The budgets of these agencies have gone through the roof, so much so, indeed, that the European Parliament has started to raise concerns and has criticised the EUROPEAN COMMISSION sharply. The Chairman of the Budget Control Commission of the European Parliament, the Austrian Social Democrat, Herbert Basch, has said, "THE AGENCY - IT IS IN THE EU - IS GOBBLING UP OUR MONEY AND IT OPERATES IN A CONTROL-FREE SPACE."

EU agencies are usually free-standing authorities which deal with specific subjects like professional training or drug addiction. They are financed by taxpayers' money. There are currently twenty-three EU agencies and they consume a billion euros a year, according to Basch.

THE LAST SEVEN YEARS THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN THESE AGENCIES HAS RISEN FROM 166 TO 3,737. Basch says, "The number of EU agencies has risen dramatically in recent years. THERE IS NO PROPER CONTROL OVER WHETHER ALL THESE AGENCIES ARE REALLY NECESSARY."

He cites the new agency for fundamental rights in Vienna, which has started off with 100 employees. It is supposed to oversee the protection of human rights in the EU but this is already done by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and the Council of Europe to which it belongs.

Basch says, "A culture of irresponsibility is gaining ground. I really cannot see anyone who is taking responsibility for this - NO ONE KNOWS WHO IS IN CONTROL OF WHAT". Basch says, "There is hardly a European Council any more at which a new agency is not created."

This is not the only aspect of the Commission's policy which has attracted the attention and criticism of the Parliament committee. The number of permanent employees at the European Commission has increased by 16 per cent in the last seven years and now stands at 19,004. "THE NEED FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE NEW JOBS IS UNPROVEN," according to the speaker of the European People's Party parliamentary group in the European Parliament, Inge Graale.

THE REASON FOR SUCH AN ATTACK WOULD BE TO OBTAIN CONTROL OF RUSSIA'S OIL RESERVES IN SIBERIA . Major-General Alexander Vladimirov has said, "A war between Russia and the USA in the next ten or fifteen years is quite possible." Vladimirov says that the reason why Russia might be a target is that it is "THE MOST POWERFUL GEOPOLITICAL OPPONENT OF AMERICA AND IT HAS THE POWER TO EXTINGUISH THE USA IN 30 MINUTES."

"Apart from gaining control of the oil, America would also want to attack Russia in order to demonstrate its military power to the rest of the world" said General Vladimirov, Vice President of the College of Military Experts in Russia. THEIR GENERAL VIEW WAS THAT THE US DOES NOT LIKE RUSSIA, AND THAT A CONFRONTATION IS INEVITABLE.

The experts all said they thought that America was capable of going to war with Russia over natural resources. The experts discussed what ultimatums they thought the US might issue against Russia. They suggested that they might demand a change in the domestic political situation in Russia on the pretext that human rights were being violated there and in order to obtain access for Western companies to oil and gas resources.

They might demand the stationing of NATO peacekeepers in Russia or the secession of Kaliningrad or parts of the North Caucasus and the Caspian. Ivashov said the Americans might demand international control of Russia's gas and oil and some sort of NATO inspection regime for Russia's nuclear forces.

ACCORDING TO THE STRATEGISTS, THE ONLY THING WHICH WILL PREVENT SUCH A WAR IS RE-ARMAMENT. The experts differed, however, on the outcome of such a putative war. Yessin said it would lead to a nuclear winter while Vladimirov said that it would lead to a complete victory for Russia and to "the national collapse of the North American state."

This was put in place five years ago after it was found that China was selling the product in Europe below production cost. Among the ten states in favour of dropping the duties were free trade supporting countries like Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden. Nine member states, led by Germany, were against the move. The remaining eight said they needed more time to consider the plan.

The duties, which are up to 66.1 percent of the production price, have been in force since February 2001 and will expire on 15 October unless renewed. The plan to axe the duties could mean that energy saving light bulbs would become cheaper for consumers in Europe and help the bloc reach its climate change goals, set in February this year, to make an energy efficiency saving of 20 percent by 2020 and also to cut CO2 emissions by at least 20 percent in the same time period.

But there are also concerns that cheaper light bulbs from China could have an effect on the industry in Europe and lead to job losses. "We have to look at both sides," commission industry spokesman Ton van Lierop told EUobserver. EU industry commissioner Guenther Verheugen will make up his mind on the issue in the autumn, he said.

France, which rejected the original EU constitution in a referendum in 2005, has this time opted for treaty ratification via the parliament. But Mr Sarkozy may run into "unexpected problems" according to the EPC paper.
Before it can ratify the reform treaty, PARIS WILL FIRST HAVE TO MAKE CHANGES TO ITS OWN NATIONAL CONSTITUTION because it still contains direct references to the old EU constitutional treaty.

