Sunday, July 31, 2005

Arutz Sheva - Israel National News: "PA Airs Made-in-America Anti-U.S. Movie

16:37 Jul 31, '05 / 24 Tammuz 5765
By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

The PA is airing on TV an anti-American movie, produced in 1992 in the U.S. The film exploits 'a subtler but very potent entertainment medium,' according to Palestinian Media Watch (PMW).

The Palestinian Authority (PA) is telecasting the movie, 'Nick and Eddy in Trouble,' with Arabic subtitles to 'further [its] anti-America agenda,' said Itamar Marcus, director of PMW. He said that bringing 'Western culture' gives more legitimacy to the Moslem world's growing anti-American conspiracy propaganda.

The movie features an investigative reporter who discovers that the United States government is funding terrorism in a fictional South American country as part of its imperialistic desires to gain control of the country.

During the movie, the reporter, Eddy, states, 'I understand that the U.S. is arming these opposing parties in order to undermine the government and generally screw up the progress here. It's weird how we grew up with this image of America being the good guy, when, if you research a little, you find out that our country has done some pretty crappy things to other countries to control them. It's a bummer.'

'The PA is actively and intentionally promoting the negative stereotype of America as international bully,' according to PMW. 'Going beyond its routine anti-American hatred in religious sermons and newspaper editorials, the PA is reinforcing the hatred of America that is already so rampant in the PA today.

'This kind of popular entertainment in a midday time slot during the summer vacation reaches a wide audience, including and especially children. By using this movie and other media to present the US as the source of world terror, the PA is promoting a central argument in Arab anti-Western ideology."
Arutz Sheva - Israel National News: "Rockets Falling; Israel Prepares More Towns For Bombardment

22:03 Jul 28, '05 / 21 Tammuz 5765
By Ezra HaLevi

As Kassam rockets continue to fall within Israel's pre-1967 borders, security forces are scrambling to develop a plan to protect towns bordering Gaza following the planned withdrawal.

As Kassam rockets continue to fall within Israel's pre-1967 borders, security forces are scrambling to develop a plan to protect towns bordering Gaza following the planned withdrawal.

Four Kassam rockets landed overnight Wednesday and Thursday morning in Sderot and in open areas in the western Negev. The Red Dawn system went off in Sderot, alerting residents to seek shelter. No injuries or damage were reported.

The semi-successful 'Red Dawn' early warning system, which has usually given Sderot residents just over a minute's warning that a rocket has been fired at their town, has now been installed in other cities and towns within firing range of Gaza.

The installation of the Red Dawn system in the major city of Ashkelon, reported by local Ashkelon residents who noticed antennae being erected throughout the city months ago, has now been confirmed. In expectation of sustained rocket attacks following a withdrawal from Gaza, the IDF Home Front Command and the local municipality have installed the system in the hope that it will save the lives of residents of the densely populated city.

Ashkelon is home to one of Israel's most important power stations which can be viewed clearly from Gaza.

There is widespread concern among the security establishment that it is only a matter of time until Gaza terrorists obtain Katyusha-type missiles similar to those possessed by the Hizbullah terror group in Lebanon, placing a large chunk of the Jewish State within firing range as well."
Arutz Sheva - Israel National News: "Pope Refuses to Back Down; Porush: Vatican Returns to Hatred

14:18 Jul 31, '05 / 24 Tammuz 5765
By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

The Vatican told critics of its failure to condemn terror against Israel it 'cannot take lessons' from others on what to say. MK Porush said the pope has returned to a policy of hatred of Jews.

Israel initially expressed anger that the new, Pope Benedict XVI, omitted Israel in his condemnation recent Arab terror in Egypt and Britain.

After the Vatican did not respond, except for issuing a statement that it could not react to every attack in Israel, the Foreign Ministry charged Pope Benedict with encouraging violence against Jews.

The Vatican responded, 'The Holy See [pope] cannot take lessons or instructions from any other authority on the tone and content of its own statements.' It added that the pope's predecessor, John Paul, often refused to condemn Arab terror against Israel because Israel's retaliations were 'not always compatible with international rights.'

Knesset Member Menachem Porush (United Torah Judaism-UTJ, and pictured above) said that the Pope's statements and lack of condemnation of Arab terrorism against Israel show that the reign of Pope John was a temporary lull in the 'hatred that characterized the Vatican throughout history, reaching its worst during the Second World War.

'The people of Israel always will remember the normal relations [the Vatican] established with the Third Reich,%u2026[its refusal] to denounce the Holocaust and its being careful not to mention the word 'Jew' in all of its officials declarations' on the mass murders by Nazis.

The Vatican's reasoning for not condemning terrorism against Israel because of retaliation actually 'claims that Jews can be murdered but cannot defend themselves as is accepted among other nations,' according to Porush."
http://israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=86806

PEACEFUL KFAR MAIMON PROTEST HAD PROFOUND EFFECT ON SOLDIERS

16:21 Jul 31, '05 / 24 Tammuz 5765



By Ezra HaLevi

An article in the IDF weekly B'Machane ("On the Base") illustrates how the non-violent standoff at Kfar Maimon two weeks ago shattered the stereotypes held by the thousands of soldiers there.

The article, written by an unnamed platoon commander last week, reads:

"During the course of the past week, my battalion stood opposite those opposing the Disengagement. At the beginning, we were stationed on the road to Kisufim Crossing, in case ant-Disengagement protesters broke through the police perimeters surrounding Kfar Maimon. Later on, we were sent to Kfar Maimon itself, where we surrounded the community's fence.

"We survived 36 hours without bathing facilities, toothbrushes, or normal sleeping facilities, but it was a very important experience for the soldiers. At the fences, there was constant interaction between the soldiers and the demonstrators.

"Many soldiers from the battalion take part in forums creating dialogue between religious and secular Israelis. Many of them joyously met friends of theirs from those forums at Kfar Maimon. My sergeant, for example, saw and spoke with religious girls that he had become acquainted with just one month earlier under completely different circumstances.

"Instead of struggling with the demonstrators, what I saw before my eyes were soldiers standing and talking with the demonstrators - it was a surreal scene.

Saturday, July 30, 2005

Patent-Pending Biometric Fingerprint System to Process Jail Inmates for 1,200 Bed Facility in Tallahassee, FL : SecureID News: "Patent-Pending Biometric Fingerprint System to Process Jail Inmates for 1,200 Bed Facility in Tallahassee, FL
Tuesday, July 26 2005
M2SYS Technology, announced that the Leon County Detention Center in Tallahassee, Florida has selected the M2SYS fingerprint recognition solution for use within its 1,200-bed facility. The biometric system is integrated into the county's correctional facility management software, which was developed in-house.

M2SYS' patent-pending fingerprint recognition solution called Bio-Plugin 2122 enables software developers to immediately implement a complete, seamless fingerprint recognition system, including a high-performance 1:N identification engine. Bio-Plugin 2122 eliminates the system dependencies, extensive development, and specialized knowledge of biometric complexities inherent to fingerprint technology SDKs. This model allows software developers to remain focused on their core product, and alleviates the burdens associated with maintaining an internally developed fingerprint system that is intricately combined with the host application."
Soft-drink giant deploys biometrics : SecureID News: "Soft-drink giant deploys biometrics
Thursday, July 28 2005
Johannesburg-based Fingerprint Identification Technology (Fingerprint-it) has installed a biometric control and tracking system for the continent's largest soft-drink company at its main canning plant in Wadeville, SA. Fingerprint-it chief executive officer Bryan Kimmel says the soft-drink vendor is now using fingerprint biometric readers and Fingerprint-it software to track all activity of independent truckers entering the canning site. Sagem supplied the hardware solution for the system.

The system, he says, manages the entire canning plant and warehouse and verifies the identity of any third-party trucker entering the site, tracking their time on the site, what they pick-up, who is responsible, who verified it and when they left.

This produces an 'unforgeable,' time-stamped and lasting record of all activity on the site and effectively reduces the opportunity for illegal access or on-site fraud and crime to zero, Kimmel notes."
Jul. 29, 2005 14:58 | Updated Jul. 29, 2005 16:53

TENT CITIES TO HOUSE 1,000 ACTIVISTS

By MATTHEW GUTMAN


Orit Or (right) feeds her toddler outside the tent she moved into with her husband and children in Sa-Nur.
Photo: Matthew Gutman [file]

Beyond the endless rows of greenhouses outside the little known Gush Katif settlement of Bene Atzmon, a road meanders towards that community's outpost, Kerem Atzmon.

Set behind the outpost's two crescents of trailer homes are about a dozen green tents pitched on beds of concrete.

Called a "tent city" by its teenage residents, the enclave is one of at least five such encampments set up in Gush Katif. The tents are to house about 1,000 activists who have decided to take a stand alongside the residents of Gush Katif.
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/nl45.html

US losing fight for public opinion in Pakistan: report


By Our Correspondent


WASHINGTON, July 28: The United States appears to be losing ground in the fight for public opinion in Pakistan, the government-run Voice of America radio reported on Thursday.

