Sunday, July 29, 2007

My Way News - Israel Backs U.S. Arms Sale to Saudis
AP reports: "In a break from historic Israeli opposition to U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday his country understands Washington's plan to supply state-of-the-art weapons to Riyadh as a counterweight to Iranian influence."
BBC NEWS - World 'losing fight against Aids'
The BBC reports: "The world is losing the battle against HIV/Aids, US President George W Bush's top adviser on the virus has said. Dr Anthony Fauci told a conference in Sydney that progress had been made but more people were being infected with HIV than were being treated."

Thursday, July 26, 2007

My Way News - 17 Christians Convicted in Indonesia
AP reports: "A dozen Christian men were convicted Thursday and sentenced to up to 14 years in jail for beating to death and beheading two Muslims to avenge the government executions of three Christians in Indonesia last year."
My Way News - Review: Sharing Live Video by Cell Phone
AP reports: "The service, which AT&T claims is the first to pipe live video from one cell phone to another, worked well. Still, you can't quite call it a 'video phone' because Video Share is only a one-way link, meaning one party can see the other but not vice versa at the same time."
My Way News - Abbas Wants Israel Peace Deal in a Year
AP reports: "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday he hopes to reach a full peace deal with Israel within a year, after Israel's prime minister floated the idea of starting with a joint declaration on the contours of a Palestinian state."

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

My Way News - Putin Orders Boost in Military, Spying
AP reports: "President Vladimir Putin vowed Wednesday to strengthen Russia's military capability and step up spying abroad in response to U.S. plans to build missile defense sites and deploy troops in Eastern Europe."
My Way News - Arab Peace Plan, Israeli Response
AP reports: "The Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers met Israeli leaders Wednesday to discuss an Arab League peace plan, originally presented in 2002 and recently revived."
My Way News - Replica of Western Wall Built in Germany
AP reports: "The German capital's new $8.2 million Jewish community center will feature a replica of Jerusalem's Western Wall - accurate down to the plants sprouting from its cracks, the center's leaders said."
My Way News - Arab League in Jerusalem for 1st Time
AP reports: "In a historic first, an Arab League delegation came to Jerusalem on Wednesday to promote a plan for peace with Israel, saying it offers the country 'security, recognition and acceptance' by its Middle East neighbors."

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

My Way News - Blair Sees 'Sense of Possibility'
AP reports: "Setting out with optimism, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair urged Israel and the Palestinians on Tuesday to seize on a 'sense of possibility,' and made plans to set up a permanent office in the region to pursue his mission of laying the groundwork for Mideast peace."
BBC NEWS - Papuans debate HIV microchipping
The BBC reports: "Legislators in the Indonesian province of Papua are debating whether to approve a bill allowing microchips to be implanted in people with HIV. [...] Parliamentarians are reported to have discussed tattooing those found to be carrying the virus."

Monday, July 23, 2007

My Way News - Hezbollah: Rockets Can Reach All Israel
AP reports: "Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said Monday his group possesses an arsenal of rockets that can reach all of Israel, including Tel Aviv."
My Way News - EU Ministers Launch Talks Over Treaty
AP reports: "European Union foreign ministers set mid-October as the deadline to complete negotiations on the final draft of a treaty aimed at replacing the aborted EU constitution."
My Way News - Blair on First Trip As Mideast Envoy
AP reports: "Blair's limited mandate from the four powers - the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia - was to help the Palestinians develop their economy, build governing institutions and to lay the groundwork for statehood. But he was instructed to leave aside the underlying issues of the 60-year-old Mideast conflict, such as borders, Palestinian refugees and the governance of Jerusalem, raising questions about how effective he can be."
My Way News - Turkey's Ruling Party Wins Election
AP reports: "Turkey's prime minister pledged to work toward national unity and fight terrorism after his Islamic-rooted ruling party won parliamentary elections by a wide margin."
My Way News - Chips: High Tech Aids or Tracking Tools?
This AP report is an excellent overview of trends in identity verification technology in general and implanted chips in particular:
To some, the microchip was a wondrous invention - a high-tech helper that could increase security at nuclear plants and military bases, help authorities identify wandering Alzheimer's patients, allow consumers to buy their groceries, literally, with the wave of a chipped hand. To others, the notion of tagging people was Orwellian, a departure from centuries of history and tradition in which people had the right to go and do as they pleased, without being tracked, unless they were harming someone else."
The reports notes several online sites that serve as great resources if you are interested in this subject, including These Last Days Ministries, the American Civil Liberties Union, Katherine Albrecht's AntiChips.com, and the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
My Way News - Blair Has Limits As Mideast Envoy
AP reports: "[...] the former British prime minister only has a limited mandate when he arrives in the region Monday, and despite his star appeal he could quickly become one in a long succession of well-meaning, yet ultimately ineffective mediators."

