“But,
beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day [is] with
the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day”.
(2
Peter 3:8)
Thousand
Years As One Day
Dear Friends,
Greetings! We are republishing a video we originally published in March of this year called
“How Long Were The Israelites In Egypt”.
The reason we are doing this is because the writer, Stephen Strutt, recently published very similar material but based on a different source.
Stephen took this a step further from what is considered the traditional Bibical time chart of the earth and deducted the 215 year discrepancy mentioned in the video and in his work.
Although not being dogmatic about specific dates he has developed a very interesting theory concerning where we now stand in regards to End Time events.
We think you will find this of interest.
Click on the link below titled “Age Of The Earth Chart”.
Have a great week ahead.
***
***
SPUTNIK
Bible Revisited: Alleged Sodom Site Thought to Have Been Hit by Cosmic Blast
November 23, 2018
According to the Bible, the ancient cities, thought to have been located on the Dead Sea, were wiped away by God for the sinful behaviour of their people. The preliminary findings of US scientists suggest that this region witnessed a major calamity almost 4 thousand years ago, which left it uninhabited for centuries.
Archaeologists from Trinity Southwest University, a Christian higher educational institution in Albuquerque, New Mexico, have claimed civilisation in the Dead Sea region was destroyed 3,700 years ago following a meteor explosion in the atmosphere.
During the annual meeting of the American Schools of Oriental Research in Denver, Colorado, scholar Phillip Silvia reported the preliminary findings of their excavations in the area, which some scientists consider to be home to the Biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The results suggest that cities and settlements in the Jordan Valley’s Middle Ghor region, where up to 65,000 people lived around that time, were obliterated with a powerful wave of heat, wind and tiny particles, the outlet Science News reports.
Waives also pushed salty water from the Dead Sea, which devastated the soil. The explosion, the researchers argue, “not only [wiped] out 100% of the Middle Bronze Age cities and towns, but also [stripped] agricultural soil from once-fertile fields,” Newsweek reports.
According to the scientists, a low-altitude meteor explosion caused the catastrophe which wiped out the region, including the ancient city of Tall el-Hammam, where the researchers worked for years. Radiocarbon dating reportedly revealed that mud-brick walls suddenly disappeared in the Middle Ghor city, as only stone foundations remained.
A pottery surface found on the site was melted into glass, which may be a result of extreme temperatures. Following the alleged blast, people wouldn’t return to the region for 600-700 years.
Humanity has seen several space explosions before. Five years ago, a near-Earth asteroid exploded in the atmosphere near the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, making headlines around the world and even worming its way into a Hollywood movie. This resulted in over 1,000 people being injured (mostly by broken glass from windows blown out by the shockwave). A more powerful blast came in 1908, when an asteroid exploded over a scarcely populated Siberian region on the Tunguska River, wiping away 2,000 square kilometres.
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WND
Scientists: Sodom destroyed by 'superheated blast from skies'
November 23, 2018
Artist’s representation of Sodom and Gomorrah
A scientific study aligns with the biblical account of the ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah being destroyed by fire and brimstone from the heavens.
The book of Genesis tells the story of God sending two angels to save Lot and his family from a city where men demanded to “be intimate” with visiting men, one of the clearest biblical condemnations of homosexuality. In response, God “rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah sulfurous fire … out of heaven.”
It would be hundreds of years before life returned to the region.
And now scientists have found evidence of a cataclysmic event in that area, even if they do not attribute it to God.
Science News reported archaeologist Phillip Silvia of Trinity Southwest University in Albuquerque has concluded a “superheated blast from the skies … obliterated cities and farming settlements north of the Dead Sea around 3,700 years ago.”
Siliva found “radiocarbon dating and unearthed minerals that instantly crystallized at high temperatures indicate a massive airburst caused by a meteor that exploded in the atmosphere instantaneously destroyed civilization in a 25-kilometer-wide circular plain called Middle Ghor.”
Science News said the event “also pushed a bubbling brine of Dead Sea salts over once-fertile farm land, Silvia and his colleagues suspect.”
Silvia reported the conclusions recently at an annual meeting of the American Schools of Oriental Research.
“Excavations at five large Middle Ghor sites, in what’s now Jordan, indicate that all were continuously occupied for at least 2,500 years until a sudden, collective collapse toward the end of the Bronze Age. Ground surveys have located 120 additional, smaller settlements in the region that the researchers suspect were also exposed to extreme, collapse-inducing heat and wind. An estimated 40,000 to 65,000 people inhabited Middle Ghor when the cosmic calamity hit, Silvia said,” Science News said.
Silvia has been excavating in the area for more than a decade, and radiocarbon dating suggests the mud-brick walls suddenly disappeared at once, “leaving only stone foundations.”
“What’s more, the outer layers of many pieces of pottery from same time period show signs of having melted into glass. Zircon crystals in those glassy coats formed within one second at extremely high temperatures, perhaps as hot as the surface of the sun, Silvia said,” according to the report.
And tiny bits of rock were found on pottery fragments, suggesting it “rained down.”
Researchers likened it to an event in Siberia in 1908 in which an apparent meteor exploded in the air, flattening 2,000 square kilometers of forest.
Another incident in Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013, injured some 1,600 people.
Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz reported at Breaking Israel News that scientists long had thought the evidence suggested a meteor struck Sodom and Gomorrah, but there was no evidence of a crater.
Then they turned “their eyes heavenward.”
Silvia and his team concluded the “destruction not only of Tall el-Hammam (Sodom), but also its neighbors (Gomorrah and the other cities of the plain) was most likely caused by a meteoritic airburst event.”
“The scientific explanation clearly reflects the biblical description of the destruction of the twin cities of evil located in the same area,” he wrote.
SputnikNews noted the Bible says the ancient cities were “wiped away by God for the sinful behavior of their people.”
The report says modern scientists call the events a “major calamity.”
It said the impact also pushed salty water from the Dead Sea onto land, devastating the soil and the once-fertile region’s ability to produce crops.
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THE CHRISTIAN POST
Who created God? Christian astrophysicist Hugh Ross answers
By Michael Gryboski
Astrophysicist and best-selling author Hugh Ross of the Christian apologetics group Reasons to Believe giving a speech at Regent University in November 2018. | (Screenshot: YouTube/Regent University)
Astrophysicist Hugh Ross of the Christian apologetics group Reasons to Believe has recently tackled the question of who or what created God.
At a lecture given last week at Regent University titled "Does Science Prove God's Glory?" Ross talked about the evidence for the Christian God as seen in recent scientific evidence.
"God has given us two books, the book of scripture and the book of nature," stated Ross in reference to a concept developed by theologians in the Middle Ages. "In the 21st century we're seeing, daily, that scientific discoveries are giving us more evidence for the Christian faith. New evidences from the book of nature shows us that we can trust the book of scripture."
During his speech, Ross explained that when he presents his scientific evidence for the existence of God, "the most common question" he gets in response is "Who created God?"
"It's not just scientists that ask that question. I get that question from little children. If God created the Universe, who created God?" said Ross. "As a matter of fact, both of my sons, before they reached 4 years of age, asked me that question."
