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COMMENTARY -- WAR -- (the news is directly below):

You have gone back in time and are standing in the midst of a lush ancient forest. You hear and see some large vegetarian dinosaurs feeding on the moist soft leaves of brush and trees. You also see skulking about like a cat after a mouse, other smaller dinosaurs with a lighter build about them trying to catch and eat even smaller dinosaurs. You also see small dinosaurs feeding on the vegetation. Suddenly you hear a loud screech which terrifies every creature in this setting and sends them running for fear. The screech is coming from a large version of the lighter built and fast moving dinosaur with teeth designed to rip and tear other animal flesh. It quickly moves up on the large vegetarian. It lacks the weight of the vegetarian it is pursuing but has more speed and agility. It's massive and powerful jaws are set into motion as it lunges upon the vegetarian and immediately draws blood as it rips and tears away at a vital spot. The vegetarian tries to defend itself by using its heavy tail to whack the aggressor but it was too slow this time in defending itself and it quickly weakened because of pain and loss of blood. Dizzy and in weakness it dropped to the ground and took its last breath. The aggressor ruthlessly tore away at the most tasty spots and then left the carcass for scavengers.

In the natural world this story describes the "food chain" and the "predatory" character of those creatures at the top of the food chain. The predatory behavior is driven by hunger and the instinct of the predator to feed and care for it's young. Although all animals have some kind of reasoning capability their instincts most often prevail and their reasoning is subordinate to these instincts to make them more effective at surviving.

How does this story relate to war? Is war wrong? Is war necessary? What is accomplished by war?

Mankind is to be above the animals, that is he should be exercising his reasoning capabilities over his instincts. But mankind often does not do that. Tribal behavior is something like wolf pack behavior. There is a kind of civilized order within the pack but anything outside the pack is considered fair game. There is usually a pack leader. In many ways, the societies and cultures and communities of mankind are like the pack where the reasoning capabilities of the individuals in the pack and the consensus of the pack is directed at serving the primitive instincts of survival.

Although man is more technically capable as he sits atop the food chain, many of the nations, societies, cultures, and communities of man are more predatory in character with leaders that know how to control the pack and maintain their control over the pack. If allowed, these predatory packs of mankind will act just like the predatory dinosaur. No amount of talk or reasoning will prevent the attack because the overall social behavior is predatory and reason is used to make the predatory behavior more successful. The only defense against such predators is to be both prepared and more capable if attacked. But often a defensive posture will fail as it did with the vegetarian dinosaur which was no threat to the other dinosaurs. Many animal packs that are vegetarian adopt defensive and preventative postures as a pack to minimize any predatory attack on members within the vegetarian pack. Buffalo, cattle, and many other animals do this.

But only mankind has two things the animals don't have. Man is smart enough to anticipate a predatory attack and respond in a defensive manoeuvre of defense to disable or kill the predatory enemy before the "screech" of death is heard. Man has the means and abilities to develop sophisticated weaponry. Compare this weaponry to the teeth of the attacking dinosaur and the tail of the vegetarian dinosaur.

But if a society or community of man is not aware of such dangers by other predatory type societies and communities then it peacefully and obliviously eats, drinks, sleeps, reproduces, plays, and in other ways occupies itself. When the "screech" of impending death is heard it may be too late. This is especially true if the predatory society has technological superiority and readiness to use that technology in an aggressive manner. This susceptibility scenario is also true if a society or community of man has been deceived into thinking that the predators are their friends or that arbitration, deals, and discourse will stop the aggression. Nothing will stop the predatory nation or community from its behavior other than its own destruction. A predatory human or human society is far more committed to violent aggression than is a predatory animal seeking a prey for a source of food. A predator is ruthless and uncaring whether it be a dinosaur, a wolf, or man. The "whimper" (or dialog to prevent aggression) that precedes death is understood by the predator as victory and the prey can be savaged. There are those that feel that a kind of social remedial exercise involving discourse, and various other forms of reward and penalty administered against the predatory society, by some powerful majority, will cause such predatory communities to change. This is foolishness as long as the pack leader remains leader. The leaders drive the communities. This is true even in western democratic nations. Sometimes leaders reflect the views of the community that elected them and perhaps leaders exploit the community that elected them.

When leaders have control of the key social institutions they can use these institutions to brain wash the community as a whole. If leaders don't have control of the key social institutions then new potential pack leaders can use these institutions to brain wash the community and thereafter supplant the pack leader. For example, often the educational institutions are infiltrated with authority figures that have a profound influence on those they teach. So it is not unusual in just about every society to see social discontent first voiced by universities and institutions of higher learning. The so called media in the form of newspapers, magazines, radio and TV industry, the publishing industry, and the movie industry are powerful means of brainwashing a society and re-engineering the "average" social mentality. A third category is the religious institutions, seminaries, and related organizations. Whoever controls the content of these institutions inevitably controls the pack mentality. Laws and government are derived from this mentality. As the mentality changes so also do the laws and inclinations of government.

