Russian Warships Gather in Mediterranean for Drills

MOSCOW, December 25 (RIA Novosti) - About a dozen Russian warships are converging on the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Aden as part of a large-scale strategic exercise, a high-ranking representative the General Staff of Russia’s Armed Forces said on Tuesday.

“This part of the world’s oceans is very important from the point of view of Russia’s geopolitical interests, including the fact that the Russian Navy has a logistical base here [in Syria],” he said.

The warships will conduct air-defense, anti-ship and anti-submarine drills and call at some foreign ports, including Tartus in Syria, he said.

He declined to specify whether the large landing ships were carrying military equipment for Syria.

“The main aim of sending the ships to the Mediterranean is to accomplish the missions set by the navy command, conduct exercises and show the flag,” he said.

On Monday, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov dismissed media reports there were commando units and military equipment for Syria on board some of the warships.

A naval task force from Russia’s Northern Fleet left the Severomorsk base last Wednesday and set course for the Horn of Africa on a new anti-piracy mission, the Defense Ministry said.

It includes the large antisubmarine ship Severomorsk, the salvage tug Altai, and the tanker Dubna, as well as a contingent of naval infantry subunits. The force will travel the length of the Mediterranean, pass through the Suez Canal and relieve the Pacific Fleet task force that has been there on an anti-piracy mission since November.

A Baltic Fleet task force set sail last Tuesday for the eastern Mediterranean where it will relieve a group of Black Sea warships. The force includes the frigate Yaroslav Mudry, the large landing ships Kaliningrad and Alexander Shabalin, the salvage tug SB-921 and the tanker Lena.

The new anti-piracy mission is expected to reach the region by mid-January.

Russia keeps a naval task force in the Gulf of Aden as part of the international effort to fight piracy off the Somali coast.

On Monday, large landing ships Azov and Nikolai Filchenkov from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet left Novorossiysk for the Syrian port of Tartus. The ships are carrying naval infantry units for protection during the voyage. They are expected to join the Black Sea Fleet task force comprising the missile cruiser Moskva and the frigate Smetlivy in the Aegean Sea on December 28 before heading to Tartus.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich confirmed on Monday that Russia has a contingency plan for evacuation of Russian citizens from Syria if necessary.

The conflict between Bashar al-Assad regime and opposition forces in Syria has claimed the lives of over 30,000 people since March 2011, according to UN figures.

RIA Novosti

Iran to conduct navy drill in Strait of Hormuz in December

DUBAI, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Iran will begin six days of naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz at the end of this week, an Iranian naval commander said on Tuesday, an exercise meant to showcase its military capabilities in what is a vital oil and gas shipping route.

The "Velayat 91" drills will be held from Friday to Wednesday across an area of about 1 million square kilometres in the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman and northern parts of the Indian Ocean, said Habibollah Sayyari, according to Iranian media.

Iranian officials have often said that Iran could block the strait - through which 40 percent of the world's sea-borne oil exports pass - if it came under military attack over its disputed nuclear programme.

Iran held a similar 10-day drill last December and sent a submarine and a destroyer into the Gulf four months ago at the same time as U.S. and allied navies were conducting exercises in the same waters to practice keeping oil shipping lanes open.

Sayyari was quoted as saying the new drill would test the navy's missile systems, combat ships, submarines and patrol and reconnaissance methods.

"In this exercise we will use the navy's newest weapons and tactics," Sayyari said. "Certainly we will observe the marine borders of neighbouring states and will carry out our exercises according to international laws and regulations."

A heavy Western naval presence in the Gulf is meant to deter any attempt to block the waterway.

Reuters

Gravitational Time Dilation - Chuck Missler

Faithful Obedience

The real test of faith comes when we can trust God even in the depths of our trials, even before the victory is realized and even before the promises are fulfilled.