Ross said that he explained to those who ask the question that there existed "these space-time theorems that tell us there's actually more than one dimension of time."
"Time is that dimension in which cause and effect phenomena occur. And we have these theorems that tell us that we have the universe come into existence before time exists ," noted Ross.
"Which implies for the creator of the universe, that creator must have access to at least the equivalent of two independent dimensions of time."
By noting that God can exist on a different timeline, Ross explained that this means "that God would have no beginning, no ending, and would be uncreated."
"And of all the world's holy books, only the Bible says that about God. That He has no beginning, no ending, and is uncreated," claimed Ross.
"The Bible also stands alone in saying that God can arbitrarily expand time and compress time. 'A day of the Lord is like a thousand years.' 'A thousand years is like a day.' 'A thousand years is like three hours in the night.'"
Ross' speech was hosted by Regent's Center for Christian Thought & Action, which seeks to "provide carefully considered alternatives to the challenges our culture faces."
"The CCTA will offer commentary grounded in the biblical worldview, but it will be more than an opinion or educational site," reads the CCTA's official page.
"We want to be part of the solution to our many divisions through winsome dialog, reasoned argument, and close analysis, presenting ideas and proposals we believe can make a decisive difference as they are applied where needed."
Earlier this year in an opinion column published by The Christian Post, writer and apologist Justin Steckbauer also responded to the question by labeling it a "fallacy."
"By definition, if God could be created, then He wouldn't be God. He'd be man. We think in these finite terms: Who created God?" wrote Steckbauer in January.
"God answers this question in his title: I am who I am. I am not like you. I am beyond the past, and beyond the future. In fact, God created time itself. We must allow for our finite ability to comprehend eternity."
Portals, Occultism and the Collins Elite
Click to View PDF online***
RT
‘Golan Heights forever ours!’ Israel praises US for its vote against UN anti-occupation resolution
November 20, 2018
FILE PHOTO: An Israeli tank in the occupied Golan Heights © Reuters / Amir Cohen
Israel said its sovereignty over the Golan Heights is permanent, after the US for the first time rejected a symbolic UN resolution that calls on the Jewish state to end its occupation of the Syrian territory it captured in 1967.
“Israel will remain forever on the Golan Heights, and the Golan Heights will forever remain in our hands,” Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, thanking the US leadership for voting against calls at the United Nations on Friday for the return of the Golan to Syria.
Netanyahu noted that Israel has been working with the US “for some time” towards the abandonment of Washington’s passive support for the non-binding resolution titled “The occupied Syrian Golan.” Previous US leadership had abstained from the vote on the symbolic document but, this year, under Donald Trump, the US became the only state to vote ‘No’ alongside Israel. However, with 151 votes in favor and 14 abstentions, the Special Political and Decolonization Committee's resolution passed anyway.
The document demands the end of Israeli occupation of the Golan while urging Tel Aviv to refrain from establishing settlements and from imposing Israeli citizenship on Syrians living there.
Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria after the 1967 Six Day War. While Tel Aviv refrained from extending sovereignty over the Golan for over a decade, in 1981 the Jewish state annexed the area. The Druze of the Golan were offered full Israeli citizenship under the Golan Heights Law of 1981, however, only a small minority changed their allegiance from Syria to Israel. Despite strong condemnation by Damascus, last month Israel introduced elections to the local Druze councils in the territory.
Israel has enjoyed the most favorable relations with the US under the Trump administration, which has bowed to a strong domestic Israeli lobby to support Tel Aviv's demands, ignored by previous American governments.
During Trump's presidency, Washington has been blocking Palestinian aspirations for statehood. In the most controversial move, Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and relocated the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city. Months following the move, US ambassador David Friedman hinted that Washington might soon recognize Israel’s claims over the Golan.
“I personally cannot imagine a situation in which the Golan Heights will be returned to Syria,” he told the Israel Hayom newspaper in September. “I frankly cannot imagine a situation in which the Golan Heights is not part of Israel forever.”
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THE WILD VOICE
Lucifer In The Vatican – Father Malachi Martin
"Observant Catholics, traditionalist Catholics, will become hunted like doves." – Father Malachi Martin
In this interview Father Malachi Martin says "There was this consecration, this enthronement of Satan within the Vatican, of Lucifer by the way. It's a historical fact. It was done one particular day by a certain group of people representing Luciferians all over the world, especially American Luciferians. It was done. Therefore, in a certain sense, Lucifer has power. He doesn't own yet, but I'm sure he hopes to own some Pope as his man."
The audio is from an interview conducted in the 1990s with Father Malachi Martin by Mr. Bernard Janzen of Triumph Communications. We hope you might listen to this Priest's words from yesterday in the context of today's state of our Church, particularly with respect to the reign of False Prophet Pope Francis.
Malachi Martin (1921 – 1999)
was an Irish Catholic priest and writer on the Catholic Church. Originally ordained as a Jesuit priest, he became Professor of Palaeography at the Vatican's Pontifical Biblical Institute. From 1958 he served as secretary to Cardinal Bea during preparations for the Second Vatican Council. Disillusioned by reforms, he asked to be released from certain of his Jesuit vows in 1964 and moved to New York City. His 17 novels and non-fiction books were frequently critical of the Catholic Church, which he believed had failed to act on the third prophecy revealed by the Virgin Mary at Fátima.
His work often dealt with satanism, demonic possession, and exorcism, liberation theology, the Second Vatican Council, the Tridentine liturgy, Catholic dogma, modernism, the financial history of the Church, the New World Order and the geopolitical importance of the Pope. Martin continued to offer Mass privately each day in the Tridentine Mass form, and vigorously exercised his priestly ministry all the way up until his death.
He was strongly supported by some traditional Catholic sources and severely criticized by highly liberal sources. He was a periodic guest on Art Bell's radio program, Coast to Coast AM, between 1995 and 1998.
In the final years before his death, Martin was received in a private audience by Pope John Paul II. Afterwards, he started working on a book with the working title Primacy: How the Institutional Roman Catholic Church became a Creature of the New World Order.
ACTS 20 – "Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops, to rule the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood. I know that, after my departure, ravening wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. And of your own selves shall arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them."
Some quotes from the video:
Father Malachi Martin:
"The organization, the Roman Catholic Organization, as an organization, that is composed of Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Religious, Nuns, with schools and academies, and institutions, parishes and dioceses and everything that goes along with this, that this, as an organization, is in apostasy."
"At the present moment a sizable majority of people are in apostasy, have been led into apostasy, and a sizeable minority of Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, and Religious are in apostasy. They no longer profess the basic truths of Christianity – forget Catholicism."
"They simply do not believe that Jesus is in the Blessed Sacrament. They don't believe that Jesus knew He was God – or was God. He became God."
"If you lose your faith you don't know you have lost it."
"Today, universally in the media, and in literature, and in commentators above all, anybody who speaks about a conspiracy is labeled as a conspiratorial freak."
"In this world you're either serving Christ or you're serving Lucifer."
"The satanists I know who belong to Luciferian and satanist covens in New York are all lawyers, doctors, architects, nurses, brokers, businessmen, entrepreneurs, and they're perfectly respectable citizens. They pay their taxes. They contribute to the local church. Some of them Catholic, some of them are protestant, some of them are Jewish. They're perfectly respectable as far as civic life goes. They're models of civic behavior."
