Lakeland Revival Miracle Healings Continue
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/370291.aspx
LAKELAND, FLORIDA -- Since April 2, what appears to be a powerful move of God is shaking Lakeland, Florida.
And maybe the most interesting thing about what's happening in Lakeland is that it isn't just happening here, but all over the earth simultaneously. Revivalist Todd Bentley, 32, of Canada has been the leading figure when it comes to the thousands of healings.
Available Online around the World
"We're in 214 nations a night. Potential audience of 400 million. And 10 hours a day we're literally around the world, people are seeing what's happening here in Florida," Bentley said.
That's because God TV made the unprecedented -- and extremely expensive -- decision to pre-empt all their primetime programming and broadcast the Lakeland meetings every night. Thousands more are watching on the website for the church where the revival ignited. It's called, appropriately enough, Ignited Church.
"550,000 different computers have logged into the webcast. That's incredible," said Ignited's senior pastor Stephen Strader.
And those watching get to see some pretty special miracles.
Leaving Wheelchairs Behind
The first night CBN News was here, eight handicapped people were healed and left their wheelchairs behind.
Cancer had put Dara Erickson in a wheelchair. "I had tumors going up and down my spinal column. And it wrapped around my spine and cracked my backbone," she said.
Her healing came progressively during four days and nights of meetings. "I guess it was the fourth day, I was out of the wheelchair. And I could walk. I felt my legs get stronger and stronger and stronger."
Caroline Tollefsen-Gonzales can't stop moving and flexing her right hand. Before the revival, it was shriveled up like a pain-dispensing claw because of a rare syndrome.
Rare Syndrome Healed
"It attacked the joints, the muscles, the bones, the skin. And it was unbearable," she said.
Caroline sent CBN News a medical report a neurologist wrote last year about Caroline's right hand, labeling its condition "Permanent Impairment" and writing there was "nearly no range of motion of the fingers with claw-like deformity, and pain from the fingers to the elbow."
But the first night Caroline came to the meetings, she received a total healing. Flexing her hand by her face, she said, "I have never been able to do this since it started."
Kathryn Condesa was in so much pain from a degenerative condition that had hit all around her spine, she was taking nearly killer doses of four highly-addictive narcotics.
Doctors had also filled her with some formidable metal. Pastor Strader said, "They put two metal rods six inches long with four bolts that were three inches long into her back to hold her in place. It was literally impossible for her to bend."
Moving Without Pain
Kathryn came for a healing to the morning meetings still going on at Ignited Church. When Pastor Strader asked for those in pain to stand, he saw Kathryn stand first.
"I just prayed a simple prayer: 'Jesus, heal the lady,'" Strader said.
Kathryn then remembers Strader blowing towards her. "And he blew and said, 'you're healed.'"
Strader then watched Kathryn nearly collapse over the chair in front of her. "And she had totally bent over the chair, just like a jackknife. Totally bent over, for 20 minutes."
Kathryn recalled, "He said 'can you touch the ground?' And I said, 'I don't think so. But let me try.' And I bent over and I touched the floor and I was shocked."
Strader became extremely excited. "And we said 'go to the doctors and see if the rods have disappeared because it's impossible for you to bend over.' She has the x-rays. The rods are still there. How can she bend over with rods? That is unbelievable."
Not only is Kathryn healed, but she tossed away the addictive drugs and hasn't had one withdrawal symptom.
Ruptured Discs, Cerebral Palsy -- Healed
One miracle had a comedic touch: a man with two ruptured discs hobbled up to the stage. He had to use a cane to walk. But then his back was healed and he started jumping all over the stage. so much so, that the ushers couldn't even catch him.
Teresa Pemberton had had 22 leg surgeries. Suffering from spinal stenosis and cerebral palsy, she could hardly walk much less jump before coming all the way from Tualatin, Oregon, to get a healing in Lakeland.
And she did.
Teresa recalled, "The Lord said 'jump' and I jumped and I could jump."
CBN News asked her if that had been impossible before. She said it had and explained, "My left knee was bone-on-bone and I needed a knee replacement."
Michelle Latham's leg was crushed in an ATV accident, her hip broken. Eight surgeries and multiple pins and plates later, her doctor told her, as Latham recalled, "You're just going to have to use a cane for the rest of your life."
Joints, Muscles Restored
But when she came to the revival, Michelle heard Todd Bentley talking about her.
"He called out 'there's a girl who's broken her hip and it's gone into her lower back,' and I felt God completely touching my hip. And as I was feeling it, I felt the muscle grow back, and a second later he says, 'and muscles will grow back.'"
But in this particular revival being beamed all around the world, much of the healing is going on not here, but out across the nations.
"We get hundreds of stories a day of people that are around the world getting healed watching the broadcast. It's contagious through media," Todd Bentley told CBN News.
There's a silver lining here for all believers who want a piece of this action. It appears the anointing on Bentley, Strader and all those others God's using in Lakeland is highly transferable, and they're hearing back from Lakeland visitors who've returned home.
Revival of Impartation
"We hear stories everyday of just normal ordinary people. businessmen, businesswomen. praying for people in the Walmart, praying for people in Starbucks, in the mall. Many young people. Stories of people getting out of wheelchairs, healed of back conditions, healed of deaf ears," Bentley said.
Pastor Strader said enthusiastically, "This thing is just explosive. It's going around the world."
A visiting pastor prophesied the anointing to heal isn't just infectious, but it will be stronger on Christians back home than it's been in Lakeland.
Lakeland leaders have made imparting the anointing to heal as important a part of the revival as the healings themselves.
Look at what happened with Michelle Latham the day after her healing when she, family and friends visited Disney World, and God told them to speak to a fellow the Lord revealed to them was named Frank.
"And we said, 'is your name Frank?' And he said, 'that's what my father calls me.' And we said 'can we pray for you,' and God tells us to pray for his knee," Latham said. "We didn't even know he had a knee problem. And I tell him the testimony about my knee. And he lifts up his leg and he has one of the similar scars. He said 'I had knee surgery and I need healing.' I said 'can we pray for it?' And God healed his knee right there in the parking lot," she said.
Not Somebody, THE Body
All the leadership says the same thing: this anointing to heal is for everyone in the Body of Christ who wants it.
"And our focus here in Florida every night is I lay hands on every single person who comes -- whether it's 5,000, 10,000 -- And I'm praying every night, 'God, give it away, give it away, give it away.' And that's the focus here: impartation," Bentley said.
Some are saying this is the most contagious anointing the world has ever seen. Because, as one visiting pastor said, the touch for healing isn't just on somebody, but on the Body.
Prison Running out of Room - for Worship
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/370332.aspx
A prison in North Carolina is running out of room. Not for inmates ... but for worship.
Chapel at the Pender County Correctional Facility is so popular that many inmates are turned away every week.
Now, the Community Resource Council of the Pender Correctional Institution is planning to build a new chapel -- but first they have to raise the money.
The inmates hope it opens soon.
"It's what I live for. It's what I look forward to," inmate Larry Knight said.
Inmate James Allen Hill said, "all comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. He's my rehabilitation."
Chaplain James Spiritosanto hopes the finances come in for the new chapel.
"They come to these religious services, and they're able to experience something that's very positive. They need that," he said.
Right now, the only space available for larger groups is the visitation area or the gym, which are not adequate to meet the needs of the inmates.
Already, an architect has already designed the new chapel -- for free.
And the North Carolina Baptist Men's Builders Association has volunteered to cover labor costs.
But they still need about $300,000 for building supplies.
'Plan B' Rule Remains Inactive in Wash.
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/370531.aspx
Washington state pharmacists can continue to refuse dispensing the "morning-after pill" if it goes against their beliefs.
A panel of federal appeals judges ruled 2-1 not to reinstate the rule that requires pharmacists to distribute the emergency contraception.
Pharmacists and a drug store owner sued the state last year, saying that accepting the rule went against their religion.
In response, a Tacoma judge suspended the rule. But Washington state soon challenged the decision.
The state was hoping the panel would reinstate the rule while the decision was being appealed in court.
Analyst: $200 oil could happen this year
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24482312/
NEW YORK - A Goldman Sachs analyst on Tuesday predicted that oil prices could reach $150 to $200 a barrel over the next 6 months to two years, but said that how far prices could climb still “remains a major uncertainty.”
“We believe the current energy crisis may be coming to a head, as the lack of adequate supply growth is becoming apparent,” analyst Arjun N. Murti wrote in a client note.
Oil for June delivery hit a record $120.93 a barrel Tuesday in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
He forecasts that prices will still continue to gradually increase, but for a longer period that previously predicted.
He raised his 2008 prediction for benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude oil spot prices to $108 per barrel from $96, and his 2009 estimate to $110 from $105. He lifted his prediction for 2010 and 2011 to $120 from $110.
But he also said it was possible that oil could hit $125 this year and $200 in 2009 before coming down to $150 in 2010.
Murti said he remains bullish on most facets of the U.S. energy market, especially integrated oil companies, explorers and producers, and pipeline operators.
He lowered his view on oil refiners to “Neutral” from “Buy,” but said investors should still consider Valero Energy Corp. and Frontier Oil Corp. at their current values. He maintained a “Neutral” rating on oil drillers, but said investors should consider the stocks if they pull back.
He also named oil company ConocoPhillips, oilfield services provider Halliburton Co. and pipeline operator El Paso Corp. among his top picks.
U.S., EU must cut back on biofuels: U.N. adviser
http://in.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idINL0547034820080505
BRUSSELS - The United States and Europe should cut back on production of biofuels because they are hurting food supply at a time of rising prices, an adviser to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Monday.
Biofuels derived from crops have come under attack in recent weeks on fears they compete with food for farming land and help to push up food prices, worsening a global crisis that is affecting millions of poor.
"We need to cut back significantly on our biofuels programs," said Jeffrey Sachs, a prominent U.S. academic who is a special adviser to Ban on anti-poverty goals.
"(They) were understandable at a time of much lower food prices and larger food stocks but do not make sense now in a global food scarcity condition," Sachs told a news conference.
High food and fuel prices have sparked protests and riots in poor countries across the world in the past few months. Many governments have introduced food subsidies or export restrictions to counter rising costs.
"In the United States as much as one third of maize crop this year will go to gas tank. This is a huge blow to the world food supply," Sachs said before talks in Brussels with EU lawmakers.
EU leaders pledged last year to increase the proportion of biofuels used in petrol- and diesel-consuming land transport to 10 percent by 2020 as part of measures to tackle climate change. Governments are now working on draft EU laws.
Faced with growing unease among EU states over food prices and the biofuels' green credentials, the European Commission has stuck to the target, but EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said last month it would be subject to strict conditions to prevent social harm.
The United States is the world's biggest producer of biofuels. The fuels are made from crops like corn, wheat, sugar and palm oil, which refiners turn into ethanol or oil to replace gasoline and diesel.
Supporters say they are the only renewable alternative to fossil fuels and generally result in lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Day Gardner, National Black Pro-Life Union
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07151.shtml
Some have said the You Tube Abortion Man video produced by Damon Wayans was done as a joke. Unfortunately, it is a misguided attempt at being funny.
Let's think about the story line here -- a young woman is happily looking forward to becoming a mother when she is unexpectedly attacked, brutally beaten, punched in the abdomen and then stomped on until her crying baby is aborted.
The truth is the You Tube video depicts the growing number of violent attacks on pregnant women and their unborn children. The video is not only insensitive and demeaning but also down right stupid.