The radio notes that Karen Hughes, a close adviser to President Bush, who this week takes on the job for promoting America’s image abroad will face one of the toughest challenges in Pakistan.

As the under-secretary of state for public diplomacy, Ms Hughes will be Washington’s top public relations official, particularly for the Muslim world where America wants to be seen as friendly to the Muslim people.

“Thousands of demonstrators burn American flags and curse the United States as they march through the streets of Islamabad,” says the report, describing the alleged desecration of the Holy Quran in Guantanamo Bay as a ‘bruising step backward’ for US diplomats struggling to improve America’s reputation in Pakistan.
Las Vegas SUN: U.S. Army to Vacate 13 Bases in Germany
: "July 29, 2005

U.S. Army to Vacate 13 Bases in Germany

ASSOCIATED PRESS

BERLIN (AP) -
The U.S. Army will pull out of 13 bases in southern Germany as part of a repositioning of American forces around the world, its European headquarters said Friday.
The 11 bases in and around the Bavarian city of Wuerzburg will be handed over to the German government by September 2007, a statement from the Army's European headquarters in Heidelberg said. Two more bases near Wuerzburg will be closed and handed over in subsequent years."


'CyberBug,' can drop in and quietly gather intelligence

Special to World Tribune.com

GEOSTRATEGY-DIRECT.COM Friday, July 29, 2005
A U.S. company has begun marketing a stealth micro-unmanned aerial vehicle that can blend in with its surroundings.

The micro-UAV, dubbed CyberBug, weighs less than a kilogram and was designed for both military and security surveillance. The battery-powered UAV can fly undetected into a hostile environment, land on rocks or trees and relay video images and voice.
Arutz Sheva - Israel National News: "Navy Plans Expulsion by Sea

16:05 Jul 28, '05 / 21 Tammuz 5765
By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

The Israeli Navy is planning to ferry residents out of Gush Katif by boat if the Kisufim road crossing is blocked. The Navy has rented passenger craft from an unnamed eastern European country.


Navy personnel and reservists are training on the craft. The last time the IDF used passenger boats was during the Peace for Galilee campaign in the early 1980s when the Bat Sheva boat ferried paratroopers to Lebanon.

A resident of Gush Katif said that when Arab violence broke out in the late 1980s, the IDF told the Jewish communities that the Navy would ferry them by sea back and forth to other Israeli communities if necessary."
Arutz Sheva - Israel National News: "Knesset Cracks Down on Arab Citizenship-by-Marriage

15:20 Jul 28, '05 / 21 Tammuz 5765
By Ezra HaLevi


The Knesset passed two laws Wednesday limiting the ability of Palestinian Authority (PA) Arabs to use the Israeli legal system to create an influx of new Arab citizens.



Following warnings from the head of the Shabak (General Security Service), the Knesset passed a law Wednesday partially limiting the ability of Palestinian Authority residents to receive Israeli citizenship by marrying Israeli Arabs."
Arutz Sheva - Israel National News: "Arabs Warn: War over New Jewish Homes in Moslem Quarter

13:19 Jul 29, '05 / 22 Tammuz 5765
By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

Arabs have blasted plans for 21 new Jewish homes in Jerusalem's Muslim Quarter. 'When the first tractor puts down the first stone, it will lead to the next uprising,' warned an Arab official.

The planning board of the Housing Ministry has approved the project for the new homes and a new synagogue in the Old City.

Yousef Alalu, a moderate Jerusalem city council member who sits on the municipality's Planning Board, warned, 'It is clear that when the first tractor puts down the first stone it will lead to the next uprising and could have international impact. The plan... is similar to [Ariel] Sharon's visit to the mosque [on the Temple Mount] in September 2000, which inflamed the Intifada.'"

Friday, July 29, 2005

Yahoo News - Astronomers Claim Discovery of 10th Planet
Do you remember back in school having to memorize the names and location of all the planets in our solar system? Well, it looks like students will now have one more planet to remember. Astronomers announced today that a tenth planet has been discovered past the orbit of Pluto. It doesn't have a name yet, and we should probably wait until this announcement has been confirmed by a larger group of astronomers, but the odds look good that we have a new planet out there. [Signs and Wonders in the Heavens, Luke 21:11]
SpaceWar - Experts Troubled By China Arms Buildup
"Experts told a congressional panel Wednesday that China's weapons buildup poses a major challenge to the United States and its Asian allies, despite administration assurances that Beijing is not considered a threat." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]
Yahoo News - Scientists identify new weapon to fight fraud
Scientists are working on developing a fraud-proof identity verification process, and it doesn't require chips of any kind. The process works by using natural imperfections that exist on any surface. According to the report:
"The beauty of this system is that there is no need to modify the item being protected in any way with tags, chips or ink -- it's as if documents and packaging have their own unique DNA," Cowburn explained in a statement. The scientists are now working with a technology company to take the product to the market.
This Reuters report does not provide the answer to the question I was most interested in, does this process also work on human skin? [Mark of the Beast, Rev 13:16-18]

Thursday, July 28, 2005

Yahoo News - U.S. working up new birdflu plan, official says
"U.S. health experts are putting together a plan for dealing with a pandemic of avian influenza should one break out, a Health and Human Services Department official said on Wednesday." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Today Online - WHO perplexed as human toll from pig disease hits 24
"A disease caused by bacteria from pigs is now feared to have infected more than 100 people in southwest China with the death toll rising to 24, leaving the World Health Organization (WHO) baffled."

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

SpaceWar - Japan To Bring Forward Missile Defense Shield To 2006
"Japan wants to put a missile shield it is developing with the United States in place in early 2006, one year earlier than planned, due to threats from North Korea and China..." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]
My Way News - Syria Shuns Charges of Having Weak Border
"Syria on Tuesday rejected as 'baseless' U.S. and Iraqi accusations that it was not doing enough to prevent extremists from crossing its border to Iraq to carry out attacks." [Doomed Damascus, Isaiah 17:1]
My Way News - Death Toll in China Mystery Illness at 19

"Of the 80 people infected with a pig-borne disease in southwestern China in the past month, nearly a quarter have died and another 17 are in critical condition, the Health Ministry said Tuesday. At least 19 people are now known to have died in Sichuan province, the ministry said." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]
Reuters.com - Japan minister may lobby for U.N. seat in New York
"Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura looked likely on Tuesday to skip a regional gathering in Laos this week in favor of seeking support in New York for Japan's bid for a permanent membership on the United Nations Security Council."

Monday, July 25, 2005

Mail & Guardian Online - Islanders have had enough after latest quake
"After yet another huge earthquake and a tsunami scare overnight, some residents of India's battered Andaman and Nicobar islands say they have had enough and are planning to move."

Sunday, July 24, 2005

Arutz Sheva - Israel National News: "90 Dead in Sharm El-Sheik Terrorist Attacks

16:17 Jul 24, '05 / 17 Tammuz 5765
By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu
At least 88 people were killed and 200 injured, including one Israeli-Arab, in multiple Friday night terrorist attacks at the Sharm El-Sheikh resort area in Sinai. Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility.

The resort area near the Red Sea has been the site of several diplomatic meetings between Israel and various Arab countries, including the shaky February cease-fire accord with the Palestinian Authority (PA)."

Saturday, July 23, 2005

Y!News - Massive flu outbreak could happen at any moment, WHO warns
"The world could at any time be faced with a massive flu outbreak like those in 1918 or 1968 that killed tens of millions of people, the World Health Organization warned, urging countries to be prepared. 'History has told us that no one can stop a pandemic. The question is: when is it going to happen?' WHO spokeswoman Margaret Chan told reporters. 'I don't think anybody has the answer to it. We have to be on the lookout for any time, any day,' she added." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]
My Way News - China Affirms 'No First Use' Nuke Policy
"China will not use nuclear weapons first in a military conflict, the foreign minister said Thursday as he tried to quell an uproar over a general's remark that Beijing might use atomic bombs against U.S. forces in a conflict over Taiwan." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]
My Way News - Strong Quake Hits Near Tokyo; 27 Injured
"A magnitude-6.0 earthquake shook the Tokyo area Saturday, injuring at least 27 people, rattling buildings across the sprawling capital and temporarily suspending flights and train services." [Quakes, Matthew 24:7]
My Way News - Egyptian Toll Hits 88; Mubarak Vows Hunt

"Egypt's president vowed Saturday to hunt down terrorists who unleashed a rapid series of car bombs and another blast in this Egyptian Red Sea resort, devastating a luxury hotel and a coffee shop and killing at least 88 people in the nation's deadliest terror attack." [Wars and Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]
My Way News - Pressure on U.S. to Use More Surveillance
"Pressure is building for greater use of video cameras to keep watch over the nation's cities - particularly in transportation systems and other spots vulnerable to terrorism - after the bombings in London...'I do not think that cameras are the big mortal threat to civil liberties that people are painting them to be,' Washington, D.C., Mayor Anthony A. Williams said Friday." [Mark of the Beast trends, Rev 13:16-18]

Friday, July 22, 2005

U.N. Group Wants Abortion for Girls Age 10: "U.N. Group Wants Abortion for Girls Age 10
NewsMax.com WiresFriday, July 22, 2005

Two recent publications circulating at the United Nations demonstrate a growing focus on young people as a way of advancing the abortion agenda.
The reports, one by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and another by a radical lobby group, both call for a greater focus on the 'sexual and reproductive' rights of youth, a term that UN agencies frequently misinterpret as including abortion."
Xinhua - English: "London bombings prove defeat of US, British anti-terrorist policy: Venezuela
www.chinaview.cn 2005-07-22 10:29:44


CARACAS, July 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Venezuelan Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel
on Thursday attributed the London subway station attacks to the anti-terrorist
policy of the Unites States and Britain.

