weiss née Abramovich and father Shaya Weiss, United States.
Pedro Tabensky, son of survivor of the Budapest Ghetto, South Africa.
Allan Kolski Horwitz, son of a survivor; descendant of many, many victims, South Africa.
Monique Mojica, child of survivor, relative to many victims murdered in Auschwitz. Canada.
Mike Brecher, son of a Kindertransport survivor and grandson of two who did not survive. UK.
Grandchildren of survivors
Raphael Cohen, grandson of Jewish survivors of the Nazi genocide, United States.
Emma Rubin, granddaughter of a survivor of the Nazi genocide, United States.
Alex Safron, grandson of a survivor of the Nazi genocide, United States.
Danielle Feris, grandchild of a Polish grandmother whose whole family died in the Nazi Holocaust, United States.
Jesse Strauss, grandson of Polish survivors of the Nazi genocide, United States.
Anna Baltzer, granddaughter of survivors whose family members perished in Auschwitz (others were members of the Belgian Resistance), United States.
Abigail Harms, granddaughter of Holocaust survivor from Austria, Now lives in United States.
Tessa Strauss, granddaughter of Polish Jewish survivors of the Nazi genocide, United States.
Caroline Picker, granddaughter of survivors of the Nazi genocide, United States.
Amalle Dublon, grandchild and great-grandchild of survivors of the Nazi holocaust, United States.
Antonie Kaufmann Churg, 3rd cousin of Ann Frank and grand-daughter of NON-survivors, United States.
Aliza Shvarts, granddaughter of survivors, United States.
Linda Mamoun, granddaughter of survivors, United States.
Abby Okrent, granddaughter of survivors of the Auschwitz, Dachau, Stuttgart, and the Lodz Ghetto, United States.
Ted Auerbach, grandson of survivor whose whole family died in the Holocaust, United States.
Beth Bruch, grandchild of German Jews who fled to US and great-grandchild of Nazi holocaust survivor, United States.
Bob Wilson, grandson of a survivor, United States.
Katharine Wallerstein, granddaughter of survivors and relative of many who perished, United States.
Sylvia Finzi, granddaughter and niece of Holocaust victims murdered in Auschwitz, London and Berlin. Now lives in London.
Esteban Schmelz, grandson of KZ-Theresienstadt victim, Mexico City.
Françoise Basch, grand daughter of Victor and Ilona Basch murdered by the Gestapo and the French Milice, France.
Gabriel Alkon, grandson of Holocaust survivors, Untied States.
Nirit Ben-Ari, grandchild of Polish grandparents from both sides whose entire family was killed in the Nazi Holocaust, United States.
Heike Schotten, granddaughter of refugees from Nazi Germany who escaped the genocide, United States.
Ike af Carlstèn, grandson of survivor, Norway.
Elias Lazarus, grandson of Holocaust refugees from Dresden, United States and Australia.
Laura Mandelberg, granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, United States.
Josh Ruebner, grandson of Nazi Holocaust survivors, United States.
Shirley Feldman, granddaughter of survivors, United States.
Nuno Cesar Ferreira, grandson of survivor, Brazil.
Andrea Land, granddaugher of survivors who fled programs in Poland, all European relatives died in German and Polish concentration camps, United States.
Sarah Goldman, granddaughter of survivors of the Nazi genocide, United States.
Baruch Wolski, grandson of survivors, Austria.
Frank Amahran, grandson of survivor, United States.
Eve Spangler, granddaughter of Holocaust NON-survivor, United States.
Gil Medovoy, grandchild of Fela Hornstein who lost her enitre family in Poland during the Nazi genocide, United States.
Michael Hoffman, grandson of survivors, rest of family killed in Poland during Holocaust, live in El Salvador.
Sarah Hogarth, granddaughter of a survivor whose entire family was killed at Auschwitz, United States.
Tibby Brooks, granddaughter, niece, and cousin of victims of Nazis in Ukraine. Lives in United States.
Dan Berger, grandson of survivor, United States.
Dani Baurer, granddaughter of Baruch Pollack, survivor of Auschwitz. Lives in United States.
Talia Baurer, granddaughter of a survivor, United States.
Evan Cofsky, grandson of survivor, UK.
Annie Sicherman, granddaughter of survivors, United States.
Anna Heyman, granddaughter of survivors, UK.
Maya Ober, granddaughter of survivor and relative of deceased in Teresienstadt and Auschwitz, Tel Aviv.
Anne Haan, granddaughter of Joseph Slagter, survivor of Auschwitz. Lives in The Netherlands.
Oliver Ginsberg, grandson of victim, Germany.
Alexia Zdral, granddaughter of Polish survivors, United States.
Mitchel Bollag, grandson of Stanislaus Eisner, who was living in Czechoslovakia before being sent to a concentration camp. United States.
Vivienne Porzsolt, granddaughter of victims of Nazi genocide, Australia.
Lisa Nessan, granddaughter of survivors, United States.
Kally Alexandrou, granddaughter of survivors, Australia.
Laura Ostrow, granddaughter of survivors, United States
Anette Jacobson, granddaughter of relatives killed, town of Kamen Kashirsk, Poland. Lives in United States.
Tamar Yaron (Teresa Werner), granddaughter and niece of victims of the Nazi genocide in Poland, Israel.
Antonio Roman-Alcalá, grandson of survivor, United States.
Jeremy Luban, grandson of survivor, United States.
Heather West, granddaughter of survivors and relative of other victims, United States.
Jeff Ethan Au Green, grandson of survivor who escaped from a Nazi work camp and hid in the Polish-Ukranian forest, United States.
Johanna Haan, daughter and granddaughter of victims in the Netherlands. Lives in the Netherlands.
Aron Ben Miriam, son of and nephew of survivors from Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, Salzwedel, Lodz ghetto. Lives in United States.
Noa Shaindlinger, granddaughter of four holocaust survivors, Canada.
Merilyn Moos, granddaughter, cousin and niece murdered victims, UK.
Ruth Tenne, granddaughter and relative of those who perished in Warsaw Ghetto, London.
Craig Berman, grandson of Holocaust survivors, UK.
Nell Hirschmann-Levy, granddaughter of survivors from Germany. Lives in United States.
Osha Neumann, grandson of Gertrud Neumann who died in Theresienstadt. Lives in United States.
Georg Frankl, Grandson of survivor Ernst-Immo Frankl who survived German work camp. Lives in Germany.
Julian Drix, grandson of two survivors from Poland, including survivor and escapee from liquidated Janowska concentration camp in Lwow, Poland. Lives in United States.