As long as the average human being allows himself or herself to be herded along in a pack type social environment there will be predatory societies that feed on the other societies. They will skulk about and wait for their moment. They will form unholy and wicked alliances with each other only to eventually turn on one another. War in this context simply realigns those at the top of the food chain. War is for the purpose of establishing different leaders, it rarely occurs for the purpose of true peace and prosperity directed from a global perspective. Although the word peace is used a lot today its meaning varies depending upon who uses it. Peace as used by world leaders means the establishment of their objectives at the cost of their opponents. World leaders shake each others hands in such deceptive gestures of peace. It is a paradox. It is a horrible dilemma. If any society disarms, adopts arbitration and dialog to effect change then they will be perceived as manipulatable through that dialog. They will also be perceived by the potential aggressor as weak because they rely too heavily on a so called diplomatic solution to disputes. Meanwhile the predatory society or societies will take whatever gain they can through the dialog and when their moment comes, lunge, and with their mighty jaws and sharp teeth rip and tear away at the vulnerabilities of their prey.

Therefore, God must manipulate the devil who influences man towards predatory behavior. The devil incarnate is Anti-Christ. The Anti-Christ or Satan is any human being that uses their reasoning capabilities to serve their primitive instincts. By so doing they have opened up and turned over their mental "real estate" to the spiritual forces of darkness that bring only death. The spiritual force of evil is only able to influence the human mind through the mechanism of our primitive instincts for survival. If we lust and are preoccupied with the things and values of a world driven by such instincts then we have been deceived into a form of mental slavery that brings only hatred and death in its wake.

Jesus Christ is the answer. He is both an example of what we must be like as humans and he is the facilitator/mediator/interface whereby we can all know and experience the love/caring of God.

If you have any comments, questions, or concerns you can email this ministry at thilts@help-for-you.com

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. . . Day by Day with VOA .. . . BBC -- Friday, 3 January, 2003, 12:00 GMT .  Citigroup's deal for credit cards in China . Banks hope to introduce more Chinese consumers to credit cards US banking giant Citigroup has agreed a strategic alliance with a Chinese bank so it can enter China's emerging credit card market.  China is a top priority for Citigroup Sandford Weill, chairman Citigroup Citigroup said it had acquired a 5% shareholding in a Chinese commercial bank, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SPDB), and a seat on its board.  Citibank became the first foreign bank to open its doors to Chinese customers in March 2002 when it got permission to carry out foreign currency transactions.  The credit card deal with SPDB is a huge step towards Citibank's ultimate goal of carrying out local currency business for Chinese customers.  Top target market Citigroup gave no financial details of the transaction, but it is reported to have paid 600 million Yuan ($72.5m; £45.5m), according to the independent China Online news website, which cited company sources.  "China is a top priority for Citigroup," said Sandford Weill, the US bank's executive chairman, welcoming the deal.  Big city stores are increasingly stylish  "We expect to issue our co-branded local currency card in 2003," SPDB chairman Zhang Guangsheng said.  Bank lending to consumers is still in its infancy in China.  For much of the last fifty years the country's banks have operated as cashiers for often insolvent state enterprises, paying little attention to their ability to repay, and building up a mountain of bad debt.  China's market reforms and entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) have prompted a government-supported shake up of the banking sector, which is under pressure to allocate credit more effectively.  More reforms needed Of China's 1.3 billion consumers, only about 20 million have credit cards, and the lack of a national bank clearing system to co-ordinate transactions means most card holders can use their plastic only locally.  New shopping malls are popular hangouts  Foreign banks have therefore identified credit card shopping as a market with plenty of scope for growth, though the eventual scale of such business will depend on regulatory reforms.  Citigroup said its new partner, SPDB, had built a successful franchise in just 10 years, becoming China's ninth largest commercial bank with 270 branches in major cities. It has total assets of $30bn.  SPDB chairman Zhang Guangsheng said he believed the tie-up with Citigroup would enable it to become one China's top banks.  Citigroup said developing the credit card business would be "the focal point" of its alliance with SPDB, which it will provide with technical assistance.  "It is intended that this business will apply to set up an equity joint venture in the future," the US bank said.  The deal gives Citigroup the option to increase its shareholding in its Chinese partner in the future, provided it wins regulatory approval.  Citigroup first opened consumer banking operations in China in 2001, though it had built up a corporate and investment banking business with 900 clients.  . BBC -- Friday, 3 January, 2003, 15:48 GMT  . Experts query bank chief's optimism . Sir Edward says house prices will slow moderately Economists have questioned the optimistic view of the UK's economy offered by Sir Edward George, the governor of the Bank of England.  Sir Edward, speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, suggested a moderate slowing of growth in both house prices and consumer spending in the year ahead.  But analysts have suggested there is a real threat of a more abrupt downturn and that a recession is still a real possibility.  Jonathan Loynes, chief UK economist for the consultancy firm Capital Economics, said the governor's views "look very much like a best case scenario".  Recession? Mr Loynes has a less rosy view of the UK economy's future.  "In history, whenever there's been a boom in house price inflation, as we've seen in the last two or three years, this has been followed by a recession in the general economy," he told BBC News Online.  