"We have the fact that prelates and priests and nuns, but above all prelates in the church, have become members of covens and worship Satan, and worship Lucifer."
"They want to completely de-supernaturalize Roman Catholic teaching, so that we become good unsupernaturally motivated human beings."
Dom Prosper Guéranger – "When the shepherd becomes a wolf, the first duty of the flock is to defend itself. The true children of Holy Church, at such times, are those who walk by the light of their Baptism, not the cowardly souls who, under the specious pretext of submission to the powers that be, delay their opposition to the enemy in the hope of receiving instructions which are neither necessary nor desirable."
JEWSNEWS
WAR ON CHRISTIANITY: China plans to rewrite the Bible to include Buddhist teachings, which would infuse worship songs with Chinese elements
November 17, 2018
To better control the growth and influence of Christianity, the Chinese government plans to incorporate Buddhist scripture and Confucian teachings into the Bible and edit worship songs to include Chinese characteristics, the head of a persecution watchdog has revealed.
The Rev. Bob Fu, founder of the persecution watchdog organization China Aid, told Congress that the Three Self Patriotic Movement and the Chinese Christian Council (China’s state-sanctioned Protestant bodies) have developed a five-year plan on “promoting the Sinicization of Christianity,” The Christian Post reports.
The plan, finalized at a meeting this March, proposes “cultivating and implementing the socialist core values” and will be supervised by the national religious affairs bureau. “Every province, autonomous region and municipality’s TSPM and CCC seminaries and churches will cooperate with it,” according to Fu.
To “sinicize” (bring under Chinese control) Christianity, the government plans to “retranslate” the Old Testament and provide new commentary to the New Testament, Fu revealed.
“The plan made it clear that ‘Sinicization of Christianity’ means to change ‘Christianity in China’ into ‘Chinese Christianity,'” he explained. [The plan] emphasized that ‘the heart and soul of Christianity’s Sinicization is to Sincize the Christian theology,’ and even proposing to ‘re-translate the Bible or re-write biblical commentaries.'”
A retranslation would be a summary of the Old Testament with some Buddhist scripture and Confucian teachings and new commentary for the New Testament, Fu said.
“There are outlines that the new Bible should not look westernized and [should look] Chinese and reflect Chinese ethics of Confucianism and socialism,” Fu told CP. “The Old Testament will be messed up. The New Testament will have new commentaries to interpret it.”
Fu added that the five-year plan advocates for “incorporating the Chinese elements into church worship services, hymns and songs, clergy attire, and the architectural style of church buildings.”
“This includes ‘editing and publishing worship songs with Chinese characteristics and promoting the Sinicization of worship music,’ using uniquely Chinese art forms, such as Chinese painting, calligraphy, inscription, and paper-cutting to express the Christian faith,'” he said. “[It’s also] encouraging churches to blend in style with Chinese architecture to local architectural style.”
Fu revealed that already, state officials have urged 20,000 underground house churches to close and join the state-sanctioned church. Leaders of these churches, he said, must pledge their loyalty to the Communist party.
“The first criteria they have to pass is whether they can publicly pledge they will [uphold] the party’s words and the party’s path. These slogans are being hanged around the church, even in many Catholic churches, on the walls and on the doors. On the entrance door, it says, ‘Listen to the words of the party, follow the path of the party.’ How can you have a real independent faith as believers? As Christian believers, we are taught to obey the command of the Lord and listen to the command of the Lord. Essentially, the communist party wants to impose themselves as the Lord over the church.”
Fu told CP that according to the former chairman of the TSPM, they believe the “doctrine of justification of faith by Jesus Christ is too narrow.”
“He is promoting justification by love in doing good deeds. He essentially said that God is very inclusive so these communist party heroes he listed are doing so many good deeds and they should be accepted into Heaven by our God,” he explained. “It is kind of a universalist doctrine.”
Since the official “Regulations on Religious Affairs” came into effect on February 1, 2018, Christians have experienced increased persecution at the hands of the Communist government. Authorities have demolished hundreds of Protestant churches, knocked crosses off steeples, evicted congregations, and imprisoned pastors.
As earlier reported, hundreds of Chinese pastors recently signed a statement denouncing the government’s efforts to restrict Christianity.
“[U]nder no circumstances will we lead our churches to join a religious organization controlled by the government, to register with the religious administration department, or to accept any kind of affiliation,” the pastors say. “We also will not accept any ‘ban’ or ‘fine’ imposed on our churches due to our faith.”
The statement also makes four points addressing the Chinese government’s continued crackdown on Christian churches.
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REUTERS
BEIJING (Reuters) - A city in China’s far-western Xinjiang region has ordered people who are “poisoned by extremism, terrorism and separatism”, in contact with overseas terror groups or act in a conservative Islamic manner, to turn themselves in to authorities.
FILE PHOTO - Chinese soldiers participate in an anti-terror drill in Hami, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China, July 8, 2017. Picture taken July 8, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer
Those who surrender to judicial organs within 30 days and confess to their crimes will be treated leniently and might avoid punishment, said a notice posted on Sunday on the official social media account of the Hami city government.
Beijing has in recent months faced an outcry from activists, academics and foreign governments over mass detentions and strict surveillance of the Muslim Uighur minority and other ethnic groups that live in Xinjiang.
China rejects the criticism, saying that it protects the religion and culture of minorities in the region and that its security measures are needed to combat the influence of “extremist” groups that incite violence there.
“All individuals involved in terrorist crimes and poisoned by the ‘three evil forces’ are urged to surrender themselves to the judicial organs within 30 days and to confess and hand over the facts of your crime,” said the Hami city notice.
The notice issued by the municipal “leading small group for stability maintenance” says that actions ranging from being in contact with overseas “terror” groups to conservative Islamic behavior should prompt individuals to turn themselves in.
Advocating that people live their entire lives in accordance with the Koran, stopping other people from watching television, or banning alcohol, smoking and dancing at weddings are listed as behaviors that should warrant informing the authorities.
The list also included openly destroying, rejecting or thwarting the government identification system, as well as rejecting government provided housing, subsidies and cigarettes or booze as being “haram” or forbidden.
Those who turn themselves in on time will be treated leniently, and if the information provides a significant clue, then they might avoid all punishment, the notice said.
In August, a United Nations human rights panel said it had received many credible reports that a million or more Uighurs and other minorities are being held in what resembles a “massive internment camp that is shrouded in secrecy” in Xinjiang.
China says it is not enforcing arbitrary detention and political re-education.
Aside from the mass detentions, rights groups also say that the Chinese government has significantly raised limitations on everyday religious observances in the region.
Last month, the region’s capital Urumqi launched a campaign targeting halal products, like food and toothpaste, which are produced according to Islamic law, in order to prevent what it sees as the incursion of Islam into secular life.