This month we celebrate the “gift of Life”—Jesus Christ. As believers, we have the privilege of not only receiving this Gift, but also of giving this Gift of Life to others. You might ask, “How do we do that?” The answer is: by actually living Christ’s Life and sharing His Love.

There’s a huge difference between asking Christ into our life to be our Savior (receiving that Gift), and intimately knowing Him as our life itself and being a “living example” (giving that Gift). That difference is evidenced by how strong our faith is.

This kind of faith comes in the form of a constant choice. It’s a choice to follow God and do what He asks, regardless of how we feel, what we think, or what we want. (Romans 4:20–21) It means laying aside all our difficult circumstances and getting to the place where we can say and mean, “I won’t let any of these things move me.” (Acts 20:24)

The real test of faith comes when we can trust God even in the depths of our trials, even before the victory is realized and even before the promises are fulfilled. This kind of faith has to pass the test of disappointment and the urge to want to quit. We must not only claim God’s promises, but also have the faith to walk them out even if we never see them fulfilled! This is what makes us “living examples” of what we believe and allows us to produce the “fruit of the Spirit” regardless of what is going on in our lives.

For more than forty years God provided everything the Old Testament saints needed. He provided guidance by the Pillar of Fire. He provided their daily “manna”. He provided the tabernacle for their worship. He provided their daily clothing, their deliverance from their enemies, and even their shoes. But, when the going got really tough and they no longer saw His Hand, the Israelites turned against Him. They forgot His promises and they impugned His faithfulness.

I see a parallel to many believers today. God provides for all of our needs, but sometimes He doesn’t do it in the way we think He should, thus we end up doubting His faithfulness just like the Old Testament saints did. As New Testament believers, it’s imperative that we learn from their example. We must unconditionally trust the Lord, knowing that no matter what we see, think or feel and no matter what He has allowed in our lives, in His timing and in His way, He will be faithful to allHis promises.

God’s reward for this kind of faith and this kind of obedience is not only experiencing more of His Love and His Life here and now, but the promise of a future position of responsibility in the coming kingdom. Our usefulness to the Lord is not determined by how much we suffer or by how much we lose in this world, but by how much faith and obedience we learn through that suffering and loss. Consequently, we must continually examine ourselves and see if we are continuing “in faith” and continuing to produce “fruit,” because it’s very easy to get derailed and sidetracked.

Remember the unfaithful and disobedient servants in Matthew 24 and 25, and how the Lord, when he returned, reprimanded them by saying: “Where was your faith? Where was your obedience? Where was your perseverance?” Because these servants had lost their trust in the Lord and were not producing “fruit,” He shut the door. To the faithful and persevering believers, however, he said: “Well done, good and faithful servants [because you endured by faith and continued to produce “fruit”], I will make you a ruler over many. Enter into the joy of the Lord.”

Hebrews 6:12 validates this: “Be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patienceinherit the promises.”

An Example: Joseph

Even in the worst of circumstances, we must “choose” to have faith and allow the Lord to use us and produce “fruit” in our lives despite everything that is going on. Remember the Old Testament example of Joseph.

The story goes something like this: As a young man, God gave Joseph some incredible dreams that contained mind-boggling promises for the future. Yet as Joseph shared these dreams with his brothers, it left them seething with jealousy. Because of this, they captured Joseph, threw him into a pit and ended up selling him to a caravan of merchants on their way to Egypt. Joseph was then bought by Potiphar, a high-ranking Egyptian official. Joseph continued, however, to have horrific personal problems. Potiphar’s wife repeatedly tried to seduce the devout young Hebrew, and finally accused him of trying to molest her. As a result, Potiphar, understandably, threw Joseph into prison, where he endured another 13 years.

He was finally released as a result of some divinely orchestrated circumstances.

All through his long years of imprisonment, Joseph continued to look to God and continued to minister to those around him. If you carefully read the Scriptures about this time in Joseph’s life, you will see that all who came into contact with him recognized that “God was with him.” (Genesis 39) In other words, even in his most difficult of times, he was still a “living example” that God was real and that God cared.

