Foremost in these Texas citizens' minds are questions about how they will be able to protect themselves and their families from vaccines and treatments that have debatable safety, efficacy, and even necessity while simultaneously protecting themselves from a new strain of the flu.

Unfortunately, a review of current Texas state law reveals TREMENDOUS UNILATERAL POWER IN THE HANDS OF UNELECTED HEALTH DEPARTMENT BUREAUCRATS and glaring gaps in language protecting individual rights. Unlike the laws that apply to school vaccines, the Health and Safety Code provides for absolutely no medical or reasons of conscience exemptions from state imposed mandated control measures like vaccination and antiviral drugs. There is a highly restrictive religious exemption only available to those who adhere to a recognized religion choosing prayer in lieu of medical treatment, but that is basically useless as it "does not apply during an emergency or an area of quarantine or after the issuance by the governor of an executive order or proclamation." (Health and Safety Code Sec 81.009)

Considering the fact that on June 11, the World Health Organization officially declared H1N1 Influenza a phase 6 (highest possible) pandemic, it is not unreasonable to be concerned that emergency declarations may be made in Texas thus leaving Texans with no options for exemptions. This is especially troubling since these experimental vaccines, potentially containing powerful unlicensed adjuvants, are being fast tracked at the FDA with very little known about side effects, and a recent study warns that antiviral drug use in children ages 12 and under actually does more harm than good. These are the same antiviral drugs the state has stockpiled for use this fall underscoring once again that parents need to ultimately be making these decisions for their children, not the health department.

These inhumane and unethical forced vaccination and drugging statutes provide for the inevitable sacrifice of some healthy individuals and leave no option for anyone, even those with known vulnerabilities, to refuse vaccination or drug treatments without facing the risk of incurring criminal penalties (Health and Safety Code 81.083).

Disasters often provoke unseemly bouts of finger-pointing. This has certainly been true of the global financial crisis. In the Anglo-Saxon world, libertarians have blamed it on governments, and governments on "bankers". But in continental Europe, many blame Anglo-Saxons for their supposed reluctance to regulate financial markets.

The crisis, they believe, would never have happened if the British and the Americans had regulated and supervised their financial sectors like the French and the Germans. On this view, the UK needs to change, notably by clamping down on hedge funds. Does this narrative stack up? Or have some Europeans just turned Anglo-Saxons and hedge funds into their scapegoats of choice?

It is no secret that sections of Britain's media and political class are primed to detect sinister motives in anything emanating from Europe. More often than not, such fears are just paranoid fantasy. But for once, the British may be forgiven if they conclude that FRANCE AND GERMANY ARE EXPLOITING THE CRISIS TO PROMOTE SOME OF THEIR LONGSTANDING OBJECTIVES and to weaken London's position as a financial centre.

The Irish Times reports that former President of the European Parliament, Pat Cox, has said that EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy's claim that people in most EU countries would have voted No to the Lisbon Treaty is "sweeping, false and entirely groundless". McCreevy recently said that 95 percent of EU member states would have voted No like Ireland did, had the Treaty been put to a vote in other countries.

The paper also reports that Ireland's Referendum Commission has reappointed the same public relations firm that ran the marketing and communications campaign for the first Lisbon referendum without running a tender process for the second referendum. The original contract was worth approximately €3.5 million out of the referendum's total allocated budget of €5 million. The total budget allocated to the Referendum Commission for the second Lisbon campaign is €4.2 million.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp was appointed receiver of Montgomery, Alabama-based Colonial, with about $25 billion in assets, and Dwelling House Savings and Loan Association, located in Pittsburgh. The agency approved the sale of Colonial's $20 billion in deposits and about $22 billion of its assets to BB&T Corp, which is based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The failed bank's 346 branches in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Nevada and Texas will reopen at the normal times starting on Saturday as offices of BB&T, the FDIC said.

Dwelling House had $13.4 million in assets and $13.8 million in deposits as of March 31. PNC Bank, part of Pittsburgh-based PNC Financial Services Group Inc, has agreed to assume all of Dwelling House's deposits and about $3 million of its assets; the FDIC will retain the rest for eventual sale. Dwelling House's lone office in Pittsburgh will reopen Monday as a branch of PNC Bank, the FDIC said.

The FDIC estimates that the cost to the deposit insurance fund from the failure of Dwelling House will be $6.8 million. The failure of Colonial is expected to cost the deposit insurance fund an estimated $2.8 billion. The 74 bank failures nationwide this year compare with 25 last year and three in 2007.

