CHRISTIAN NEWS FROM RAY – EARLY MORNING EDITION – March 21, 2014

CHRISTIAN NEWS FROM RAY

A free service of Jesus Christ is Lord Ministries

News selected and edited by Ray Mossholder

EARLY MORNING EDITION, March 21, 2014

BASKETBALL AND NUCLEAR BOMBS

 Yesterday while President Obama was announcing his picks for who he believes will be the the Final Four in our nation’s “Mad Madness” basketball tournament, Russia’s president was saying he may have to change his mind now and allow Iran to develop its nuclear bomb. Vladimir Putin said if EU and American sanctions are laid on Russia because of their cooperating with Crimea’s democratic vote, he might well do that. Yesterday a major newscaster in Moscow said that Russia is the only country that has the power to reduce America to ashes.

Putin’s warning was the most serious threat of retaliation by Moscow in many years. NATO and U.S. leaders say they were prepared to do more.

Monday the Obama administration did hit 11 Russian and Ukrainian officials with sanctions, but didn’t include Putin. Many criticized this action as being “weak kneed” and not nearly enough to make Putin wince or think again about what he’s doing. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov echoed his Prime Minister’s threat today, suggesting possible new negotiations with Iran.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Wednesday called Russia’s advances in Ukraine a “wake-up call” — and the “gravest threat to Europe since the end of the Cold War.” Speaking at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., he also said NATO, as a first step, is suspending joint planning for operations removing chemical weapons from Syria.

Ukraine’s security chief also announced yesterday Andriy Parubiy, secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said Ukraine will hold military maneuvers with the countries that signed the 1994 Budapest Memorandum. He didn’t elaborate. The 1994 document was signed by the U.S., Britain and Russia to guarantee Ukraine’s territorial integrity when it surrendered its share of Soviet nuclear arsenals to Russia after the Soviet Union broke up in 1991. Leaders in Ukraine regret they did that now because they alone have nothing to threaten Russia with. Ukraine has accused Russia of breaching the agreement by taking over the Crimean Peninsula.

The United Nations also deployed a 34-member human rights monitoring mission to Ukraine, scheduled to be in place by Friday. Ivan Simonovic, assistant secretary-general for human rights, expressed particular concern over the security of Tatars (Muslims) and other ethnic minorities in Crimea.

Simonovic highlighted the disappearance of a Crimean Tatar activist after participating in a March 3 protest. Simonovic said the activist was found dead March 16 and his body bore marks of “mistreatment.” Just back from a visit to Ukraine, Simonovic spoke at a tense meeting of the Security Council. It was the council’s eighth meeting in three weeks on Ukraine.

Once again, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin was alone in defending his country’s actions in Crimea. He began his speech by celebrating the treaty signed a day earlier by Putin declaring Crimea part of Russia. “Yesterday, something truly historic happened,” Churkin declared.

U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power warned Russia that the U.S. and its allies “are prepared to take additional steps if Russian aggression or Russian provocations continue.” And today they did it and Putin again fired back.

The Russian government slapped sanctions on top U.S. officials on today, moments after President Obama imposed penalties on 20 Russians inside and outside the government — as diplomatic efforts over Ukraine unraveled into a long-distance song – “Anything you can do, I can do better.”

The newest sanctions would bar nine American officials from entering Russia. The list includes House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.; and Senator John McCain, R-Ariz.

Just as Vladimir Putin’s government shrugged off U.S. sanctions earlier in the week, so did the Americans targeted by Moscow. Senator John McCain quipped, “I guess this means my spring break in Siberia is off, my Gazprom stock is lost, and my secret bank account in Moscow is frozen. Nonetheless, I will never cease my efforts on behalf of the freedom, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine, including Crimea.”

Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said the speaker “is proud to be included on a list of those willing to stand against Putin’s aggression.”and stop this

As each side imposes sanctions, it is doubtful whether any of them will have an effect on the standoff over Russia’s widely challenged annexation of Crimea.

Obama, warning of more costs to come for the Kremlin if the situation worsens, said he also signed an executive order that would allow the U.S. to penalize key sectors of the Russian economy. Officials said Obama could act on that authority if Russian forces press into other areas of Ukraine, an escalation of the crisis in Crimea.

The president, speaking on the South Lawn of the White House, voiced concern that Russian military positioning could point to “further incursions” into southern and eastern Ukraine. He cautioned that the threatened economic measures if implemented could hurt the global economy, as well as the Russian economy, but “Russia must know that further escalation will only isolate it further from the international community.”

For the time being, Obama said the U.S. will levy sanctions on more “senior officials of the Russian government,” as well as “a number of individuals” supporting Russian leadership — and a bank, Bank Rossiya, that is likewise providing “material support.” The list includes Putin’s chief of staff and his banker.

