BPR Mailing List Digest: 01/04/00

Philologos
BPR Mailing List Digest
January 4, 2000

Digest Home | 2000 | January, 2000

To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Egypt makes huge oil discovery
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 08:56:11 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

Egypt makes huge oil discovery amid
higher hard currency inflows

Oil reserves more than double with a huge discovery drilling
off the country's Mediterranean coast.

January 04, 2000, 11:24 AM

                   CAIRO (Agencies) - Egypt says its oil reserves have
                   risen to 8.2 billion barrels from 3.7 billion and natural
                   gas reserves to 120 trillion cubic feet from 36.5 trillion,
                   the state-owned Al-Ahram daily reported on Tuesday.

                   It said Oil Minister Sameh Fahmy had announced the
                   estimates, derived from three-dimensional surveys by
                   foreign energy companies, at a ministerial meeting
                   over which President Hosni Mubarak presided on
                   Monday.

                   Meanwhile Prime Minister Atef Obeid said on Monday
                   he expected Egypt's hard currency inflows to increase
                   due to higher remittances from Egyptians abroad, oil
                   export revenue and Suez Canal earnings, but gave no
                   details.

Full Story:
http://www.arabia.com/article/0,1690,Business-9971,00.html

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Weekend News Today items (1/3/00)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 09:00:10 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

New super-fast missile being developed by Russia and China

Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: London Telegraph

Mon Jan 3,2000 -- A long-range missile fast enough to catch any
combat fighter in the world is being developed jointly by Russia
and China, according to British Aerospace. BAe, one of the two
rival companies bidding for a $700 million contract to equip the
Eurofighter with its own advanced air-to-air missiles, said the
missile could be in production as early as 2005. This is at
least three years ahead of any possible "ram jet" missile being
built for the RAF. It has a "ram jet" propulsion system, giving
a range of 50 miles and a speed of Mach 3. According to BAe, it
has already undergone preliminary flight tests. Unlike
traditional air-to-air missiles which have thrust for only six
seconds, the "ram jet" blasts the missile along for up to a
minute. "Ram jet" technology is the next great leap forward in
missile design and Russian experts have long been suspected of
having the know-how. China has stepped in to cover the
development costs, according to sources at Matra BAe Systems,
one of the two main rivals for a contract to equip Eurofighter
with the next generation of air-to-air missiles. The
Eurofighter, which comes into service with the RAF in three
years' time, will be equipped initially with an existing air-to-
air missile known as AMRAAM. Although AMRAAM is very advanced by
today's standards there is evidence that some modern Russian
fighters have the speed to outfly it. Matra BAe Systems has
designed a "ram jet" missile called Meteor as their bid for the
contract, which is expected to be awarded late next month.
Raytheon, an American firm, is offering a modernised version of
the AMRAAM with a double pulse rocket capable of greater range.

China to challenge pope in Jan 6 ordination

Weekend News Today
By Kelly Pagatpatan
Source: Reuters

Mon Jan 3,2000 -- China is planning to ordain at least three
new bishops for its state-run Catholic church on the same day as
Pope John Paul creates new bishops around the world at a Vatican
ceremony, Misna missionary news agency said Monday. The news
agency described the Chinese plan as "extremely serious." It
named no sources but said the Beijing ceremony coincided with
the pope's scheduled ordinations of 12 new bishops on Jan. 6,
the Feast of the Epiphany. "The Chinese government, which is
once again forcing its desire for absolute control onto
Catholics, is certainly behind the ordination decision," it
said. "The date is just as important. The Catholic Church in
China would be setting up a counter-altar in Beijing while in
Rome the pope conducts the traditional ordination of bishops
from around the world," it said. The state church, the Chinese
Patriotic Catholic Association, does not recognize the pope's
authority. Beijing cites the Holy See's ties with Taiwan, which
it considers a renegade province, as an insurmountable block to
establishing relations. The Vatican has had no diplomatic links
with communist China since it closed its embassy in Beijing in
1951.

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Religion Today items (1/4/00)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 09:03:25 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

Heavily Islamic Quatar for the first time approved construction
of a Roman Catholic church. Catholic and Protestant groups
previously have been allowed to meet only in their homes,
Operation World said. The predominantly Muslim country, where
Islam is the state religion, has about 60,000 Catholics, most of
them expatriate workers, The Associated Press said.
...The church to be built in Doha, the capital, is "a very
important step, consistent with the principles of tolerance and
freedom which are among the noble goals" of the emir Sheik Hamad
bin Khalifa Al Thani, Italian Ambassador Ignazio Di Pace said.

Novelists and a rock star have published unusual introductions to
biblical texts. The Pocket Cannons (Grove Press) is a collection
of 12 slim paperback books containing the King James Version of
Psalms, Revelation, Job, Corinthians, Exodus, and seven other
books. Novelists, including Doris Lessing, Charles Frazier, and
Kathlene Norris, wrote essays of fewer than 3,500 words as
introductions, as did Bono of the Irish rock group U2. Many of
the writings praise the biblical text, which some of the
essayists had been unfamiliar with, but the writings are "never
pious and not for those who prefer the Bible without
contradictions or humor," USA Today reviewer Bob Minzesheimer
said.