Katrina Mayer, grandson and relative of victims, UK.
Avigail Abarbanel, granddaughter of survivors, Scotland.
Denni Turp, granddaughter of Michael Prooth, survivor, UK.
Fenya Fischler, granddaughter of survivors, UK.
Yakira Teitel, granddaughter of German Jewish refugees, great-granddaughter of survivor, United States.
Sarah, granddaughter of survivor, the Netherlands.
Susan Koppelman, granddaughter of survivor, United States
Hana Umeda, granddaughter of survivor, Warsaw.
Jordan Silverstein, grandson of two survivors, Canada.
Daniela Petuchowski, granddaughter of survivors, United States.
Aaron Lerner, grandson of survivors, United States.
Judith Bernstein, granddaughter of Holocaust victims in Auschwitz, Germany.
Samantha Wischnia, granddaughter and great niece of survivors from Poland, United States.
Elizabeth Wischnia, granddaughter and grand niece of three holocaust survivors, great aunt worked for Schindler, United States.
Daniel Waterman, grandson of survivor, The Netherlands.
Elana Baurer, granddaughter of survivor, United States.
Pablo Roman-Alcala, grandson of participant in the kindertransport and survivor, Germany.
Karine Abdel Malek, grandchild of survivor, Henri Waisman, Morocco.
Elana Baurer, granddaughter of survivor, United States.
Lillian Brown, granddaughter of survivor, United States.
Devin Cahn, grandson of survivors, United States.
Daniel Lévyne, grandson of a deportee, France.
Emilie Ferreira, granddaughter of survivors, Switzerland.
Chaim Neslen, grandchild of many victims and friend of many survivors, UK.
Ann Jungmann, granddaughter to three victims, UK.
Ellie Schling, granddaughter of a survivor, UK.
Danny Katch, grandson of survivors, United States.
Elisa Levi, granddaughter of three survivors, United States.
Karen Pomer, granddaughter of member of Dutch resistance and survivor of Bergen Belsen. Now lives in the United States.
Gilda Mitchell Katz, granddaughter of survivors, uncle and aunt killed In Dombrova, Canada.
Smadar Carmon, my grandparents and uncle were killed in the camps, Canada.
Dana Newfield, granddaughter of survivor and relative of many murdered, United States.
Ilana Guslits, granddaughter of two Polish survivors, Canada.
Gerald Coles-Kolsky, grandson of victims in Poland and France, United States.
Lesley Swain, granddaughter and cousin of survivors, UK.
Myera Waese, granddaughter of survivors of Bergen Belsen, Canada.
Ronni Seidman, grandchild of survivors. United States.
Mike Shatzkin, grandchild of survivors, some family members murdered and some who died in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. United States.
Nance Shatzkin, grandchild of survivors, some family members murdered and some who died in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. United States.
Karen Shatzkin, grandchild of survivors, some family members murdered and some who died in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. United States.
Myriam Burger, granddaughter of survivor. United States.
Andre Burger, grandson of survivor Myriam Cohn, great-grandson of Sylvia Cohn and great-nephew of Esther Lore Cohn, both murdered in Auschwitz, United States.
Great-grandchildren of survivors
Natalie Rothman, great granddaughter of Holocaust victims in Warsaw. Now lives in Canada.
Yotam Amit, great-grandson of Polish Jew who fled Poland, United States.
Daniel Boyarin, great grandson of victims of the Nazi genocide, United States.
Maria Luban, great-granddaughter of survivors of the Holocaust, United States.
Mimi Erlich, great-granddaughter of Holocaust victim, United States.
Olivia Kraus, great-grandaughter of victims, granddaughter and daughter of family that fled Austria and Czechoslovakia. Lives in United States.
Emily (Chisefsky) Alma, great granddaughter and great grandniece of victims in Bialystok, Poland, United States.
Inbal Amin, great-granddaughter of a mother and son that escaped and related to plenty that didn’t, United States.
Matteo Luban, great-granddaughter of survivors, United States.
Saira Weiner, greatgranddaughter and niece of those murdered in the Holocaust, granddaughter of survivors, UK.
Andrea Isaak, great-granddaughter of survivor, Canada.
Alan Lott, great-grandson of a number of relatives lost, United States.
Sara Wines, great-granddaughter of a survivor and great-great granddaughter of victims, United States.
Other relatives of survivors
Terri Ginsberg, niece of a survivor of the Nazi genocide, United States.
Nathan Pollack, relative of Holocaust survivors and victims, United States.
Marcy Winograd, relatives of victims, United States.
Rabbi Borukh Goldberg, relative of many victims, United States.
Martin Davidson, great-nephew of victims who lived in the Netherlands, Spain.
Miriam Pickens, relative of survivors, United States.
Dorothy Werner, spouse of survivor, United States.
Hyman and Hazel Rochman, relatives of Holocaust victims, United States.
Rich Siegel, cousin of victims who were rounded up and shot in town square of Czestochowa, Poland. Lives in United States.
Ignacio Israel Cruz-Lara, relative of survivor, Mexico.
Debra Stuckgold, relative of survivors, United States.
Joel Kovel, relatives killed at Babi Yar, United States.
Carol Krauthamer Smith, niece of survivors of the Nazi genocide, United States.
Chandra Ahuva Hauptman, relatives from grandfather’s family died in Lodz ghetto, one survivor cousin and many deceased from Auschwitz, United States.
Shelly Weiss, relative of Holocaust victims, United States.
Carol Sanders, niece and cousin of victims of Holocaust in Poland, United States.
Sandra Rosen, great-niece and cousin of survivors, United States.
Raquel Hiller, relative of victims in Poland. Now lives in Mexico.
Alex Kantrowitz, most of father’s family murdered Nesvizh, Belarus 1941. Lives in United States.
Michael Steven Smith, many relatives were killed in Hungary. Lives in United States.
Linda Moore, relative of survivors and victims, United States.
Juliet VanEenwyk, niece and cousin of Hungarian survivors, United States.
Anya Achtenberg, grand niece, niece, cousin of victims tortured and murdered in Ukraine. Lives in United States.
Betsy Wolf-Graves, great niece of uncle who shot himself as he was about to be arrested by Nazis, United States.
Abecassis Pierre, grand-uncle died in concentration camp, France.
Robert Rosenthal, great-nephew and cousin of survivors from Poland. Lives in United States.
Régine Bohar, relative of victims sent to Auschwitz, Canada.
Denise Rickles, relative of survivors and victims in Poland. Lives in United States.
Louis Hirsch, relative of victims, United States.
