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Armageddon • Apocalypse • Korea • Religion • Nuclear


By KTW

N. Korea Warns of Nuclear War Amid Rising Tensions

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea’s communist regime has warned of a nuclear war on the Korean peninsula while vowing to step up its atomic bomb-making program in defiance of new U.N. sanctions.

The North’s defiance presents a growing diplomatic headache for President Barack Obama as he prepares for talks Tuesday with his South Korean counterpart on the North’s missile and nuclear programs.

A commentary Sunday in the North’s the main state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper, carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, claimed the U.S. has 1,000 nuclear weapons in South Korea. Another commentary published Saturday in the state-run Tongil Sinbo weekly claimed the U.S. has been deploying a vast amount of nuclear weapons in South Korea and Japan.

North Korea “is completely within the range of U.S. nuclear attack and the Korean peninsula is becoming an area where the chances of a nuclear war are the highest in the world,” the Tongil Sinbo commentary said.

Kim Yong-kyu, a spokesman at the U.S. military command in Seoul, called the latest accusation “baseless,” saying Washington has no nuclear bombs in South Korea. U.S. tactical nuclear weapons were removed from South Korea in 1991 as part of arms reductions following the Cold War.

On Saturday, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry threatened war on any country that dared to stop its ships on the high seas under the new sanctions approved by the U.N. Security Council on Friday as punishment for the North’s latest nuclear test.

It is not clear if the statements are simply rhetorical. Still, they are a huge setback for international attempts to rein in North Korea’s nuclear ambitions following its second nuclear test on May 25. It first tested a nuclear device in 2006.

In its Saturday’s statement, North Korea said it has been enriching uranium to provide fuel for its light-water reactor. It was the first public acknowledgment the North is running a uranium enrichment program in addition to its known plutonium-based program. The two radioactive materials are key ingredients in making atomic bombs.

On Sunday, Yonhap news agency reported South Korea and the U.S. have mobilized spy satellites, reconnaissance aircraft and human intelligence networks to obtain evidence that the North has been running a uranium enrichment program.South Korea’s Defense Ministry said it cannot confirm the report. The National Intelligence Service — South Korea’s main spy agency — was not available for comment.

North Korea said more than one-third of 8,000 spent fuel rods in its possession has been reprocessed and all the plutonium extracted would be used to make atomic bombs. The country could harvest 13-18 pounds (6-8 kilograms) of plutonium — enough to make at least one nuclear bomb — if all the rods are reprocessed.

In addition, North Korea is believed to have enough plutonium for at least half a dozen atomic bombs.

North Korea says its nuclear program is a deterrent against the U.S., which it routinely accuses of plotting to topple its regime. Washington, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea, has repeatedly said it has no such intention.

The new U.N. sanctions are aimed at depriving the North of the financing used to build its rogue nuclear program. The resolution also authorized searches of North Korean ships suspected of transporting illicit ballistic missile and nuclear materials.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the new U.N. penalties provide the necessary tools to help check North Korea’s continued pursuit of nuclear weapons.

The sanctions show that “North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and the capacity to deliver those weapons through missiles is not going to be accepted by the neighbors as well as the greater international community,” Clinton said Saturday at a news conference in Canada.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,526186,00.html

Jehovah’s Witness News

Joseph DeSilva 52 Missing Since 3/10/09 Tiverton, RI

Tiverton man missing, two-state search underway
Friends, family post 500 flyers in Tiverton and Massachusetts towns

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TIVERTON — A 52-year-old Tiverton man has been reported missing after having last been seen at Peter’s Package Store in Fall River Tuesday morning sometime between 8 and 9.

Friends, family, and police are conducting a two-state search for Joseph DeSilva, who friends said was wearing khaki pants and a light shirt Tuesday morning before his disappearance. Mr. DeSilva reportedly wears reading glasses and has salt-and-pepper colored hair.

“We know the police don’t know Joe, and don’t love him the way we do,” said Jason Andrews of Little Compton, a friend of the missing man and fellow-congregant in a local Jehovah’s Witness church.

Mr. Andrews said that he and about 20 of Mr. DeSilva’s other friends have printed up 500 flyers, carrying a color photograph and descriptive information about the missing man, that they are posting in towns that Mr. DeSilva might have traveled in on Tuesday, including Tiverton.

The flyer offers a $1,000 reward “for information leading to the successful locating of this loving father and husband.”

Mr. DeSilva works as a representative of Core-Mark, a distributor of packaged snack foods, Mr. Andrews said.

Hr said that Mr. DeSilva left his home in Dadson Estates on Bulgarmarsh Road in Tiverton on Tuesday morning, and visited Peter’s Package Store on Rodman Street in Fall River, where he was seen by the mother of the owner. She would later say that she thought the missing man wasn’t as talkative as usual when he came in, and that he didn’t look well, Mr. Andrews said.