Rangel said that the London bombings represented the defeat of the
anti-terrorist policy of the United States and Britain.

The anti-terrorist policy promoted by the government of US President George
W. Bush lacked ethics and could not solve the problem, said the vice president
to the local press.

Also on Thursday, the Venezuelan government said that
it plans to neutralize any radio and television broadcasts coming from the
United States. The US House of Representatives approved Wednesday the
transmission of radio and television broadcasts to Venezuela. Enditem"
Donald Trump Pleads 'Let Me Rebuild the U.N.': "Friday, July 22, 2005 10:50 a.m. EDT
Donald Trump Pleads 'Let Me Rebuild the U.N.'
Donald Trump is the only person standing between an honest deal to rebuild the aging U.N. headquarters and a massive waste of public money. He told senators so on Thursday.

'When can you start?' said one appreciative lawmaker, Sen. Mark Dayton, D-Minn."

Israel: America%u2019s Weakest Link? by Leon T. Hadar - The Globalist > > Global Politics : "Globalist Perspective
> Global Politics

Israel: America%u2019s Weakest Link?
By Leon T. Hadar
| Friday, July 22, 2005
With U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Israel today, Leon Hadar a dual citizen of both the United States and Israel looks at the future of the U.S.-Israeli alliance. He argues that the ironclad bond must be broken for Israel to have any chance of peace, prosperity or even survival. He explains how U.S. foreign policy is creating a situation of escalating danger for Israel and the United States."
TheKCRAChannel.com - News - House Votes To Extend Patriot Act: "GTON -- President George W. Bush is pleased the House has approved extension of the Patriot Act and is urging the Senate to do likewise.In a statement released by the White House, Bush said Congress needs to send him a bill that renews the act 'without weakening our ability to fight terror.' Critics have civil liberties concerns.After more than nine hours of debate, the House approved the measure 257-171."
Arutz Sheva - Israel National News: "Army Likely to Blow up Katif Synagogues

13:27 Jul 22, '05 / 15 Tammuz 5765
By Hillel Fendel

The Defense Ministry acknowledges that one of the possibilities under consideration for the synagogues and yeshivot in Gush Katif is to blow them up. Army officials say this is the likely choice.

The decision to destroy all the houses that are scheduled to be evacuated in Gush Katif and northern Shomron appears to be final. Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Israel and reached an 'agreement in principle' that the Israelis would destroy the houses and then pay the PA to deal with the rubble. The PA, however, has apparently reneged on its part of the deal, and Israel is now negotiating with Egypt over a plan to bury the rubble - an estimated 60,000 truckloads' worth - and bury it in the Sinai Desert."
Army Times - News - More News: "uly 19, 2005


Uncle Sam wants you even if you're 42 years old

By Rick MazeTimes staff writer

The Defense Department quietly asked Congress on Monday to raise the maximum age for military recruits to 42 for all branches of the service.Under current law, the maximum age to enlist in the active components is 35, while people up to age 39 may enlist in the reserves. By practice, the accepted age for recruits is 27 for the Air Force, 28 for the Marine Corps and 34 for the Navy and Army, although the Army Reserve and Navy Reserve sometimes take people up to age 39 in some specialties.The Pentagon's request to raise the maximum recruit age to 42 is part of what defense officials are calling a package of urgent wartime support initiatives sent to Congress Monday night prior to a Tuesday hearing of the House Armed Services military personnel subcommittee."
Reuters.com - Rice, Sharon hold talks to ensure Israel quits Gaza
"Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held talks with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Friday, pressing a trouble-shooting mission to safeguard Israel's planned Gaza pullout after a flare-up of violence...Rice praised a pledge by Abbas to curb militants, but Sharon urged her to push the Palestinians to crack down on armed groups as required under a U.S.-backed 'road map' peace plan."

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Christian Today > Canadian Evangelical Christians Voice Regret over Homosexual Marriage Law: "Canadian Evangelical Christians Voice Regret over Homosexual Marriage Law

Posted: Thursday, July 21 , 2005, 12:10 (UK)

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) has voiced its regret over the passage of Bill C-38, the Civil Marriage Act, which will legalise marriage between same-sex couples in all courthouses and city halls in Canada. The EFC fears the new law will have detrimental effects to both the family and religious freedom in the country.

Bruce Clemenger, president of the EFC, said: 'Today our government has chosen to redefine the foundational institution of our society. The consequences of this massive social experiment have not been fully examined or understood.'"
Biometrics enhanced with bar code technology increases patient safety : SecureID News: "Biometrics enhanced with bar code technology increases patient safety
Thursday, July 21 2005
Ultra-Scan Corporation will combine its patented ultrasonic fingerprint biometric technology with Bio-Optronics' Dynamic Hospital suite of products designed to improve workflow and patient safety. The two leading technology companies see the need for multiple, accurate means of identifying patients and staff as a crucial step to reducing medical errors and improving workflow among healthcare professionals."
China makes major shift on currency | csmonitor.com: "World > Asia Pacific

from the July 22, 2005 edition

China makes major shift on currency
By Ron Scherer and Amelia Newcomb | Staff writers of The Christian Science Monitor

NEW YORK AND BEIJING
In a move that could eventually affect everything from the price of T-shirts in Wal-Mart to the mortgage rates Americans pay, China is moving in the direction of a more flexible currency.


The change, like many things that happen in China, will be gradual and managed. In fact, initially, the Chinese currency will increase in value by only a little over 2 percent. But the Chinese are now committed to letting their currency, the yuan, join the ranks of the other economic powerhouses, Europe and the US, over time."

Britain moves to forestall violence - baltimoresun.com
:

"By Todd Richissin


Sun Foreign Staff

Originally published July 21, 2005
LONDON - In the aftermath of the bombings of London's transit system, British officials are considering criminalizing 'hate speech' in mosques, barring 'fomenters of terrorism' from entering the country and loosening the rules for the government to eavesdrop on phone conversations and computer messages."
FOXNews.com - U.S. & World - Canada Legalizes Gay Marriage: "Canada Legalizes Gay Marriage

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

TORONTO Canada legalized gay marriage (search) Wednesday, becoming the world's fourth nation to grant full legal rights to same-sex couples."
Bush sees London attacks as reason for Patriot Act Nation/Politics The Washington Times, America's Newspaper: "Bush sees London attacks as reason for Patriot Act
By Bill Sammonand Audrey Hudson

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

July 21, 2005

President Bush yesterday invoked the terrorist attacks in London as a compelling reason for Congress to renew the USA Patriot Act and for local governments to beef up security on mass-transit systems.

As we saw in London, the terrorists are still active and they are still plotting to take innocent life,' Mr. Bush told law-enforcement officers in Baltimore. 'So my message to the Congress is clear: This is no time to let our guard down, and no time to roll back good laws.'

It was the first time the president cited the July 7 London attacks, which killed at least 56 persons in the British capital's subway and bus systems, to bolster support for renewal of the Patriot Act. The U.S. House is scheduled to vote on the measure this week."
LA Times - Pentagon Says China Seeks to Extend Military Reach
The Pentagon says that China has military ambitions that go far beyond protecting their borders. This report, from the LA Times, notes that China is investing in modernizing their military, a military that already includes long-range ballistic missiles that can reach the U.S. [Rumors of War & Kings of the East, Matthew 24:6 & Rev 16:12]
FALSE, BOGUS, SATANIC "PROPHET" ALERT
Prophet Yahweh - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ramon Watkins, more famously known as Prophet Yahweh, or The Seer of Yahweh (b. 1952 or 1953) is an American man who resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Prophet Yahweh claims to have the ability to summon UFOs using passages from the Bible. He says that he developed this ability after studying the Old Testament in its original Hebrew form and gaining knowledge related to UFOs from his studies.
Reuters AlertNet - Palestinian rocket lands in refugee camp, one dead
"A Palestinian rocket aimed at a Jewish settlement in the Gaza Strip fell short on Thursday, killing a Palestinian boy when it hit his home at the edge of a crowded refugee camp, an Interior Ministry spokesman said."
CNN.com - More blasts hit London transport
"Four small explosions have hit three London Underground stations and a bus two weeks after the July 7 terror attacks, the city's police chief has said."