But Sir Edward cautioned against reading too much into the various economic reports that are predicting tough times ahead.  We don't think there's a general perception that there will be a sharp crash Sir Edward George He told the Today programme: "You shouldn't put too much weight on surveys, at this time of the year in particular."  Instead, Sir Edward forecast a "gradual moderation" of key economic indicators such as house price growth and spending on the High Street.  Keeping perspective The governor pointed to the Nationwide's house price survey, which suggested property prices would continue to grow by 10% in 2003, albeit a more modest rate of growth than the 25% enjoyed in 2002.  "You've got to keep things in perspective," he told the programme, saying that prices would not actually fall, they would just rise more slowly.  "We're anticipating quite a sharp moderation in the rate of increase in house prices and that's consistent with a gradual moderation in the growth of consumer spending.  "We don't think there's a general perception that there will be a sharp crash."  Less optimism The house lenders have a vested interest in prophesying a soft landing Vincent Cable, Liberal Democrat Sir Edward's upbeat tone was not matched by Vincent Cable, the Liberal Democrats' trade and industry spokesman.  He described the current level of consumer borrowing as "unsustainable and dangerous" and told the Today programme that there was a strong chance of a "dramatic" fall in property prices.  "The house lenders have a vested interest in prophesying a soft landing but it may be very unpleasant," he said.  Mr Loynes agreed: "We are set for another year or two of pretty weak economic growth, certainly weaker than the forecasts that the policymakers and the government have been producing."  Risk assessment Sir Edward, whose second five-year term of office ends on 30 June 2003, admitted there were risks to his positive view.  He said the most important danger was the direction of global economics.  I don't think banks lend money if they think they're taking extraordinary risks. Sir Edward George "I think what would help the UK economy more than anything else I can think of is for a clearly established recovery in the world economy."  And he also conceded there was a danger that "the UK consumer would cut back on spending more than we'd like to see".  But he was optimistic: "We're still hopeful that the global economy will pick up."  Banking responsibility Asked whether there was a responsibility on the part of the Bank of England, or banks in general, to caution customers about the risks, Sir Edward said:  "I don't think banks lend money if they think they're taking extraordinary risks.  "It's not for us to tell the private sector how to behave."  Instead, Sir Edward said he would continue to monitor actual developments, look at all data as a whole, and "respond as necessary if we think those risks are crystallising".  Rate cut? A number of economists, including Mr Loynes, have suggested a cut in interest rates would ward off such a gloomy picture.  But Sir Edward disagreed: "On the basis that we're anticipating that the UK economy will grow close to trend, that inflation will remain close to target, that's not something that implies a sharp change in interest rates in either direction."  . BBC -- Thursday, 2 January, 2003, 16:54 GMT .  India's mobile phone firms slash prices . India has a mobile penetration level of only 4.5% India's mobile phone operators are making big price cuts on long distance calls.  Relatively few people in India have any phone line at the moment so there are many potential customers who might subscribe to mobile phones if the price is low enough.  We believe this will help improve teledensity overall and also result in the high growth of the cellular market in India Anil Nayar, Bharti president  At a press conference in Delhi, India's Communications Minister Pramod Mahajan announced a new flat rate for mobile-to-mobile calls over 50 kilometres.  He added that state-run telecoms firms would have to take similar action.  This reduction has been made because mobile phone companies are worried about price cuts from some of their competitors.  One of the mobile operators cutting the price of its calls is Bharti. Its president for mobility, Anil Nayar, told the BBC's World Business Report that he wanted to see increased traffic.  Potential growth "This is in response to the various offers being made by other competition networks," he said.  He said the cuts were permanent, and not just a ploy to get more customers to subscribe.  The new rates of almost 3 rupees a minute - the equivalent of 6 US cents - "compare favourably with rates anywhere in the world," Mr Nayar said.  "We believe this will help improve teledensity overall and also result in the high growth of the cellular market in India.  "The cellular industry has reported growth of 85% in the last year and we believe we will be able to maintain this growth rate," he said.  India's mobile phone industry is expected to have 120 million users by 2008, making it attractive to foreign companies battling low growth in most western countries.  . BBC -- Saturday, 4 January, 2003, 14:36 GMT  . Israel seeks US aid package . A third of the money is earmarked for the military   Barbara Plett  BBC Middle East correspondent  An Israeli delegation is due to fly to Washington on Saturday to follow up requests for a multi-billion dollar bale-out.  Israel is asking for a $12bn aid package to boost an economy suffering from one of the worst crises in the country's history.  The conflict with the Palestinians, together with the world economic downturn, has led to rising unemployment and falling investment.  Israel submitted the request several months ago and is now sending a senior delegation to follow it up.  It includes the head of the prime minister's office, Dov Weisglass, as well as the directors general of the finance and defence ministries.  A third of the aid package would be for military and security spending, to help Israel fight the Palestinian uprising and boost its defence preparations for a possible US-led war against Iraq.  The rest of the money would be in the form of loan guarantees.  Obvious choice The United States is an obvious place to turn for help; it already gives its close ally $3.2bn in aid every year.  Sharon's poll standings have not been affected by Israel's economic woes Mr Weisglass called the request part of "very deep and involved strategic relations" and said Washington was regarding it favourably.  Israeli commentators have said that even if Israel gets the money, it will not have an immediate impact on the economy.  