January 4, 2000
http://www.religiontoday.com

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Arutz-7 News items (1/4/00)
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 12:12:09 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

SYRIAN INTRANSIGENCE IN SHEPHERDSTOWN
Hard times for the Israeli delegation in Shepherdstown. Syrian Foreign
Minister Farouk A-Shara did not agree to shake Prime Minister Barak's hand
last night, refused to dine with him, and brought about the cancellation of
a Clinton-Barak-Shara meeting. The Syrians insist that the withdrawal
issue be dealt with before any of the other issues, while Israel's position
is that all the matters of contention be discussed simultaneously by
different negotiating groups - in accordance with the agreements reached in
Washington last month. The Golan Residents Committee responded to the
Shepherdstown developments by noting that this kind of behavior typifies
the kind of peace Israel can expect from Damascus.

Reports differ as to how much money Prime Minister Barak is asking from the
U.S. towards a Golan withdrawal and related costs. The Prime Minister's
Office says that Barak is asking only for $17 billion, while other reports
claim that the number is closer to $25 billion. The money is needed to pay
for the redeployment of IDF forces and bases, new weapons, and
compensation for the Golan's 18,000 residents.

RABBIS FORBID CEDING GOLAN
Led by former Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Avraham Shapira, representatives of a
group of 1,200 rabbis of the organization called Ichud HaRabbanim - the
Union of Rabbis for the People of Israel and the Land of Israel - published
a halakhic [Jewish legal] ruling, forbidding the transfer of the Golan
Heights to the Syrians and the uprooting of Jews from their homes in the
Land of Israel. Attached to the ruling is a call for Jews to act "with
self-sacrifice" - but within the law - to prevent the destruction of Golan
communities. In addition to Rabbi Shapira, the signatories include Rabbis
Dov Lior, Zalman Baruch Melamed, Tzefaniah Drori, Nachum Rabinowitz,
Chaim Druckman, Eliezer Waldman, Meyer Fendel, Sholom Gold, Shabtai
Zelikovitz, and others. A meeting of the organization's leaders took place at Rabbi
Shapira's home in Jerusalem this morning.

The ruling reads as follows:
a. The Golan is part of the Land of Israel that was granted to the Tribes
of Israel by the A-lmighty, as recorded in our holy Torah. The Golan was
settled by Jews in the 1st and 2nd Temple periods, as our Sages tell us
(and as confirmed by Josephus). According to Jewish Law, it is forbidden
to uproot Jewish settlements in Eretz Yisrael.
[b. The abandonment of the Golan involves a mortal danger for the entire
country. Withdrawing from the Golan will not bring peace, but the opposite.]
[c. It is unethical to remove Jews from their homes that they have built
with self-sacrifice and at the behest of the state.]
d. Tens of thousands of Jews will stand against those who uproot us from
our land and who wheel and deal with our security. Every Jew must take
part in the legal public activities and act with self-sacrifice to prevent
the destruction of the Golan communities.
e. We call upon the government of Israel not to tear away this precious
part of our Land, and not to cause a split in the nation.
f. We call for a national convention of rabbis to strengthen the Golan.
"Let us strengthen and let us be strong on behalf of our nation and the
cities of our G-d."

NEXT WITHDRAWAL FROM YESHA TO BEGIN TOMORROW
An agreement has been reached between the Israelis and the Palestinians on
the next two stages of the Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria. The
first pullback, from 5% of Yesha, has been delayed almost two months, but
will take place within two days. The agreement had been held up by a
demand by Yasser Arafat for "improved" territories - despite the fact that
the Oslo agreements grant the PA no say in which territories it is to
receive.

Arutz-7's Haggai Huberman reports that some six army bases will be
evacuated in the withdrawal that will begin tomorrow. In addition, Israel
will leave from some 2.2% of Yesha in the Judean Desert, and a further 0.8%
in other areas. Another area of 2% in the Bir Zeit region will come under
total Palestinian control. Huberman reports that this is exactly as
originally planned two months ago, "but we don't know yet what promises
have been made for the next withdrawal, from an additional 6.1% of Yesha,
which will be carried out, as scheduled, on Jan. 20."

The precise maps of the upcoming withdrawal - which have not yet been
publicized - will be signed tonight.

Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.arutzsheva.org>
Tuesday, January 4, 2000 / Tevet 26, 5760

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Spy in the sky' targets speeders
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2000 12:25:53 -0500

From: owner-bpr@philologos.org

Brought to our attention by a list member.
Thanks Jim!

-----------

Tuesday, 4 January, 2000
'Spy in the sky' targets speeders

An electronic speed regulator which uses satellite signals to
stop cars breaking limits could soon become compulsory in
British vehicles

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott is considering research
into new technological advances as part of a package of measures
which could see the controversial devices fitted to all cars
within the next few years.

Government-funded researchers at Leeds University, working
alongside the Motor Industry Research Association, have spent
three years developing and testing a prototype speed control car
aimed at reducing congestion and dramatically cutting accident
figures.

Stiff opposition

But moves to introduce the "intelligent speed adapters" are
likely to face stiff opposition from enthusiasts and motor
manufacturers.

The device works by using global positioning satellites to
pinpoint the vehicle's exact location.

A digital road map on board the vehicle then tells the car when
it is exceeding the speed limit, allowing it to choke off the
fuel supply if speed restrictions are breached.

Full story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_590000/590336.stm

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