In the Wayans video the father of the child is a video game playing, couch potato, "nigga" (as they refer to each other). It brings to mind the early days of Hollywood when the only roles offered to blacks were roles of simple minded, lazy, no account, watermelon- lovin' darkies.
I remember laughing nervously at Steppin Fetchet's bulging eyes and the way he walked slumped over, mispronouncing the most basic words as he spoke. Even as a young girl something seemed wrong to me. I remember feeling uncomfortable and saddened by the portrayal. In those movies black women were always maids who cared for, weaned and raised white children yet were rarely seen nurturing their own.
Those negative roles were created by whites to sustain the popular belief at the time that "coloreds" were small minded and ignorant. Talented black actors were degraded and treated with the utmost disrespect.
The Abortion Man video reminded me of those old studio days with the greatest difference being that today the stereotypical stigma is not coming from the old studio system-it doesn't have to-because today we are more than happy and go to great lengths to degrade and disrespect ourselves.
It seems no matter how far we've come-no matter how educated we are - no matter how talented and successful black "Hollywood" families have become, shamefully, some of us still don't get it.
The truth is we are better than that.
The National Black Pro-Life Union is an organization founded to serve as a clearing house to coordinate the flow of communications among all African American pro-life organizations and individuals in order to better network and combine resources.
Abunga.com Takes a Stand Against Leading Online Book Retailers
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07150.shtml
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- In response to some of the most popular online bookstores also being among the leading suppliers of pornographic materials, Abunga.com was created to serve as a safe alternative, providing families with abundant selection and low prices, while also empowering decency.
Abunga.com filters books by a pre-determined inventory classification system to remove selections of pornographic and illicit materials.
"Many consumers are unaware that by purchasing books from these major online retailers, they are unknowingly supporting the growing Internet pornography industry," said Abunga.com Chairman Lee Martin. "In addition, people should not have to worry that they - or their spouse or children - may be one book search away from unwanted materials when shopping for books on the Web."
Recognizing the definition of "family-friendly" is subjective and that not all books are properly classified by publishers, Abunga.com gives its community members a voice and choice. The site puts power into the hands of its consumers by allowing them to block any items they feel are offensive from their personal profiles. If site administrators see that a large group of people have blocked a particular selection from their profiles, Abunga.com will eliminate the book from the overall site.
One such book Abunga.com removed from its site was "The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, Book 1)," by Philip Pullman. The book was thrust into the spotlight surrounding the release of the film adaptation last December and sparked controversy among conservative groups who opposed its atheistic message. As a result, a number of Abunga.com community members blocked the book from their individual profiles in late December, showing site administrators that this was not a book its consumers wanted Abunga.com to offer.
"With more than 1.6 million books in our inventory, we know that there may be items that some still find offensive," Martin said. "Therefore, we listen to our consumers and respect their opinions on items they wish not to see on Abunga.com."
In addition to offering a safe shopping environment, Abunga.com also provides competitive pricing and prompts every consumer to donate 5 percent of their purchase to a Favored Abunga Nonprofit (FAN) of choice, including humanitarian organizations, ministries and schools. Consumers are asked to choose from the existing list of FANs or nominate a nonprofit that upholds the ethical and moral principles that coincide with Abunga's core mission of empowering decency.
"Our desire is to reward nonprofit organizations which are also working to advocate family-friendly values and causes," Martin said. "By standing together, we can make a difference and bring awareness to this issue of decency."
Abunga.com is a family-friendly online bookstore founded in 2007 to empower decency. Offering safety with family-friendly products, savings through distributor-direct prices and support to nonprofit organizations, Abunga.com is headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn. For more information, visit www.Abunga.com.
Children as Sex Objects
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07152.shtml
We share the dismay of others at the recent photos taken by Annie Leibovitz of Miley Cyrus. Any media outlet that exhibits a child as a sex object needs to understand the degree to which this type of behavior is harming our society as a whole and putting our young women at risk.
Human Sex Trafficking, the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world, is making BILLIONS of dollars from the sale of children for sex. This criminal enterprise could not flourish if it weren't for the huge DEMAND that exists by our global society for a sexual encounter with a young woman or child. Human Trafficking has become the second largest criminal enterprise in the world, and yet it continues to grow unchecked as traffickers who sexually exploit these children for money cannot seem to find enough young women to feed the insatiable appetite of these abusers. Approximately half of all victims of sex slavery are under the age of 18, and the trend is for these victims to get younger all the time.
For this reason we are calling Annie Leibovitz, Vanity Fair magazine, and the parents of Miley Cyrus to task for their lack of leadership and good judgment in this publicity stunt. There are literally millions of young women trapped in the living hell of sex slavery as our media continues to blur the lines and increasingly treat our young women as sex objects. Nobody knows how these pictures and the countless others we see across the web, TV, movies and magazines will affect the perpetrators of these crimes. All we know is that this cancer is spreading out of control, and we need to take drastic steps to curb the appetites of a society out of control.
Free For Life Ministries, Inc. is a faith-based 501(c)3 organization based in Nashville, Tennessee that raises funds for safe houses worldwide that have a proven track record in the rescue, restoration, and reintegration of victims of sex slavery.
You can read more about human trafficking at: www.freeforlifeministries.com
Indictment: Reputed Russian Arms Smuggler Conspired to Kill
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354333,00.html
NEW YORK — Prosecutors announced an indictment Tuesday against a reputed Russian arms smuggler who they say tried to sell weapons to a U.S.-designated terrorist organization with the goal of killing Americans.
The indictment charges Viktor Bout with four terrorism offenses, including conspiring to kill Americans, conspiring to kill U.S. officers or employees, conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and conspiring to acquire and use an anti-aircraft missile.
The charges were based in part on a covertly recorded meeting in Thailand on March 6. Prosecutors say Bout said he understood that an organization of Colombia's leftist rebels wanted to use weapons against Americans in the country.
Bout was accused of saying the group's fight against the United States was also his fight because the U.S. was also his enemy.
"Viktor Bout no doubt faces some of the most extraordinarily serious conspiracy charges possible for his crimes against Americans," Michele M. Leonhart, acting administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. "With the unsealing of this indictment, we are one step closer to ensuring Bout has delivered his last load of high-powered weaponry and armed his final terrorist."
Bout was arrested earlier this year in Thailand. The United States is seeking his extradition on charges that could result in a life sentence.
Bout's arms dealings reportedly inspired a 2005 movie about the illicit arms trade. He had eluded arrest for years.
He has declined to comment to reporters in Thailand, but has long denied being involved in illicit deals.
Prosecutors said Bout conspired with others to sell millions of dollars worth of weapons, including 100 surface-to-air missiles and armor-piercing rockets.
The indictment said they intended to sell the arms between November 2007 and March to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.
The leftist group has been fighting Colombia's government for more than four decades. It is listed by the U.S. as a terror group.
The indictment said the organization's violent acts directed against the United States and U.S. interests have included the murder of Americans, the kidnapping of U.S. nationals and the bombing of a restaurant in Bogota, Colombia, frequented by U.S. nationals.
Luis Palau hits Jamaica with good news
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/luis.palau.hits.jamaica.with.good.news/18603.htm
American evangelist Luis Palau preached the Good News of Jesus Christ to an estimated 150,000 people in Jamaica’s capital city of Kingston this past weekend.
Weather forecasts had predicted rain and thunderstorms all weekend long, but it was all sun on Saturday when Palau preached to the massive crowd.
The festival, entitled “Best Dressed 50Fest,” took place in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Jamaica Broilers – the largest poultry distributor in the Caribbean – which underwrote the entire costs of the festival.
Jamaican Broilers president and CEO Robert Levy is a committed Christian who sponsors the smaller scale “Fun in the Son” festivals each year.
The company's brand is “Best Dressed Chicken”, hence the name “Best Dressed 50Fest”.
Last weekend’s Kingston event came on the heels of the festival led by Luis Palau’s son, Andrew, the previous weekend in the city of Mandeville, and overlapped with partner evangelist Miles McPherson’s festival in Montego Bay on May 2-3.
“[W]e praise the Lord for the great response, the amazing crowds, and the buzz throughout Kingston, Mandeville, and Montego Bay,” read a Jamaica Fest update on the Luis Palau Association website.
The festivals offered free family-friendly entertainment such as Jamaican and international Christian musicians including TobyMac, Israel and New Breed, Papa San, Carlene Davis and DJ Nicholas, as well as children’s activities and extreme sports performed by the Livin It Action Sports Team.
In addition to entertainment, the festival also brought hundreds of volunteers and thousands of dollars in medical and building supplies for community services in some of the island’s poorest neighbourhoods.
Presentations were made at 75 schools and a number of senior centres and children’s homes; more than a dozen free medical and dental clinics were offered; and repairs and renovations to schools, parks and community centres were implemented across Jamaica.
But evangelism was the core purpose of the outreach, and more than 10,000 decisions were made to follow Christ during the 10 days of activities that also included gatherings for women and business and civic leaders.
Estimates for crowd attendance were 37,000 in Mandeville, 75,000 in Montego Bay and 150,000 in Kingston.
Besides speaking at the Kingston festival, Palau also met ambassadors from Argentina and Spain, the Prime Minister and Governor General of Jamaica, members of parliament, and the mayor of Kingston.
The evangelist also met leaders from a diverse umbrella group of Jamaican churches that provided support during the preparations for 50Fest.
The next evangelistic festival will be held in Bucharest, Romania, with Andrew Palau from May 31 to June 1.
The Luis Palau Association’s fun-filled evangelistic events have drawn more than 6 million people since 1999 in locations around the world including Manchester, Lima in Peru, and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Missionaries struggle to stay afloat: Donations can't keep up as dollar's value declines
http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1492583/
Every month, Phil Davis receives a deposit of American money in his Czech bank account. And every month, he sees that deposit shrink.
Since the pastor and his family moved from Charlotte to Prague three years ago to start a church, the falling value of the U.S. dollar has brought home a sobering reality: The money they raised to support themselves and their work overseas does not go nearly as far as it once did.
The dollar's decline has stung most expatriates who are paid in U.S. funds, but missionaries serving internationally are particularly at risk. Many depend on money raised years before they left, when exchange rates were more favorable.
As a result, the Davises and fellow missionaries are facing tough financial questions: Should they move to a smaller house farther from those they're trying to reach? Where can they save on groceries? Can they raise enough money to stay?
One Charlotte-area missionary had her family bring food and toiletries when they visited her so she wouldn't have to buy them in Sweden. In Armenia, an N.C.-funded service project needed an emergency grant to get by. And in Prague, the Davises are paying nearly $100 for a tank of gas.
It's unclear how many missionaries are from the Charlotte region, but more than 44,000 American Protestants are serving internationally for a year or longer, according to the Mission Book, published by a division of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College in Illinois.
"We're seeing our missionaries' accounts begin to struggle," said Paul Leary, director of ministries for Philadelphia-based World Harvest Mission, which works with 150 missionaries, including the Davises, in 13 countries.
Exchange rate difficulties
After declining steadily for most of this decade, the dollar has dropped sharply in the past year. It hit a new low last month against the euro, the currency used in 15 European nations, before rebounding slightly since.At home, a weak dollar can boost exports and encourage foreign investment. It makes the U.S. more affordable for foreign travelers. But it also makes living or traveling abroad more expensive for Americans.