Meanwhile, leading members of Congress are demanding that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe immediately deploy international monitors to eastern and southern Ukraine. A letter sent by Senator Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, Arizona Republican Senator John McCain, and six other lawmakers says monitors are needed to defuse tensions in Ukraine.

The OSCE is a 57-nation body based in Vienna, and Russia has thus far blocked such a deployment.

President Obama made it clear yesterday that America will not be going to war over Ukraine. There is no appetite in America or in Europe for military intervention on Ukraine’s behalf.

The United States has sent 12 additional F-16 fighter jets to Poland to bolster a U.S. aviation detachment there. Six more F-15s and two air refuelers were sent to Lithuania as part of a long-standing air patrol mission to guard the borders of NATO’s Baltic members, and Britain announced this week that it would beef up its patrols when it takes over the mission on rotation next month.

The United States and NATO have promised to provide additional assistance to Ukraine’s military, and Rasmussen said the Ukrainians have given the alliance a list of resources — training and weaponry — that they want.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

RUSSIAN TROOPS SWARM CRIMEAN NAVAL BASE

AND TAKE NAVY CHIEF CAPTIVE

(Reuters) – Russian troops and unarmed men stormed Ukraine’s naval headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol on Wednesday and raised the Russian flag in a tense but peaceful takeover that signals Moscow’s intent to neutralize any armed opposition. Russian soldiers, and so-called “self-defense” units of mainly unarmed volunteers who are supporting them across the Black Sea peninsula, moved in early in the morning and quickly took control.

 Ukrainian navy chief Sergey Gaiduk was taken away naval officers and enlisted men were taken captive. Russia’s official ITAR-Tass news agency, citing the local Kryminform news agency, reported Gaiduk had been passed to the Sevastopol prosecutor’s office to be questioned about whether he’d passed on orders from Kiev for Ukrainian soldiers to use their weapons.

  Well-known Baptist pastor and acting president of Ukraine, Oleksandr Turchynov, immediately issued a 9 p.m. (3 p.m. ET) deadline for Crimea to release all hostages and stop all provocations. Turchynov had warned that if all hostages, including Gaiduk, were not released by then, authorities would take action of “technical and technological character,” likely meaning turning off utilities. That deadline passed with no apparent consequences.

Amid signs the uneasy standoff between pro-Russian and Ukrainian forces could ignite into bloody conflict — a day after Moscow claimed Crimea as its own — almost 300 armed pro-Russian supporters took over the naval base in Sevastopol.

70 or so Ukrainian naval officers at the headquarters had tried to stop the armed men from entering and were negotiating with them. The armed men replaced Ukrainian flags with Russian standards but no shots had been fired.

 

Meanwhile in Kiev, officials unveiled a series of new measures against Russia and the “self-proclaimed” authorities in Crimea. In a televised briefing, Andriy Porubiy, secretary of the national defense and security council, said the measures included a full-scale visa system for Russians and that if the United Nations designates Crimea a “demilitarized zone,” Ukraine was prepared to evacuate its military personnel and family members. Ukraine has facilities ready to accommodate 25,000 evacuees.

 

 Ukraine has also announced it is leaving the Commonwealth of Independent States, an organization made up of republics of the former Soviet Union, Porubiy said. Kiev also will estimate the damages caused by the annexation.

 The incident at the navy headquarters comes a day after one member of the Ukrainian military was killed, another wounded and more captured when masked gunmen seized their base near the Crimean regional capital, Simferopol.

After that fatality — the first Ukrainian military death since the Crimean crisis erupted about two weeks ago — Ukraine’s Defense Ministry authorized its forces to open fire in self-defense.

Elsewhere, the head of Ukraine’s state TV reportedly was assaulted by at least three lawmakers from Ukraine’s far-right Svoboda party and forced to resign. In a video posted online, the MPs could be seen arguing with to Oleksandr Panteleymonov, asking him why the station aired a concert from Moscow live. He was then roughed up. Speaking to CNN by phone from hospital where he said he was being checked for injuries. Panteleymonov called the incident a “quarrel” and confirmed he had to sign a paper. The U.S. embassy in Kiev condemned the incident.

 As diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis continue, the United Nations said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit Russia and Ukraine this week “as part of his diplomatic efforts to encourage all parties to resolve the current crisis peacefully.” He will meet Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Thursday and Turchynov and Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk on Friday in Kiev.

 Speaking at the United Nations on Wednesday, Ukraine’s U.N. Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev called upon “the entire civilized world not to recognize the illegitimately declared independence of Crimea and its violent dismembering from the territory of our country.” He expressed reservations about the referendum, saying that Russian citizens were able to vote and journalists were banned. “The declaration of independence by the Crimean Republic is a direct consequence of the application of the use of force and threats against Ukraine by the Russian Federation,” Sergeyev said.

 Vice President Joe Biden, dispatched to reassure NATO allies in Eastern Europe and the Baltics, met Wednesday with the presidents of Lithuania and Latvia in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius.

