Early rainy season storms in South Asia have killed nearly 400 people since late last week and more bad weather for at least parts of the region was on the way, weather officials said. Up to 60,000 people in the southwestern Pakistani province of Baluchistan were affected by a cyclone that hit on Tuesday, killing at least 10 people. Thirty-five villages were inundated and thousands of people stranded, provincial officials said.

"The situation is out of our hands, it's out of control. The entire town has been inundated and people have taken refuge in tall buildings and trees," Rauf Rind, the mayor of the town of Kach, told Reuters by telephone.

Tropical cyclone Yemyin hit Baluchistan three days after another storm struck Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city, killing about 230 people, many when fierce wind brought down slum houses.

"This is the worst day since the heat wave started with 46 degrees (Celsius; 114.8 Fahrenheit) in two towns," Nikos Kanteres of the Greek meteorological service, said. Seven large brush fires broke out on Monday and today in Greece and hundreds of people were evacuated from threatened homes near the southern city of Pyrgos, 200 miles south-west of Athens.

Fire Chief Andreas Kois said all fires were contained. "We have very high temperatures and this has made conditions difficult ? The good thing is that the winds are not strong." Sicily's capital, Palermo, had reached 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 Fahrenheit) on Monday, but was down to 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday morning, the weather service said.

Albania, Romania and Serbia have also been hard hit by the heat. Nineteen people in Romania and seven in Serbia were reported to have died of heat-related causes in this first severe heat-wave of the season. The heat has been blamed for five deaths in Greece. In southern Romania, temperatures reached 40 Degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday. But they were much higher at street level in the capital, Bucharest, due to the overheated asphalt.

A victory for Harry Potter means a victory for Wicca, A RELIGION THAT PRACTICES VARIOUS FORMS OF WITCHCRAFT.

And the acclaimed DVD program, "Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged", dramatically documents Potter references to evolution, reincarnation, sorcery, divination, spells, curses and other occult factors. Wohlberg's new book "Exposing Harry Potter and Witchcraft: The Menace Beneath the Magic," asserts that "HARRY POTTER" PURCHASES ARE OFTEN ACCOMPANIED AT THE SALES COUNTER WITH MATERIALS ON WICCA. Increasing numbers of young readers also frequent Wicca websites, cast "Love and Money Spells," and practice "white magic."

Why the "magical" upswing? One obvious source is right between the lines of Rowling's pages, says Wohlberg. "In the midst of fun and fantasy, J.K. Rowling's 'Harry Potter' novels make witchcraft look 'cool' and exciting," he told WND. "It doesn't matter that these novels are only 'fictitious stories.' Stories are powerful."

"There's a big difference," said Wohlberg, between Harry Potter and other children's fantasy fare. "J.K. ROWLING HAS PUBLICLY ADMITTED THAT AT LEAST 30 PERCENT OF HER NOVELS IS BASED ON REAL OCCULTISM. The 'Harry Potter' novels are a unique blend of fantasy and reality." "They refer to real places, real occultists (Aldabert Waffling and Nicholas Flamel), real practices (astrology, palmistry, fortune-telling, divination), and real occult philosophy. Based on my research, the extent of real occultism embedded into 'children's literature' is unprecedented," he continued.

But while children may be Potter's targets, they're not the only takers. One highly visible adult internet witchcraft school credits Rowling as a promoter of Wicca in a press release, stating, "HARRY POTTER HAS REKINDLED INTEREST IN BELIEFS THAT WERE ALREADY GROWING IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND UNITED STATES FOR MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS, AND THAT BELIEF IS A FAITH CALLED WICCA."

Mr Blair will see the Queen and leave office after his final prime minister's questions session in the Commons and saying farewell to Downing St staff. Mr Brown is then expected to travel to meet the Queen, who will formally offer him the role in the early afternoon. Mr Brown is expected to begin his Cabinet reshuffle by naming the next chancellor and home secretary.

He has also admitted that Iraq is "a divisive issue for our party and our country" and pledged to "learn lessons that need to be learned". The parents of soldiers who have died in Iraq will protest in Downing Street as Mr Blair leaves No 10. Members of Military Families Against the War say they are determined the outgoing PM "will not be allowed to forget the suffering he has caused".