(This version of the story has been refiled to fix spelling in paragraph 8, “haram” not “harem”)
Reporting by Christian Shepherd and Beijing newsroom; Editing by Michael Perry
Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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MailOnline
Could this be Atlantis? Ancient ruins flooded off the Spanish coast are the lost city declare UK satellite experts
Private company Merlin Burrows examined previously found ancient ruins
Experts have long thought the sites off the coast of Spain were Roman or Greek
But Merlin Burrows says they once formed part of the city of Atlantis
By HARRY PETTIT FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 14:15, 15 November 2018 | UPDATED: 20:13, 15 November 2018
The location of the lost city of Atlantis may finally have been discovered, according to one team of historians.
Ancient ruins examined using satellite imagery provide evidence that the city's huge harbour walls once stood in southern Spain, the experts say.
Many of the sites studied by the team were already known to archaeologists, and are thought to have been constructed by the ancient Romans and Greeks.
Now researchers at private satellite imaging firm Merlin Burrows claim to have found evidence that the sites were in fact built by a mysterious ancient people known as the Atlanteans.
Atlantis was recorded in the writings of Greek philosopher Plato, who in 400 BC described an advanced island civilisation that ruled a vast maritime empire, some 9,000 years before his own era.
The city of Atlantis at the centre of this empire was described as having an enormous harbour wall, huge entrance pillars, a temple to the god Poseidon and massive circular pieces of land carved out by the Atlanteans to live on.
It is thought a cataclysmic natural disaster, such as a tsunami or volcanic event, eventually wiped out the Atlanteans, consigning their legacy to legend.
Scientists are yet to find conclusive evidence that Atlantis existed. Many scholars believe Plato invented the story as a way to present his philosophical theories.
Picture shows what UK firm believes are the remnants of the harbour wall of Atlantis which was said to five-and-a-half miles long. Plato wrote that this wall was '50 stadia long' which would make it around five-and-a-half miles (9 km) in length
Image shows formations inside the Doñana National Park, Andalucia, Spain. They may be evidence of islands depicted by Plato in his story of Atlantis. The philosopher described how buildings were propped up on a mixture of natural and man made island structures
Pictured are a selection of the sites studied by the team at Merlin Burrows, a satellite imaging company based in Yorkshire. The white line shows where researchers believe the harbour wall described by Plato was built
Experts at Merlin Burrows believe the flooded ruins of the legendary city are off the coast of southern Spain.
The location is somewhere north of the city of Cadiz, Andalucía, centred around the Doñana National Park, which the historians believe was once a vast inland sea.
And they claim that south and north of the park there is further evidence of the ancient civilisation, with 15 other settlements dotted along the coastline.
Most of these settlements are believed to be of Roman or Greek origin by archaeologists, as each civilisation once occupied the area.
But now using unique satellite investigation techniques, aerial photography and ground observations of the site, British experts believe they have found all the features of Atlantis Plato described and evidence of how they were destroyed.
Although some scholars believe Atlantis to be a myth, Merlin Burrows claim their discoveries will once and for all prove the lost civilisation existed.
Maritime historian Tim Akers, head of research at Merlin Burrows, said not only had they discovered Atlantis, but also found the people were incredibly advanced.
He said 'laboratory analysis' of material recovered from Spain showed evidence of a type of cement not seen before, as well as ancient advanced metallurgy.
A greenish blue patina has been found covering some of the ruins which tests have shown is an ancient combination of metals.
The Strategic Culture Foundation,
Italy Throws Down The Gauntlet To Challenge The Brussels Establishment
Authored by Arkady Savitsky
November 19, 2018
The EU has had a lot of trouble on its hands, as its members, such as Poland and Hungary, are openly challenging the established order. This time it’s a very serious situation, because Brussels is facing defiance from Italy, the 3rd largest national economy in the eurozone and the 8th largest global economy in terms of nominal GDP. It has a population of over 60 million. It is also a Europhile country and the bloc’s founding member.
The Italian government has rejected the EU’s calls to revise its draft budget for 2019 that includes a 2.4% deficit of GDP, which could dangerously boost the nation’s public debt. The ruling coalition in Rome, which is made up of the League and the populist Five Star Movement, has decided to increase borrowing so that it can fund its campaign promises, such as lowering the retirement age and increasing welfare payments.
Last month the European Commission claimed that these spending targets went against EU rules.Rome is burdened by the second-highest amount of public debt in the eurozone. There’s a 131.8% difference between borrowing and economic output there, but the government believes it will achieve substantial economic growth, while the EU’s predictions for Italy are rather gloomy. Nov. 13 was the deadline for submitting a revised draft budget. Rome did not comply. Now the EU leadership is threatening it with sanctions it until it falls into line. Italy could be slapped with a fine of €3.4 billion.
The Italian government takes an independent stance on a multitude of issues. It is seen as Russia-friendly in its calls for lifting, or at least easing, the sanctions against the Russian Federation. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte believes Moscow should be re-admitted to the G7. The Italian PM visited Moscow in late October, hailing Russia as an essential global player and inviting Putin to visit Italy. Despite the EU-imposed punitive measures that are in place, Mr. Conte signed a slew of trade and investment agreements. Last year, Russia’s parliamentary majority party, United Russia, and Italy’s Lega Nord (Northern League), a ruling coalition member, signed a cooperation agreement. The regional council in Veneto, where Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini holds a strong position, recognized Crimea as part of Russia in 2016.
Austria is another Russia-friendly EU member. Even the recent “spy scandal” that was obviously staged by outside forces to spoil that bilateral relationship, has failed to damage that rapport. "We are a country that has good contacts with Russia, we are aimed at dialogue, it will not change in the future,” said Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, speaking to reporters on Nov .14. The conservative People's Party and the far-right Freedom Party — the members of the ruling coalition — are well-disposed toward Moscow. They don’t support the EU sanctions policy.
Hungary is another Russia-friendly EU member. Last month, the European parliament voted to initiate the Article 7 sanctions procedure against Hungary. The government led by PM Victor Orban has been accused of silencing the media, targeting NGOs, and removing independent judges. Launching the procedures stipulated under that article opens the door to sanctions. Hungary could eventually be temporarily deprived of its EU voting rights. In reality, the country is being punished for refusing to take in migrants.
This is the second time Article 7 procedures have been launched. The first time was last year, when the European Commission set that article into motion against Poland over its judicial reforms. A unanimous vote is required to suspend Hungary's voting rights and introduce sanctions. That move is likely to be blocked by Poland. It turn, Hungary said it would stand by Warsaw should the EU launch procedures to punish it. The two nations are united in their efforts to support each other and fend off Brussels’ encroachments at a time when the bloc is undergoing the most difficult times in its history.
Hungary, Poland, and Russia are trying to draw Europe’s attention to the threat to democracy and peace emanating from Ukraine — a problem that has been largely hushed up by the EU leadership.
Slovakia is another EU member state to nurture what some call “special ties” with Russia. It has never been happy with the sanctions against Moscow and has openly said so. Last month, its new prime minister, Peter Pellegrini, called on the EU to revise the sanction policy.
A diplomatic row was also staged in Greece but, as in case of Austria, it may have clouded those historically close ties but has failed to sever them. Cyprus has always been friendly toward Moscow, but Nicosia and Athens are not in a position to protect their independence, as both are heavily indebted and dependent on foreign loans.