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

CNN.com - Protest against Gaza pullout shrinks
"Thousands of Jewish protesters started to head home Wednesday after Israeli authorities blocked their attempt to march into Gaza and join settlers resisting the government's plan to pull out of the territory."
CNN.com - U.S.: China looking beyond Taiwan
"China cannot be certain that its military, while steadily strengthening, is capable of conquering Taiwan, the Pentagon said Tuesday in a new report on Chinese military power and strategy."

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Governors: Driver's License Costs to Soar - Yahoo! News: "Governors: Driver's License Costs to Soar

By ROBERT TANNER, AP National Writer

Mon Jul 18, 6:21 PM ET

DES MOINES, Iowa - Fees for a new driver's license could triple. Lines at motor vehicles offices could stretch out the door. Governors warned Monday that states and consumers would bear much of the burden for a terrorism-driven push to turn licenses into a national ID card."
Jerusalem Post | Breaking News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World: "Cellphone service helps track children

SHARON WROBEL, THE JERUSALEM POST

Jul. 19, 2005

With the push of a few buttons, parents will soon be able to detect the real-time location of their children with the help of cellphones. Pelephone and Cellcom announced Tuesday that they will be providing a service through which the customer will be able to track the precise location of their child within seconds.
The new service 'Where is my child?' by Pelephone is being launched with the help of GPS infrastructure that Pelephone developed in the last year.

The service will require the parent to own a cellphone with Internet surfing functions, and the child to possess a GPS-enabled cellphone. The parent has to be the registered owner of both phones to be eligible.

To launch the service the parent will have to register the child's cellphone number via a few links on the cellular Internet portal named 'Where is the child?'

Following registration, the parent will be able to receive the exact address and map to the child's location within 20 seconds. Each use of the service will cost 49 agorot including VAT.
At the same time, Cellcom announced the launch of its 'Where are you?' service, also designed to keep parents informed of their child's whereabouts at all times.

The methodology is somewhat different from Pelephone's. The parent calls a designated number and, within moments, gets back an SMS reporting the child's whereabouts in terms of the area, but without providing the exact address."
RFID News - VeriChip Prevents Infant Abduction at NC Hospital
VeriChip Corporation, a subsidiary of Applied Digital, a leading provider of security and identification technology, announced today that its 'Hugs' RFID infant protection system has prevented the abduction of a baby at Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina."
CNET News - Former Bush official to get RFID tag
Tommy Thompson, the Health and Human Services Secretary in President Bush's first term and a former Governor of Wisconsin, is going to get tagged. Thompson has joined the board of Applied Digital, which owns VeriChip, the company that specializes in subcutaneous RFID tags for humans and pets. To help promote the concepts behind the technology, Thompson himself will get an RFID tag implanted under his skin."

Monday, July 18, 2005

FBI Monitored Web Sites for 2004 Protests: "washingtonpost.comFBI Monitored Web Sites for 2004 ProtestsGroups Criticize Agency's Surveillance for Terror Unit

By Michael DobbsWashington Post Staff WriterMonday,

July 18, 2005;

FBI agents monitored Web sites calling for protests against the 2004 political conventions in New York and Boston on behalf of the bureau's counterterrorism unit, according to FBI documents released under the Freedom of Information Act.The American Civil Liberties Union pointed to the documents as evidence that the Bush administration has reacted to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States by blurring the distinction between terrorism and political protest. FBI officials defended the involvement of counterterrorism agents in providing security for the Republican and Democratic conventions as an administrative convenience."
My Way News: "New Potter Book Breaks Sales Records
Jul 17, 9:18 PM (ET)By HILLEL ITALIE
(AP) NEW YORK (AP) - The new Harry Potter book sold an astonishing 6.9 million copies in its first 24 hours, smashing the record held by the previous Potter release. 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' averaged better than 250,000 sales per hour, more than the vast majority of books sell in a lifetime.
'This is a cause for celebration, not just for Scholastic, but for book lovers everywhere,' said Lisa Holton, president of Scholastic Children's Books, Rowling's U.S. publisher."

Sunday, July 17, 2005

My Way News - Sharon: No Restraint in Stopping Violence
AP reports, "Prime Minister Ariel Sharon issued his sternest warning yet to Palestinian militants on Sunday, vowing no restraint in stopping the surge of violence that has left a Mideast truce in tatters ahead of Israel's Gaza Strip pullout...Thousands of Israeli troops massed along the Gaza border in preparation for a possible ground offensive."

Saturday, July 16, 2005

Solar Activity Intensifies
Space Weather.com reports, "Solar activity has suddenly increased with a series of strong explosions...coronal mass ejections hurled into space by these explosions could deliver glancing blows to Earth's magnetic field...through the weekend, possibly sparking geomagnetic storms and auroras." Check spaceweather.com for movies of the explosions, more information and updates. [Signs in the Sun, Luke 21:25]

Friday, July 15, 2005

CNS - Palestinian Power Struggle Erupts in Violence -- 07/15/2005
"The Palestinians say their armed struggle against Israel will continue if they do not get what they want -- Israeli concessions -- through negotiations, a senior member of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah faction said here."

Thursday, July 14, 2005

AFP - Machine readable or e-passports to be the norm soon
There is a chance that there will soon be one international standard for biometric identification used when people fly. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, just an interesting trend to keep an eye on. [Mark of the Beast, Rev 13:16-18]
Yahoo News - Chinese general warns U.S. over Taiwan -newspaper
According to this Reuters report, "A senior Chinese general has warned that China was ready to use nuclear weapons against the United States if Washington attacked his country over Taiwan..." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]
Russia to Reintroduce Soviet-Era Military Training in Schools - NEWS - MOSNEWS.COM: "Russia to Reintroduce Soviet-Era Military Training in Schools

MosNews The upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation Council, approved on Thursday a law that brings back basic military training as a mandatory subject in schools.According to the federal law On military duty and military service, all citizens must be trained in the basics of military service.According to the law on education, military training in civilian educational establishments is optional and requires the consent of students and their parents. The law approved on Thursday eliminated this contradiction and makes military training in schools obligatory, Interfax news agency reported.School-based military training was an obligatory subject in the Soviet Union until it was cancelled in 1991."
InformationWeek > RFID > Apparel Maker Tags RFID For Kids' Sleepwear > July 13, 2005: "Apparel Maker Tags RFID For Kids' Sleepwear

July 13, 2005

Lauren Scott of California will launch a line of kid's pajamas sewn with RFID tags. Readers placed in a house will be able to scan the tags within a 30-foot radius and trigger an alarm if boundaries are breached.

By Laurie Sullivan

Lauren Scott of California is blazing a new trail in children's wear. The $2 million-a-year apparel division of DST Media Inc. will launch a line of pajamas with radio-frequency identification tags sewn into the hems. Readers positioned at various points throughout a house, such as doorways and windows, will be able to scan the tags within a 30-foot radius, and an alarm will be triggered when boundaries are breached."
Airliners may get missile defenses - Yahoo! News: "Airliners may get missile defenses
By Gary Stoller, USA TODAY

Thu Jul 14, 6:50 AM ET

The government will begin testing anti-missile equipment on three airliners next month, a first step toward what could be the most expensive security upgrade ever ordered for the nation's aviation system."

Wired News: RFID Foes Find Righteous Ally: "RFID Foes Find Righteous Ally

By Mark Baard

Story location: http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,68133,00.html
02:00 AM Jul. 14, 2005 PT

Privacy advocate Katherine Albrecht, an opponent of the use of radio tags on consumer goods and in ID documents, is a woman any X-Files fan could love.


She's youthful-looking and attractive, with fair skin and cherry-blonde hair. A former schoolteacher, Albrecht also has a master's degree from Harvard, where she is completing a doctoral degree.

Albrecht is suspicious of the government and big business. She's
been an electrifying guest on Coast
to Coast AM, the cult radio show featuring talk about aliens, ghosts, conspiracies and cryptozoology.

As director of the consumer privacy group Caspian, Albrecht is a darling of the mainstream news media too. In hundreds of interviews, in a list of publications that includes Business Week and Times of London, she has warned of privacy risks posed by RFID tags, the radio devices that retailers plan to use as a replacement for bar-code labels.

Albrecht fears that retailers will match the data emitted by the tags with their customers' information, turning each tag into a potential tracking beacon. She also suspects the government will want access to the retailers' RFID databases.

But one aspect of Albrecht's anti-RFID crusade has been attracting a lot of attention from other privacy groups: her religious beliefs.