The mechanics of leaving office, means Mr Blair is expected to have his final prime minister's questions in the Commons, then travel to Downing Street to say farewell to staff before heading to Buckingham Palace to see the Queen and resign. Mr Brown will then be asked to the Palace where in a meeting with the Queen he will formally become prime minister.

Once he leaves office, Mr Blair is expected to travel north to attend a meeting in his Sedgefield constituency, in the north east of England, on Wednesday evening to announce he is standing down as an MP after 24 years.
It is thought the decision to step down as a Member of Parliament after 24 years depends on him being confirmed by the Middle East "quartet" of the US, Russia, the UN and the EU as an envoy to the region.

Gideon Rachman argues in the FT that "the weekend marked the end of the EU's experiment with transparency and popularity". On the original Constitution, Rachman notes that "It was as if a manufacturer of tinned meat had suddenly decided that it would be a good idea to put a large notice on the front of the tin, stating: "This product contains reconstituted cows' udders." How surprising and hurtful that sales should fall as a result. What the EU decided to do at the summit was to put all the stuff about the repulsive ingredients that make up the Union back into tiny print on the side of the tin - or, in this case, into footnotes to the constitution- EUROPEAN LEADERS HAVE GONE THROUGH THE CONSTITUTION PAINSTAKINGLY REPLACING ANYTHING THAT IS TOO CLEAR WITH SOMETHING MORE OBSCURE. "

Dan Hannan writes in the TELEGRAPH: "When people vote "No" to closer integration - as they usually do, given the chance - their opposition is seen as an obstacle to be overcome, not a reason to alter course - the new draft is worse than the old. When the text was a constitution, it at least had a certain finality to it: further alterations would have required a cumbersome amendment process. Now, though, IT CONTAINS AN "ESCALATOR CLAUSE", ALLOWING BRUSSELS TO EXTEND ITS JURISDICTION WITHOUT NEEDING FURTHER TREATIES." Hannan urges readers to sign a new petition for a referendum on the new treaty set up by the paper.

A leader in the SUN was sceptical over Blair's claims to have preserved Britain's interests: "If anyone can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, it's Tony Blair. BUT EVEN HIS VERBAL BRILLIANCE CANNOT CONCEAL THE DECEIT BEHIND THE LATEST EU CON-TRICK. The document he signed in Brussels is the EU Constitution in all but name. Its impact on national sovereignty is immense- MR BLAIR'S FLIMSY "RED LINES" WON'T SAVE OUR STATUS AS AN INDEPENDENT NATION."

A leader in the MAIL argues that "ACCORDING TO EARLY REPORTS, EVEN THE PRIME-MINISTER'S MUCH VAUNTED OPT-OUTS FOR BRITAIN - MORE LIKE RED HERRINGS THAN RED LINES - COULD PROVE MEANINGLESS IN THE COURTS." A leader in the Express argues "If Gordon Brown is remotely serious about reinvigorating British democracy, he will give the people the referendum Labour promised in its last manifesto."

The TOUTE L'EUROPE press review quotes a Libération editorialist saying that the new treaty is "A DELIBERATELY OPAQUE TEXT, stitched back together in a hurry, cobbled together with large chunks of the defunct constitutional treaty."

Formal negotiations will be opened on 23 July with the aim to have them concluded by 18-19 October. Portuguese ambassador Alvaro Mendonca yesterday said, "We believe we have a mandate that is clear, precise and agreed by all 27 member states". He said that the first month and a half will be spent translating the document agreed by leaders into a legal text. After that, EU foreign ministers will be discussing the document at an informal meeting in early September in Portugal.

The Ambassador said that Portugal "consider[s] that the main political points have been agreed" and that the negotiations "In theory, should be plain-sailing, while admitting that time will tell "to what extent" some member states will face domestic pressure for agreeing a document that is substantially very similar to the original Constitution. The article also notes that MEPs are now working on their formal response to EU leaders, as both the approval of the European Parliament and the European Commission is required for the intergovernmental negotiations to go ahead.

Kate Hoey asked why the Government was "afraid" of a putting the matter to the British people in a referendum. She said: "Don't you understand that no matter what you or anyone else says, the vast majority of the public will see that there has simply been a tweaking of words and that this treaty is fundamentally no different from the original constitution. Why are you and why is our Government afraid of a referendum?"