The battle between Brussels and Rome comes at a time when Europe is preparing for the European Parliament elections in May 2019. Punitive measure taken by the EU against Italy will most certainly lead to growing public support of that government that is standing up to pressure in order to defend its people. It will increase the number of Italian Eurosceptics who win seats. With so many countries dissatisfied with the EU leadership, it’s hard to predict the outcome. There will soon be other people at the helm who hold quite different views on the problems faced by the EU, as well as on the bloc’s future. Everything may change, including the relationship with Russia and the sanctions that have become so unpopular and have resulted in many national leaders openly challenging the wisdom of such policy imposed by a powerful few.
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PRESSTV
Almost 85,000 Yemeni kids may have died of malnutrition amid Saudi war: Save the Children
November 21, 2018
A Yemeni mother holds her malnourished child as a nurse tries to feed the baby at al-Mudhafar hospital in Ta’izz on November 19, 2018. (Photo by AFP)
A UK-based charity says more than 84,700 children under the age of five may have starved to death in Yemen since the Saudi regime and a coalition of its allies launched a brutal war on the already-impoverished nation over three years ago.
Using data compiled by the UN, Save the Children calculated in a Tuesday report the mortality rate for untreated cases of Severe Acute Malnutrition among Yemeni kids between April 2015 and October 2018.
“We are horrified that some 85,000 children in Yemen may have died because of extreme hunger since the war began. For every child killed by bombs and bullets, dozens are starving to death and it’s entirely preventable,” said Tamer Kirolos, the aid group’s Yemen director.
“Children who die in this way suffer immensely as their vital organ functions slow down and eventually stop… Parents are having to witness their children wasting away, unable to do anything about it,” Kirolos added.
He also noted that since the beginning of the Saudi-led offensive the charity has fed 140,000 Yemeni children and treated over 78,000 for malnutrition.
Elsewhere in its report, Save the Children complained that fighting and blockades have forced the group to bring vital supplies for northern Yemen through the port of Aden instead of Hudaydah, tripling the time for that aid to reach those in need.
It further raised concerns about a “dramatic increase” in Saudi air raids on Hudaydah in recent weeks and stepped-up fighting in the Yemeni provinces of Ta’izz, Sana’a and Sa’ada.
“In the past few weeks there have been hundreds of airstrikes in and around Hudaydah, endangering the lives of an estimated 150,000 children still trapped in the city. Save the Children is calling for an immediate end to the fighting so no more lives are lost,” Kirolos said.
According to the latest UN figures, up to14 million Yemenis are at risk of famine and an estimated 400,000 children are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition in 2018.
Saudi Arabia and its allies unleashed the deadly military aggression against Yemen in March 2015 in an attempt to reinstall the country’s former Riyadh-allied regime.
Yemen’s Houthi Ansarullah movement, which runs state affairs in Sana’a in the absence of an effective government, has been defending the nation against the Saudi aggression.
Back in June, the Saudi-led coalition launched an offensive on Hudaydah despite international warnings that it would compound the country’s humanitarian crisis. Hudaydah is the point of entry for 80 percent of the country’s commercial imports and nearly all UN-supervised humanitarian aid.
The Saudi-led offensive, coupled with a naval blockade, has destroyed Yemen's infrastructure and led to famine in the import-dependent state.
Malnourished boy in ‘extremely bad’ situation
Meanwhile, the AFP reported on the dire conditions of a malnourished Yemeni boy as a case in point.
It released a video showing Ghazi Saleh, 10, being treated for acute malnutrition at al-Mudhafar Hospital in the city of Ta’izz.
The boy only weighs eight kilograms and can barely breathe.
“He has not eaten properly for a while now, and he ultimately reached this situation,” nurse Eman Ali said.
Sona Othman, head of nutrition at the hospital, said, “Ghazi’s case was extremely bad and it mirrors the deteriorating health situation of the country,” adding, “We receive such cases every day, and some of them are very terrible.”
***
PRESSTV
Upcoming Khashoggi murder recordings will shake world: Report
November 20, 2018
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (L) and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
A Turkish daily says the audio recordings related to the gruesome murder of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi – which is widely believed to have been ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – are expected to be released this week, and that the revelations will “shake the world” and “turn the Saudi palace upside down.”
Yeni Safak’s editor-in-chief, Ibrahim Karagul, wrote in a column on Monday that it was necessary to present “new evidence” regarding the instructions on Khashoggi’s murder at Riyadh consulate in Istanbul as well as its organization, preparations and perpetration.
“Today or this week seems to be the most convenient time to do this,” it said. “The conversations among the murderers, their conversations with Riyadh after committing the murder, dialogues that will prove the crown prince was the one who directly gave the order.”
It also noted that the leaks would probably implicate Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Tel Aviv and Washington in the murder case.
The new evidence, the report said, would expose “perhaps the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egyptian intelligence’s role in the incident, and as a matter of fact, information on Israeli intelligence’s expertise or on the US leg of the murder.”
“Information of this kind will shake the world, lead to tremors in the region, turn the Saudi palace upside down, and create brand new situations in the region’s power structuring,” it added.
The report further stressed that the US-Israel-Saudi Arabia-UAE axis is tampering with evidence in a bid to save the crown prince, adding, however, that he can no longer be shielded from the murder’s fallout, and that cover-up operations will not work.
Khashoggi, a one-time royal insider who had been critical of the crown prince recently, was killed after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in early October.
Following weeks of denial of any involvement in Khashoggi's disappearance, the Saudi Arabia regime eventually acknowledged the “premeditated” murder, but has sought to distance the heir to the Saudi throne from the assassination.
A Saudi prosecutor said Khashoggi’s body had been dismembered, removed from the diplomatic mission and handed to an unidentified “local cooperator.”
The CIA is said to have concluded that the crown prince was behind the killing, but US President Donald Trump is yet to endorse the assessment.
Jubeir dismisses CIA report
Separately on Monday, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said that the reports, including by the CIA, that the heir to the Saudi throne gave the order to kill Khashoggi were false.
“We in the kingdom know that such allegations about the crown prince have no basis in truth and we categorically reject them, whether through leaks or not,” he said in an interview with Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat newspaper.
Jubeir also touched on recent remarks by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the kill order came from the “highest levels” of the Saudi government.
“We have already asked the Turkish authorities at the highest level about the meaning of these comments, and they confirmed to us categorically that the crown prince is not meant by these comments,” he said.
Khashoggi’s final words recorded
Additionally on Monday, Turkish newspaper Haberturk reported that the audio recordings of Khashoggi’s murder indicate that he was accosted by four members of a Saudi hit squad shortly after he entered the kingdom's Istanbul consulate.
“Let my hand go. Who do you think you are? Why are you doing this?” the report quotes Khashoggi as saying, as the Saudi agents pulled him into a room.
“You traitor! Your day of judgment has come!” Maher Mutreb, the coordinator of the Saudi team, is quoted as having said to Khashoggi before the journalist was tortured and murdered.
Later, Khashoggi’s body double Mustafa al-Madani is heard saying, “It’s really creepy that I am wearing the clothes of someone who was killed minutes ago.” He also complains that Khashoggi’s shoes are too tight for his feet.