Comment: It is highly significant that the office of Quartet Envoy has been created but it's clear that Blair does not have the authority to negotiate a final peace settlement on behalf of the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations. Still, the new office is one we should watch carefully, not only for the possibility that he will expand his mandate, but also for signs that the office will fall short of that potential, leaving it either to a successor of other actor to confirm the covenant with the many in the future.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

My Way News - Iran: No Secret Arms Deal With Syria
AP reports: "The Arabic newspaper Asharq al-Awsat reported Saturday that Iran would provide $1 billion to Syria for advanced weapons procurement and would assist the country with nuclear research and the development of chemical weapons, with the understanding that Damascus would not negotiate peace with Israel."

Thursday, July 19, 2007

My Way News - Iranian President Visits Syria
AP reports: "During a one-day trip to Damascus, Ahmadinejad held talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad, who said their discussions focused on Iraq, the Palestinian territories and Lebanon, where both Tehran and Damascus wield influence."
My Way News - US, Europe Firm on Shunning Hamas
AP reports: "In a statement after the Quartet's meeting, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the Israelis and Palestinians, as well as all states in the region, to work closely with Blair. He said the diplomatic group 'encouraged robust international support for his efforts.'"
My Way News - Israeli President Urges Syria Talks
AP reports: "President Shimon Peres on Thursday called on Syria to open direct peace talks with Israel, urging Damascus to drop its demand that negotiations take place through mediators."
My Way News - Philippine Rebels Free Italian Priest
AP reports: "An Italian priest held hostage for over a month in the southern Philippines said Friday he lost 15 pounds on a meager diet during his ordeal but was not threatened by the Muslim militants who kidnapped him."
STLtoday - Special ink to mark livestock is in trial stage
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports, "The radio-frequency identification product [...] will allow producers of cattle, sheep, goats, hogs and other hair-bearing livestock (but not poultry) to mark, identify and track their animals with an ink tattoo."

Comment: This is a revolutionary technology that combines the simplicity of an ink tattoo with the identity tracking capability of radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips. Let's keep an eye on this one!

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

My Way News - Tony Blair Debuts As Middle East Envoy
AP reports: "Blair's first day on the job comes during a busy - and largely positive - week for Middle East peacemaking. On Monday, Bush announced plans for a major peace conference, and talks this week between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Abbas brought promises of a release of 250 Palestinian prisoners, and an agreement to free up much-needed funds for the Palestinians."

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Danger Room - Wired Blogs
Wired News reports: "The Air Force Research Lab is 'conducting research... to accurately predict the effects of lasers on various threat targets. Laser vulnerability assessments on space, tactical/ground, and missile, systems, subsystems, and components shall be completed to accurately predict the consequences of lasers interaction with these targets. '"
My Way News - Al-Qaida Plots New Attacks on U.S. Soil
AP reports: "Al-Qaida is using its growing strength in Pakistan and Iraq to plot attacks on U.S. soil, heightening the terror threat facing the United States over the next few years, intelligence agencies concluded in a report unveiled Tuesday."
My Way News - Syria's President Sworn in for 2nd Term
AP reports: "President Bashar Assad was sworn in Tuesday for a second, seven-year term in office. [...] Assad, a British-educated ophthalmologist, came to power in 2000, succeeding his father, the late Hafez Assad."
My Way News - Hamas Rejects Bush Peace Talks Proposal
AP reports: "Hamas rejected President Bush's proposal for a Mideast peace conference, denouncing it Tuesday as nothing but lies, while Syria said it fears the offer is 'just words.'"

Monday, July 16, 2007

My Way News - Bush Calls Mideast Peace Conference
AP reports: "Declaring a 'moment of choice' in the Middle East, President Bush said Monday he would call Israel, the Palestinians and others in the region to a peace conference aimed at restarting stalled talks and moving faster toward a Palestinian state."