Though the exchange rate has always posed a problem in a couple of countries, the issue is now almost universal, said Twila Schock, director of global mission support for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Missionaries still serve widely in developing areas in Africa, Asia and South America. But in recent years, Europe has become popular as missionaries seek to spread Christianity to recent African and Asian immigrants and reawaken belief among Europeans, who are less engaged in organized religion than their American counterparts.
The dollar has declined about 45 percent against the euro since 2002, and nearly 15 percent in the past year. It has experienced similar declines versus other European currencies.
Missionaries in poorer countries, particularly those in Africa with currencies linked to the euro or British pound, are also feeling the effects, said George Salloum, chief financial officer with Charlotte-based Serving In Mission, which has more than 1,000 missionaries in Africa, Asia and South America.
"If you had a 10 percent pay cut, that would be significant," he said. "Basically, that's what those people are feeling right now -- at the low end."
Though donations have not declined, it has become virtually impossible for contributions to keep pace with the currency drop-off, mission agencies say.
As a result, missionaries -- generally reluctant to talk finances -- are now mentioning the exchange rate in prayer letters to supporters, online and in conversation with other Americans abroad.
Mission organizations and pastors say they may have to bring people home early to raise more money. Some might even return to the United States for good.
"That's sort of the worst-case scenario," Leary said. "We're looking at 2008 as sort of a year of reckoning for that."
Rising costs
Hickory native Lindsey Hendrix, 24, who works for Campus Crusade for Christ at Uppsala University in Sweden, said she is scrutinizing her purchases and eating dinner at home more. But her work requires socializing with students on campus and in the community, which means she can't simply pack a lunch.
In late 2005 and 2006, when she raised money to support herself and her ministry, she expected to need $3,600 a month. With the dollar down more than 20 percent against the Swedish krona since then, that figure is now $5,000. Her rent alone has increased $100 since she signed a lease last June, and she's had to seek additional donations.
Hendrix had planned to remain in Sweden three to five more years, but will come home for a year starting in June to recharge and raise enough money for a future stay. Until then, she's praying for the exchange rate to improve
The currency drop is also affecting outreach funded with American money. In Armenia, a service project supported by N.C. Methodists needed a $5,000 grant to make it through April and will have to cut expenses, said Michael Collins, mission and outreach coordinator for the denomination's Western North Carolina Conference.
The dollar has lost more than 30 percent of its value against the Czech crown since Phil Davis, his wife, Shanna, and their children arrived in Prague in 2005. It has fallen 21 percent in the past year.
Rent has jumped $664 a month. A gallon of milk averages $4.75, up from $3.25 a year ago. "It's kind of like the frog in the kettle thing," Phil Davis said. "It just creeps up on you."
The family is facing a $7,000 deficit and needs an additional $2,500 a month to cope with the exchange rate. They hope to raise money while in the U.S. this summer but have also begun explaining the situation to friends via e-mail. Though they are excited about the 50-member church they've established, they say it's frustrating to see money dwindling. As Christians, however, they and other missionaries say they are used to putting their trust in a higher power.
"(Missionaries) are totally dependent on the Lord to carry them through, and he does, and the work goes on," said Vince Eaton, who coordinates the missions/outreach leadership team at Calvary Church in Charlotte. "It's not going to stop the spread of the Gospel, believe me."
GOSPELSHOE(TM) Campaign Aims for a Higher Calling Among the Millennial Generation
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07149.shtml
NASHVILLE -- GospelShoe is a line of footwear and accessories that aims to accomplish two goals: share shoes with needy people around the world while sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ at the same time. The shoes were created in the spirit of the Wordless Book -- a long-standing tradition among missionaries to explain the Christian faith by using colors instead of words.
Dr. Jay Strack, President of Student Leadership University in Orlando, Florida, recently endorsed GospelShoe as another way to tap into a sense of "relevance" widely sought by the Millennial Generation (youths born between 1980 and 2000).
"Millennials are tired of hearing what Christians believe; they want to see what we believe," said Dr. Strack, during a recent presentation for the National Religious Broadcasters convention in Nashville, TN. Dr. Strack said that in light of the current wave of national 'cause marketing' promotions (Oprah's 'Big Give' is a prime example), people are supporting creative efforts that directly benefit people in need.
GospelShoe.org sells its line of shoes at cost, and also allows web visitors to purchase shoes for people around the world who don't own a single pair.
Dr. Strack has issued a challenge to start with one small unselfish gesture and buy one pair of GospelShoes for as little as $5.00. "This purchase will make a big difference in the lives of those across the country that are without a pair of shoes," he said.
"The world is changing and it requires a change in attitude," said Soles4Souls Founder and CEO, Wayne Elsey. "The Millenial Generation sees the importance of helping the less fortunate, and GospelShoe is another tool they can use to accomplish that goal," he said.
GospelShoe.org and Soles4Souls, its partner in distribution of the donated footwear, are both non- profit organizations dedicated to providing free footwear to people in need worldwide.
For more information, visit www.gospelshoe.org or call 615-232-2365.
ABOUT DR. JAY STRACK
Dr. Strack is an effective communicator author and minister from Orlando, Florida. He has spoken to an estimated 15 million people in his 29 years of ministry. He has served as the editor of two bible translations, and authored more than 15 highly acclaimed books. Visit the Student Leadership University website at www.studentleadership.net.
Risk of bird flu pandemic probably growing
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSPAR65178020080506
GENEVA (Reuters) - The risk of a human influenza pandemic remains real and is probably growing as the bird flu virus becomes entrenched in poultry in more countries, health officials warned on Tuesday.
Some 150 experts are attending a meeting hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) to update its guidance to countries on how to boost their defences against a deadly global epidemic.
The H5N1 avian flu virus has infected flocks in much of Asia, Africa and parts of Europe. Experts fear it could mutate into a form that passes easily from person to person, sparking an influenza pandemic that could kill millions.
"The risk of a pandemic remains and is probably expanding," said Dr. Supamit Chunsuttiwat, a disease control expert at Thailand's health ministry who is chairing the four-day meeting.
Supamit noted the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus persisted on three continents and had caused human cases in Indonesia, Egypt and China this year.
"We are concerned that the spread through migratory birds hasn't stopped. Once the virus is established in birds, it is difficult to get rid of the virus and the risk (to humans) remains unless countries develop good control of transmission in birds," he told Reuters.
The avian flu virus rarely infects people, but there have been 382 human cases worldwide since 2003, 241 of them fatal, according to the WHO, a United Nations agency.
Keiji Fukuda, coordinator of WHO's global influenza program, told the talks: "We can't delude ourselves about the threat of pandemic influenza -- it has not diminished."
The timing of a pandemic "remains speculative," he said.
OVERWHELMING EFFECT OF PANDEMIC
A pandemic could shut down businesses and schools and overwhelm healthcare systems, particularly in poor countries.
Infected people can shed the virus before symptoms appear, and this increases the risk of international spread through asymptomatic air travellers, the WHO says.
Most countries have drawn up pandemic plans, but the level of preparedness varies. The WHO aims to revise its 2005 guidance to its 193 member states by year-end.
"We are going to improve our guidance and give people and countries better tools to deal with," Fukuda said. "Pandemic preparedness is not just a health sector effort, it is something that requires the whole of society's perspective."
The WHO has set up two global stockpiles of the antiviral Tamiflu, containing 5 million treatment courses donated by the Swiss drugmaker Roche, for use in a pandemic.
It is also developing a vaccine stockpile which -- when a vaccine has been produced -- should initially contain 150 million doses, Fukuda said.
At least 16 companies are working on vaccines to prevent bird flu infection in people, including GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi-Aventis.
"Some are very close to regulatory approval. These are the newer generation vaccines which use less antigen and contain adjuvant but still stimulate an immune response," Fukuda said.
Antigens are substances that stimulate the production of antibodies. They can be difficult to culture, and scientists have been trying to fix that by using adjuvants, which boost a vaccine's effectiveness.
Large-scale commercial production of a vaccine will not start until a pandemic virus has emerged, because the vaccine must closely match the strain.
The WHO uses six phases of pandemic alert to gauge levels of threat. The world is currently in phase 3, meaning that a new influenza virus sub-type is causing disease in humans but is not yet spreading efficiently.
"The risk is as great as it has ever been. We hope to send out a very clear message that this effort needs to continue and the threat has not gone away," Fukuda told Reuters.
Germany, Belgium want clarification on top EU roles
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/203578,germany-belgium-want-clarification-on-top-eu-roles.html
Berlin - The leaders of Germany and Belgium said Tuesday they want a clear definition of the new responsibilities at the top of the European Union as envisaged by the Lisbon reform treaty. Only once this has happened could there be any talk about who will fill the various positions, Chancellor Angela Merkel and Belgian Prime Minster Yves Leterme said after talks in Berlin.
"I am in favour of sorting out personnel matters only after the structural issues have been resolved, Merkel said.
Leterme said the EU's 27 members had to lay their positions on the table at the next EU summit in June.
The reform treaty approved in Lisbon in December envisages the establishment of a long-term president of the European Council and a stronger foreign policy chief.
Analysts said the EU has created two top officials who will almost certainly vie for power with the president of the European Commission and with the leaders of the big member states.
Unresolved is which EU institution the new foreign policy czar will answer to.
Merkel spoke out against making the new foreign policy chief answerable only to the Commission. "It has to be made clear that this is the Senior Representative of the Council," she said.
France has thrown its weight behind Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Junker for the new post of president. Germany also supports Juncker.
EU plans international embassies
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/1922140/EU-plans-international-embassies.html
The European Union will open its own embassies under a plan critics fear represents a "power grab" by Brussels officials pushing for a federal superstate.
The secret plan represents the first time that full EU embassies have been discussed seriously.
The "Embassies of the Union" would be controlled by a new EU diplomatic service created by the Lisbon Treaty.
The Daily Telegraph has seen a high-level Brussels document discussing plans for a "European External Action Service" (EEAS) which was proposed under the new EU Treaty, currently being ratified in Westminster.
Talks have so far remained behind closed doors. Officials fear political fallout over plans to implement the new Treaty before it has been fully ratified.
Working papers circulating in Brussels suggest that more than 160 EU offices around the world, including in member states, would become embassies.
The new service would rival established diplomatic services. Britain, with one of the world's largest, maintains 139 embassies and high commissions in capital cities.
Equally controversial is a proposal for EU ambassadors who would be accountable to the European Parliament.
"Parliament should aim for proper hearings of special representatives and ambassadorial nominees in the tradition of the US Congress for nominations of a clearly political nature," says the document.
Plans for the new foreign service have raised highly sensitive political issues by giving trappings of statehood to the EU and by fusing, for the first time, national diplomats with existing "eurocrats".
A vicious battle over who should control the diplomatic corps has broken out between national governments and the European Commission.
Countries such as Britain are alarmed that the EEAS, which is expected to take on some consular activities, would be a stepping stone to a single "supranational" euro-diplomatic service.
Meanwhile, Brussels officials fear that, if controlled by national governments, the new EEAS would draw power from "Community" bodies, such as the Commission, to inter-governmental institutions such as the Council of the EU, which represents member states.
"Any inter-governmentalism of policy areas under Community competence has to be avoided," states the confidential document.
"The EEAS will have to be in a specific way administratively connected to the European Commission."
The EEAS will number between 2,500 to 3,000 officials at its inception in January next year. It is then expected to grow to 7,000, or even up to 20,000, according to different estimates.
Britain, which loses its veto over the EEAS after it is created by a European summit decision expected in October, is expected to contribute around 20 to 30 senior diplomats to the EU service.