Ukraine’s acting Defense Minister Ihor Tenyukh said in Kiev that the country’s forces would not withdraw from Crimea even though Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a treaty to make it part of Russia. But an hour later, Ukrainian servicemen, unarmed and in civilian clothing, began walking out of the headquarters.

The first group of servicemen was followed within a few minutes by a handful of troops in Ukrainian uniform, looking shell-shocked at the dramatic turn of events. “This morning they stormed the compound. They cut the gates open, but I heard no shooting,” said Oleksander Balanyuk, a captain in the navy. This thing should have been solved politically. Now all I can do is stand here at the gate. There is nothing else I can do,” he told Reuters, appearing ashamed and downcast.

The first group of servicemen was followed within a few minutes by a handful of troops in Ukrainian uniform, looking shell-shocked at the dramatic turn of events. “This morning they stormed the compound. They cut the gates open, but I heard no shooting,” said Oleksander Balanyuk, a captain in the navy. This thing should have been solved politically. Now all I can do is stand here at the gate. There is nothing else I can do,” he told Reuters, appearing ashamed and downcast.

Russia’s Itar-Tass news agency reported that Alexander Vitko, commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet which is based in Sevastopol, had been involved in talks at the headquarters. Viktor Melnikov, in charge of the “self-defence” unit, said talks were going on to negotiate a surrender.

“We’ve had difficult negotiations with the command here,” he told reporters. “Some Ukrainian servicemen are already leaving, without their uniforms, but there was no violence.”

  (Additional reporting by Mike Collett-White in Simferopol and Steve Gutterman in Moscow; Writing by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Ron Popeski)

UKRAINE WAITS. U.S. WATCHES. RUSSIA MOVES IN.

President Obama said last night, “Russia has chosen to respond with military aggression, a referendum rejected by virtually the entire world, illegal efforts to annex Crimea and now reports of armed attacks against Ukrainian military personnel and installations in Crimea. I want to make it clear: We stand resolutely with our Baltic allies in support of the Ukrainian people and against Russian aggression.”

Yatsenyuk warned Tuesday the crisis was shifting “from political to the military form, and the blame is on the Russian military.” U.S. officials told him they are keeping a close eye on the growing number of heavily equipped Russian forces near the Ukraine border because of concern the troops could move into Ukraine with little or no warning. One U.S. official with access to the latest intelligence said the estimate is that in recent days, Russia has assembled up to 20,000 forces in “motorized” units. They are so close to the border that the United States would not have enough time to predict what they might do, but would only see it as it was happening, the official said. One theory the U.S. is considering is that the Russians may plan to establish a “land bridge” into Crimea an official said. He described it as moving forces to an area they can control, so they have assured access in the future.

Also Wednesday, Ukraine’s deputy premier, Vitaly Yarema, and acting Defense Minister Ihor Tenuyh took off from Kiev, planning to fly to Crimea to “resolve all problematic issues,” but Crimean authorities would not allow them to land.

 Russia’s Constitutional Court unanimously ruled Wednesday that the agreement between the Russian Federation and Crimea on its accession to Russia was lawful, state news agency RIA Novosti reported. The State Duma, or lower house, will hold a special session today to ratify the treaty, ITAR-Tass reported.

RUSSIA LOVES PUTIN

Putin may be under international pressure over Russia’s actions in Crimea, but public opinion is firmly behind him at home. Cheering crowds celebrated the announcement that Crimea was now part of Russia at some 80 rallies across the country, from Vladivostok to Moscow’s Red Square.

 Russia’s president made it clear Tuesday, in a speech greeted by enthusiastic applause by Russian lawmakers, that Moscow has no intention of relinquishing its grip on Crimea, a Black Sea peninsula with historical ties to Russia. “In our hearts, we know Crimea has always been an inalienable part of Russia,” he said. Putin said Russia had to act because Ukraine’s new government, backed by Washington and European powers, was prepared “to seize the state through terror and murders.”

 But Yatsenyuk called it “a robbery on an international scale,” one that Kiev will never accept. Putin still denies Russia’s military was used in Crimea until the vote took place. despite what has been stated by international observers and the government of Kiev. The pro-Russian forces seen in Crimea were Crimean “self-defense” forces, Putin said.

 Putin said the 22,000 Russian troops in Crimea did not enter during the current crisis, but “were already there,” in accordance with previous international negotiations. Russian forces were allowed in Crimea under a treaty that allowed the Black Sea fleet to be based in the port of Sevastopol, but their movements within Crimea are supposed to be agreed upon with Kiev. Putin has and is ignoring whatever Kiev or anyone else says.

HILLARY SAYS PUTIN IS A SECOND ADOLPH HITLER

Other countries near Russia could also face aggression if President Vladimir Putin is allowed to get away with his actions in Ukraine, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday. Clinton, a potential 2016 presidential contender, called Russia’s move to annex Crimea “illegal and a violation of international law. If he’s allowed to get away with that, I think you’ll see a lot of other countries either directly facing Russian aggression or suborned with their political systems so that they are so intimidated that in effect they are transformed into vassals, not sovereign democracies,” Clinton said at an event hosted by the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal at the Palais des Congres.