These references were agreed by French deputies in 2004, in the expectation that the EU constitution would soon come into force - before French voters said "no" to the treaty."It is true that the constitution should be changed," said a French official, adding that "this process should take place quickly during 2008." But in order to have the French constitution amended, Mr Sarkozy needs a three-fifths majority in the French 'Congress' - a body combining the country's national assembly and the senate.

For this he depends on the support of the opposition socialists. "The socialists are in a very difficult situation right now. They could use this opportunity to take revenge at Sarkozy and negotiate to the maximum," said Philippe Moreau Defarges, a senior analyst at the French Institute for International relations (IFRI).

Other governments in the EU, however, do need a three-fifths or two-thirds parliamentary majority to have the treaty ratified, the EPC paper points out.

IN AUSTRIA AND FINLAND there are "no signs" that a two-thirds majority will pose a problem, but Poland and the Czech Republic may prove more problematic, the paper notes.

WARSAW still needs to indicate what parliamentary procedure it wants to follow, but opposition support in parliament may prove crucial to pass a two-thirds threshold, with a eurosceptic party in Poland's ruling coalition recently saying it could vote against the treaty.

IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC, opposition support may also be necessary for a three-fifth majority.

An even bigger problem could be posed by possible referendums down the line, the think-tank argues. So far, only Ireland has officially announced that it will call a referendum, BUT OTHER MEMBER STATES ARE FACING PRESSURE TO DO THE SAME, INCLUDING THE UK, THE NETHERLANDS, THE CZECH REPUBLIC, PORTUGAL, DENMARK, SPAIN AND LUXEMBOURG.

"Much could depend on which country is first to ratify the new treaty - and whether any other member state apart from Ireland decides to call a referendum at an early stage in the process," according to the report.

"If that happens it will be increasingly difficult for those governments which find themselves in the 'grey area' to avoid having one."

The study, "Recommendations for Living at Superdensity," claims that schemes of between 62 and 210 homes per ACRE are increasingly common, and that architects and developers will need to consider a range of issues including the long range management of estates to ensure their success.

The Government is refusing to produce an official English translation of the text until after Parliament rises for the summer in mid-October. This follows a blanket refusal to discuss its negotiating position with MPs. The translation is available at: www.openeurope.org.uk/research/translation.pdf. An analysis is at: http://www.openeurope.org.uk/research/comparison.pdf

The Government's strategy for handling the revival of the European Constitution has been pretty badly undermined by a slew of other European leaders admitting that the new "treaty" is exactly the same as the old Constitution.

Key events
23 July Launch of IGC

7- 8 September Foreign Ministers' meeting

17-18 October Final agreement of text at European Council in Lisbon

October - Decisions on referendums in other member states

November - Queen's Speech - Parliamentary timetable set out

December - April '08 Legislation passing through Commons and Lords

EU is an empire. EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has said of the EU: "We are a very special construction unique in the history of mankind. Sometimes I like to compare THE EU AS A CREATION TO THE ORGANISATION OF AN EMPIRE. WE HAVE THE DIMENSION OF AN EMPIRE." According to the Times, "Nervous aides to the former Portuguese Prime Minister inquired after his press conference whether this description might feature in British media reports."

Euro-facts - The EU is spending £3.8 billion a year on "propaganda" to win over its citizens. ( Times 2 July)
- EU fraud is costing taxpayers more than £1million for every working day, an 11% increase on last year, according to figures from the EU Commission. (Express 10 July)

It is a term that may be painfully relevant to our own times. BACK IN THE 1930s, THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE DEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES KNEW WHAT HITLER WAS DOING -- AND THEY KNEW THAT THEY HAD ENOUGH MILITARY SUPERIORITY AT THAT POINT TO STOP HIS MILITARY BUILD UP IN ITS TRACKS. BUT THEY DID NOTHING TO STOP HIM.

Instead, they turned to what is still the magic mantra today -- "NEGOTIATIONS." No leader of a democratic nation was ever more popular than British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain -- wildly cheered in the House of Commons by opposition parties as well as his own -- when he returned from negotiations in Munich in 1938 waving an agreement and declaring that it meant "peace in our time."