William Hague, the shadow foreign secretary, said yesterday: "As predicted the renamed EU Constitution is forming the basis of a power grab by the EU. It exposes Labour's stupidity in giving up the veto on an area key to Britain's interests."
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The UK opposes and will argue against naming EEAS offices embassies.
Mandelson urges Irish farmers to keep treaty and trade talks separate
http://euobserver.com/9/26088
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson has urged Irish farmers to refrain from linking next month's vote on the Lisbon Treaty to ongoing world trade talks.
"I don't think the Doha talks should get mixed up with the Lisbon Treaty or any referendum on it. Rejecting the treaty would not be in Ireland's interests, it wouldn't be in Europe's interests," said Mr Mandelson on Tuesday (6 May).
The commissioner, who represents the EU in the global trade liberalisation negotiations known as the Doha talks, has come under increasing fire from Irish farmers, who say he will undermine their interests during the negotiations.
The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has delivered up the threat of a No vote in next month's referendum to both the commissioner and the Irish government if their interests are not defended in the talks.
But the commissioner said the facts being bandied about in the debate are not always true. "The IFA are getting their facts wrong" said Mr Mandelson, suggesting that a "successful Doha deal" would mean a reduction in beef tariffs of 23 percent and not 70 percent "as some are suggesting."
He also indicated that Irish farmers have latched onto the WTO negotiations out of a general fear about the EU's planned reform of the CAP, from which Irish farmers have strongly benefitted for many years.
"Irish farming is probably one of the largest if not the largest per capita recipient of farm support in the EU, and that makes change inevitable as that farm support is reformed.
'What Doha enables us to do is to force others to make the same changes as we are choosing to do in Europe and to create an even playing field on which European farmers can compete."
The robust defence comes as Brussels officials are getting increasingly nervous about the prospects of a No to the EU treaty, amid regular reports about the negative stance of farmers, the apparent reluctance of trade unions to support the document and the No side's momentum in opinion polls.
For his part, Mr Mandelson, who on Tuesday promised that Irish farmers' "particular needs and interests" would be "accommodated" in the talks, has become something of a hate figure in certain sectors of Irish society.
Last month, the anti-treaty Libertas group launched its 'No' campaign with large posters of the commissioner saying: "Say 'no' to Mandelson's Europe," while the IFA took out ads in newspapers with the slogan: "Stop Mandelson WTO sell-out."
All member states have to ratify the EU treaty for it to come into force. Only Ireland is to have a referendum on the document, planned for 12 June.
EU court judgements affecting Irish treaty campaign
http://euobserver.com/9/26086?rss_rk=1
The Irish government's official campaign in favour of the EU's Lisbon Treaty has been dealt a blow following the decision by a major union to speak out against the document.
The Technical Engineering and Electrical Union on Monday (5 May) urged its 45,000 members to vote against the treaty in the referendum next month.
General secretary of the TEEU Eamon Devoy took the stance on the back of recent judgements by the EU's highest court which he said had shown that the pendulum had "swung against workers' rights and in favour of big business.
"In the circumstances, it would be foolish to provide the institutions of the European Union with more power," he added, according to the Irish Independent.
Mr Davoy cited three judgements with major implications for workers. The Laval case found against Swedish workers who had been blockading a building site to prevent Latvian workers, with lower wages, from accessing the site.
The Viking judgement concerned a Finnish company that used cheaper Estonian workers on its boats while the latest case, known as the Ruffert judgement, found that the EU's internal market principle of freedom of services takes precedence over collective bargaining deals.
Mr Davoy cited incidents concerning workers in Ireland that he suggested would be undermined by the court's findings.
"Twice in recent times we have found Polish workers ... being grossly exploited by German contractors and paid as little as €5 an hour. In another instance, we discovered Serbian electricians being paid as little as $3.81 an hour. We were only able to ensure proper rates were paid to these workers after strong pressure, including the prospect of industrial action, was exerted on the companies concerned," he said, according to the Irish Times.
He noted that the Ruffert judgement would make it "all but impossible" for Irish workers and companies to compete for tenders.
The Irish government is now likely to be nervously looking ahead to 18 May when the Irish Congress of Trade Unions takes its stance on the treaty.
Dublin's pro-treaty stance has already been thrown out of kilter by Irish farmers, who have warned of a No stance if current world talks on liberalising trade result in damage to their livelihoods. The talks are being conducted for the bloc by EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson.
Ireland is the only country to hold a referendum on the EU treaty, which has to be approved by all member states if it is to come into force.
Irish foreign minister Dermot Ahern has reportedly tried to play down the significance of a possible No vote.
"'There would be no dire consequence should the referendum go amiss,' Ahern insisted. 'Life will go on as it did after the French and Dutch rejected the European constitutional treaty in 2005,'" said a report in the Irish Times of an interview he gave to the Buenos Aires Herald last month.
However, analysts widely suggest it will be politically hugely damaging to the EU if Ireland votes no on 12 June.
Russian Orthodox Church rep: EU needs to protect Christians
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/russian.orthodox.church.rep.eu.needs.to.protect.christians/18630.htm
The European Union should do more to protect Christians worldwide, said the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church to European Union officials on Monday.
Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria, the Russian Orthodox Church representative to the European Institutions, spoke up for persecuted Christians during a meeting between EU officials and some 20 European religious leaders in Brussels, Belgium.
"Tolerance should not cause detriment to Christians, who still make up the majority of the European population,” said Hilarion, according to Russian news agency Interfax. “Phobia and discrimination of Christians should be condemned officially."
He reminded officials of Europe’s Christian heritage and called on the EU to help preserve the continent’s history.
“[Christian] churches are being ruined and thousands of Christians are homeless and banished in Kosovo,” the bishop said.
He added, “This is also the case of the Cypriot area illegally occupied by Turkish forces. Churches are destroyed and Christians are suffering there.”
In a recent Christian Today interview, Cyprus’ ambassador to the United States, Andreas Kakouris, talked about the more than 530 churches and monasteries that were pillaged and destroyed in northern Cyprus after Turkish forces took over the land in 1974.
Under Turkey’s watch, one-of-a-kind historic Christian artifacts from churches have been stolen and auctioned off around the world.
It is estimated that more than 60,000 ancient artifacts have been illegally transferred to other countries, according to the Republic of Cyprus.
“Turkey seeks the accession to the European Union but it disregards the needs of its Christian population,” said Hilarion.
He called on the EU to use negotiations with Turkey, which is seeking membership, to protect religious minorities under its control.
"The European Union administration could do more for the protection of Christians outside Europe, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and many other Islamic countries," he also urged.
The European religious leaders meeting on Monday included Christian, Jewish and Muslim European heads. The main focus of the meeting was to call on Europe’s religious leaders and their congregations to be more engaged in climate change.
Brussels turns to gods for help with climate change
http://euobserver.com/9/26083
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Brussels officials have turned to religious VIPs to help spread the gospel of an environmentally friendly society and increase awareness of climate change in their parishes, as well as promoting tolerance between different confessions in Europe.
Twenty high-level representatives – 19 men and one woman - from European Christian, Jewish and Muslim congregations met in Brussels on Monday (5 may) to discuss the sensitive issues of climate change and reconciliation between peoples.
The meeting was co-chaired by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, Slovenian Prime Minister and current president of the European Council, Janez Jansa, and the president of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Poettering.
Mr Barroso told a press conference that churches, mosques and temples could all play an important role in identifying and implementing solutions to the challenge of climate change.
"Thanks to their moral authority, their outreach and their structure, they are well placed to make a valuable contribution, mobilising our societies for a sustainable future," the president said.
Prime Minister Jansa, referring to both the Bible and the Koran, said: "Earth was created and given to man, and man has to be respectful of what he has been given," and called for what the late Pope John Paul II described as an "ecological conversion".
"The success in the fights against climate change relies to a great extent on changes in our habits, in our philosophies in our world outlook and the consumer society that has created superficial needs - needs that justify consumption."
Mr Jansa also announced that Slovenia plans to set up a Euro-Mediterranean university that will be a meeting place for students from the Christian, Muslim and Jewish world. The school's charter is to be signed in Ljubljana in June.
Bishop Adrianus Van Luyn, the president of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (COMECE), suggested that the EU appoint a "High Representative for Future Generations".
Who was not invited?
On the second topic of the meeting, "Reconciliation through Intercultural Dialogue", President Barroso underlined the importance of combining freedom of expression and respect for other faiths, in an attempt to sooth both Islamic outrage in recent years and others' fear of Islam.
"Islam today is part of Europe. One should not see Islam as outside Europe. We already have an important presence of Islam and Muslims among our citizens," Mr Barroso said, adding that the inter-faith dialogue proved that the "preachers of a clash of civilisations are wrong."
The grand mufti of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Dr Mustafa Ceric pointed to the EU's policy on Turkey.
"Following this logic, Europe has to prove that Islam is part of Europe by not delaying the acceptance of Turkey to the EU," the cleric said.
Others criticised the invitation list for Monday's inter-faith meeting.
Flanked by a female priest colleague, Swedish archbishop Anders Weyrud [Lutheran] told EUobserver he was disappointed there was only one woman among the religious dignitaries, pastor Letizia Tomassone, the vice-president of the federation of evangelical churches of Italy, who had also raised the point during the inter-religious meeting.
"We have neglected both nature and women, that was one of the messages we tried to get across at this meeting," the archbishop said.
From its headquarters just across the street from the inter-religious meeting, a spokesperson from the church of scientology, a faith that is growing rapidly in Europe, told EUobserver that Brussels should also look at minority religions in Europe when deciding who to put on the invitation list for upcoming meetings.
"We want to have an open and transparent dialogue with the institutions, just as with the leaders who were invited to the [European] commission today. It has to be a full dialogue, with minority religions also represented, and not a selective dialogue," Mr Fabio Amicarelli said.
Meanwhile some MEPs have in the past questioned the presence of religious figures in strictly political fora in Brussels.
The parliament's Party Working Group on the Separation of Religion and Politics in a letter to Hans-Gert Poettering last year wrote: "It is unbecoming for any of the EU institutions to provide an exclusive platform to any particular grouping, including religions, in particular as the majority of European citizens are not religious or no longer practice their religion."
"Thus millions of individual citizens do not have a voice in the dialogue," the letter concluded.
According to a recent Eurobarometer survey, some 48 percent of European citizens claim to be non-confessional.
Chief rabbis call to cancel Bible Quiz
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1209627027490
Both chief rabbis of Israel called on Tuesday to cancel the International Bible Quiz slated for the capital on Independence Day in protest against the participation of a 16-year-old girl who believes Jesus is the messiah.
"Choosing her as a finalist in the International Bible Quiz for Jewish Youth is a transgression of Halacha and is a distortion of the goal and essence of the quiz," wrote Chief Rabbis Shlomo Amar and Yona Metzger in a letter to Education Minister Yuli Tamir.
"The Chief Rabbinate of Israel vigorously protests [the participation] of this representative... Bible quiz participants have always been Jews who believed in the Torah handed down by Moses.
"The Chief Rabbinate calls to disqualify this girl from taking part in the quiz. If she is not disqualified, we call to cancel the quiz immediately.
"It is unacceptable that a member of a cult that has removed itself from the Jewish faith will take part in a quiz dedicated to a book that has been holy to the Jews since their inception as a people," the rabbis wrote.