In response to a question about Ukraine, Clinton advocated a “two-track” approach toward resolving the crisis that included economic incentives and “standing up for our values.” Along with sanctions against Russia, Clinton argued for increased financial and technical support for a democratic government in Kiev.

In response to a question about Ukraine, Clinton advocated a “two-track” approach toward resolving the crisis that included economic incentives and “standing up for our values.” Along with sanctions against Russia, Clinton argued for increased financial and technical support for a democratic government in Kiev.

She also said Europe needs to be encouraged to find other energy sources so they aren’t dependent on Russian oil and gas. “We don’t have to be rattling sabers and all that. That’s not useful,” she said. “But people need to get moving in protecting themselves against future intimidation. It might take a year, it might take two years, but it needs to be slow and steady. And then once again people will see the difference, they will see the choices.”

Clinton referred to the conflict as a “clash of values” and “an effort by Putin to rewrite the boundaries of post-World War II Europe. We’re going to stand up against illegal acts and we’re going to demonstrate that we have a better model, just like we did for 50 years. That takes continuity and persistence and it takes a consensus across the political spectrum in our country, certainly,” she said.

Clinton said she’s hopeful another Cold War can be avoided. “Obviously nobody wants to see that. I think that’s primarily up to Putin.”

Earlier this month, Clinton likened Putin’s actions on the Crimean Peninsula to those of Adolf Hitler in the 1930s. She has also said he is a tough but thin-skinned leader who is squandering his country’s potential.

PRESIDENT CLINTON’S FORMER ADVISOR ADVISES OBAMA

Dick Morris, President Bill Clinton’s top adviser during the Clinton administration until he was caught in a sex scandal of his own, had this to say about President Obama’s response to Vladimir Putin and the Crimean takeover:

Amid all the controversy that surrounds the Obama presidency, nothing has really changed Barack Obama’s personal image among the American people. His credibility has suffered, as his claims about ObamaCare have been proven false, and certainly his competency is more subject to question.

But while voters disagree with much of what he proposes and has done, none of these issues have changed his core personal image in the way that the crisis in Ukraine is likely to. Foreign policy affects a president’s approval ratings and image in a very different way than do domestic affairs. Where domestic policy is concerned, voters focus mainly on the substance of the matter under discussion. Do they approve of ObamaCare? Do they think the president is doing enough to help the economy?

Is he doing a good job of balancing national security and privacy? But when attention turns to foreign policy, voters turn their focus to the president’s personality, character and abilities. A foreign crisis can change a president’s personal image faster and more permanently than any domestic issue could ever do.

It was the Iran hostage crisis that convinced us that Jimmy Carter was too weak to be a good president. On the other hand, when Bush 41 stood up to Saddam Hussein over Kuwait, he banished forever the wimp label that had dogged him for more than a decade.

Bill Clinton had a reputation for weakness until he bombed the Bosnian Serbs. Nobody appreciated Richard Nixon’s worldview or capacity for strategic thinking until he went to China. John F. Kennedy’s performance during the Bay of Pigs marked him as too young and indecisive, but his image was rehabilitated during the Cuban missile crisis that followed.

Because foreign policy is the exclusive purview of the president, and because the influence of Congress is only tangential, events abroad give us a chance to understand our president in a way that domestic issues do not.

As we see Obama failing to rein in Russian leader Vladimir Putin and watch his impotent sanctions fall terribly short, we are coming to see the president as weak, unprepared, naive and indecisive — adjectives that were not part of his image before Ukraine.

There are three steps that the U.S. should take to face down Putin in Ukraine. These measures would send a shiver down the Russian’s spine and threaten to undermine his entire geo-economic power base.

First, we should proceed with the installation of anti-missile batteries in Poland and the Czech Republic that Obama canceled when he took office. For more than a decade, stopping these missiles has been the prime object of Russian diplomacy. If Putin’s irresponsible actions in Ukraine lead to the installation of these missiles, the military and other Russian power brokers are certain to question Putin’s leadership.

Second, Congress should immediately repeal the layers of bureaucratic approval required for the exportation of natural gas. While it is true that we want to preserve gas for our own consumers to hold down prices, we also must sell gas to Europe to weaken Russia’s domination of its energy supplies. Putin’s power over Europe stems from his power to turn off the gas, a power we can render moot by our own exports.

And third, the administration needs to move quickly to construct the more than 20 natural gas liquefaction plants now in the planning stage. Once we liquefy natural gas and can put it on a tanker and ship it anywhere, the Russian gas monopoly ceases to be a factor in global politics.