We know now how short that time was. Less than a year later, World War II began in Europe and spread across the planet, killing tens of millions of people and reducing many cities to rubble in Europe and Asia. Looking back after that war, Winston Churchill said, "THERE WAS NEVER A WAR IN ALL HISTORY EASIER TO PREVENT BY TIMELY ACTION." THE EARLIER IT WAS DONE, THE LESS IT WOULD HAVE COST. At one point, Hitler could have been stopped in his tracks "without the firing of a single shot," Churchill said. That point came in 1936 -- three years before World War II began -- when Hitler sent troops into the Rhineland, in violation of two international treaties.

At that point, France alone was so much more powerful than Germany that the German generals had secret orders to retreat immediately at the first sign of French intervention. AS HITLER HIMSELF CONFIDED, THE GERMANS WOULD HAVE HAD TO RETREAT "WITH OUR TAIL BETWEEN OUR LEGS," BECAUSE THEY DID NOT YET HAVE ENOUGH MILITARY FORCE TO PUT UP EVEN A TOKEN RESISTANCE.

Why did the French not act and spare themselves and the world the years of horror that Hitler's aggressions would bring? The French had the means but not the will. "Moral paralysis" came from many things. The death of a million French soldiers in the First World War and disillusionment with the peace that followed cast a pall over a whole generation. Pacifism became vogue among the intelligentsia and spread into educational institutions. As early as 1932, Winston Churchill said: "France, though armed to the teeth, is pacifist to the core." It was morally paralyzed.

History may be interesting but it is the present and the future that pose the crucial question: IS AMERICA TODAY THE FRANCE OF YESTERDAY? We know that Iran is moving swiftly toward nuclear weapons while the UNITED NATIONS IS MOVING SLOWLY -- OR NOT AT ALL -- TOWARD DOING ANYTHING TO STOP THEM.

THE IRANIAN LEADERS ARE NOT GOING TO STOP UNLESS THEY GET STOPPED. AND, LIKE HITLER, THEY DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE GUTS TO STOP THEM. Incidentally, Hitler made some of the best anti-war statements of the 1930s. He knew that this was what the Western democracies wanted to hear -- and that it would keep them morally paralyzed while he continued building up his military machine to attack them.

Iranian leaders today make only the most token and transparent claims that they are building "peaceful" nuclear facilities -- IN ONE OF THE BIGGEST OIL-PRODUCING COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD, WHICH HAS NO NEED FOR NUCLEAR POWER TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY. Nuclear weapons in the hands of Iran and its international terrorist allies will be a worst threat than Hitler ever was. But, before that happens, THE BIG QUESTION IS: ARE WE FRANCE? ARE WE MORALLY PARALYZED, PERHAPS FATALLY?

--Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institute and author of Basic Economics: A Citizen's Guide to the Economy.

The platform also calls for a just and agreed-upon resolution to the refugee problem on the basis of UN resolutions. The proposal, which was presented to PA ministers, requires the approval of the PA parliament.

Also, for the first time in the history of the PA, the government does not mention in its political program the Arabic word for "resistance" or "armed struggle." Instead, the guidelines remained committed to Abbas's platform of calling for "national opposition to the occupation" and therefore supported the Arab peace initiative.

Government sources expressed cautious optimism over the omission of "armed struggle" from the new proposed guidelines. "It is an important declaration and a basis for continuing cooperation with the PA government," Israel Radio quoted the sources as saying.

Hamas slammed the proposal and vowed that it would continue the armed struggle. The group's spokesman in Gaza, Ayman Taha, told Israel Radio that "no decision can erase the resistance to the occupation."

The agency, more familiar with involvement in international disaster zones such as the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, sent 400 by boat and all-terrain vehicles to stranded families in Gloucestershire. It expects to supply a further 800 in the coming days. The beleaguered town of Tewkesbury and its surrounding villages were the first beneficiaries from the packages, which contain enough food and "essential items" for one person to survive a week.

A spokesman said: "People cannot get out of their homes to get food and there are vulnerable people - the elderly and children - in need." The Red Cross packages contained five tins of canned fruit, a loaf of longlife bread, two packets of rye crackers, three cartons of long-life milk, a jar of savoury spread, three packets of plain biscuits, three tins of fish, three tins of meat, five tins of potatoes, two jars of sandwich spread, two packs of cereal bars, a torch, batteries, toilet paper, and one tube of sanitiser hand gel. A Red Cross spokesman said: "All the food has been donated by Tesco and we have chosen things that do not need to be cooked and have a nutritional value."

- Towns and cities could get their own weather forecasts accurate to within three square miles within a few years. The Met Office is developing a £120million computer that it hopes will pinpoint the direction of severe storms 12 hours before they strike.

In addition, some water bowsers in the town's run-down Hester's Way estate had bleach tipped in them, while others had simply been pushed over and the water spilled on the ground.