Nevertheless, Tzurit Berenson, 15, from Nahariya, one of the four Israeli finalists, said that she and the other contestants intended to participate in Thursday's competition.
"We asked our own rabbis what to do and they told us that we should participate," said Berenson, who added that she had taught herself the Bible and has been preparing for the quiz for years.
Berenson said religious activists have been trying to discourage her and the other participants from taking part in the quiz, "but we have all decided to go ahead with it."
The controversy surrounding the participation of 16-year-old Bat-El Levi, from Beersheba, began last week as a result of a campaign led by the haredi anti-missionary organization Yad Le'Achim.
Yad Le'Achim discovered that Levi belonged to a messianic Jewish congregation. The organization immediately contacted rabbis and other spiritual leaders. Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, a leading religious Zionist halachic authority, called to boycott the quiz if the messianic Jew did not forfeit her participation. His call was joined by other rabbis aligned with religious Zionism, including Safed Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliahu.
Sources close to the Levi family, who did not deny their ties with a messianic Jewish congregation, said there had been attempts by Yad Le'Achim to dissuade Bat-El from taking part in the competition. A group of activists demonstrated in Dimona when the participants came to the Negev town for a preliminary quiz.
Messianic Jews believe that Jesus is the savior yet see themselves as Jews.
Tamir's representative, Lital Apter, said the minister had no intention of canceling the quiz or asking Levi not to take part.
"It is too bad that on the 60th anniversary we are dealing with these sorts of things. This should be a time of celebration, not of controversy.
"The point of the quiz is to check the participants' knowledge of the Bible, not to scrutinize their faith. The legal department in the Education Ministry verified that Levi is Jewish according to the criteria of the state. That's good enough for us," Apter said.
Mystery Man in Olmert Investigation Named
http://www.newsmax.com/international/olmert_talansky_finances/2008/05/06/93961.html
NEW YORK -- Newsmax has learned that a foreign national Israel's attorney general has been searching for in an ongoing probe into the finances of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is a U.S. citizen living on Long Island.
Morris Talansky of Woodmere, Long Island, is simply identified as a local businessman who has donated funds to Olmert's election campaigns for Jerusalem mayor in the 1990s.
Sources tell Newsmax that Talansky had previously been interviewed by Israeli authorities and was "uncooperative."
Now it seems the attorney general may seek a formal deposition to allow a more intensive examination of the Olmert associate.
It is unclear just where the American businessman currently is.
Some say he is in the New York City area, others claim he is currently visiting Israel and has been there since mid-April.
Talansky was not available for comment.
Israeli sources tell Newsmax that the ongoing probe into Olmert's activities "is quite serious" and that the prime minister may not survive through the summer.
Next week, President Bush will pay his final visit to the region.
Bush will head to Israel as the Jewish state celebrates its 60th anniversary.
Israel Scandal's Li Link Revealed: Bizman Who Might Topple Olmert
http://www.nypost.com/seven/05062008/news/regionalnews/israel_scandals_li_link_109573.htm
A Long Island mogul is at the center of a sensational bribery scandal that could bring down embattled Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, The Post has learned.
Millionaire financier Morris Talansky - who runs an investment firm out of his home in Woodmere - allegedly passed money to Olmert while the politician was mayor of Jerusalem in the '90s, sources said.
In a highly unusual move, Israeli authorities have barred the country's media from publishing Talansky's name - revealed now in The Post - saying it could hamper their investigation. Israeli media has referred only to the involvement of an "American businessman."
Talansky is apparently set to sing to Israeli authorities about his alleged role in the scheme, sources said.
"It looks serious, and it looks like they have a state witness" in Talansky, one source said.
Talansky - a philanthropist and political contributor to everyone from Rudy Giuliani to Bill Clinton - is in Jerusalem, where he has an apartment, preparing to head to a closed-door court hearing as early as today, sources said.
The 75-year-old was earlier questioned about the alleged scheme almost immediately after arriving in the country for Passover, and he implicated Olmert, sources have said.
It was unclear what the alleged payments to Olmert were for, but sources said they involved hefty amounts of cash.
Talansky repeatedly appears - sometimes under the nickname "The Laundry Man" - in the logs of financial dealings kept by Olmert's longtime aide, Shula Zakan, a source said.
Olmert was grilled by investigators Friday. He has vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
The allegations are only the latest in a string of woes for Olmert, who has battled past charges of government corruption and questionable personal business practices.
"But this time seems very serious, and it seems eventually, we don't know if it will be days, weeks or months, in the end, he may not be able to continue to be prime minister," one source said.
A man answering the phone at Talansky's multimillion-dollar mansion in Woodmere yesterday said, "He's not available."
Talansky lists himself as CEO of the Global Resources Group, a self-described financial-investment firm.
Olmert case: Court delays decision on foreign witness’s pre-trial testimony
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5239
Jerusalem district court allowed publication of the prosecution’s request to hear a foreign witness’s sworn testimony in the case against prime minister Ehud Olmert in a pre-trial proceeding. However, the court delayed its reply until after Independence Day, Thursday, May 8.
These applications are filed normally when a foreign witness is about to leave the country.
The witness’s departure before the hearing could seriously damage the prosecution’s case. If he thought he was getting in too deep in a complicated affair, he might get up and leave. On the other hand, he may have agreed to the delay. In any case, it will have given the defense more time to marshal their arguments against the prosecution’s case.
The prime minister’s former confidential assistant Shula Zaken was grilled by police for the fourth time Tuesday. She is under house arrest until Friday for refusing to answer questions. Her attorney Micha Fetman denied she had been asked to turn state witness against her former boss. Later, he suggested that she might consider breaking her silence if one of four previous probes against Olmert were dropped.
The Tel Aviv court denied a petition filed by three Israeli media organizations to lift last week’s comprehensive gag order banning the publication of details about the investigation against the prime minister. General prosecutor Moshe Lador said the order will not be lifted before Independence Day. The mass-circulation New York Post meanwhile ran with the story Tuesday.
Israel throws 60th birthday bash under cloud of uncertainty
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080506145310.y7zmcmqt&show_article=1
Israel this week celebrates its 60th birthday with military displays, barbecues and a Bible quiz but also with a cloud of uncertainty hanging over its prime minister's political future.
Air shows, concerts, beach parties and fireworks will mark the six decades since the Jewish state was founded according to the Hebrew lunar calender.
For many, the three-day weekend will be an opportunity to escape to beaches or the countryside for picnics and barbecues, and opposition politicians have suggested Prime Minister Ehud Olmert should also get away from it all.
Several lawmakers have urged Olmert to quit or at least step aside pending the outcome of the latest investigation into corruption allegations against him, the fifth such probe since he took power.
Olmert has denied any wrongdoing and insisted he will continue his duties as premier.
While the big bash is on Thursday, celebrations will continue for weeks and some foreign dignitaries will only join in the fun later, including US President George W. Bush who is scheduled to travel to Israel next week.
Israel's vaunted military, which defeated Arab armies to forge the Jewish state in 1948, will play a key role. Its displays will include a jump by 150 paratroopers from different countries over the seaside town of Ashkelon on Thursday.
In a reminder that Israel remains mired in conflict with the Palestinians, the army says it will offer guided tours of copies of tunnels used to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip.
It will also display a model of underground bunkers and missile launch sites used by Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia which Israel battled to a bloody 34-day stalemate in 2006.
The more religiously-minded can take part in an international Bible quiz, while for those seeking intellectual stimulation, President Shimon Peres is to host a conference on challenges facing Israel and the world.
"Over the past 60 years, Israel has developed into a modern, vibrant country," Olmert said, stressing however that despite its achievements "we still have much to accomplish."
"We must exhaust all possibilities for peace with our Arab neighbors, while always safeguarding the security of our citizens," he said.
As the Jewish state celebrates, Palestinians commemorate six decades of what they call the "Naqba" -- Arabic for catastrophe.
The term refers to the plight of some 700,000 Palestinians who fled their homes after Israel defeated the Arab armies that invaded when the Jewish state was established in May 1948.
Sixty years on, Israel and the Palestinians remain locked in a seemingly intractable conflict.
Southern Israel faces almost daily rocket attacks from the impoverished Gaza Strip, where the Islamist movement Hamas seized power last June ousting forces loyal to moderate Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.
UN agencies say Gaza is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster as a result of a crippling blockade Israel has imposed on the impoverished and densely-populated sliver of land.
In the West Bank, construction of new Israeli homes in defiance of international calls to freeze all Jewish settlement activity is seen as a major hurdle in US-backed peace talks relaunched in November.
The separation barrier and military roadblocks that prevent free travel from and within the West Bank remain a source of frustration for Palestinians and a key obstacle to economic development.
The Israeli army further tightened the restrictions for the anniversary celebrations, imposing a three-day security lockdown on the West Bank that is due to end at midnight on Thursday.
Israel's military intelligence chief Major General Amos Yadlin has warned of a possible "major attack" by Hamas during the anniversary celebrations, according to local media.
INTERVIEW: Solana: "No talks with Hamas, Israel settlements illegal" interview text published as part of dpa special package at 0500 G
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1403614.php/INTERVIEW_Solana_"No_talks_with_Hamas_Israel_settlements_illegal"_interview_text_published_as_part_of_dpa_special_package_at_0500_G
Brussels - The European Union is 'firmly committed' to helping bring peace in the Middle East and security to Israel, and will not negotiate with Hamas, until the Palestinian group listed by Brussels as a terrorist organization accepts those aims, the EU's top foreign-policy official Javier Solana said.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa ahead of the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the state of Israel, the EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy said: 'The EU is firmly committed to the security of Israel.'
He added: 'Until Hamas renounces violence, recognizes Israel's right to exist and accepts existing agreements, there will be no direct talks.'
However, Solana also criticized Israel, saying that 'Israeli settlement building is illegal under international law'.
'Settlement construction is an obstacle to peace,' he explained, adding this included Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
'Israel should freeze all settlement activity, including the natural growth of existing settlements, and dismantle all outposts erected since March 2001,' Solana said.
Solana said the role of the United States in bringing about peace in the Middle East was crucial. However, the EU was one of the key players which also included the so-called Mideast Quartet (US, UN, EU and Russia) and efforts by Germany, Egypt and Russia.
'The international community is deeply involved in the quest for peace in the Middle East,' Solana said.
The EU had stepped up its commitments in support of Palestinian stat-building, he said. Among the efforts supported by the bloc were the establishment of a democratic Palestinian police force, an efficient legal system, the development of the Palestinian economy and Palestinian finances as well as humanitarian measures.
Solana is the official foreign-policy representative of the council of the EU's 27 member states, and thus the highest authority on the union's joint dealings with the rest of the world.
Most Israeli Jews do not believe in chances of peace: poll
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5h8ly9Oexhhh3w27gyi8BxDbWQBJg
JERUSALEM — A large majority of Israel's Jews do not believe in the prospects of reaching a peace agreement with the Palestinians, in a poll released on Tuesday.
According to the April issue of the War and Peace Index, a survey conducted by Tel Aviv University, 70 percent of the Jewish public do not believe in the chances of reaching a deal with the Palestinians despite renewed peace talks.
On the other hand, 57 percent of the respondents favour holding talks with the Palestinians, while 34 percent oppose such talks.
Seventy percent support the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, as set out in the international roadmap peace plan.
On the thorniest issues at the core of the Middle East conflict, 55 percent said they opposed handing Arab neighbourhoods in occupied east Jerusalem to Palestinian sovereignty.