That suggests the authorities are looking more for improved confidence and boosted credit ratings than immediate rescue.  The Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, does seem eager to get this vote of confidence, even though the dire economic situation has not had an impact on his poll standings ahead of general elections.  Israelis are much more focused on security, although a vote-buying scandal in Mr Sharon's Likud Party has cut into its once commanding lead.  . BBC -- Friday, 3 January, 2003, 11:24 GMT  . Ivorian war cuts Mali's cotton profits . Mali's cotton industry has dramatically slashed its profit forecast for 2003 because of increased transport costs caused by the civil war in neighbouring Ivory Coast.  The conflict in West Africa has, at times, shut down the main ports in Ivory Coast, affecting not only Mali but most other neighbouring countries.  Mali's state-owned cotton company CMDT cut its forecast by 67% from 4.62bn CFA francs (£4.6m; $7.3m), which was based on exporting through Ivory Coast's main port of Abidjan.  "Now, as the chances of this happening are dwindling and as we go to Lome (Togo), Tema (Ghana) and Dakar (Senegal) to export, expected profit has been reduced to 1.52bn (CFA francs)," a company official told Reuters.  Economic cost The three-month-old conflict has effectively partitioned Ivory Coast into government and rebel-held areas.  The country was the economic hub of the region with an annual gross domestic product (GDP) of more than $10bn before the fighting began.  When fighting erupted, Mali's borders with Ivory Coast were sealed, forcing the largest cotton producer in sub-Saharan Africa to find other trade routes.  Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world and its economy ministry has already put tax losses due to the war at 11.4bn CFA francs.  The overall cost to the economy in the first quarter of 2003 is forecast at 100bn CFA francs.  Cotton is Mali's second biggest export earner behind gold. . BBC -- Thursday, 2 January, 2003, 13:29 GMT  . 'Limited gains' from Gulf single currency . Is it worth replacing the Riyal? Research from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has found that plans to launch a single currency for six Gulf states will be of only limited economic benefit.  Member states Saudi Arabia Qatar  Bahrain Oman  Kuwait UAE  The members of the Gulf Cooperation Council took a first step towards monetary union by launching a customs union on 1 January.  The states are hoping that increased economic integration will boost trade in the region and lessen their dependence on oil revenues.  But the IMF found these benefits would be far less substantial in the Gulf than those achieved in the eurozone or other potential common currency areas.  "The general conclusion is that the benefits do not seem too large, but that neither do the costs," the IMF's policy discussion paper concluded.  Oil dependent The elimination of transaction costs between regional currencies is the key gain of a common currency.  But trade between the six Gulf states is mostly non-oil related, and makes up less than 7% of the total value of the region's exports.  By comparison, intra-regional trade in the eurozone accounts for just over half of all exports.  And because five out of six of the currencies are already pegged to the US dollar, the reduction of exchange rate risk is also limited.  Long-term goal The IMF says the Gulf states must strive to minimise costs in order to make proceeding with the common currency worthwhile.  And it warns that each country must try to avoid major macroeconomic imbalances which would require them to resort to emergency measures such as printing more money.  The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf was created in 1981 and covers 31.1 million people with a GDP of $341bn.  Its members are Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.  The Gulf states are aiming to achieve monetary union by 2005 and launch a single currency by 2010.  . BBC -- Thursday, 2 January, 2003, 20:49 GMT  . Oil price jumps after US reserves fall . US stockpiles are at level not seen since the 1970s Oil prices have greeted the new year with a jump of almost 3%, as the markets reacted to data showing that the month-long strike in Venezuela has pushed US reserves close to 26-year lows.  Brent crude was up 76 cents at $29.42 a barrel at the close of trading, up 2.8% from Tuesday's $28.66 close.  Too much irreplaceable-in-the-short-term oil has been lost Energy analyst US light crude, meanwhile, finished 65 cents higher at $31.85 a barrel.  The American Petroleum Institute (API) said on Tuesday, after the markets closed, that US reserves had fallen by more than 3% in the week ending 27 December because shipments from Venezuela - formerly the supplier of 13% of the US's oil needs - had stopped.  The world's leading oil markets, London and New York, were closed on Wednesday for the New Year holiday.  Oil reached a two-year peak on Monday of $33.65 before falling sharply after the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) said it would meet any shortfall in supply.  Supply problems Venezuela, the world's fifth largest oil exporter, has shipped less than 10% of its usual output since an opposition strike to overthrow its democratically elected president began on 2 December.  "Too much irreplaceable-in-the-short-term oil has been lost, and the Iraqi situation is still out there," one Houston-based energy analyst told Reuters.  The US stockpile hit a 26-year low in October when storms disrupted oil operations in the Mexican Gulf.  The API report, which was released after the markets closed on Tuesday, is a key indicator for traders watching the world's biggest oil consumer.  Uncertainty about a US war with Iraq, and the possible disruption of Middle Eastern supplies, has also supported the high price of oil.  The international benchmark Brent crude oil in London fell $1.00 to close at $28.66 per barrel on Tuesday, having risen 44% in 2002.  . BBC -- Friday, 3 January, 2003, 06:28 GMT .  War talk threatens South Korean growth . South Korean anti-war march in the capital Seoul The threat of war over North Korea's nuclear programme is the biggest threat to South Korea's economy in 2003, the head of the central bank has warned.  "The North Korean nuclear issue is the biggest problem as it may check the economic growth (of South Korea)," said the central bank's governor Park Seung.  The Bank of Korea's growth target of 5.7% would be threatened if tensions escalated too far and the economy could even contract.  