Turkey denies bugging Saudi mission
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Ankara did not obtain the recordings of Khashoggi’s murder by bugging the Saudi consulate.
“There was no surveillance within the consulate [and] we will not reveal the source of the recordings,” he told the BBC on Monday. "There was no bugging.”
Turkey would not make the recordings public, but such a decision would “depend on the situation,” with the public prosecution office being responsible for it, he added.
‘Pompeo gave Riyadh plan to save bin Salman’
In another development on Monday, a senior Saudi source told the Middle East Eye news portal that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had delivered a plan to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and the crown prince to shield them from the murder scandal, during a meeting in Riyadh last month
The source said the US initiative includes an option to pin the Saudi journalist’s murder on an innocent member of the Al Saud family, but that person has not yet been chosen.
Saudi leaders are reserving the use of the plan in case the pressure on bin Salman becomes too much, he pointed out, emphasizing, “We would not be surprised if that happens.”
‘Bin Salman can’t escape’
Speaking on Tuesday, a Turkish opposition party leader said the Saudi crown prince could not escape the scandal and that Riyadh shares the same mentality as Osama bin Ladin, former leader the al-Qaeda terror group.
“The circle is tightening around the crown prince, paths to escape and salvation are closed,” Devlet Bahceli said.
“What is the difference between the Saudi administration and the mentality of Osama bin Laden? What separates this country from al-Qaeda?” he asked.
France mulls anti-Saudi sanctions
Amid growing international calls for sanctions on the Saudi regime over the murder, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told Europe 1 radio on Monday that Paris would decide very soon to impose sanctions on individuals linked to the case.
“We are working very closely with Germany at this moment ... and we will decide ourselves a certain number of sanctions very quickly over what we know (about the murder),” he replied when asked about whether France would follow Germany in imposing travel bans on Saudi individuals.
“But we believe that we need to go beyond that, because the whole truth needs to be known,” he added.
Le Drian further stressed that Paris wanted to have all the facts in place before making a decision.
“We want all the truth to be established and today it’s not the case. When I say all the truth, I mean the circumstances, those responsible need to be designated and once we’ve decided ourselves on the subject then we’ll take the necessary sanctions,” he said.
***
RT
MbS ‘could very well’ have known of Khashoggi killing, but Saudi Arabia still a ‘great ally’ – Trump
November 20, 2018
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Trump meet in Washington © Reuters / Jonathan Ernst
US President Trump has said that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “could very well” have known in advance about the plan to kill journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but the US will remain a “steadfast partner” of Saudi Arabia.
In a statement released Tuesday, Donald Trump said that Khashoggi’s murder was an “unacceptable and horrible crime,” and that as American intelligence agencies continue to investigate the case, “it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event.”
Trump went no further with that train of thought, and instead reaffirmed the strategic alliance between the US and Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom, he wrote, is an important ally against Iran and a vital supplier of oil.
The president again touted the importance of maintaining the US’ $110 billion arms deal with the Saudi government, which he said means “tremendous economic development” for the US.
“I’m not going to destroy the world economy, and I’m not going to destroy the economy for our country by being foolish with Saudi Arabia,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday.
Trump’s insistence on maintaining lucrative arms deals stands in stark contrast with the response from some of his allies. On Monday, the German Economic Ministry confirmed that all of its arms deals with Saudi Arabia, including those inked before Khashoggi’s disappearance in October, have been canceled.
Trump did however sanction 17 Saudi individuals last week, including Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, who Turkish authorities believe led a 15-man ‘kill team’ to Istanbul to murder Khashoggi, Saudi Consul General Mohammed Alotaibi, and Mustafa al-Madani, a middle-aged man who was seen leaving the Saudi consulate after Khashoggi’s death, wearing the deceased journalist’s clothes.
Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi government, was last seen alive on October 2, when he entered the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain documents for his upcoming marriage. Riyadh initially denied foul play, but later began to acknowledge Khashoggi’s death. After claiming that the journalist died in a fist fight with his captors, the Saudis now admit that he was murdered in an intelligence operation gone wrong.
The Saudi public prosecutor announced last week that he will seek the death penalty for five of Khashoggi’s alleged killers.
Meanwhile, the Turkish government has claimed that Saudi officials at the “highest level” ordered the hit. The Turks claim that Khashoggi was tortured and dismembered inside the consulate, and that his body was dissolved in acid by his captors.
The Turks claim to have an audio recording of Khashoggi’s final moments alive. Trump seemed to confirm the tape’s existence when he told Fox News on Sunday that he had been briefed on its contents, but chose not to listen to it, as “it’s a suffering tape."
Trump’s lukewarm response to the killing has been criticized by lawmakers in the US. Republican Senator Rand Paul said that Trump should suspend the US’ arms deal with Riyadh, and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of Trump, also said on Sunday that he considers The Crown Prince personally responsible for Khashoggi’s death.
"They are an important ally but when it comes to the crown prince, he's irrational, he's unhinged and I think he's done a lot of damage to the relationship (between) the United States and Saudi Arabia. And I have no intention of working with him ever again," he told NBC.
In his statement on Tuesday, Trump said that he understands “there are members of Congress who, for political or other reasons, would like to go in a different direction- and they are free to do so.”
Trump said that while he will “consider whatever ideas” presented to him, he is unlikely to take any steps to shake up his relationship with the Kingdom.
***
The Telegraph
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange charged in US, court document accidentally reveals
Ben Riley-Smith, us editor
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has apparently been charged in the US CREDIT: AFP
Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder, appears on the brink of being publicly charged after US prosecutors accidentally named him in court filings.
The US investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election is known to be looking into how Mr Assange’s outfit published thousands of hacked Democratic Party emails before the vote.
A filing made in the Eastern District of Virginia on Thursday discussed procedures ”to keep confidential the fact that Assange has been charged”.
Joshua Stueve, a spokesman for the US attorney’s office in Virginia, said: “The court filing was made in error. That was not the intended name for this filing.”
It remains unknown whether Mr Assange has been secretly charged already, if he will be soon or if the filing was just a complete mistake. It is also unclear what the potential charges could entail.
The development sparked speculation that US prosecutors are moving against Mr Assange in what would be a dramatic escalation in their long-running battle.
Mr Assange, an Australian computer programmer, first came to international attention in 2010 when his platform Wikileaks published a slew of leaked US diplomatic cables.
Wikileaks has faced scrutiny for publishing hacked emails from the Democratic Party and the campaign chairman for Hillary Clintonbefore the 2016 election.
Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Kremlin election meddling, has charged Russian online trolls with attempting to undermine Mrs Clinton’s campaign.
Mr Assange has lived in Ecuador's embassy in London since 2012, having received political asylum from the South American country to avoid possible extradition to Sweden in a separate sexual assault case.
***
DAILY STAR
South Africa white farmer land grabs will be LAW after change to constitution approved
SOUTH Africa is gearing up to carry out a controversial land redistribution after plans to change the country’s constitution were approved.
By Rachel O'Donoghue
November 17, 2018
APPROVED: Cyril Ramaphosa pushed through the controversial changes (Pic: GETTY)
After months of talks, the country is set to go ahead with the proposals that will see farms seized without compensation – something critics have said will be devastating.