A vast majority -- 83 percent -- oppose handing over the Old City to the Palestinians and 60 percent oppose joint administration of Judaism's holiest site, Temple Mount, which also houses Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, making it Islam's third holiest site.
The Palestinians want to make Arab east Jerusalem, which Israel captured and annexed in 1967, the capital of their future state.
Israel and the Palestinians restarted peace talks at a US conference last November after a seven-year hiatus, but little tangible progress has been made since despite a joint commitment to try to ink a deal by the end of the year.
Sixty-six percent of those questioned also said that they did not believe in the chances of reaching a peace agreement with Syria.
Peace talks between Israel and its northern neighbour broke down eight years ago but in recent weeks both sides have sent messages that they were willing to renew talks.
The poll also said that 75 percent of the Israeli Jewish public thinks that in the next five years Israel will find itself at war with "one or more Arab states."
The survey was conducted among 600 men and women with a margin of error of 4.5 percent.
Conversion conflict - a Zionism issue
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1209627019789&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
A nasty legalistic brawl that casts in doubt the Jewishness of hundreds of converts to Judaism is really a clash of political ideologies vis-a-vis Zionism, rabbis on both sides of the fray said Monday.
The clash between rabbis who see the creation of the State of Israel as a positive sign from God signaling a step closer to final redemption and those who reject any religious implications resulting from the renewal of Jewish sovereignty comes as Israelis prepare to celebrate the 60th anniversary of their independence on Thursday.
Last week, a panel of three haredi, non-Zionist rabbis belonging to the High Rabbinical Court, the state's highest rabbinic institution, caused an upheaval in the Orthodox rabbinical world after publishing a caustically incriminating indictment of the head of Israel's Conversion Authority, Rabbi Haim Druckman, who is a religious Zionist.
The haredi judges' decision effectively annulled retroactively hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of conversions performed between 1999 and 2003 by Druckman.
Rabbi Avraham Sherman, the haredi rabbinic judge who wrote the decision, accused Druckman of forging documents to make it seem as if he were present at dozens of conversions when, in actuality, he was represented by proxy.
But Sherman's main thrust was an attack on Druckman and other judges in the Conversion Authority, the vast majority of whom are religious Zionists, who saw the endeavor of mass conversion in Israel as a "national goal".
"All these rabbis have one thing in common," Sherman wrote, referring to rabbis serving on state-run conversion courts.
"They all see in conversion a sacred commandment as part of their national responsibility ... in other words, the conversion is not primarily the spiritual and religious need of the individual convert who wishes to join the Jewish people and accept upon himself all the commandments. Rather, conversion is a means of improving the spiritual situation of the entire Jewish nation living in Israel. It is a way of bringing Jews closer to their Judaism.
"But, in reality, for dozens of years now the vast majority of converts via the Conversion Authority remain gentile in their behavior, except for the performance of rituals, which remain for these converts empty of spiritual content. These converts see themselves as belonging to the Jewish people solely in a patriotic, nationalistic way, without any religiously significant feelings of belonging. Therefore, these [conversion court] rabbis should be seen as intentional transgressors of Jewish law."
Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, a member of Tzohar Rabbis, a group of religious Zionist spiritual leaders, said Sherman's arguments proved that the historical processes that brought the Jewish people back to the Land of Israel had no religious significance for him.
"Since the creation of the State of Israel rabbis have argued over its theological significance," he said.
"Should we see the creation of the State of Israel as the return of the people to its rightful land as part of a larger eschatological process, as religious Zionists believe, or is it just a bunch of individual Jews who happen to have landed in the Holy Land together by coincidence, as the haredim believe."
A senior member of the Conversion Authority, who preferred to remain anonymous, said conversions serve the national interest and are, therefore, a mitzvah.
"We are talking about a group of people who ended up in Israel because they have some sort of connection with the Jewish people," the source said.
"Their mother may not be Jewish, which makes them gentile according to Halacha. But their father is Jewish, or one of their grandparents is Jewish or they are married to a Jew. As a result, they are considered "of the seed of Israel."
"In addition, they totally identify as Jews. They do not see themselves as gentiles. They serve in the IDF, they are patriotic, they are Zionistic. We have a duty to bring them closer to the Jewish people."
The source also pointed out that if the approximately 300,000 non-Jews who immigrated to Israel under the Law of Return are not converted, there will be intermarriage and assimilation.
"The haredim are not part of any of Israel's national endeavors because they do not see any religious value in the creation of the State of Israel. That's why they don't serve in the IDF and they don't identify with Zionism. They also don't think their children, who are brought up in isolated communities, will ever marry non-Jewish immigrants or their offspring. But I think they are wrong."
Rabbi Dr. Jeffrey Woolf, a senior lecturer of Talmud at Bar Ilan, said that Sherman's decision was unprecedented in halachic literature.
"I would hope that Sherman was making a principled argument in terms of the need for converts to accept upon themselves adherence to Orthodox Jewish law [kabbalat mitzvot]," said Woolf. "But Sherman's across-the-board disqualification of rabbis and Torah scholars... That, to my knowledge, in the field of halachic literature is unprecedented."
Woolf called Sherman's dispute with religious Zionists a dissent in the field of religious policy, not ideology.
"A certain religious policy may lead a halachic decisor to lean in a certain direction. That is also what pushed Sherman to excoriate rabbis who hold the position that the broader needs of the Jewish people are a halachic consideration.
"I just hope this controversy will be solved, because we are talking about an issue that could make or break Jewish unity. I am not saying to give up on principles. But we are not only playing with people's individual status, but also with the life and death of the state of Israel, because maintaining Jewish unity is our most important source of strength."
Explosive situation in Lebanon as government confronts Hizballah
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5245
Lebanon’s pro-Western Siniora government has declared illegal Hizballah’s private telecommunications network installed in southern and eastern Lebanon and the southern Shiite suburbs of Beirut. DEBKAfile reported some weeks ago that the network is military and was installed by Iran to prepare its Lebanese proxy for war with Israel.
The government, after a marathon session Tuesday, May 6, also approved a wage hike and cancel customs on food staples to break up the opposition-led labor union protests starting Wednesday.
Beirut airport security chief Brig. Gen. Wafiq Shqeir, a suspected pro-Hizballah sympathizer was removed for permitting the installation of spy cameras alleged by the government to “monitor the arrival of Lebanese and foreign leaders, to kidnap or assassinate people on the airport road.”
Trouble is expected Wednesday when the pro-Hizballah protesters start marching along a route which runs their traditional strongholds of the ruling March 14 majority alliance led by Saad Hariri and Walid Jumblatt’s Progressive Socialist Party.
Several unions say they will be boycotting the Hizballah-led protests and demonstrations.
Lebanon’s political crisis has left the country without a president since November 2007since when pro-Syrian factions have frustrated 18 attempts by parliament to elect a head of state.
John Bolton: Bomb Insurgent Training Camps in Iran
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/John_Bolton_Bomb_Iran/2008/05/06/93811.html
President Bush’s former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton is calling on the U.S. to bomb the camps in Iran where insurgents are training to fight in Iraq.
“This is a case where the use of military force against a training camp to show the Iranians we’re not going to tolerate this is really the most prudent thing to do,” Bolton said in remarks reported by The Telegraph in Britain.
“Then the ball would be in Iran’s court to draw the appropriate lesson to stop harming our troops.”
Bolton acknowledged that a strike could spark an Iranian response harming American interests overseas, but insisted that the damage inflicted by Iran would be “far higher” if the U.S. did not act.
An American military spokesman disclosed last week that the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards was using personnel from Lebanon’s Hezbollah to train fighters from Iraq’s Shiite militias.
Col. Donald Bacon said fighters captured in Iraq told interrogators that thousands of Iraqis were training in Iran.
The main training camp is located near the town of Jalil Azad, The Telegraph reported.
Last week the Iraqi government sent a five-member delegation to Tehran to meet with the Quds Force commander to plead for an end to Iranian involvement in Iraq.
Bolton: US air strikes on Iran would be major step towards Iraq victory
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5247
Former American UN ambassador John Bolton said that while a hostile Iranian response harming US interests existed, the damaged inflicted by Tehran would be far higher if Washington took no action. He was quoted by the UK Telegraph as urging therefore that Washington order air strikes against the Revolutionary Guards Corps camps training Iraqi insurgents.
A US spokesman last week confirmed DEBKAfile’s earlier disclosure that the IRGC’s al Qods Brigades had drafted Hizballah personnel to support Iraq’s Shiite militias and train them at facilities in Iran.
Iraqi refugees cry out to Christians around the world for solidarity
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/iraqi.refugees.cry.out.to.christians.around.the.world.for.solidarity/18605.htm
"Although I had been threatened many times in Iraq, I did not want to leave," says the Armenian Orthodox hairdresser Cayran. "But then my shop was burnt and the car of my husband, who used to work as a driver, was robbed. So we left everything behind and fled to Syria."
At a meeting in April at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East in Damascus, Iraqi Christian refugees and church representatives agreed that "stories of lost loved ones, the sudden need to flee home and community and the hardship of life as refugees need to be told".
"And those who have the power to help end the tragedy of being a refugee need to listen," they agreed.
The Iraqi Christians at the meeting are now refugees in Syria. They shared their concerns with church members from the US, Germany, Lebanon, Pakistan and Sweden, along with the general secretaries of the World Council of Churches and Middle East Council of Churches.
What the church representatives heard were stories of incredible suffering in Iraq and overflowing hospitality in Syria. They heard about the pain of living in Iraq and eventually leaving. They also heard of the strain the influx of 1.5 million Iraqi refugees have placed on the economy of Syria creating the need for jobs, safety and security despite the unanswered questions of what next for the Iraqis.
The prices for food and housing are skyrocketing, and it is extremely hard to find a well-paid job. "Even if there were no refugees, the economy would have to create thousands of job opportunities a year in order to integrate our young people who join the labour market," Samer Laham, director of ecumenical relations at the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, explained to the visitors from abroad.
'Animals live better lives than human beings'
That evening many spoke of the trauma suffered by their children and the insecurity of their future. Cayran said her son cannot speak normally since he closely escaped a kidnapping.
"Animals live better lives than human beings in Iraq," said Samira, a Syrian Orthodox refugee. "At least they have the freedom to move. We were even too afraid to go to church because people were kidnapped from church."
One day, when she was still living in Iraq, Samira went shopping with her daughter. "Three gunmen stopped us. They pushed my daughter around and asked her why she was in the street without a veil. Since then, she did not want to leave home and she dropped out of university."
Aram, who had been a member of the Armenian Orthodox Church in Baghdad, said: "My wife and I knew some Christians who were killed. As our numbers were on their mobile phones, their murderers used them to call and threaten us."
Aram also told about the mistrust that is poisoning communities in Iraq: "We had some friends, who turned out to work for the Mahdi Army. We thought they were friends, but they took our pictures in order to have us killed."
Incidents such as the publishing of the prophet Muhammad cartoons in Denmark in 2005 benefit the extremists, who use them to justify their hidden agenda to kick "non-believers" out of the country, Munir from the Calvinist community in Baghdad is convinced.
"My family was threatened: either you leave within 15 minutes or we will kill you," Munir described his own experience. He added that they did not know how serious the threat was, so they went to his sister's apartment next door and waited. Then an armed gang arrived.
"They raped our wives, and even my eighty-year-old mother was beaten." After Munir's brother-in-law, who had been kidnapped, was freed, the family left "immediately, without even taking any clothes with us", selling the apartment for a quarter of its value.