The Secret Service is investigating a Maryland man who held a sign reading "Death to Obama" and "Death to Michelle and her two stupid kids" outside a town hall meeting this week. And in New Hampshire, another man stood across the street from a Presidential town hall with his gun on full display.

Los Angeles police officers apprehended a man Thursday after a standoff with him inside a red Volkswagen Bug car in Westwood, California – the latest disturbing case even though officials said the man had mental problems. "I don't think these are simply people who are mentally ill or off their rocker," Mark Potok, director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, told ABC News of those behind the threats. "IN A VERY REAL SENSE THEY REPRESENT A GENUINE REACTION, A GENUINE BACKLASH AGAINST OBAMA."

Experts say a sharp growth in so-called militia groups that helped spawn a wave of domestic terrorism in the 1990s – and are now using YouTube, rock music and the Internet to recruit members and spread hate and fear - shouldn't be ignored. "IT'S CERTAINLY A SCARY TIME," said former FBI agent Brad Garrett, now an ABC News consultant. Garrett said the Secret Service "cannot afford to pass on anyone," and he believes "they really do fear that something could happen to [Obama]."

"I have been defending religious freedom issues for 22 years, and I'VE NEVER HAD TO DEFEND SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN CHARGED CRIMINALLY FOR PRAYING," said Mathew Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, the Orlando-based legal group that is defending the two school officials.

The fight involving the ACLU, the school district and several devout Christian employees began last August when the ACLU sued Santa Rosa County Schools on behalf of two students who had complained privately to the group's Florida affiliate, claiming some teachers and administrators were allowing prayers at school events such as graduations, orchestrating separate religiously themed graduation services, and "proselytizing" students during class and after school.

In January, the Santa Rosa County School District settled out of court with the ACLU, agreeing to several things, including a provision to bar all school employees from promoting or sponsoring prayers during school-sponsored events; holding school events at church venues when a secular alternative was available; or promoting their religious beliefs or attempting to convert students in class or during school-sponsored events.

Mr Staver said the district also agreed to forbid senior class President Mary Allen from speaking at the school's May 30 graduation ceremony ON THE CHANCE THAT THE YOUNG WOMAN, A KNOWN CHRISTIAN, MIGHT SAY SOMETHING RELIGIOUS. "She was the first student body president in 33 years not allowed to speak," he said.

That fire started Wednesday evening 10 miles north of Santa Cruz, and the cause is still under investigation. More than 2,000 people were evacuated. AccuWeather.com says that the gusty winds will continue at least through the weekend, giving little relief to firefighters.

"The rapid spread of the fire was aided by winds gusting to nearly 20 mph. The fire is burning in a heavily wooded, evergreen forest area," the forecast said. "The thick brush and rough terrain will make it difficult for ground fire control. Water drops via aircraft may be the best option at this time." AccuWeather said the towns most at risk are Swanton, Davenport and Bonny Doon. The last major fire in that area was in 1948.

A second large fire roaring through Los Padres National Forest about 26 miles east of Santa Maria has grown, forcing some residents to flee. About 1,600 firefighters are attacking the blaze, which started Saturday. The cause is unknown. Firefighting efforts have been hampered by inaccessible terrain and volatile winds. Officials said the Santa Barbara County blaze, named the La Brea fire, has grown to 67,092 acres.

Governor Lamido Sanusi said Afribank, Finbank, Intercontinental Bank, Oceanic Bank and Union Bank would be run as normal until new investors were found. The move was unprecedented in Nigeria, sending the naira down 2% to 156.9 versus the dollar. "The banks have lost their money in bad loans," Mr Sanusi told reporters in Lagos. "We have questions about the management, so we have put in new management."

"We assure every depositor that no-one will lose money and we will continue to support the banks and all Nigerian banks," he said. Armed police secured the buildings of the five banks to protect their assets. Mr Sanusi took over as head of the central bank over two months ago, pledging to clean up the banking system that has fuelled growth in Nigeria.

Among the executives removed were senior members of Nigeria's corporate elite, long seen as almost untouchable by the political establishment. "The banking sector is a critical part of any economic system and we believe the steps being taken will deliver an effective solution to a very serious set of challenges," said Michael Hugman, a strategist at Standard Bank. The five institutions account for 40% of banking sector credit in Nigeria.