Once Putin sees the coming end of Russia’s ability to turn off the gas, he will have to cope with huge damage to Russia’s natural gas-centric economy and to its political clout in Eastern Europe. Eighty percent of Russia’s exports are from its energy sector. Putin will read the handwriting on the wall from the American actions.

MORE SLAUGHTERED IN AFGHANISTAN

 (CNN – Fighting raged today at a police station in eastern Afghanistan and in a luxury hotel in the capital. Four teenagers entered Serena Hotel in central Kabul and started shooting randomly. Afghan security forces killed all four. Police said were all under 18 and were “government opponents.” Two people were wounded in the shooting.

Police said they believe the gunmen entered the hotel by smuggling small pistols in their shoes, then hid in the bathroom for several hours before launching their attack.

 The hotel was the site of a shooting, in January 2008, that killed seven people. The Taliban claimed responsibility for that attack.

 Earlier, the country’s interior ministry said that in eastern Afghanistan, Taliban militants stormed a police station in Jalalabad, and a deadly gun battle ensued.

At least 11 people were killed and 22 were injured at the station, and at least six attackers were killed, according to a doctor at the hospital.

 These shootings came as the militant group threatened to carry out attacks before next month’s presidential election. Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid confirmed the action to CNN. He said fighters will “continue to attack the pro-U.S. Afghan establishment.”

 

TAIWAN PROTESTERS WANT NO TREATY WITH CHINA

(CNN) — Hundreds of students remained barricaded in Taiwan’s Legislature early Wednesday in protest of the ruling party’s push for a trade pact with China, which demonstrators claim will hurt the island.

The protesters, mostly university students, entered the main assembly hall inside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei on Tuesday night and blocked the entrances with chairs, according to images and accounts filed from the scene. Police responded but had not dispersed the protesters, who also filled the streets around the Legislature in the center of Taipei. The students said they plan to occupy the Legislature until Friday’s session, when the pact was to be deliberated.

 Taiwan’s state news agency reported that 38 police officers were injured when more than 400 protesters took over the Legislature. Four protesters were arrested in two unsuccessful attempts to evict them, the news agency reported. Police said there were more than 2,000 protesters both inside and outside the building, with an equal number of officers on the scene.

 “We do not want to clash with the police,” said protester and iReporter Shanny Chang,, 19. “We just have to let the government know that they should never try to fool the people.”

 Chang said that after the protesters took over, hundreds gathered outside the building making speeches and singing songs. In a video, a young woman sings Bob Dylan’s song “The Times They are a-Changin’,” which many associate with the protest spirit of the 1960s. “She played the Dylan song because she thinks the lyrics match the ongoing events happening in Taiwan,” said iReporter George Chang, 24, who shot the video. “Bob Dylan isn’t really that popular in Taiwan, especially not to the 8th grade generation, what Taiwanese call children born after 1991, but to the older generations I think he isn’t a stranger to them.”

 The trade pact was signed last year in Shanghai to ease investment and trade between the two longtime adversaries, mainland China and Taiwan.

“The agreement was passed without proper procedure; that’s why the people are angry,” said Kaiyu Chang, who shot this photo of a crowd assembled in Taipei Wednesday.

Opponents have voiced concerns that not only will Taiwan’s economy be hurt as businesses and investments flow to China, but the island’s democratic system could be undermined by closer ties with the mainland.

“The trade agreement was not supervised by the people of Taiwan, and benefits only big companies and harnesses our jobs,” Chang wrote. “But I do agree we need to open Taiwan to the world, even China too. But NOT this way, not by signing an agreement that is not fair to us and was negotiated by people who have no profession in these territories. We must rewrite the agreement and make it work for the both of us, towards a peaceful future between the strait of Taiwan.”

 An iReporter identified as a warrior, an Asian-American living in Taiwan, wrote that the government’s handling of the trade agreement “was unconstitutional and a blatant violation of the people’s rights. … I care deeply because my parents are Taiwanese and they always loved their nation like no other. I am personally affected because I value the rights of the people to voice and make changes in a democratic country.”

In a statement, Amnesty International urged security forces to show restraint. “The situation is clearly tense. … While police have a duty to maintain order and to protect the safety of the public, the response must only be proportionate to the threat. Force should only be used as a last resort. The authorities must ensure the rights of all those protesting are upheld and respected,” said Roseann Rife, the group’s East Asia research director.

Last month, Taiwan and China held their highest-level talks in more than six decades, marking the first government-to-government contact since the pair’s acrimonious split in 1949.

Students and officers face off outside the Legislative Yuan.

After the meeting, China’s state news agency Xinhua said the two sides had agreed to open a regular communication channel. “We should both be resolute to not let cross-strait relations suffer any more twists and turns and never let (the relationship) go backward.”

 Previous contact between the two sides has been conducted through semi-official foundations or through political parties, not by government ministers acting in their official capacities. Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has never ruled out the use of force to achieve reunification. Taiwan also calls itself the Republic of China.