In December, North Korea reactivated its plutonium-based nuclear program, under the auspices of power generation, after the US stopped oil shipments to the country.  The US claims North Korea - which has no domestic crude oil supplies - is really using the reactors to arm nuclear weapons.  No rate cut A war with Iraq, which has fuelled a sharp rise in oil prices, and the weak global economy are the other risks in 2003, said Mr Park.  Despite the uncertainty, a interest rate cut was not in the offing, he added.  The bank's board left rates near record lows at 4.25% in December and will meet again next Thursday.  Surging oil prices pushed South Korea's imports to a record high in December, cutting the trade surplus to $704m from $1.2b in November, the Commerce Ministry said on Wednesday.  South Korea, like its northern neighbour, also imports all of its crude supplies.  In 2002, the trade surplus reached $10.8bn from $9.3bn in the previous year fuelled by the hi-tech and automotive sectors and strong demand from China.  More warnings The central bank warning echoes those of the commercial banking sector.  "Operational difficulties are growing bigger," said Kim Jung-tae, the chief executive of South Korea's biggest lender, Kookmin, in a new year's message.  The growth threat of war has led companies to shelve or cut investment plans and could scare of foreign investors.  "The environment for operation will be more tough because of growing uncertainties," said Ra Eung-chan, chief of Shinhan Finance, the country's fourth largest lender.  The economy is already projected to grow more slowly in 2003 than last year's 6.2%.  In mid-2002. South Korea was the first Asian country to full repay its bail-out loans after the regional economic crisis in the late 1990s.  . BBC -- Friday, 3 January, 2003, 14:50 GMT .  Cyprus president seeks re-election . Clerides is personally committed to reunification Cyprus' President Glafcos Clerides has said that he will run for re-election in the country's presidential elections on 16 February.  The veteran 83-year-old leader said he had made the decision in order to steer Cyprus through United Nations-brokered reunification talks in the "historic" months ahead.  It's my historic duty... I do not have the luxury of having a personal choice to do otherwise Glafcos Clerides "I will stand for 16 months with the exclusive aim of settling the national issue and ensuring Cyprus accedes to the European Union," he said.  Cyprus is on course to join the EU entry in May 2004 whether or not an agreement is reached with Turkish Cypriots to end the island's divisions.  Mr Clerides has already served two five-year terms in office since 1993, and in the past he had said he would not seek re-election.  But in the current circumstances he said it was a "historic duty".  "I do not have the luxury of having a personal choice to do otherwise," he said.  Reunification lynchpin The BBC's correspondent in Nicosia, Tabitha Morgan, says the news that Mr Clerides plans to stay will be met great relief among UN negotiators.  Our correspondent says he is personally committed to reunification and that his personal authority will prove a great asset if it is necessary to persuade the Greek Cypriot population to swallow unpalatable changes.  Mr Clerides warned that he needed a national mandate to continue the reunification process.  But he said that he did not want to have to run an election campaign.  Instead he urged all Greek Cypriot parties to unite behind him in support of reunification.  Negotiations are due to resume on 7 January and on 13 January UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's special envoy on Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, will arrive for talks.  Erdogan intervention Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey took control of one third of the country in the north, prompted by an Athens-supported coup in Nicosia aimed at uniting the island with Greece.  United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan published a comprehensive peace plan in November, in the hope of reaching broad agreement on reunification by the EU's Copenhagen summit the following month.  Both sides have raised objections to certain aspects of the plan, which envisages a Swiss-style confederation of two equal component states.  On Thursday, the leader of Turkey's governing party, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, urged the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, to try harder to negotiate a resolution.  Mr Erdogan is keen to resolve the conflict in order to promote Turkey's bid to join the European Union. However the Turkish army backs Mr Denktash's hard line.  . BBC -- Saturday, 4 January, 2003, 17:19 GMT .  Europe battles severe weather . Belgium is beginning a massive clean-up operation Several European countries are continuing to struggle against severe winter weather, with heavy rain, high winds and bitterly cold conditions causing death and disruption.  Germany's rivers appear to be slowly receding Rivers have burst their banks in Belgium, France, Germany, Portugal and the UK, and there are warnings that further rain could flood thousands of homes.  In Poland, 183 people have died of hypothermia, many of them reportedly homeless people who were sleeping outdoors.  In Moscow, the number of people who have died because of hypothermia so far this winter has reached 223.  Germany appears to be enjoying a slight respite from the weather, with rivers swollen by rainstorms appearing to recede on Saturday, easing pressure on major cities such as Bonn and Cologne, the Associated Press news agency reported.  However a number of towns and villages in the west, south and east of the country are under up to half a metre of water, and river traffic has been suspended on parts of the countries main rivers, including the Rhine and the Danube.  Rain continues in Sint-Denijs Westrem, Belgium Winds gusting at up to 200km/h (125mph) toppled a tree on to a car near Calw in southern Germany, killing a 13-year-old boy, and critically injuring his father. Another man died after his car overturned on an icy road near Hamburg.  About 1,000 people were evacuated from the town of Soemmerda, about 120 miles (200 kilometres) southwest of Berlin on Saturday after fears that river dikes along the Lossa River would give way.  In Portugal, 300 kilometres (200 miles) of the railway linking Lisbon and Oporto is under water. Two bridges are reported to have been swept away in central Portugal. Firefighters evacuated residents from riverfront areas of the town of Agueda after floodwaters rose to a level of 1.5 metres (five feet).  