At the centre of my friend's Christianity is public worship, and (so far as I can judge from many conversations with him) the main reason he did not leave the Church of England is that he could not accept the claims of a Church which did not get its worship right. His objection was not to Vatican II, but to A CASUAL APPROACH TO THE CELEBRATION OF MASS THAT MADE IT HARDER TO BELIEVE IN THE UNIQUE UNIVERSAL STATUS OF THE ROMAN CHURCH.

AND THEN ALONG CAME BENEDICT XVI. I don't want to imply that Pope John Paul II did not care about worship - he regularly denounced liturgical abuses - but it did seem to observers inside and outside the Church that nothing much ever happened. In contrast, the present Pope has made clear that bishops and priests must restore solemnity to the liturgy as a matter of urgency. And, although the fine print of Summorum Pontificum is still ignored by bishops all over the world, there is no doubt that Pope Benedict has liberated the older form of the Roman Rite.

IS IT A COINCIDENCE THAT THE BENEDICTINE REFORM OF THE LITURGY IS OCCURRING JUST AS THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION FALLS INTO IRREVOCABLE SCHISM? It wouldn't surprise me if Joseph Ratzinger, an old friend of conservative Anglicans, saw both processes as providential. His liturgical renewal could perhaps be seen as a spring-cleaning before visitors arrive. For, make no mistake about it, POPE BENEDICT XVI WANTS ANGLICANS TO "COME OVER" IN LARGE NUMBERS. Such conversions represent the fruit, rather than the failure, of the ecumenical project (though one should add that the Pope also wishes to deepen solidarity with non-Catholics who have no plans to convert).

No one knows what will happen next. WE'RE IN THE VERY EARLY STAGES OF A HISTORIC BUT DRAWN-OUT REALIGNMENT. Much depends on whether Forward in Faith, the forlorn pressure group of traditional Anglo-Catholics, follows its gut instincts and accepts the Magisterium in full. Catholics should surely hope that it does; for how can we echo Jesus's prayer in St John's Gospel, "THAT THEY MAY BE ONE", if we turn away Christians on whom the truth has dawned?

AS SURREAL AS THIS MAY SOUND, THIS IS IN EFFECT WHAT HAPPENS EACH YEAR IN IRAN. But instead of paving the way for Jesus, the Iranians are paving the way for both the Islamic "Mahdi" and Jesus. When the newly elected Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stood before the UN General Assembly in 2005, very few in attendance understood what he was talking about when he prayed for the soon return of his messiah figure known as the "Mahdi." Four years later, many in the world media are still in the dark concerning who or what the Mahdi is.

Last week, the leaders of Iran held their Fifth Annual Conference on Mahdism Doctrine. For the past five years, the Iranian religious and political leaders have annually gathered together for two days in the city of Qom for what is called "The International Conference of Mahdism Doctrine," sponsored by the Bright Future Institute. The purpose of the Bright Future Institute is "TO INTRODUCE IMAM MAHDI TO THE WORLD," TO "PAVE THE GROUND FOR HIS REAPPEARANCE."

After attending last year's conference, Dr Timothy Furnish, in an article entitled "The Importance of Being Mahdist," featured in the Weekly Standard, also cited President Ahmadinejad as describing the purpose of the conference as helping to "BRING ALL OF HUMANITY TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUE SAVIOR OF MANKIND, IMAM AL-MAHDI." This year, a growing number of "government officials, seminary and university students and religious figures" attended the event. While most of the conference attendees are Shi'a Muslims, EACH YEAR A GROWING NUMBER OF SUNNI MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS ALSO ATTEND.

This year, 400 articles were presented and 40 were selected for presentation. After the completion of the conference each year, the conference papers are published in book form and also placed on the Bright Future website at mahdaviat-conference.com. Mahdism is now increasingly being used as a political tool by appealing to the religious and nationalistic tendencies of various Muslims groups.

"The Islamic Republic and other Islamic governments need to prepare for the Mahdi's governance by promoting justice and development and, although we have long-distance missiles, we are not war-like." To Muslims like Oktar, Larijani responded by quoting Imam Muhammad Baqir, a famous early Muslim scholar, who said, "THERE MUST BE BLOODSHED AND JIHAD TO ESTABLISH IMAM MAHDI'S RULE." Ayatollah Ibrahim al Amini, professor at the Religious Learning Center at Qom, affirms Larijani, when he states that "THE MAHDI WILL OFFER THE RELIGION OF ISLAM TO THE JEWS AND CHRISTIANS; IF THEY ACCEPT IT THEY WILL BE SPARED, OTHERWISE THEY WILL BE KILLED."