 Relations between the two sides have improved since Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou came to power in 2008. On Wednesday, Ma called for the passage of the trade pact.

CNN’s Rachel Rodriguez, Maggie Blaha and Daphne Sashin contributed to this report.

BLOODY RIOTS CONTINUE IN VENEZUELA

 (CNN) — At least 31 people have died in Venezuela and 461 have been injured in violent clashes between opposition demonstrators and government forces that began last month, Another 1,854 people have been detained during the unrest, according to Interior Minister Miguel Rodriguez Torres.

 The weeks of protests across Venezuela mark the biggest threat President Nicolas Maduro has faced since his election last year. Demonstrators say they have taken to the streets to protest shortages of goods, high inflation and high crime. Protesters and government officials trade blame for the violence.

“Nicolas threw gas on the fire. He and he alone will be responsible for how the situation develops,” opposition leader Henrique Capriles Radonski said in a Twitter post Thursday. “It’s clear you want more confrontation and to promote violence,” he tweeted earlier.

In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour this month week, Maduro was unapologetic about his government’s response to opposition protesters. Maduro said, “Think about what the U.S. government would do if a political group laid out a road map for overthrowing President Barack Obama,

“What would happen if a group said they were going to start something in the United States so that President Obama leaves, resigns, to change the constitutional government of the United States?” Maduro said. “Surely, the state would react, and they would use all the force that the law gives it to re-establish order and to put those who are against the Constitution where they belong.”

CNN’s Dana Ford and Catherine E. Shoichet contributed to this report.

UNITED NATIONS REPORTS ON 2013 ASYLUM-SEEKERS

 Syria, Russia and Afghanistan have the largest numbers of people fleeing their homelands to seek asylum, and most are turning to Europe, the United Nations refugee agency said in a report Friday.

Syria’s 3-year-old civil war generated 56,351 asylum seekers in 2013, more than double the previous year’s total of 25,232, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Syria became the world’s biggest source for asylum seekers, surpassing Afghanistan, which fell to third.

Russia, meanwhile, become the second-biggest source of asylum seekers with 39,779, up from 22,650 in 2012. Volker Turk, the agency’s director of international protection, attributed Russia’s surge to rising unrest in the Russian region of Chechnya. He forecast that Syria’s refugee problem would worsen this year.

The U.N. report found that 38,653 Afghans sought asylum last year, versus 47,519 in 2012. It said 38,171 Iraqis and 34,660 Serbians sought asylum in 2013 for fourth and fifth place, respectively.

The 38 nations of Europe experienced the biggest 2013 increase in asylum applications, with Germany, France and Sweden the most popular destinations, particularly for Syrians.

Europe as a whole had 484,600 asylum claims, 32 percent higher than in 2012. Germany received 109,580, France 60,100, Sweden 54,360, Turkey 44,810, Britain 29,190, Italy 27,830, Switzerland 19,440 and Hungary 18,570.

Outside Europe, the United States dealt with 88,360 asylum applications, Australia 24,320.

The report offered few specifics on countries’ rates of acceptance of asylum claims. It noted that applicants were more likely to receive favorable treatment if their homelands were suffering active warfare. It found that most asylum applicants from Syria, Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan were successful, whereas only 28 percent of Russians and just 5 percent of Serbs won their asylum bids.

BRINGING YOU UP TO DATE ABOUT FLIGHT 370

Military planes from Australia, the U.S. and New Zealand are searching for two objects spotted by satellite in the southern Indian Ocean that could be related to the missing Malaysia Airlines flight, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Thursday. Abott told Parliament in Canberra that an Orion and three additional aircraft, including a U.S. P-8 are involved in the search. Abbott cautioned, however, that the task of locating these objects will be difficult and “it may turn out that they are not related to the search for flight MH370.”

Satellites first captured images of the objects Sunday about 14 miles (23 kilometers) from each other and about 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) southwest of Australia’s west coast. The area is a remote, rarely traveled expanse of ocean far from commercial shipping lanes.

Would pieces of the plane still be floating?

If the plane crashed into the water, large pieces would not still be floating by now, according to Steve Wallace, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s former director of accident investigation. But pieces of lightweight debris, not aircraft structure, could be floating days after the aircraft struck the water, he said. That could include life jackets and seat cushions.

Is it possible that the plane would have gone that far?

Mitchell Casado, a flight instructor on a 777 flight simulator, said that running out of gas would be a big concern. “There’s such few options,” he said. “As long-range as this aircraft is, it’s a long way to any suitable airport out there. There are some small islands, you know, that you could possibly land at, but that would really be pushing the limits of the airplane. So I would really be worried about running out of gas.” The 777, when fully fueled, can go 16 to 18 hours. Flight 370 wasn’t fully fueled.

Some planes flew over the area, and a ship went there. What did they find?