Concepción Marcos, relative of victim, Spain.
George Sved, relative of victim, Spain.
Judith Berlowitz, relative of victims and survivors, United States.
Rebecca Sturgeon, descendant of Holocaust survivor from Amsterdam. Lives in UK.
Justin Levy, relative of victims and survivors, Ireland.
Sam Semoff, relative of survivors and victims, UK.
Leah Brown Klein, daughter-in-law of survivors Miki and Etu Fixler Klein, United States
Karen Malpede, spouse of hidden child who then fled Germany. Lives in United States
Michel Euvrard, husband of survivor, France.
Walter Ebmeyer, grandnephew of three Auschwitz victims and one survivor now living in Jerusalem, United States.
Garrett Wright, relative of victims and survivors, United States.
Lynne Lopez-Salzedo, descendant of three Auschwitz victims, United States.
Renee Leavy, 86 victims in my mother’s family, United States.
Steven Kohn, 182 victims in my grandparents’ families, United States.
Dorah Rosen Shuey, relative of many victims and 4 survivors, United States.
Carol Lipton, cousin of survivors, United States.
Catherine Bruckner, descendent of Czech Jewish victims of the holocaust, UK.
Susan Rae Goldstein, carrying the name of my great-aunt Rose Frankel, from Poland and murdered along with many other family members, Canada.
Jordan Elgrably, nephew of Marcelle Elgrably, killed in Auschwitz, United States.
Olivia M Hudis, relative of Auschwitz victims, United States.
Peter Finkelstein, relative of victims and survivors, Germany.
Colin Merrin, descendant of Polish and Belarusian Jewish victims, UK.
***
WND
MASSIVE RESCUE PROPOSED FOR TRAPPED CHRISTIANS
Kurds 'will be unable to stop' advance of ISIS storm troopers
Published: August 21, 2014
BOB UNRUH
RescueChristians.com Executive Director Keith Davis is thinking big when he talks about his plan, which already is getting under way, to rescue tens of thousands of Christians who fled to Iraq’s Kurdish territory when an ISIS army of jihadists took over vast regions of the troubled nation.
He’s talking about renting jets, leasing ships and setting up a global delivery system to transport Christians facing extermination to freedom-loving nations.
But then, the need is huge. There are estimates that up to 200,000 of the “diehard” Christians who resisted the resurgence of Muslim influence in Iraq over recent years finally have fled in front of ISIS, or Islamic State, orders that they convert to Islam, pay a “tax” or die.
The Financial Times reported that from just one town, Qaroqosh, an estimated 15,000 Christians fled when ISIS troopers stormed in.
The Christians are now behind lines of Kurdish military forces who have been active against ISIS. But analysts predict the Kurds ultimately will be no match for ISIS fighters who armed themselves with the latest U.S. military technology when Iraqi army soldiers fled.
So the Christians can expect extermination when ISIS ultimately moves against Kurdistan, analysts warn.
“The Kurds, no matter how many weapons we give them, will be unable to stop this onslaught,” Davies told WND. “The West needs to provide tens of thousands of troops today but will not. The 200,000 Christians in Kurdistan will have no where to go but to face jizya (a tax on non-Muslim subjects), convert or die.”
He said the alternative to total destruction for a population that has lived in the region for millenia is to help them escape Iraq.
He’s begun raising funds for what he expects to be an expensive undertaking. But he counts it worthwhile, hoping to save lives at the cost of about $1,000 each.
He’s working on a plan to use jetliners to carry thousands of Christians from Kurdish territory to Um Qasr. From there, a ship would carry the refugees to other nations.
“There are far too many refugees for the Kurds to take them on a permanent basis. And they can’t go back to their homes,” he told WND.
He said about two-thirds of the Christians already had left since the persecution started in 2003. The remaining “diehards” have seen firebombings, shootings, kidnappings and more.
Davies told WND the only nation that has confirmed it would take refugees is Australia. But he said other nations have indicated they would accept them if they arrive on their shores. He cited Britain, France, Germany, Italy and others.
He estimates the costs at hundreds of thousands of dollars for jet services, and more for the use of a ship that would be used to carry Christians to safety. He said his fundraising campaign already is well along toward its goal, but more help is needed.
He said it’s a sad reflection on the U.S. that it has not already stepped up to volunteer to accept fleeing Christians. Nor have the free nations of the world volunteered for airplane rescues, he said.
Leaving Iraqi Christians where they are isn’t an option, he said.
“A Kurdish commander came and told me: ‘We can’t hold the town, so we’re going to retreat,’” said Yohanna Petros Moshe, archbishop of Mosul, who fled to Erbil at midnight in a convoy.
He told the Financial Times:”The Kurdish leadership informed the people that they had to get out.”
The report said the Islamic State stormed through northern Iraq in a “lightning June offensive during which it took control of Mosul, Tikrit and other cities and seized U.S.-supplied military equipment from fleeing Iraqi troops.”
***
PRESSTV
ISIL, enemy number-one of Islam: Saudi Mufti
Tue Aug 19, 2014 2:11PM GMT
Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz al-Sheikh has strongly condemned Takfiri ISIL terrorists for their crimes in the Middle East and violation of Islamic principles and teachings.
In a Tuesday statement, he described the Takfiri terrorists as “enemy number-one” of Islam, noting that extremism, radicalism and terrorism have nothing to do with Islam.
The well-known mufti also called for a rapid change in the Saudi stance on ISIL and other al-Qaeda linked groups.
Last week, Egypt’s Grand Mufti Shawqu Allam made similar remarks, saying the ISIL poses a danger to Islam and Muslims, tarnishes its image and spreads corruption.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi cabinet has said in a recent statement that Riyadh is supporting and financing the Takfiri militants of the ISIL.
"We hold it (Saudi Arabia) responsible for what these groups are receiving in terms of financial and moral support," the statement said.
The Iraqi government has also informed UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that Riyadh must be held accountable for the recent wave of terrorist attacks which have left many dead in Iraq.
The ISIL terrorists have been committing heinous crimes in the areas they took, including the mass execution of civilians and Iraqi army troops and officers.
Senior Iraqi leaders have blamed Saudi Arabia and Qatar for the security crisis and growing terrorism in their country, denouncing Riyadh as a major supporter of global terrorism.
The terrorists have links with Saudi intelligence and are believed to be indirectly supported by the Israeli regime.
***
THE INDEPENDENT
World peace? These are the only 11 countries in the world that are actually free from conflict
As new wars and civil unrests seem to be flaring up every week, we look for the only countries in the world that could be considered ‘conflict-free’
ADAM WITHNALL
Thursday 14 August 2014
With the crisis in Gaza, the rise of Islamist militants in Iraq and Syria and the international stand-off ongoing in Ukraine, it can sometimes feel like the whole world is at war.