Albrecht does not often discuss her religious views with reporters. But she believes that RFID technology may be part of the fulfillment of the Mark of the Beast prophesied in the Book of Revelation."
FT.com / World / Asia-Pacific - Top Chinese general warns US over attack: "World / Asia-PacificPrint article Top Chinese general warns US over attack

By Alexandra Harney in Beijing and Demetri Sevastopulo and Edward Alden in Washington
Published: July 14 2005 21:59 |

China is prepared to use nuclear weapons against the US if it is attacked by Washington during a confrontation over Taiwan, a Chinese general said on Thursday."
CNN.com - Rocket attack kills Israeli woman
"Palestinian militants fired a series of crude rockets into Israel from northern Gaza, killing an Israeli woman, Israeli military and medical officials said Thursday."

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

VOA - UN Debates Security Council Enlargement
The U.N. is continuing to debate plans to enlarge the Security Council, they want to add ten new members. Which ten countries get to be represented? Which regions of the world are deserving of representation? Can Europe get more representation while Africa and Asia feel they deserve a place at the table? You can imagine the back-room negotiating and deals that are going on right now as this process continues. The U.S. appears to want a "go slow" approach while the Secretary General wants a decision in the next two months. Stay tuned. [Ten Kings, Rev 17:12-14]
Reuters AlertNet - Israel suicide attack death toll rises to 4
"A 50-year-old Israeli woman died on Wednesday of injuries from a Palestinian suicide bombing in central Israel, raising the death toll from Tuesday's attack to four, the hospital said."

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

AFP - Up to 4.2 million Malawians face food deficit
Famine continues to stalk Africa, this time the concern is focused on the country of Malawi. I think "food deficit" is what they used to call starvation. [Famine, Matthew 24:7]
Israel National News - The Majority of World Jewry Will be in Israel
"According to a report released by the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute, a Jerusalem-based think tank, the largest Jewish population in the world will be in Israel in 2005, taking the lead from the United States for the first time."
Reuters.com - U.S. says it backs Japan's bid for UN council seat
"The United States said on Tuesday it supports Japan's bid for a U.N. Security Council seat but stopped short of endorsing a U.N. reform proposal made by the Group of Four -- Japan, Germany, India and Brazil...The Group of Four want to add 10 new seats to the 15-member council -- four permanent seats for themselves, two permanent seats for African nations, and another four nonpermanent seats. The African Union wants 11 additional seats -- six permanent and five nonpermanent."
Reuters.com - Suicide bomber kills 3 Israelis in blow to truce
"A Palestinian suicide bomber killed at least three people at an Israeli shopping mall on Tuesday in the first such attack for nearly four months, dealing a heavy blow to a shaky truce, Israeli media said. "

Monday, July 11, 2005

My Way News - Study: 6.5M South Africans May Have HIV
AP reports more bad news for Africa: "More than 6.5 million of South Africa's 47 million people could be infected with HIV, according to a government report released Monday, a sharp increase from previous estimates." [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]
Will RFID-guided robots rule the world? | Tech News on ZDNet
"Picture a typical playground. It's a sunny day and kids are playing tag, smacking tetherballs around and hanging off the monkey bars. Now imagine this: There's not a single parent or adult in sight, but a 3-foot, 260-pound robot on patrol instead. Take a closer look and you'll see the children wearing small electronic devices, tiny radio transmitters that signal the bot when the kids wander out of safe range. Equipped with a camera, the robot relays live video to a remote security facility. When a stranger approaches one of the children, the robot, controlled remotely, gets aggressive. On six wheels, it pursues the intruder, flashing bright lights and sirens and spewing a thick cloud of smoke. The cyber-guard snaps a few pictures, too."
My Way News: "Arizona School Will Not Use Textbooks
Jul 11, 7:26 AM (ET)

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - A high school in Vail will become the state's first all-wireless, all-laptop public school this fall. The 350 students at the school will not have traditional textbooks. Instead, they will use electronic and online articles as part of more traditional teacher lesson plans."
Wired News: Feds Fear Air Broadband Terror: "Feds Fear Air Broadband Terror
By Kevin Poulsen

Story location: http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,68147,00.html

02:00 AM Jul. 11, 2005 PT
Federal law enforcement officials, fearful that terrorists will exploit emerging in-flight broadband services to remotely activate bombs or coordinate hijackings, are asking regulators for the power to begin eavesdropping on any passenger's internet use within 10 minutes of obtaining court authorization."
Haaretz - Israel News - Israel to hand over Bethlehem this week: "Israel to hand over Bethlehem this weekBy Amos HarelThe Israel Defense Forces is expected to hand over control of Bethlehem to the Palestinian Authority this week, and military sources said yesterday that control may be transferred as early as tomorrow. Meanwhile, settlers yesterday vacated nine illegally-built homes inhabited last week in the Amuna outpost, near the settlement of Ofra, north of Ramallah."
Missile Defense Tests Could Restart in Fall
"WASHINGTON Flight tests of the nation's missile defense system will not resume until this fall at the earliest as the military revamps the program following two failures in the past seven months, a military official says."
WorldNetDaily: Al-Qaida's nuclear plot
"In a shocking report today, WND reveals to the American people a diabolical plot officials such as President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, former Attorney General John Ashcroft and former Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge already know about. Al-Qaida not only has nuclear weapons %u2013 lots of them but the terrorist organization has used the lax U.S.-Mexico border security to smuggle them and their sleeper agents into this country for the purpose of killing millions of Americans, destroying the U.S. economy and, in effect, winning its war against the West."
WorldNetDaily: Al-Qaida nukes already in U.S.: "FROM JOSEPH FARAH'S G2 BULLETIN

Al-Qaida nukes already in U.S.

Terrorists, bombs smuggled across
Mexico border by MS-13 gangsters

Posted: July 11, 200512:22 p.m. Eastern

2005 WorldNetDaily.com

WASHINGTON As London recovers from the latest deadly al-Qaida attack that killed at least 50, top U.S. government officials are contemplating what they consider to be an inevitable and much bigger assault on America, one likely to kill millions, destroy the economy and fundamentally alter the course of history, reports Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.

According to captured al-Qaida leaders and documents, the plan is called the 'American Hiroshima' and involves the multiple detonation of nuclear weapons already smuggled into the U.S. over the Mexican border with the help of the MS-13 street gang and other organized crime groups."
NYT - Evangelicals Are a Growing Force in the Military Chaplain Corps
At a time when American troops are in mortal danger, facing daily combat on multiple fronts, I would rather have their spiritual needs attended to by Christians than chaplains of other persuasions. So, all I can say is, praise the Lord and pass the ammunition! [Gospel Preached to All Nations, Matthew 24:14]

JEWISH PRESENCE IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL OF YESTERYEAR
18:36 Jul 11, '05 / 4 Tammuz 5765
By IsraelNationalNews Staff

Dramatic findings from the First and Second Temple periods have been uncovered of late in Antiquities Authority digs in the Nachal Toot area.

Arutz-7’s Kobi Finkler reports that the digs, taking place near Yokne’am in the western Galilee, have revealed the existence of an impressive administrative center from the First Temple period, which ended some 2,500 years ago. In addition, remnants of dense housing in a Jewish village from the Second Temple period – 2,000 years ago – have been found. The Jewish village is thought to have been destroyed at the same time as the Temple, around the year 70 C.E.

The village was found relatively intact, with upright walls and their windows and openings in place. The buildings are clearly laid out around a central yard and a ritual bath (mikveh).

Among the artifacts found at the site are clay pottery, stone utensils and metal objects. Most notable was a Jewish signet with three bands. The signet features a light brown oval-shaped stone, a centimeter in width and a bit more in length. A hole pierced through its middle indicates that it was worn around the neck as a pendant.

On the top band is engraved four pomegranates, while old Hebrew writing can be seen on the lower two bands. The name Amichai [My People Lives] can be seen – probably the father of the owner of the ring. The name of the owner himself, who was apparently a clerk in the administration, also appears to be written, spelled with the letters Lamed, Mem, Kuf, Aleph, Het.

Dr. David Amit of the Antiquities Authority, who was able to interpret the writing together with Dr. Esther Eshel of Bar Ilan University, said that the names Makah and Amichai, which are written on the ring, are new additions to the treasury of known names from early times. “The importance of the ring lies in its contribution to our list of names,” Dr. Amit said. “In addition, this ring is unique in that it was found in an archaeological dig, and not from antiquities collectors.”

The dig was carried out at the request of the Trans Israel Highway Company, which wants to continue Highway 6 - Israel's only toll road - northwards from its present route.

Another find from the dig includes several handles broken from jugs that were used to store food and liquid. The words “for the king” appear, as well as the names of the cities Hevron and Zif, which were important Judean administrative cities at the end of the First Temple period.

http://israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=85556

PA Text Books Cite ´Protocols´, Reject Peace
20:00 Jul 11, '05 / 4 Tammuz 5765
By Ezra HaLevi

A report on the textbooks published by the Palestinian Authority was released Monday, exposing the teaching of Islamic supremacy, the illegitimacy of Israel and citing an infamous forgery as fact.


The report was published by the Center for Monitoring the Impact of Peace (CMIP), a non-governmental organization whose stated purpose is to “encourage a climate of tolerance and mutual respect between peoples and nations, founded on the rejection of violence and the changing of negative stereotypes, as a means to resolving conflicts.”