The youths are then said to have stood around laughing as desperate residents looked on in despair.
After police had been called in to guard the water, one angry resident said: "It's unbelievable that they think it's funny to put people's lives in danger.

"Everybody in Cheltenham is without water and desperate for any help they can get."

"We have too much crime on the streets," he said on "Good Morning America." "People are getting killed throughout the country. We have an education system that's not educating everybody. That's detrimental to the whole country, including the people who are left behind."

"We have no answers as to how we're going to have energy independence," he said. "We don't have a good immigration policy that will carry this country forward. Overseas, we have many problems. We're not liked, and sadly, our reputation's gone way downhill overseas."

The FTSE-100 index of the UK's top listed companies suffered its biggest single day fall in more than five years yesterday, closing down 3.15 per cent at 6,251.2, its lowest point since March. London was guided by the negative sentiment in the US, where the Dow Jones Industrial Average opened down 121 points at 13,684, its second-largest opening fall of the year and well down on the record 14,000 points it reached last week. It later fell to 13,470.4, a fall of 314.67.

"ATTEMPTS TO ISLAMISE THE WEST CANNOT BE DENIED," Monsignor Georg Gaenswein was quoted as saying in the weekly Sueddeutsche Magazin to be published Friday.

"THE DANGER FOR THE IDENTITY OF EUROPE THAT IS CONNECTED WITH IT SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED OUT OF A WRONGLY UNDERSTOOD RESPECTFULNESS," the magazine quoted him as saying. Gaenswein also defended a speech Benedict gave last year linking Islam and violence, saying it was an attempt by the pontiff to "act against a certain naivety."

Muslims around the world protested against Bendict's speech, with churches set ablaze in the West Bank and a hard-line Iranian cleric saying the pope was united with U.S. President George W. Bush to "repeat the Crusades."

An Italian nun was also gunned down in a Somali hospital where she worked, and the Vatican expressed concern that the attack was related to reaction to the pope's remarks.

Recently, the influential archbishop of Cologne, Joachim Meisner, said in a widely-publicised interview on Deutschlandfunk radio that THE "IMMIGRATION OF MUSLIMS HAS CREATED A BREACH IN OUR GERMAN, EUROPEAN CULTURE."

They lived in rural areas at high altitude, where temperatures in some cases are reported to have plummeted to as low as -20C (-4F). Peruvian Health Minister Carlos Vallejos said almost 2,000 medics had been deployed in the affected areas. He told the BBC he expected the situation to get worse before it improves.

The National Civil Defence Institute (Indeci) has launched a campaign to provide clothing and shelter to the worst affected areas. The institute's General Luis Salomino said he had collected 300 metric tons of clothes and other supplies from businesses, individuals and government departments in the capital, Lima. Forecasters in Peru are predicting the cold spell will continue until September.

Even low-lying jungle regions are facing unusually cold weather, with temperatures dropping to 10C (50F). Many adults have also died during the harsh winter, and thousands of people are suffering from pneumonia and other respiratory infections.

"I've got some meat today," whispers a shop assistant, glancing to make sure there's no-one else in earshot.

She disappears to the back of the shop, returning with a small plastic-wrapped packet of mince that she stuffs quickly into this shopper's bag. The price? Some 300,000 Zimbabwe dollars (about £590 officially, but just £1.15 at the unofficial but widely-used black market rate for foreign exchange), well above the Z$87,000 per kilo that Robert Mugabe's government says beef must be sold for.

Meat, like most other basic commodities, has disappeared from Zimbabwe's supermarkets after Mr Mugabe's controversial price-slashing initiative early this month. Trying to find beef in Mutare, Zimbabwe's third-largest city, is now "like looking for a snowflake in the Sahara desert", the local newspaper, Manica Post, said last week. Empty shelves and freezer units greet shoppers in grocery shops and butchers.

Farmers have stopped delivering their livestock for slaughter after the government said it would only pay around Z$8 million per beast, five times less than the going market rate. Official figures show that only 100 cattle are being slaughtered per day by the government-owned Cold Storage Company, which is now Zimbabwe's only licensed meat processing company after all private abattoirs were banned. That's 100 animals to feed Zimbabwe's entire population of nearly 12 million people. No wonder everyone is asking where to find meat.

At lunchtimes, a convenience store on the outskirts of Mutare sells a small amount of freshly-baked bread at Z$40,000 per loaf - nearly double the government-set price of Z$22,000 - as a store manager lurks anxiously by the entrance doors, watching for the government inspectors. Look at the bread receipt when you get out of the shop and you'll find it's blank - it's too dangerous, apparently, to print the real price.