But experts believe this is actually almost universally the case, according to a think-tank which produces one of the world’s leading measures of “global peacefulness” – and things are only going to get worse.
It may make for bleak reading, but of the 162 countries covered by the Institute for Economics and Peace’s (IEP’s) latest study, just 11 were not involved in conflict of one kind or another.
Worse still, the world as a whole has been getting incrementally less peaceful every year since 2007 – sharply bucking a trend that had seen a global move away from conflict since the end of the Second World War.
The UK, as an example, is relatively free from internal conflict, making it easy to fall to thinking it exists in a state of peace. But recent involvement in foreign fighting in the likes of Afghanistan, as well as a fairly high state of militarisation, means Britain actually scores quite poorly on the 2014 Global Peace Index, coming 47th overall.
Then there are countries which are involved in no actual foreign wars involving deaths whatsoever - like North Korea – but which are fraught by the most divisive and entrenched internal conflicts.
The IEP’s findings mean that choices are slim if you want to live in a completely peaceful country. The only ones to achieve the lowest score for all forms of conflict were Switzerland, Japan, Qatar, Mauritius, Uruguay, Chile, Botswana, Costa Rica, Vietnam, Panama and Brazil.
And even those countries are not entirely exempt from other problems that, the IEP says, could lend to conflict further down the line.
In Brazil and Costa Rica, for instance, the level of internal conflict may be the lowest possible – but civilian access to small arms and the likelihood of violent demonstrations are worryingly high.
Switzerland is famously detached when it comes to any external conflict, and has a very low risk of internal problems of any kind – but loses a number of points on the overall index because of its proportionately huge rate of arms exports per 100,000 of the population.
The IEP says that for a country to score at the lowest level for all its indicators for conflict, it must not have been involved in any “contested incompatibility that concerns government and/or territory where the use of armed force between two parties, of which at least one is the government of a state, results in at least 25 battle-related deaths in a year”.
Harder still, analysts from the Economist Intelligence Unit must be satisfied that it has “no conflict” within its borders. This rating on civil unrest cannot even include “latent” conflict involving “positional differences over definable values of national importance”.
The Global Peace Index measures the latest data up to the end of the year before – meaning that the state of international conflict right now is actually even worse than the study suggests. With the protests over the World Cup still vivid in collective memory, for instance, Brazil might find itself off the list of peaceful countries by 2015.
Speaking to The Independent, the director of the IEP Camilla Schippa warned that the state of peace in our time has been “slowly but steadily decreasing” in recent years.
“Major economic and geopolitical shocks, such as the global financial crisis and the Arab Spring, have left countries more at risk of falling into conflict,” Ms Schippa said.
“In the last year we have seen a large increase in terrorist activity, a resurgence of conflict in Gaza, and no resolution to the crisis in Syria and Iraq.
“Outside of the Middle East, civil unrest in Ukraine has turned into armed rebellion, and there has been increasing violence in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
She added: “Continuing global unrest means that there is unlikely to be a reversal of this trend in the short run.
***
DOCUMENT: ARMY PREPARING TO USE LETHAL FORCE AGAINST “UNARMED CIVILIANS” DURING “FULL SCALE RIOTS” IN U.S. (Edited from longer article.)
Training manual outlines "sniper response" during crowd control operations
Image Credits: Wikimedia Commons
by PAUL JOSEPH WATSON | AUGUST 18, 2014
A document released by the U.S. Army details preparations for “full scale riots” within the United States during which troops may be forced to engage in a “lethal response” to deal with unruly crowds of demonstrators.
The appearance of the document amidst growing unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, with the National Guard now being called in to deal with the disorder, is an ominous coincidence.
The 132-page document, titled U.S. Army Techniques Publication 3-39.33: Civil Disturbances (PDF), was written in April 2014 and recently obtained by Public Intelligence.
The document makes it clear that the techniques detailed therein are to be applied both outside and inside the “continental United States (CONUS)” in the event of “unruly and violent crowds” where it is “necessary to quell riots and restore public order.”
The training manual outlines scenarios under which, “Civil unrest may range from simple, nonviolent protests that address specific issues, to events that turn into full-scale riots.”
The most shocking aspect of the document is the fact that it describes the deployment of a “lethal response” directed against “unarmed civilians,” including “sniper response” and “small arms direct fire.”
Under the heading “sniper response,” the document states, “Ensure that target leaders or troublemakers are targeted,” in addition to a passage which states, “Exploit the psychological effect of an attack.”
Under the heading “small arms direct fire,” the manual states, “Escalate gradually, starting with a small caliber, single round and work up to a large caliber, automatic.”
Another graphic which depicts “escalation of trauma” directs soldiers how to use “riot batons” in order to cause the necessary level of injury or death to the subject. “Deadly force final target areas” include the back of the neck, the solar plexus, the neck, the spine and the head.
In light of events in Ferguson, where a predominantly black community has faced off with militarized police, it’s interesting to note that the manual makes reference to civil unrest that can arise out of “ethnic hatred” and, “Community unrest (that) results in urban conflicts that arise from highly emotional social and economic issues.” The document also mentions how rioters target “retail stores,” as happened during the looting in Ferguson.
“Significant ethnic differences in a community can create an atmosphere of distrust, even hatred…… (and) can cause an eruption of civil disorder that can lead to full riots,” states the document.
Although the document makes reference to the Constitutional rights of American citizens it goes on to stress that such protections are null and void under a state of emergency, asserting that Posse Comitatus, which is supposed to limit the power of the federal government to use military personnel domestically, “does not apply” under declared “emergency authority” or “When the need for the protection of federal property or federal functions exists.”
***
BuzzFeedNews
Amnesty International Takes “Unprecedented” U.S. Action In Ferguson
“It was very difficult to see anything once the curfew went into effect last night,” an Amnesty staffer says.
posted on Aug. 17, 2014, at 3:58 p.m.
Chris Geidner
Protesters after the midnight curfew in Ferguson, Missouri, on Aug. 17, 2014. Lucas Jackson / Reuters
WASHINGTON — Amnesty International has taken “unprecedented” action to deal with the situation in Ferguson, Missouri, by sending resources the human rights group has never before deployed inside the United States.
The organization has been on the ground in Ferguson since Thursday. It sent a 13-person human rights delegation to the city in the wake of the Aug. 9 police shooting death of Michael Brown.