CMIP’s director of research, Arnon Groiss, spoke with Israel National Radio's Yishai & Malkah Fleisher. Groiss, who compiled and translated the material from the PA school books, said the findings left little room for optimism.

“[The school books] follow the same line of non-recognition of Israel as a sovereign state, non-recognition of the Jewish people as having rights in the country and non-recognition of anything that belongs to Jews – including holy places – nothing. Holy places are all Muslim, whether they say they are ‘used by Jews’ or ‘Jews claim’ such places are holy,” Groiss said.

http://israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=85566
Jerusalem Post - PA stepping up anti-fence campaign
"In the Gaza Strip, Hamas and Islamic Jihad threatened to resume terror attacks following Israel's decision to build a security fence in east Jerusalem. The two groups noted that the Israeli decision coincided with the first anniversary of the International Court's ruling against the fence."
AlterNet: Hot for Data
"Now you don't need to build your own repressive state apparatus, because HP and Microsoft have done it for you. "
Middle East Newsline - U.S. Encourages Regime Change in Syria
"The United States has begun supporting Syrian dissidents in their drive to topple the regime of President Bashar Assad."
My Way News - Military's Energy-Beam Weapons Delayed
"For years, the U.S. military has explored a new kind of firepower that is instantaneous, precise and virtually inexhaustible: beams of electromagnetic energy. 'Directed-energy' pulses can be throttled up or down depending on the situation, much like the phasers on 'Star Trek' could be set to kill or merely stun...Such weapons are now nearing fruition. But logistical issues have delayed their battlefield debut - even as soldiers in Iraq encounter tense urban situations in which the nonlethal capabilities of directed energy could be put to the test."

Sunday, July 10, 2005

Blog Maintenance Completed
Thank you for visiting the Prophecy News blog. As a result of reader feedback we have recently made a few changes. As you may have noticed, the text size is larger and hopefully a bit easier on the eyes. I've also installed the latest version of the Haloscan comment system, now offering trackback capability. Since our last round of maintenance we have added a new team member (welcome, Matt, I mean Buck, nice screen name by the way, ha!), and added a companion Yahoo Group for e-mail feed, for those of you not familiar with RSS. Team members, please join the Yahoo Group so that your posts will automatically sent to subscribers by e-mail. And finally, an open call for Christian bloggers to join our team and help us post links to breaking news. Keep watching the signs!
Palestine-Info.com - Jewish groups step up efforts to destroy Aqsa, build temple in its place

Occupied Jerusalem - In continuation of their malicious attempts to demolish the holy Aqsa Mosque in order to build their alleged temple in its place, several Jewish extremist groups were planning to hold a massive rally, to be called 'walls march', in the holy site's surroundings with the aim of urging the Israeli fanatics to step up their efforts to build that temple, the Israeli TV channel 10 reported.

It said that the participants in the march, usually organized at the start of every Hebrew month, are set to hoist replicas for the alleged temple and chant anti-Muslim slogans.

The Israeli preparations for building the temple were under way, maintaining that the Jewish extremists are impatiently awaiting the so-called 'red cow' and the 'Redeemer' so that they could embark on the construction process, according to the broadcast.
Washington Blade Online: "Anglicans divided over Bible's position on gays

Four approaches taken
Associated Press | Jul 8, 10:59 AM

In their tense debate about homosexuality, the world's 77 million Anglicans (called Episcopalians in the United States) take four approaches to biblical teaching: dismissal, perplexity, renovation and traditionalism.
????Bishop Shelby Spong finds the Old Testament's homosexual prohibitions ignorant and 'morally incompetent' expressions of 'popular prejudices.'Dismissal is the left-fringe attitude personified by Bishop John Shelby Spong, former head of the Newark, N.J., diocese. In 'The Sins of Scripture' (HarperSanFrancisco), he says calling the Bible 'the Word of God' (a belief he himself affirmed at ordination) is 'perhaps the strangest claim ever made' for a document.Spong finds the Old Testament's homosexual prohibitions ignorant and 'morally incompetent' expressions of 'popular prejudices.' With the New Testament, he disdains Paul's condemnations as 'ill-informed' ravings from a zealot who, he hypothesizes, was a 'deeply repressed, self-loathing' homosexual."
CNS NEWS - Interfaith service marks inauguration of new L.A. mayor
LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- Antonio Villaraigosa became the first Latino mayor of Los Angeles in more than a century in ceremonies that began with an interfaith prayer service at the city's Catholic cathedral. The morning service July 1 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels included spiritual readings and reflections by Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Sikh and Hindu religious leaders. 'We have assembled a spiritual mosaic that is Los Angeles to express to you our shared desire that God direct, shepherd and sustain you during your tenure as mayor,' said Father Alexei Smith, Los Angeles archdiocesan ecumenical and interreligious officer. At the service, Bishop Charles E. Blake of the Church of God in Christ called on the mayor to promote an 'all-inclusive' vision based on the 'wonder and awesomeness of life.' 'Life has value and respect for life is a moral and ethical principle,' said Bishop Blake."
ABC News: Germany Clears Biometric Passports Plan
"Germany's upper house of parliament on Friday approved a plan to introduce passports with biometric data, clearing the way for the country to start issuing the documents in November. The so-called 'ePass' will contain a chip that initially will hold a digital photo of the holder's face. Starting in March 2007, fingerprints also will be stored on the chips. Friday's approval by the opposition-controlled upper house of parliament means that the passports can be issued starting Nov. 1."
Arutz Sheva - Israel National News - Blair Blames Terror on Arab-Israeli Conflict:
"British Prime Minister Tony Blair sees the Arab-Israeli dispute as one of the main reasons behind the London bombings. The group claiming responsibility puts it third on a list of grievances. British Prime Minister Tony Blair has attributed last week's bombings in London to the Arab-Israeli dispute and lack of democracy in the Middle East. At least 70 people were estimated to have been killed in bombing attacks that gripped London last Thursday, with hundreds more wounded. Blair told the BBC that precluding terrorist attacks was not necessarily a question of taking preventative security measures. The underlying problems have to be dealt with, he said."
BBC NEWS - Luxembourg backs EU constitution
"Voters in Luxembourg have approved the European constitution with a majority of 56.52%...the BBC's Caroline Wyatt says it is unclear whether Luxembourg's support is enough to save the charter, which for the time being has been put on hold."

Saturday, July 09, 2005

Reuters AlertNet - UK police clear part of Birmingham in new scare
Reuters is reporting a new bomb scare in the UK: "Police evacuated thousands of people and sealed off the centre of Britain's second city Birmingham on Saturday night in the biggest security alert since four bombs exploded in London killing more than 50 people." [Rumors of War, Matthew 24:6]
My Way News - Forced Gaza Evacuation to Begin Aug. 17
"The forced evacuation of Gaza Strip settlements will begin Aug. 17 and settlers who refuse to leave by then will lose out financially, a senior Israeli official said Saturday, giving a starting date for the first time."
WorldNetDaily: Intel analyst: Attack on U.S. imminent
"Terrorists will try to carry out an attack on the United States within the next 90 days, a former Israeli counterterrorism intelligence officer predicts."

Friday, July 08, 2005

Implants-R-Us
Technology leader Bill Gates is forecasting our future, and he sees implants, AI and talking computers. According to CNN (Gates: Get ready for chip implants) :
Technological advances will one day allow computers to be implanted in the human body and could help the blind see and the deaf hear, according to Bill Gates. But the Microsoft chairman says he's not ready to be hardwired.
Long before we get to the MOTB there will be some amazing applications, some that may even seem miraculous from an ancient viewpoint, but we should always remember that technology is just a tool, it can be used for good as well as evil. Of course, the usual caveat applies here, we don't know that the MOTB will be tech, we are just watching the trends, and what cool trends they are. [Mark of the Beast, Rev 13:16-18]

Thursday, July 07, 2005

More Soldiers Say, "I Cannot Expel Jews"
21:32 Jul 07, '05 / 30 Sivan 5765
By Hillel Fendel

The phenomenon of soldiers refusing to adhere to disengagement-related orders continues to gain steam. Several soldiers stood trial for their intentions this week.

Youths from Gush Katif visited several army bases in the western Negev earlier this week, in an effort to convince soldiers to refuse orders to remove them from their homes next month. The youths were able to enter at least one of the bases, where soldiers who will be deployed in the disengagement are already beginning to move in. The youths tied orange ribbons to tanks, fences, tents and other objects in the base, and called out, "Don't fulfill illegal orders! How will you be able to live with yourselves afterwards?"