Sunday, July 15, 2007

My Way News - 2 Killed, Over 320 Hurt in Japan Quake
AP reports: "A strong earthquake jolted northwestern Japan on Monday morning, killing at least two people and injuring more than 320 others. The quake flattened dozens of wooden houses and triggered a fire at a nuclear power plant."

Saturday, July 14, 2007

My Way News - Russia Suspends Participation in Treaty
AP reports: "Russia on Saturday suspended its participation in a key European arms control treaty that governs deployment of troops on the continent, the Kremlin said, a move that threatened to further aggravate Moscow's already tense relations with the West. [... the treaty] establishes limitations on countries' deployment of tanks, armored combat vehicles, artillery, attack helicopters and combat aircraft."

Friday, July 13, 2007

My Way News - Mideast Quartet to Meet in Lisbon
AP reports: "he international diplomatic Quartet working for peace in the Middle East is planning to meet next week in Lisbon, a Portuguese Foreign Ministry official said Friday. Senior officials from the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia will attend the meeting, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with official policy."

Thursday, July 12, 2007

My Way News - Black Stars Featured on New Audio Bible
AP reports: "Whitaker is the voice of Moses in 'Inspired By ... The Bible Experience: Old Testament,' officials said Tuesday. The audio Bible, to be released in November on 72 CDs and on iTunes, features an all-black cast of more than 200 actors, singers and clergy, officials said Tuesday. The dramatic performances are set to an original musical score performed by the Prague Symphony Orchestra."

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

My Way News - Israeli Soldier Killed in Gaza Mission
AP reports: "Israeli troops and Palestinian militants clashed in the Gaza Strip before dawn Thursday and one soldier was killed in an operation against 'terror threats,' the army said."
My Way News - Al-Qaida: Wage Holy War Against Pakistan
AP reports: "Al-Qaida's No. 2 issued a new videotape on Wednesday calling for Pakistanis to join the jihad, or holy war, in revenge for the attack by Pakistan's army on a radical mosque."
My Way News - Lebanon Army Girds for New Fight at Camp
AP reports: "More than 150 civilians fled from a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon on Wednesday as soldiers ringing the neighborhood moved up tanks and armored vehicles for a possible showdown with Islamic militants barricaded inside."
My Way News - A Year After War, Israelis Resilient
AP reports: "In the year since Israel's war with Hezbollah guerrillas began, two contradictory currents have emerged: a grim mood of apprehension and disillusionment with the country's leadership, alongside a booming economy unfazed by the fighting or concerns about Israel's security."

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

My Way News - Poll: Iranians Support Nuclear Weapons
AP reports: "Small majorities of Iranians say their country should develop nuclear weapons and they would live in a safer world if Tehran possessed such arms, according to a rare public opinion poll of that nation's citizens."
My Way News - Olmert Offers Talks With Syria
AP reports: "Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called on Syrian President Bashar Assad to reopen peace talks between the two countries in an interview published Tuesday. Israel had already appealed to Syria to open negotiations, but Syria insisted that talks be mediated by the Americans, who are not interested, Olmert said."
My Way News - Hamas Denies al-Qaida Infiltration
AP reports: "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Gaza's Hamas rulers of allowing al-Qaida to infiltrate the coastal strip, and Hamas militants on Tuesday hotly denied the allegation."
My Way News - Al-Qaida Threatens UK Over Rushdie Honor
AP reports: "Al-Qaida's No. 2 issued a new audiotape on Tuesday threatening to retaliate against Britain for honoring the novelist Salman Rushdie, a U.S.-based monitoring group said."
My Way News - Pope: Other Christians Not True Churches
AP reports: "Pope Benedict XVI reasserted the primacy of the Roman Catholic Church, approving a document released Tuesday that says other Christian communities are either defective or not true churches and Catholicism provides the only true path to salvation."