Jasmine Heiss, a senior campaigner with Amnesty and part of the team in Ferguson, said the use of the “cross-functional team” — which she said included community trainers, researchers, and human rights observers — was “unprecedented” within the U.S. for the group.
On Saturday, after Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and put a curfew in place in Ferguson, Amnesty International USA’s executive director, Steven W. Hawkins, issued a scathing statement.
“We criticize dictators for quelling dissent and silencing protestors with tactics like curfews, we’ll certainly speak out when it’s happening in our own backyard,” he said. “The people of Ferguson have the right to protest peacefully the lack of accountability for Michael Brown’s shooting.”
Amnesty on the scene, wearing yellow "Observer" t-shirts.
In an interview Sunday afternoon, Heiss said because of limits police placed on Amnesty’s access, “It was very difficult to see anything once the curfew went into effect last night.”
It was “impossible,” she said, for Amnesty to make any sort of judgment about whether actions taken by the police after the midnight curfew went into effect were proportional or necessary. She called it emblematic of “the overall lack of transparency in this investigation.”
Heiss noted the group’s long focus on criminal justice, including the use of excessive force, in the U.S. The group’s Rights for All effort in 1998, which included follow-up proposals for change in 1999, preceded specific investigations into the Los Angeles and Chicago police operations.
In terms of specific cases, she noted that the group called for similar action by officials after the killing of Trayvon Martin in Florida. The group there, she said, had called for a “thorough, impartial, swift investigation — with transparency,” emphasizing that a key tenet of that is “the family is kept informed” about the investigation.
On Sunday, after the team examined the situation in Ferguson, Amnesty International USA released three recommendations going forward:
• A prompt, thorough, independent, and impartial investigation into the shooting of Brown must take place. Brown’s family must be kept informed throughout the investigation. Under international law, police officers suspected of having committed unlawful acts must be held to account through effective investigation, and where warranted, prosecuted.
• All police departments involved in policing the ongoing protests in Ferguson in response to Brown’s death must act in accordance with international human rights standards. Any human rights abuses in connection with the policing of protests must be independently and impartially investigated, and those responsible held accountable.
• A thorough review of all trainings, policies, and procedures with regards to the use of force and the policing of protests should be undertaken.
***
The Telegraph
France rebels against austerity as Europe's recovery collapses
France’s finance minister sends tremors through European capitals with a defiant warning that his country would no longer try to meet deficit targets
German GDP contracted 0.2pc, is France once again stuck at zero and Italy is already in a triple-dip recession Photo: Alamy
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
9:26PM BST 14 Aug 2014
Eurozone strategy is in tatters after economic recovery ground to a halt across the region and France demanded a radical shift in policy, warning that austerity overkill is driving Europe into a depression.
Growth slumped to zero in the second quarter, with Germany contracting by 0.2pc and France once again stuck at zero. Italy is already in a triple-dip recession.
Yields on 10-year German Bunds fell below 1pc for the first time in history, beneath levels seen during the most extreme episodes of deflation in the 19th century. French yields also touch record lows. Much of the eurozone is replicating the pattern seen in Japan as it slid into a deflation trap in the late 1990s.
It is unclear whether tumbling yields are primarily a warning signal of stagnation ahead or a bet by investors that the European Central Bank will soon be forced to launch quantitative easing, buying government bonds across the board.
Michel Sapin, France’s finance minister, sent tremors through European capitals with a defiant warning that his country would no longer try to meet its deficit targets and would not inflict further damage on its economy by tightening into the downturn. “I refuse to raise taxes to close any budget gaps,” he said.
“What is absolutely necessary is to adjust the pace of deficit reduction to the exceptional situation we are in today. Growth is too weak in Europe and inflation is too low. We must therefore stop reinforcing the causes of this depression,” he told RTL television.
“We must face the figures in front of us with realism. The truth is that, contrary to the forecasts of the International Monetary Fund and the [European] Commission, growth has broken down, both in France and in Europe.”
He halved his French growth forecast to 0.5pc this year and to little more than 1pc next year, too weak to stop unemployment hitting fresh highs. The IMF has already warned that there will be no job growth until 2016.
Germany has so far refused to yield any ground on austerity policies but is increasingly vulnerable. Revised data show that the economy has been far weaker than thought over the past two years, falling into a significant double-dip recession last year. Professor Paul De Grauwe, from the London School of Economics, said: “They are victims of their own folly. Germany needs massive investment in its energy sector and it should be doing it now while it can borrow for almost nothing.”
Mr De Grauwe said EMU elites have misdiagnosed the cause of Europe’s intractable slump, blaming it on lack of reform when it is in reality a “demand crisis” made worse by a debt purge since the financial crisis. “They are doing everything they can to stop recovery taking off, so they should not be surprised if there is, in fact, no take-off,” he said.
“It is balanced-budget fundamentalism and it has become religious. We know from the 1930s that if everybody is trying to pay off debt and the government then deleverages at the same time, the result is a downward spiral. The rigidities in the European economy have absolutely nothing to do with the problem we face today.”
Many German economists said one-off factors explained the “sudden stop” in the second quarter but Berlin’s Institute for Economic Research (DIW) warned that deeper forces may be at work, with a risk of recession as Germany suffers the blowback effects from sanctions against Russia. “The economy may shrink again in the third quarter,” it said.
Sigmar Gabriel, Germany’s vice-chancellor, blamed the slowdown on “geopolitical risks in eastern Europe and the Near East”.
The contraction of world trade over the early summer has undoubtedly played a role since Germany is highly-geared to global exports.
The signs of a policy revolt in France could prove a turning point in Europe. Mr Sapin said his country would miss its deficit target this year but not try to make up the ground because the shortfall was caused by the deflationary conditions in Europe. He pledged to cut the deficit at an “appropriate pace” but would not go further. It is likely to exceed 4pc of GDP.
President Francois Hollande has so far gone along with EMU austerity demands, imposing severe fiscal tightening in his first two years in office, even though the ECB refused to offset the effect with monetary stimulus.
The result has been a permanent slump, with industrial output down 14pc from its peak. Mr Hollande has suffered a collapse in his approval ratings and faces a mutiny by the Left-wing of his own Socialist Party. There is increasing speculation over whether he may be forced to resign before the end of his term in 2017.
However, Mr Hollande is known for pirouettes that come to little. It is too early to tell whether he is willing to form a “Latin alliance” with Italy to force a change in policy, launching what amounts to a rebellion against German policy doctrines. Any such demarche would risk a dangerous rupture with Berlin.