The country’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has been attempting to amend South Africa’s constitution for months, but has been met with stiff opposition.
But now the controversial seizures will become legal after the changes were approved by a parliamentary review committee.
"South Africans have spoken loud and clear, and we listened to their cry," said Lewis Nzimande, the co-chair of the committee.
Critics of the plans have previously warned the land seizures will lead to mass starvation and riots.
Ian Cameron, of South African trade group AfriForum, previously warned: “We’re really heading for a state of anarchy if something doesn’t change drastically.
“I’m convinced this year we’ll see between 21,000 to 22,000 people having been murdered in the past year.”
And shortly after the decision was announced, AfriForum said the “large-scale damage” it will cause will be off the scale.
South Africa’s oppositions have also blasted the move, saying it was done for political reasons.
They said in a joint statement: "The vote on expropriation without compensation allows government the perfect cover to avoid having to explain their rank failure over the past two decades to take land reform seriously.
“The opposition does not oppose land reform, we oppose the amendment of the Constitution."
***
Return To Now
Brazil’s New President Openly Threatens Genocide of Indigenous Amazonians
November 6, 2018
Along with his pledge to sell off their rainforest home to agribusiness and mining, Bolsonaro has said openly “minorities will have to adapt … or simply disappear”
Credit: Charlie Hamilton James, National Geographic
Brazil’s new president, Jair Bolsonaro, campaigned on a plan to sell off major portions of the Amazon rainforest to agribusiness, mining. and hydro-power.
“Minorities have to adapt to the majority, or simply disappear,” he said on the campaign trail, adding that under his administration, “not one square centimeter” of Brazil will be reserved for the country’s indigenous peoples.
Thirteen percent of the land in Brazil is protected indigenous territory in the Amazon rainforest, where most of the world’s last uncontacted tribes take refuge. Bolsonaro has said he wants to put all of that land on the auction block.
Since his election on October 28, he’s announced a merging of the ministries of agriculture and the environment — the latter of which was supposed regulate the former — into a new “super ministry” to oversee his plan.
The new ministry will be headed by politicians from the “beef caucus,” a group of lawmakers who have historically opposed indigenous land conservation, supported agricultural expansion, and attempted to relax slave labor laws.
Not only is this a grave attack on the human rights of Brazil’s indigenous people, but also on their ability to continue acting as the best defenders of the world’s forests,” writes Becca Warner, an environmentalism journalist for The Ecologist.
“We need all the forest we can get, to capture carbon from the atmosphere and keep it locked away,” she says. “In fact, scientists agree that halting deforestation is just as urgent as reducing emissions.”
Bolsonaro should have little trouble pushing his agenda through Congress, as it is currently dominated by a three-wing political alliance known as the Bancadas do Boi, do Bíblia e da Bala.
In English, those are the political representatives of “Beef” (ranching and agribusiness), the “Bible” (religious conservatives) and “Bullet” (the military).
Indigenous peoples and their supporters say the new push to open protected forested lands to agriculture and mining has clear genocidal implications.
More than 20 land rights activists have been killed in Brazil so far this year, with most deaths linked to conflicts over logging and agribusiness
Fifty land rights campaigners were killed in Brazil last year for trying to protect forests from illegal logging and the expansion of cattle ranches and soy plantations, according to Global Witness.
***
RT
Theresa May govt to ‘engineer financial crash’ to frighten MPs into voting for Brexit deal – report
November 19, 2018
A financial trader reacts after Britain votes to leave the European Union in June 2016 © Reuters / Russell Boyce
Theresa May’s government are planning to “engineer a financial crash” if parliament fails to back their Brexit deal – in an attempt to frighten MPs into voting it through at a second vote, claims a source close to the PM’s aides.
Since agreeing a draft Brexit withdrawal deal with the EU on Wednesday, May has had to contend with a string of cabinet resignations and a huge backlash from rebel MPs.
The Sunday Times reports that, faced with the prospect of the deal being voted down, the UK government will attempt to plunge the financial markets into chaos – in a bid to scare MPs into eventually voting it through on a second vote.
A source, who has discussed the issue with May’s officials, has told the paper that No 10 has come up with a dark plan to twist the arms of MPs to force through their Brexit deal.
“No 10’s plan is to encourage a crash in financial markets after losing a first vote in the hope this stampedes MPs into voting for it second time,” the source claims.
On social media, there’s been a mixture of shock at the prospect of such a course of action and cynicism at whether the UK government have direct control over the financial markets to engineer a crash. On Twitter, Guardian columnist, Owen Jones asked how is this not a “national scandal?” John McTernan, ex-adviser to former Labour PM Tony Blair, suggests May’s Tory government is merely predicting the inevitable.
David Spencer, Professor of Economics and Political Economy at Leeds University, told RT it’s the uncertainty surrounding Brexit that causes volatility in financial markets – and any crash will not be the consequence of direct government action, but the symptom of their policies.
Professor Spencer said: “Financial investors hate uncertainty and while the uncertainty around Brexit drags on volatility in financial markets looks inevitable – the UK govt adds to this volatility so as long as it delays any resolution to the Brexit problem.
“But the volatility is not something they directly control, instead it is a symptom of their behaviour and policies.”
He argues British sterling and the markets will fall if May’s government fails to get their Brexit deal through parliament at the first attempt.
“The pound and stock markets are likely to fall in any event, if the vote in parliament is lost. Look what happened last week when ministers started to resign.”
***
RT
Gold rush: Iran turns to precious metals as US sanctions bite
November 19, 2018
© Sputnik / Valery Titievsky
Tehran wants to revitalize gold and copper mines, media reported citing Iran Minerals Production and Supply Company. The country is experiencing a surge in gold mining activity in the wake of the second rollout of US sanctions.
The subsidiary of state-owned Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO) said it has signed a memorandum of understanding with an industry group and a private company on developing of artisanal mines, including six small-scale gold mines.
The mines will be set up all across the county, particularly in the central Isfahan province, the eastern South Khorasan province, East and the West Azerbaijan provinces.
Besides boosting mineral production and legalizing some illegal mines, the government’s program is aimed at “increasing employment, creating added value for local communities, and ultimately achieving the goals of a resilient economy.”
According to the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Iran hosts about seven percent of the world’s mineral resource, including ten percent of proven oil and 16 percent of natural gas reserves. The nation’s total gold deposits are estimated at 320 tons. Iran has also massive zinc, copper and iron deposits.
The World Gold Council (WGC) said in its Q2 Gold Demand Trends report that Iran’s demand for gold bars and coins jumped 200 percent year-on-year, reaching 15.2 metric tons, which is the highest level in more than four years.
It explained that as the country’s reaction to the first round of sanctions, which targeted its metals trading and the automotive sector.
Iranians were lining up in front of banks to place advance orders on Emami gold coins, which are minted by the country’s central bank and are usually priced lower than other gold coins.
“Iran’s weakening economy, growing sense of insecurity and a currency which has almost halved in value, boosted bar and coin demand,” WGC explained.
The second round of US sanctions targeting Iran's oil and financial sectors took effect earlier this month.