In exile, Christians turn to churches for help
But life in Syria is not easy, either, as the resources which refugees managed to bring with them are soon used up, and jobs are hard to find.
"I have a brother and a sister outside the region," Munir said. "We depend on them and are a burden on them. But they cannot afford to send us money all the time."
A psychological burden for many families is the knowledge that any emergency or illness will find them without protection. Kwarin, a father of four, left his job with a security company in Baghdad to join his family in exile and take care of his children. "My wife urgently needs an operation," he said, "but I have no money to pay for it."
While the refugees are grateful to Syria and the churches there for welcoming them, many feel let down by the international community. Frustration prevails with regard to the Western embassies who have rejected visa applications again and again. "Do they want that parents go back to Iraq and get killed before they allow the children to get out? Must our young women go back and be raped before they are allowed out?" one man asked angrily.
Cries of "No!" or even "Never!", both in English and Arabic, filled the room, as the question of whether they want to return to Iraq was put to the refugees. "Of course I want to go back to my country," a young woman from Basra explained. "But can you guarantee that I will not be killed? My relatives went back and were killed in one night."
Rev Dr Volker Faigle of the Evangelical Church in Germany thanked the men and women who gave their testimonies to the WCC delegation for the clear message. "We cannot bring airtickets or visas along," he acknowledged. "But my church and the Roman Catholic Church in Germany will join hands and approach the government, the parliament and the European institutions to tell them what we have seen and heard.
"When we return to our countries, we will think of you, we will pray for you and we will act for you."
The concern felt by Syria's Christian communities for their sisters and brothers in and from Iraq was tangible in all the encounters the WCC delegation had with church leaders.
Patriarch Mor Ignatius Zakka of the Syrian Orthodox Church, who was himself born in Iraq, told the ecumenical visitors about a priest of his church who had been killed just one week earlier, after he conducted the Holy Mass. "We do not want Iraq to be emptied of Christians but if they are in danger there, how could we tell them to stay?" asked the patriarch.
Many Christian refugees experienced that in Iraq belonging to a religious minority is dangerous. "Christians and other minorities are paying the price of the Iraq war," said Samer Laham, "because they are suspected of being traitors and of helping the allied forces - as if they were not an original part of the social fabric and had not shared the bread with their Muslim brothers since centuries. "
So when they arrive in the host country, Christians put most trust and expectations for help on the churches. Denominational boundaries, on the other hand, are easily overcome. "Our church is an open house for Iraqi either to hold their own services or to join ours," said the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarch Gregorios III. He added that his patriarchate works hand in hand with an Islamic centre to care for Iraqi refugees, whether they be Christian or Muslim.
Pastor Boutros Zaour, of the Evangelical National Church, said ,"It is Syria's destiny to be hospitable to refugees, ever since the Armenians fled here from the persecutions they suffered in the Ottoman Empire."
"The personal stories the delegation heard were heartwrenching," said Clare Chapman, deputy general secretary of the National Council of Churches USA, at the end of the visit.
"We must pray for the Iraqi refugees and work together as member churches of the WCC and as citizens of our home countries, to address the conditions they daily endure. We must take our responsibility seriously, as people of faith, to do whatever we can to support them as they try to rebuild the lives they lost through no fault of their own."
U.S. to Trim Its Forces in Iraq
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/370193.aspx
BAGHDAD -- About 3,500 American soldiers are scheduled to leave Iraq in the coming weeks, the U.S. military announced, as part of the Pentagon's overall reduction in troop strength following last year's "surge."
Washington plans to trim it forces in Iraq to about 140,000 soldiers by the summer - from a peak of about 170,000 in October at the height of the troop buildup in Baghdad and surrounding areas.
The departing soldiers, part of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, will redeploy to Fort Benning, Ga., the military said.
The U.S. sent some 30,000 additional troops into Iraq last year to help stem growing violence. The troop increase, a truce by a key Shiite Muslim militia and the rise of Sunni fighters who allied with the U.S. in the battle against al-Qaeda were credited with a sharp decrease in bloodshed during the last 10 months.
Brig. General: Drawdown Reflects Progress
The soldiers are part of the third of five "surge" brigades scheduled to leave the country. The other two are expected to return to the U.S. by the end of July. There are currently about 159,000 U.S. soldiers in Iraq.
"The continued drawdown of surge brigades demonstrates continued progress in Iraq," Brig. Gen. Dan Allyn said in the statement released late Monday. "After July, commanders will assess our security posture for about 45 days and determine future force requirements based on these conditions-based assessments."
Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, has pushed for a so-called "pause" in further redeployment of U.S. troops.
Critics have called for a quicker withdrawal of American soldiers, but commanders on the ground insist the slowdown is needed so a sharp increase in violence is not seen when U.S. forces leave.
"Anti-Conversion" Law Implemented in Gujarat, India
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07153.shtml
An anti-conversion law passed in 2003 in the Indian state of Gujarat came into effect on April 1, increasing Christians' concerns that it will open the door to false accusations by Hindu militants. The law is supposed to curb religious conversions made by "force," "fraud" or "allurement."
However, Christians and human rights groups believe that the law actually obstructs all conversions, as Hindu nationalists invoke it to harass Christian workers with arrests and imprisonments, which are often accompanied with violence against the accused. The law dictates that any person who intends to convert must notify the government or will be declared an offender and prosecuted under criminal laws.
It also stipulates that those convicted of "forcible conversion" could be jailed for up to three years.
Anti-conversion laws are now enforced in five states -- Gujarat, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh -- and have been passed but are yet to be implemented in Arunachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Ask God to strengthen Christian workers in Gujarat as they face more opposition in serving the Lord. Pray that the faithfulness of Indian Christians will be a light that draws many to the love of Christ (Matthew 5:14-16).
For more information on the persecution facing Christians in India, go to www.persecution.net/country/india.htm.
Russia, US Sign Civil Nuclear Pact
http://www.newsmax.com/international/russia_us_nuclear_agreement/2008/05/06/93975.html
MOSCOW -- Russian and U.S. officials signed a key agreement on civilian nuclear power Tuesday that could give Washington access to Russian technology and potentially hand Moscow lucrative deals on storing spent fuel.
The deal, signed on the eve of Dmitry Medvedev's inauguration as president, signals a reversal in policy for the U.S. administration on cooperating with Russia on nuclear issues. Cooperation had cooled in recent years, mainly due to disagreements over how to handle Iran's perceived nuclear threat.
"The U.S. and Russia were once nuclear rivals," U.S. Ambassador William Burns said after a signing ceremony. "Today, we are nuclear partners with unique capabilities and unique responsibilities for global nuclear leadership."
But the agreement ran into immediate trouble on Capitol Hill, where two senators said they would try to block it because it could hurt efforts to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons.
Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., along with Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., are circulating a letter that will urge Bush not to send the pact to Congress. The senators say Russia's exports of nuclear fuel to Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant and opposition to the United Nations sanctions against Iran make the new deal suspect.
But the Bush administration now views Russia as a partner in the effort to persuade Iran to abandoned its nuclear weapons ambitions and a State Department official said Russia's assistance to the Iranian power plant was not seen as an issue.
The deal _ signed by Burns and Russian atomic energy chief Sergei Kiriyenko _ will give the U.S. access to Russian state-of-the art nuclear technology.
That would be important for the Washington, where nuclear development was virtually dormant in the wake of a 1979 reactor accident at Three Mile Island in the U.S. and the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear explosion in the Soviet Union, experts say.
The U.S. is especially interested in developments in areas including fast-neutron reactors and recycling nuclear fuel.
The deal could also help Russia in its efforts to establish an international nuclear fuel storage facility by importing and storing spent fuel. It cannot achieve that goal without signing the deal, since the U.S. controls the vast majority of the world's nuclear fuel.
The fuel storage plans have caused outrage among environmentalists and ordinary Russians, who fear that such a project would turn the country into the world's nuclear dump. Russian officials would have to overcome those objections to go ahead with the plans.
Kiriyenko, meanwhile, insisted that the deal does not mean Russia would be importing nuclear fuel: "Russia is not importing and will not import nuclear fuel," he said.
Work on the agreement got under way after outgoing President Vladimir Putin and U.S. counterpart George W. Bush pledged to increase cooperation in the field at the Group of 8 summit in St. Petersburg in 2006.
The U.S. administration's willingness to reverse course and work with Russia appears to reflect the U.S. view that Moscow is now a partner in the effort to persuade Tehran to abandon nuclear weapons ambitions.
"This is a nod to the long and friendly relations between the Bush and the Putin administration and it sets the stage for some successful nuclear cooperation with the new administrations," in the Kremlin and the White House," said Rose Gottemoeller, the director of the Carnegie Moscow Center.
To get the deal in place, Bush must still send it to Congress. It would become effective unless Congress passes legislation within 90 days to block it. A bill pending in the Senate would block such an agreement unless Russia has stopped cooperating with Iran's nuclear or advanced conventional and missile program, or Iran has stopped enriching uranium.
The U.S. has similar agreements with other major economic powers, including China.
Russia's Medvedev Takes Oath of Office
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/370839.aspx
MOSCOW -- Dmitry Medvedev was inaugurated as Russia's president on Wednesday, pledging to bolster the country's economic development and civil rights, in what may signal a departure from his predecessor's heavy-handed tactics.
Putin's Influence to Continue
Medvedev took the oath of office in the Kremlin's golden-hued Andreyevsky Hall, bringing to an end Vladimir Putin's eight years as president. But Putin is sure to continue to wield huge influence in the country.
One of Medvedev's first acts as president is expected to be the nomination of Putin as prime minister.
Though Medvedev has pledged to continue the policies pursued by Putin, his six-minute inaugural address referred to civil rights issues several times, a possible indication that his presidency would take a different course from his mentor's.
Under Putin, Russia's economy soared from near-disaster to astonishing prosperity. But the role of civil society came under question, as opposition groups were marginalized and non-governmental organizations came under heavy pressure.
In his address, Medvedev said that one of his most important tasks would be "the development of civil and economic freedom."
The March election of Medvedev was seen by many as one of the most marked signs of Russia retreating from democracy. Most of the prominent opposition aspirants to the post were kept off the ballot, and Putin hand-picked Medvedev to succeed him.
But Medvedev highlighted civil rights on Wednesday.
New President Pledges War on Corruption
"Human rights and freedoms. are deemed of the highest value for our society and they determine the meaning and content of all state activity," he said.
The 42-year-old, formerly a first deputy prime minister and chairman of the state-controlled natural gas giant Gazprom, also pledged to fight endemic corruption, a problem that Putin has been unable to stifle.
"I'm going to pay special attention to the fundamental role of the law. We must achieve a true respect in law, overcome the legal nihilism which is hampering modern development," Medvedev said.
He pledged to help make Russia "the best country for the comfortable, confident and secure life of its citizens" and to modernize industry and agriculture, encourage the development of new technologies and attract investment.
Russia's economic boom has been driven largely by soaring world prices for its vast oil and gas exports, and concerns are high that the country is vulnerable to a downturn in commodities prices unless it diversifies its economy and expands its manufacturing and services sectors.
Putin, in a short address to the crowd of Russian dignitaries and foreign ambassadors in the lavish hall, declared that when he became president in 2000 "I made a commitment to work openly and honestly, to faithfully serve the people and the state. And I did not violate my promise."