The German statistics office said the economy was helped by higher government and personal spending and a pick up in construction during the quarter. France also reported growth in the second quarter, with a 0.3pc rise in gross domestic product (GDP). Forecast had been for a contraction of 0.2pc.

The British economy shrank by 0.8pc in the second quarter, more than twice as much as economists had forecast, because of the continuing hit to financial services and the property markets which buoyed up growth until the financial crisis hit.

Despite the recent improvement, economists and business leaders expect recovery to be sluggish. Eurozone GDP figures out later today are expected to show the region's economy shrank 0.5pc from the first quarter. Although, the rebound in euro region's two biggest economies mean the European Central Bank is unlikely to increase its stimulus measures.

Mr Janjuah, RBS's chief credit strategist, has a loyal following in the City. He was one of the very few analysts to speak out early about the dangerous excesses of the credit bubble. He then made waves in the summer of 2008 by issuing a global crash alert, giving warning that a "VERY NASTY PERIOD IS SOON TO BE UPON US" as – indeed it was. Lehman Brothers and AIG imploded weeks later.

This time he expects the S&P 500 index of US equities to reach the "mid 500s", almost halving from current levels near 1000. Such a fall would take London's FTSE 100 to around 2,500. The iTraxx Crossover index measuring spreads on low-grade European debt will double to 1250.

"THE LAST TWO AUGUSTS PROVED TO BE PIVOTAL TURNING POINTS: August 2007 being the proverbial 'head-fake' when everyone wanted to believe that policy-makers had seen off the credit disaster at the pass, and August 2008 being the calm before the utter collapse of Sept/Oct/Nov… 3rd time lucky anyone?" The elephant in the room is the spiralling public debt as private losses are shifted on to the taxpayer, especially in Britain and America. "ASK YOURSELF THIS: WHO BAILS OUT GOVERNMENT AFTER THEY HAVE BAILED OUT EVERYONE?"

Mr Janjuah said governments might put off the day of reckoning into the middle of next year if they resort to another shot of stimulus, but that would store yet further problems. "If what I fear plays out then I will have to concede that the lunatics who ran the asylum pretty much into the ground last year are back in control."

Soldiers killed at least 30 guerrillas during an assault on Wednesday on a base of Abu Sayyaf rebels in the interior of the southern island of Basilan, Brigadier-General Rustico Guerrero, marine commander, told reporters. "Based on this one incident alone, it would be premature to make a conclusion on the neutralization of the Abu Sayyaf," Mars Buan, an analyst at the Pacific Strategies and Assessments risk consultancy, told Reuters.

"In the past, the Abu Sayyaf has suffered a bigger number of casualties, but it has remained as one of the serious threats in the south." Twenty-three soldiers were killed and 20 were wounded in eight hours of fighting, Guerrero said, describing it as one of the biggest battles since 2007, when 15 soldiers and 40 rebels were killed on Basilan.

"We launched a decisive law enforcement operation targeting the Abu Sayyaf's main training base on Basilan, but we were met by heavy resistance," he said. "What's more important for us was we've disrupted their crude bomb factory and training base."

The companies warned they would hike consumer prices and lay off workers if the agriculture department did not allow them to import more tariff-free sugar, the paper said. Current import quotas limit the amount of tariff-free sugar the food companies can import in a given year, except from Mexico, suppressing supplies from major producers such as Brazil, the paper said. Sugar prices are poised to hit 30-year highs on a perfect storm of huge Indian imports and tight supplies.

Global sugar prices have been pushed up by GROWING DEMAND IN BRAZIL FOR SUGAR TO BE TURNED INTO ETHANOL for vehicle fuel, and a sharp fall in production in India, the world's largest sugar consumer.

Filings - including notices of default, auction and bank repossession - have escalated with unemployment. "July marks the third time in the last five months where we've seen a new record set for foreclosure activity," James J Saccacio, RealtyTrac's chief executive, said in a statement.

"Despite continued efforts by the federal government and state governments to patch together a safety net for distressed homeowners, we're seeing significant growth in both the initial notices of default and in the bank repossessions." More than 360,000 households with loans drew a foreclosure filing in July, a record dating back to January 2005, when RealtyTrac started tracking monthly activity.

NOTICES OF DEFAULT, AUCTION OR REPOSSESSION HAVE REACHED NEARLY 2.3 MILLION IN THE FIRST SEVEN MONTHS OF THE YEAR - with more than half a million bank repossessions, the Irvine, California-based company said. Making timely payments keeps getting more harder for borrowers who have lost their jobs or seen their wages cut.