Gisela Stuart asked the PM: "Back in April 2004, the reasons for granting a referendum and making a manifesto commitment were not about constitutional change but because we should let the people have a say. The Prime Minister's Foreign Secretary and Minister for Europe now argue that one of the main reasons why we should not have a referendum is that we are a parliamentary democracy - yet the document to which the Prime Minister signed up to at the weekend grants the people of Europe a right that neither national Parliaments nor Governments have, which is to petition the Commission for legislative proposals. I find it difficult to reconcile, on the one hand, giving the people of Europe a right that we do not give our Parliament, yet on the other hand, not asking our own people."

Former Conservative minister David Heathcoat-Amory said the deal secured had "devalued politics". He added: "The powers we have here are lent to us by the people and you are giving them away without their consent."

According to the article, the Commission's legal experts take the same view, and expect the British opt-out will be tested in the courts. It is also noted that Britain's right to "opt in" to majority voting decisions on "criminal justice" matters may in practice mean that Britain becomes more engaged in European integration in police and justice matters.

In addition, the article notes that Britain made concessions on the new EU Foreign Minister, particularly over its role as chair of regular meetings of EU foreign ministers, and the takeover of the resources of the European Commissioner for external affairs.

In addition, up to 66.5 percent of the farmland in the province, or about 2.67 million hectares, has been affected by the drought, while 19 reservoirs have dried up. The province has spent more than 300 million yuan (US$37.5 million) for disaster relief and dispatched more than 2 million people to combat the drought.

Latest nationwide statistics show that the number of Chinese without drinking water has risen by 320,000 in the past several days to 8.68 million as drought tightened its grip on the country's northeastern regions. The drought had affected 11.07 million hectares of arable land -- including 9.2 million hectares of crops -- and 7.6 million heads of livestock, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters said on Monday.

In northeast China's Liaoning Province, 2.05 million hectares, or 49 percent, of the province's crops are affected by drought. In the northern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, 870,000 people, 1.48 million head of livestock and 460,000 square kilometers of pasture are suffering water shortages.

On Monday afternoon, lightning killed five people building a tomb in Zhejiang. Altogether 48 people have died and 12 are missing after a week of heavy rains and thunderstorms that swept up the Yangtze River valley and across southern China. Nearly 10,000 people were evacuated, thousands of houses collapsed and thousands of acres of farmland were destroyed, according to a report on the central government's Web site

Lightning was the main cause of death, claiming 37 of the victims. In Jiangxi on Sunday, lightning struck 12 farmers while they were working in the fields, and a grandmother and grandson were killed when they sought shelter from rain under a corrugated iron roof, the Xinhua news agency said. Two urban residents in the province also died from lightning strikes while huddling together underneath a tree, it added.

The months from May to September are flood season in central and southern China as torrential rains, typhoons, tropical storms and lightning hit densely populated areas.

"The general strike is suspended with effect from midnight," a joint statement issued by unions and the government said on Saturday. Union leaders met government negotiators after receiving a letter from Umaru Yar'Adua, Nigeria's president, pledging to freeze petrol prices at the pump for a year.

The general strike had halted most economic activity in Africa's most populous nation, but vital crude oil exports were not affected. The price of petrol will remain frozen at 70 naira ($0.55) per litre for a year, up from the previous price of 65 naira per litre.

"It was president Yar'Adua's personal intervention that halted the strike - after listening to all the parties and examining the issues of contention," Olusegun Adeniyi, presidential spokesman, said. The strike had forced the closure of schools, government offices, banks and filling stations. Fuel price had soared to three or four times the normal price on the black market during the strike. Virtually all domestic flights were grounded, with few nternational flights leaving the country.

The study has been jointly released by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and WorldPublicOpinion.org who say that based on a survey conducted in 18 countries, the majority of people approve of strengthening the UN while rejecting the idea that the US should continue to be the preeminent world leader.

According to the two globalist think tanks, the results show that most people believe the UN should have the right to authorize military force and to usurp the national sovereignty of nations should it be necessary where cases of aggression, terrorism, and genocide are concerned.