GFA Bible college sheltering cyclone survivors in Burma
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/gfa.bible.college.sheltering.cyclone.survivors.in.burma/18608.htm
A Gospel for Asia Bible college in Rangoon, Burma, is now a makeshift shelter for those devastated by Cyclone Nargis, which swept across the country Saturday.
"One of our correspondents was at the Bible college in Rangoon when the storm hit. He was able to obtain information and get on one of the only flights out of the country to deliver a report and photos of the devastation," said Gospel for Asia President KP Yohannan.
The cyclone hit at about 2:30am. By daylight the full effect of the storm was obvious. Homes were destroyed, and giant trees had crashed through buildings and were lying uprooted, blocking roads.
The news that is trickling out of the country is horrifying. The death toll is estimated to be at least 15,000 and another 2,700 are missing.
"The people in Burma live in clusters of small communities in simple bamboo structures," Yohannan explained. "These villages are not made of concrete. I imagine that literally hundreds of these simple structures were just blown away. We are praying here in India and are asking Christians around the world to join us."
More than 80 people-along with 70 children from a nearby orphanage that was destroyed-made their way to the Bible college campus as soon as the storm subsided. Buddhist monks are also at the college, seeking assistance.
Local officials set up shop at the Bible college because the police station was completely destroyed. The police have asked for help from the staff at the college. At present, the students are away on their summer vacation. This freed up space to accommodate many who came for help.
GFA missionaries serve at about 400 churches and 250 mission stations in Burma. In 2006, the military-run government of Burma forbade foreign non- government organisations from doing aid work in the country. In the face of this disaster, the government is now relenting, and allowing outside assistance.
Since GFA missionaries are already in the country, and have found favour with the government, they are one of the few groups able to offer immediate help to the people as they begin the recovery process.
"In the past, whenever there was a problem of any kind, our people got involved in helping. That is why the government and the people there look at us with good favour," Yohannan said.
The missionaries and staff at the Bible college are taking care of the people's basic needs by offering meals, prayers and the love of Jesus for those who have lost all hope. They will continue caring for the people, but the task before them is daunting.
"Rangoon is in total darkness and they are estimating that there will not be electricity for at least three months," Yohannan said.
Obtaining enough food to feed all those at the Bible college presents another challenge. At present, the banks are closed and fresh food and water are in short supply. Yet these are simply the immediate problems before the aid workers.
"We are facing at least six months of continuous work ministering to the people. This is a tremendous opportunity for us to reach out in love to them, just like we did after the tsunami in 2004," Yohannan said.
Whilst part of one Bible college building is still standing, portions of the campus - including the building where the people are now staying - were severely damaged.
"We will need to rebuild the Bible college, staff quarters and hundreds of homes of those in our churches," Yohannan said. "Also, dozens of churches are sure to have been destroyed."
Whilst many missionaries and staff will remain in Rangoon assisting with the work at the Bible college, many others are already going out into the villages looking for survivors and surveying the damage.
Yohannan asks for continued prayer for the people of Burma as they come to grips with this crisis. He also asks for prayer for those who are helping them.
GFA has activated a cyclone relief fund and 100 percent of donations to that fund will go straight to the field to assist survivors.
Police clamp down on Mongolian house churches
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/police.clamp.down.on.mongolian.house.churches/18628.htm
China Aid Association (CAA) has learned that officials from the Arong Qi Security and Religious Affairs Bureau detained two house church ministers last Thursday.
Sun Chuan Min, 27 from Gan He town, Inner Mongolia, and Sun Shi Ying, 24, from Liu He village, were taken to the local police station. Security officials also confiscated a video camera, books, a washing machine, comforters and food supplies belonging to the Daqing Church. All of the items were taken without proper and legal documentation, CAA said.
Last Sunday, 66 year-old Guo Jingtian, pastor of Arong Zhen Ge Er church of Yadong town, Inner Mongolia, was summoned to the Local Security Bureau and charged with holding an "illegal religious meeting". Security officials have sealed the church and prohibited the building from being used for meetings.
In another organised attack by Public Security Officials, a church meeting was raided by members of the Security Bureau and Officials from the Religious Affairs Bureau. Thirteen believers were arrested and detained from 8pm to 5am the next day. All Bibles and kitchen utensils were confiscated without proper documentation. The believers were also threatened by the police officials.
CAA has also learned that 10 people were arrested on April 23 during a house church worship service in Xinjiang. Officials illegally confiscated Bibles and hymn books from the members. Fortunately, all 10 believers were released the same day. According to sources, the Security Officials responsible for the arrests are Li Gang, Captain of the National Security Group in Huocheng city, Xinjiang Province, and Li Jinliang, Police Official of Qing Shui He.
A look back at China's growing faith
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/a.look.back.at.chinas.growing.faith/18610-2.htm
Much attention has been paid to China’s human rights violations, including its suppression of religious freedom, ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August. But a look back at the past decade shows how far the strictly secular and officially atheist nation has come in terms of religion.
About a third (31 per cent) of Chinese citizens consider religion to be very or somewhat important in their lives, compared to only a tenth (11 per cent) who say religion is not at all important, according to a 2006 survey by the Pew Global Attitudes Project that was referenced in a Pew Forum analysis on Friday.
But when it comes to religious affiliation, only about one-in-five Chinese adults (from 14 to 18 per cent) named a particular religion, surveys conducted by Horizon Research Consultancy Group in 2005, 2006 and 2007 showed.
By comparison, more than eight in 10 adults in the United States say they are religiously affiliated, according to the US Religious Landscape Survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life in 2007.
Although the percentage of religiously affiliated Chinese may be unimpressive, when translated to actual numbers it is quite large – nearly equal to the estimated number of religiously affiliated adults in the United States.
Out of China’s recognised religions – Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Islam, and Taoism – Buddhism is the largest religious group, according to the Horizon surveys. Between 11 (2005 survey) and 16 percent (2006 survey) of the adult population are Buddhists.
The second largest officially recognised religion in China is Christianity. Less than four per cent of the adult population identifies itself as Christian, but the number is likely higher, the Pew Forum suggests.
Official statistics by the Chinese Government shows that Christians increased by 50 per cent from 14 million to 21 million in less than 10 years (between 1997 to 2006). During this period, Protestants increased from 10 million to 16 million, or by 60 per cent, while Catholics increased from 4 million to 5 million, or by 25 per cent.
But it is more difficult to measure the non-registered Christian population.
In general, researchers agree that there are at least as many Chinese Christians associated with organisations unaffiliated with the government – what some call the “house churches” – as there are Christians associated with state-recognised groups.
The World Christian Database estimates that there are about 70 million Chinese associated with more than 300 house church networks among the Han majority. Regarding underground Catholics, the Holy Spirit Study Center in Hong Kong – which monitors Catholics that do not belong to the state-approved Catholic body – estimates there are at least 12 million Catholics in China, or 7 million more than acknowledged by the government.
But perhaps the most interesting find in recent years regarding religion in China is an analysis by the Pew Forum of a 2005 survey conducted by InterMedia, an international research and consultation organisation specialising in media and communication.
The unprecedented survey questioned more than 10,000 adults across 21 of China’s 31 mainland provinces, municipal districts and autonomous regions.
The Pew analysis of the survey found that 33 percent of Communist Party officials and government employees are very or somewhat interested in having media access to information on the topic of religion. This makes them the most interested group among the 11 occupational categories reported.
Perhaps an example of growing government tolerance of religion in China is a speech made last year by President and General Secretary Hu Jintao of the Communist Party of China that included a formal discussion of religion. He was the first head of communist China to speak about the beneficial role of religion at China’s National Congress.
In January 2008, Hu stated to the Chinese Politburo, “We must strive to closely unite religious figures and believers ... to build an all-around … prosperous society while quickening the pace toward the modernisation of socialism,” according to the Pew Forum.
Behind government or communist party members, teachers or professors were the second most interested occupational group in the topic of religion (24 per cent). They were followed by retired citizens (24 per cent) and service workers (23 per cent).
The occupational group least interested in religion were professionals (16 per cent) and housewives (17 per cent).
Other interesting findings in the 2005 InterMedia survey include the nearly equal interest in the topic of religion between men (21 per cent) and women (22 per cent). In most other countries, women are more interested in religion than men.
Another unique feature about China’s religious population is that people of higher education (university or higher) are most interested in the topic of religion (26 per cent) among the educational levels.
The people with the least interest in religion are those who attended vocational college (18 per cent). It is noteworthy that most party and government employees in the survey had vocational college education.
There is also about the same level of interest in the topic of religion across age groups, ranging from 20 to 23 per cent for those aged 15 to over 60 years old, according to the InterMedia survey.
Also unlike other countries, urban dwellers are more interested in religion (24 per cent) than rural residents (18 per cent).
“The relatively high level of interest in the topic of religion by Communist Party and government employees, in particular, may indicate that the government is seeking to come to terms with the interest in religion on the part of many people in China,” commented Brian Grim, senior research fellow in Religion and World Affairs at the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
“So, although religion will not be competing in the Olympic Games, it seems to be a more competitive force in China than people imagine,” observed the respected scholar.
10 Million Children Die Annually
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/370114.aspx
MANILA, Philippines - More than 200 million children worldwide under age five do not get basic health care, leading to nearly 10 million deaths annually from treatable ailments like diarrhea and pneumonia, a U.S.-based charity said Wednesday.
Nearly all of the deaths occur in the developing world, with poor children facing twice the risk of dying compared to richer children, according to Save the Children's global report.
Sweden, Norway and Iceland top the ranking in terms of well-being for mothers and children in 146 countries surveyed, while Nigeria ranks last.
Four out of Five Mothers Lose a Child
Eight out of 10 bottom-ranked countries are in sub-Saharan Africa, where four out of five mothers are likely to lose a child in their lifetime, Save the Children said.
The top three among the 55 developing countries ranked in the survey are the Philippines, Peru and South Africa, all surveyed for the first time. Indonesia and Turkmenistan tied for fourth.
Laos, Yemen, Chad, Somalia and Ethiopia were found doing the worst among developing countries, the report said.
Philippines Cut Child Deaths Nearly 50 Percent
Through a number of health initiatives, including access to oral rehydration to treat diarrhea, the Philippines has nearly cut its child death rate in half since 1990, said David Oot, Save the Children's associate vice president.
Today, more than 75 percent of Filipino children with diarrhea receive rehydration therapy, compared with 15 percent of Ethiopian children, he said.
An alarming number of countries are failing to provide the most basic health services that would save lives, with 30 percent of children in developing countries not getting basic health intervention such as prenatal care, skilled assistance during birth, immunizations and treatment for diarrhea and pneumonia.
Wide disparities in health care for the poorest and best-off children are seen even in the highest-ranked countries, the report said.
Revealing Statistics
In the Philippines and Peru, for example, the poorest children are 3.2 times more likely to go without essential health care than their best-off counterparts.
The poorest Peruvian children are 7.4 times more likely to die than their richest counterparts, while the chances are 3.2 times higher for poor Filipino children.
In Latin America, Brazil, Bolivia and Peru have some of the world's widest survival gaps between rich and poor children. In Asia, large disparities also exist in India and Indonesia.
Use of existing, low-cost tools and knowledge could save more than 6 million of the 9.7 million children who die yearly from easily preventable or curable causes, the report said.
They include antibiotics that cost less than $0.30 to treat pneumonia, the top killer of children under five, and oral rehydration therapy -- a simple solution of salt, sugar and potassium -- for diarrhea, the second top killer.
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