The collapse of economic recovery in Europe leaves the ECB in a delicate position. Mario Draghi, the bank’s president, offered no clues earlier this month on when the ECB might finally resort to QE, insisting that it will wait to gauge the full effects of its negative deposit rate and the result of new loans to banks (TLTROs) in September and December.
This delays any likely QE until next Spring, yet it is far from clear whether the TLTROs will make much difference. They involve exchange of collateral and are merely asset swaps. Banks are in any case shrinking their lending to meet new capital ratios. The IMF said QE is a far more powerful instrument.
“The ECB will do as little as possible in the hope that something will come along to save them, and the euro will weaken,” Gabriel Stein, from Oxford Economics, said. “They are desperate not to do QE.”
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RT
EU sanctions like 'shooting oneself in the foot' - Hungary PM
Published time: August 15, 2014 11:30
Edited time: August 15, 2014 13:13
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (AFP Photo / Georges Gobet)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has urged a rethink of the European Union’s sanctions policy toward Russia, saying the measures are like “shooting oneself in the foot.”
“The sanctions policy pursued by the West, that is, ourselves, a necessary consequence of which, has been what the Russians are doing, causes more harm to us than to Russia,” Reuters quoted Orban as saying on the radio, he added “in politics, this is called shooting oneself in the foot.”
Russia is Hungary’s largest trade partner outside of the EU, with exports worth $3.4 billion in 2013. Also it is highly dependent on Russian energy. Earlier this year Hungary agreed a $13 billion deal with Russian power company Rosatom to expand the country’s only nuclear power plant.
“The EU should not only compensate producers somehow, be they Polish, Slovak, Hungarian or Greek, who now have to suffer losses, but the entire sanctions policy should be reconsidered,” the Hungarian Prime Minister said, saying he is already looking for support to force through changes.
Despite the negative sentiment on Tuesday, Hungary’s Agriculture Ministry stressed the Russian embargo won’t significantly affect the Hungarian economy as the banned products account for less than a third of Hungarian agricultural exports to Russia, being only one percent of total national farming exports.
Despite weak growth in the eastern countries of the EU, Hungary, together with Slovakia and Bulgaria have shown better than expected figures, with 0.8 percent quarterly expansion according to Thursday's preliminary GDP estimates.
On Thursday, Matteo Salvini, the leader of Italy’s Northern League party, called on Brussels to immediately repeal the sanctions against Russia.
“Only fools, Brussels and Rome, could decide to impose economic sanctions against Russia, which now sends us back tons of Italian agricultural products worth more than €1 billion,” Salvini wrote on his Facebook page “Who will pay our farmers? Renzi? Merkel?”
The politician claims that in order to please US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has "ruined the economy" of the country.
At a meeting in Sochi on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, his Finnish counterpart, Sauli Niinisto, admitted that Western sanctions against Moscow and the Russian food ban had made an impact on economic relations between the two countries. Niinisto called for an urgent resolution to the Ukraine crisis.
Finland is one of the EU states hardest hit by the embargo. Russian-Finnish trade fell by 8 percent to $8.3 billion in the first half of 2014, according to a Kremlin fact sheet.
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Zero Hedge
"Anti-Putin" Alliance Fraying: Germany, Slovakia, Greece, Czech Republic Urge End To Russian Sanctions
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 08/16/2014 11:04 -0400
Last week Germany reported that in the second quarter, its GDP declined by 0.2%, worse than Wall Street consensus. This happened a few shorts days after Italy reported a second consecutive decline in its own GDP, becoming the first Europen country to enter a triple-dip recession. What's worse, Europe's slowdown took place before the brunt of Russian sanctions hit. Surely in the third quarter the GDP of Germany, a nation whose exports accounts for 41% of GDP, will be even worse, with whisper numbers of -1% being thrown casually around, but one thing is certain: Europe is about to enter its third recession since the Lehman collapse just as we forecast at the end of 2013, a "triple-dip" which may become an outright depression unless Draghi injects a few trillion in credit money (which will do nothing but delay the inevitable and make it that much worse once the can can no longer be kicked), and unless normal trade ties with Russia are restored.
Which means one thing: for Europe to resume the status quo, it needs to break away from the "western" alliance and the sanctions imposed upon the Kremlin which solely benefit the populist agenda of Washington, and certainly not Europe proper, which it is now quite clear, is far more reliant on Russia than vice versa. it is also something Putin apparently was aware of from the very beginning.
And now, that realization is starting to spread to Europe's own countries, which - while the new cold war was only one of rhetoric were perfectly happy to go for the ride - but now that trade war has finally broken out, suddenly increasingly more want out.
As we reported previously, it all started with the Greeks, a nation of heavy food exports into Russia, who were the first to announce their displeasure with the "Stop Putin" coalition:
the moment Russia retaliated, the grand alliance started to crack. Enter Greece which has hundreds of millions in food exports to Russia, and which was the first country to hint that it may splinter from the western "pro-sanctions" alliance. According to Bloomberg, earlier today the Greek foreign minister and former PM said that "we are in continuous deliberations in order to have the smallest possible consequences, and if possible no significant impact whatsoever."
And making it very clear that this will be a major political issue was a statement by the main opposition party Syriza which today said that the Greek government's "blind obedience to the Cold War strategies of Brussels and Washington will be disastrous for country’s agriculture." In a moment of surprising clarity, Syriza asked govt to immediately lift all sanctions to Russia, as they don’t contribute to a solution of the Ukrainian crisis, and "instead fuel an economic and trade war, in which Greece has unfortunately become involved." Syriza concluded that the government hasn’t weighted Greece’s special interests and bilateral relations with Russia.
Then it was Slovakia whose premier Robert Fico criticized Ukraine for preparing sanctions against Russian persons and companies, and he has called on Ukraine not to approve them, expressing concerns that the legislation could result in a halt to natural gas supplies.
If the conflict between Ukraine and Russia escalates, the legal norm could cause interruption of natural gas supplies to Slovakia (and to Western Europe) via Ukraine from Russia, he said.
Slovakia depends on supplies of Russian gas. However, if gas supplies via Ukraine were interrupted, Slovakia would get gas through backflow from the West.
"It is strange that a country that has signed an association agreement with the EU and which we are trying to help is taking one-sided steps that endanger the individual economic interests of EU member countries, instead of coordinating its approach with the EU," Fico said.
"We do not want to be a hostage in the Russian-Ukrainian problem. We expect Ukraine not to adopt formal steps that, if implemented, can endanger our interests. A country that has signed the association agreement should not behave like that," Fico declared.