"In general, there was recognition that many problems now transcend borders and require strengthened multilateral institutions and approaches to dealing with them," Christopher Whitney, executive director for studies at The Chicago Council said. "GIVEN THAT THESE TWO THINK TANKS ARE FUNDED AND POPULATED BY A VAST ARRAY OF THE MOST NOTORIOUS GLOBALISTS AND HEADS OF WORLD CORPORATIONS IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT THEY ARE LAUDING THE FINDINGS."

The CCGA was formed in 1922 as an offshoot of the Council On Foreign Relations which was founded one year earlier. It is comprised of representatives from every globalist main player there is including the Federal Reserve, JP Morgan Chase and Company, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Booz Allen Hamilton, Mayer, Brown and Rowe and General Electric to name but a few.

In addition the World Public Opinion group is directly funded by the Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund among others. The Rockefellers, who also created the Trilateral Commission, have stated and proven many times that their goal is to undermine national sovereignty, subvert cultural norms, bring about a one world order and lead the way towards total control over society.

"Government has directed manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers to reduce prices of basic commodities - by up to 50 percent with immediate effect as it takes measures against the wave of unjustified price increases over the past few weeks," the Herald newspaper said. Zimbabwe, once one of Africa's most prosperous countries, is suffering a deep economic crisis, marked by soaring inflation and poverty, high unemployment and chronic shortages of fuel, food and foreign exchange.

Prices of basic goods, such as cooking oil, flour and milk, are rising on a daily basis, with increases on some items jumping as much as 300 percent in the past week. Many of the country's 15 million people now are unable to feed themselves or their families.

Inflation hit 3,700 percent on an annualized basis in April, according to the latest official data, and is expected to continue rising throughout the remainder of the year.The value of the Zimbabwean dollar has tumbled on the country's thriving black market, where it was trading recently between 170,000 and 200,000 to the U.S. dollar. The official rate for the currency is 15,000 to the U.S. dollar.

Under the government's new pricing plan, businesses must revert to the prices quoted on June 18, 2007 while a commission investigates whether the recent jump in prices was justified, the paper said, quoting International Trade Minister Obert Mpofu. Prices of basic commodities, including bread, flour, salt, sugar, cooking oil, beef and fuel, are among those affected.

The disaster declaration makes portions of El Dorado County eligible for immediate state aid, and is the first step in requesting emergency federal assistance to fight the blaze, which rained ash on the pristine lake and darkened skies in the high Sierra.

"The circumstances of this wildfire, by reason of their magnitude, are beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities of any single county," said Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, who signed the proclamation declaring the emergency Monday

The number of firefighters battling the blaze nearly doubled, to about 800, on Monday morning, as officials also stepped up an aerial assault, using nearly a dozen tankers and helicopters to drop water and retardant over the heavily wooded, parched terrain.

Last week, I was invited back to see how the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in Aldermaston, Berkshire, could design and build the next generation of British nukes. A £180 million laser facility called Orion is part of a £1 billion, three-year refurbishment programme that will run until 2008, with the same again to be spent on running costs.

The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1996, which ruled that Britain could no longer carry out nuclear testing in the Nevada desert, seemed to signal the end of the development of nuclear weapons technology. Not so, according to Dr Brian Bowsher, Aldermaston's director of research and applied science. Using supercomputers, bomb makers are able to detonate virtual 3D nuclear explosions using complex mathematical modelling, data from non-nuclear laboratory tests, information gathered from the 45 British nuclear tests between 1952 and 1992, and the ultra-high temperatures and pressures which will be generated by Orion's lasers.

When Orion's lasers are fired, a millimetre-sized target will be bombarded with laser light from 10 angles. Almost simultaneously, two other laser beams will fire shorter pulses, heating the sample to up to 10 million degrees, and compressing it to 100 times the density of water.

AWE has also invested in a £20 million Cray XT3 "Redwood" supercomputer, which provides the power of six billion people doing 7,000 calculations a second. With it, virtual nuclear weapons can be endlessly detonated to test and hone designs.

After bidding the Dr Strangeloves goodbye, I was struck by the surreal picture emerging in Aldermaston; one of enthusiastic young boffins who want to build a weapon of mass destruction that is kinder to our planet: a green nuke.