A landslide destroyed a stretch of highway near Armamar in the north of the country and three cars were reportedly swept into the river Douro.  In Belgium a massive clean-up operation has begun following several days of rain which caused rivers to burst their banks, flooding hundreds of homes and cutting off a dozen villages near the River Meuse.  Rivers in several provinces were reported to have receded. However two women are missing - one who was riding a bicycle near a river and another who fell into a river during a violent rainstorm last Sunday.  Horses were stranded by Poland's rising Warta river In the UK, high water that flooded dozens of homes and closed roads in the south of the country are receding. Thousands of homeowners came within inches of disaster.  There is flooding in France in Lower Normandy and Picardy in the north of the country.  In Alsace, in the north-east, emergency services were called out 800 times on Thursday to deal with damage from high winds. One man was severely injured in the east of the country when a tree fell on his car.  A heavy snowstorm hit northern France, with almost 300,000 people have been left without electricity and most flights from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris cancelled due to strong winds and heavy storms.  At least one major motorway in Parus was closed, leading to tailbacks of up to 75 miles in total around the city.  Emergency workers evacuated about 200 people from the small villalge of Vestec, 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Prague, as rain and wind toppled trees and caused mudslides in the Czech Republic.  Some 20 railway lines in several regions of the country have been closed, and the Vltava river, which flooded seriously in the summer, is again very swollen. People were also put on alert along the Mze river, 75 miles (120 km) southwest of Prague. Parts of the river's embankment in Prague are also closed.  In Romania, rivers swelled by melted snow have flooded several villages in the north-east of the country, killing at least one person.  Two other people went missing in the same incident on Wednesday when waters swept through a mountain cabin where they were celebrating the New Year near Poiana Teiului, some 350km (220 miles) north of Bucharest. Hundreds of homes were also reportedly destroyed.  . BBC -- Saturday, 4 January, 2003, 04:00 GMT .  Rabbi stabbed at Paris synagogue . Rabbi Farhi was alone at the time of the attack A Jewish rabbi needed treatment in hospital after being attacked as he left a synagogue in eastern Paris on Friday.  Rabbi Gabriel Farhi was stabbed in the stomach by an unknown assailant who then fled the scene.  Mr Farhi, 34, said his wound was "large but not deep".  Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe: Stabbed in October The rabbi told the French news agency AFP that he had earlier received a threatening letter referring to Jihad - the Muslim holy war - against enemies of the Palestinians.  The liberal Jewish MJLF movement of which Mr Farhi is a prominent member said the letter warned that "the blood of our Palestinian brothers will be avenged".  It also contained a threat to set fire to the synagogue, which was already seriously damaged by fire last May.  Mayor's support "Someone rang at the door, I opened and a man a bit shorter than me... wearing a motorbike helmet with its visor down said Allahu Akbar [God is Great] and then stabbed me," Mr Farhi told AFP.  He said the stranger had a perfect French accent.  Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe, himself a recent stabbing victim, said in a statement he was "shocked by this hateful attack".  He said he hoped the attacker would be bought to justice quickly, and expressed sympathy for Mr Farhi's family and the Jewish community.  On 6 October, Mr Delanoe underwent emergency surgery after being stabbed in the abdomen at City Hall, during the French capital's Sleepless Night festival.  . BBC -- Saturday, 4 January, 2003, 20:12 GMT  . Spanish train crash 'kills two' . A train has derailed in south-eastern Spain, killing two people, local officials have said.  At least 12 other passengers were reported injured in the incident near the town of Tobarra in Albacete Province.  Work is continuing at the site of the derailment to free those trapped.  According to one eyewitness, the engine and the first carriage jumped the tracks.  The other carriages remained on the line.  The train, travelling between Madrid and Cartagena, was believed to have been carrying about 300 passengers. . BBC -- Saturday, 4 January, 2003, 17:00 GMT  . Tides drive oil onto French coast . Clean-up workers are already out on some beaches High tides have swept masses of oil globules onto France's south-western coast, frustrating efforts by clean-up crews to stem the burgeoning environmental disaster.  These beaches are magnificent... to see it soiled in this way, it's revolting Jean-Pierre Raffarin This comes as the French Coastguard says two trawlers will begin trying to scoop oil from the slick which is threatening the country's Atlantic coast, with another 30 boats expected to join the operation later on Saturday.  The worst hit area is the Landes region, south of Bordeaux, where about 100 soldiers and emergency workers have been mobilised to combat the spill.  "It's a catastrophe," the Mayor of the town of Lege-Cap-Ferret, Michel Sammarcelli, told the French news agency AFP.  "We had cleared the beaches but it's still coming. There is so much now that there are long black strips everywhere, and in some places the entire beach has gone black."  Experts are being sent to the affected areas and ministers have outlined plans to inspect more ships known to be carrying hazardous materials which pass through French ports.  'Hooligans' The exercise to clear oil leaking from the Prestige tanker which sank off the Spanish coast in November is part of a package of emergency measures announced by the French Government.  The country has already pledged 50m euros ($52m) and a force of 100 emergency workers to fight the slick threatening south-western France.  Those responsible for the environmental damage have been accused of "barbarity" by the Prime Minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin.  While President Jacques Chirac has angrily condemned the businessmen responsible for oil spill as the "hooligans of the sea".  Second source? Globules of oil have begun washing ashore on beaches in the Landes region, but also further north on the resort islands of Ile de Re and Ile d'Oleron.  The affected areas lie well north of where the Prestige sank.  