***
RT
Shanghai ‘earthscraper’: World’s 1st underground hotel opens in China inside abandoned quarry
November 17, 2018
After almost 10 years of construction, Shanghai has unveiled to the public its ‘earthscraper’ hotel built vertically along the precipice of an underground, water-filled quarry.
Costing 2 billion yuan ($287.9 million) to complete, the 88-meter-deep hotel is located in the Songjiang district. The Intercontinental Shanghai Wonderland, also known as Shimao Quarry Hotel, has cliff-view rooms that allow guests to stare into the abyss. Prices for the suites range from 3,400 to 3,800 yuan ($489 - $546) per night.
According to British architect Martin Jochman who designed the hotel, “It’s the first time to turn an abandoned quarry into a wonderful hotel beneath the ground.”
Jochman told Xinhua News Agency:�“This is such a unique opportunity that gives me some really interesting ideas of reshaping the relationship between city and nature."
Two of the hotel’s 18 floors are aboveground, while the two lowest are completely submerged by a lake that occupies the remainder of the vast quarry pit.
The 336-room building has a restaurant and sports and recreation facilities including rock climbing and bungee jumping, according to its developer, Shimao Group.
Jochman, the project’s chief architect who also designed Dubai’s Burj Al Arab, said the new property was designed to blend in with its natural surroundings. Alongside the hotel, at ground level, there’s a glitzy amusement park. The lake below will be used for watersports and other adventure activities.
The company also plans to build a shopping center on the site next year.
According to Shimao Group chairman Xu Rongmao, he first came across the abandoned quarry in 2006, which he describes as a “wound of nature that was inconsistent with the green hills and blue water of Sheshan.” He then came up with the idea to build the unusual property.
Exploited during World War II, the quarry was shut down in 2000 due to new environmental protection regulations.
The hotel’s owners say the facility is able to withstand a magnitude 9 earthquake. The design incorporates two fireman’s lifts if needed for fighting fires, and six pumping machines should the huge pit flood during Shanghai’s wet rainy season.
Shanghai claimed the “home to the world’s second-tallest building” title in 2016 with the opening of Shanghai Tower, a 632-meter, 128-story skyscraper in the city’s financial district.
***
The American Dream blog
Could you imagine living in an RV on a permanent basis?
A Million Americans Are Living In RVs As The American Dream Is "Redefined"
By Michael Snyder
On the one hand, such a lifestyle can offer a sense of freedom that is absolutely exhilarating. Instead of being tied down to just one place, you can freely travel the country and live anywhere that you want. Such a lifestyle makes it easy to escape the cold in the winter and the heat in the summer, and if you don’t like your neighbors you can literally leave the next day.
But of course there are a lot of negatives too. Life in an RV can be extremely cramped, there is very little privacy, and most people have to cut their possessions way, way down in order to fit all their things into an RV. Living on the road constantly can get really old, because you have to sacrifice many of the comforts of a traditional home in order to live such a lifestyle on a full-time basis. But without a doubt, more Americans are choosing to go this route than ever before. In fact, the RV Industry Association says that a million Americans now live in their RVs full-time...
A million Americans live full-time in RVs, according to the RV Industry Association. Some have to do it because they can’t afford other options, but many do it by choice. Last year was a record for RV sales, according to the data firm Statistical Surveys. More than 10.5 million households own at least one RV, a jump from 2005 when 7.5 million households had RVs, according to RVIA.
Living in an RV is certainly a lot less expensive than living in a traditional home, and that is one of the big things that is drawing people to this lifestyle.
A 30 year mortgage is essentially a suffocating lifetime financial commitment for many people, and so a lot of Americans are choosing to embrace the RV lifestyle in order to escape those financial chains.
One family that the Washington Post recently interviewed says that they are “redefining what the American Dream means”…
“We’re a family of four redefining what the American Dream means. It’s happiness, not a four-bedroom house with a two-car garage,” said Robert Meinhofer, who is 45.
The Meinhofers and a dozen others who spoke with The Washington Post about this modern nomadic lifestyle said living in 200 to 400 square feet has improved their marriages and made them happier, even if they’re earning less. There’s no official term for this lifestyle, but most refer to themselves as “full-time RVers,” “digital nomads” or “workampers.”
Some are willingly choosing the RV lifestyle because they want more freedom, but others are doing it out of economic necessity.
But in almost every case, those living the RV lifestyle still need to work, and the jobs that they are able to get often don’t pay very well…
Most modern nomads need jobs to fund their travels. Jessica Meinhofer works remotely as a government contractor, simply logging in from the RV. Others pick up “gig work” cleaning campsites, harvesting on farms or in vineyards, or filling in as security guards. People learn about gigs by word of mouth, on Workamper News or Facebook groups like one for Workampers with more than 30,000 members. Big companies such as Amazon and J.C. Penney even have programs specifically recruiting RVers to help at warehouses during the peak holiday season.
So it can be tempting to dream of hitting “the open road”, but the reality of the matter is that many of these people spend long hours cleaning public toilets or stuffing boxes for big retailers.
For other Americans, even the RV lifestyle is out of reach financially, and so they are living in their vehicles.
Even though the U.S. economy has supposedly been “booming” for the last couple of years, the number of Americans that live in their vehicles has been rising very rapidly. In fact, CBS News has reported that the number of people living in their vehicles in King County, Washington increased 46 percent in the past year alone…
The number of people who live in their vehicles because they can’t find affordable housing is on the rise, even though the practice is illegal in many U.S. cities.
The number of people residing in campers and other vehicles surged 46 percent over the past year, a recent homeless census in Seattle’s King County, Washington found. The problem is “exploding” in cities with expensive housing markets, including Los Angeles, Portland and San Francisco, according to Governing magazine.
Meanwhile, the ranks of the homeless continue to surge all across the country as well. More than half a million Americans are currently homeless, and that number just keeps getting larger and larger.
All of the things that I have just shared with you are signs that the middle class in America is rapidly evaporating. Once upon a time, America had the largest and most vibrant middle class in the history of the world and homebuilders struggled to build new homes fast enough to keep up with the demand.
But over the past decade the rate of homeownership in the U.S. has fallen steadily as the middle class has shrunk. More people than ever are living in RVs, in their vehicles or on the streets, and this trend is going to accelerate greatly once the next economic downturn kicks into high gear.
But I definitely do not want it to seem like I am dissing the RV lifestyle. Members of my own extended family are living in their RVs by choice, and they seem to absolutely love it.
If living in an RV will enable you to escape the rat race and live a much happier life, then go for it. The RV lifestyle is not for everyone, but many that have made the jump say that they will never go back.
And considering the times that are ahead, being able to relocate very rapidly is a good option to have. There isn’t a whole lot of room in an RV, but at least you can pick up and leave whenever you like.
***
Until
next week...keep on believing.
Almondtree Productions
Rechab
our father commanded us, saying... Neither shall ye build house, nor
sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have [any:] but all your days ye
shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye
[be] strangers.
And
Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the LORD
of hosts, the God of Israel; Because ye have obeyed the commandment
of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according
unto all that he hath commanded you: Therefore thus saith the LORD of
hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a
man to stand before me for ever.
(Jeremiah
35:6-7, 18-19)