What happened next is not known. Mr. Andrews said he was scheduled to make later stops in New Bedford, on the Cape, and Taunton, but apparently never did.

Mr. DeSilva drives a company car, a late model black Ford Taurus, with Massachusetts license plate 81DE33.

Mr. Andrews said “no scenario is adding up except that there’s foul play.” Mr. Andrews said Mr. DeSilva’s cell phone was off after about 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Mr. DeSilva’s daughter had checked his online banking, said Mr. Andrews, and determined there had been no activity since the day before her father’s disappearance.

Tiverton police Lieutenant Patrick Jones said that at 10 p.m. Tuesday night Mr. DeSilva was reported missing by his wife. Lt. Jones said police supported friends and family in their search. He said if anyone has any information about, or contact with the missing man they should call Tiverton police at 401-625-6717.

Vandalism hits Kingdom Hall, Christian academy

The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office is looking for suspects after deputies discovered paint thrown on the front door and shed of Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses and a Frederick Christian Academy school bus on Saturday.
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Frederick Christian Academy are located on Carpenter Road in Frederick, not far from Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 40. Deputies also found vulgar language written on the school bus, according to a press release from the Sherriff’s Office.
Cpl. Jennifer Bailey, spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office, said this week that the paint and graffiti has since been cleaned up.
Sheriff’s deputies routinely patrol the area around Kingdom Hall and the Christian Academy, Bailey noted, and Saturday’s vandalism was not the first for Kingdom Hall.
In May, the Sherriff’s Office had investigated an unrelated vandalism incident involving broken light bulbs taken from the church’s dumpster, which was used for the building’s renovation.
Anyone with information regarding Saturday’s incident may contact Deputy Robert Phillips at 301-600-4205.

Jehovah’s Witnesses: Appeal to

federal court likely

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By ETHAN SHOREY, Valley Breeze Staff Writer

NORTH SMITHFIELD – In a move that could keep the town’s attorneys hopping for a while, the North Smithfield Zoning Board last week voted to reject a zoning special exception that would have allowed a Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall to be built on Route 102, on 4.4 acres a short distance west of Slatersville Plaza.
The unanimous decision had an attorney for the applicant warning that one of two scenarios is on the way: an appeal to Rhode Island Superior Court, or a more likely plea to the U.S. Federal Court.
“Normally the appeal of the denial would be to Superior Court but because this is a unique situation, having to do with a religious institution, we have what we call two bites of the apple, meaning we go to Superior Court or we can go to federal court,” said attorney John Shekarchi, telling The Valley Breeze that town officials should expect a protracted fight.
“I’m leaning toward going to federal court; it’s a much easier standard,” he said. “There’s obviously nothing guaranteed in life but I’d be shocked if they don’t overturn (the Zoning Board decision) in court.”
More than six months after The Breeze first reported that leaders of several Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Halls in the area were seeking to consolidate services to one new building to be constructed at 1054 Victory Highway, the Zoning Board there finally made its decision.
Dozens in the immediate neighborhood who opposed a proposed 4,250- to 4,500-square-foot building and the more than 70 parking spaces that would come with it at a now-vacant property owned by Mary Zurowski, said last summer that a new building would not only “spoil” their current quality of life but create a dangerous traffic hazard at an already problematic portion of the road.
“The traffic has been the main thing,” said Building and Zoning Official Robert Benoit prior to last week’s decision.
Zoning Board of Review Chairman Vincent Marcantonio deferred comment on the matter to board member Mario DiNunzio.
“It has been expressed pretty clearly by the members of the board they are sympathetic to the project but the main concern is traffic safety, truck traffic, stopping distances,” said DiNunzio, explaining the decision this week.
But Shekarchi hinted that the final determination by the board to deny an exception to the “RA,” rural agricultural, designation at the property has little to do with traffic concerns, as those were addressed in multiple reports, but more with limiting the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ rights under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000, which restricts towns in limiting religious institutions.
The RLUIPA states, among other things, that:
* “No government shall impose or implement a land use regulation in a manner that treats a religious assembly or institution on less than equal terms with a non-religious assembly or institution;
* “No government shall impose or implement a land use regulation that discriminates against any assembly or institution on the basis of religion or religious denomination;
* “No government shall impose or implement a land use regulation that (either), “totally excludes religious assemblies from a jurisdiction,” or “unreasonably limits religious assemblies, institutions, or structures within a jurisdiction.”
DiNunzio said “we are aware of” the possibility of an appeal based on the RLUIPA, but doesn’t believe there are grounds for such an attack. He countered Shekarchi’s claim that there are by saying the board’s decision had nothing to do with the Jehovah’s Witness hall being a religious institution.
“My judgment, being at these hearings, is that this was not an objection to the establishment of a religious meeting house, and in fact from my perspective it’s good for a community,” said DiNunzio. “This was based almost entirely on traffic safety, the idea that we might be risking someone. Once it happens, there’s no turning back from it. This is a very narrow lot, given the number of cars and parking spaces, given their proximity to the neighbors.”
But Shekarchi says all the traffic studies came back clean.
“This is a very unique situation where the town hired and made us pay for their own consultant to check on traffic and safety issues,” said Shekarchi. “(That consultant) concurred with (Traffic Engineer) Bryant Associates. How (the board) could deny it based on traffic, access, and safety issues is beyond me.”
Commonwealth Engineers and Consultants, according to a November review obtained through the Building Inspector’s office, states in a review of Bryant Associates’ findings that “our comments and concerns have been addressed and the traffic impact analysis report has been revised addressing not only the impact of the proposed Kingdom Hall but also the potential impacts of site area known development growth traffic with the inclusion of the proposed Kingdom Hall.”
That analysis also found that Bryant Associates based trips and parking needs “on a conservative, highest use number which would result in the greatest traffic impact, we concur.”
DiNunzio, though, said Zoning Board members were “not satisfied” with the results of the traffic studies completed.
Opponents who testified during proceedings stated that if a vehicle is traveling from Woonsocket, a curve in the roadway makes visibility difficult for those either entering or exiting the church’s driveway. From the Burrillville end of Route 102, they said, a deep dip in the road makes it difficult to see oncoming cars.
While the applicant’s experts had cited only two accidents at the location in the last several years, opponents testified that the reason for that is that there are no cars currently pulling out of the now-overgrown driveway at the proposed site.
About 35 residents claiming to be Jehovah’s Witnesses have regularly been attending zoning hearings on the matter.
Ed Pimental, the land use planning expert retained by applicants Zurowski and Joe Jenks, said that unlike nearly every other religion, Jehovah’s Witnesses take up a “minimal” amount of space.
“I have researched several (Kingdom Halls) and every single one was tucked into a residential neighborhood,” he said last July. Pimental, who is Catholic and said his denomination is one of the most demanding on a municipality’s space and resources, said Jehovah’s Witnesses do their best not to create a nuisance when they build in a neighborhood.
Jehovah’s Witnesses, also known as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, is a religion whose members see the Bible as inspired by God but deny the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit as one in the Godhead), see themselves as the only true Christians, and require a strict adherence to a moral code. They meet as groups in Kingdom Halls for weekly Bible study and worship.