Tests on Friday indicated that some of the oil did not come from the Prestige, leading to speculation that opportunistic captains were illegally dumping oil in the hope that authorities would assume it came from the sunken tanker.  French officials expect a large slick to hit the coast soon.  "If these winds continue to blow, this pollution will arrive on a vast scale very soon," said Christian Fremont, the prefect of the south-western Aquitaine region.  Mr Raffarin expressed anger as he toured the area on Friday.  "These beaches are magnificent... to see it soiled in this way, it's revolting," he said.  Attack on 'corruption' Mr Chirac expressed similar sentiments earlier in the day.  Mr Chirac sympathised with people in affected areas He said France and Europe would not allow "corrupt businessmen" to continue exploiting the weaknesses of the current system of checking oil tankers.  His comments came a day after France announced a criminal inquiry to find and prosecute those responsible for the disaster.  France itself was censured shortly before the Prestige disaster by the European Union for failing to inspect ships in its ports adequately.  Some 20,000 tonnes of oil have escaped from the Liberian-registered Prestige, an ageing single-hulled tanker, which broke in two before it sank.  Leaks Oil from the Prestige's cargo continues to leak from cracks in the hull, despite the efforts of a French submarine to plug the gaps.  The oil has devastated fishing grounds and beaches in north-west Spain, and has been driven across the Bay of Biscay to France by high winds.  The area worst affected stretches south from the Gironde estuary to Arcachon, near Bordeaux.  More than 170 dead seabirds have been found on the French coast, and more than 100 injured birds - including guillemots, gannets, kittiwakes and puffins - have been sent for treatment.  . BBC -- Friday, 3 January, 2003, 16:05 GMT  . Europe's week in pictures: Dec 29 - Jan 4 . Stromboli eruption Italy's second-most active volcano sparked an island evacuation In pictures Luneville blaze A 18th Century French chateau known as the "Versailles of Lorraine" was partially destroyed by fire Full story Prestige pollution Oil from the sunken tanker has crossed the Bay of Biscay to menace France Full story Channel collision A tanker carrying 70,000 tons of flammable oil got stuck on the wreck of sunken car transporter Tricolor for several hours Full story Immigrant tragedy At least seven people died when a boat with more than 30 illegal immigrants sank off Spain's southern coast Unwelcome rain Floods struck several countries in Europe - including Germany for the second time in five months Full story Welcome 2003 The New Year was greeted in many different ways - here by a Russian soldier and a goat, both in fancy dress . BBC -- Thursday, 2 January, 2003, 00:32 GMT  . GM potato 'could improve child health' . A GM potato could be a cheap source of protein A protein-rich genetically modified potato could help combat malnutrition in India, scientists say.  Its developers say the "protato" could help tackle nutrition problems amongst the country's poorest children.  They say it could play an important part in the Indian government's 15 year health improvement plan to provide clean water, better food and vaccines.  The GM potato has been developed by scientists at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, New Scientist magazine reports.  If you're going to use GM at all, use it for this Suman Sahai, Gene Campaign A gene called AmA1 was added to ordinary potatoes giving them a third more protein than normal, including substantial amounts of the essential amino acids lysine and methionine.  A lack of these can affect children. For example, too little lysine can affect brain development.  AmA1 comes from the amaranth plant which grows in South America. The plant can be bought in some western health food stores.  The potato is in the final stages of testing, and it has been submitted for official approval.  No pesticide It is not the first protein-rich GM product to be developed.  Lysine-enriched strains of maize have already been produced.  It would be morally indefensible to oppose it. Govindarajan Padmanaban, Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore Bread and wheat flour can also be enriched naturally by adding peanut flour.  It is hoped that the GM potato's nutritional benefits will help it win approval in India, where environmentalists have been concerned about a decision to allow production of a GM cotton.  Govindarajan Padmanaban, a biochemist at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, outlined details of the potato to a meeting of the Royal Society in London last year.  He said: "The potato doesn't contain a pesticide gene," says Padmanaban.  "It's a gene that improves nutrition, and it's from another plant that is already eaten. Moreover, it's not a known allergen."  Dr Padmanaban said he hoped Western-based environmental groups and charities would not criticise the potato as they did a "golden rice" developed by AstraZeneca's to make more vitamin A.  "The requirements of developing countries are very different from those of rich countries. I think it would be morally indefensible to oppose it."  Cheap But campaigners say the potato should only be approved if passes safety and environmental tests and if the extra protein is digestible.  Siddharth Deva, Oxfam's policy adviser for south Asia, called for independent assessments of the effect of GM crops, such as the potato.  He said: "We want to ensure that introductions of GM crops don't have harmful implications."  Suman Sahai of Gene Campaign, a Delhi-based sustainable development group opposed to the patenting of plants.  But it says the GM potato is a better use of the technology than creating weedkiller-resistant crops.  She said: "If you're going to use GM at all, use it for this.  "India's problem is that we're vegetarian, so pulses and legumes are the main protein source, but they're in short supply and expensive. The potato is good because it's cheap."  Pete Riley, GM spokesman for Friends of the Earth, told BBC News Online: "Any GM food that's put on the market, in India or any other country, needs to have gone through the proper safety checks.  "We need to have a system in place that makes sure that even a crop which on paper might bring long-term benefits is not going to have any unforeseen consequences."  . BBC -- Saturday, 4 January, 2003, 17:07 GMT  . Second 'cloned baby' born . Clonaid is linked to the Raelian sect The group which claimed the first birth of a cloned human last week says a second such baby has now been born to a Dutch lesbian couple.  