I'm not really sure what prophecy this relates to, perhaps apostasy or maybe even persecution, in that it undermines the worth of other Christian denominations. It's sad that the Catholic Church seems to have forgotten that salvation is by faith in Jesus, and that all born again believers are united by the Holy Spirit in one church, regardless of denomination.
My Way News - Fla. Mother and Son Are Attacked
I'm not going to excerpt any of this report, the crime is too heinous and not for the weak of heart to read. It is truly wicked and an example of the "love grows cold" lack of basic human decency.
My Way News - Officials Worry of Summer Terror Attack
AP reports: "U.S. counterterror officials are warning of an increased risk of an attack this summer, given al-Qaida's apparent interest in summertime strikes and increased al-Qaida training in the Afghan-Pakistani border region."

Monday, July 09, 2007

My Way News - Will Turkey Invade Northern Iraq?
AP reports: "Reports that Turkey has massed a huge military force on its border with Iraq bolstered fears that an invasion targeting hideouts of Kurdish rebels could be imminent. But how deeply into Iraq is the Turkish army willing to go, how long would it stay and what kind of fallout could come from allies in Washington and other NATO partners?"
My Way News - 19 Million Tune Into Live Earth Concerts
AP reports: "Nineteen million people tuned in to watch the Live Earth concerts on NBC and cable channels affiliated with the network, according to Nielsen Media Research. The total audience of 18.995 million includes viewers who watched at least six minutes of the telecasts on NBC, CNBC, Telemundo, the Sundance Channel, Bravo, MSNBC and Universal HD."
EU Med states call for Mideast peace conference - Reuters.ca
Reuters reports: "The foreign ministers of France, Italy, Spain and seven other European states called on Monday for an international conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and said Israel should make more concessions for peace."
Baath official warns of war - Israel News, Ynetnews
Israel News reports: "The Baath official said a new group called the Committees for the Liberation of the Golan Heights had been training and was ready to mount attacks against Jewish communities in the Golan in August or September. He said Syria was preparing for a war."

Sunday, July 08, 2007

My Way News - Restaurants Test Table Card Readers
AP reports: "Pay-at-the-table systems are popular in Europe and other parts of the world, but they haven't yet caught on in the U.S., largely because equipment makers haven't been able to point to a reason why restaurateurs should invest in the gear. Manufacturers now see an opportunity."
My Way News - A Militant Pakistan Remains Unlikely
AP reports: "The bloody army siege of Islamabad's Red Mosque - in which at least 24 people have died - so far has fueled concern about the threat posed by Islamic extremism to Pakistan's stability."
My Way News - Arab League Plans First Israel Mission
AP reports: "The 22-country Arab League will send envoys on a historic first mission to Israel this week to discuss a sweeping Arab peace initiative and how it might prop up embattled Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli and Arab diplomats said Sunday."
My Way News - U.K. Terror Chief Warns of Long Fight
AP reports: "Britain's new security chief warned on Sunday that the battle against domestic militancy could take up to 15 years, and said Britons must start sharing information about neighbors they suspect of involvement in terrorism. [...] (AP) He said preventing the radicalization of young British Muslims was his top priority."

Saturday, July 07, 2007

My Way News - Top Commander Expects Big Iraq Strikes
AP reports: "Sunni extremists may try a series of high-profile attacks ahead of a September report to Congress on progress in Iraq, the top U.S. commander said Saturday, recalling the Tet offensive that torpedoed support for the Vietnam War."
My Way News - EU Scales Back Gaza Border Monitoring
AP reports: "The EU is scaling back its monitoring mission at the Gaza-Egypt border, a spokeswoman said Saturday, suggesting that Gaza's only gateway to the world will not reopen anytime soon."
My Way News - 7 New Wonders of the World Chosen
AP reports: "The Great Wall of China, Rome's Colosseum, India's Taj Mahal and three architectural marvels from Latin America were among the new seven wonders of the world chosen in a global poll released on Saturday."
I'm back from my holiday break, did I miss anything important?
Hamas's plans for Temple Mount foiled - Jerusalem Post
JPost reports: "Hamas attempts to gain control of the Temple Mount and recruit new Israeli-Arab operatives in east Jerusalem have been foiled by the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), a senior security official announced on Monday."

Sunday, July 01, 2007

US: Immigrants May Be Held Indefinitely

By MATT APUZZO
The Associated Press
Tuesday, November 14, 2006; 6:39 AM

WASHINGTON -- Immigrants arrested in the United States may be held indefinitely on suspicion of terrorism and may not challenge their imprisonment in civilian courts, the Bush administration said Monday, opening a new legal front in the fight over the rights of detainees.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/14/AR2006111400125.html