Four aircraft — two from Australia, one from New Zealand and one from the United States — flew into the search area but found nothing of note. A Norwegian cargo ship also arrived in the area Thursday afternoon but had not found anything as of nightfall. The searches were hindered by low visibility and rough seas in the region, a wild and remote stretch of ocean rarely traveled by commercial shipping or aircraft. A second merchant ship is steaming to the area, as is the HMAS Success, an Australian naval vessel that is still several days away. China and Malaysia are also sending vessels to the area, they said Thursday.

If it’s not the plane, what else could it be?

Almost anything big and buoyant. The objects were spotted in a part of the Indian Ocean known for swirling currents called gyres that can trap all sorts of floating debris. Among the leading contenders for what the objects might be, assuming they’re not part of Flight 370: shipping containers that fell off a passing cargo vessel. There are reasons to doubt that theory, however. The area isn’t near commercial shipping lanes, and the larger object, at an estimated 79 feet (24 meters), would seem to be nearly twice as long as standard shipping containers.

If it is the plane, would its location tell us anything about what happened on that flight?

If it really is the wreckage of the Boeing 777-200, its far southern location would provide investigators with precious clues into what terrible events unfolded to result in the disappearance and loss of the airliner, according to Robert Goyer, editor-in-chief of Flying magazine and a commercial jet-rated pilot. “The location would suggest a few very important parameters. The spot where searchers have found hoped-for clues is, based on the location information provided by the Australian government, nearly 4,000 miles from where the airliner made its unexpected and as yet unexplained turn to the west,” Goyer wrote. The first obvious clue is that the airplane flew for many hours.

What do the satellite images show?

Two indistinct objects, one about 79 feet (24 meters) in length and the other about 16 feet (5 meters) long. Though they don’t look like much to the untrained observer, Australian intelligence imagery experts who looked at the pictures saw enough to pass them along to the maritime safety agency, Young said. “Those who are experts indicate they are credible sightings. And the indication to me is of objects that are reasonable size and are probably awash with water, bobbing up and down out of the surface,” he said.

How old are the satellite images?

They were taken by commercial satellite imaging company DigitalGlobe on Sunday.

Why did we just hear about them yesterday?

Basically, the Australians say, it’s because the Indian Ocean is a very big place. The maritime safety authority said it took four days for the images to reach it “due to the volume of imagery being searched and the detailed process of analysis that followed.”

 

How did they know to look in this area?

This southern area is where searchers believe there is the most likelihood of the plane being found. U.S. officials have also said the southern corridor is where the plane is most likely to be. The searchers used mathematics to narrow the likely area to a square — and that is where these images have emerged.

Who is running the search?

The Australians are in charge of the search in their area of responsibility, which includes a large area of the southern Indian Ocean off Australia’s west coast. Malaysia remains in overall control of the search.

How long does the flight data recorder ping?

It would be difficult to pick up ultrasonic “pingers” from the data recorders. In this vast expanse of ocean, the range of the pingers in the best conditions may be about 2 miles. If they are at the bottom of the ocean, that really limits how far they can go, especially in warm waters. The warmth of the water may impede the pingers because of the presence of thermoclines, or layers of different temperatures in the water that affect the ability of the pingers to be heard. The recorders’ batteries die after about 30 days.

WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT – FARMERS AND FOOD OR DELTA SMELT?

Thousands of farmers in drought-stricken California are rallying this week in opposition to regulations that have frozen water supplies across the state. “It’s devastating. I’ll have to sell half of my land to maintain the other half,” Alfalfa farmer Michael Erskine said. Erskine said the drought, combined with cuts to water deliveries, have slashed his bottom line by more than 50 percent.

At issue is a Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling last week that upheld federal guidelines limiting water deliveries from the northern part of the state to the southern part of the state — to protect an endangered fish called the Delta smelt. The ruling went against a lower-court ruling that overturned the 2008 guidelines from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Environmentalists fought to preserve those guidelines, but farmers say they’re preventing vital water supplies from reaching the areas that need it most.

“I’m looking at tens of thousands of people being out of work,” Representative Devin Nunes, R-Calif., said. “We’re probably going to have upwards of five, six, seven hundred thousand acres of farm ground that’s going to be out of production.” As a result of the drought and water restrictions, experts believe retail food prices could jump as much as 3.5 percent this year.

In addition to a rally on Wednesday, farmers are also testifying at a congressional field hearing about the impact of the California water crisis.

Environmentalists were overjoyed with last week’s appeals court decision. Kate Poole, senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a statement that the drought is the problem — not the lack of water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

“Taking more water out of the Delta is not going to solve our problems. The emergency drought is a state-wide problem that affects all of us — from farmers to fisherman to the average citizen. And it’s the drought, not the Delta, that’s affecting the water supply this year. That’s why Delta fisherman and farmers support these protections — because their jobs and livelihoods depend on it,” she said in a statement. “While we can’t make it rain, we can take charge of our water use by investing in smart water practices that protect and preserve our water supply.”