The baby girl and the mother are said to be well after the birth on Friday night.  Chief executive of the US-based Clonaid organisation Brigitte Boisselier told the French news agency the child weighed 2.7 kilograms (six pounds), but would not specify in which country the natural birth had taken place.  Sceptical international scientists are still awaiting DNA proof that the first baby - a girl named Eve - is indeed an exact genetic match of her 31-year-old American mother.  The Raelians believe humans were cloned by aliens DNA tests that were to be carried out on that child were cancelled after the parents asked for a delay, fearing the process could reveal their identity or be used to remove the baby from their care.  Clonaid's claims have brought condemnation from religious leaders and led to renewed calls for human cloning to be banned.  Clonaid was set up by the Raelian religious sect, which believes aliens created mankind.  The head of the Raelians in the Netherlands, Bart Overvliet told Reuters news agency the Dutch woman involved in the latest birth was not a member of the sect and had got in contact with Clonaid by herself.  Clonaid has said that it is expecting a total of five cloned babies it has created.  'Abuse fears'  DNA samples due to be taken from the first baby and her mother on Tuesday were cancelled after a lawsuit was filed against the parents.  The parents want to remain anonymous, Ms Boisselier says Ms Boisselier said the baby's parents may not let the test be carried out at all.  In the lawsuit filed in Miami by Florida lawyer Bernard Siegel, a court was asked to determine if the parents were fit guardians of the child.  It demands the appearance of the baby's parents in court on 22 January.  Ms Boisselier said the couple may try to remain anonymous and not subject the child to any testing.  "The parents have gone home and they just want some peace and to spend time with their child," she said.  Mr Siegel said he wanted the child to be made a ward of court because he believed that if she is indeed a clone she is being abused.  "I was concerned that, if this is true, this child is an abused child, that it could have some serious genetic, fatal problems and that the child was being exploited by Clonaid," he said.  "I perceived that this child, more than any other child in the world, needs legal protection under the United States courts."  In the cloning process, the nucleus of cell containing human DNA is transplanted into a woman's egg from which the nucleus has been removed.  Alien heritage The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched an investigation into the cloning claims, even though the cloning is said to have happened outside the US.  Clonaid was founded in the Bahamas in 1997 by the man who founded the Raelians - Rael.  He is reported to have said he views cloning as a step towards reaching eternal life.  . BBC -- Saturday, 4 January, 2003, 07:23 GMT  . Viagra eye damage fears eased . Viagra has been linked to vision problems Fears that taking the anti-impotence drug Viagra may damage nerves in the eye have been eased by a new study.  However, researchers found that the drug may cause damage to the optic nerves of people whose blood vessels are already in a poor state.  And they still cannot explain why taking the drug seems to be linked to problems in picking up subtle changes of colour.  When Viagra was introduced in 1999, the drug's manufacturers warned of a number of visual side effects, including possible nerve damage to the eyes.  But researchers at the University of California, Irvine found that nerve damage in healthy people is extremely unlikely - even when Viagra is taken in high doses.  Blood pressure Since Viagra lowers blood pressure overall, there was persistent suspicion that the drug might reduce blood flow to the eyes, which can cause nerve damage.  But Dr Tim McCulley, assistant professor of ophthalmology at Irvine, said there was no evidence that taking the drug had any impact on reducing blood flow in the eyes.  Dr McCulley said: "Viagra can change blood vessel structure as well as general blood pressure, so we needed to answer the question whether the drug could change blood vessels in the eye.  Viagra is linked to difficulty discerning colour "Our study may have had a small group of participants, but it showed very little change in blood vessels or blood flow in nearly all the patients."  The researchers carried out tests on 13 male patients.  They found that high doses of Viagra by and large preserved the thickness of the eye's choroids layer, which supplies the eyeball with blood.  However, the team did find some small variations in thickness, which indicated that some people with underlying vascular diseases may indeed have changes in vision.  Colour vision The researchers found that Viagra users had a harder time discriminating subtle changes of colour.  However, this problem did not appear to be linked to changes to blood flow to the eyes.  The cone cells of the retina, responsible for colour vision, contain an enzyme similar to a chemical called phosphodiesterase which is inhibited by Viagra.  It may be that the drug disrupts the function of this enzyme.  Dr Derek Machin, a urologist based at University Hospital Aintree, told BBC News Online that he had treated about 300 patients with Viagra, and very few had experienced significant side effects.  "The vast majority of patients don't complain of any side effects apart from a slight fuzzy-headedness that does not prevent them taking the drug.  "I have had just two chaps who developed raging headaches.  "The results produced by Viagra have been absolutely superb."  The research is published in the journal Ophthalmologica.  . BBC -- Friday, 3 January, 2003, 12:23 GMT  . The week in pictures: Dec 29 - Jan 4 . Opposition romp home Mwai Kibaki's supporters celebrate following the landslide victory of his National Rainbow Coalition in Kenya. Full story At the bottom of the world Tom Avery, a 27-year-old Londoner has become the youngest ever Briton to reach the South Pole on foot.  Full story Battered but not broken High winds swept sections of Brighton's historic West Pier into the sea. Full story New Year celebrations Nigerians pray for happiness and prosperity in the New Year. In pictures Wet start to the year Children ride their bikes through the flood water as heavy rain sweeps across southern England. Full story 'Unprecedented brutality' UK Police are hunting for gunmen who shot dead two teenage girls and injured another two as they left a New Year party.  Full story Festive snack Unwanted Christmas trees are fed to the elephants at the Zoological Gardens in Berlin. .