Poland too complained last week, however for now it finds the fault not with the "alliance" but with Russia for daring to retaliate to western sanctions.
Poland's agriculture minister went on television to announce the country was taking action against Russia's new import ban. "We believe Russia has broken international law in both its embargo against Poland and its embargo against the EU," Marek Sawicki said. Russia banned the import of Polish fruit and vegetables in early August - a move Sawicki said would cost Poland 0.6 percent of GDP.
"If a WTO member state believes another WTO member state has taken a measure that is not in conformity with WTO rules, the affected WTO member state may request mediation," attorney and WTO expert Eric Pickett said.
Good luck. It is only a matter of time before this futile anger at Putin turns not to the logical response to sanctions, but at the instigator of the sanctions themselves.
Then it was most vibrant economy in central Europe, the Czech Republic, where overnight the finance minister voiced the loudest anger at Russian sanctions yet. From Bloomberg:
SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA MAKE NO SENSE, CZECH FINANCE MINISTER SAYS
And finally, it is the country whose fate is what this conflict is all about, because should Germany decide it has had enough of DC's geopolitical brinksmanship, one which always "costs" European allies far more than it does the US, and aligns with the Russia-China-India axis, then the "Eurasian Crescent" will be complete, and the countdown to reserve currency transition may officially begin.
Sure enough, Bloomberg reports that sanctions against Russia are hurting sentiment at German companies, according to Focus magazine which cites the BGA Federation of German Wholesale and Foreign Trade, and the DIHK German Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
According to the magazine, "loss of trust in Russian partners is hurting business more than the sanctions themselves, as German companies cut trade more than required."
The implications are clear: cost-benefit analysis has shifted too far to the left, and while Germany was ok with supporting the "west" in its game of escalating sanctions vs Putin, at this point there is no further support, and in fact the pendulum is starting to swing in the opposite direction.
So with increasingly more eastern and central European nations vocally opining against Russian sanctions, and with the Ukraine government now clearly engaging in open provocations to curry popular support for some "unfathomable" warmongering cause (unless of course it can provide evidence it did indeed destroy a Russian military convoy on its territory), how long until the "western" alliance finally folds under its own weight and has no choice but to roll back the sanctions and de-escalate, in the process handing Putin the biggest diplomatic knockout round yet?
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AP
VENEZUELA PROPOSES FINGERPRINTING GROCERY SHOPPERS
BY HANNAH DREIER ASSOCIATED PRESS
Aug 21, 5:09 PM EDT
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) -- Venezuelans could soon have to scan their fingerprints to buy bread.
President Nicolas Maduro says a mandatory fingerprinting system is being implemented at grocery stores to combat food shortages by keeping people from buying too much of a single item. He calls it an "anti-fraud system" like the fingerprint scan the country uses for voting.
In announcing the plan late Wednesday, Maduro did not say when the system would take effect, but other administration officials suggested it could be in place by December or January.
The move was met with skepticism. Critics said the new system is tantamount to rationing and constitutes a breach of privacy. Others simply wondered if anything short of a systemic overhaul of the economy could help the socialist South American country's chronically bare shelves.
Venezuela has been grappling with shortages of basic goods like cooking oil and flour for more than a year. In the spring, the administration tried out a similar system in government-run supermarkets on a voluntary basis.
Rigid currency controls and a shortage of U.S. dollars have made it increasingly difficult for Venezuelans to find imported products. Price controls don't help either, with producers complaining that some goods are priced too low to make a profit and justify production.
The administration blames the shortages both on companies speculating with an eye toward future profits and on black market vendors who buy groceries at subsidized prices and illegally resell them for several times the amount.
In his announcement, Maduro floated the possibility of easing some of the country's price controls, though he did not provide specifics. Defenders of the controls say that by keeping prices for basic goods artificially low, Venezuela helps the nation's poor lead more dignified lives.
Last week, Venezuela began closing its border with Colombia at night in an effort to cut down on smuggling, which Maduro has said diverts nearly half of Venezuela's food.
As of January, more than a quarter of basic staples were out of stock in Venezuelan stores, according to the central bank's scarcity index.
(Racing towards the mark.)
***
LIFE SITE NEWS
Shutterstock.com
Author: Gvmt should use microchips to deny births to the ‘unworthy’
Zoltan Istvan
August 14, 2014
Although he admits it “sounds blatantly authoritarian” and “violates just about every core value we possess in a free society,” a noted transhumanist author has said a world government body should forcibly sterilize anyone “deemed unworthy” of parenthood by using implanted microchips.
Constitutional attorney and civil liberties expert John W. Whitehead, founder of The Rutherford Institute, warned LifeSiteNews.com earlier this year that political officials would long to use this seminal technology.
In an article for Wired.com today, philosopher Zoltan Istvan wrote that the notion first crossed his mind when he heard a blonde nurse say, “with 10,000 kids dying everyday around the world from starvation, you'd think we'd put birth control in the water.”
After careful thought, in an effort to “give hundreds of millions of future kids a better life, I cautiously endorse the idea of licensing parents,” Istvan wrote today.
The process, he said, “would be little different than getting a driver's license.” Parents must “pass a series of basic tests” in order to “get the green light to get pregnant and raise children.”
“Those applicants who are deemed unworthy” for a variety of reasons – he lists homelessness, criminal history, and poverty among his examples – “would not be allowed until they could demonstrate they were suitable parents.”
However, he questions how far governments would go to enforce its birth control mandate. “Would governments force abortion upon mothers if they were found to be pregnant without permission?” he asked, saying the idea seems “unimaginable in most societies around the world.”
Istvan writes that he finds “near-term hope” in a contraceptive technology funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, a remote-controlled injectable microchip that could effectively sterilize someone for up to 16 years.
“The implanted microchip lasts for up to 16 years -- three times current implantable devices, including IUDs -- and can deliver hormones into the body via an on-off switch on your mobile phone,” he wrote. “It's not a huge jump to imagine governments seeing opportunity in using this.”
However, due to the national government's spotty record on fiscal and other issues, he believes its control should be outsourced to a world government. “Perhaps a nonprofit entity like the World Health Organization might be able to step in,” he wrote, adding WHO's participation would inspire “more confidence.”
The concept of a birth licenses, even those run by the United Nations, is not new. Istvan noted the support of ethics professor Hugh LaFollette and Paul Ehrlich, author of The Population Bomb.
The Ehrlichs co-authored the 1977 book Ecoscience with current Obama Science Czar John Holdren. They endorsed a “comprehensive planetary regime” to control fertility, adding that “compulsory population-control laws, even including laws requiring compulsory abortion, could be sustained under the existing constitution if the population crisis became sufficiently severe to endanger the society.” President Obama recently said he relies on Holdren to formulate his science policy.