Many soldiers expressed sympathy with their visitors, even putting the orange ribbons around their necks. One was filmed making a clear statement: "We're against the disengagement! I can't take this army... They brought us down here by force [to take part in the disengagement]. If we would refuse, they're threatening us with 28 days in jail - you see what's going on here?"

http://israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=85367
Isreal National News - July 18: Tens of Thousands to March on Gush Katif
"The Yesha Council has preempted the government: Instead of waiting for the government to declare D-Day by closing off Gush Katif, the Council is asking myriads to start marching on July 18. The plan is for tens of thousands of people - 100,000 ideally, but even 40,000 will do, Council leaders say - to begin making their way down towards Gush Katif in Gaza on July 18."
PA Continues to Laud Female Suicide Bomber as Role Model
Thursday, July 07, 2005
30 Sivan 5765
By IsraelNationalNews Staff

The Palestinian Authority (PA) continues to teach its youth to honor mass murderers, now adding an education program in honor of female suicide bomber Wafa Idris.

Text on pictured poster reads: "The Fatah Movement... eulogizes with great pride the heroic Shahida Wafa Idris." [Al-Ayyam, February 1, 2002]

Idris became the PA’s first female suicide terrorist in January 2002. She blew herself up in downtown Jerusalem killing an elderly Jewish man and wounding many others. At the time, the Union of Palestinian Women presented Idris as a role model for Arab feminists.

http://israelnationalnews.com
BBC - Church faces record abuse payout

A Kentucky judge has provisionally approved the largest payout yet in the US Catholic Church abuse scandal. The settlement, between a diocese in the state and an unknown number of sexual abuse victims, amounts to a record $120m (£68m).

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4655265.stm
MosNews - Gorbachev Urges World to Wage War on Terrorism

Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev called the London acts of terrorism that killed at least two and injured over 90 people “barbarity and wildness”, linking them with the world’s insecurity. “What happened in London is barbarity and wildness and can produce nothing but condemnation,” he said in an interview with Interfax news agency. “Undoubtedly, the war with terrorism has to be continued, and it must not become anything more than a reply to someone’s force.

http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/07/07/gorbachevlondon.shtml
FrontPageMagazine.com - Bioterrorism: Myths and Realities
In recent days, the public has become increasingly concerned with the threat of “bioterrorism.” Bioterrorism, encompasses no one discipline or field of study, but rather represents a general phrase that encompasses an emerging threat to civilization. It brings together experts from a variety of scientific and public disciplines, including engineers, microbiologists (and their associated disciplines such as biochemistry and genetics), physicians, epidemiologists, law enforcement and other government agencies, and even non-scientific academics such as sociologists and historians. Bioterrorism, however, has been so sensationalized by the media, that now its perceived threat is far greater than its actual threat. Bioterror agents—anthrax, for example, which was the choice weapon of the 2001 attacks against Congress—are more accurately named a “weapon of mass hysteria.” It is very difficult, complicated, and expensive to manufacture an effective bioweapon. Yet the use of such a weapon, an effective one, could cause lethal harm and irrevocable damage. Although we have made notable preventative and precautionary measures against bioterrorism, they have not all been implemented.

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Printable.asp?ID=18681
G-8 Leaders Vow Victory Against Terrorism

Jul 7, 10:36 AM (ET)

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER

(AP) British Prime Minister Tony Blair walks at the G8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, Thursday July 7,...
GLENEAGLES, Scotland (AP) - World leaders united in a show of solidarity to condemn Thursday's deadly bombings in London as an attack on all nations and vowed to defeat the terrorists responsible.
"We shall prevail and they shall not," declared the Group of Eight leaders and the heads of five developing nations meeting with them here. Their joint statement was read by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, flanked by his somber summit colleagues and visibly shaken by the wave of explosions that ripped through London's rush hour.
"We will not yield to these people," President Bush said minutes later.
The leaders, already protected for their annual summit by extraordinary security measures that local authorities said remained sufficient, said the attacks would not halt their meeting focused on the issues of global warming and African poverty.
Record Number of US & Canadian Jews Moving to Israel on Single Day
06:06 Jul 08, '05 / 1 Tammuz 5765

(IsraelNN.com) More than 1,800 North American Jews will move to Israel this summer through Nefesh B’Nefesh in close cooperation with the Jewish Agency for Israel.

On July 13th, 2005 two separate chartered El Al flights with some 500 olim (immigrants) from the U.S. & Canada will arrive simultaneously, marking the largest arrival of North American Jews in Israel’s history.

http://israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=85391
Vote On Security Council Expansion Looms Deutsche Welle : "Germany, Brazil, India and Japan on Wednesday submitted a draft resolution on expanding the UN Security Council -- meant to include themselves. The UN General Assembly could vote on the issue as early as Wednesday."
DenverPost.com - World leaders decry bombings: "World leaders united in a show of solidarity to condemn today's deadly bombings in London as an attack on all nations and vowed to defeat the terrorists responsible. "
Mass transportation threat level Homeland Security transcript

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
July 7, 2005
Secretary Chertoff: Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. This morning we are closely monitoring the bombings that occurred in London. I have spoken to the President and my counterpart, the Home Secretary in the United Kingdom. The thoughts and prayers of the American people are with the victims of this tragedy and with our friends in Britain.

In light of today's attacks in London, the United States government is raising the threat level from Code Yellow, or Elevated, to Code Orange, High; targeted only to the mass transit portion of the transportation sector -- and I want to emphasize that -- targeted only to the mass transit portion of the transportation sector. This includes regional and inner city passenger rail, subways, and metropolitan bus systems. We are also asking for increased vigilance throughout the transportation sector.

http://www.emergencyemail.org/homeland2005.asp
BBC NEWS | UK | London blast locations: "London blast locations
London has been hit by four explosions - three on underground trains and one on a bus. See below for more information on each location. "

Wednesday, July 06, 2005

Pestilence - Bird Flu Fears Rise
Concerns are mounting that the bird flu virus may spread from Asia and jump the species barrier (AP - Deadly Bird Flu Virus May Endanger People). How can a virus that infects birds also infect humans? According to the report it can happen like this:
If a bird flu virus infects a person who also carries a human flu virus, the result could be a hybrid bug that passes easily from person to person. "That's the spark that sets off the forest fire of a global pandemic, and that's what everyone is worried about," said flu expert Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University.
Scientists are working on plans now to prepare for the next flu pandemic. [Pestilence, Luke 21:11]
USNews - Terrorism by the (new) numbers: In a rare public release, the U.S. intelligence community's National Counterterrorism Center has assembled a new set of terrorist attack statistics that provides a more complete–and disturbing–picture of the global terrorist threat. In all, the NCTC found some 3,192 separate terrorist incidents in 2004, involving 28,433 victims (including 6,060 people who were killed).
Church Split Evident as Clergy Admit Doubts over Existence of God
Posted: Monday, July 4 , 2005, 18:19 (UK)


A report published today has revealed that hundreds within the Church of England clergy do not believe in God and that not even two thirds believe in miracles.

The results of the 180-paged report, entitled Fragmented Faith, come on the eve of the General Synod and shows that a higher proportion of the laity still hold onto traditional church values.

http://www.christiantoday.com/news/church/church.split.
evident.as.clergy.admits.to.doubts.over.existence.of.god/656.htm
Niagara Falls Bridge Commission Selects Bioscrypt V-Prox for Biometric Access Control

Tuesday, July 5 2005

Bioscrypt announced the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission (NFBC) has selected Bioscrypt V-Prox biometric access control readers to assist in their function of making sure facilities, such as bridges and plazas, are secure for safe movement of both people and goods. The system will also aid in controlling liability claims.

Areas within the newly constructed, state-of-the-art NFBC headquarters requiring the highest level of security, such as server rooms and telecommunication rooms, have been equipped with Bioscrypt technology. Adding a second component of verification, matching an individual's fingerprint at the point of entry with information stored on their employee card, provides the multi-factor authentication capability that strengthens access control.

http://www.secureidnews.com/weblog/2005/07/05/niagara-falls-
bridge-commission-selects-bioscrypt-vprox-for-biometric-access-control/
Gemplus Receives Full Certification From MasterCard International for its GemInstant PayPass Solution

Tuesday, July 5 2005

Gemplus launched its GemInstant PayPass solution for contactless payment. The company also received full certification from MasterCard International for GemInstant PayPass. GemInstant PayPass leverages contactless technology to simplify payment for small value transactions in venues where speed is essential. It consists of a MasterCard payment card with a built-in chip and antenna that uses short range radio waves to allow users to simply tap their GemInstant PayPass smart cards on specially-equipped PayPass terminals to securely transmit account details.

Merchant and consumer interest in MasterCard PayPass in the U.S. continues to grow, with an increasing number of merchants and other commercial partners agreeing to accept the contactless payment program. They include McDonald's, Regal Entertainment Group movie theaters, CVS pharmacies, and 7-Eleven and Sheetz convenience stores, as well as several sporting arenas. Additionally, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., one of the largest credit-card issuer in the U.S., has publicly announced plans to issue cards powered by MasterCard PayPass during 2005.

http://www.contactlessnews.com/weblog/2005/07/05/gemplus-receives-full-certification-from-mastercard-international-for-its-geminstant-paypass-solution/
TSK, TSK, TSK. What a shame. I don't know why I continue to be surprised by people's ignorance of the scriptures.