But others say that water is sorely needed right now. “You’re not going to grow anything with zero water, whether it’s the lettuce that goes into your In-N-Out burger, whether it’s the tomatoes that you use for your salsa, whether it’s the nuts that you use for your health food — all of that gets impacted here,” Mario Santoyo, executive director of the California Latino Water Coalition, said. That’s why so many are rallying to bring attention to the problem as water deliveries dry up.

“It is true that we’re in a drought condition, but it’s also true there’s a lot of regulations that are hampering water deliveries and really making it tough for the valley — some of them don’t make a whole lotta sense,” Cannon Michael, with the Bowles Farming Company, said.

That makes it tough on farmers like Erskine and his son. “I don’t know what to tell him for a future,” Erskine said. “Don’t be a farmer. Government gets in the way.”

Will Carr joined Fox News Channel (FNC) as a Los Angeles-based correspondent in June 2013.

YOUR POST OFFICE MAY NOT SEEM LIKE FIRST-CLASS SOON

It might feel like first-class postage is going up every few weeks, but the U.S. Postal Service nevertheless is in need of a bailout. Frank Todisco, chief actuary for the Government Accountability Office, told a House committee last week that the agency had $100 billion in debt and unfunded health benefit liabilities at the end of the last fiscal year. At this stage, even the Postal Service admits it needs help.

Congress is considering everything from reducing the mail service to five days a week to having mail centers with lockboxes instead of delivering it at all.

FOUNDER OF WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH DEAD AT 84

Excommunicated from the church he founded, Reverend Fred Phelps Sr., the former pastor of a Kansas church known for anti-gay protests and pickets at military funerals, has died. He was 84.

Phelps founded the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, though most of the small church’s members are part of his extended family. Their activities inspired a federal law on funeral picketing and laws in more than 40 states. But in a major free-speech ruling in 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court declared the church and its members couldn’t be sued for damages.

Phelps founded Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, in 1955 and molded it in his fire-and-brimstone image. Many members of the small congregation are related to Phelps through blood or marriage.

Phelps’ church preached that deaths of U.S. military personnel were God’s punishment for the nation’s tolerance of homosexuality

PHOTOS NOT EASILY FORGOTTEN

This shocking photo you’re about to see was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, as it depicted a vulture stalking a small child succumbing to starvation during a period of famine in Sub Saharan Africa in 1993.

After the photo’s release; the photographer, Kevin Carter, received much criticism for taking the photo and not helping the child. Carter was forbidden from touching the children in Sudan for fear of transmitting diseases that could be devastating to their weakened systems. Other reports say the child was saved after the vulture was chased off. Carter himself became so deeply depressed over the situation that he committed suicide a year later.

Situated close to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the city of Pripyat, Ukraine became abandoned in 1986 after the power plant suffered an explosion and fire, irradiating the whole region. The city remains uninhabitable to this day.

Between 1920 in 1933, there was a nationwide ban on the sale, production, importation and transportation of alcoholic beverages. “The Roaring 20s” led by rural Protestants and Social Progressives, both Democrat and Republican, was meant to be dry of liquor. But booze went underground and crime involving alcohol, the Mafia, and big-time gangs was rampant. On December 5, 1933, the 21^st amendment to the Constitution stopped prohibition. But the police fought it for 13 years. Sometimes they were highly successful.……….………….…….

 

MORE PROOF THAT “GOD’S NOT DEAD” OPENS FRIDAY

What can a college or university student do if they are threatened by an atheist professor that they will fail their class unless they will agree that God is dead? This situation exists in higher-level classes across our nation today and finally a major motion picture is being released tomorrow to give answers to that dilemma. Beyond that, this film clearly answers with university style proof that God is very much alive.

For some wonderful reason, Hollywood is giving Americans the chance to see a number of great Christian films this year. This is one of the best and once again it’s true that the opening week of any motion picture tells movie czars all they think they need to know as to whether certain kinds of films will bring in the money.

Western’s and musicals had their day until large segments of movie audiences quit attending them. You’re going be intrigued as you watch this movie. It goes way beyond its previews and will capture your heart. -Ray

PHIL ROBERTSON DUCKS A BELIEVER

(West Monroe, LA)—Brian Richards drove 20 hours from his home in New Jersey recently to White’s Ferry Roach Church of Christ where Phil Robertson, Duck Dynasty’s patriarch, is an elder with a special request. He wanted Robertson to baptize him. “From New Jersey,” quipped Robertson, “I can count on one hand the people I’ve met from New Jersey.”

While baptizing Richards, Robertson explained the message of salvation and said, “You are now going to die to sin. You’re going to be buried—the old you—and the new one will come forth. God will seal you with His Spirit and you will be guaranteed to be raised from the dead one day and live forever.

Good news, you know?”

 

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The bath of God never requires soap.

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CHRISTIAN NEWS FROM RAY – EARLY MORNING EDITION – March 21, 2014