I don’t believe Joseph could have survived all those years of torment (from his brothers, Potiphar’s wife and prison life) if not for his unwavering faith and belief in the goodness of God. In the end, as we all know, the Lord choose Joseph to become the Prime Minister of all of Egypt, and through him He saved Israel.

Works of the Spirit

Like Joseph, when we make “faith choices” to do God’s will no matter how we feel, what we think or what is going on in our lives, God’s Spirit will be freed to flow from our lives. This is the “Life” that will affect others around us. It’s God’s Life through us that will produce the “fruit of the Spirit” thatEphesians 2:10 says we were all created to bear. “Faith choices” are simply choices to do God’s will, regardless of everything difficult in our lives. They are non-feeling choices, and often choices we don’t want to make at all. As Matthew 26:39 says, we are simply saying “not my will, but Thine.”

God has given us His authority and His power to make these kind of faith choices. It allows us to acknowledge that “yes” we are going through extremely difficult times, but nevertheless, we are still choosing to follow and trust the Lord.

When we make these kind of choices, our actions will be motivated by and performed by God’s Spirit in us, not by our own will or our own strength. These deeds, then, are called “works of the Spirit” and will be classied as “gold, silver, and precious stones” at the Bema Seat of Christ. (1 Corinthians 3)

Chart 28: Works of the Spirit

Chart 28 is what walking by faith, showing forth God’s Life and producing “fruit” might look like (above).

If, however, the source of our works is our own will and the actions are performed through our own power and strength (even though we are believers), it will be a “work of the flesh”. Because God’s Spirit is quenched in our hearts (we have chosen our own will over God’s), we will be unable to show forth God’s Life (His Love, His wisdom and His power) and thus, no real “fruit” will be produced. These “works of the flesh” will be classified as the “wood, hay, and stubble” that will be burned at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:12; Galatians 5:21).

Chart 29: Works of the Flesh

Chart 29 is what this might look like.

Whether we are going through “good times” (where everything in our lives is smooth, easy and calm) or whether we are going through difficult times like Joseph did, God is still checking to see if we produce “works of the Spirit” or “works of the flesh.” The purpose of our lives here on earth—including our trials—is to train us to rule and reign with Christ in the coming kingdom. God is constantly testing us to see if we are worthy of such a great responsibility. Faith, endurance, obedience and trust are major parts of this testing process because they are prerequisites for ruling and reigning. “To him that overcomes and does My will to the very end, I will give power over the nations.” (— Revelation 2:26)

Receiving the “Gift of Life” not only makes the Lord our Savior, but also gives us the ability to know Him as our Life itself and to give his Love and Life to others, no matter what difficulties we are facing.

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body, the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the Life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body…
— 2 Corinthians 4:8–10

Khouse

Iran successfully bypassing oil sanctions

Iran’s Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi says the country has successfully bypassed sanctions imposed on its energy sector.

“Following the imposition of these sanctions, we were in bad condition for two months, [but] we’ve managed to weather that dire strait and…today we can export crude oil [again],” Qasemi said on Sunday.

The minister noted that sanctions were imposed by the United States and European countries as a last-resort tool against the Islamic Republic.

He added that the sanctions pursued three objectives, the most important of which was to prevent Iran’s presence in the oil market and disrupt its oil deliveries.

The minister said difficult conditions were created for Iranian oil sector in June 2012, because “no vessel was authorized to sail towards Iran…. Moreover, crude oil tankers were denied insurance coverage at that time.”

At the beginning of 2012, the United States and the European Union (EU) imposed new sanctions on Iran’s oil and financial sectors.

On October 15, the EU foreign ministers agreed on another round of sanctions against Iran.

The illegal US-engineered sanctions have been imposed based on the unfounded accusation that Iran is pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.

Iran rejects the allegation, arguing that as a committed signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

In addition, the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities, but has never found any evidence showing that Tehran’s nuclear energy program has been diverted toward military objectives.