United Church of Christ OKs Mideast Ruling

Jul 6, 12:34 AM (ET)

By ERRIN HAINES

ATLANTA (AP) - The United Church of Christ voted Tuesday to use "economic leverage" to promote peace between Israel and Palestinians and to call for the dismantling of the Jewish state's security fence.
The resolutions were criticized by some Jewish leaders, who called them anti-Semitic.
The votes by the UCC's General Synod came in the closing minutes of the church's annual meeting - and the day after the church's rule-making body voted overwhelmingly to approve a resolution endorsing same-sex marriage.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050706/D8B5LUN00.html
ONE WORLD RELIGION UPDATE

Tuesday, July 5, 2005 9:25 p.m. EDT
Pope to Say Prayers in Hebrew

German-born Pope Benedict XVI will say prayers in Hebrew when he visits the synagogue in Cologne, Germany, that was destroyed by the Nazis, a cardinal organizing the trip said Tuesday.

Jewish representatives invited the pope to visit while he is in Germany in August for the Roman Catholic Church's World Youth Day and Benedict replied, "I will come," said Cologne Cardinal Joachim Meisner. The visit will include a prayer service in which the psalms will be "prayed," the cardinal said. "We have learned them in Hebrew."

http://www.newsmax.com/scripts/printer_friendly.pl?page=http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/7/5/212642.shtml

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

July 5, 2005
United Church of Christ Backs Same-Sex Marriage

By SHAILA DEWAN
ATLANTA, July 4 - The United Church of Christ became the first mainline Christian denomination to support same-sex marriage officially when its general synod passed a resolution on Monday affirming "equal marriage rights for couples regardless of gender."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/05/national/05church.html?ei=5090&en=6022a35b8a0ed284&ex=1278216000&
partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=print
Russia’s Putin to Make First Ever Speech in English to Support Olympic Bid

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will Wednesday make his first ever English speech, addressing the Olympic Committee and the general public worldwide, the Lenta.ru website reported Tuesday.

Moscow hopes this will boost its chances of hosting the 2012 Olympic Games.

“Tomorrow our president is going to do something no Russian president has ever done before,” Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov said at a press conference in Singapore where the Olympic Committee is holding a meeting.

“This is to prove that we would do anything — even betray our traditions — to make Moscow the Olympic capital of 2012. It is no secret that we are devoted to sport and the Olympic movement,” Moscow Mayor added.

http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/07/05/putinenglish.shtml
Israel Commits Large Force for Pullout

Jul 5, 10:43 AM (ET)

By RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI

JERUSALEM (AP) - Security forces assigned to Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip pullout and northern West Bank will outnumber the settlers they evacuate five to one, Israel's defense minister said Tuesday.
"About 41,000 male and female soldiers will take part in the evacuation, and 3,800 police," Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz told a stormy session of lawmakers, Jewish settlers and ministry officials on Israel's so-called "disengagement."
Some 9,000 settlers live in those areas. But with settler resistance to the opposition fierce, security forces are bracing for a tough, and possibly violent evacuation.

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20050705/D8B59OU00.html
Al-Jazeera Launching All-English Channel
Jul 4, 7:19 PM (ET)

By JIM KRANE

(AP) DOHA, Qatar (AP) - Al-Jazeera is nothing if not bold. It has fought repeatedly with Washington, which says its exclusive broadcasts of Osama bin Laden speeches show an anti-American, pro-terrorist bias. Its freewheeling broadcasts have decimated state-run TV stations across much of the Arab world, leading some countries to close its bureaus down. So what does such a network do next? Plan a massive expansion.
By March, the network will launch Al-Jazeera International, a satellite channel that will beam English-language news to the United States - and much of the rest of the world - from its base in tiny Qatar.
The ever-contentious Middle East will be its specialty. And the news, including coverage of Israel, will be served up from an Arab perspective, Al-Jazeera executives say.

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20050704/D8B4S7S80.html
Humanists seek platform to halt religious advance
By Robert Evans Mon Jul 4, 8:41 AM ET
GENEVA (Reuters) - Humanists and atheists from East and West meet in Paris this week to forge a common platform against what they see as a growing threat from religions and religious politicians to secular states across the globe.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050704/lf_nm/religion_humanists_dc
One World Religion? One World Government? Socialism? All the Above?

Dalai Lama Calls Urges G-8 to Action
Email this Story

Jul 5, 11:25 AM (ET)


(AP) A Buddhist monk lights oil lamps at the Tsuglakhange temple in Dharamsala, India, Tuesday, July 5,...
Full Image
EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) - The Dalai Lama on Tuesday called on G-8 leaders to do their utmost to ease the plight of millions suffering from poverty.
In a statement read out by rock singer Annie Lennox, the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader said the G-8 summit beginning in Gleneagles, Scotland on Wednesday had "positive potential."
"I call upon G-8 leaders and their advisers to consider and reflect upon the consequences of their thoughts, decisions and actions. Do they and will they contribute to the well-being of all human beings and the planet?" Lennox said, reading from the statement.

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20050705/D8B5ACRG1.html
The Tenth Red Heifer


From Moses to the Second Temple: Only Nine Red Heifers
The Mishna teaches that up until the destruction of the Second Temple, ashes had been prepared from a total of only nine red heifers. The very first red heifer was processed by Moses himself - as the verse states, "... have them bring you a red heifer." The second was done by the prophet Ezra in the days of the First Temple, and during the entire era of the Second Temple only seven more heifers were used for ashes. This was enough to provide for the nation's needs for purification throughout all those years.

The names of all the High Priests who prepared those seven heifers during Second Temple times are recorded by the Mishna: Simon the Just and Yochanan each made two; El'yhoeini ben Hakof, Chanamel HaMitzri and Yishmael ben Pi'avi processed one heifer each. Thus, from the time that Moses received the commandment of the red heifer from the Holy One, blessed be He, until the destruction of the Second Temple, purifying ashes had been produced by the hands of these great leaders from a total of nine red heifers.

The Tenth Red Heifer Will be Prepared by the Messiah

In recounting this historical record in his commentary to the Mishna, the great Maimonides ends with the enigmatic statement: "... and the tenth red heifer will be accomplished by the king, the Messiah; may he be revealed speedily, Amen, May it be God's will."

With this amazing statement, Maimonides recounts an ancient tradition - that the tenth red heifer is associated with the Messianic era. Does this perhaps mean that the appearance of a red heifer in these waning end times is an indication, a forerunner of the appearance of the Messiah himself, who will officiate at its preparation?

http://www.templeinstitute.org/red_heifer/tenth_red_heifer.htm
Big Brother Alert

July 03, 2005

Forget cameras - spy device will cut drivers’ speed by satellite
Dipesh Gadher, Transport Correspondent

IT IS the ultimate back seat driver. Motorists face having their cars fitted with a “spy” device that stops speeding.
The satellite-based system will monitor the speed limit and apply the brakes or cut out the accelerator if the driver tries to exceed it. A government-funded trial has concluded that the scheme promotes safer driving.

Drivers in London could be among the first to have the “speed spy” devices fitted. They would be offered a discount on the congestion charge if they use the system.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1678707,00.html

Friday, July 01, 2005

Defense/Security

Gen. Ward Admits PA Not Able to Stop Terror
18:53 Jul 01, '05 / 24 Sivan 5765

Special U.S. Middle East envoy Lt.-Gen. William Ward has warned the U.S. Senate that the PA's ability to enforce law and prevent attacks on Israel "does not currently exist."


Ward's comments were distinctively different from the praise he lauded on the Palestinian Authority (PA) during his visit to Israel in May, when he told reporters, "The PA has taken essential steps…to cause a single line of authority to exist…for dealing with law and order. [There is] more to be done."

http://israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=85000
Haredi stabs three at Gay Parade

SHEERA CLAIRE FRENKEL, THE JERUSALEM POST Jun. 30, 2005
What started off as a lively parade of nearly 5,000 Gay Pride activists quickly turned violent Thursday as three young marchers were stabbed by ultra-religious protestors of the parade.

Witnesses said they saw a young, ultra-Orthodox youth dart into the crowd of marchers and stab a young man and woman as they neared the corner of Ben Yehuda Street and Hahistradrut Street. The young woman was injured on her left forearm, while the young man received wounds to his right wrist and a deeper injury to his left upper torso. When nearby marchers saw what had happened they tried to detain the youth, who lightly injured a third ale before running into a group of ultra-Orthodox men standing on the sidewalk.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/Printer&cid=1120098357408
Eating fetuses not against law?

Why Kansas abortionist was not charged with crime
Posted: June 18, 2005
10:00 p.m. Eastern


© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

Ever since the story broke about a Kansas City abortionist accused of eating fetuses questions have been raised about why he wasn't charged with a crime besides losing his medical license.

The short answer, according to law enforcement authorities involved in the investigation of Krishna Rajanna, is: Because there are no laws against eating fetuses.

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=44868