Sad day for Oldham’s rugby family

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ALAN Davies, widely regarded as the ‘jewel’ in Oldham rugby league club’s majestic trophy winning side of the 1950s, has died, just four days before his 76th birthday.

Blessed with dynamic pace and sublime ball-handling skills, the centre was one of rugby league’s post-war greats.
He is considered by many supporters from that era to have been the best player to ever wear the club’s red and white hoops.
Allied to that he had a mean streak which enabled him to become a dominant figure in the game’s battleground – and his legendary head-to-head battles with renowned St Helens hard man Duggie Greenall remain part of Watersheddings folklore.
It was his skill with ball in hand, however, and his ability to score tries and create countless others for his winger, that made Davies one of the most popular and revered players in Oldham’s history.
He had played 391 games for the club between 1950 and 1961 before signing for Wigan.
But by the time he left he had scored 174 tries to become Oldham’s all-time leading try-scorer, a record that is unlikely to ever be beaten.
He also won 20 Great Britain caps in a period when nearly every leading club could boast an international-class centre and was an original member of the Oldham club’s hall of fame.
In his book Oldham RLFC, the Complete History, Michael Turner wrote: “He was one of the greatest centres the game has ever known. He lacked nothing in confidence, having great belief in his own ability. He was the complete rugby league player. He had a good eye for an opening and enough pace to capitalise. He was also a good handler with the strength and determination to turn a half chance into a score. On defence, he was equally resolute, with great timing allied to hard and decisive tackling.”
Leigh-born, Alan joined Oldham from amateur club Dootsons in July 1950 and made his debut in a 35-8 win over Wakefield on September 9.
During the fabulous fifties he was part of the Watersheddings side that won the Lancashire Cup for three successive years from 1956, and also appeared in two championship finals, one as a winner against Hull in 1957.
After leaving Oldham, he fulfilled the dream of playing at Wembley’s Twin Towers in the 1963 Challenge Cup Final, before ending his career with brief stints at Salford and Wakefield.
Alan died from emphysema in hospital in Blackburn, and leaves his wife, Joyce, son Stephen, and three daughters, Linda, Sarah and Janice.
The Oldham club will mark his passing with a minute’s silence before Sunday’s Northern Rail Cup game against Rochdale Hornets at Boundary Park (3pm kick-off).
His funeral takes place on Friday at the Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Hall in Astley, Street, Darwen, near Blackburn, at 3pm. All enquiries to 01254 773693.