Press Tv

US warned of diplomatic wars with Russia

Russian lawmakers have warned the United States of the creation of “diplomatic wars” if the two sides continue subjecting each others’ officials to restrictions.

"If this goes to its logic end and we start extending the lists from both sides ad infinitum, this could spark very serious diplomatic wars, which nobody needs," RIA Novosti quoted Vyacheslav Nikonov, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma International Affairs Committee, as saying on Sunday.

The comments were made regarding the prospect of the US enacting a legislation designed to punish Russian officials allegedly involved in human rights violation.

Two petitions, which have been posted on the White House website, are asking for US sanctions against Russian lawmakers who backed a bill banning adoption of Russian children by US citizens.
“If they set limits to the entry of the State Duma or the Federation Council members, the counter measure will be banning the Congress members from entering Russia,” said Dmitry Vyatkin, the deputy head of State Duma’s Constitution and State Affairs Committee.

On December 21, State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, overwhelmingly approved a bill that bans Americans from adopting Russian children.

A vast majority of 400 out of 450 deputies in the lower house supported the Dima Yakovlev Bill, named after a two-year-old, who died of suffocation after his American adoptive father left him in a closed car in sweltering heat in 2008.

Press TV

Woman rescued from floodwaters as Britain braces for more bad weather

A woman spent almost an hour clinging to a tree in the middle of a fast-flowing flooded river before a police helicopter spotted her in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The swollen waters had swept the unnamed woman from her car and she was fighting to stay afloat when the Devon and Cornwall police helicopter saw her.

Rescued by a RNLI lifeboat, she was treated for exposure. The woman was then reunited with a man and a child who had been trapped in the car when the River Taw broke its banks and had been rescued by firefighters.

The dramatic rescue came as forecasters predicted more rain would fall in the next few days: 165 flood warnings were in place across all regions of England – as well as in Wales.

The wet but warm weather has led to dozens of people being moved to emergency shelters, with more warned they too could be forced to leave their homes to escape the rising floodwaters.

The Met Office has issued a yellow alert for rain on Christmas Day, covering Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Devon and Somerset.

Rail services warned that trains were so badly affected that many of those hoping to travel to see friends and family for Christmas must expect considerable disruption. Those using the First Great Western rail service have been told not to make "non-essential" journeys.

Scotland has had 30 flood warnings, with Perthshire, Tayside, and Angus particularly badly affected. And significant flooding in Stonehaven, near Aberdeen, has led to about 60 people being relocated and a reception centre being set up at Mackie Academy.

There were warnings of high winds on the Forth Road Bridge, while gusts of up to 70mph were expected on Shetland. Ferry services to the Northern Isles were suspended due to strong winds.

In Devon and Cornwall, where one severe warning remains in place, those already struggling against the deluge are braced for further disruption with forecasters predicting wetter weather returning to central and southern parts of the country overnight.

In Cornwall, where 120 properties were flooded when the River Cober broke its banks on Saturday, another band of bad weather is expected from Sunday evening into the early hours of Monday, bringing with it an estimated 10-20mm of rain.

At least 20 residents were moved to safety in Stoke Canon, north of Exeter, after the River Exe burst its banks. The Environment Agency said that although the river level was dropping, it was "keeping a close eye on the situation as more rain is expected later".

Residents in Pilton, north Devon, have been warned they may have to be evacuated if floodwater from the River Yeo reaches their homes. Emergency accommodation is being provided at Pilton Community College.

In nearby Braunton, the River Caen breached its banks for a second night. The Braunton Academy had been opened as an evacuation assembly point.

Floods forced the suspension of rail services between Exeter St Davids and Tiverton Parkway. A plastic dam placed across the railway line at Exeter to control the damage was itself under water.

In Wales there was a limited train service between Cardiff Central and Bridgend after an earlier suspension. The service between Machynlleth and Caersws remained suspended.

The Guardian