The concept of government-regimented reproduction was also supported by Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger some 80 years ago. Sanger wrote in a column for America Weekly in March 1934 that even then it may have “become necessary to establish a system of birth permits.”
Istvan believes new technology places their dream closer than ever to reality. Pre-clinical testing of the new microchip begins next year. A development team at the Massachusetts-based MicroCHIPS Inc. hopes to introduce the product by 2018, pending approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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CASTANET.net
Castanet's UFO? video
by Wayne Moore | Story: 120861 - Aug 13, 2014 / 5:00 am
A news video shot and posted by Castanet has the UFO community all a-buzz.
The video was shot on July 17 in West Kelowna at the command centre a few hours after the Smith Creek Wildfire sprung up.
In the news piece, a bright object appears from behind clouds above the fire area quickly moving left to right.
Since the video and related story was posted on Castanet, it has been re-posted on several UFO websites including latest UFO sightings, UFO stalker and UFO sight.
The author of the initial report on the sighting stated:
Witness report: Shot out from the clouds above the mountain during a forest fire near our nieghbourhood. It pulled a wisp of cloud with it as it exited.
A forest fire broke out on the mountain behind us and during the attempt to put it out, this event took place. I was watching a video online of the fire from a little earlier in the day and i spotted the UFO 37 seconds into the video. I have no idea whether anyone else has noticed this or not. Most folks would be focused on the fire.
37 seconds into the video the UFO comes shooting out from a cloud right above the mountain and passes through a clear spot back into the next cloud. I was quite startled and surprised when i saw it. The UFO left a thin trail of cloud vaper as it exited the cloud. This, to me, eliminates any thought that this might be a camera lens artifact or light phenomenon effect.
The event lasted only a couple seconds. Judging by the distance i was from the object it had to have been moving very fast. The scene cuts away while the UFO is still visible. I’m left to assume that there must be more footage of it than i saw.
I phoned the website’s news department to ask if it would be possible to see the full footage, but was met with disapproval. In retrospect, perhaps i shouldn’t have mentioned the word UFO. (lol)
The YouTube posting has received more than 22,000 hits.
According to the website UFO Hunters, there have been 32 reported UFO sightings from as far south as Keremeos north to Salmon Arm since 2008.
Natural Blaze
10 Amazing Health Benefits of Tomatoes
Wednesday, August 20, 2014 | 2 comments
Tomatoes are often referred to as a vegetable, although in fact they are classified as a fruit. It’s understandable that this confuses many people, since tomatoes are normally stored in the supermarket in the vegetable section!
Tomatoes are high in multiple different vitamins and this makes them an all-round great food to include in your daily diet. You can expect to treat your body to good doses of Vitamin A, B6, C and K. Magnesium, copper, niacin, thiamine, phosphorus, potassium and folate are all well represented in the unassuming tomato.
The best tomatoes are bright red in color, have a smooth skin with no wrinkles and are firm to the touch (of course there are many varieties of specialty tomatoes which are different colors like black or yellow too). When a tomato becomes squishy and over ripe it is best used to make sauces or casseroles.
When tomatoes are no longer suitable for eating they will develop black spots on the fruit and the skin will pucker. Remember to store them in the crisper section of the refrigerator and regularly check them to make sure they have not turned black. Tomatoes that are not yet ripe enough to eat are commonly put on a windowsill in mild sunlight to ripen.
With a very high water content, tomatoes are not suitable for freezing unless you plan to use them for cooking. Should your refrigerator be too cold, the water content in your tomatoes will quickly freeze and then go soft when they are thawed.
Tomatoes have low levels of saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. They also contain very few calories, which is another great reason to include a lot of them in any healthy diet.
Here are our top 10 health benefits of tomatoes to convince you to eat more of them:
1. Eating tomatoes is thought to reduce the risk of prostate cancer as well as other cancers like throat, pharynx, esophagus, mouth, cervical, lung, stomach, colon and ovarian cancers. Lycopene is the ingredient that promotes these health benefits. It is thought that the Mediterranean diet, where tomatoes are cooked with olive oil, contributes to low rates of cancer in Mediterranean countries.
2. You may not realize that tomatoes are high in calcium. This means your bones benefit when you include this fruit in your regular diet. As mentioned, tomatoes contain vitamin K, which is also beneficial for keeping bones healthy and strong. Lycopene, once again, plays a part in strong bones as it is known to improve the bone mass. This is especially important as you start to age and diseases like osteoporosis start to make themselves known.
3. If you’re having trouble getting a good night’s sleep try drinking a glass of tomato juice before bed. You’re sure to have a much better slumber.
4. Tomatoes are fabulous for your skin. High levels of lycopene are known to help with the signs of aging like wrinkles, fine lines and damage from the sun. Lycopene is an antioxidant with many health benefits for skin.
5. Smoking creates carcinogens that can damage your body. Chlorogenic and coumaric acids both can protect the body from the carcinogens created from cigarette smoke.
6. Antioxidants are high in tomatoes. This means that free radicals in your body can be neutralized and cell damage can be minimized.
7. Vitamin A in tomatoes brings many health benefits. You’ll notice stronger and shinier hair when you have good amounts of Vitamin A in your system. Not only that – your skin, nails and teeth will all show signs of improvement due to vitamin A.
8. Your eyes will thank you when you eat a lot of tomatoes. Vitamin A and vitamin C in tomatoes can help improve your normal vision as well as help to prevent the development of night blindness. Vitamin A is thought to be a contributing factor in the prevention of eye ailments like macular degeneration and cataracts. Several other antioxidants in tomatoes help to protect the eyes from damage caused by light.
9. Diabetics should include tomatoes regularly in their diet. Chromium helps to regulate blood sugar levels. Tomatoes have very few carbohydrates and are high in fiber. All traits that assist to keep blood sugar levels at a safe level.
10. Vitamins A, B, C and potassium make tomatoes good for hearts! They work to reduce cholesterol, to lower blood pressure, prevent stroke and also work together with other nutrients to reduce the chance of heart disease.
As you can see there are many health benefits to the common tomato. But tomatoes aren’t just good for you, they are actually lovely to eat. They are an adaptable fruit that can be eaten in salads, on sandwiches, in soups, curries and casseroles. As tomatoes cook down they add amazing flavor to any dish.
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Until
next week...keep on believing.
Almondtree Productions
“And
I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my
people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not
of her plagues.”
(Revelation 18:4)